Category: Age 8-10

Favourites in 2021

Hi dear Bookmonsters!
Today’s video isn’t a book review; instead I’m doing something different – I’m going to show you my current TOP FIVE favourite book covers (or rather, SIX!). Cian already did a video like this a while back (here) and I’ve been wanting to do one too, so here it is!

And like I say in the video, I’m going to JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER! Because I just can’t help myself! It’s hard not to be drawn in by a really pretty cover, especially when it’s in your favourite colours. But as I explain, it’s not just the colours or the illustrations that attract me, it’s also the font, the spine, the wraparounds to the back cover and, really importantly, the FEEL. I love how a book feels in my hands.

So, like with Cian’s video of his TOP FIVE covers, this review is a thank you to cover artists, illustrators, author-illustrators, designers, typographers for creating such beautiful book covers. And the books are brilliant too!

Here are the books in alphabetical order (by author), so as not to give anything away just yet! (I’ve also included the links to the book reviews I’ve already posted here on Bookmonster.)

1. THE GIRL WHO SPEAKS BEAR by Sophie Anderson | Cover by Kathrin Honesta
2. WILLA OF THE WOOD by Robert Beatty | Cover by Millie Liu | Design by Maria Elias
3. SHARK CALLER by Zillah Bethell | Cover by Saara Katariina Söderlund | Typography by Sarah J. Coleman
4. SKY SONG by Abi Elphinstone | Cover by Daniela Terrazzini
5. NEVERTELL by Katherine Orton | Cover by Sandra Dieckmann
6. NORTH CHILD by Edith Pattou | Cover by Claire Lefevre

Also featured in this video is RUMBLESTAR by Abi Elphinstone.

Written by Julie Pike

Hi everyone!
I’m back after a holiday with our grandparents and have a new book review for you. In this video, I’m talking about the wonderful book called The Last Spell Breather by Julie Pike. It tells the story of Rayne, an apprentice spell breather, who clumsily drops her mother’s spell book into the fire and unwittingly unleashes the dreaded monster curse on their village. In an effort to undo the damage, Rayne needs to get to her mother at the Great Library before it’s too late. Accompanied by her best friend, Tom, and a talking fox, Rayne braves the plagued world beyond their hidden village and journeys to the Great Library, overcoming danger and betrayal along the way. This is a story of true friendship, loyalty, truth and love. An absolutely spellbinding and breathtaking tale!

We’re looking forward to more mesmerising stories from Julie Pike! 😉

If you like this book, you may also like Orphans of the Tide and Nevertell, which we’ve also reviewed here.

Oh, and one more thing … you might like to take a look at the video on my TOP TEN favourite books, as The Last Spell Breather features in there, too!

Written by Robert Beatty
Book 1 of 2 in Willa of the Wood series

Hey Bookmonsters!
My book review today is on a captivating tale that fast became one of my new favourites. In fact, even the book cover has become one of my all-time favourites! It’s on Robert Beatty’s Willa of the Wood, an exciting adventure set in the Great Smoky Mountains at the beginning of the twentieth century, in a land where the Cherokee and Faeran (magical wood dwellers) live in harmony with nature. But settlers and loggers are threatening their peaceful existence, and Willa – a young Faeran night spirit – finds herself caught up in the middle of the struggle. A beautifully told tale that whisks you away into the magical world of the Faeran and gives you a unique glimpse of how nature works. Perfect for anyone with a strong love of the natural world, young or old. (Be sure to watch the video to the end to see the really cute drum roll!) So looking forward to reading and reviewing the next book in the series, Willa of Dark Hollow. 🙂

Written by Struan Murray
Book 2 of 2 in Orphans of the Tide series

Hey there Bookmonsters!
Cian here today with another book review! This one is on Shipwreck Island, the thrilling sequel to Struan Murray’s Orphans of the Tide (which I reviewed here a few months ago). This is another exciting fantasy adventure about Ellie and Seth. It picks right up where Orphans of the Tide left off – so more or less just after their escape from the island known as The City, which they had thought was the last place left in the world after the Drowning. But after three months at sea on a small raft, they finally wash up on a tropical island that looks like it might just be the paradise they’d been dreaming of. Not all is as idyllic as it seems, however, and soon Ellie and Seth, together with their new-found friends, are facing all sorts of unexpected challenges. This is a worthy sequel to Struan Murray’s debut novel, Orphans of the Tide. It kept us on the edge of our seats, that’s for sure! Please read – you won’t be disappointed! And fingers crossed there will be a third book coming soon …

Written by Sinéad O’Hart
Prequel to The Eye of the North

Hey everyone!
I’m quite excited about this book review! Why? It’s my first time reviewing a brand-new book. Skyborn by Sinéad O’Hart was only released four days ago! Because we had it pre-ordered from the bookshop Halfway up the Stairs, we got it just as it was released – actually one day before! I started reading right away and finished it the next day! This thrilling “steampunk” adventure follows a boy called Bastjan – and his friends – in his quest to save the circus that he calls home, recover his mother’s precious box and avert certain disaster. You know, I had to look up the word “steampunk”, as I had seen it being used to describe Skyborn, but I had no clue what it meant! But now that I know, it makes perfect sense! This is my new favourite from Sinéad O’Hart! It was such a gripping tale and so full of imagination. Read it and you’ll see what I mean.

BTW, here’s the link to my first ever #Shorts video on YouTube: Sinéad O’Hart bookplates