Reader reviews

Jason and the Golden Fleece

"Jason and the Golden Fleece is a really exciting book. You should read it. The story is about travelling, bravery, falling in love, royalty and special missions. If you read it I know you will enjoy it."

Reviewed by Carina Macdonald on 30/01/2012

Beginner's cookbook

"If you ever need a gift for a child, this is it. My wife got this book second hand, not even the spiral bound copy. This has to be the greatest beginners book ever published, for students, pensioners and the undecided. Every home NEEDS a copy."

Reviewed by Tony Miller on 22/01/2012

Illustrated stories for bedtime

"I am 7 years old. The Six stories from this book are FANTASTIC! The one i liked most was...The Inch Prince!"

Reviewed by Malena on 21/01/2012

Time for bed, Max and Millie

"My son loves this book. He demands that I read it to him every night and when Millie drinks her milk in the book, he takes his bottle and drinks his up. By the end of the story he is usually asleep :)"

Reviewed by Julita on 20/01/2012

Little Dorrit

"I read this edition so that I would know the outline story of a book I should have read years and years ago! I was entranced and enthralled and am now well into the original. What a find! It's beautifully written and gives a flavour of the strength of the main character and the weakness of her father. I'll go on to read all the others in the series."

Reviewed by Julia Hawker on 16/01/2012

Little book of space

"Bought this book along with several others in this series. My son age 6yrs thinks the 'little books' are BRILLIANT! Packed with lots of information, great pictures and a good price. Will keep many a child quiet and give confidence to use the computer. Also a life saver when needed for homework topics!!"

Reviewed by bettyboo on 9/01/2012

Mockingbird

"Mockingbird is a moving novel by Kathy Erskine in which she tries to send a very important message 'in hopes that we may all understand each other better'. This book was written after the Virginia Tech school shootings, which is of course a very emotive subject. Erskine handled the portrayal of the aftermath of this well. I was drawn it from the very first page of Mockingbird by the unique writing style and distinct voice of our eleven year old narrator, Caitlin, who has Aspergers. We are thrown into the highly emotional setting from the start when we discover that Caitlin's brother, Devon, was a victim of a school shooting. The whole story is about 'Getting It' (finding understanding), finding closure and acceptance. It is really interesting to see the world from Caitlin's perspective. She has quite basic language but the thought behind her words makes them very intense. For the most part, her actions make her appear younger than her age, but her thoughts could be seen as complex. There is some light humour throughout the book even though the protagonist isn't intentionally, or aware that she is, amusing - this just makes the story all that more poignant. Caitlin is often very literal in her thoughts and speech and this shows how things are interpreted differently by different people. Even though Caitlin was different, it's easy to empathise with her.
Reading about Caitlin trying to make friends with others and her relationships in general were intriguing and her search to be able to empathise with other was touching. I found reading about her relationship with Michael, a younger boy whose mother was killed during the shooting, to be emotive and very intense but also very natural. Both Michael and Caitlin are young and their childishness, juxtaposed by the harsh issue of death and loss was very effective. I also found the difficult relationship between Caitlin and Josh, a brother of the shooter, to be very stirring. There was more miscommunication when people were calling him 'evil' for simply being related to the shooter. I found one scene in particular, in which Mr Mason, a teacher, makes an offensive remark about autistic children to be quite crushing, I really felt emotion on behalf of Caitlin. Her relationship with her counsellor and future art teacher, however, were fantastic. The title, Mockingbird, is a direct reference to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. When Devon was still alive, he used to call Caitlin Scout as when she says something, it makes people think. The parallels between the Caitlin and Scout's family were well linked. A lot of this story revolves around Caitlin and her father working together to complete building a chest for Devon's Eagle-Scout project, in an attempt to give them both closure. This is a very sentimental idea and it is heartwarming to read about. The relationship between Caitlin and her father is poignant and impressive and when the chest is completed, there was quite an overwhelming feeling. The ending of this book was pleasant, but of course it wasn't perfect - it shouldn't and possibly couldn't be perfect. Not everyone is best friends or happy, but there is certainly room left for this to be a possibility. There's a good conclusion which leaves the story able to naturally progress. Despite everything that happened, the community spirit is still there. This was a fantastic and sometimes heart wrenching book that I would certainly recommend and I really anticipate reading more of Erskine's work."

