|
|
|
 |
| Book Reviews |
A selection of recent book reviews is shown below.
To view our complete list, please select a category and click "Show Reviews".
You may also add your own review (requires registration).
|
| The Great Rabbit Rescue |
Katie Davies
£5.99, Simon and Schuster UK Ltd
The long awaited sequel to the 2010 Waterstone’s Children’s Book prize winner, The Great Hamster Massacre, brings more adventure for nine year old Anna and fi ve year old Tom. The Great Rabbit Rescue reunites its readers with the same hilarious, yet heartwarming tones as its redecessor with new characters, new animals and a new challenge for its loveable leads! The Great Hamster Massacre has sold over 45,000 copies since its publication in January, proving popular with national press such as The Sunday Times and The 5 O’Clock Show. Katie will be appearing this summer at Edinburgh festival, and at Bath Festival in the autumn. Katie will be writing a World Book Day book, The Great Petshop Panic, in March 2010, featuring more fun from Anna and Tom. |
| More in Children's Fiction... |
| Dadcando |
Chris Barnardo
£14.99, Guardian Books
Drawn from www.dadcando.com, a tremendously popular website with subscribers all over the world, Dadcando combines ideas for how to keep the children occupied with support for parents - particularly single dads.
If you want to get your kids to turn off the TV, step away from the computer and do something less boring instead, Dadcando has a project for you.
Brimful of magical and creative ideas to try at home, from building a spaceship to doing science experiments in the kitchen, Dadcando is a must for any father who wants to spend quality time with his children. Not only that, it also includes bags of advice and support for dads who find themselves going it alone.
Every father wants to be a hero to his kids, and with Dadcando you'll find it's child's play.
Born in 1962, Chris Barnardo is the son of two family doctors and a descendent of Dr Barnardo, founder of the world-wide children's charity. He has four children to whom he is completely dedicated, and in 2007 he founded www.dadcando.com, a website for fathers - particularly single ones - and their children.
Chris's varied career has seen him working in the fields of graphic design and product development. He is a named inventor on over 25 patents for everything from cheese packaging to advanced credit card displays.
His most recent invention is the world's first working magic wand. It looks and feels like a single piece of carved wood and uses infrared remote control technology and state-of-the-art motion sensing and gesture recognition software to enable the user to control gadgets around the home using only simple and intuitive flicks of the wrist. |
| More in Parenting... |
| You Can Cook |
Annabel Karmel
£12.99, DK
Get your child involved in all aspects of cooking - from choosing the ingredients, basic preparation and adding flavour to nutrition. Your child will pick up key cooking techniques; from slicing, dicing and chopping to how to cream, sift, knead and whisk. Plus, they'll learn how to whip up over 60 delicious and healthy recipes that the whole family will enjoy, from pancakes to risotto.
A complete cooking course for kids, from food guru Annabel Karmel for six to 12 year olds. |
| More in Cookery... |
| A Pocket History of Ireland |
Joseph McCullough
£4.50, Gill & Macmillan
Encompassing stories of some of Ireland's best known characters as well as key moments in Ireland's past, this pocket history recalls the country's struggles through dark times, its successes, its people and places. The wealth of Irish culture and tradition is described as well as the key events and people that have shaped the country today.
From prehistoric times to the present day, this comprehensive history presents the story of Ireland in bite-size chunk, and is an indispensable guide for all the family in an attractive and practical format. |
| More in Irish / Gaelic Books... |
| Cool Camping: Kids |
Clover Stroud, Jonathan Knight, Andrea Oates, and Alexandra Tilley Loughrey
£16.95, Punk Publishing Ltd
You may have come across the “Cool Camping” series. If you’re at all interested in camping, they’re well worth checking out. Books in the series so far cover England, Scotland, Wales and France as well as a book about Camp Cooking. Now, they’ve just published “Cool Camping: Kids” which reveals Britain’s 60 best family sites – each carefully selected to guarantee happy kids. Think… adventure playgrounds, rafting ponds, rope swings and campfires; organic farms, woodland glades and buckets & spades; stripy bell tents, yurts, tipis and gypsy caravans pulled by real-live horses; fun lessons on outdoor survival – and, of course, loads of open space for kids to run round and round until they fall over dizzy.
