NEW RELEASE!!!! – Watchman William, Balloon Trouble

Posted on | September 27, 2012 | No Comments

Author Diana Shaw signing books at Waterstones

Great Bookbabblers review of The Youngstars

Posted on | July 31, 2012 | No Comments

http://bookbabblers.co.uk/2012/07/review-of-the-youngstars-by-ursula-jones/

The Youngstars is set in 1936 and follows a teenage theatre troupe as they tour the country. When they arrive in Liverpool where they are due to give there biggest ever performance, strange things begin to occur.

Ollie is the son of the troupe manager Mr Piggott (known as ‘The Pig’). Ollie is not close to his father and suffers from a stammer, he is the one member of The Youngstars who really does not enjoy performing. Whilst on the train to Liverpool he spots his double on another train. The double spots him too and aided by a mysterious French girl called Giselle sets off to see if his doppelganger really does exist. What follows is a fantastic and hilarious story that I found gripping to the very end.

This is an action packed book, full of non-stop adventure that had me laughing out loud in places.

A highly recommended book – I am looking forward to reading more from Ursula Jones.

Lovely review for The Youngstars from Families

Posted on | July 11, 2012 | No Comments

http://www.familiesonline.co.uk/REVIEWS/Books/Children-s-books-8-12-years/The-Youngstars-by-Ursula-Jones#.T_0z9xB5mSM

The Youngstars is an exciting and captivating book, from doubles to dancers, London to laundry this book has everything to keep the reader satisfied throughout every twist and turn of the tale. The characters are diverse and entertaining, and each has their own fascinating background story. Youngstars is an amazing book which I really enjoyed reading.

Another Great Review for Ursula Jones

Posted on | May 28, 2012 | No Comments

Enchanted Books have given such a nice review of The Youngstars:

For the full review go to http://mrripleysenchantedbooks.blogspot.co.uk/

Lovely review by Parents in Touch

Posted on | May 14, 2012 | No Comments

The Youngstars by Ursula Jones

The book is set in 1930s Britain – the time of the Depression – and much of the action is centred on Liverpool. It features a troupe of youngsters performing in variety shows as `young stars’. Their evil manager forces them to work and takes most of their earnings. A remarkable secret is exposed and an intriguing mystery unfolds in the pages of this gripping novel.  It is superbly written, with many elements of comedy. The twists and turns of the plot keep the reader involved. The accurately portrayed historical background of the book is thought provoking and enlightening.

http://www.parentsintouch.co.uk/Book-reviews-fiction-11-over-page-2

World Book Day 2012

Posted on | March 12, 2012 | No Comments

Diana Shaw in action on World Book Day at Handforth Library and Waterstones reading from Watchman William, Ghost Detective. Well done Diana for getting into the top 10 for kids chart in Waterstones, Altrincham!

Look out for the next Watchman William, Balloon Trouble, competitions and giveaways, coming soon.

copyright Martin Hambleton

Golden Prince … top review site gives starred review

Posted on | March 6, 2012 | No Comments

This prince’s day as related in simple words and images will prompt requests for still more reads.

The “Brave Knight known as the Golden Prince” is preschool age, and he sports a shield with a duck on it, a play sword, a helmet and a cloak that may have started life as a bath towel. The pictures expand the story elegantly: The prince’s “Big Castle at the top of a Very High Mountain” is depicted as a quite nice house on a hill, for instance. The wild beast he hunts is the family cat, and he rescues his damsel older sister from her computer by the simple expedient of rolling her desk chair away (with her in it). At bedtime, the prince is scrubbed completely and put to bed with a magic kiss from the queen. The images, bright and clear, are punctuated by changes in attitude of the duck on the prince’s shield and the family cat in various modes of play or discomfiture. The charm of this little volume can hardly be overstated. It is what so many picture books for the very young strive to be, escaping both simpering sentimentality and shrill instruction.

Straightforward and sweet—almost darling, but in a very good way. If only it were available in hardcover. (Picture book. 3-6)

Read the full review here.