Reviewed by Stephanie Forster on 9/01/2012

Impressionist paintings

"I bought this pack of cards from the National Gallery, and I think they're brilliant. I am a childminder, and it's been really encouraging and fun for us to look at these and learn about the paintings. The cards are a good size (quite big, about two to three times the size of a playing card, so easy for little hands to use), and the information on the back is nice and simple, without being patronising or boringly detailed. Thoroughly recommended!
"

Reviewed by Georging on 5/01/2012

Big book of things to spot

"We gave this book to our 3 year old son for Christmas and he's been glued to it ever since. He has a good attention span and searches the pages for ages with us or on his own. He usually asks for it as one of his 'bedtime stories' too! Not only can you ask, say, how many white chickens there are but you can teach other skills about position by giving clues such as 'its on the right hand page' or 'its near the fox' or 'its on the shed roof' etc. It kept him totally absorbed on a long Christmas car journey and several times a little voice from the back of the car said 'it must be a different book, there are so many pages'. I'll be buying this as presents for our nephew and our son's friend too, as I think it would be very hard to beat!"

Reviewed by Sandra Baker on 3/01/2012

Prankster queen

"I just LOVVVVEEEE these books! And i just like the girls! Jenna is my absolute favourite! It's a GREAT read"

Reviewed by Leah on 3/01/2012

Pocket doodling and colouring book: Red

"My 4 year old daughter got this for Christmas...I couldn't help myself and claimed it thinking she wouldn't mind! But she loves it too and we are both having so much fun, me stretching my creative side and her learning and tuning her fine motor skills. Such a beautiful gift for anyone - Mum or daughter!"

Reviewed by Alice Hebler on 30/12/2011

That's not my donkey...

"As a parent of an 8 month old boy, I have yet to find anything like these books. Fantastic. My son has Down's syndrome - his development has been fantastic, which I truly believe these books have had a great help with."

Reviewed by Rachael curry on 28/12/2011

The Truth About Celia Frost

"I found this book by my friend swapping it with me. At first not knowing the author I was slightly concerned about not knowing what to expect, after reading the first chapter I was hooked, this book is excellent. After starting the book I just couldn't put it down. It was fabulous and I can truly recommend it. I would also recommend Paula Rawsthorne - she is an excellent writer. The plot was fabulous and the way she kept switching from character to character was amazing. For £6.99 the book is totally worth it."

Reviewed by georgina on 21/12/2011

A Christmas Carol

"I really liked A Christmas Carol because it was a sad story of a very mean man but had a great happy ending. Charles Dickens had lots of great ideas with the ghosts showing how nasty Ebenezer Scrooge was being to everyone and how he needed to be a better man."

Reviewed by Katie Moore on 18/12/2011

1000 Christmas stickers

"This book has kept my little girl busy for hours, even her teenage cousin cannot put it down. There are so many festive stickers they will last for two Christmases. The pictures are beautifully done!! It is a must buy for every little one."

Reviewed by Meredith on 13/12/2011

Angel Fire

"Many of my friends don't read but if they had to read something this would definitely be my top suggestion. I pre-ordered Angel Fire and can't stop reading (yet again) - if only homework didn't exist anymore! I can't wait for Angel Fever."

Reviewed by Kelly Cunningham on 13/12/2011

Angel

"Many of my friends don't read but if they had to read something this would definitely be my top suggestion."

Reviewed by Kelly Cunningham on 13/12/2011

A Christmas Carol

"I really enjoyed reading A Christmas Carol because Scrooge turned into a really nice person at the end and looked after Tiny Tim."

Reviewed by Jack Frings on 11/12/2011

A Christmas Carol

"A Christmas Carol is a really interesting story with three spirits and a very merry Christmas ending. This is a cool book to read because it makes you think about being kind to other people."