Cool Camping: Kids steers clear of the big corporate sites with karaoke and fruit machines in the clubhouse and instead picks a stellar cast of some of the most family-friendly sites in England, Wales and Scotland, all of which exemplify the free-spirited sense of adventure that Cool Camping is all about. Cool Camping: Kids is also full of ideas about what to do when you’re there – and as cooking at camp is all part of the fun, the book includes a handy cooking section with some yummy treats which can easily be put together (with help from the kids) on a barbeque or campfire. A games section provides further inspiration for activities the whole family can enjoy – and which won’t cost a penny!
Cool Camping: Kids is published by Punk Publishing, a small, independent and wholly unconventional publishing company. The recommended price is £16.95 and it’s available from bookshops or on the internet. |
| More in Holidays... |
| Tax Without Tears |
Robert Sherwood
£5.00, Filament Publishing
With more and more of us opting to work from home, freelance (from choice or necessity) and become self-employed so that we can operate successfully around our frenetic family lives – it’s great to know there’s now a simple, straightforward new ‘tool’ out there… to guide us through the seemingly tangled mire of the Great British Tax System.
At last – here’s a comprehensive, easily accessible and friendly guide written in plain, everyday English by self-employment tax expert with many years’ top level experience, Robert Sherwood – the Warwickshire-based ‘Delia Smith’ of the tax world! We may know our own stuff inside out and back to front - but when it comes to tax, for many of us there seems little point in wasting precious time and money pretending we know what we’re doing and ending up with a costly mistake, or buying in expensive help to bail us out before it’s too late.
Robert’s handy, handbag-sized guide ingeniously includes everything you need to know about those crucial accounts and tax matters in an impressively simple, easily absorbed format. And yes, it really is that simple and you truly can do it all yourself - saving precious cash reserves to invest back into your business, and ensuring your future success.
Becoming self-employed, either working from home or rented premises, is a brave step for anyone. Do it right, from the start, and you’ll save yourself a lot of heartache further down the line.
The book is available through main booksellers everywhere and Amazon. You can order direct by phoning Rebecca Coleman at DSL Accounting Ltd. on 01926 422872, or online at www.filamentpublishing.com
|
| More in Books for Grown Ups... |
| Child Obesity - A Parent's Guide |
Judith Manson
£8.99, Need2know
Child obesity has been described as a ticking time bomb, which is now as big a threat to society as global warming. Overweight children are never out of the news and obesity rates are soaring.
This comprehensive guide to obesity, its causes and effects, shows parents, carers and those concerned about children’s eating habits, how to defuse the time bomb and tackle obesity.
Using expert advice and the latest information, this book will help readers to find solutions to obesity by offering practical advice and achievable strategies which can be used to help children obtain a healthy weight, develop good eating habits and an active lifestyle. Child friendly recipes, food facts and progress charts are included.
Whether you think your child may be obese, or want to find out how you can prevent obesity, this essential guide is packed with all the latest facts you will need to help children live healthily.
Key Points
What Causes Child Obesity
Diagnosing Obesity
Physical and Mental Effects of Obesity
Tackling & Beating Obesity
Healthy Eating
Exercise and Active Lifestyles
Readership
Parents, carers and teachers.
Contents:-
Introduction
1. What Do We Mean by Obese?
2. The Causes and Effects of Obesity
3. How Can I Tell if My Child is Overweight or Obese?
4. Getting Ready to Tackle Obesity.
5. Small Steps to Success
6. The Basics of Healthy Eating
7. Making Healthy Eating Happen
8. Getting Active, Staying Active
9. What Will Success Look Like?
10. Useful Contacts and Resources
|
| More in Health... |
| It's Called Dyslexia |
Jennifer Moore-Mallinos
£9.99, O'Brien Press
Whoever said that learning to read and write is easy?
