How Can I Help? Roly The Hedgehog by Frances Rodgers and Ben Grisdale

The Blurb On The Back:

Everything you need to know about helping your favourite garden guests!

Roly is a curious, prickly hedgehog who loves to explore gardens, including yours. But gardens can be dangerous, from deep ponds to smelly rubbish, so Roly must be careful. He can’t face these challenges alone - he needs your help!

Part of a beautiful series, Roly The Hedgehog provides its little readers with all the tips and tricks they need to help keep these adorable spiny creatures safe in the garden.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

This picture book (part of a series about garden and countryside creatures) by Frances Rodgers with lovely illustrations by Ben Grisdale that are coupled with photographs gives plenty of tips and advice to young readers about what hedgehogs are and how to make them feel welcome. The language is easy to understand without being patronising and it’s a good way of getting young ones interested in nature.

HOW CAN I HELP? ROLY THE HEDGEHOG was released in the United Kingdom on 28th October 2021. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

A Super Weird! Mystery: Danger At Donut Diner by Jim Smith

The Blurb On The Back:

Melvin and Rhubarb love a good mystery.

Unfortunately, nothing ever happens in their boring old town.

Until the Donut Hole Monsters turn up …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Jim Smith’s self-illustrated humour book for children aged 8+ (the first in a series) is an entertaining, silly affair that sends up both the desire to be cool and to find mysteries where there are not. It takes a while to get going and there are a number of typos in the text, which is disappointing, but it’s not as cruel as Smith’s BARRY LOSER SERIES and focuses on the importance of genuine friendship and as such, I would happily read more.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

Everything World War II by National Geographic Kids

The Blurb On The Back:

Brave soldiers, important battles, life on the Home Front! It’s time to learn everything about World War II.

Packed with facts, pictures and maps it’s ideal for homework, topic work, KS2 school projects and anyone who is simply curious about history.

You can order Everything World War II: Facts And Photos From The Front Line To The Home Front by National Geographic Kids from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

This book by National Geographic Kids is aimed at children aged 8+ is a UK-centric breezy overview of World War II from Appeasement to the dropping of the A-bombs. There are plenty of pictures and it’s written in a way that’s easy to understand, but I was surprised there’s no mention of the Bletchley Park code breakers or the black market that surrounded rationing and it conflates sonar and radar, when they’re subtly different.

EVERYTHING WORLD WAR II was released in the United Kingdom on 22nd July 2021. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

Master List of Books 2021

1. Give Great Presentations by Lucinda Becker.

2. Bone Talk by Candy Gourlay.

3. Avoid Plagiarism by Thomas Lancaster.

4. The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji.

5. Choose Your Own Adventure: Mountain Survival by Edward Packard.

6. Manage Your Stress by Clare Wilson.

7. Forged by Benedict Jacka.

8. Think Critically by Tom Chatfield.

9. Slough House by Mick Herron.

10. Good Girls Die First by Kathryn Foxfield.

11. Small Dreams Of A Scorpion by Spike Milligan.

12. A Book Of Milliganimals by Spike Milligan.

13. The Case For A Four Day Week by Anna Coote, Aidan Harper and Alfie Stirling.

14. Agatha Oddly – Murder At The Museum by Lena Jones.

15. Teachers vs Tech? The Case For An Ed Tech Revolution by Daisy Christodoulou.

16. Silly Verse For Kids by Spike Milligan.

17. Skyward Inn by Aliya Whiteley.

18. What Is At Stake Now: My Appeal For Peace And Freedom by Mikhail Gorbachev.

19. Game Changer by Neal Shusterman.

20. Silence Is Not An Option by Stuart Lawrence.

21. This Careless Life by Rachel McIntyre.

22. The Enduring Kiss: Seven Short Lessons On Love by Massimo Recalcati.

24. Genesis: On The Deep Origin Of Societies by Edward O Wilson.

25. The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne by Jonathan Stroud.

26. Trampled By Unicorns: Big Tech’s Empathy Problem And How To Fix It by Maëlle Gavet.

27. The Maker Of Monsters by Lorraine Gregory.

28. The Black Friend: On Being A Better White Person by Frederick Joseph.

29. Look Out, Leonard! by Jessie James and Tamara Anegon.

30. My Daddies by Gareth Peter and Garry Parsons.

31. Nothing Ever Happens Here by Sarah Hagger-Holt.

32. High-Impact Tools For Team by Stefano Mastrogiacomo, Alex Osterwalder, Alan Smith and Trish Papadakos.

33. The Barbizon: The New York Hotel That Set Women Free by Paulina Bren.

34. Poison In Jest by John Dickson Carr.

35. Murder On The Home Front by Molly Lefebure.

36. Carter by Ted Lewis.

37. Essaying The Past: How To Read, Write And Think About History by Jim Cullen.

38. The Girl Who Speaks Bear by Sophie Anderson.

39. Up In The Air: Butterflies, Birds And Everything Up Above by Zoë Armstrong and Sara Ugolotti.

40. The Renegades: Defenders Of The Planet Flames Of Amazonia (Vol 2) by Jeremy Brown, Katy Jakeway, Ellenor Mererid, Libby Reed and David Selby.

