Category: Kids

Little Witch: Hauntings & Hexes

On By LisaIn Aleesah Darlison, Junior Fiction, Kids, Little Witch series3 Comments

Little Witch: Hauntings & Hexes is written by Australian author Aleesah Darlison and is published by Big Sky Publishing. Aleesah Darlison has written over 36 books and is an award-winning author. This book was illustrated by Christine Schiedel and wouldn’t have made it on the shelves if Aleesah or Christine wouldn’t have started on it.

Little Witch: Hauntings & Hexes is book number 2 in the LITTLE WITCH Series.

The summer holidays are ending, and it is time for Courtney to start at her new school in Mixton Bay. But making new friends, doing lessons, working on homework and practising her witchcraft might be a bit too much for her. All Courtney wishes for is that she doesn’t have to go to school and that the summer holidays won’t end! Courtney has been practising her witchcraft during the holidays and has been trying to make her own spells but they don’t work!

Fitting in at school might not be the easiest thing to do for Courtney, as she has way too many things on her mind, as well as trying to make friends and be a normal schoolgirl. On her first day Courtney has too many butterflies in her tummy and tries a spell to get rid of them, but… the spell goes wrong!

As Courtney’s powers increase, she learns more and more, and the challenges that she face are harder and require lots of concentration and the situations start to intensify.  When Courtney accidentally lets a bad, naughty and troublesome spirit into the world, things get out of control. When Courtney goes to the cemetery to visit her grandmother’s grave, she finds an unknown family crypt, while she is trying to get out of the rain. There she meets a ghost and gets scared out of her wits! Desperate to advance in the ways of witchcraft, Courtney pushes herself to her limits, that then lead to lots of mistakes.

Things start to get dangerous for Courtney and the people closest to her. It is up to Courtney, her grandmother’s magical cat, Ink, and her witch friends to save the day. Will things turn out alright after all? If you would like to find out what happens next, pick up a copy of this fantastic book and read to the end.

This book is a great read, exciting and full of adventure! I love this book because I was looking for something new to read, and I stumbled upon it in the school library, and couldn’t stop reading till the very end. Aleesah Darlison let her imagination run loose and wrote an AMAZING book, which builds a whole new world in our minds as we read through Courtney’s adventures.

If you would like to see the trailer for the LITTLE WITCH series, you can watch it below:

Yay! It’s Library Day!

On By LisaIn Aleesah Darlison, Events, Kids1 Comment

Yay! It’s Library Day! is a picture book written by Australian author Aleesah Darlison published by Wombat Books and illustrated by students from all over Australia, who chosen to work on this project after an illustration competition. Aleesah Darlison has written over 36 books and is an award-winning author. She is currently touring Australia to launch Yay! It’s Library Day! and hold creative workshops at various schools and venues.

In this newly launched book, Oliver and Ivy wake up one morning, run into their parents bedroom and wake them with shouts of joy, “Yay! It’s Library Day!” As he promised, their dad takes them to the library and they scour the shelves looking for the perfect books. As they pick up and start reading a book, they get so absorbed in it that they feel it real and their whole world transforms around them. They see dancing elephants in tuxedos, go to fairytale lands, have ocean adventures, and fly across the sky on a magic carpet.

This book is a good read, exciting and easy to relate to. The experiences described in the book are those of every day readers, as we tend to let our imagination loose and build a whole world in our minds as we read.

I enjoyed being part of the launch event, hearing Aleesah talk about the way she writes, and looking at the students’ illustrations in the book. Our school is lucky to have one of our former student’s drawing featured in Yay! It’s Library Day! 

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The Enchanted Wood

On By LisaIn Enid Blyton, KidsLeave a comment

The Enchanted Wood is written by Enid Blyton and illustrated by Janet & Anne Johnstone, Enid Blyton has written over 600 children’s books for all ages. 

This book makes you want to leap into action as three kids go on exciting adventures up the faraway tree. When Joe, Beth, and Frannie move to the country, they discover that they are living next door to an Enchanted Wood where in the middle grows a Magic Faraway Tree.

This book is perfect for bedtime, when you want an imaginary adventure or if you need to calm down. Join the three friends as they work through their problems, and learn that teamwork is better than going against each other.

