I think that for kids who only have one parent, who are in a similar situation, this will be very relatable. Set in an alternative steampunk Victorian-era London, Jack Diamond, a world-renowned thief and notorious showman, has escaped from prison with plans to recover the missing Blood Diamond belonging to the Queen of England. It has great lead characters and is set in a unique way with the steampunk theme that you very rarely see in books.

This is the second book in the Cogheart series by Peter Bunzl and once again we are immersed in the totally believable steam-punk setting of Victorian England that he created in Book 1. I still found that Lily annoyed me a little at times, but in the end, she is a child, and children do have a way of believing that they know best and they NEED to do things to help the situations that arise. I found myself fully immersed in this amazing steam punk version of Victorian London, where the plot ticks over like clockwork and the tension builds up like pressure in a steam engine. This is a story that can be read as a stand alone, though there are mentions of instances from the first book, it will in no way ruin this story for the reader.You guys were so fab and Dawn was such a lovely presence in the schools - I will absolutely be in touch next time I'm in your neck of the woods. I was at my last school for 4 years and we had ********* book fairs every term – and every term, I was disappointed by the narrow range of books.

The book is packed with mystery, mayhem, and mechanicals, where young heroes run through the vivid streets of Victorian London to catch a notorious criminal. A spellbinding sequel, a roller coaster journey full of catastrophe, buried secrets, breathtaking courage and intrigue.

I have even talked the head into a little revamp of the library so that we can display them properly! I enjoyed that they also showed the characters' flaws, it made them more human compared to some other middle-grade book characters. We have a handful of new characters in this book, with most of the loved ones from the first book being retained as well (Captain Springer, Mrs Rust and the others, I'm pleased to report, were just as wonderful here).

As usual, poor Malkin is trying in vain to keep the kids from getting into too much trouble but they don't listen and instead they are off on an adventure to London via airship. Somehow, at this point in the story you just know that Lily and Robert are going to become entangled with the notorious jewel thief! We quickly realise that Robert is still mourning his father, he regularly visits the burned out shell of Townsend’s Horologists, and is desperately trying to trace his mother who disappeared when he was only three years old. There was just the right amount of choice to suit everyone without being overwhelming and I received comments from parents and staff about the quality of books offered compared to previous sales which have always been based around current crazes and well known celebrity authors.There is an evidence base which shows a strong correlation between literacy levels and health outcomes.