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nessas_lair's review
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC! This was such a fun children's book to read and I loved the illustrations. The story was filled with great messages about friendship and the importance of libraries. Going to the library was one of the highlights of my childhood and I remember spending hours there, browsing through the books and taking home a huge stack every time đ
I highly recommend this book for kids, especially if they love going to the library! This book is also formatted so it's easier to read if you're dyslexic đ Thanks to Barrington Stoke for that!
roshreviews's review
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.25
A cute little story about how a girl attempts to save her school library.
Hetty loves libraries and her school library is her favourite place. After having a major fallout with her best friends Ali, Mei and Rocket, the library has been her place of refuge. But when the head teacher announces that the library will be closed down due to budget constraints, Hetty knows she has to spring into action. And that she canât get by without a little help from her EX- friends, even if she is still angry at what they did (or didnât do.)
The story is written in the first person pov of Hetty and it sounds just like a child is talking, what with the exaggerated feelings and the OTT reactions. It was fun to hear Hetty blasting her way through situations while still making her point. She wasnât a likeable character for a great part of the book but she still makes for an effective protagonist. (And she does love books and characters such as Anne of Green Gables and Lyra from His Dark Materials â Iâve gotta be forgiving!)
The book covers many themes. Other than the obvious one about the importance of libraries and books, it also tackles friendship, communication, standing up for whatâs right, importance of teamwork, listening, and not taking friends for granted.
There are some cute and whacky illustrations in the book and these add to the fun of the story.
The representation is very well done. One of the older students uses the they/them pronouns, and I liked this choice, though a few younger kids might be confused while reading. It is a great opportunity for parents/guardians to introduce the idea of how these pronouns work in their singular form.
As with all Barrington Stoke books, this publication is hi-lo (high interest, low ability), meaning the content is appropriate to the age of the reader but the text is edited to suit a lower reading age. This makes the content perfect for everyone aged 6+.
The only thing I didnât like was the way the story broke the fourth wall â it doesnât work convincingly in the flow of the narrative and breaks the impact of the story.
Overall though, this is a wonderful read, filled with fun moments and groups efforts. Definitely recommended to tweens and above.
4.25 stars.
My thanks to Barrington Stoke and NetGalley for the DRC of âHetty and the Battle of the Booksâ. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Hetty loves libraries and her school library is her favourite place. After having a major fallout with her best friends Ali, Mei and Rocket, the library has been her place of refuge. But when the head teacher announces that the library will be closed down due to budget constraints, Hetty knows she has to spring into action. And that she canât get by without a little help from her EX- friends, even if she is still angry at what they did (or didnât do.)
The story is written in the first person pov of Hetty and it sounds just like a child is talking, what with the exaggerated feelings and the OTT reactions. It was fun to hear Hetty blasting her way through situations while still making her point. She wasnât a likeable character for a great part of the book but she still makes for an effective protagonist. (And she does love books and characters such as Anne of Green Gables and Lyra from His Dark Materials â Iâve gotta be forgiving!)
The book covers many themes. Other than the obvious one about the importance of libraries and books, it also tackles friendship, communication, standing up for whatâs right, importance of teamwork, listening, and not taking friends for granted.
There are some cute and whacky illustrations in the book and these add to the fun of the story.
The representation is very well done. One of the older students uses the they/them pronouns, and I liked this choice, though a few younger kids might be confused while reading. It is a great opportunity for parents/guardians to introduce the idea of how these pronouns work in their singular form.
As with all Barrington Stoke books, this publication is hi-lo (high interest, low ability), meaning the content is appropriate to the age of the reader but the text is edited to suit a lower reading age. This makes the content perfect for everyone aged 6+.
The only thing I didnât like was the way the story broke the fourth wall â it doesnât work convincingly in the flow of the narrative and breaks the impact of the story.
Overall though, this is a wonderful read, filled with fun moments and groups efforts. Definitely recommended to tweens and above.
4.25 stars.
My thanks to Barrington Stoke and NetGalley for the DRC of âHetty and the Battle of the Booksâ. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
tigerlilliereads's review against another edition
hopeful
fast-paced
4.75
I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.
As soon as I saw this book by Anna James I had to have it. I adore Tilly and the Bookworms series so much and love how Anna writes about the passion for books. And this short story was no different. Itâs an ode to libraries, school libraries and librarians. And for me this book (yet again one I wish I had written myself) embodies all of that perfectly. My secondary school library was a haven for me, my favourite place in the world with the most wonderful librarians. Libraries and librarians are underrated and so such a wonderful job and create a beautiful magical place to be. So this book is right up my street already but this book perfectly does all of that. Iâm not a short story sort of person but this was great, could immediately start to get to know the main characters, understand the setting and you felt like you were there too (that may also be my son experience coming into play too)
Love it!
As soon as I saw this book by Anna James I had to have it. I adore Tilly and the Bookworms series so much and love how Anna writes about the passion for books. And this short story was no different. Itâs an ode to libraries, school libraries and librarians. And for me this book (yet again one I wish I had written myself) embodies all of that perfectly. My secondary school library was a haven for me, my favourite place in the world with the most wonderful librarians. Libraries and librarians are underrated and so such a wonderful job and create a beautiful magical place to be. So this book is right up my street already but this book perfectly does all of that. Iâm not a short story sort of person but this was great, could immediately start to get to know the main characters, understand the setting and you felt like you were there too (that may also be my son experience coming into play too)
Love it!
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