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The Waiting Place: When Home Is Lost and a New One Not Yet Found by Dina Nayeri ill. Anna Bosch Miralpeix

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2022 Boston Globe–Horn Book Nonfiction Award Honour Book

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“The strength of the volume is its focus on real children, including five-year-old Matin from Afghanistan, his friends Ahmad and Hashmat, and his ten-year-old sister Mobina and her friends. Both text and photos compassionately humanize young refugees who, despite coping with unimaginable trauma, have talents and dreams; readers will come away with a deeper understanding of the refugee crisis, which is addressed more fully in a lengthy afterword.” Horn Book

An unflinching look at ten young lives suspended outside of time – and bravely proceeding anyway. Each lyrical passage leads the reader from one story to the next, revealing the dreams, ambitions, and personalities of each displaced child. The stories are punctuated by intimate photographs, followed by the author’s reflections on life in a refugee camp.

Anna Bosch Miralpeix is a documentary photographer whose projects include the award-winning Bubble Beirut. A graduate of the Institute of Photographic Studies of Catalonia, she is also a teacher and visual project developer.

The Secret Life of Butterflies by Roger Vila ill. Rena Ortega

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 27 Jun 2022

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A beautifully illustrated book on the fascinating lives of these delicate creatures.

Butterflies existed long before humans and even fluttered among the dinosaurs, but what do you really know about them? The Secret Life of Butterflies follows this fascinating insect through its four different stages of life – from egg, to caterpillar, to pupa and to its final form as a fully grown butterfly. You’ll find out how to tell the difference between a butterfly and a moth, and discover what they eat, what they do extreme temperatures, and what we can do to save them from extinction.

See also The Secret Life of Whales, an ACHUKA Book of the Day in April 2021.

Rena Ortega is an illustrator and graphic designer from Barcelona, based in Galicia. She paints in watercolour, especially for natural world illustration projects and also draws digitally with an Ipad. In her work she seeks to raise awareness about the beauty of this world and promote the conservation.

Follow her on Instagram and take a look inside the pages of the Spanish edition of this book:

 

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Special Delivery: A Book’s Journey Around the World by Polly Faber ill. Klas Fahlen

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 24 Jun 2022

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A superbly and distinctively illustrated guide following the journey of one book across the globe, from a printing press in a factory far, far away, over land and across the sea, to the hands of a young boy.

With stylish, contemporary artwork from Klas Fahlen and gentle narrative text by Polly Faber, this gorgeous picture book introduces all the people, processes and vehicles involved in delivering the perfect gift! From factory workers and train drivers to container ship captains, post office workers and booksellers, children will be fascinated to find out how the very book they are holding in their hands made its way all around the world! Bonus non-fiction material includes three pages of fantastic fully illustrated special delivery facts to inspire and delight curious readers.

Spies by David Long ill. Terri Po

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Very large format anthology of illustrated biographies of notable spies.

For as long as there have been secrets to keep, there have been spies, the world over, trying to uncover this classified information. Spying goes on all the time, and everywhere, but some of the most astonishing exploits occur during wartime. The stories in this beautiful collection unpick some of the most astonishing missions undertaken during World War Two – actions that helped to save many lives. Amazingly, many of these tales had to remain a deadly secret at the time and are little known even to this day.

Discover twenty-seven of the most courageous and daring, including: Giliana Gerson, Britain’s first female spy, Harry Ree, teacher turned saboteur, Margery Booth, the spy who sang for Hitler, Roald Dahl, the spy who became a bestselling author, Noor Inayat Khan, the first woman wireless operator, Scotch Lass, Britain’s smallest ever agent, ‘Major Martin’ the man who never was and many more!

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Very Short Introductions for Curious Young Minds: The Invisible World of Germs by Isabel Thomas ill. Geraldine Sy & Ana Seixas

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An important new series from Oxford which provides accessible introductions to the ideas, facts, and vocabulary behind an absorbing range of subjects. Meticulously researched and authoritative but written in simple language by experts in their fields, these Very Short Introductions for Curious Minds can help anyone get to grips with the basic principles and terminology of each subject.

The Invisible World of Germs introduces, in a clear and interesting way, early theories about diseases and how they spread, what bacteria, fungi, protists and viruses are and how they behave. It also explores our natural defences and how we protect ourselves from the ever-changing threat of infection. The engaging design highlights the Heroes of the subject from early beginnings to modern day and explains tricky terminology in ‘Speak like a Scientist’ features. Comic strips and illustrations, amazing photographs, and a timeline, glossary and index, all make this handy-sized book the perfect way to learn. If you love this title, why not collect them all?

