The Good Turn

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ALISHEA: No, I definitely wouldn't present Book Club again. I only did that last time because you were on Strictly, remember? A sharp, funny middle grade adventure with themes of real-life activism and how to help others for fans of The Goonies and The London Eye Mystery. Puffin is an imprint of Penguin Random House, the world’s number-one publisher representing a vibrant community of publishing houses marked by unparalleled success. Through our world of stories, Puffin aims to open up the world to every child. Our mission is to inspire children to feel they can be and do anything, and to create readers for life. He found a wand in his canopy and swished it about to see if anything would happen. And to his surprise, he ended up dancing on Strictly Tree Dancing. The end. That was, there were so many things happening in that story, that was brilliant. For 9+ readers, this gripping, thoughtful update to the Blytonesque "secret society" genre engages squarely with racism and social injustice.' Guardian

Fully-rounded characters that young readers will recognise and engage with. The dialogue is number 1 haircut grade sharp - it powers the story along and is full of witty, entertaining banter. Perfect for the middle-grade reader. A joy to read. Alex Wheatle, author of Crongton Knights Once the "mystery" is solved, the book then focused on the children's good intentions as they get to know the couple, and the injustice of their lives and what happens next. Plus the tensions between the children over Josie's determined "organising" spills over, along with her feelings about the new baby brother who's soon to arrive. It does really give the book a contemporary feel, focusing more on the kids as a friendship group with difficulties (just added a new member) and the difficulties of their private lives.

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Josephine Williams is definitely a leader - and her teachers know it! What other eleven-year-old is desperate for MORE schoolwork? Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark... M.T. Khan talks about how she wanted to write a story where a Muslim child was the hero, as she felt that she often saw Muslims depicted ‘wrongly’ in the media. Ask the children to learn about a religion or culture that is different to their own and use this as an inspiration for a story. ALISHEA: Yeah, brilliant. Um, and what is your favourite mystery then? That you've ever read in any book, ever.

BEC HILL: Uh, I think just go with what you find is funny. A lot of the stuff that makes me laugh in the books is stuff that would make me laugh in real life. It's how I would talk to my friends or how I hear other people talking to each other.I utterly loved The Good Turn; it's bone-deep brilliant; a joy to the very end. It's so warm and so funny, and so ferociously on the side of justice and of hope. I wanted to know the kids; I loved them like they were real - and I wanted every child I know to have the chance to be in the Copseys. It has a clarity to it that means that to read it feels like being nourished. I adored it. * Katherine Rundell * I'm feeling inspired by today's authors, so I'm going to set you a brand new emoji challenge with three new emojis. You've got a phone. You've got a magnifying glass. And also, a hill, because Bec Hill. ALISHEA: Yeah, wow. Um, so there is a sense of social activism in the book as well. So what would you say to somebody who might be interested in making a change in the world? As one child stated: 'When I read this book I wasn't quite sure what to expect. In the end it was a real emotional rollercoaster, one chapter I was sad, the next I was happy. I'd recommend this for age 10 plus because some of the ideas are quite tough to read about.' 'Overall it's a good adventure with good friends.' H aged 10.

one of the coolest people in the whole world. She's amazing. In fact, she's my favourite person. She's so talented. And I'm so excited to have here because she's the best. Josephine Williams is definitely a leader - and her teachers know it! What other eleven-year-old is desperate for MORE schoolwork? Looking for more challenging tasks, Josie enlists her friends Wesley and Margot into her very own Scout troop, the Copseys, named after the street they all live on. Sharna has written three books, Tate Kids British Art Activity Book, Tate Kids Modern Art Activity Book and High Rise Mystery - the first in a middle-grade series featuring the sibling detective duo everyone’s dying to meet. BEC HILL: Yeah, it's about a boy called Ryan who really wants to be a streamer. Uh, he wants to be a streamer just like his favourite one, Grimmf. And then one day he wakes up in Grimmf's body in Grimmf's studio and he's trapped. ALISHEA: Yeah, so you chose a genre that you're very familiar with. And I never thought about horror being so connected to comedy like that. So that's very insightful. Um, but what inspired you to write about an influencer?However, the bonding experiences between the two books, the friendships, the desire to solve a mystery and help others is what made me feel a connection between the The Good Turn and the Famous Five books. Ok, Pizza Girl says, one day a girl named Florence was sitting near a tree. When all of a sudden, a magic wand fell onto her head. Bash! You get one wish granted, came a strange voice from nowhere. So the girl decided to wish for a mug. Um, grungecupcake18 has sent in "Butterfly garden makes enemies friends" about Jacqueline Wilson's "The Butterfly Club". A very good book. I've read that one.

This story reads with a rare freshness and energy. The voices and the setting are convincing and vivid... an intriguing mystery The Times From that point on, as they investigate and also try to earn badges for their activities, and tensions mount at home, things start to spiral desperately out of control for the Copseys. So, um, it was very much, uh, influen-, well, influenced by that. And, um, and just, you know, what's out there at the moment and the fact that becoming an influencer or a streamer is such a big career opportunity now. Which wasn't when I was growing up. I received an eARC from the publishers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.From the award-winning author of High Rise Mystery. 'Brilliant; a joy to the very end' Katherine Rundell. ALISHEA: Wow. Like, that is something you just would never expect to happen. So, why did you choose horror as your genre?