Easter Holiday Reads
Blog · Posted March 29, 2024
Our bookseller recommendations for school holiday reading…
You can pick up a copy of all of the books in the shop or online via our online partner Bookshop.org – shop online HERE
PICTURE BOOKS
The Ear: The Story of Van Gogh’s Missing Ear by Piret Raud (Chosen by Sarah)
When the Ear finds herself suddenly headless and alone, she doesn’t know who she is anymore. What is an ear without her head? Thankfully, her kind willingness to listen to others soon helps her form new friendships and we meet lots of creatures who help Ear find her purpose again. The story and its magnificent illustrations show the incredible joy of what a person’s imagination can create.
Panda and Penguin Find a Thing by Zehra Hicks (Chosen by Vicky)
Panda and Penguin are having a grand old time until – uh oh – they find the Thing. They let it come between them and part ways but will they find their way back to each other? A reminder to switch off (literally) and enjoy the company of friends. With simple yet expressive illustrations, Zehra Hicks is one of my favourites.
My Rhinoceros by Jon Agee (Chosen by Jack)
One of my favourite picture books in recent years is It’s Only Stanley by Jon Agee, the story of a family being repeatedly awoken in the night by the increasingly productive activities of their dog, from howling at the moon, to fixing the TV aerial.
And he’s gone and done it again. Jon Agee’s latest picture book features a boy who buys a rhinoceros from his local pet shop, only to be let down by how boring it is. This rhino doesn’t do anything. It doesn’t misbehave, it doesn’t do tricks; nada. “Maybe I should have bought a hippopotamus instead.”
Agee’s signature bonkers sense of humour shines yet again. It’s pure and simple fun.
The Cat Who Couldn’t Be Bothered by Jack Kurland (Chosen by Sarah)
We all have those days where we can’t be bothered and ‘Greg’ the cat feels the same. While all of his friends try to get him to join in with their fun, he doesn’t want to do anything at all. However, ‘Greg’ teaches us that sometimes doing nothing is exactly what we need… A silly and heart warming story that will make both children and adults smile.
We are the Wibbly by Sarah Tagholm, illustrated by Jane McGuinness (Chosen by Rosamund )
A perfect springtime picture book full of warmth and humour as one young wibbly tadpole evolves into something much more grown up and froggy. Our hero is a little bit anxious as his friends all seem to change before his eyes, thank goodness he catches up, sprouting legs and arms just in time to bounce away from a nosy cat.
Springtime with Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel (Chosen by Vicky)
Spring is the perfect excuse to revisit some old friends in this new seasonal collection of Frog and Toad. With seedlings to plant, picnic baskets to fill and some wholesome sass from Toad, these are two friends you will pick up again and again, and never tire of.
There’s a Tiger on the Train by Mariesa Dulak, illustrated by Rebecca Cobb (Chosen by Rosamund)
One of my favourite illustrators is back with a beautiful, witty and gloriously silly evocation of Mariesa Dulak’s tale of one imaginative little boy’s attempts to gain his father’s attention. The exuberant rhyming text takes the reader on a very busy train ride in the company of a top-hatted tiger, several piglets and some cheerful crocodiles. Thankfully, all ends happily on the beach with Dad playing along at last!
AGE 5-7
Murray and Bun: Murray the Viking by Adam Stower (Chosen by Vicky)
As the cat of a wizard, Murray is used to magical happenings. Probably. But when the cat flap opens up to the Viking world, Murray and sidekick Bun are unprepared (i.e. snackless). Adventure, friendship and trolls combine for countless laugh-out-loud moments. The start of a great new series.
Bear and Bird: The Adventure and other stories by Jarvis (Chosen by Vicky)
Another wonderful escape to the world of Bear and Bird…and Mole! Jarvis never misses with his tales from an enduring friendship and always has a heart-warming message to offer his young (and older!) readers. Adorable illustrations complement some timeless wisdom.
