Judy Pomeroy

Call me Drog by Sue Cowing
Right or wrong, I generally don’t read the blurb on a book before reading the text. I like to come to a new book uninformed so that every bit…
Posted 24/08/2012 in Reviews

Buried Thunder by Tim Bowler
 

Gripping from the opening paragraph, this thriller is one that called me back to it until I was finished. I generally don’t read scary…
Posted 1/03/2012 in Reviews

Pull Out All the Stops! by Geraldine McCaughrean
 

One of the hallmarks of a good book is its ability to transport you to another place, time or environment where the real world becomes…
Posted 21/07/2011 in Reviews

Flip by Martyn Bedford
This review is an extract from Inis 35. To read the full extended review pick up a copy of Inis 35.

The search for our identity, the question…
Posted 10/05/2011 in Reviews

A Boy Called MOUSE by Penny Dolan
As a baby Mouse is left in the care of his Nanny when his parents go off adventuring. However, neither his grandfather nor uncle are happy…
Posted 1/12/2010 in Reviews

Wheels of War by Sally Prue
War. Its deprivations and depravity affect the lives of all involved in a traumatic and irrevocable way. It forces them to examine their…
Posted 1/12/2009 in Reviews

The Runaway Troll by Matt Haig
Snack food by definition is generally very tasty, quick to eat and not particularly nutritious. But taken in moderation, it isn’t that bad for…
Posted 1/09/2009 in Reviews

Ice Shock by MG Harris
Fourteen-year-old Josh Garcia is descended from the Ancient Mayans. In the prequel to this volume, he has helped his father to find an ancient…
Posted 1/06/2009 in Reviews

The Bag of Bones by Vivian French
An ominous purple stain appears and begins to spread across the silver web ceaselessly woven by the Ancient Crones. The web holds the balance…
Posted 1/04/2009 in Reviews

Diabolic Downloads by Jim Halligan
Getting children hooked on books is a personal and professional goal, so as a teacher I generally find myself reading children’s books with an…
Posted 1/12/2008 in Reviews

Stories from the Billabong by James Vance Marshall
In our increasingly diverse societies, it has become most important for us to understand and appreciate the belief systems and cultures of…
Posted 1/12/2008 in Reviews

Bansi O’Hara and the Bloodline Prophecy by John Dougherty
With names like Bansi O’Hara and Nora Mullarkey, talk of Tír na nÓg, fairy folk and set at Midsummer’s Eve, the temptation to inwardly groan…
Posted 1/06/2008 in Reviews

Eggs by Jerry Spinelli
I have to make a confession that I had never before read a Spinelli novel; I also have to confess that my first experience was wholly…
Posted 1/04/2008 in Reviews

Tashi and the Stolen Bus by Anna Fienberg
I’ve fallen in love! This little creature is one of the most engaging characters I have read in a long time. And, joy of joys, this is the…
Posted 1/12/2007 in Reviews

Outcast by Narinder Dhami
Barrington Stoke books have been specially written to enable children with reading difficulties or those who are reluctant readers to engage…
Posted 1/12/2007 in Reviews

Bee Frog by Martin Waddell
Perhaps many of us remember a time as children when we were so frustrated with being ignored by our family that we decided to ‘run away’. We…
Posted 1/09/2007 in Reviews

The Robe of Skulls by Vivian French
The arresting title of this book, along with the startling cover illustration, hold promise of a good read. Unfortunately, the Robe of Skulls…
Posted 1/09/2007 in Reviews

Saving Finnegan by Sally Grinley
It is often the case that the simplest stories can be the most profound. And as island life often represents a microcosm of the world, so this…
Posted 1/06/2007 in Reviews

Zarconi’s Magic Flying Fish by Kirsty Murray
The death of a child at any age is a tragic and life-shattering event. When that death is accidental, grief is compounded by guilt and can…
Posted 1/04/2007 in Reviews

George Saves the World by Lunchtime by Jo Readman
In the true spirit of conservation this book gives two for the price of one. The story about George, his grandad and his sister Flora and how…
Posted 1/04/2007 in Reviews

The Secret History of Tom Trueheart Boy Adventurer by Ian Black
Like rice pudding or hot milk and biscuits, this book is comforting and wholesome. But with such a clever sense of humour and intriguingly…
Posted 1/12/2006 in Reviews

The Willow Man by Sue Purkiss
In Sue Purkiss’ story, The Willow Man, the female character, 8- year-old Sophie has had a stroke. This is a rare occurrence, one child in…
Posted 1/09/2006 in Reviews