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Book Reviews
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Charlie is my darling by Malachy Doyle
& Stephen Lambert
ISBN: 978-1-84362-811-8 £10.99
Charlie loves to run and to race and when a little boy offers to take him
for a walk in the park the chase begins, as Charlie pins back his ears and
heads for home!
Totz2teens Member Review:
Charlie is a dog, a lovely cute little doggie who is owned by an old lady.
When taken for a walk he is let off the lead and oh dear he runs and runs.
Luckily he is found again and all is well. We enjoyed reading this
book together. Totz2teens Member
Rating 4/5
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Chief Rhino to the Rescue by Sam
Lloyd
ISBN: 978-1-84616-941-0 £10.99
Chief Rhino is the bravest person in
Whoops-a-Daisy World, so when he sees the flicker of flames
through the window of Great Granny Wrinkle's house, he knows he
must race to the rescue! If anyone can save the day, Chief Rhino
can! Totz2teens Member Review:
Chief Rhino is a wonderful Rhino. He prides himself on his
ability to fight fires and be strong and wonderful. One day
he spies a fire so rushes out with the team to put it out.
However, It wasnt a fire at all! He feels dreadful and the
story tells of what he does to make the day much better! We
liked reading this story.
Totz2teens member Rating: 3/5
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Princess Amelia and the Silver
Seal by Vivian French
ISBN: 9781846168697 £3.99
Princess Amelia is so excited to be starting a new term at the Princess
Academy with her best friends in Daffodil Room. And what a wonderful
surprise - the Princess Academy at Emerald Castle is by the seaside!
Princess Amelia saves a baby seal caught up in some netting while the
princesses are out swimming one day, but the nasty twins Diamonde and
Gruella take all the credit! Will they be found out?
Totz2teens Member Review:
This is a very girly
book with pretty pictures on most pages and suitable print for a good reader
age 5+ to manage with a little help on the princesses names. The story is
about two princesses Leah and Amelia who go on a Magic trail solving clues
but come across twins who try to cheat their way to winning the prize of a
balloon ride to the emerald ball.In the end leah and Amelia win and have a
lovely time at the ball whilst helping to look after a young princess and
they are rewarded by dancing with the young princes in lovely gowns.The
stickers within the book were also a big hit.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 5/5 My yd wants all the set now.!
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Thanks for Telling me, Emily by
Deirdre Madden
ISBN: 9781846163326 £4.99
Emily's pet shop is no ordinary pet shop and the animals in it are no
ordinary animals. When the horrible Mrs Henrietta Fysshe-Pye comes to town
and buys pets from Emily, everything goes topsy-turvy. The animals put the
world to rights with their cunning and a touch of magic, courtesy of a
former magician's rabbit - named, appropriately, Presto!
Totz2teens Member Review:
What a lovely, feel good book. We really enjoyed reading
this, my daughter felt at ease reading this as it was very easy to
understand. I can definitely recommend this one.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 5/5
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Draglins and the Bully by Vivian French
& Chris Fisher
ISBN: 9781843627098 £3.99
These are charming borrowers-style stories about mini-dragons who move from
their home in the attic to the great Outdoors. What will draglin school in
the great Outdoors be like? Daffodil, Dora, Dennis and Danny don't know what
to expect, but their classmate Peg does. She wants to be boss!
Totz2teens Member Review: An
easy to read, light story with lots of pictures throughout to keep it easy
on the eye. Great Price for a nice little book.
Totz2teens member Rating: 4/5
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Down to the Wire by Bernard Ashley
ISBN: 9781846169656 £5.99
A second gripping Ben Maddox story. News reporter, Ben, is sent to the Ivory
Coast to report on a fragile political situation. Whilst there, he stumbles
across another human interest story in the proposed signing of a young
African football star. Soon he is thrust into a dangerous adventure
involving politics and child trafficking - and this time, there is no going
back...
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Kid
Swap by Michael Lawrence
ISBN: 9781408302736 £5.99
Jiggy is horrified to hear that his
parents have signed him up for a reality TV show called Kid Swap. He is to
move in with another family and everything he does will be filmed. Sadly,
most of what he does while the camera is pointing his way is not the kind of
thing he wants to share with millions of total strangers. And then, on top
of it all, there's his bizarre skin problem! Find out how Jiggy copes with
TV fame and flick the pages for a disgusting dinner!
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Everything I know about You by
Belinda Hollyer
ISBN: 9781846167669 £5.99
"But it was Mum!" Eric tells Lizzie. "I saw her..." At first, Lizzie thinks
it's just one of her little brother's stories. Their mother's dead; there's
no way she could be working in a museum gift shop. But what if Eric's right?
