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Andrea Reece - Editorial Expert
Andrea Reece has spent all her working life in children’s books. Her first job was at Transworld Publishers back in the 1980s where, amongst other things, she ran the fan club for readers of the smash hit teen series Sweet Dreams.
She went on to work for other children’s publishers, large and small, and with authors including David Almond, Nick Butterworth, Mick Inkpen and Michael Morpurgo. In 2005 she set up children’s independent Catnip Publishing Ltd., publishing Richard and Judy favourite Scaredy Squirrel in the process, and went on to run Books for Keeps, the children’s books journal.
She is very used to odd looks from people on trains and buses who see her reading children’s books, and is still as excited as ever to discover a new children’s author. Apart from being one of the Lovereading4kids editorial experts alongside Julia Eccleshare she is also director of the children’s and young people’s programme of the FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival.
Latest Reviews By Andrea Reece
Dystopian adventures are back with a bang it seems, and increasingly relevant sadly, their ruined futures feeling much closer than they once did.
In Miranda Reason’s clever debut, in a baking near future, weeds carry spores that spread a deadly rabies-like disease infecting animals and humans alike. Human society has been reduced to individuals or small communities who scavenge for food and whatever else they can find in empty buildings, keeping a wary distance from anyone they don’t know.
Dayna and her younger brother Pax live with their father, just the three of them, the children ... View Full Review
David Bowie spent much of the years 1976 – 1978 in Berlin. It was a difficult time in Bowie’s life: he was broke, going through a difficult divorce, and hooked on drugs. Nevertheless, as illuminated in this graphic novel, those years in Berlin were particularly creative and important.
Bowie worked with his friend Iggy Pop on his albums The Idiot and Lust for Life and recorded his own iconic albums Heroes and Low during this time.
In words and pictures, this book captures the unique atmosphere of Berlin at that time, the hedonism, tension, defiant creativity, and shows how Bowie ... View Full Review
Only Sally Gardner could have conjured up Pernickety Boo, a wonderfully innocent, more than slightly magical talking umbrella with the ability to time travel, and a penchant for eating gloves; and aren’t we lucky she has!
Left behind on an underground train by his absent-minded owner, a sorcerer who has equally absent-mindedly brought him to life, Pernickety is sent from the Lost Property Office to a jumble sale where he is found by exactly the right person, a little girl named Sylvie Moonshine, someone who holds onto him, even when he’s soggy.
His adventures with Sylvie, ... View Full Review
This beautiful book will appeal to readers whatever their age and some of its double pages, each a unique homage to a great work of art, are so sumptuous that you will want them on your walls.
Rébecca Dautremer’s artwork is matched in scope and splendour by her ambition, for she sets out to do nothing less than examine a life, from birth right through to death, though by playfully giving her characters animal heads she ensures its appeal even to those too young for the concept.
And so we meet Jacominus Gainsborough, first as a ... View Full Review
Melissa Welliver’s dystopian novel opens with a public execution followed by an explosion, and by the end of chapter two has turned everything the central character thought she knew about herself on its head. Books don’t come much faster paced than that.
Sadie, the protagonist, is horrified to discover she’s one of the ‘Undying’, people who can live forever. In this post-apocalypse autocratic society they are persecuted, singled out by the authorities for cruel treatment, very different to the privileged life she’s been living as the daughter of one of ... View Full Review
There’s nothing Tilly likes more than spending time at Silver Shoe Farm riding stables, especially now she’s learning to ride herself.
Tilly loves all the ponies and horses there, and has a special way of communicating with them that seems almost magic. Could her horse-whispering talent help Red Admiral, a beautiful young racehorse, recover from an injury? It seems it can, but the team will only know for sure when Red Admiral competes in his first race.
The many young readers who love ponies and horses as much as Tilly will find so much to enjoy ... View Full Review
Tilly’s best friend teases her that she lives on Planet Pony and it’s fair to say she’s obsessed with horses.
When she comes across a horse, list and distressed, Tilly is the first to help, even though her only experience of horses is through her pony magazines. But she has a natural gift for horse whispering and she can calm the horse down when no one else can.
So begins a special relationship between Tilly and Magic Spirit as she names the horse, and a chance to start helping at the local riding stables ... View Full Review
Pippa Funnell’s stories of young ‘horse whisperer’ Tilly are always full of adventure and excitement and there’s drama galore in this story.
First, Tilly’s beloved Magic Spirit falls ill and it’s touch and go whether he will pull through. When he seems to be recovering, Tilly and her friend Mia enjoy a special trip to the London International Horse Show – ‘pony paradise’ in Mia’s words – where Tilly gets to use her special horse whispering gift to calm down one of the stars of the ... View Full Review
Tilly is a regular visitor now to Silver Shoe Farm riding stables and co-owner of pony, Rosie. Excitement levels are high in this story as rescue horse Sarafina gives birth to a gorgeous foal named Lucky Chance by Tilly and then because Tilly and her friends Cally and Mia are off to Pony Club Camp. Camp is everything Tilly wished for and more as she tries cross-country, dressage and gymkhana games.
Rosie turns out to be a nifty gymkhana pony and Tilly even receives a special award on the final day. She goes home exhausted but happy and looking forward ... View Full Review
Tilly and Magic Spirit, the horse she rescued, have a very special relationship. Now Tilly wants her best friend Mia to find a horse she can love unconditionally too, and which will love her in the same way.
Together with Angela, who runs Silver Shoe stables, the two friends visit horses for sale, but none of them is right, until they meet Autumn Glory, a gorgeous gelding with a glossy chestnut coat. He takes to Mia immediately and soon she’s bringing him home to Silver Shoe Farm.
Readers will be gripped by Mia’s search for her ... View Full Review
Tilly Redbrow loves everything to do with horses and spending time at Silver Shoe Farm riding stables is her dream come true, especially as it means she can see lots of Magic Spirit, the horse she cares about most.
Tilly and her friends are excited to be having a birthday sleepover in the stables but the arrival of a band of horse thieves out to steal visiting Derby winner Moonshadow, adds more drama than they were ever anticipating. Tilly and Mia have to act quickly to save the day, especially as Tilly’s beloved Magic Spirit is in danger ... View Full Review
Tilly Redbrow loves anything and everything to do with horses so spending time at Silver Shoe Farm riding stables is her dream come true, especially as it means she can see lots of Magic Spirit, the horse she cares about most.
A new arrival at the stables causes fun and games in this adventure. Cheeky little Nimrod has spent his life in the circus and knows all sorts of tricks – he’s clever enough to undo the bolt on the stable door for example and let himself out. Nimrod and Tilly’s friend Mia make a great ... View Full Review
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