Mini Book Reviews – #ARC #NetGalley #Audiobook #BookReviews #KidsSherlock #OutMouse! #CastlesoftheWorld

 

It’s time for some more mini reviews. I hope you enjoy reading them! 😀

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Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle adapted by Stephanie Baudet and Illustrated by Arianna Bellucci

Pre-order from: Bookshop.org – Hive – Waterstones – Amazon

From Goodreads: “An illustrated adaptation of the classic Sherlock Holmes adventure – at an easy-to-read level for readers of all ages, which also includes a QR code for the free audiobook!
With a deadly phantom hound on the loose and a mysterious man living on the moors, Devon is a dangerous place to be. But Holmes and Watson must put their fears aside. The country’s favourite crime-fighting duo need to unravel the strange case of Sir Charles Baskerville’s murder before his nephew meets the same fate.”

I do love a Sherlock Holmes story, and of course this is the most famous of all, brilliantly adapted for younger readers by Stephanie Baudet for Sweet Cherry Publishing. It one of the longer stories by Conan Doyle, full of mystery, suspicious characters and a monstrous hound on the moors! Even though I knew the story, having read it and watched various versions, I couldn’t remember what was going on, so was pleasantly surprised by the twists that went on throughout the story. The illustrations by Arianna Bellucci were great fun and went perfectly with the plot of the book. I definitely recommend this one for middle grade readers and can’t wait to see what the author and illustrator comes up with next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sweet Cherry Publishing for my digital copy via the NetGalley App.

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Out, Mouse! by Valerie L. Egar narrated by Paul Collins

Available for Audible – Amazon

From Goodreads: “Mouse problems? Professor Dunderbutt advises writing a polite letter to the mice, suggesting a better place to live. If the first letter doesn’t work, try again. And again. His method never fails. But…the two mice in Finn’s cottage are fussy. They expect indoor plumbing. A library. Raisin scones. Finn searches the Irish countryside for a house that will please his unwelcome guests. He writes polite letters. Will the professor’s advice work?
Based on an Irish folk belief, Out, Mouse! is a humorous early chapter book for children aged six to nine with the mice outsmarting Finn at every turn.“

This audiobook was great fun, brilliantly performed by Paul Collins a new-to-me- narrator. Having had furry visitors earlier in the year, I really sympathised with Finn’s dilemma. I loved the way he wrote the letters trying to be polite and not nasty, so the mice wouldn’t feel like they were being thrown out onto the street. Finn cared about them even though he desperately wanted them gone, so he sent them to various other locations that he thought might be suitable for them to set up home. I enjoyed following the mice and Finn on their journeys to find the right resolution and enjoyed the ending a lot! I definitely recommend this audiobook for young listeners.

Thanks to NetGalley and Whistle Oak for my digital copy via the NetGalley App

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Castles of the World by Phyllis G. Jestice

From Goodreads: “From the Highlands of Scotland to the plains of northern India, Castles of the World is a beautiful examination of past worlds viewed through strongholds that continue to enrich the modern landscape.
Presented in a handy, pocket-sized format, arranged chronologically, and illustrated with more than 200 color photographs, Castles of the World examines more than 150 fortifications from across the world, from Cathar castles and Alpine schloss to Norman keeps and Samurai strongholds. Discover how the thirteenth-century Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland was destroyed during the Jacobite rebellion of 1719; learn about Turkey’s Marmaris Castle, built in 1522 by Suleiman the Magnificent to support his attack on neighbouring Rhodes; and explore the Mughal-constructed Red Fort in Delhi, home of Muslim rulers from 1648 until 1803, and today a symbol of Indian nationalism. “

Available from – Bookshop.org – Hive – Waterstones– Amazon

This was a fab book full of photos and fascinating details from castles from around the world. It’s not just full of the usual suspects, but of castles I’d never heard of from Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Turkey, Iran and more. In the digital copy I had via the NetGalley app the photos didn’t always meet up with the text, but I’m sure in the finished book it will be perfect and make the book even more interesting. If castles are your thing and you can’t get away because of Covid this would make a great treat, maybe even a good Father’s Day gift?!

 Thanks so much NetGalley and Amber Books for my digital copy via the NetGalley app.

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