If there's a mystery at the heart of Lizzie's family, she wants to solve it
...A gripping read from the acclaimed author of THE TRUTH ABOUT JOSIE GREEN
and SECRETS, LIES AND MY SISTER KATE.
Totz2teens Member Review: CURRENTLY
UNDER REVIEW |
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The Skateboard detectives:
Priceless! by Andrew Fusek Peters
ISBN: 9781846166075 £5.99
Four teenagers with extreme skills: San can hack into anything, Ben is a
superb free-runner, Charlie, she's a supreme athelete and Break is the
skateboarding king...Their skills were acquired for fun, but now, caught up
in a fast and furious adventure involving a gang of criminals, the friends
will need all their moves just to survive. When a Faberge egg is stolen and
makes an appearance on the black market, Charlie's ex-con dad is an
immediate suspect. But the Skateboard Detectives know that he's been set up,
and they know just how to get the real criminals bang to rights...
Totz2teens Member Review:
The Skateboard Detectives: Priceless is a really cool book. The
characters are really interesting and I read this book really quickly
because I didnt want to put it down. You will really like it.
Totz2teens member Rating: 5/5 |
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Emerald Ball by Vivian French
ISBN: 9781846168819 £5.99
This book offers perfect summer reading for every little princess.Princess
Leah and Princess Amelia are so excited! The princesses at Emerald Castle
are going on a hot air balloon race to the Princes' Academy! And once they
are at the Princes' Academy, the princesses are going to have a croquet
match against the princes! Who will win the match? And will the nasty twins
Diamonde and Gruella spoil everything for all the other princesses at the
grand Emerald Ball that night?
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Small Knight and George and the Royal
Chocolate Cake by Ronda Armitage & Arthur Robins
ISBN: 978-1-84616-912-0 £10.99
Small Knight and George the Dragon are off on quest - to rescue the world's
biggest chocolate cake that's been stolen in the night by some cheeky
robber-brigands. But will the wild and hungry robber-brigands give up the
cake without a fight? They will if someone invites them to the royal party
so they can join in all the fun. A rollicking tale to entertain small
knights everywhere. Have you discovered Small Knight and George, this heroic
duo's first adventure?
Totz2teens Member Review:
This is a perfect story for any little knight out there. Small Knight
and his dragon George have to save the royal birthday cake. Superb
little story with a good moral. Thanks for letting us review it.
Totz2teens member rating: 4/5
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Farmer
Joe and the Music Show by Tony Mitton & Guy Parker-Rees
ISBN: 978-1-84616-340-1 £10.99
Can Farmer Joe find a way to bring happiness and harmony back to his farm
through the power of music? Of course he can! His guitar tune is so catchy
that new friends can't help but join in with the irresistible beat. Soon, a
whole band is creating a sound so incredible that ALL the animals join in
with the joyful jig! An amazingly illustrated, fantastically written book
from this talented twosome that is bound to bring a happy glow to your heart
and a bounce to your step. Farmer Joe is a delight read aloud and is a book
that cries out to be shared.
Totz2teens Member Review:
Farmer Joe is a fun rhyming book. It was best read in a superduper
hillbilly style but of course not necessary. The animals love their
jig and is shows in the writing. My daughter and I enjoyed reading
this book and would happily say that its worth you reading.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 4/5
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The Haunting of Nathaniel Wolfe by Brian Keaney
ISBN: 978-1-84616-520-7 £5.99
It's seven o'clock on a cold, London evening and in a grubby theatre down by
the docks, Nathaniel Wolfe watches as his father - the greatest medium in
London - takes to the stage. Which of the dead will speak through him
tonight? What Nathaniel doesn't know is that his father is meddling with
things he does not understand, things he cannot control. Before the night is
over a chilling new world will open for Nathaniel, leading him into a
mystery that can only be solved from beyond the grave! A thrilling story of
the supernatural set among the winding streets of Victorian London.
Totz2teens Member Review: a
mysterious story that is set in the streets of london in the Victorian
times. It keeps the reader interested all the way through, you can imagine
all the sights and sounds of days gone by.
