I Read, Therefore I Blog

The Blurb On The Back:

Thomas and Bruno

Join Thomas and his new friend Bruno for an ALL ENGINES GO adventure!

Diesel is given an urgent job to do, but Bruno, the new brake car, wants him to slow down and be careful. Diesel doesn’t see things the way Bruno does, and he races straight into a rockslide. Can the pair work as a team to get back on track?

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The Verdict:

Christy Webster’s picture book adaptation of the THOMAS & FRIENDS episode, ‘Shake, Rattle, and Bruno’ (by Daniel Share-Strom) is an enjoyable read that suggests Bruno is neuro-divergent (he memorises the train schedule to keep calm) and emphasises the importance of listening, not rushing into things and working together in order to resolve things. Although the pictures are a little flat and generic, young readers should still enjoy the story.

THOMAS AND BRUNO was released in the United Kingdom on 6th July 2023. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Discover a world of friendship and adventure where feelings are always welcome!

The sun is shining and the Little Seasons are on their way to the beach. But Summer is feeling hot and bothered. With one setback after another, his emotions are bubbling over.

Luckily Summer’s friends know the perfect way to relax: building a giant sandcastle. The only trouble is, no one has noticed a big wave rolling in …

Perfect for any little reader learning how to manage big emotions.

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The Verdict:

The third book in Jo Lindley’s self-illustrated picture book series is a charming look at the fun things that you can do in the summer but also how to handle it when you feel angry and everything gets on top of you because things keep going wrong. I enjoyed Lindley’s illustrations and the friendship of the four Little Seasons really comes through such that I’d be happy to read the other three books in this series.

HELLO SUMMER was released in the United Kingdom on 8th June 2023. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

At the edge of the field, Oliver saw something lying in the mud. It was a bird made of iron.

Then something amazing happened …

From an acclaimed literary voice comes a magical story which explores friendship, loyalty and the power of hope.

Oliver loves birds - watching them soar into the sky and wishing that just sometimes they would stay close. So when he discovers a robin made of iron, he thinks he’s found the perfect friend - even if his toy dragon isn’t quite so sure!

When the robin begins to glimmer and hop, Oliver is amazed. But in a terrible turn of events, his new friend is lost.

Nevertheless, there is wonder and excitement ahead for Oliver - with a storm on the horizon and Iron Robin’s magic in the air …

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The Verdict:

Rose Tremain’s debut picture book has some beautiful writing but it isn’t clear if Oliver’s affinity for the robin comes from loneliness, although I did enjoy the snarky Draggi. Richard Jones’s illustrations are superb and really get across Oliver’s isolation and the robin’s magic. All in all, I think it’s a good read but the open ending and the fact that some of the themes are not fully explored may make it go over some young readers’ heads.

IRON ROBIN was released in the United Kingdom on 18th May 2023. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Sick and tired of school show-offs?

Mean girls ruining your day?

A mysterious illness sweeping your town … ?

Being the world’s only arty ‘sort-of-superhero’ is never boring. I’ve got a lot on my plate: as well as making comics with my best friend, Beeks, and attempting to avoid the MEAN girls, I’m also trying to work out why EVERYONE seems to be getting sick. Maybe some artistic inspiration from Botticelli will help me get to the bottom of the mystery …

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The Verdict:

Olaf Falafel’s self-illustrated funny novel sequel for readers aged 8+ is a genuinely hilarious affair that combines Trixie’s love of art with her desire to get revenge on those who have wronged her. I particularly enjoyed the mini fact files on artists and how Trixie incorporates them in her pranks while her cynicism is very entertaining. I hadn’t read the first book but will rectify that mistake and I hope there is more in this series.

TRIXIE PICKLE ART AVENGER - TOXIC TAKEDOWN was released in the United Kingdom on 4th May 2023. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

In a refugee camp in southern Turkey, Elliot Ackerman sits across the table from Abu Hassar, who fought for Al Qaeda in Iraq and whose connections to the Islamic State are murky. At first, Ackerman pretends to have been a journalist during the Iraq War, but after he establishes a rapport with Abu Hassar, he reveals that in fact he was a Marine. Ackerman then draws the shape of the Euphrates River on a large piece of paper, and his one-time adversary joins him, filling in the map with the names and dates of where they saw fighting during the war. They discover they had shadowed each other for some time, a realisation that brings them to a strange kind of intimacy.

Elliot Ackerman’s extraordinary memoir explores how he came to this refugee camp and what he hoped to find there. Moving between his recent experiences on the ground as a journalist in Syria and his Marine deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan, he creates a work of astonishing atmospheric pressure.

At once an intensely personal book about the terrible lure of combat and a brilliant meditation on the meaning of the past two decades of strife for America, the region and the world, Places and Names bids to take its place among our great books about modern war.

