Children's Books > S Children's Books > J > B

Advantages: Great read, engaging, realistic, enjoyable, memorable.
Disadvantages: None

...friend Hannah recommended the novel Summer Sisters, not just as a casual "You'd like this…" but in a way which radiated her own infectious love and enthusiasm for the book. So I read it, finishing it around 1am this morning. I am very glad I did. SYNOPSIS The novel follows the lives of two American women - Victoria 'Vix' Leonard and Caitlin Somers - from 1977 until 1996. You see them grow up from twelve to thirty-something and you become lucky ...
...her family to spend the summer with them in their second home by the sea, she is thrilled and excited, but very surprised. During their summer - and subsequent summers - there, Vix gets to know Caitlin's parents - Lamb and Phoebe - and her brother Sharkey. She finds herself becoming a part of a family in a different way to her own home. Her mother Tawny isn't very happy or maternal and she has a strange relationship with Vix's father, Ed, who is ... Read review

Advantages: Story, characters, price, just about everything :)
Disadvantages: The cover sucks

...Are you a smart woman? Good if you answered yes. If you didn’t because you’re not female, or don’t think you are, then I’ll let you off too. I grew up reading Judy Blume books and would continue to do so now has she written more than 3 for adults. This one isn’t my favourite post-teenage one (Summer Sisters is) but it’s still a good saucy read. Blume seems to like telling stories in unusual ways, and this book ...
...of their children. They’re all smart people – hence the title of the novel – and yet the adults at least keep falling in love with losers (or “schmucks” as she terms it). The question of why this is, is addressed in the book, with hilarious revelations at times. There is a moral to this story – don’t fool around with your friends’ ex-husbands if you want your life to run smoothly, and definitely don’t ... Read review

Advantages: Lovely illustrations, catchy story
Disadvantages: Maybe a bit too long for a younger child

The Princess and The Wizard - another wonderful book by Julia Donaldson. This is another one of my daughter's faves although perhaps the story is a little bit long for her at the moment but she loves the pictures, especially the glittery ones. It's the story of Princess Eliza, who gets captured & whisked away (on her 7th birthday of all days!) by a wicked wizard who likes turning people to stone. Luckily before she is taken away, her fairy godmother ...
...colour and changing her shape'. The wizard isn't impressed and replies 'changing her colour and changing her shape will never help Princess Eliza escape'. So Princess Eliza gets seven chances to escape and each day she changes herself into something new, such as a blue fish, yellow chick, green grasshopper... But the wizard always finds her and takes her back to his castle to do some horrible work for him. On her final chance to escape, Eliza realises ... Read review

Advantages: magical, easy to read
Disadvantages: none

This is the touching story of a young boy called Bertie told by his widowed wife after his death to another young boy called Jack after he finds himself in her garden after running away from boarding school (the same school Bertie went to) Bertie grew up in Africa where met his "Butterfly lion" but had to leave him when he got sent to England to go to boarding school. I don't want to give too much of the story away but i think any children (or ...
...which would be easy as the print is large and there are only 127 pages which contain some non-coloured pictures(by Christian Birmingham), which help illustrate and capture the magic of the story wonderfully. I got made to read it for my Uni course, but i am so glad it was this book as its such a beautiful story and had me actually crying in parts! This is the first Michael Morpurgo book i have read, but i will certainly be reading a few others ... Read review

Advantages: Sweet story of love and family
Disadvantages: None!

...is beautifully written and illustrated. I think this book is popular with children as well as adults because of the fact that the story is universal and recognisable to all. The book tells the story of Billy and his Mum. Billy gets later and later for nursery as he is distracted by playing with his toy rabbit, rather than getting ready to leave. His Mum gets increasingly annoyed with him and when he drops his lunchbox in the rain and it bursts open, ...
...because of it's positive message. I think it would be a great book for PSHE because it explains the importance of telling the important people in our lives how we feel about them. It would be a good book for getting children to talk about their feelings and sharing in circle time how they be more considerate to people both at home and school. I also think this book could be lovely on tape perhaps recorded by important people in a child's life, such ... Read review