Totz2teens member Rating: Suited to more older readers I would
give this 4/5
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Last
Kiss of the Butterfly by Jill Hucklesby
ISBN: 9781846163432 £5.99
Jaz is one determined teenager. Whether it's getting
that Tae Kwon Do move just right, or investigating the latest cancer
treatment to help her mum, giving-up just isn't in her vocabulary. But when
her mum announces that she and Jaz will spend the summer staying in a
cottage on the marshes, just the two of them, Jaz may have to realise that
there are some things she can't control. Away from her friends and urban
lifestyle, Jaz struggles, but slowly begins to tune into her environment and
embrace her alternative summer. Jaz begins to see her mum differently. She
starts to see the other sides to her mum -- as a woman, not just a mother or
a wife -- and their relationship and understanding deepens. Jaz's outlook on
life changes, as she develops strength and maturity. But there is something
on the horizon for which Jaz may never be able to prepare...
Totz2teens Member Review:
This book is teenage escapism, the charecter Jaz, is a normal
teenger that most readers will find easy to relate to, her life is also
normal, other than the fact her mother is weak after having recovered from
cancer; but when she tells her that she is planning a get away holiday at
her late grandpas lodge in the woods Jaz is less than pleased, a summer
without her friends in a muddy countryside. That is untill she meets Ethan,
that when things in her life get interesting.
In general this is a good book for flicking through, but not much to really
dig your teeth into with no twist and a predictable ending.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 3/5
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Katie and the British Artists by James Mayhew
ISBN: 9781846167362 £10.99
Katie just can't decide what she wants to be when she grows up. Perhaps a
trip to the gallery to see five famous paintings by world-renowned British
artists might give her some ideas? And can she help the shepherd boy from
Constable's 'The Cornfield' to round up all those pesky sheep? For almost
two decades, the Katie series has been bringing art to life for young
children. This ninth adventure focuses on much-loved paintings from Turner,
Gainsborough, Constable and Stubbs.
Totz2teens Member Review:
This is a really interesting book. It is well written
and uses the paintings so well. This was well suited to my 7 year old
and we read it together with enjoyment. This is one of those books
that surprises you as it was so captivating.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 5/5
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The Orchard Book of Heroes
and Villians by Tony Bradman & Tony Ross
ISBN: 9781843629733 £12.99
From the brave warrior, Beowulf,
to the resourceful castaway, Robinson Crusoe, to
the skilled rider who became Alexander the
Great, the young heroes take on great challenges
and terrible villains, from ruthless Viking
chiefs, to hideous monsters and terrifying
giants. Retold in a lively and humorous style by
Tony Bradman and accompanied by Tony Ross's
distinctive illustrations, these stories are
full of action and adventure to capture every
child's imagination from the very first page.
Totz2teens Member Review:
Finally a book my
11 year old was happy to pick up eagerly.
He says that he really liked the different
stories and meant he could finish one story in
one go. He said that he really liked the
pictures as they were fun and a bit odd! (that
was in a nice way). I think this book
would make a lovely present for any age child as
it is one of those books that you could read to
a non reader or like my son happy to read a
story at a time. Tony Ross's illustrations
are exquisite and the way the stories are
written is perfect.
Totz2teens Member Rating:
5/5
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Colin
and the wrong Shadow by Leigh Hodgkinson
ISBN: 9781846166280 £10.99
Colin wakes up one day from a snooze to find that he has the wrong shadow!
No one will take Colin seriously any more. The other cats all laugh at him
and the beaky birds don't even look up from their bath! Then Colin solves
the mystery - Vernon the mouse had switch-swapped shadows with Colin as
Colin's cat shadow gives him confidence and makes him feel important. Can
Colin persuade Vernon to switch-swap back and show his new friend that
everyone is important?
Totz2teens Member Review:
Colin's shadow gets a bit bored when Colin is sleeping. So Vernon the
mouse borrows it for a while. The story tells of both of their day
with the different shadow's and how they end up being friends after
returning their shadows. Very expressive pictures which help the
feeling of the story.
Totz2teens member Rating: 4/5
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Colin
and the snoozebox by Leigh Hodgkinson
ISBN: 9781846166273 £5.99
Colin doesn't have a home. He doesn't even have a bed, which is A-OK most of
the time but not when he is tired and grouchy and in need of a long catnap.
When Colin spies a cardboard box, he thinks it looks perfect for snoozing
in, so imagine his surprise when he is parcelled up and mailed around the
world and beyond ...but no one wants him. They would rather have a teapot or
a pair of pink flippers, not an increasingly cross cat. Will he ever end up
on the right doorstep?
