This one is a cracker. It tells the story of a 1000 year old man, trapped in the body of an 11 year boy. It’s brilliantly written from his perspective, as well as the perspective of a boy who he meets in modern day England, Aiden.

When tragedy befalls Alfie, he is forced to seek help from his new friends, Aiden and Roxy, while trying to keep his true age a secret and overcome some increasingly dangerous and urgent challenges.

This book is rich in historical references, perfect for the primary classroom. Although, that said, Ross Welford does make it clear that he made most of them up. It also begs the question, would you want to live forever? The answer of the children may change after reading this book.

Tom, age 10, says: “I really enjoyed The 1000 Year Old Boy because, unlike other books, it is told from two different points of view. The first boy, who the book is about, is called Alfie (or Alve) and, thanks to the livperler, he doesn’t age. This means he’s 1000 years old, but looks like an 11 year old. The other perspective is from Aiden, the boy in modern times who makes friends with Alfie. I like the way it changes from one view to other to tell the same story from different angles. It’s quite an exciting story, especially the build up to the climax. I’m not sure if I’d like to live for 1000 years, because for Alife, it was pretty tough. I might want to, to see what happens in the future.”

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Lucas is alone. His mum has died and his dad is always very busy and doesn’t really seem to understand his son. It’s the summer holidays and the few friends Lucas does have all have plans that leave him alone and bored. Much to his annoyance, Lucas’s dad signs him up for a drama club that runs through the holiday. He’s knows he’s going to hate it, and true enough, he does. However, for one reason or another, he goes back. Slowly but surely he begins to feel more comfortable there and begins to fit in and find his place.

It took me a while to get into this book. Howe writes from Lucas’s perspective and when he becomes overwhelmed with emotions (usually towards the ends of the chapters) his internal monologue becomes a bit tricky to follow – this may just be a me-thing. As the narrative developed we became more invested in the story and Lucas also gained more control over his emotions.

Overall, I enjoyed the book because of the journey Lucas went on and the people he met. Although many of the adults have their faults, there are no lazy clichés here and all of the characters are well rounded and developed. It’s a pretty heart-warming story and a useful gateway into discussions around mental health with children.

Bella, age 7, says: “I liked the story because it has lots of fun things in it and I think it’s really good. I like the bit where they put all the wishes in the well, I’d like to do that and try and make my wishes come true. It was good in the café when he played the piano to people for the first time and Avalon heard him. It was great at the end that his dad wasn’t mad at him, but he was proud.”

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Sid and her best friend, Zen, love to play spooky games in the graveyard of their small, coastal village. One stormy night Sid inadvertently frees a 300 year old pirate ghost from a mysterious Halfway House. The story that unfolds is how Sid and Zen help Captain Bones and his crew find their treasure so they can cross over to the other side.

Parallels to McLachlan’s previous series, The Land of Roar, were clear to me. Both stories are exciting adventures with unpredictable twists and turns along the way. Sid reminds me of Arthur, as both were the unassuming heroes of their stories who displayed bravery they probably didn’t really feel they would have been capable of beforehand. Zen reminded me of Win, the carefree loyal sidekick. But above all, McLachlan writes a great baddie. In both series the villains are revealed slowly over the book and the suggestion of them alone, strikes fear into the band of characters working against them.

Tom, age 10, says: “I like Jenny McLachlan books because they always have a good mystery. This time I liked the theme of mystery and history. My favourite character is Zen because he’s funny and silly and doesn’t really care what people think about him. I really liked Elizabeth too, because she’s funny.

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This book came highly recommended by respected colleagues as well as my wife and daughter who read it a while ago and loved it.

The Girl of Ink and Stars is an adventure book about a girl called Isabella who lives in a fictional (but familiar) world on the Isle of Joya.

When her friend disappears, she is determined to be part of the team who saves her, so much so that she cuts off her long hair and pretends to be boy. With the help of an ancient map and the knowledge of the stars, taught to her by her father, Isabella navigates a part of the island that no-one has been to for a long time, called the Forgotten Territories. As if this journey wasn’t harrowing enough for her, when she finally does find her friend, Lupe, this turns out to only be the beginning of the journey as the whole story takes several more unexpected twists.

This epic adventure story is brilliantly written, powerfully moving and quite dark in places, but, in truth, we never really got that into it. It wasn’t always easy to imagine where they were or keep track of what was actually happening. In fairness, we read it mostly in a stop/start fashion, so somewhat lost the flow, but as I said earlier, my wife and daughter adored it, some I’m sure other will too.

Tom, age 11, says: “I liked the adventure concept of it and that it was set on a made up island.”