Kids Big And Small Will Want To Join David Walliams' "The Midnight Gang".

Santa always includes a book or two in Caitlin and Ieuan's Christmas presents and I suspect that this one will find its way into many a child's stocking - and a great read it is too.

David Walliams has followed up the biggest selling children's book of 2015 - his "Grandpa's Great Escape" with his ninth fiction novel, The Midnight Gang.

David Walliams

This is the story of five children in a wonderfully inventive and eccentric hospital whose midnight adventures combine friendship, theatre and magic in the face of adversity.

Tom has been brought disoriented into Lord Funt Hospital after being hit on the head by a cricket ball at his posh boarding school. He ends up on the children's ward with a collection of long-term residents, some in plaster, some very ill.

Soon Tom notices that there is something very strange going on. The children sneak out from the ward at night, past the controlling Matron. But where are they going? And what is the Midnight Gang??

We discover that, as well as 12 year old Tom, there's the unofficial leader of the group, Amber, Robin, also 12 who wants to be a famous composer, 11 year old George who wants to fly like a superhero and terminally ill 10 year old Sally.

There's a matron who doesn't like children, the mysterious and ever-present porter, 99 year old Nelly, the hospital's oldest patient and the strange old chemist, Mr Cod, who runs the pharmacy.

Caitlin loved "The Midnight Gang"

Caitlin (9) read "The Midnight Gang" at speed and devoured the story.  Here are some of her highlights.

Favourite Character

Amber because she was a bit bossy and she ruled the midnight gang.

I also liked Robin and George.

Robin keeps banging into stuff and George can't pronounce his words very well.

Funniest moment

When Amber said "it's a good job my legs and arms are already broken or they would be broken"

Happiest moment

The happiest moment was when Tom was taken home by his family at the end of the story.

Caitlin would love to have her own midnight gang.

It's great to find inventive, engaging stories which capture kids' imaginations and keep them reading. The text is broken up with quirky illustrations so that the reader isn't faced with a wall of words.  This is important for younger ones because "The Midnight Gang" is quite a big book!

Published by HarperCollins Children's Books, The Midnight Gang is available in Hardback (currently just £5!), ebook and audiobook format.

You can find out more at www.harpercollins.co.uk or www.worldofdavidwalliams.com.

*I received a complimentary copy of the book courtesy of HarperCollins Children's Books through the BritMums Book Club. This post contains some affiliate links.

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Children's Book Review: Message In A Bottle By Tom Percival & Tuire Siiriainen

I have been privileged to be a member of the launch team for this lovely personalised book for children and it's been a real eye opener to discover exactly how much work goes in to writing, designing and producing a story like this.

Personalised children's books seem to be all the rage at present and readers of this blog may recall my recent review of The Little Boy Who Lost His Name.

This book, with words by Tom Percival and illustrations by Tuire Siiriainen is different because it combines the personalisation with an educational element and is complemented by an online kids club.

Message In A Bottle tells the story of little bird Kiki, a Scarlet Hawaiian Honeycreeper  who wants to explore the world and gets her chance when she finds a message in a bottle washed up on the shore.

This message is where the personalisation comes in.  Parents, grandparents or any other gift giver can send a personalised message in the bottle which is revealed towards the end of the story.

Even cleverer, by entering your child's name and address, these details are shared at certain points in the story so that you feel Kiki is really sending a special message direct to your child.  The rolled up message has your child's name and address on it and they are referred to by name in the story.

On her journey, Kiki meets a number of other animals who help her to track down the bottle's destination, and some are more of a hindrance than a help.  Will she get the bottle and its message to the right owner?

Some of these animals are easy to recognise but one of the great points about this book is that it introduces you to new species that your child may not have learned about - for example the Plover and the Sailfish.

The team at Blueberry & Pie, (the publishers) has worked closely with Szymek Drobniak, Ph.D. of evolutionary biology to ensure that the zoological and geographical facts are accurate and true. Dr Drobniak also helped to create content for Kiki’s Kids Club.

Not only that but the route of the journey is accurate as well with the story being specifically designed to start in Hawaii and end in Europe with the animals on the way geographically true to their locations.

At Kiki's Kids Club online your child can learn more about the animals in the story by clicking on an interactive map which takes them to the right continent and ex;plains a little more about the creatures who appear.

For example, by clicking on Europe you can learn more about the Long-Eared Owl and in North America you can learn about the Grizzly Bear.  In total you can learn about 14 animal species, the same number that appears in the story.

There is also a quiz, a monthly poll and printable colouring sheets to download.

The book is beautifully produced with warm, bright illustrations and the story is long enough to keep a child interested.  I would say that the ideal age range for this book is up to around 7 years old.

Message In A Bottle is ordered on line via a simple process.

You simply add the child's name, address and then your message.  There is even a selection of templates for you to choose from to help you write your note.

We chose a message to help Caitlin face her fears and stay brave in the face of a challenge. She loved this and was even more impressed because her photograph was printed on the page (simply upload when you order).

