The Adventures of Ozchickychop and his White Teapot by Jane Aistrop

Today's post is an extract from the start of the book along with some of the lovely page artwork. But first, here's what the book is about!

Book Summary

Children, open up this book and you will find a magical tale about two brothers who discover a magical world.

This story is about the brothers embarking on rescue missions and learning just how important words are, not just in story books but also in real life too.

Kindness, caring and love shines throughout this story to save Ozchickychop and the land of Nede.

Read on to become part of their adventures.

A note from the author:

Hi to all,

I'm still pinching myself in disbelief, as you probably guessed, I am not an author or an illustrator by trade, just a granny who spent hours on the phone, telling stories to my grandson, during lockdown. The Adventures of Ozchickychop and his White Teapot is one that I wrote down and, amazingly is now a published work. Huzzar!

Witchstorm by Tim Tilley

Book Summary

Join a hunt for lost witch treasure, in an enchanting adventure story of storms, spells, and the magic of the natural world, from bestselling and award-winning Tim Tilley.

Will believes in witches and the stories he's grown up with - of mythical storm-lions, disappearing villages, and secret songs. Most of all, he believes the tales of magical treasure hidden in the Fens centuries ago. Treasure that he has to find, to solve the mystery of his Ma's disappearance.

Then, in the eye of a storm, a witch arrives. She holds the key to finding the lost treasure - a powerful magical object that can summon storms. But someone else is searching for it too. If it falls into the wrong hands, Will's beloved home could be destroyed, and with it, his chances of ever finding his ma.

Join Will on an epic quest filled with riddles, ruined towers, cloud cities and broomstick chases, on a journey to save everything he loves before time runs out.

This was such an exciting adventure, so gripping that I didn't want to put the book down. I loved the mystery with all the clues and riddles to follow, it almost felt like being part of the story. What I didn't love was the bullying, and even more, friends who turn to side with the bullies. It was so hard to read and I just wanted to help Will and protect him! Luckily he makes a much better friend.

Unlike everyone else in The Fens, Will and his Ma still believe in witches, particularly as their ancestor was the one who helped the last witches when other people turned on them. The way Ma's folk stories gradually started to fit together was really clever. I wondered if maybe she was trying to prepare him for the future adventures she knew he would have one day.

There was a truly lovely ending. It was so touching and meaningful, really making people think about their effect on the world we live in. After this I ran out for a copy of Tim's previous book, Harklights and was so excited to find a signed copy!

Author Bio

Tim Tilley studied illustration at Anglia Ruskin University and now teaches children's book illustration courses at City Lit. He is always watchful of the world around him and loves collecting and drawing beautiful snapshots of nature, relishing the small things people often miss. Tim's debut children's book, the bestselling and critically-acclaimed Harklights, is the winner of the Joan Aiken Future Classics Prize and the Junior Design Award.

Find Tim on Twitter or Instagram

I found the perfect cocktail to sip while reading about Will's adventures. To make the Witch & Broomstick cocktail, dry shake (without ice) 45 ml gin, 15ml lemon juice, 15ml honey syrup, 5ml Liquore Strega and 15ml egg white. Then add ice, shake again and strain into your cocktail glass.

 The Miraculous Sweetmakers: The Frost Fair by Natasha Hastings

This was one of my most anticipated books and it did not disappoint! It's full of mouth-watering treats and magical scenery. Delicious, frosty and eerie in equal measures!

I have to say the beginning really wasn't what I was expecting, especially from the sweet and sparkly cover and title. But moving on there's a lot of fun as well as the sadness Thomasina feels for her brother and what happened to her family. There are many uplifting moments. I was so happy every time Thomasina made new friends, especially as she had seemed so lonely before. I so wanted everything to work out for her but I couldn't help being suspicious of Inigo, even though he sounded utterly friendly and genuine. The way it was written had me second guessing myself throughout!

It's so amazing and wonderful to think of the first time the Thames froze over completely, the first time London held a Frost Fair. I'd never thought about it before, how it all started. The Other Frost Fair sounds so beautiful and magical, but underneath it has an eerie and sinister feeling. Despite this I imagine such a sparkling place, with so many new wonders every time Thomasina and Inigo visit.

Book Summary

It’s a cold winter during the Great Frost of 1683. Thomasina and Anne are the best of friends, one running her father’s sweet shop and the other the apprentice at the family apothecary – together they sell their goods on the frozen River Thames. When a family tragedy turns Thomasina’s world upside down, she is drawn to a mysterious conjuror and the enchanted frost fair.

But soon the world of Father Winter threatens to claim everything she holds dear. Will they be able to solve the magical mysteries that surround them . . . ?

Author Bio

Natasha Hastings started developing The Miraculous Sweetmakers: The Frost Fair while studying history at Cambridge University, where she focused on gender and mental illness. While exploring these topics, she became determined to have the lives of working women, as well as their experiences of mental illness in this period, form the heartbeat of her debut book, The Frost Fair.

I've used the pear, honey and lemon flavours Thomasina and Anne make their sweets from to create the Sweetmaker's Cocktail. In a tall glass filled with ice, pour 60ml of Creme de Poire, 20ml vodka, add a dash of honey, then top with lemonade. Garnish with whatever sweet treats you have handy.

 The Boy Lost in the Maze by Joseph Coelho

I'm not usually a poetry reader, but as you probably know if you've been following me for a while, I can't resist anything to do with Greek mythology! So hearing this one involved Perseus and the Labyrinth, of course made me want to pick this up immediately and it also has the added bonus of getting me into poetry.

I have a small extract from the book for you, and doesn't it make you want to read the rest? I'm definitely looking forward to it.

                "I've noticed a silence 

                whenever I ask about my father. 

                Unspoken whisperings 

                mumble behind my mother's sealed lips. 

                I last saw him 

                in a mudslide of argument. 

                Told never to open the door to him, 

                         to stonewall his calls 

                         and brick up 

                his letters."

Book Summary

In his new verse novel, Joseph Coelho brilliantly blends Greek myth with a 21st century quest. In Ancient Greece Theseus makes a dangerous and courageous journey to find his father, finally meeting the Minotaur in the Labyrinth. While Theo, a modern-day teenage boy, finds himself on a maze-like quest to find his own father. Each story tells of a boy becoming a man and discovering what true manhood really means,

The path to self-discovery takes Theo through ‘those thin spaces where myth, magic and reality combine’. Doubts, difficulties and dangers must be faced as Theo discovers the man he will become.

Author Bio

Joseph Coelho became the Waterstones Children’s Laureate in 2022. His debut poetry collection Werewolf Club Rules, published by Frances Lincoln, won the CLiPPA Poetry Award in 2015. He has written plays for young people for the Theatre Royal York, Pied Piper, Polka and The Unicorn Theatres. As well as poetry and plays, Joseph also writes picture books including Luna Loves Library Day (Andersen Press) and non-fiction books including How To Write Poems (Bloomsbury). All of his work has poetry and an element of performance at its heart making his festival and school sessions dynamic occasions. Joseph is a staunch ambassador for Britain’s straitened public libraries. He lives in Kent.

Find Joseph on Twitter and Instagram. For more on illustrator Kate Milner on Twitter and Instagram.