Today we have a book for little ones, reviewed by Wendy..

Press Here by Herve Tullet

Press Here is an unusual book that opens with an invitation to the reader to push the yellow dot on the cover of the book. By pressing the yellow dot you are taken on a magical journey of colour and interaction through the use of coloured dots.

On each page of Press Here you are given an instruction of what to do this includes pressing the dots, rubbing them, shaking the book and blowing on them and then you turn the page to see what effect your action has had on the dots. Luckily the pages of the book are thicker than general books so will stand up to lots of pressing and rubbing!! It is a great book to teach children about following simple instructions and the magic of imagination.

This book is great fun and watching my 6 year old read it was wonderful as she followed the instructions and was amazed at what happened to the dots, laughing the whole way through. It has become a favourite read in our house.

Thanks, Wendy, and thanks to Chronicle Books for sending us a copy. It’s here for you to buy now…

Today, Bookbabbler Liz reviews Between for us, and we have 5 copies of it to giveaway!

Between by Jessica Warman

Only the good die young. Right? Elizabeth Valchar has it all: friends, money, beauty, a cute boyfriend and assured popularity. But on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she is found drowned next to her parents’ boat. Everyone thinks it was a tragic accident – teens drinking on a boat, a misstep leading to a watery death. But Liz is still here after death, and she doesn’t know why. There are gaps in her memory. Her only company Alex, a boy killed by a car a year earlier, Liz sets out to piece together her life. But their small coastal town is hiding many secrets – about families, boyfriends and friendship. Plus, Alex hates Liz for being mean when they were alive. Was she as squeaky clean as she thinks she was? Could it be that she herself is hiding the biggest secret of all? Can Liz discover the truth? And if she does, who can she tell? An engrossing, compelling thriller that peels back the layers of small-town life to expose true, ugly, cruel human nature. (from Goodreads)

Liz Valchar dies on her eighteenth birthday. She sees her own body floating in the water, her boots knocking against the side of her boat, the Elizabeth. Her death seems like an accident – she was drunk, so it’s not unlikely that she stumbled and fell off the boat into the sea. But if it were an accident…why is Liz still here? And why can’t she remember about her life before she died? In a ghostly form no-one can see or hear,  Liz and the ghost of Alex, a boy who died a year earlier, have to figure out why they are connected in death when they were so very different in life. Liz was the popular girl. Alex was a nobody. Yet it seems something has brought them together to solve the mysteries of their deaths. As they both watch over the events that unfold after Liz’s death, sinister secrets are uncovered, and Liz begins to realise that everyone seems to be hiding something – even the people she thought were her friends. What really happened the night she died? And more importantly – why?

Between was a book I thought about long after I finished reading. Though the main character Liz was dead throughout, it was mostly a book about life. To start with, Liz was a very unlikeable character. She was arrogant and rude and generally thought she was better than other people – especially Alex, who she didn’t even want to speak to at the beginning. As the story went on however, I realised that Liz couldn’t just be described as impolite and obnoxious. She was more than that; her life much more complex. From experiencing forgotten memories, from listening to Alex and from witnessing the effect her death had on everyone, Liz began to understand that she wasn’t as great as she thought she was. That not everyone thought in her way, or liked her as much as she believed they did. I wanted to know why Liz was the way she was, and by the end of the book, I found out. I could definitely relate to her a bit more, because while she was dead, I think she really learnt just how many mistakes she made when she was alive. She did some stupid things, some selfish things and some downright terrible things I don’t know I can forgive her for. And the fact that she couldn’t do anything to help while she was dead really got to her. Even when she discovered some horrible things her friends her done, her attitude to them didn’t change all too much, because I think when she died, she realised how much she appreciated them and how much she took them for granted. I felt Liz found out more about her life while she was dead than while she was actually living it.

Alex was probably my favourite character. He was all alone when he died, so he didn’t have much patience for Liz’s theatrics when they first met. He didn’t like Liz at all to begin with and he called her out on all the stupid or petty things she did, which I thought was great because it helped her grow as a character. I think the way their friendship developed was brilliant and I really enjoyed seeing them accept each other and become closer. I also loved finding out about Alex’s life – he was very reluctant to share any memories with Liz, so when he did, it was really interesting to see things from his point of view. I’m glad he got to find out more about Liz, and though I think his death was so awful and unfair, I’m happy with the way things turned out for him.