In fact, the whole 'message' of the story is to be brave, take a risk and you'll find people (or animals!) to help you get to where you want to go - a pretty good motto for life in general.

You can the preview the book to check that you're happy that the details are correct and then check out and pay in the usual manner.

The book, which is printed in the UK, costs £19.95 with free shipping.

I think it would make a lovely, thoughtful gift for Christmas.

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Children's Book Review: The Little Boy Who Lost His Name By David Cadji-Newby & Pedro Serapicos

As parents, we all know how important it is to spend quality time reading to our children.  It's a chance within a busy day to create a safe space and a pocket of time just for parent and child to bond over a shared story.

And what better way to make the story even more special than by giving a child a book that is personalised with a message just for them?  It adds an extra bit of mystery and fun.

As we go towards Halloween and start to focus on all things mystical and spooky, younger children may prefer a story that is a little less scary and a little more magical.

The Little Boy Who Lost His Name fits the bill nicely. (Or The Little Girl ...)

This lovely story is about a child (boy or girl) who loses their name and goes on a magical journey to find it. They find their name again by being given each letter by a magical or mythical creature - and when the letters are put together their name is spelt out.

So, for example, on Ieuan's journey he meets an Imp, an Elephant, a Unicorn, an Aadrvark and a Narwhal whale.

I would say that the story is suitable for children up to about Ieuan's age (7) but probably better suited to children a little younger who are just beginning their reading journey.

The book can be further personalised in the front page with a letter from their parents (or a message from the giver of the book which would make a lovely Christmas present, or a non-sugary Halloween gift).

It also comes in a beautiful paper wallet to keep the book in good condition.

The Little Boy Who Lost His Name is independently published and produced in as environmentally friendly a way as possible.

The story has really resonated with parents and children and the book has sold over 1.7 million copies in 176 countries.

The book retails at £19.99 with free shipping worldwide and you order and customize online at the Lostmyname website.  You enter the child's name and gender, pick an avatar which reminds you most of them and enter your dedication.

A preview is then generated for you to check and approve before checking out.

Although the price isn't cheap, the quality is superb and the book is really designed more as a special keepsake with a personal touch. I think it would even make a lovely Christening / naming gift to be kept for the special moment when bedtime stories begin.

Before settling down for the night with Yoda (who needs lots of early nights because he's 900 years old apparently), Ieuan remarked that the dedication in the front was "really cool" and he enjoyed the story.

High praise from a 7 year old.

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Win a Bumper Minions Book Prize - 3 To Give Away

Who doesn't love the Minions?  Hot on the heels of their recent movie success, leading creative children's publish Centum Books have produced a selection of books to delight any Minions fan.

I have 3 fabulous bumper prizes to give away, just right for Christmas and Centum have also included a Jurassic World sticker book too!

Included are:-

Minions The Junior Novel RRP £5.99

Join the Minions journey with this Junior Novel, which retells the whole thrilling movie story, whilst helping young readers improve their reading skills.

Minions Long Live King Bob RRP £6.99 

With full-colour movie stills and bursting with Minion humour readers will feel part of the action in this beautifully presented story book.

Minions Seek and Find RRP £6.99

Keep little Minions busy for hours as they try to spot one single Minion in a sea of yellow!

Minions Mega Sticker Book RRP £7.99

Full of puzzles, games, colouring and doodling as well as 1000 amazing stickers of everyone’s favourite Minions. This is a sticker book in a Minion!

The minions range of titles will be painting the UK yellow and available in supermarkets, toy shops, out of town retailers, gift shops and garden centres as well as leading online sites

Centum are also adding one of these beauties.

To enter to win one of these 3 prize packages, just complete the rafflecopter below.  Terms and conditions apply and the giveaway is open to UK entries only.  The giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on Tuesday 15th December.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Why are we so afraid to let our kids experience boredom?

We're half way through the summer holidays and the guides to helping your kids deal with boredom are starting to appear.  Ah, boredom, the terrible malaise which strikes when the iPad charger is lost and there's nothing on TV (which seems to be the general state of affairs these days anyway).

Reading a book can take them to another world

Why are we so afraid to let our kids experience boredom?

For those of us who grew up in the 70's, boredom came with the territory. The summer school holidays seemed truly endless. I'm sure we all irritated our parents beyond measure with the constant, buzzing drone of "but what can we do now?".  The response I used to get was, generally, "go and read a book".

We were in Waterstones in Worcester the other day and it was a revelation for Caitlin who, already an excellent reader, is beginning to discover that reading a good book is far more enjoyable than playing with the acreage of over-priced plastic attached to the front of children's 'magazines' or the latest toy-du-jour which often barely survives the first 24 hours with my two's rigorous style of play.

I bet there are thousands of kids who could quote from all of the Harry Potter films but who have never picked up the actual books.  This may be because their parents do not read to them of course, and with today's hectic work schedules for many, the bedtime story is an unfortunate casualty.