Reviewed by Carina Macdonald on 11/12/2011

Usborne book of Greek myths

"I picked up this book because the attractive cover intrigued me. Sure enough, this book is something special. With exciting stories, illustrated with beautiful pictures and easy-to-understand text, it takes you back through the ages to the scenes of the stories. Including the well-known myths like 'Pandora's Box', 'Jason and the Golden Fleece',and others, new stories are also added. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and I think that others will too."

Reviewed by Lalita Kakarala on 11/12/2011

The midnight ghosts

"I've just finished reading the book it was really great book and is a bit scary. I like this book because it was adventurous in some parts of the book! I recommend this book to young readers because this book is not too lengthy like what I have read in the past few years and its a picture book, so if you don't feel like reading books that are lengthy THIS BOOK IS YOURS! E N J O Y!!!"

Reviewed by Amar Ahmed on 8/12/2011

Cakes and cookies for beginners

"Love the recipes included, they're perfectly explained and easy to do. The results are...DELICIOUS!"

Reviewed by EDNA ALVARADO VARGAS on 5/12/2011

Advent calendar to colour

"What a fantastic calendar!! The quality is brilliant, just what I expect from Usborne. My kids look forward to colouring it in every day. It keeps them occupied for ages and is getting them very excited about Christmas. Well done Usborne - hope you have a different design every year because we're hooked!!!"

Reviewed by Helen Twelves on 5/12/2011

Big book of big sea creatures

"I love the surprise of this book. As you read it and look at the pictures of the different sea creatures, you open the fold out pages and are astounded by the size and comparative scale of these same creatures. The illustrations are vivid and true to life, and could greatly inspire any budding marine biologists!"

Reviewed by Dionne Lakey on 4/12/2011

Drawing faces

"This book is amazing. I drew all the pictures and it was really easy because it was step by step. My school have lots of Usborne books and I would recommend this one to everyone."

Reviewed by sadie on 3/12/2011

Baby dinosaur

"This book is perfect for any little boy (or girl). Lovely story on soft pages. Perfect size for little hands. Bits for them to lift out and lovely and bright pages. Keeps their attention.
"

Reviewed by Claire Channon on 1/12/2011

Night-night stories

"I bought this for my son for a short bedtime story for daddy to read, whilst I was reading princess stories to my daughter. He absolutely loves it, just the right length to settle him down while he has his milk. Gorgeous pictures and, to be honest, my daughter loves it just as much as he does, so we often end up with just the one story."

Reviewed by Claire Channon on 1/12/2011

First thousand words in Spanish

"I bought this book as I am 19 and attempting to learn Spanish. Its colourful, easy to read format makes it perfect for picking up vocab and the easy to use pronunciation guide at the back of the book is fab. Brilliant, can't wait to order my German and French versions."

Reviewed by Louise on 26/11/2011

Christmas doodles

"These cards are a wonderful creative activity that keep kids busy for hours! We get tend to go through a lot of doodle paper at our house and this is the perfect solution. We love wiping them clean and doing the doodle again."

Reviewed by Alyson MacDonald on 20/11/2011

Sparkly Christmas Angel

"A very sweet story about a tree-top angel who has lost her sparkle!! Not to worry (spoiler alert!), she gets it back just in time for Christmas. Beautifully illustrated with great touchy-feely details!"

Reviewed by Kayla on 17/11/2011

Stories of vampires

"The book was brillant because of the good pitures and lots of action. My favourite character is James because he killed the vampires."

Reviewed by Jason on 15/11/2011

Drawing, doodling and colouring

"I first bought it for my 5 year old daughter to color in but when my 9 year old son saw it, he wanted one too!! The both Luv coloring in it not only alone but with each other. They have sat at the kitchen table for hours coloring. Just for that I would recommend buying it!
"

Reviewed by Naomi T on 15/11/2011

The house of shadows

"I liked this book because it was exciting. I liked
the part when they where ghosts because it was cool.

Jen Aged 6"

Reviewed by Jen on 14/11/2011

The house of shadows

"I liked this book because it was exciting and spooky. My favourite part of the book was when they found the box in the attic. I didn't like Mr. Hubble because he was a cruel and wicked man."