The Invisible World of Germs is part of a collectible set which will build into a diverse range of subjects.
Also available: The Secrets of the Universe

Adventures in Time: Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile by Dominic Sandbrook

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 21 Jun 2022

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Already the fifth book in Dominic Sandbrook’s children’s history series. Adventures in Times is a fantastic series written by a historian with a novelistic flair for high incident. In an Author’s Note at the end of this book, he explains that, because little is known about Cleopatra’s early years, and the rest of historical evidence comes mainly from the Romans who naturally had a negative view of her, “this book is a little different from other Adventures in Time… You may be surprised, though, to learn that the really outlandish stories are based on historical evidence.”

This title joins

Cleopatra has always known she was destined to be queen of Egypt. And when she defeats her own brother to win the throne, it is clear that the gods are on her side. Join historian Dominic Sandbrook as we follow the most famous queen of all from Alexandria to Rome, through doomed love affairs and epic battles, to the serpent’s bite which will change the course of history forever…

What Do You See When You Look At a Tree? by Emma Carlisle

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Published in association with Kew.

What do you see when you look at a tree? Leaves and twigs and branches? Or do you see a real, living thing, that moves, and breathes and dances?

This wonderful picture book with exquisite watercolour and hand-finished artwork explores themes of empathy and personal growth through the eyes of a child. It urges readers to reconnect with nature by asking questions that encourage critical thinking and reflection on their own development, as well as helping to establish a deeper appreciation for the environment and their place within it.

Our Time On Earth: From the Mayfly to the Immortal Jellyfish by Lily Murray ill. Jesse Hodgson

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We are all on Earth but for a fleeting moment, yet no two lives are the same. From the delicate mayfly, which lives for just a few precious hours, to the death-defying immortal jellyfish, this book about animal life cycles is a celebration of creatures big and small. Beautifully written by bestselling children’s author Lily Murray, the book explores lifespans across the animal kingdom, beginning with the very shortest, and ending with the longest. Learn about the lives of the incredible monarch butterfly, the mysterious axolotl, the grand Galapagos tortoise and many more in this uplifting and eye-opening book.

It has never been more important to appreciate and understand the diversity of life. Stunning illustrations by highly-commended artist Jesse Hodgson perfectly capture each animal in their natural habitat, making this the ideal gift book as well as educational.

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Honest: Everything They Don’t Tell You About Sex, Relationships and Bodies by Milly Evans ill. Lucia Picerno

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A bare-all, refreshingly honest guide for teens.

Being a teen is tough enough without having to navigate the minefields of discovering sex, love and bodies. And sex education at school doesn’t always cut it. Sex educator and journalist Milly Evans is here to help. As a young adult who is still figuring life out, she knows exactly what teens are going through. And she’s here with answers to all those questions that aren’t in their school textbooks.

From orgasms to anatomy, gender identity to masturbation, positive relationships to first times, it’s all here, and in candid detail. With playful and informative black-and-white illustrations by Lucia Picerno throughout.

Follow the author on TikTok:

@itsmillyevans Mini book vlog!! Technically it’s out on Thursday but I heard that it was already on the shelves in @Waterstones @Waterstones Brighton so had to pop in and see for myself ☺️☺️ #booktok #authorsoftiktok #debutauthor #newbook #waterstones #booktoker #lgbt #queerbook ♬ original sound – Milly Evans


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Lilibet: The Girl Who Would be Queen by A.N. Wilson

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 2 Jun 2022

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“[Wilson] is to be praised for this superb distillation, which is much more perceptive than the lumpy official biographies.” Telegraph
“Packed with detail and conversations that bring to life all those who have been most important to her.” Daily Mail

An admirably brief and accessible biographical study of Queen Elizabeth II.

The moments in life of “knowing”. On Bognor Beach, with Grandpa England, she had “known” that he, and Papa, and she, would carry something on, something given, something bigger than themselves. Lilibet: a carefree child, a lover of horses and dogs, devoted to her family. And the girl who would be Queen.

A.N. Wilson, one of England’s most beloved writers, imagines the Queen on the eve of her platinum jubilee. We watch as she discovers, at the tender age of ten, that she is heir to the throne. We witness her meet the dashing Prince Phillip of Greece, who she loved steadfastly from the age of fifteen, and see their friendship blossom into passionate love. Above all, we learn of her astonishing sense of vocation and public duty, which grew during the dark years of WWII and her father’s subsequent years of ill health.

By turns funny, tender and tragic, Lilibet: The Girl Who Would be Queenhonours our beloved monarch and her illustrious reign.

Follow the publisher (a literary imprint of Bonnier Books) on Instagram: