Tag: Holly Webb

Frost Book Review – A Winter Animal Story

Book Reviews / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

Eva received a copy of the Frost book to review last week, reissued and redesigned with a dazzling new cover! Frost is written by bestselling author Holly Webb and award-winning illustrator Britta Teckentrup. A perfect, read aloud, heart-warming winter tale full of wondrous animal adventure.

Frost Book Review

Frost Book – Eva’s Thoughts

Eva really enjoyed the illustrations throughout the book. Frost, a cute fox gets Cassie to follow him. She transports back to the Frost Fair on the frozen Thames which sounds really exciting too. She finds out Frost is a big sister and helps feed them with sausage rolls. Eva thinks this is lovely of Cassie as Frost needs her help.

Frost & Cassie - A Winter animal story

Frost 

Cassie’s neighbours all complain about the foxes hanging around the flat she lives in, close to the river Thames. Cassie thinks the foxes are beautiful though and has a favourite fox! A small fox with a white tail-tip Cassie calls Frost is her favourite. 

One night Cassie spots Frost looking cold and thin so she decides to sneak him some food. Frost wants her to follow him and leads Cassie towards the river where she feels the world change around her! She finds herself back in the 17th century- at the time of the Frost Fair on the frozen Thames. Cassie is thrilled by the sights and sound of the famous fair, then she glimpses a fox with a white tail-tip! 

Frost wants Cassie to follow him again, can she find a way to return Frost to his countryside home? 

The Secrets Tree – The Hounds Of Penhallow Hall

Book Reviews / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

The Secrets Tree is the fourth book from The Hounds of Penhallow Hall series. Written by Holly Webb, illustrated by Jason Cockcroft & published by Stripes/ Little Tiger, this mysterious series is aimed at 8-10-year-olds. Eva was kindly sent a copy to review. You can buy paperback copies from Amazon for £5.99.

The Secrets Tree

The Secrets Tree

The Secrets Tree series is perfect for dog-lovers and anyone who desires some mystery and magic! Set in the atmospheric Cornish coastal setting, rich in history an legend…

Polly & rex are in search of a new ghost dog whilst celebrations are in full swing at the stately home. They come across a dog’s head carved in a door down the old stable block. They also wake a terrier called patch, only for him to run away. Polly & rex find him hiding in a hollow tree and find themselves on the trail of an even greater mystery. Inside the tree is a coded message! Can Polly & Rex unravel the mystery of the dog’s young master and his brother?

Eva’s Thoughts

Eva enjoyed reading The Secrets Tree but found it a rather quick read as she has become quite a bookworm! She really loved the story being based around dogs. As Eva has moved on to books such as the Harry Potter series recently, she likes a little more mystery. She thinks children who love mysteries will really enjoy the  Secrets Tree and it will encourage them to love reading mystery series like The Hounds of Penhallow Hall. Having read several books by Holly Webb now, Eva thinks she is a fantastic author and loves discovering some of the 100+ books HollWebb has written.

If you have a mystery-loving reader who also loves dogs then this book is definitely perfect. They will be sure to love the Hounds of Penahllow Hall series. 

Have you heard of the Hounds of Penhallow Hall series before?

Shine: Chloe Centre Stage – Book Review

Book Reviews / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

Eva read SHINE: Chloe Centre Stage this week, thanks to Stripes who kindly sent her a copy to review. Written by Holly Webb and illustrated by Monique Done, this is the first book in the series. Shine introduces children to stage and friendship dramas, perfect for 6-8-year-olds. Available on Amazon for £5.99.

Shine: Chloe Centre Stage

Shine: Chloe Centre Stage

Chloe loves to dance and passes the audition for the Shine school for performing arts! Shine is a full-time stage school many children dream of getting in to, yet it’s only the first challenge for Chloe! She’ll be taking classes in dance and drama every day. Surrounded by people as passionate as she is, it’s much harder to stand out at Shine compared to her old school where the talented and extroverted Chloe was the star.

Whilst the other girls in Chloe’s year at Shine school seem nice, she finds it trickier to make friends than she expected. Chloe starts mucking around in class and finds herself the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons. After a prank she pulls goes wrong there are rumours she may be expelled! Chloe has to try and turn things around before it’s too late!

Eva really enjoyed reading Chloe Centre Stage and is really keen to read more of the series. Immediately hooked she read the entire book in one sitting! 

Eva’s Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book and hope to read more of the series and find out more about Chloe at Shine stage school. A performing arts school sounds really cool, everyone wants to go to Shine.

Chloe starts playing pranks and people start to like her. It all goes wrong when Chloe does a prank by accident! This part was really entertaining and made me laugh. I can’t wait to read the next book and see what she gets up to next.

Do you have a performing arts fan who would love a series like this too? 

The Storm Dog – Christmas Books

Book Reviews / 6 years ago / RelentlesslyPurple

We received a copy of The Storm Dog by Holly Webb to review, published by Stripes, an imprint of the Little Tiger group. Holly Webb has written over ninety books for Stripes including Animal Stories, My Naughty Little Puppy & Maisie Hitchins Series. This book is an unforgettable tale of courage and adventure just in time for Christmas. Available in hardback for £8.99 The Storm Dog is a great gift for children Eva’s age (7).

The Storm Dog

The Storm Dog

The Storm Dog is about a girl called Tilly who is excited to spend Christmas in wales with her gran and great-gran. Gran promised to help Tilly on a big school project about the second world war. Her gran had been evacuated herself during the war. At least that was the plan!

Tilly falls asleep on the train and time-travels back to world war 2 instead! Upon waking Tilly finds herself being evacuated along with her two younger brothers. She comes across a stern old Mr Thomas who reluctantly agrees to give her a home on his farm.

Mr Thomas lives alone with his beautiful sheepdog Tarran. As Christmas approaches the farmhouse gets cut off by the snow. Tilly has to be braver than ever when Tarran comes to her for help one stormy night.

Eva started reading as soon as the book arrived and was glued to it for 2 days until she finished it. She thought The Storm Dog was a great book because it has lots going on. Tilly was so brave at the end of the story that Eva thinks she is super cool. The Storm Dog is a fantastic action packed, courageous adventure!

I would recommend The Storm Dog if you are looking for Christmas books having seen Eva become so absorbed in the storyline. Eva retold the story so well where she was captured by the magic of this beautifully heart-warming story. It is definitely a book I can see her re-reading too.

 Do you know a child that would love The Storm Dog to add to their bookshelf this Christmas?