The minor characters were all relevant to plot; they all had imperfections but I think it’s the imperfections that made the story happen. Richie was Liz’s boyfriend – he was into drugs, but he seemed kind-hearted and really cared about Liz. I didn’t really know whether to like him or not (the whole thing with Josie – Liz’s stepsister – was really messed up), but it was interesting to see how he coped after Liz died. Josie was a character I really did not like from the beginning. She always seemed so false to me, whenever she was being kind or helpful, and I just couldn’t understand why Liz loved her so much, or why she seemed to have so many friends. Her role was an important one though, and I found myself curious about her in every scene she was in, mostly because I never knew what she was really thinking.

Plot-wise, I really enjoyed the mystery and I thought the way it played out was pretty exciting. I sort of guessed the way Liz died in the end, but there was one plot-twist I did not see coming! Between was definitely one of those books that made you feel a range of emotions. It covered various serious issues (there was some pretty heavy emphasis on eating disorders), and there was also a lot of casual drug use, so I would say this book is for ages 14 and up.

Overall, I really enjoyed Between. It wasn’t your usual YA; it wasn’t about a girl and a boy, or forbidden love or anything like that, but more a story where the characters learn to find themselves and also forgive themselves. Highly recommended!

Thanks, Liz! Thanks to Egmont, we have 5 copies of Between to giveaway to Bookbabblers now! To be entered into the draw, comment on this post or retweet it, and we’ll pick 5 winners at 7pm Sunday (UK only) – good luck!

Today we have a real treat for our Between fans. Jessica Warman has written us a spin off piece, so enjoy….!

The airport was a madhouse. It was December 27, so this was no real surprise, but Caroline Michaels had somehow convinced herself that it wouldn’t be so bad this year. She was wrong. It took an hour and fifteen minutes just to get her boarding pass. When she finally reached her gate, they were already boarding the plane.

Her seat assignment was all the way in the back. For a few brief, hopeful moments, she thought the seat beside her might be unoccupied. But at the last second, a frazzled-looking young woman hurried down the aisle, her gaze trained at the empty spot directly beside Caroline. And it got worse: the woman was carrying a baby. It wasn’t that Caroline didn’t like children; it was just that she didn’t like being crammed into a tiny aircraft with a hundred strangers at 30,000 feet, especially when the tiny person directly beside her could very easily scream for the entire trip, or puke on her, or both.

Caroline didn’t normally enjoy talking to people on airplanes. But she felt sorry for this woman, who was obviously overwhelmed to be traveling alone. Besides, it was a short flight. What was the harm in chatting for an hour or so?

“Were you visiting family in the city?” She asked, closing her magazine.

The woman nodded. Her baby was sleeping for the moment. “Sort of. We spent Christmas at my in-laws’ in Connecticut. My husband had to take a later flight.”

“What town? I’m from Connecticut, too.” She hesitated. “I’m Caroline, by the way.”

“I’m Hallie.” They shook hands around the baby, who didn’t stir.

“I’m sure you’ve never heard of it,” Hallie continued. “It’s a little town called Noank.”

Caroline’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding, right? I’m from Noank.”

Hallie laughed. “Get out.”

“I’m serious. Born and raised. You said your husband’s parents live there?”

“Yes.” She paused. “Maybe you know them? Claire and Steven Wilson?”

Caroline almost choked on her gum. “Richie’s parents? You’re married to Richie Wilson?”

Hallie grinned, her cheeks flushing. “Yep, sure am. Did you go to high school with him?”

“Well, yeah. We were friends, too. Wow… Richie Wilson. What’s he doing with himself nowadays?”

Caroline listened as Hallie told her all about Richie’s adult life: He was a high school English teacher. He and Hallie had been married for almost five years. They’d met in college. Caroline didn’t even realize that Richie had gone to college; he’d just sort of disappeared right after graduation. Of course, he had his reasons for not keeping in touch – they all did. But Caroline didn’t think now was the most appropriate time to dredge up the nightmare that had caused their group to scatter so many years ago, each of them trying to find some way to forget what had happened to the Valchar family. Instead, she made polite, superficial conversation with Hallie for the rest of the flight. She even wrote down her phone number and email address for Hallie to pass along to Richie, despite her certainty that he would never try to get in touch.

The baby finally woke up when the plane landed. She immediately started to cry.

