Review *Miss Mary-Kate Martin's Guide to Monsters*

The Wrath of the Woolington Wyrm

By Karen Foxlee 📝 Cover Art by Freda Chiu 🎨 Cover design by Hannah Janzen 😎 Illustrations by Freda Chiu 🎨

Published by Pushkin Children's 📚

Pushkin Press 📚

A Sarah Odedina Book 🍓

This is the magical first title in the brand new series Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters

Let's take a moment to admire this beautiful cover artwork & design by Freda Chiu & Hannah Janzen.

How could anyone resist? It is mysterious enough to catch the interest of readers, regardless of age.

*There are earth tremors, smashed, slime-coated fences and rumours that an ancient monster has returned. Can Mary-Kate, armed with her notebook and glitter pens, really get to the bottom of it all?*

It's great to see books that include illustrations. They're an excellent way to appeal to all readers but can be especially beneficial & enjoyable for youngsters who might find the transition to longer books a bit of a struggle.

A map is always a super bonus piece of joy, welcoming us & inviting readers to explore as they are immersed in the surroundings. Visualisation can make such a difference to a reading experience.

When her mum is away for work trips Mary-Kate usually stays with her active & fun Granny. They'd watch the shopping channel on TV (which soothed Mary-Kate) & share spicy take-away food. But this time Granny is away on a bus trip.

Mary-Kate packed her favourite lucky items in her suitcase. You have to make sure you're ready for everything.

Glitter pens & a red, strawberry-scented notebook are high on Mary-Kate's list of favourite things. She has a busy mind & loves to write notes or questions that pique her curiosity.

As soon as she arrives in the village Mary-Kate notices saucers of milk set outside every house. This is the first puzzle she tries to figure out by herself.

Mary-Kate soon teams up with Arabella & Pickle the horse. Their lives are quite different but they find a way to work together brilliantly. They set out to solve a local mystery & prevent some building work that will spoil the peaceful village.

There are several unexpected events along the way & even the grown-ups provide some shocking twists & developments.

Karen Foxlee has delivered another fascinating adventure in her own excellent style. So many added features are gently woven with skill throughout the story. Elements such as anxiety, coping mechanisms & empathy are just a few.

As a classroom read, this could provide so many important real-life topics to spark conversations & class projects. These would be eye-opening to some & totally relatable to others.

This is another example of the excellent titles that Pushkin Children's & Pushkin Press deliver to lucky readers.

I have already recommended this book (& series) to the reading miniClub (junior chemo patients) & the members' families. They'll love reading this series together.

Thank you for having me on this tour!

We can all look forward to the next one in this series.

*Remember to make sure you're always 50% sparkle*