Books We've Been Reading | July 2021

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to read. It's something I've always enjoyed and I think it's so important that we grow and nurture a love of reading for future generations. We've really missed our trips to the library but thankfully it's reopened now and we get to enjoy browsing again. I'm still making the most of our libraries online ebook loan service to keep my kindle well stocked with reading material. Here's what we've been reading this month....

Itchy, Scritchy, Scratchy, Pants by Steve Smallman and Elina Ellis

Iris is at that stage in life where silliness is everything so a book that mentions pants and bums was always going to be a winner. This book has been read every night since we got it from the library. Iris loves it. The illustrations are perhaps a little too old for Iris but that hasn't stopped her enjoying the story. She loves to laugh along as Yop and the gang go on a quest for knitted knickers. I love the storyline, it's really funny but I find the rhyming style a little clunky to read. This book sounds best when read using a limerick style of rhyme but there's parts in the book that are too wordy to fit with the flow making it a less enjoyable book to read aloud.

The Princess and The Wizard by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks

Iris and I disagree on this book. I really enjoy it. Iris isn't keen. We chose it because it's by Julia Donaldson and we've loved every book of hers that we've read so we just assumed we'd love this one too. I think it's in keeping with her other books and I love the illustrations by Lydia Monks. Iris likes that our version contains glittered elements in it's design but that's about it. Iris finds the storyline a little scary. I think it's because she's at an age where she's starting to understand good and evil and is apprehensive about the wizard and the fact he kidnaps the princess. In general Iris's anxiety is growing as she understands more of the world, which is an important safety mechanism but it's starting to make enjoying fantasy books like this a little harder for her to enjoy. I think this section of Julia Donaldson's work maybe have to be left for a while to enjoy when she's a bit older and can grasp reality versus fantasy a little better. It's a great book but better suited to slightly older children.

Gordon's Great Escape by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet

We are enormous fans of Barry The Fish With Fingers so we jumped at the chance to discover another  story by the same creators. Iris absolutely loves this book and to be honest so do I. It's fun and giggly, bold and bright and it has some real suspense towards the end. I like how an everyday object, that children often encounter has been given a personality and brought to life. We recently had some balloons laying around from an anniversary party and Iris started using them as characters and giving them voices and personalities. I love it when a book sparks creative play like this.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

An intensely atmospheric whodunnit set on a uninhabited island off the coast of Ireland. The guests disembark bringing much more baggage than they intended.  As guests mingle, secrets are unveiled and history comes back to haunt them. Read my full review The Guest List by Lucy Foley to reveal whether this page turner should be next on your to be read list.

Thanks For Reading,

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