Congratulations to Felix and Jenny!

Secrets of Mercy Hall… the second book in the mysterious Thorn Gate Trilogy

Posted on | November 8, 2011 | No Comments

We are delighted to bring you Secrets of Mercy Hall, the second book in the Thorn Gate Trilogy, a mystery adventure for 7+ readers.

“Where is the lever to the Hedge?” shouted Jethro Barking as he towered over them…

“I’ll feed you to the sharks, I’ll hang you by your feet, I’ll give you to the Muttons one by one ‘till you tell me.”

The orphanage is in trouble again, this time financial trouble. George, Milly, Tommy and Singer go back through the thorn hedge in search of the diamond traders of the No Good Lands. But danger lurks in every corner: Snakeheads guard the trade route, and the Robes and their old adversary, Jethro Barking, are hot on their trail.

Help is at hand from their old friends, Drago and Batty, and some new ones, like the walking, talking Polytrees, the brave little Jambucks and Tod Beanpole, the out-of control rocket boy who lives on the mountain.

And thanks to the Rainbow Cave, the children now have strange powers of their own…

Can the children make it to the No Good Lands, find the diamonds and save the orphanage? Or will they be captured by the Robes and be once again at the mercy of mean old Jethro?

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The Golden Prince by Felix Arthur, illustrated by Jenny Capon

Posted on | October 25, 2011 | No Comments

October marks the publication of The Golden Prince, the latest book brought to you by the creators of A Little Book of Alliterations, namely Felix Arthur and Jenny Capon.

The Golden Prince is a picture story of a day in the life of a bold and fearless knight who rescues damsels, fights dragons and saves his castle from destruction…

Or rather, a normal day for a little boy with a big imagination…

What does a brave knight do all day but rescue damsels in distress, capture criminals, hunt wild beasts and save his castle from destruction by bad wizards and fearsome dragons?

And what does a little boy do all day but bother his big sister, entertain his little brother, play with the family pet and exhaust his grandparents who have come to dinner?

A brilliant juxtaposition between the vivid imagination of a little boy and the reality around him, beautifully illustrated by Jenny Capon.

For further information, review copies or competition prizes, please email us at info@insidepocket.co.uk.

The Golden Prince is aged 3+ and is available to purchase via our website, online or in any good bookstore near you.

Thyme Running Out – the second book in the Tartan of Thyme series

Posted on | October 12, 2011 | No Comments

Our latest book to be published is the second book in the Tartan of Thyme series, following the adventures of teenage, self-made billionaire Justin Thyme, as he struggles against mysterious forces to keep his family together and stop the Curse of Thyme from striking again.

‘I don’t have to build a time machine.. I could still change my mind…’

Justin shook his head, grasping at once the futility of his dilemma. The first domino had already been pushed; the fuse had been lit; the countdown had started. He’d passed the point of no return, and was trapped in the adventure of a lifetime with absolutely no way out.

Justin Thyme is a self-made billionaire living in a castle overlooking Loch Ness. The day he turns thirteen, he receives an anonymous gift: a fabulous watch with a puzzling message hidden on it. When he tells his father of his plans to build a time machine, the Laird of Thyme reveals tantalizing fragments of past espionage and warns his son of a ruthless enemy keeping him under constant surveillance.

Justin’s TV celebrity mother departs on a Congo expedition with her eccentric film crew and Eliza, a computer-literate gorilla. Whilst returning, Lady Henny is abducted, and clues prove that the kidnapper has inside information; someone in Thyme Castle must be a spy – or possibly Sir Willoughby’s old enemy in disguise. Everyone is under suspicion: Justin’s nervy tutor; their snooping housekeeper; the theatrical gardener; an ex-royal butler; and Mrs. Kof, their freakishly strong cook.

Suddenly, the race against time is on. Can Justin convert his vintage motorbike into a time machine, rescue his mum and discover the identity of their resident spy in less than a week…

Or will the dreaded Thyme Curse claim another life?

Be sure to visit the amazing Justin Thyme official website.