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Andrea Reece - Editorial Expert
Andrea Reece has spent almost her entire working life in children’s books, first as publisher, latterly as consultant, project manager and critic.
She has reviewed for LoveReading4Kids since 2015, is editor of the leading children’s books review journal Books for Keeps and administrator of the Klaus Flugge Prize and Branford Boase Award.
She was children’s programme director of the FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival until 2023, spent three years as manager of National Poetry Day and works with CLPE on the CLiPPA (CLPE Children’s Poetry Prize) and with The Full English on the Poetry By Heart national competition. She has judged children’s prizes including the Costa Children’s Book Award and Alligator’s Mouth Award.
Latest Reviews By Andrea Reece
Faizah loves going to Jummah prayers at the mosque with her mum and big sister; it feels right being there and part of the crowd. Similarly, she enjoys being part of the class at her fencing lessons, but asked to step forward and demonstrate a lunge, she feels self-conscious and anxious.
Thinking about Eid and the celebrations is a good distraction, and afterwards in the quiet of her own room, she practices her fencing moves. Mum reassures her that bravery will come when she needs it, that its roots are in one’s heart. Sure enough, when Faizah realise ... View Full Review
Fresh from successfully solving a series of mysteries, including the case of her own mother’s death, young Edie Marble is off to Canada with her dad and brother, a family trip to see her grandparents. But there are new puzzles for her to solve, including one that is central to her father’s life.
Her efforts to unravel this take her to Toronto, Washington DC and North Carolina, as well as the beautiful Dartmoor national park back in the UK.
The mystery is carefully plotted, making this an intriguing adventure for readers while threaded through all the ... View Full Review
Everything changes for young Oswin Fields when he is summoned to Corridor, a very special school, and enrolled as an ice apprentice to be taught magical skills.
Previously in this frozen world, Oswin has toiled as a labourer in the produce fields, barely cared for by his adoptive mother who has shown him little if any affection. Arriving as ‘a stray’, the other apprentices greet him with cold disdain and suspicion too but Oswin, quirky, indomitable and warm-hearted, still manages to win friends and form one particularly important alliance. Just as well, because when the settlement is ... View Full Review
Little Mirabelle, half witch, half fairy, is 100% fun to spend time with.
In this adventure, she’s on a school trip to the bright lights of Witch City. She’s paired up with her best friend Carlotta, who has smuggled her familiar, little kitten Midnight, along too. Only one thing’s for certain: mischief will ensue!
Sure enough, quicker than you can say ‘keep up at the back’, Mirabelle and Carlotta have lost their group, distracted by the displays in a fancy potion shop. Fortunately, a friendly librarian and a judicious bit of magic help ... View Full Review
Meet Marty, not a moose – that’s an ink blot mistake on his birth certificate – but a mouse, and a mouse taking up the important role of Postmouse to Little Ditch at that.
Marty is determined to be a first-class deliverer of the mail, but on his first round he ends up in all sorts of trouble, getting lost, accidentally starting a toad war, and almost being eaten.
The story of his day, new friendship with bouncy bunny Nibbles, and discovery of skulduggery at the depot is brilliantly told in this wonderfully funny and fast-moving story. Claire ... View Full Review
We meet princesses, dragons, adventurers and even trainee magicians in this collection of seven sparkling stories, each of which has been adapted for today’s young readers from tales that first entertained over one hundred years ago.
There’s not a word wasted in Mary Sebag-Montefiore’s lively retellings which capture all their original appeal with adventures, happy endings and more than a few surprises neatly delivered.
The final story concludes with the line, “Hope is the start of everything …” and hope is certainly a unifying theme running through the collection, while it also ... View Full Review
Satoshi Kitamura’s picture books are immediately recognisable with their uniquely expressive line and quirky angular perspectives. A fondness for celebrating children’s imagination is a hallmark of many of his books too and it’s given full rein in this glorious new story.
Hannah is alone in the garden and wishing she had someone to play with when she spots a leaf. Deciding it looks like a violin she finds a stick bow and starts to play it. Before long, birds have joined in, then the insects in the flower beds, even the clouds in the ... View Full Review
Youngsters are invited to join a snail and follow the path their new friend takes throughout the day, from the moment the sun rises into the evening. Along the way they’ll pick up all sorts of tips they could apply to their own lives, from the importance of following your path carefully, to understanding that every path is special and that the main thing is to keep going.
The singsong text is soothing but there’s more than enough action in words and pictures to hold the attention. Whether young readers choose to take this adventurous young ... View Full Review
Tilly Redbrow and her beloved Magic Spirit have come a long way since their first meeting. Then he was lost and terrified, and she was still just dreaming of riding lessons. Now they’re ready to compete in the Pony Club Eventing Championships, and even favourites for the title.
As Tilly discovers, winning requires more than just skill at dressage, showjumping and cross country; this is a team sport, and supporting the other riders and horses in her team is equally important.
As ever, readers will feel they are there with Tilly and Magic Spirit, taking every jump and ... View Full Review
Lucky little Astrid. Not only does she learn that her bed is magic but, on the same night, she is invited to join the Moonlight Mystery Agency by a talking black cat called Ace. A special adventure follows in which Astrid and Ace use their detective skills to solve the mystery of Spark the somewhat grumpy unicorn’s missing birthday cake.
This inventive story will be hugely enjoyed by young readers and, in publisher Barrington Stoke’s trademark style, has been adapted to make it accessible to all, even the most reluctant or dyslexic.
As an added bonus, ... View Full Review
Welcome to the Jumble Jungle Wood, a fabulous place full of the most extraordinary and unusual plants and creatures, including the Narzat.
Recognisable by his beaming smile and deep brown eyes, and extremely mucky appearance, the Narzat lives happily in the Jumble Jungle Wood with his friends the Chatty Chirper Bird, who never stops talking, and the Looky Lizard, who never speaks a word but still manages the communicate perfectly well.
The arrival of the deliciously despicable Lord and Lady Snide and their much nicer maid Polly disrupts things for everyone and has surprisingly happy results for the Narzat.
Bursting ... View Full Review
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