Bookworm Buzz – Book News

Are you ready for a little children’s book update with book ideas for upcoming events? Well look no further, I’ve got you covered!

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New Releases and Reviews

The TBR pile continues to grow and Book Blast this month was teeming with incredible books that have been released this month or are due very soon. Here are some of the books that have caught my eye!

My Must-Have Mum by Maudie Smith and Jen Khatun

My Must-Have Mum is published by Lantana Publishing and promises to be one of the must have books for March. Jake’s Mum isn’t like other Mum’s she’s an upcycling champion! Yet how will she show Jake that he doesn’t need to change and is perfect the way he is?

You can find inside images and a trailer for the book on the Lantana website here and a review from Red Reading Hub here.

Bunnies in A Boat by Philip Ardagh and Ben Mantle

As a family we adored the romp of a read Bunnies on a Bus that had us laughing out loud. So we have been eagerly awaiting the next installment, Bunnies in a Boat, that from all the reviews promises to be just as incredible as the first.

Will Ben Mantle have woven his magic into an illustrative substory again? This would make a brilliant alternative Spring/ Easter time book to gift.

The Comet by Joe Todd-Stanton

This is one of those books that I keep hearing about. The Comet by Flying Eye Books tells the story of moving house and looks at some of the emotions around this big life event showing that there can be magic and wonder in the new.

John Agard’s Windrush Child by John Agard and Sophie Bass

A little poetry release this month that is exquisitely illustrated by Sophie Bass – John Agard’s Windrush Child published by Walker. She has a very unique style using gouache and pen with techniques rooted in symbolism. Nikki Gamble has a special Book Bast event on 6th April 2022 for this release.

The Secret Sunshine Project by Benjamin Dean and Sandhya Prabhat

One that’s caught my eye and publishing at the end of March 22 is The Secret Sunshine Project. I’ve been spotting this book all over the place and after reading A Library Lady’s review it’s a firm add to my wish list. Do go and check out the review here and of course Anne’s weekly book news here.

Tonie Box New Releases

The latest Tonie release is Toy Story 2. It’s just under half an hour long with a story and four songs. You can hear an audio clip here.

If you’re interested in audio players you might like to check out my blog post on Tonie Boxes vs. Yoto Player here. We have been making lots of Make You Own Cards for our Yoto Mini. Is it wrong that I really want a Yoto Mini for myself!

Books for the Diary

This week is Exploring Nature with Children Vernal Equinox week and you can find my free Spring flower ID cards in the resources section here or you can access them from the files in the Facebook Group here. You may also be interested in my Spring books blog post here.

21st March World Poetry Day

If you read Bookworm Buzz each week you’ll know that a new habit I have been forming for 2022 is to read at least one piece of poetry every day. It’s been a wonderful habit to start and long may it continue. Why not start yourself on World Poetry Day.

22nd March World Water Day

Another new release for this month and in perfect time for World Water day is Water by Catherine Barr and Christiane Engel. To find out more about this book do check out this interview with Catherine Barr.

23rd March National Day of Reflection

Letters to the Stars Book lay on a table with paper balloons and thread coming from balloons in a rainbow of colours. Little letters to the sides.

If you are needing to support your little readers through grief then you may find this blog post helpful. The post gets updated regularly with new release books on the topic of loss. A recent addition is the new release from Tom Percival – The River.

Thought Provoking Reading

An interesting read this week came in the form of a BBC article on Boston Spa; it’s the site of the British Libraries main storage facility. There’s something extremely though provoking when thinking about the storage of physical texts in terms of miles. You can read the full article here.

Early Education has written a response to the systemic racism in the UK Education system. I’d highly recommend reading whether you’re an educator or parent/ carer. There are lots of further reading opportunities within the article also – link here.

What I’m Reading

I’m still not in my usual reading groove yet as I’m stuck in bed with a secondary infection after covid. However, here is what I have been reading…

It Fell From the Sky by The Fan Brothers

It Fell From the Sky by The Fan Brothers blew me away and made me fall in love with a digital picture book; I didn’t think that was possible! Full review and activity ideas can be found here.

Chain of Iron and Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

I’ve just finished @tandemcollectiveuk Chain of Iron Readalong. It was an incredible book and I can’t believe I’ve got to wait until next year to find out the conclusion. I’ve never known an author who can keep two people apart so wonderfully, agonisingly!

Thanks to Tandem and @walkerbooksya for gifting me a copy of Chain Of Iron and book one Chain Of Gold.

Ambrose Follows His Nose by Dick King-Smith & Josie Rogers

We’re still reading a chapter a night of this one and it’s giving me wonderful nostalgic thoughts of my early reading journey. Some authors really stick with you and Dick King-Smith is one of them for me. Ambrose Follows His Nose was a Toppsta win and although we haven’t finished the book yet it’s looking to be getting full marks from us. Well done Josie Rogers for keeping Dick alive.

Moonchild: Voyage of the Lost and Found by Aisha Bushby and illustrated by Rachael Dean

I mentioned in last week’s Bookworm Buzz that I’d listened to an interview with Aisha Bushby and Elle McNicoll. I was enthralled hearing about how Aisha works on her books and the meticulous attention to detail and self development she pours into her writing. So much so I’ve just had to start reading Moonchild: Voyage of the Lost and Found. Currently, loving it! It’s got fantasy, adventure, mystery and more.

Anyway, I’m desperate to get back to reading Moonchild so I’ll sign off now and I’ll see you next week. Hope your week is full of books!

Lisa x

Buying Books

Buying books and more importantly where to buy books is often a topic of contention. For me it’s about books being accessible to all. Growing up we didn’t have ‘online’ shopping. I would use any money that I was given on special occasions to shop in my local bookshop. Mainly, books that I had came from libraries both community and school.

Now I gather books from a range of sources. I still love libraries and before the pandemic used to frequent charity shops to find treasures. If I’m purchasing books new then I tend to purchase from a range of places including Indies and other High Street names – often when they have offers on. You can click on the links below to take you to that bookseller.

I rarely purchase books on Amazon, but when I was a student and cost was a very important factor for me then it was my go to. I also know that Amazon is a very important place for authors and illustrators when it comes to reviews of their books and I use Amazon to find out what others thought about a book and get an inside peep. You can leave reviews on Amazon even when you have purchased from elsewhere.

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