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Jenny McLachlan spent thirteen years of her life teaching English: a job that combined her passion for the written word with her passion for showing off. It also provided her with the inspiration for her books. In the summer of 2014 she became a fulltime writer. Jenny lives by the seaside with her husband and two small but fierce girls. In addition to writing, she enjoys exploring the South Downs, running and, if it will embarrass her husband enough, jiving in any vaguely suitable situation.
The first in a new children's fantasy adventure series, full of imagination, humour and heart, and with echoes of Peter Pan, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Neverending Story and Jumanji. The Land of Roar is perfect for children aged 8 to 12, and can sit on their bookshelf next to Nevermoor, Wizards of Once and How to Train Your Dragon. Readers can bring their fantasy world to life and meet dragons, unicorns, mermaids and more in this beautifully illustrated children's book. Believing is just the beginning . . . When Arthur and Rose were little, they were heroes in the Land of Roar, an imaginary world that they found by climbing through the folding bed in their grandad's attic. Roar was filled with things they loved - dragons, mermaids, ninja wizards and adventure - as well as things that scared them (including a very creepy scarecrow. . .) Now the twins are eleven, Roar is just a memory. But when they help Grandad clean out the attic, Arthur is horrified as Grandad is pulled into the folding bed and vanishes. Is he playing a joke? Or is Roar . . . real?
Book Band: Lime Ideal for ages 6+ | This new series from Bloomsbury Education is geared at turning children into independent readers. Not only will the books give youngsters a boost into solo reading, they’ll also make it easier and more enjoyable for the adults helping children as they come with useful tips and notes. The books are short and divided into chapters thereby breaking the story into manageable chunks. The adventures are lively and fast-moving though told via short sentences and carefully chosen vocabulary: some words are highlighted in the Tips for Grown Ups section on the inside cover, so that children can learn them and their meanings. Full colour illustrations amplify the action and make the books really attractive to look at too. Written by favourite authors, these are well worth collecting and are just the thing for children ready for reading.
Book Band: White Ideal for Ages 6+ | This new series from Bloomsbury Education is geared at turning children into independent readers. Not only will the books give youngsters a boost into solo reading, they’ll also make it easier and more enjoyable for the adults helping children as they come with useful tips and notes. The books are short and divided into chapters thereby breaking the story into manageable chunks. The adventures are lively and fast-moving though told via short sentences and carefully chosen vocabulary: some words are highlighted in the Tips for Grown Ups section on the inside cover, so that children can learn them and their meanings. Full colour illustrations amplify the action and make the books really attractive to look at too. Written by favourite authors, these are well worth collecting and are just the thing for children ready for reading.
The brilliant, irresistible and gorgeously romantic new novel from Jenny McLachlan, the breakout star of young, laugh-out-loud teen fiction. Annie is a teenager. She’s feisty, passionate about life and her independence, doesn’t want to depend on anyone oh and she has cerebral palsy. For the first time ever she is stepping out in life on her own terms as she begins college. No mum, no learning support assistant – just Annie. And that’s exactly how she likes it. So it’s a slight inconvenience when she meets Fab, a young polish student who she sits next to in class. Fab is different. He is full of zest for life, good natured, kind, a little unusual, and has taken an instant shine to Annie. Of course they don’t hit it off straight away due to a misunderstanding but he has a certain charm that she soon finds hard to resist and I must admit to thinking how everyone could do with a Fab in their life. Truly, Wildly, Deeply is a Wuthering Heights fuelled love story that will sweep you away. Warm, strong, likeable characters and a girl who has battled prejudice and for the right be seen for the girl she is rather than her disability. Fab was wonderful; a lovely, unique teenager who is drawn to Annie and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the both of them and following their journey as they slowly discovered that life is a whole lot brighter with each other. A story about love, friendship and that there is more to a person that what you see on the outside and also, just as importantly, that you can be part of something special without losing your identity. ~ Shelley Fallows - You can also find Shelley here. Perfect for fans of Louise Rennison and Holly Smale.