“Well… it was nice meeting you.” Hallie flashed one last smile. “I’m sure Richie will be in touch.”

Right, Caroline thought. “Nice to meet you, too,” she said. And she shifted her attention to the baby, giving her a little wave. “It was nice meeting you – oh, you never told me her name.”

Hallie hesitated. It was only a slight pause, but Caroline felt it.

“This is Elizabeth.”

Thanks, Jessica! Remember, Between’s out this month, and we’ll soon be bringing you our review of it & a fab giveaway!

Today we hear from Bookbabbler Luke….

Dust and Decay by Jonathan Maberry

Benny, Nix and Tom have returned from the heart of the rot and ruin with a plan. Ever since they saw a plane fly over the zombie-infested wasteland they’ve been clinging to the idea that there is somewhere out there where people live without fear. Now, after months of rigorous training with zombie-hunter tom, they’re finally ready to leave their home forever and head into the unknown in search of a better future.

But as soon as they start their journey, everything begins to go wrong. They are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, insane murderers and the horrors of the rebuilt Gameland, where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits. Worst of all, it seems that the evil zombie-bounty hunter Charlie Pink-eye might still be alive…. And out for revenge. Can they make it out of the rot and ruin alive?

We follow Tom, his brother Benny and his friends as they leave their town in search of a plane which they hope will prove of life outside. Tom has been training his friends how to survive in the rot and ruin. On the way into the ruin they realise that the Gameland is up and running again under the new management of white bear and preacher jack..  They have to split up once in the ruin and some of the members are unfortunate enough to come across preacher jack and white bear, however they all end up meeting again in Gameland. Along the way they continue to fight the zombies. The book develops the characters and you get a great insight into their thoughts and abilities. Nix is the thinker of the group whose diary entries give an insight into life in the ruin, Lilah learns to trust and love and the friends develop feelings of affection for each other. My only problem with the book is that I wished I had read Rot and Ruin first so I could get a deeper understanding of the main characters. The book is very gory at times, however this is understandable as it is has loads of zombies and bad guys throughout. Very sad ending which I didn’t expect. Looking forward to the final book and to see who survives.

Thanks, Luke, and thanks to Simon & Schuster Childrens Books for sending us a copy. It’s here for you to buy now…

Today we hear from Bookbabbler Wendy….

Little Pim Feelings & Little Pim Colours by Julia Pimsleur Levine

These two books are part of the Little Pim book series which also includes DVDs to help promote ‘fun with languages’ for young children. Each book utilizes the animated Little Pim panda to narrate the story. In addition to English, the stories feature Spanish and French and pronunciation guides for parents.

The first thing you notice about these books is that they are lovely and chunky and each page is thick making them easy to hold and turn over in little hands. They have flaps and tabs as part of the story and these nice and sturdy too. The illustrations are a mix of cartoon style and photographs.

Little Pim Feelings is about Little Pim playing outside and includes the feelings that he has when he is playing and when he’s lost. These feelings are illustrated in the flaps and tabs by pictures of children. At the end of the book is a summary of the different feelings. The feelings are explained in English, French and Spanish with pronunciation guides.

Little Pim Colours is about Little Pim looking for colours and these are illustrated in the flaps and tabs by pictures of various items such as grapes, trucks and balloons. At the end of the book is a summary of the colours learnt on balloons in Spanish and French.

Thanks, Wendy, and thanks to Abrams Books for sending us copies to review. They’re here for you to buy now…

Today we hear from our author in residence, Jessica Warman…

Tell us a little about yourself: 

I’m 30 years old.  I’ve been married for 10 years, and we have two daughters, ages 4 and 6.  I am a terrible homemaker; I can’t cook at all, I’m lousy at doing laundry (imagine a lot of bleeding colors and shrinking), and I don’t even attempt to do any ironing.  I love ice cream; I eat it every single day, always with sprinkles on top, and I don’t feel a bit guilty.  (Life is short!  If I want ice cream, I’m going to eat ice cream!)  I’m an odd kind of introvert: I really enjoy social situations, but they leave me emotionally exhausted, and it often takes me a day or two to fully recover.  Outside of part-time work in college, I’ve never had a job aside from writing.  I would love to own an enormous, slobbery dog (preferably a Saint Bernard, which I would name Marcellus), but my husband won’t stand for it.  I don’t think skinny jeans look good on anyone.

Who were your favourite authors when you were younger?