Sarah is unhappy and she no longer enjoys school. When learning to read and write, she tries to remember which way the letters go but she often gets them all mixed up.
After she discovers that dyslexia is the reason for her trouble, she begins to understand that with extra practice and help from others, she will begin to read and write correctly. At the same time, she also discovers a hidden talent she never knew existed!
The "Live and Learn" series take a child's point of view - and especially the view of children who either suffer from some physical challenge or lack self-confidence in going about their everyday activities. These attractively illustrated picture storybooks encourage kids never to be afraid of a challenge. Following each story are four pages of suggested activities that relate to the book's theme. A final two-page section offers advice to parents. |
| More in Schools... |
| Bug Zoo |
Nick Baker
£7.99, DK
They may be tiny, but insects, spiders and other invertebrates are some of the most astonishing animals on Earth - and plenty of them live right on our doorstep. Here, Nick Baker, presenter of Nick Baker's Weird Creatures and naturalist shows kids how to make the kind of places, spaces, nooks and crannies that insects love to scuttle around in. They'll discover how to keep them fed, healthy and active and how to build all sorts of inviting invertebrate environments, from a hang out for spiders to a nest for ants. From here - and with Nick Baker's help - your child will see all the stuff that's usually hidden from human eyes, discovering the nitty gritty about insect lifecycles, how they live, eat and more. It's their very own bug zoo! |
| More in Children Activities... |
| My First Irish World Atlas |
Gill & Macmillan
€9.99, Gill & Macmillan
This illustrated atlas introduces young learners to the world, its peoples, habitats, costumes and dwellings in a fun and exciting way.
Filled with facts and interesting information it is an ideal introduction to geography and culture.
With eight pages focused on Ireland there is plenty here to keep children engaged. The modern design and up to date content ensure readers will find plenty to keep them entertained while learning lots about the world around them.
|
| More in Children's Learning... |
| Pocket's Christmas Wish |
Ann Bonwill
£10.99, Oxford Children's Books
A little rabbit's journey to find the meaning of Christmas.
Pocket is a little rabbit who wishes - from his whiskers to his bunny feet - that he might know the meaning of Christmas. When he hops out of his burrow on Christmas morning, Pocket finds some footprints left by children who have been playing in the snow. He follows the footprints to a cosy cottage where his Christmas wish comes true.
|
| More in Seasonal... |
| Triskellion: Audiobook |
Will Peterson
£19.99, Walker Books
An audio CD of the first extraordinary novel in a new trilogy, combining nail-biting suspense, gripping mystery and archaeological adventure with a paranormal twist.
Rachel and Adam are sent to stay with their grandmother, following their parents' divorce. But the quiet English village is a sinister, unsettling place. Is there a dark heart beating beneath the thatched roofs of Triskellion? It is a place protected by an ancient, three-bladed artefact; a village where crops never fail and where the war memorial is blank; a community with much to protect. With the help of the mysterious Gabriel, Rachel and Adam begin to unearth centuries-old secrets and make a shocking revelation about their family’s past – and their own future...
7 CD set read by Teresa Gallagher. |
| More in Audio CD Books... |
| Havoc - There's No Going Back |
Chris Wooding
£7.99, Scholastic
Seth finally managed to escape the terrifying comicbook world of Malice, but he left his best friend Kady there. Now he must go back and rescue her. But can he find a way back in? Kady has her own worries. She's trying to reach Havoc, a group of rebel kids plotting to destroy Tall Jake, the evil ruler of Malce. But somebody is watching the comic and can see what everyone is up to. Is there no way to escape?
The sequel to Malice is finally here! Part text, part graphic novel - this nail-biting sequel has great use of suspense and action with another eye-catching cover. Suitable for 11-14 year olds - and sure to get them reading again! |
| More in Teens... |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Buy Now!
Buy Now!
Buy Now!
Buy Now!
Buy Now!
Buy Now!
Buy Now!
Buy Now!
Buy Now!
Buy Now!