Some of the characters featured in this book are: Joe, Beth, Frannie, Moon-Face, Silky, the Magic Snowman, Three Bears, Saucepan Man, Dame Snap, Red Goblins, and many more.

Little Meerkat

On By LisaIn Aleesah Darlison, Kids3 Comments

Little Meerkat is written by Aleesah Darlinson and illustrated by Shannon Melville and it was published by Wombat Books in 2014.

This book is perfect for younger kids as they will learn to listen to parent advice to stay safe.

The story is about a Little Meerkat who is adventurous and who doesn’t want to be a baby anymore. Little Meerkat wants to be a heroic hunter, expert tracker, eagle-eyed lookout, silent stealthy scout, scorpion warrior, superbly powerful swimmer and an intrepid explorer. Little Meerkat takes turns in trying to be each of these and the story beautifully and with humour shows how this works.

The story has rhythm and rhyme that builds up and gets you excited and curious from the beginning all the way to the end. It has lots of funny parts, it is interesting and educational.

 

The CLEMENTINE ROSE series

On By LisaIn Clementine Rose series, Jacqueline Harvey, Junior Fiction, Kids2 Comments

The Clementine Rose series is written by Australian writer Jacqueline Harvey and illustrated by J.Yi.

The books in the series focus on the lovely little Clementine Rose, her family and friends saving the day, having new experiences, making new friends, learning and having fun.

The adventures have the following titles:

  • Clementine Rose and the Surprise Visitor
  • Clementine Rose and the Pet Day Disaster
  • Clementine Rose and the Perfect Present
  • Clementine Rose and the Farm Fiasco
  • Clementine Rose and the Seaside Escape
  • Clementine Rose and the Treasure Box
  • Clementine Rose and the Famous Friend
  • Clementine Rose and the Ballet Break-In
  • Clementine Rose and the Movie Magic
  • Clementine Rose and the Birthday Emergency
  • Clementine Rose and the Special Promise
  • Clementine Rose and the Paris Puzzle
  • Clementine Rose and the Wedding Wobbles

Each book presents one of Clementine’s exciting adventures and we get to know more about this lovely little girl, her family and friends.

It all starts with Clementine Rose coming to Penberthy Floss as a baby in a basket of dinner rolls in the back of the village baker’s mini-van. She is welcomed by Lady Clarissa Appleby and the butler Digby Pertwhistle. She grows up in Penberthy House together with her teacup Pig, Lavander. Clementine Rose is helping her mum run the house as a hotel in order to be able to keep it and fix it, as it is a very old, heritage building. Aunt Violet, the mysterious sister of Lady Clarissa’s father, with her sphinx cat, Paraoh, arrive to Penberthy House. Everybody’s life changes because they need to learn to live together and help each other in times of need.

We as readers are introduced to Clementine’s world, the local village with various characters, different troubles and exciting adventures.

The characters are well-rounded, interesting and some of them stylish and inspiring. We fall in love with some of them, get angry with others but we get to look forward to their adventures, behaviour and outcomes.

I just loved Clementine, Lady Clarissa, Uncle Digby and Aunt Violet through the series. I loved to see how they interacted with each other, how their behaviour towards each other changed and how they learned to be more inclusive and understanding.

Jaqueline Harvey’s writing in captivating, interesting, witty, bright and fun. It keeps you coming back for more.

I thoroughly recommend this series because it is a great big adventure in a lovely village and presents interesting chapters in the life of Clementine Rose and her friends. You can start reading her adventures from book 1. Or you can pick any book in the series and you will still understand its action, the characters and the story. Jacqueline Harvey is careful to make it possible no matter where you join Clemmie’s adventures.

If you like the CLEMENTINE ROSE series, the next natural choice is the ALICE-MIRANDA series – you can read the review here.

Other amazing adventures to check out are the ones in the LULU BELL series, by Australian writer Belinda Murrell – you can read the review here. Also have a look at the UNICORN RIDERS by Aleesha Darlison, another talented Australian writer.

I also enjoyed reading the SECRET SEVEN by the late English writer Enid Blyton. If you like magical stories, you’ll enjoy Blyton’s THE ENCHANTED WOOD, THE MAGICAL FARAWAY TREE, THE FOLK OF THE FARAWAY TREE, THE ADVENTURES OF THE WISHING CHAIR and her collection of BEDTIME STORIES FOR CHILDREN.