Our Recommended Reads February 2013

Check out the reviews section of our website for the latest recommended reads - from children's fiction to poetry and classic reads we're sure there is something for everyone. We also welcome your reviews too - email them to 'Reviews' at info@bookapoet.co.uk and we'll let you know when we use it!

Below are the titles we recommended during February 2013. (You can read our reviews and recommendations here.)

‘Star Paws Animal Dress-Up’ Published by Macmillan Children’s Books
‘The Moon Jet and Other Stories’ (Biff & Chip Series) Created by Roderick Hunt and Alex Brychta Published by Oxford University Press
‘My Phonic Flashcards’ Published by Oxford University Press
‘Fun With Words Flashcards’ Published by Oxford University Press
‘Deceit’ By Deborah White Published by Templar Publishing
Ruby, Blue and Blanket By Jane Hissey Published by Scribblers Books
‘Space Penguins: Star Attack!’ By L.A. Courtenay Published by Stripes Publishing
‘The Flip Flop Club: Midnight Messenger’ By Ellen Richardson Published by Oxford University Press
‘Duck Says Don’t’ By Alison Ritchie and Hannah George Published by Little Tiger Press
‘Unremembered: Book 1’ By Jessica Brody Published by Macmillan Children’s Books
‘Wereworld: Nest of Serpents’ (Book 4) By Curtis Jobling Published by Puffin
‘Dark Warning’ By Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick Published by Orion Books
‘Farm Babies’ By Liz and Kate Pope Published by Caterpillar Books
‘Jemmy Button’ Words by Alix Barzelay Illustrations by Jennifer Uman and Valerio Vidali Published by Templar Publishing
‘The Odds Strike Back!’ By Adam Perrott Published by Stripes Publishing
‘Song Hunter’ By Sally Prue Published by Oxford University Press

March's recommended reads will start to appear on the website from next week. A selection of reviews will be published here too, as well as on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/BookaPoet) and links from our Twitter account (@bookapoet).

‘Wereworld: Shadow of the Hawk’ (Book 3)
By Curtis Jobling
Published by Puffin
RRP £6.99
ISBN 978141340494
Reviewed by Lynsey Evans

I haven’t abandoned everything and sat and read a book since the final Harry Potter book was released, this is how much I was looking forward to reading the next instalment of the Wereworld series!

‘Wereworld: Shadow of the Hawk’ picks up from where ‘Wereworld: Rage of the Lions’ left off – Drew has been captured by Kesslar and is trapped on his slave ship bound for distant lands; Gretchen and Whitley are who knows where; Trent Ferran is working with the Bastians to track Drew and want to kill his brother to avenge the death of his parents, which he wrongly believes was at Drew’s hand; Hector’s cursed with the Vile of his dead brother Vincent and is travelling with Vega, the Shark Lord pirate, Drew’s mother Queen Amelie and Manfred the stag lord – all desperately searching for Drew, the rightful King of Highcliffe and the last Grey Wolf.

This book is absolutely packed full of action from the off! War has broken out in Lyssia on land and sea. We meet new therain species from were-crocodiles and walruses, to werehawks and mammoths. We share in Drew’s misery and his courage as he’s put to work fighting gladiators and other werecreatures for the Lizardlords amusement in the fiery land of Scorcia – the arena in a volcanic pit called ‘the furnace’. We watch as Hector’s necromancy and dark magick slowly strips away the boarlord we met in ‘Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf – his struggle with trust and his quest for power, showing us a sinister side to this once-gentle man. We see friendships bloom and others ripped into tatters. We see villains fall, unlikely heroes rise and in the midst of this brave Drew battles on in every sense for what is right, true and just.

A terrific page-turner – the plot has twists and turns throughout; the characters are fantastic in name, description and in action. I have to say, I haven’t got into a book this much in a long time, I’m totally hooked on Wereworld! It’s the next great teen fiction series to sit up there with Harry Potter and Twilight. It’s a crime if Wereworld doesn’t get made into a film, it lends itself to it so, so well. If you haven’t read Wereworld yet – why??? Get yourself off to the bookshop or library pronto and get reading!

Very highly recommended for readers aged 12+ (book does contain violent scenes.)