As a kid, I was absolutely OBSESSED with Ann M. Martin’s Baby-Sitter’s Club series.  I belonged to the fan club and everything; I think I still have my BSC sleeping bag and matching pillowcase stashed away somewhere.  I also LOVED Roald Dahl – I used to read “Matilda” over and over again.  When I got a bit older, I read pretty much everything I could get my hands on.  YA literature wasn’t nearly as big when I was a teen as it is now, so there were way fewer choices – I mostly read the classics.  JD Salinger was my favorite writer for years; I think I’ve read “Catcher in the Rye” at least 20 times.  I fell in love with F. Scott Fitzgerald in high school when I read “The Great Gatsby,” which remains my all-time favorite love story.  Hemingway was (and still is) a favorite of mine, especially his short stories (specifically “Hills Like White Elephants” and “Indian Camp”).  And I think every teen should read “Cat’s Cradle” by Kurt Vonnegut.  It’s magical.

Tell us about Between

BETWEEN tells the story of Liz Valchar, a spoiled, pretty, popular girl who somehow ends up dead on her 18th birthday.  She is joined in the afterlife by Alex Berg, another boy from her high school who was killed a year earlier, and whose death remains a mystery.  Though they weren’t friends in life, the two of them form a strong bond as they are forced to work together to uncover the circumstances that led to their deaths.

What are you working on now?

I’m in the process of revising my fourth novel, which doesn’t have a title yet.  It’s a thriller about identical twin sisters with a unique bond.  When one of them disappears, it is up to her remaining twin to figure out what happened.  The book will be out next year, and I’m REALLY excited about it –  I’ve had such a blast writing it, and I can’t wait to see how readers respond!

What do you enjoy most about writing?

Everything!  I absolutely love my job.  I feel so lucky that I get to do what I love for a living.  I think the best part of the writing process is when I become so totally engrossed in a project that I can’t think about anything else.  I love getting up in the morning and starting to write, only to realize later that four or five hours have passed in a blink.  I love getting to know my characters inside and out, learning all the details of their lives and histories, even if those facts don’t end up making it into the book.  I really enjoy all the other aspects of my job, too – going to conferences and interacting with other writers and readers, responding to emails I receive from fans – it’s all wonderful.  I never wanted to be anything besides a writer, and the fact that I’m actually able to do it is a dream come true.

What do you get up to when you’re not writing?

I read a LOT.  It’s definitely my main form of entertainment – we don’t even have cable television in our house.  My life is really pretty busy with writing, promotion, and taking care of my kids, but I always make time to go running.  I’m a distance runner, and it is an absolute passion of mine.  Running is like meditation; it calms your mind and dissolves stress like nothing else that I know of.  Aside from those things…  well, I can tell you that I’m a beer lover.  But not in an excessive way – I love good, strong craft beers with complex flavor, the kind of beers that you drink slowly in order to savor every last sip.  To me, the alcohol content is quite secondary; I drink beer because it’s delicious, not because I want to get drunk.  Aside from all that, I don’t do much else – I don’t really have time!

Thank you for the opportunity to do this interview!  It was fun!

Jessica’s book, Between, is out this month, and here for you to buy now…

Today we’re taking part in the Angel Fire blog tour….

Behind the Scenes: A note from the editors of Angel Fire

Rebecca Hill and Stephanie King, the two editors who worked with L. A. Weatherly on Angel Fire, sequel to the 2010 smash hit Angel, reveal an exclusive behind-the-scenes peek at the editing of Angel Fire.

Rebecca Hill, Fiction Director at Usborne Publishing:

Authors say that delivering a book to their editor is a nerve-wracking experience, but what about us editors? What happens when we open an email and read the words: “Here’s my finished manuscript”?

Well, my first reaction is excitement; especially when the manuscript is a long-awaited book that forms part of a bestselling trilogy, like Angel Fire. But along with the desire to stop what you’re doing, grab the manuscript and do the thing you enjoy most – READ – there’s also a small flicker of nerves. Will I love this book as much as I hoped? How has the author developed the story? Is the protagonist still engaging? And, will it deliver an ending that leaves me begging for more?

So the first part of an editor’s job is to read. (Now you know why we all love our jobs so much!) For those of you who already have Angel Fire, you’ll know it is 712 pages long. It took three solid days, equipped with lots of pencils, Post-its and paper, but I couldn’t put it down and had to remember to make notes – it’s so easy to get swept up in the moment.

