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The Super-Secret Diary of Holly Hopkinson: This Is Going To Be a Fiasco – Holly Hopkinson Book 1 by Charlie P. Brooks ill. Katy Riddell

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These are the memoirs of ME, Holly Hopkinson, aged almost ten, except without any of the rubbish adults usually put in, thank you very much. My dad just lost his job, which means me and the rest of my family have to leave London and move to the middle of nowhere, which is a TOTAL DISASTER! There’s no Wi-Fi, the local kids are FERAL and there’s animal poo EVERYWHERE. But then for my birthday, my eccentric aunt gave me a magic pocket watch, which I can use to hypnotise and CONTROL people. I actually wanted a new phone, but I won’t complain because this new power is REALLY FUN and has led to the MOST unexpected things – including a visit to the QUEEN. Maybe the countryside isn’t so bad after all…

A charming domestic comedy, with a dash of magic, and the occasional moment of mayhem!
First in a new series.

Worst Holiday Ever by Charlie Higson

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Times Children’s Book of the Week 15 May 2021

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Stan is going on holiday to Italy with his (fifth) best friend Felix and a load of strangers. Stan is absolutely terrified. Luckily, his mum’s given him an emergency list that includes how to survive a shark attack, and what to do if he gets kidnapped. Stan thinks that a better list would include how to cope with odd food, and what to do if he accidentally calls Felix’s mum ‘mum’ in front of everybody. And it soon turns out Italy is full of dangers and things that can go wrong.

One thing’s for certain, Stan’s not going to come back the same boy he left. He just hope he comes back at all . . . Worst. Holiday. Ever is a story about facing fears, dealing with worries, and how it’s OK to be anxious, scared, and sometimes a little bit brave.

Farmer Llama by Donna David ill. Fred Blunt

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A funny, rhyming picture book with a simple phonics-based text, just right for developing early reading skills.

Alarm-a-Llama bolts awake and bashes his poor head.
Pyjama-Llama rubs his eyes and climbs out of his bed.
Banana-Llama grabs some food. He’s ready for the day!
Farmer-Llama starts his truck and heads out to collect hay.

Fred Blunt is the perfect illustrator for loveable, accident-prone Farmer Llama—and the pesky cows who just won’t get out of the way. Great fun.

The Accidental Diary of B.U.G. (Paperback) by Jen Carney

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The start of an exciting new series full of Billie’s laugh-out-loud observations and doodles!

There is a new girl at Billie’s school, and Billie takes it upon herself to show her around, teach her the Biscuit Laws, and remind her that yes, two women can get married (after all, Billie’s mums’ wedding is the event of the year). But then suspicion sets in. The new girl seems very close to Billie’s best friend Layla. And doesn’t she know a little too much about the latest big school heist – the theft of Mrs Robinson’s purse…?

Follow Jen Carney on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jencarney76/

The Smidgens by David O’Connell ill. Seb Burnett

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 9 Apr 2021
Blackwell’s Children’s Book of the Month April 2021

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Gafferty Sprout is a Smidgen. A Smidgen looks like a human, sounds like a human, and loves chips with curry sauce like a human – if humans were three inches tall. If you took a human and shrunk it in the washing machine on a very hot spin cycle, you might get something like a Smidgen. Generations ago there were lots of them, living in a maze of tunnels beneath the human village of Dundoodle. But then something happened and they just … disappeared. Now Gafferty, her parents and her little brothers Gobkin and Grub are the only ones left, and the tunnels are forbidden territory. And then Gafferty finds an old map. A map that shows a place deep within the maze where Smidgen tribes can go to meet. Smidgen tribes! Gafferty knows that she has to try to find them. But the tunnels are dangerous. And soon Gafferty discovers she’s not the only one looking for the lost tribes, and that three inches of Smidgen hold more power than she ever imagined.

Follow Seb Burnett on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bertram_fiddle/

See some of the illustrator’s character sketches:

 

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Monster Doughnuts 1 by Gianna Pollero ill. Sarah Horne

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A deliciously funny series from  new talent Gianna Pollero, illustrated by the award-winning Sarah Horne. Ten-year-old Grace likes doughnuts and cakes as much as the next kid – but they are also her secret weapon. Grace is a monster hunter who owns a bakery – and everyone knows how much monsters LOVE any kind of sweet treat! Just don’t tell them about the secret exploding baking powder inside the doughnuts and the cookies … When Grace’s Monster Scanning Machine alerts her to the doughnut-loving, people-eating, board-game-playing cyclops Mr Harris, she realises she’s about to face her biggest challenge yet…

Follow the illustrator on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahbhorne9/

The Day the Screens Went Blank by Danny Wallace ill. Gemma Correll

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When ten-year-old Stella wakes up to discover a world full of BLANK screens, her family, the whole town—in fact the whole world—seems to have been thrown into chaos. And what about poor Grandma who is stranded at the other end of the country? Cue a rollicking madcap road trip, full of driving disasters and family fallouts, as they set off on a rescue mission. Along the way Stella and her family discover that being away from screens might not be the WORST THING EVER—they might not be able to rely on technology any more but they can rely on each other instead.

Mayhem Mission – My Laugh-Out-Loud Life 1 by Burhana Islam ill. Farah Khandaker

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Yusuf’s older sister is getting married. He’s ready for the delicious food, the fun with his cousins and the many presents… but he’s NOT ready to take her place as the responsible one. His only option: cause some chaos and ruin the wedding. The first book in a new series from Knights Of.

Follow the illustrator on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fkhart/

The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh by Helen Rutter

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 1 Apr 2021
Cost Book Awards 2021 Shortlist

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A laugh-out-loud, against-all-odds triumph of a story.

Billy Plimpton is an eleven-year-old boy with a big dream. He wants to be a stand-up comedian when he grows up, delivering pinpoint punch-lines and having audiences hang on his every hilarious word. Surely an impossible ambition for a boy with a stammer. How will he find his voice, if his voice won’t let him speak?

The idea for this story came from Helen Rutter’s son, who has a stammer: she wanted to write the book that he would love to read, starring a child like him.

You may also be interested in this recent picture book about a boy with a stammer: I Talk Like A River an ACHUKA Book of the Day in January 2021.

When Jelly Had a Wobble by Michelle Robinson ill. Tom Knight

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 30 Mar 2021

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A laugh-out-loud picture book that explores our emotions and reassures toddlers that having the wobbles is OK.

Wibble wobble, wibble wobble, Jelly on a plate

When Jelly is entered into the ‘Best Food Competition’, it makes him wobble with worry. Everyone loves chicken nuggets and pizza – but does everyone love jelly? Suddenly he’s filled with self-doubt. But soon Jelly learns that the things that make us different should be celebrated… and that it’s definitely OK to have a wobble every now and then.

From the creators of When Cucumber Lost His Cool and The Day the Banana Went Bad. Knight’s bright and bold illustrations are hugely engaging.

Check out this Meet An Illustrator feature with Tom Knight.