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The Verdict:

Elliot Ackerman is a novelist, journalist and former Marine who received the Silver Star, Bronze Star for Valour and Purple Heart during tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is a sparsely written, thoughtful meditation on the US wars in the Middle East and his place in them and his meetings with Abu Hassar (an Al Qaeda fighter) are poignant but his reticence to go deep into the conflict make it a little frustrating at times.

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

The Blurb On The Back:

Meet … Sunshine Simpson

Sunshine’s larger-than-life Grandad is always telling her to get out and find her own adventures, but unfortunately BAD LUCK has a habit of coming her way.

Her new friend Evie is fast becoming a FRENEMY, her home haircut is a DISASTER, and the school showcase is so STRESSFUL! Everything seems to be going wrong! Especially with Granddad getting older every week.

Sunshine needs to find her voice, but can she break through the clouds to stand tall, stand proud and show the world she can SHINE?

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The Verdict:

G. M. Linton’s debut novel for readers aged 9+ (illustrated by Fuuji Takashi and Emily Bornoff and the first in a series) is a sensitively written book about learning who you are and what’s important to you while also dealing with the difficult topic of illness, death and grief. I particularly enjoyed the emphasis on Sunshine’s Jamaican heritage and her and her family’s pride in their identity and I look forward to reading more of her adventures.

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

The Blurb On The Back:

I Love The Seasons - Summer

What do you love about summer? Do you enjoy the long days and playing outside? Perhaps you like summer foods like ice creams?

In this series explore the many different things to love about the seasons and find to how they affect plants and animals. With beautiful illustrations and simple text, the books give younger readers a great introduction to what happens during the seasons.

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The Verdict:

Lizzie Scott is a writer and editor of non-fiction books for children who particularly loves plants, animals and the environment. Stephanie Fizer Coleman is an experienced children’s book illustrator who loves illustrating birds. This is a beautifully put-together book (part of a series) for readers aged 5+ that explores different aspects of summer and invites readers to think about what summer means to them and what they like about it.

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

The Blurb On The Back:

Unequal Planet

If everyone on Earth was equal, we would all have the same standards of living, opportunities, wealth, health and other factors that make our lives different. But this isn’t the case, the world is not an equal place and many people experience great inequality in their lives.

UNEQUAL PLANET looks at the reasons behind global inequality - from where people are born, to their income, to the impacts of climate change, and suggests some positive, practical solutions to this complex and challenging issue. It also explores what we can all do to help make the world a more equal and better place.

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The Verdict:

Anna Claybourne is an experienced writer of non-fiction for children. This is a solidly written book for readers aged 9+ that’s part of a series about issues related to the planet and explains what inequality is and how it can come about. Claybourne breaks down complicated ideas in an unpatronising way, but while it generally gets the balance right there are times when it’s a little over-simplified and too broad.

UNEQUAL PLANET was released in the United Kingdom on 10th August 2023. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Lily Grim’s life is a mystery.

She’s lived with her guardian, Gabriel, in the city of Undone for as long as she can remember. It’s a dark and dangerous place, especially if you’re an Other like they are.

When the cruel Master of the city suddenly captures Gabriel, Lily has to escape. She’s hidden by an Other boy called Dekka, who knows that Lily is in grave danger. The Master seems to want her dead - but why?

Can Lily unravel the mystery of who she is?

And can the new friends rescue Gabriel before it’s too late?

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The Verdict:

Andy Ruffell’s debut fantasy novel for readers aged 9+ sensitively addresses the serious theme about how fear and hatred are used to turn people against each other. However the plot is predictable, the villain is under-developed with non-sensical motives, Lily’s super powers develop too quickly and feel unearned and Ruffell bottles a character death in a way that feels cheap. It’s not a bad book, but I wouldn’t rush to read a sequel.

LILY GRIM AND THE CITY OF UNDONE was released in the United Kingdom on 11th May 2023. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Who do you think you are?

Have you ever thought about who you might be related to?

What if we told you that you were related to EXTRAORDINARY EMPERORS, GREAT KINGS and MAGNIFICENT QUEENS? Well, your majesty, you are. In fact, everyone is. And geneticist Adam Rutherford is here to tell you how.

Discover everything you need to know about human history, from EVOLUTION to the FIRST LIFE ON EARTH, from DINOSAURS to YOU. Along the way, you’ll find out just how far us humans have migrated, how we’re all related to a SUPER CHEESY MAN and why, despite us having different skin colours, living in different places or speaking different languages, we all come from the same place.

This is the epic story of where we come from, what race really is and why we’re all, ultimately, one human family.

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The Verdict:

Adam Rutherford is a geneticist, science writer and broadcaster. E. L. Norry is an experienced writer of fiction and non-fiction for children. This is a very readable guide to genetics for readers aged 9+that explains evolution, genes, race and tying it in with racism and racist myths. Adam Ming’s illustrations work perfectly with the text and I think the authors strike the right tone, getting over facts but with humour that keeps you engaged.

WHERE ARE YOU REALLY FROM? was released in the United Kingdom on 28th September 2023. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.