At Usborne Publishing, two editors read every manuscript, so the next stage was to sit down and talk about the book. (Can this possibly be called work, I hear you ask?) Stephanie and I went through all our notes, looking at the manuscript as a whole and asking each other the big questions: Is the plot working? Do the characters feel real? Are there times where the pace dips, or where we’d like more explanation?  And then…we read the manuscript again. We always try and read every first draft twice, as once you know the plot, a second read can reveal things you missed first time around. Then with all of our thoughts consolidated and jotted down, Lee came into the office to talk through everything.

Stephanie King, Fiction Editor at Usborne Publishing:

Once Lee had our editorial notes we waited with baited breath to see what changes she would make to Angel Fire. Occasionally Lee rang to chat through a query, as once she began revising, new questions and ideas cropped up. The second draft arrived a few weeks later, and Rebecca and I prepared for another blissful three days reading. Lee’s first draft was stunning, but it was fantastic to see how she developed it, turning an excellent book into something exceptional.

With the major editorial points concerning plot, pace and characterization addressed, it was now time for Usborne’s Sarah Stewart to copy-edit it. This involves looking carefully at each word and every line, buffing and polishing the manuscript to ensure it is clear and consistent. For Angel Fire we also checked all the Spanish, and, following her whirlwind trip to Mexico City, Lee tweaked some sections to make every last detail authentic.

Lee then approved the copy-edit, resulting in an incredibly fun to-and-fro as Lee agreed, adjusted or politely declined the suggested amendments. With Angel Fire the most fascinating changes were subtle tweaks Lee made to some of the book’s key scenes, where conversations between Willow, Alex and Seb were gradually honed until they were absolutely pitch-perfect.

Once a manuscript has been copy-edited, it is then laid out by a designer as a “proper” book. Rebecca and I always knew that Angel Fire was going to be BIG, but actually holding the layouts for the first time was a total buzz! The manuscript was then proofread by two different readers, who picked up those last silly spellies, rogue apostrophes, repetitions and terrible typos! Corrections were sent to Lee one last time, she put the finishing touches to a few scenes, and…PRINT!

I don’t think I’ll ever get over the heart-pounding moment when a book is sent to the printers, fingers crossed that it’s perfect and mistake-free. I also really missed Willow and my daily chats with Lee. But above all, it was just SO exciting to know that soon, Angel Fire, would be out there for readers to enjoy. We hope all you Angel fans will love it as much as we do!

Thanks! You can follow the tour to it’s next stop on Thursday 20th – ‘L.A. Weatherly’s Rules for Writing’ over at www.cherrymischievous.com. Angel Fire’s here for you to buy now…

Today we have a book for little ones, reviewed by Wendy…

A Zeal of Zebras: An Alphabet of Collective Nouns by Woop Studios 

An embarrassment of pandas, a galaxy of starfish, a shiver of sharks…these are all collective nouns – terms used to describe a group. Woop Studios has illustrated these quirky phrases, creating a series of truly stunning art that has been collected here for the first time. The colourful introduction to animals and the alphabet is accessible for young children, while the whimsical art and clever word play make it perfect for design-savvy parents and hip gift givers. Longer than the standard picture book, with high design and production values, this is the kind of picture book readers will want on their coffee tables in addition to their child’s book shelf.

This is an alphabet book but with a difference as each is a collective noun for a collection of animals. Some of these such as a caravan of camels are well known but others such as  a pandemonium of parrots and a an embarrassment of pandas sound as if they are made up but apparently they are all real collections if in some cases rarely used.

Woop Studios is a collective of four friends united by a love of graphic design, words and image. This can be seen vividly in the book as it is beautifully illustrated with prints for each letter of the alphabet. The prints can be purchased as actual limited edition prints, and were produced before the book was written.

This is not a story book but a book of facts about each animal the book features a page of writing for each letter of the alphabet together with the related print. The facts contained in each are informative such as king cobras are able to produce poisonous venom from the moment they hatch and that a zebra’s stripes are as unique as human fingerprints.

I found this book very interesting and beautiful to look at and even found myself reading it when the children weren’t around! I would certainly recommend it as a very superior alphabet book. This book would also be a good one for schools to use when studying animals as it gives an interesting fact on each animal.

Thanks, Wendy, and thanks to Chronicle Books for sending us a copy to review. It’s here for you to buy now….