41. Diary Of A Brilliant Kid: Top Secret Guide To Awesomness by Andy Cope, Gavin Oattes and Will Hussey.

42. Making Wolf by Tade Thompson.

43. Serving Face: Lessons On Poise And (Dis)grace From The World Of Drag by Felix Le Freak.

44. Midnight Sun by Jo Nesbo.

45. Above The Law by Adrian Bleese.

46. Jaz Santos Vs. The World by Priscilla Mante.

47. The Little Book Of Results: A Quick Guide To Achieving Big Goals by Jamie Smart.

48. Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein.

49. Modern Languages: Why It Matters by Katrin Kohl.

50. The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons.

51. Augmented Reality by Mark Pesce.

52. The Crossing by Manjeet Mann.

53. When We Say Black Lives Matter by Maxine Beneba Clarke.

54. Nature Needs You! By Liz Gogerly and Sr. Sanchez.

55. Kitty And The Kidnap Trap by Paula Harrison and Jenny Løvlie.

56. A Girl Called Justice: The Ghost In The Garden by Elly Griffiths.

57. The Place For Me: Stories About The Windrush Generation by Black Cultural Archives.

58. No More Babies! By Madeleine Cook and Erika Meza.

59. Humans Are Underrated: What High Achievers Know That Brilliant Machines Never Will by Geoff Colvin.

60. The Liar Of Red Valley by Walter Goodwater.

61. Slow Rise: A Bread-Making Adventure by Robert Penn.

62. Kitticorn by Matilda Rose and Tim Budgen.

63. News 2.0: Journalists, Audiences, And News On Social Media by Ahmed Al-Rawi.

64. Tiger Warrior: Attack Of The Dragon King by M. Chan.

65. Back On Track by Matthew Burton.

66. An Emotion Of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi.

67. The Worries: Jaz And The New Baby by Jion Sheibani.

68. The Class Ceiling: Why It Pays To Be Privileged by Sam Friedman and Daniel Laurison.

69. Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes.

70. Seven Lives From Mass Observation by James Hinton.

71. Now You See by Max Manning.

72. Novacene: The Coming Age Of Hyperintelligence by James Lovelock and Bryan Appleyard.

73. Kitty And The Starlight Song by Paula Harrison and Jenny Løvlie.

74. You Will Be Okay by Julie Stokes and Laurène Boglio.

75. Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, Angie Thomas and Nicola Yoon.

76. Twice As Hard by Opeyemi Sofoluke and Raphael Sofoluke.

77. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman.

78. What Is African American Literature? by Margo N. Crawford.

79. Splinters Of Sunshine by Patrice Lawrence.

80. Kill The Black One First by Michael Fuller.

81. The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin.

82. A Little Devil In America: In Praise Of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib.

83. Straight Outta Crongton by Alex Wheatle.

84. The Hunt For Mount Everest by Craig Storti.

85. Sequins And Secrets by Lucy Ivison.

86. Climate Change And The Nation State by Anatol Lieven.

87. The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton.

88. The Responsible Globalist: What Citizens Of The World Can Learn From Nationalism by Hassan Damluji.

89. Zen And The Art Of Murder by Oliver Bottini.

91. Isadora Moon And The Shooting Star by Harriet Muncaster.

92. Pandemic! 2: Chronicles Of A Time Lost by Slavoj Žižek.

93. Risen by Benedict Jacka.

94. Inbound PR: The PR Agency’s Manual To Transforming Your Business With Inbound by Iliyana Stareva.

95. The Accidental Diary of B.U.G: Basically Famous by Jen Carney.

96. The Expertise Economy by Kelly Palmer and David Blake.

97. Beano Dennis & Gnasher: The Battle For Bash Street School by Craig Graham and Mike Sterling.

98. How Can I Help? Roly The Hedgehog by Frances Rodgers and Ben Grisdale.

99. A Super Weird! Mystery: Danger At Donut Diner by Jim Smith.

100. Everything World War II by National Geographic Kids.

If you fancy buying any of these books based on my reviews, then you can do so through Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone's, or Bookshop.org UK. Please note that I earn commission on any purchases made via these links.