Big Sky Mountain series by Alex Milway

Big Sky Mountain

Until now, Rosa has always lived in a city, but unfortunate circumstances mean that she has to move to Big Sky Mountain to live with her grandmother. At first she is nervous about the move and has doubts about this new life and her stern grandmother who doesn't seem to know her. But Rosa soon discovers the wonderful feeling of being free! 

I don't blame Grandma Nan for wanting to live on Big Sky Mountain, it sounds like a fantastic place to live! Gold River, Jewel Lake, Eagle Heights and lots of friendly (and some not so friendly) talking animals!

Big Sky Mountain: The Forest Wolves

Rosa has settled well into life at Big Sky Mountain and is getting on well with Grandma Nan. There's just one type of animal that Rosa hasn't met yet and all the others are afraid of... the wolves. The cute little terrified animal that comes barrelling into their lives really doesn't seem anything like the scary, vicious wolves she's heard about. Rosa loves having the baby wolf around but Grandma Nan knows they should help her find her family rather than keep her.

This was another thrilling adventure on Big Sky Mountain, introducing more of the animals that live around the mountain.

I really liked the two tone illustrations in both books and the lovely map at the start. At the end there are scavenger hunts to search for some of the plants in the illustrations throughout the book. The books definitely made me want to be outdoors in the fresh air more and practice being a mountain girl like Rosa!

No trip to Big Sky Mountain would be complete without a refreshing beverage! I've chosen a Blue Sky cocktail which matches the colour of the sky in the books. 30ml each of gin, blue curacao, lemon juice, 20ml of maraschino. Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. 

 The Royal Leap-Frog by Peter Bently

Book Summary

A hilarious tale of rivalry, boasting and custardy chaos from the bestselling creators of The King's Birthday Suit. 

When a flea, a grasshopper and a frog compete to show the King who can jump the highest, it causes CHAOS in the royal dining hall. Who can jump the highest? Can the clever leap frog use his wits to win? And will the Emperor's dog EVER get rid of the flea? 

I don't usually review picture books on the blog but this one caught my eye and just looked so adorable!

I loved the illustrations and the story is so funny, with an exceptionally clever frog. This is sure to be a favourite with the kids. I had a look at the author's website and was intrigued by Goldilocks in Space and Snow White in Space. Space is my thing so definitely want to check those out too!

I've Kissed Too Many Frogs Cocktail - I found this on the Martini Diva website, well worth a look for lots of other fun cocktails! 45ml Lemon Vodka, 15ml Orange Liqueur, 75ml Fresh Grapefruit Juice, 15ml Fresh Lime Juice, Splash of Grenadine. Shake the first 4 ingredients in a shaker with ice, pour into a martini glass and drizzle over a little grenadine.

 Dread Wood by Jennifer Killick

Book Summary

Turn the lights on. Lock the door. Things are about to get SERIOUSLY SCARY!

The brand new must-read middle-grade novel from the author of super-spooky Crater Lake. Perfect for 9+ fans of R.L.Stine’s Goosebumps

It's basically the worst school detention ever. When classmates (but not mate-mates) Hallie, Angelo, Gustav and Naira are forced to come to school on a SATURDAY, they think things can’t get much worse. But they’re wrong. Things are about to get seriously scary.

What has dragged their teacher underground? Why do the creepy caretakers keeping humming the tune to Itsy Bitsy Spider? And what horrors lurk in the shadows, getting stronger and meaner every minute…? Cut off from help and in danger each time they touch the ground, the gang’s only hope is to work together. But it’s no coincidence that they're all there on detention. Someone has been watching and plotting and is out for revenge…

Four very different kids get detention. They seemingly have nothing in common, in fact for some of them it is extremely out of character! At first it seems like it's going to be the usual tedious detention, all four kids just keeping themselves to themselves. Then their teacher disappears and its like they have found themselves in a horror movie. And then it gets REALLY creepy! 

Imagine Dread Wood being the name of your school, that alone is enough to let you know this is going to be CREEPY. This is the kind of book you want to read huddled up on the sofa, wrapped in a blanket and clutching your teddy bear for protection. 

I loved all four of the main characters, despite them definitely NOT being friends at the start, they all had great qualities and I could see them growing to care about each other and the way they learn to work together is impressive. Then there's the Latchitts, perfect horror movie villains. It was completely gripping, I constantly had to stop myself from jumping ahead to find out what would happen next. I enjoyed reading this so much, scary, funny and intriguing all at once. I've heard rumours of a sequel and I am crossing my fingers that they are true.

Dread Wood was published a couple of days ago so if you haven't got your copy yet, what are you waiting for???

Of course the cocktail to go with this book has to involve spiders, but don't worry, no spiders have been harmed in the making of this review! To make a Gin Spider, start by filling a tall glass with ice. Pour in 45ml gin, a dash of Angostura bitters and top up with ginger ale. Simple but tasty. Maybe throwing a few of these at the spiders might keep them at bay!