Reviewed by Ava Hamilton on 14/11/2011

The house of shadows

"I really liked The House of Shadows by Karen Dolby because it was a very mysterious story. Mr Hubble was a horrible evil man. I really liked the drawings of the old chest and newspaper cuttings in the book."

Reviewed by Katie Moore on 13/11/2011

The house of shadows

"The House of Shadows is a great book. You can read about spooky mist and horrible characters. It is a brilliant Halloween time story. You should read it!
"

Reviewed by Carina Macdonald on 13/11/2011

Stories of vampires

"I thought this was a really good book because i read it at Halloween time and this made it exciting. I like books that have vampires involved in them and this one was really cool. My favourite chapter was chapter 3 because it had really nice pictures in it and I liked the way they described the scenery."

Reviewed by Tala Davidson on 13/11/2011

Stories of vampires

"I like this book because it taught me lots of stuff about vampires. It was so cool and I want to read it again. I want my sister to read it too. It has unusual words in it."

Reviewed by Hannah Hogg on 13/11/2011

Write your own story book

"Write your own story book was a amazing find! I bought it at my school fair a couple of weeks ago and haven't put it down!!! It's really good for helping with your writing. I've written several stories now that my little cousin LOVES to listen to! Even my teachers want to borrow it! I never used to like reading or writing but now I love it! Thanks to everyone at Usborne for creating a FANTASTIC book(and my mum for buying it!)
"

Reviewed by Molly Newman on 9/11/2011

The Name of This Book is SECRET

"Pseudonymous Bosch, you are greatest genius as a writer. I'm still searching for you...
"

Reviewed by amritha on 9/11/2011

The Name of This Book is SECRET

"When I first started reading this book, I was surprised at the odd style of narration, though now I don't know if I like any book better than this..."

Reviewed by amritha on 9/11/2011

Pirate stories for little boys

"I bought this book for my son for Christmas, I've had a quick look through it and I know he's going to absolutely love it! Beautiful pictures and lovely stories! Very happy with this book."

Reviewed by Lucy Buss on 6/11/2011

The cat with two names

"This is a funny story about a cat with two names. I like the part where he is stuck in the garage! A good story for children."

Reviewed by Jessica on 5/11/2011

First encyclopedia of seas and oceans

"The internet links that are provided in this book were second to none, I've never seen my daughter so captivated by a single book."

Reviewed by Jason Wynn on 5/11/2011

Big book of science things to make and do

"As a home schooling mom of a 7 year old boy, I need to work hard to keep him interested and into the projects he is working on - and I do that with Usborne. This book is filled with tons of great activities, that will keep you busy for days."

Reviewed by Jennifer Belanger on 5/11/2011

Wipe-clean first letters

"Enzo and I were given a copy of this to review. He was very excited by the ‘special free pen’ and couldn’t wait to start! He is 5 years and 3 months and has just finished his Reception year. He’s learnt all the names of the letters/sounds this year but is reluctant to practice writing and doesn’t choose to draw very much. I was interested to see if he would enjoy the book and it would encourage him to practise pen/pencil control in a more enjoyable way.

The book consists of 8 double page pictures with dotted line letter shapes and patterns with two double pages of more traditional letters-on-a-line practice at the back.

Enzo really enjoyed finding all the dotted line letters and patterns in the illustrations in various orientations. He quickly got used to the fact that it didn’t matter if you ‘got it wrong’ as you could just wipe it off and start again. Much better than with a proper paper and pencil! He could practice starting slowly and quickly improve in speed and accuracy without thinking he was doing a lot of work. Once he started he was really keen to keep going and it’s a book we can take out and about with us and he can dip into every now and then. If I have any criticisms it’s that the pen nib is a bit thick which doesn’t help with small hands trying to be accurate on the smaller shapes. But I’m sure we can find another pen!

To summarise, I think that the book would be just as suitable for a much younger child just starting to write their letters, as much as a child Enzo’s age who needs a bit of practice. I can imagine that a child who is more aware of what’s ‘cool’ may not like the illustrations, but Enzo appreciated the subtle humour in them! He said he thought it was ‘fantastic!’"

Reviewed by Mum's Diary on 4/11/2011