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Advantages: A truely imaginative fantasy with something for everyone
Disadvantages: As a childrens book it lacks the depth of language adults may prefer.

The third installment in Pullmans His Dark Materials triolgy cannot fail to delight. Following the final leg of the adventure of Lyra and Will as they discover amazing new worlds and incredible new characters like the tiny Gallivespians, reminiscent of the inhabitants of Jonathan Swifts Lilliput in Gullivers Travels, and the wonderfully peaceful Mulefa who seem to be uncomparible in literature. A magnificent read for adults and children alike as ...
...the reader on a journey through multitudes of worlds including the World of the Dead and the Kingdom of Heaven. The Amber Spyglass is an unmissable joy to read which is truely impossible to put down until the very end and even then promises to be read over and over again. ... Read review

Advantages: good characters and storylines
Disadvantages: n/a

...of Darrell Rivers from her first year to when she finally leaves. Unlike other girls she actually wants to go there and become a success. Teachers and the other students like her but that doesn't mean she is completely perfect. She soon gets herself into trouble and has a firey temper. Darrel is scornful of a timid girl called Mary Lou, and despite rescuing her from being held under the water by a spiteful girl she is in no way interested in becoming ...
...shocked when she receives a bad report from one of her mistresses. It was surprising how one of the other school girls can make mischief and keep her place in class whilst Darrel has to be made a pointed of her bad marks. In a lot of stories it is of no surprise that two of the girls Darrell despises at the beginning of the book turn out to be her closest by the ending. Some of the goings on are slightly out dated and old fashioned compared to ... Read review

Advantages: Great Dr Seuss Book
Disadvantages: None

...children and this one is Green Eggs and Ham. The cover of the book is Green with a red and white stripped banner down the left hand side and a picture of a yellow and white cat holding a plate of green eggs and ham and the title in white letting on the right hand side. The back cover is also green and has a paragraph about the book written at the top. The story starts with a funny creature called Sam holding a banner telling us he is Sam-I-am. We ...
...this creature if he likes green eggs and ham, he says he does not like them. Sam goes on pestering him about liking green eggs and ham and taking him to funny places asking him if he would like them there. Would he give in and try the green eggs and ham to hake Sam-I-am happy or would Sam-I-am keep trying? Through out this book there is a very clever rhyming pattern which starts and the beginning of the book and the whole story is told using it. ... Read review

Advantages: kids love it
Disadvantages: none

This board book was first published in 1982. I didn't have a copy when I was little so the first I heard of it was when my Mum found a copy in a charity shop for my boys and thought it was something they might like. 'Dear Zoo' is a very sturdy board book with flaps on the right hand pages. The story begins: 'I wrote to the zoo to send me a pet. They sent me an…' A series of animals are hidden behind flaps and reasons are given as to why they are ...
...sends the perfect pet. I enjoy reading this book and there are great opportunities for making animal noises and the flaps are very popular with little hands. The story is very simple and really seems to appeal to young children. We've had this book for about a year now and it seems to have stood the test of time. A few of the flaps have a small amount of damage but really not bad considering the number of times it's been read. The illustrations ... Read review

Advantages: nice to have as part of collection
Disadvantages: not the best characters

Good old Thomas the Tank Engine is traditionally the character of choice for autistic children so, true to form, our autistic three year old, Tom, fell in love with Thomas and all his friends about two years ago and hasn't stopped adoring them since. We have a huge amount of Thomas the Tank Engine books, especially the board books as they are what Tom enjoys. About a year ago we saw a set of the first twenty five books in the 'My Thomas Library' ...
...the Rev. W. Awdry. The set was on offer with The Book People. It was a really good deal so we've been handing them out to the kids for ages now and they seem to have gone down well. Each book tells the story of one the characters from Sodor [or two if they are connected like 'Arry and Bert']. Since buying this set many more titles have become available in the series, including the story of 'Arry and Bert [which is number 31 in the series]. Each ... Read review