Totz2teens Member Review:
My little boy and I read this book and we liked it very much. The cat
is very cute and wants to go to sleep. He ends up in a box and goes to
various people before finding the right home. We enjoyed reading this
book together and looking at the interesting pictures.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 4/5
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The
Apple-Pip Princess by Jane Ray
ISBN: 9781846161018 £5.99
In a barren land, parched by drou
ght and ravaged by frosts, lies a crumbling
kingdom. Ever since the Queen's death, the heart has quite vanished from the
palace and its people, and so the King sets his three daughters a task
...Each must do something to make him proud, to change their land. But can
the littlest princess and her tiny apple pip really bring hope and happiness
back to her beloved kingdom? Sometimes it's the smallest things that make
the biggest difference ...
Totz2teens Member Review:
I was really surprised at how lovely and charming this book is. The
Apple Pip princess is about 3 sisters. The king (their father) needs
to choose one of them to be Queen and rule the land and sets them a task.
The 3 sister decide what to do. The moral is of course known to adults
but its lovely to read a story with a different slant on the moral. I
read this to my children and they were attentive to the whole story which
was a miracle.Totz2teens Member Rating:
5/5
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Rip Runner by
Will Gatti
ISBN: 9781846163685 £5.99
Things have been pretty quiet in Peasley since Michael (the Greek) and Minou
(the Geek) uncovered the identity of the Pimpernel and exposed their devious
headmaster, Sir Pent.
Totz2teens Member Review:
Rip Runner is an interesting mystery. I found it quite funny to read
yet exciting as there are lots of action including chases. I liked the
fact that this book is based in the UK so you have a familiarity about the
locations which was good. I think it is a well written story with touches on
immigration which gives food for thought. A nice original story to read.
Thanks.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 4/5
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A very
curious Bear by Tony Mitton & Paul Howard
ISBN: 9781843623113 £10.99
One bright morning, on a walk in the woods, Little Bear is filled with
wonder...and questions! Why does the sun come and light up the day? Why does
the wind rush around in the air? Why does the stream seem to gurgle and
babble? Luckily, Big Bear has all the answers!
Totz2teens Member Review: A very curious bear is about a little
bear who questions everything! Much like many children. The
pictures are very sweet and help carry on the story. It is a nice book
to read with your child(ren) and we found it a pleasure to read.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 4/5
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Ella Bella Ballerina
and The Sleeping Beauty by James Mayhew
ISBN: 9781849781846162992 £5.99
Ella Bella longs to be a beautiful ballerina, and so each week she goes to
Madame Rosa's ballet class at the old theatre. As we all know, theatres are
magical places where anything can happen, and sure enough, as soon as Ella
Bella opens Madame Rosa's magical musical box on the empty stage, she's
whisked off in a beautiful lilac light to Sleeping Beauty's palace. But will
she be able to help the Lilac Fairy save Sleeping Beauty from the bad
fairy's wicked spell?
Totz2teens Member Review: This book was a total pleasure to
read. yes we all know the story of The Sleeping Beauty but the twist
on this version is that we have a little girl - Ella Bella who is watching
the story unfold with the Lilac Fairy. Totally charming.
Totz2teens member Rating: 5/5
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Diamonds
are for Evil by Andrew Fusek Peters
ISBN: 9781846166082 £5.99
Four teenagers with extreme skills: San can hack into anything, Ben is a
superb free-runner, Charlie, she's a supreme athelete and Break is the
skateboarding king...The Skateboard Detectives are on the trail of a missing
diamond, but they're not the only ones. It's going to take some tight moves
and death-defying free-running to keep one step ahead of the ruthless
jewel-thieves!
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The
Mendini Canticle by Brian Keaney
ISBN: 9781846160905 £5.99
Orobas, the evil creature from the Odyll -- the energy
field that underlies all things -- has made the leap from the shell of the
evil Dr Sigmundus's body to Dante's body. In the form of Dante Sigmundus,
Orobas seeks total dominion over all souls. In the state of Gehenna that
Dante Sigmundus rules, the repression of freedom, dreams and individuality
grows ever harsher, and a sinister organisation called The Faithful is being
formed to keep the population in line. As Dante is crowned Sigmundus the
Second, a new and terrible phase in the history of Gehenna is about to
begin, a phase in which the true meaning of the Mendini Canticle will become
horribly clear...
Totz2teens Member Review: Dr Sigmundus ruled Gehenna for years, so
its no surprise that when he dies the country almost falls to pieces. Dante
Cazabon is the new leader, although he isn't a person he is a sprit that can
control any human he decides to enter, when he is crowned the second
Sigmundus a new and terrible phase in history begins.
Nyro Balash is a sixteen year old boy, of whoms best friend Luther goes
missing; but even stranger than this Luther is forgotten by everyone, no one
remembers him, there are no records of him ever being alive. One day Nyro is
walking home when he sees Luthers mother being dragged out of her house; by
some tough looking guys from the goverment, this is when he meets Osman.