In a Nutshell: Reaching for the stars | Astronomically uplifting treat in which witty, loveable, space buff Meg works to realise an out-of-this-world ambition. Meg has a burning desire to become an astronaut, and is in the running to win a place on a trip to the NASA space station in Houston, if only she can overcome her gargantuan fear of public speaking. Then, when her free spirited mum jets off to Thailand on a volunteer project, Meg is left with the additional stress of looking after her baby sister. “Houston, we have a problem”, she tells her endearingly scatty physicist granddad, and she’s not wrong. Inspirationally plucky, with a great big dream and a heart to match, what a role model Meg is for girls wanting to work in science, and an adorably shining example of how being yourself and standing out is far more enriching than compromising yourself to fit in. Feel-good funny, and radiant with the glow of true friendship, this comes highly recommended for fans of Jacqueline Wilson and Cathy Cassidy. ~ Joanne Owen A message from the author, Jenny McLachlan Hello! A few years ago, my dad said, ‘Jenny, have you ever thought of writing a book about a girl who wants to be an astrophysicist?’ I snorted – derisively – then pushed his ridiculous idea to the back of my mind. It was ridiculous because: a) I wasn’t entirely sure what an astrophysicist did. b) Despite Dad having asked me how many miles it was to the sun (every single day of my childhood), I’d somehow grown into an adult who knew nothing about space … except for how many miles it was to the sun (ninety-three million, give or take a few). So how could I ever write about a girl who wants to be an astrophysicist? Well, I can’t resist a challenge, particularly one thrown down by my dad, and slowly the idea grew in my mind. The girl became Meg and her dream got bigger: she didn’t just want to be an astrophysicist, she wanted to be an astronaut. She wanted to leave planet Earth and float in space. If I was going to understand how Meg’s mind worked, I had to learn about the things she loved. I discovered that when we look at stars we’re gazing into the past, that our sun is just one of over one billion trillion stars in the universe, and that on Mars you can jump three times higher than you can on Earth. I looked into one of the largest refracting telescopes in the world and saw further than I’d ever seen before in my life.Thanks to Meg (and Dad!), my world has got bigger. About forty-six billion light years bigger. If you want to join Meg as she reaches for the stars, or just need a little space in your life, then turn the page. Her mission is about to begin! Jenny x
This fourth and final book in the hugely entertaining Flirty Dancing series tells the story of bad-girl Pearl, who knows what she wants and always gets it, like the leading role in the school production of Romeo and Juliet. Except this time, Pearl doesn’t get what she wants. Her calling to play opposite gorgeous Jake Flowers’ Romeo is blown off-course when super-cool, super-talented new girl Hoshi sweeps into the audition and takes the wind from Pearl's sails. While Pearl deploys her considerable cunning to try to mess things up for Hoshi, she finds herself drawn to her. There are some serious tearjerker moments when it emerges that Pearl’s invincible persona is protective armour against problems at home but, with Hoshi’s help, Pearl finds the strength to confront some tough truths and remove her in-your-face façade. This is a funny, heartwarming tale about working out who you are, discovering what it really means to be a friend, and the thrill of unexpected love. It’s also a fabulous finale to a top series. ~ Joanne Owen
Flirty Dancing author Jenny McLachlan has her finger firmly on the pulse of teen girls! Love Bomb is the second book in the Ladybirds series, and the good news is that it’s just as funny, smart and current as the first. Narrator Betty Plum has fallen in love by page 5 – but it’s literally the first time she’s fancied someone real. (Italics are a vital component of this book, which is all the better for it). As we all know however, the path of true love never runs smooth, and the person Betty really needs – her mum – isn’t there to help. The breezy humour is cut through with real sadness, but the reader will be left smiling, cheered, inspired and happy. ~ Andrea Reece
Flirty Dancing author Jenny McLachlan has her finger firmly on the pulse of teen girls! Love Bomb is the second book in the Ladybirds series, and the good news is that it’s just as funny, smart and current as the first. Narrator Betty Plum has fallen in love by page 5 – but it’s literally the first time she’s fancied someone real. (Italics are a vital component of this book, which is all the better for it). As we all know however, the path of true love never runs smooth, and the person Betty really needs – her mum – isn’t there to help. The breezy humour is cut through with real sadness, but the reader will be left smiling, cheered, inspired and happy. ~ Andrea Reece