Astrid and the Space Cadets: Attack of the Snailiens by Alex T. Smith (Chosen by Sarah)
Alex T. Smith hits the mark again with this total delight of a story. Astrid and the Space Cadet team are tidying up the Milky Way when an urgent distress call comes through the radio – Gigantic Snailiens have broken into the Astro Spud patch on the day of the Interplanetary Country Fair! Can the Space Cadets take on the Snailens and get the spuds safely onto the rocket tractor in time for the Galactic Vegetable Competition?
The perfect adventure for newly independent readers or a great bedtime book to read over the course of a couple of nights.
Cactus Kid and the Battle for Star Rock Mountain by Emmanuel Guerrero (Chosen by Jack)
Cactus Kid is a cactus wizard, travelling the Neverending Desert in search for potion ingredients to hone his skills and become the greatest wizard of all time! On his quest for the ultimate ingredient, star rock, Cactus Kid finds himself stuck between two rival lizard biker gangs, each seeking the star rock for themselves, and only the winner of the annual moto-brawl will obtain it. Also, his dad is a skeleton.
I’ve been looking forward to this book since its announcement and Emmanuel Guerrero did not disappoint. He took Adventure Time, Mad Max, and the podrace from The Phantom Menace and put them all in a blender. You can see his imagination run wild across every page and it continues to accelerate all the way to the back cover. It’s effortlessly fun.
With a second instalment already announced for October, I’m eager to see Cactus Kid’s quest continue.
AGE 8-12
Drop of Golden Sun by Kate Saunders (Chosen by Vicky)
Joyful and nostalgic, let Kate Saunders transport you to the set of The Sound of Music in this, her final novel.
When Jenny lands the role of Berthe Daudet in a new Hollywood blockbuster, she’s both excited and nervous. But what she doesn’t yet know is that this experience will change her life forever.
Filled with warmth and pure sunshine, you won’t want the adventure to end in this instant modern classic.
On Silver Tides by Sylvia Bishop (Chosen by Rosamund)
The novel begins with one of the best first lines you’ll read – ‘Kelda’s little sister seemed like a perfectly normal baby until her seventh day, when it was time to throw her in the river.’ Sylvia Bishop has created a future classic – in this cleverly imagined world, the silvermen (or Home acqua or Anura Sapiens) are as much at home underwater as on land. But what happens when a child is born into their community unable to breathe underwater? Kelda has always protected her little sister, Isla, but when the waterways are threatened, superstition falls on the family and their secret…
Greenwild by Pari Thomson (Chosen by Sarah)
When Daisy escapes boarding school, she discovers the wondrous world of Mallowmarsh and the green magic within it. However, this fantastically built land full of rich botanical marvels is in danger and linked to the story her Mum was trying to uncover in the Amazon Rainforest. Full of courage and determination, Daisy sets out to bring her mother home and save ‘the world behind the door’.
Thomson has woven adventure, botanical knowledge and magic into one incredibly enjoyable and page-turning read. With some easy to guess plot points, as well as ones that I truly didn’t see coming, I cannot wait to read the next instalment coming out in May.
Pirate Academy by Justin Somper (Chosen by Jack)
As a teenager, my favourite novel series was Vampirates by Justin Somper. It’s exactly as it sounds. Five hundred years in the future, the oceans have risen and pirates govern the globe.
Set five years before the original series, and featuring some of the same cast, there’s a mysterious new pupil in our pre-teen class and whispers of danger from the sea. It’s been a blast returning to Somper’s world. It’s an easy, rhythmic read with short and snappy chapters, perfect for reluctant readers. A question is raised in one, and answered in the next. Rinse and repeat.
Hoist the colours, batten down the hatches, and welcome aboard.
Miss Cat: The Case if the Curious Canary by Jean-Luc Fromental & Joelle Jolivet (Chosen by Vicky)
In need of a new case, Miss Cat thinks finding her new client’s kidnapped canary should be a piece of cake. Many twists later, perhaps she underestimated her opponents… A wonderful cast of characters, richly brought to life through crisp and imaginative artwork. Witty, tense and genuinely gripping! Cannot wait for the next case.