Osman is an old man that understands all about the Mendini Canticle, and the
passages into that world and this. Nyro sets of to find his friend, and
along the way he almost loses his identity to the torrmentors that plague
Gehenna, but when he finds Luther he realises his quest may have been invain.
Can anyone save him now?
Bea and her father are fighting on different sides of a waging war, her
father wants the worlds to end and for the parallel underworld to survive
Bea doesnt. After a while it becomes apparent that Bea has more power than
her father but is blood thicker than justice.
All these different people with different lives, all meet up to save the
world, to save a country to save Luther.
Totz2teens Member Ratign: 5/5 This a fantastic book with many
twists and turns.
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Beast Quest Torgor The Minotaur by Adam Blade
ISBN: 9781846169977 £4.99
The good beasts of Avantia are in danger. They have been captured by
six terrible new Beast and taken to Gorgonia, kingdom of the evil wizard
Malvel. To free the Beasts, tom journeys into the sinister Dark Realm,
where he must first face Torgor the Minotaur.
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Gabriella the Snow Kingdom fairy
by Daisy Meadows
ISBN: 9781408300343 £5.99
Gabriella the Snow Kingdom Fairy makes Christmas a sparkly, cosy and happy
time with her three magical objects -- the Magic Snowflake, the Magic
Firestone and the Festive Spirit. But Jack Frost and his goblins have stolen
them! Can Kirsty and Rachel help Gabriella find the objects before Christmas
is ruined for everyone...?
Totz2teens Member Review: This is a great book
( 3 in 1) its so much more than just a fairy book. Two friends go away on a
winter holiday and meet up with Gabriella the snow fairy and find themselves
in three different adventures to recover items which Jack Frost steals so
that he can ruin the festivities. A nice winter story with good descriptions
and nice pictures on most pages making it ideal for an independent 6+ to
read alone or a nice one to read together especially at this time of year.
My YD loved this so now I'm off to get the others in the collection . (
perhaps for Xmas..)great shiny front cover too.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 5/5
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Midnight
Masquerade by Vivian French
ISBN: 9781846168826 £5.99
Princess Emma and Princess Jasmine are visiting the Tiara
Club Academy to discover if they like it. Together with the princesses from
series 5 (Emerald Castle), they look forward to a Midnight Masquerade -
complete with masks and ice skating! But will those troublesome twins spoil
the fun?
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The Cure by Michael
Coleman
ISBN: 9781846163456 £5.99
It is the year 274 AD (After Darwin), in a world that has completely
rejected religion and a regime rules which forbids faith of any kind.
Instead, it is Darwin who is The Saviour, and only in science is everyone
allowed to believe. Raul and his sister Arym are cared for by the state,
having never know their mother. It is a strict but simple life, until Raul
begins to have doubts about the regime and rebels against the unwavering and
unquestioning beliefs of those around him. Will Raul allow himself to be
'cured' of his doubts and become an unthinking believer like his sister, or
is there another way to survive?
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Nat Tastic by
Giles Andreae
ISBN: 9781841214887 £10.99
Nat Fantastic is no ordinary boy. He may look like it on the outside but one
almighty sneeze is enough to turn him into Nat Fantastic - miniature
superhero! Nat Fantastic's powers know no limits as he whizzes through the
night performing amazing rescues and foiling bank robbers.
Totz2teens Member Review: Any boy will love this story.
It takes on Nats sneezing expeditions where he becomes a super hero.
Obviously this is many boys dream so I think it hits the spot. Nats
adventures occur when his mum is out of the room and he goes out being the
super hero he is. Well written, clear writing and fantastic pictures.
Definately recommend.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 5/5 |
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The Lucky
Wish Mouse: White Christmas by Clara Vulliamy
ISBN: 9781408302057 £7.99
In this first story, the Lucky Wish Mouse and her ten tiny
charges are getting ready for Christmas but the Christmas tree is bare and
the money pot is empty. "We'll think of something," says the
ever-resourceful Lucky Wish Mouse ...but then the tiniest Tiny sets our into
the dark cold night to try and find the magic of Christmas and, in the
ensuing adventure, she not only brings back ten everlasting snow flakes to
decorate the tree but also one of the true meanings of Christmas: that it's
a time to spend with your loved ones.
Totz2teens Member Review: A truly charming festive story of a
Lucky wish mouse. The story is delightful and then to be giving a
special gift with the book makes a lovely difference.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 5/5 |