When I studied English Literature at University of Wales Swansea in the 80's (yes, that long ago), I remember we were told that you had to read a book at least 4 times before you could really start to understand its themes, its political and social context, the breadth and depth of its imagery.  Novelists leave within their works a tantilising glimpse into the politics, history and psychology of the day.  

When we read a novel we create the characters and interpret the events that happen to them in a way that has meaning for us.  When we see the film, these decisions have largely been taken out of our hands.  We miss the chance to process what has happened in our own lives against the backdrop of the story.

A book can change us in the way that a film can't.

That's why initiatives like World Book Day are so important.  It is also why I hope that our bookshops survive.  I suspect that many will pick up the book to see what it's like but then purchase from Amazon to save a few pounds.  Sometimes though, the book you pick up is so compelling that you buy it there and then. It's an old fashioned sentiment possibly but much though I love my Kindle, there is nothing like a proper, crisp, hard-copy book.

It is also the reason why we lose our public libraries at our peril.  They are fantastic free resources for cash- and patience-strapped parents where kids can spend hours colouring, reading, enjoying reading schemes and craft activities and hanging out with their friends.

Our kids today lurch from one form of stimulation to another - I should probably call it iStimulation. And yes, with no small degree of irony can we say that some of them are turning positively android.

Of course, dealing with bored children is one of the key tests of our parenting abilities, but it is surely impossible to spend every waking moment with an activity schedule, a list of local attractions and a bottomless purse.

You cannot force fun.  You can create family togetherness.  You can forge stronger bonds through shared experience but each of us needs that time to discover who we are, no matter what our age.

Let's redefine boredom.  Let's call it "a chance to think unencumbered by unnecessary stimuli".  A chance, in fact, to have your own thoughts and time to learn how to marshal them.

And one of the best ways to learn about life within a secure and comforting space is within the pages of a book.

What better gift to give your kids?

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Review: Angry Birds Playground Ca-Cool Masks

I have to say Angry Birds is a bit of a mystery to me, although the rest of the family seem to be totally up to speed.  So when the lovely people at Top That Publishing sent me a copy of Angry Birds Playground Ca-Cool Masks to review, Sunday afternoon became a lot more fun.

Angry Birds Playground Ca-Cool Masks

The book brings to life, via 8 different 3D masks, not only favourite Angry Birds but also Bad Piggies characters. In addition, you can learn fun facts about them. For example, Bad Piggies don't always know what's going on but they are always happy and cheerful. (I think I'd find them highly annoying if I ever met them on that basis).

Each character masks comes with a page of specific instructions to guide you through assembling the mask. Caitlin and Ieuan were a bit too young to do the actual assembling and I'm a complete DIY duffer (although I gave it a go) so it fell to The Husband to assemble whilst I handed him the various pieces.

The Matilda Mask

Caitlin chose the leader of the Angry Birds, Red (no surprise there) and Ieuan chose Chuck, Red's best friend. Much like Ieuan, Chuck always wants to win and being the fastest, he often ends up in a lot of trouble.

You can see that the quality of the masks is excellent. Don't they both look, er, cute?

We had a lot of fun with "Angry Birds Playground Ca-Cool Masks" but younger kids may need a responsible (cough) grown-up to help them to assemble their mask.

This is one of a number of Angry Birds books by Rovio Learning (Rovio Entertainment Ltd) and is published by Top That Publishing and available on their website at www.topthatpublishing.com for £5.39.

*A PR sample was received for the writing of this post.

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Review: The Tragic Tale of Dwayne The Eating Monster - A Lift-The-Flap Book By Valentina Mendicino

Just occasionally, when reading to your children, you are introduced to a character who automatically wins your heart.  

As a refreshing change to the somewhat saccharine short stories in Caitlin's latest "Princess Compendium" and Ieuan's "Guide to Train Spotting For The Under 5's", readers I bring you Dwayne in "The Tragic Tale of Dwayne, The Eating Monster", a lift the flap book written and illustrated by Valentina Mendicino published by Top That Publishing plc.

The Tragic Tale of Dwayne, The Eating Monster

Dwayne, it has to be said, has a pretty limited skill set but he does love to eat. One day, however, (and we've all been there), he finds he just can't stop. He eats... and eats... and eats everything in his path. And, of course, he gets bigger, and bigger and bigger, with catastrophic consequences. I won't spoil the ending which contains a funny twist, but suffice it to say that my children really enjoyed the story. 

The book is a 'lift the flap' book and as Dwayne eats more and grows bigger, children are able to lift the flap to discover the contents of Dwayne's latest meal - which are weird, wacky and very funny.

Like all the best children's stories, "The Tragic Tale of Dwayne The Eating Monster" contains a valuable lesson - being greedy can have unfortunate consequences.  Caitlin (5) and Ieuan (4) loved it, particularly the flaps which allow the children to join in with the story and suggest alternatives for what might be in Dwayne's tummy.

Ieuan, impersonating Dwayne The Eating Monster.  Nice.

The Tragic Tale of Dwayne The Eating Monster is available from the Top That Publishing website and also on Amazon.co.uk.

*A PR sample was received for the writing of this post.

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