Black Hole Cinema Club by Christopher Edge (Chosen by Jack)
I picked up this book for the name alone. Five friends meet for a mystery screening at the Black Hole Cinema. As the lights dim, they wait for the film to begin, only to be met by a tidal wave that sweeps them through the screen. We follow Lucas as he falls through a series of blockbusters and meet his friends along the way, who all believe themselves to be actual characters in each film.
It’s not complicated, nor confusing; this is a book that gives you exactly what you read in the blurb. It’s a straightforward adventure full of the exact kind of whimsy that children invent in their own stories, and ideal for those who are struggling to read.
Grab a drink, grab a snack, and enjoy the ride
Movies Showing Nowhere by Yorick Goldewijk (Chosen by Vicky)
A highly original and inventive novel about grief, love, memory and forgiveness.
Cate never knew her mum. Crippled by loss, her dad doesn’t seem to take any interest in his daughter’s life. So when Cate meets Mrs Kano and her cinema of memories, she embarks not only on a journey of friendship and time-travel, but also on a path of self-discovery.
After finishing the last page, I was bereft and ever-so-slightly sobbing. A breathtaking story that I will be recommending for years to come.
YOUNG ADULT
Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender (Chosen by Sarah)
What does power mean to you? And how far would you go to get it?
You may know Kacen Callender from their bestselling YA novel Felix Ever After. For the first time they have turned their hand to a bit of YA fantasy and I am here for it. Ash Woods longs to be able to perform alchemy without the risk of being caught. But when renowned Professor, Ramsay Thorne catches him, instead of turning him into the authorities he manages to bargain a deal that could benefit both of them.
Fast-paced and full of both queer romance and magic, this is the perfect book to reach for if you are in need of something unique and exciting to get you out of a reading slump.
Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood (Chosen by Rosamund)
Greek Myths reimagined for the young adult in your life (it’s possible you may want to share…). Leto, orphaned daughter of Ithaca’s last Oracle, is destined to be hanged along with eleven other girls as the island’s annual ‘gift’ to pacify the God Poseidon. The prospect of her imminent death both terrifies and enrages her, the only silver lining could be a longed-for reunion with her beloved mother. However, something rather different awaits. Immortality along with a challenge to kill the (annoyingly handsome) prince of Ithaca in order to break the curse of the island.
Leto’s story sweeps you away from the first page, a vivid, sumptuous treat.
Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek (Chosen by Jack)
Imagine if Studio Ghibli made Beauty and the Beast.
Liska Radost, accused of witchcraft, ventures deep into the Driada, the demon wood, in search of a flower that can rid her of her magic. Instead, she meets the Leszy, the warden of the woods, who offers a deal: serve him for a year, and he will remove her magic.
Beyond the initial premise, we’re simply along for the ride; getting to know Liska and the Leszy as they, in turn, get to know each other. Poranek writes like a poet, leading your eyes across the page as if in a dance. I caught myself smiling so many times reading this book.
It’s a charming exploration of Polish folklore, its spirits and woods, in which you, along with Liska, are never entirely sure whether to feel safe or not.
Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin (Chosen by Sarah) – AGE 16+
A queer classic with a new jacket. Arriving in 1970’s San Francisco, Mary Ann Singleton is young, naive and looking for a fresh start. She meets landlady Anna Madrigal and soon finds her place among the cast of flawed, yet totally loveable, characters at 28 Barbary Lane. The rest is history…
This book celebrates every character, their stories and the city itself. As many of their stories run parallel to one another, sometimes even crossing, we see the interconnectedness of the LGBTQ+ community and the ‘logical’ family that is created. Maupin keeps many plates spinning at once, creating a sense of absurdity, but each contrived coincidence keeps you wanting more. I am jealous of those who get to read this for the first time and have the whole series ahead of them.
If you have made it to the bottom of this list of Easter holiday reads, well done! As booksellers we love to recommend books. We are always here to help you find the perfect read for friends, family or yourself. If you need some more inspiration or guidance, do not hesitate to pop into the shop or contact us by phone or email.
HAPPY READING!