Here is my year in books. Some I have reviewed, some I haven’t, most I loved but a few I didn’t but this is what I read throughout the year. Click here to read My Year in Books 2023

By Rachel Bright, illustrated by Jim Field, paperback £7.99, picture book 0-5 (reviewed by Polly) Two red pandas, Popo and Ketu. One wants to explore and the other wants to follow the rules. Warned by their mother to never climb down to the mountain they make a promise to always look after each other. But what happens when Ketu’s longing for adventure puts Popo in a tricky situation. Whether she should do as she’s told and let her sister go down the mountain alone or keep the promise she made to her mother. This book teaches that there isn’t always a definite right or wrong and that the bond between siblings is one that is precious and sometimes difficult. I love this book with its rhymes and beautiful illustrations that bring so much joy. It has such a wholesome message that looking out for and supporting each other, is just as important as any other promises.

By Megan Hess, hardback £14.99, picture book 3-5 (reviewed by Polly) Claris, the chicest mouse in Paris. A little mouse with a flair for fashion, Claris teaches us that no one is too small to achieve their dream. One day Claris is given the opportunity of a lifetime and by just jumping aboard a hot air balloon flown by frogs, she is whisked to Paris and into her dream life. After finding her own house that suits, a tres cute little mouse, Claris experiences the things she’d only read about in Vanity Fair as well as, unfortunately, as meeting the child known as the Brat. Along the way Claris meets lifelong friends whilst exploring the high-end fashion that Paris is so famous for. This book is incredibly charming, with exquisite illustrations and clothes you will adore. I recommend this to anyone with an interest in looking fabulous in Paris.

By Ravena Guron, paperback £8.99, teen fiction (reviewed by Emily) This book captures your emotions right from the beginning, with twist after twist keeping you on edge and every chapter ending with a cliffhanger. Told from multiple perspectives it follows the accounts of three delightfully different girls who spend a night trapped in a mansion with a minimum of one murderer (at least that’s what Devi’s been shouting at anyone who will listen), the girls race to survive the night and figure out the culprit for the death of Emily Vanforte. With hidden passageways that Lizzie will absolutely not be going down thank you very much, until a sound spooks her into running headfirst through them (much to Jayne’s annoyance), and a cast of morally dubious suspects, no one knows the whole story. The real challenge is for you to figure it out before the stories end.

By Mark Lawrence, paperback £9.99, teen fiction (reviewed By Emily) Mark Lawrence’s book immediately sweeps readers away into a fantastical world full of enthralling destinations that Evar and Livira will travel to. Both long to escape their ‘prisons’, both feel insignificant, but when the sabbers come and the library reveals mysteries, both are given the opportunity to prove together that they can take the world by storm. Livera was never content with staying in her isolated settlement, always longing for the city. Evar was swallowed by the mechanism and released unchanged decades later, always knowing that he had someone to save. These characters will capture your heart and imagination- not giving them back until long after you have finished this book. It is definitely

By Greg Jenner, illustrated by Jenny Taylor, paperback £10.99, children’s non-fiction/reference (reviewed by Clare) A history book with a difference: Rather than Kings and Queens or wars and battles it takes the evolution of everyday objects as our guide to the past. Author Greg Jenner (the host of comedy history podcast You’re Dead to Me) worked on Horrible Histories and that signature blend of the silly with the educational is captured in this book. It’s packed with fun illustrations and fantastic facts to impress your friends with. For example, when it comes to the humble pillow, did you know that in medieval China and Korea pillows were made from porcelain and were hollow in the middle so they could be filled with warm water in the winter and cold water in the summer? Or that way before Minecraft or even Pac Man, American nuclear physicist Edward Condon built the first games machine in 1940? Or that Tutankhamun was buried with 145 spare pairs of pants.