Available in eBook and Paperback: 24th September 2020 ISBN 9781913099664 | eBook Pre-Order Price £0.99 | Paperback Price £6.99
• A feisty new heroine in children’s fiction highlights the value of friendship through hilarious, loveable characters.
• An honest, heartwarming, and approachable conversation-starter about mental health for young readers. • The first title in an exciting new middle-grade trilogy following Hattie Brown through heart-racing adventures across Somewhere-Nowhere.
SYNOPSIS:
The day Hattie Brown got pulled through the fridge was the same day everything started to disappear from the house — but missing socks were about to be the least of her troubles.
Hattie Brown lives a quiet life with her mother. That is, until the day she’s pulled into the magical realm of Somewhere-Nowhere.
This new world – full of tiny dragons, talking elephants, and enormous worms – has lost its clouds, so when Hattie realises she has the power to make it rain, there’s hope she could be what this strange place has been waiting for.
But not everyone is pleased with Hattie’s arrival. Ruled over by the cruel Lord Mortimer, Somewhere-Nowhere is in trouble. And when Hattie discovers that he’s hiding an army of kidnapped children, she doesn’t care who wants her there and who doesn’t: nothing is going to stop her rescuing them... not even the arrival of a boy they call Nimbus.
My Thoughts:
The opening of the story takes you straight into the action: Hattie being pulled through her own fridge by an elephant and taken to a magical far-away land, Somewhere-Nowhere. This book is action-packed with lots of colourful, interesting characters that will keep children entertained and engrossed. Hattie's adventure in the world of Somewhere-Nowhere had an Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz feel about it as she meets a host of strange characters in a seemingly crazy world ruled by Lord Mortimer. As Hattie tries to find her way home she makes special friendships along the way and realises that she must put the hundredth children first by attempting to rescue them rather than escaping herself. Hattie, who is normally quite reserved discovers a new found confidence in herself along with other qualities such as determination, perseverance and bravery, which surprises but motivates her further.
This book was a pleasure to read and I can really visualise children becoming absorbed in the magical world of Somewhere-Nowhere. The descriptions and imagery were vivid, the chapters short and punchy with a good mixture of dialogue, characterisation, setting and action. I am looking forward to reading the next books in the series and finding out more about Hattie's adventures in the realm of Somewhere-Nowhere.
Many thanks to Agora books for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review.
About The Author:
Claire Harcup started her career in non-fiction publishing before getting distracted by the digital world. She spent five happy years commissioning arts and culture projects that use new technology, then set up a mass-participation project to encourage people to sow native varieties of wild flowers for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London. She is currently Director of Copy for a team of business writers and strategists. Walker published her first picture book, This is The Kiss, in January 2017.
Follow Claire Harcup @Claire_Harcup
Find out more at www.agorabooks.co