Today we hear from Bookbabbler William..

Justin Thyme by Panama Oxridge 

‘I don’t have to build a time machine; I could still change my mind…’Justin shook his head, grasping the futility of his dilemma. The first domino had already been pushed; the fuse had been lit; the countdown had started. He’d passed the point of no return, and was trapped in the adventure of a lifetime with absolutely no way out.

You probably know the old saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ but this book is just as great as its cover. On the front it has an ambigram of the title, which means that which ever way up you hold the book, you can read the words ‘Justin Thyme’.

The story is set in a remote Scottish castle by Loch Ness. The residents are: Justin Thyme – a 13 year old inventor and billionaire, his sister Robyn – your average teenage girl, their younger brother Albion, their mother Lady Henny- a celebrity explorer, and Sir Willoughby- their father, Laird of Thyme.

As Justin begins to wonder about time and chance, he suddenly thinks up a way to build a working time machine, but as soon as he mentions it to his father lots of strange things start happening; one of the family is kidnapped, Justin learns about his father’s past and soon realises there is a spy in the castle.

This is a great book with a really unexpected ending. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed ‘Tanglewreck’ by Jeanette Winterson, or Phillip Pullman’s ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy.

Thyme Running Out by Panama Oxridge

As the threat of the Thyme Curse closes in on Justin’s family, his life is once again thrown into complete turmoil. Will he finally unmask Agent X and his spy? Has Evelyn Garnet stolen his wristwatch? Why is Eliza the tame gorilla acting so wild and aggressive? What’s suddenly made Sir Willoughby start planning a secret trip in the time machine? And where has Justin’s sister, Robyn, mysteriously vanished to? Only Nanny Verity knows the truth, but can Justin find her before its too late?

Following on from ‘Justin Thyme’ this book would have a lot to live up to, but this sequel was even more exciting than the first book and ticked all the boxes for a mystery/adventure story.

After buying a tropical island and rescuing a baby dodo, things keep on getting stranger and stranger for Justin.

Agent X strikes again, this time kidnapping Sir Willoughby, Robyn mysteriously vanishes and Evelyn Garnet starts threatening to get rid of Eliza.

Will Justin finally catch Agent X and find Robyn?  All will be revealed in this amazing second book in the Tartan of Thyme series.

Thanks, William, and thanks to Inside Pocket Publishing Ltd for sending us copies of the books to review. They’re here for you to buy now…..

With half term and Halloween just around the corner, today Wendy reviews a great, new selection of Usborne activity books….

These books are from Usborne and I must admit straight away to being a fan of Usborne books. They may be a little more expensive that the usual activity books, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. The amount of stickers included in the sticker books is great, as I find with the cheaper sticker books they are finished within an afternoon.

Haunted House Sticker Book

The Haunted House Sticker book includes over 300 spooky stickers. There is generally a double page spread for each room/area and these have great names such as the ‘Climbing Hangman’s Hill’ or the ‘Beastly Bathroom’ and each have a corresponding page of stickers to enhance the scenes. There is a small paragraph on each page advising what to do with the stickers. My children loved it and spent ages quietly sticking the stickers in the scenes.

Sticker Dolly Dressing Fancy Dress

The Sticker Dolly Dressing Fancy Dress Sticker book includes over 300 spooky stickers. There is generally a double page spread for each theme such as the ‘Fairy Garden Party’ and ‘Circus Party’ and each have a corresponding page of stickers to dress the characters in the relevant fancy dress. There is a small paragraph on each page advising what to do with the stickers. The costume stickers are lovely and I must admit I really enjoyed sitting with my little girl dressing the dolls.

Monsters Colouring Book

This is described as a colouring book but it also includes other activities based around monsters. It includes activities such as writing your own monster story and instructions on how to draw your own monsters. It also contains descriptions of various monsters such as Dracula and Medusa. My little girl who is 6 spent the longest I have ever known her sit colouring in the monster pictures.

Spooky Snap

A pack of 52 spooky cards (13 matching sets of 4) for playing snap. They have ghosts on the back and the sets include ‘glowing ghosts’ ‘rattling skeleton’ and ‘scary spider’. My children love playing and cheating! at snap so they thought these were a great pack to play with.

Thanks, Wendy, and thanks to Usborne Children’s Books for sending us these to review. They’re all out for you to buy now, just in time for the holidays!……