educational – enfantsdazur

Boarding Schools Show 2023 | MONACO

Indie Vanaquer — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 12:16:00 +0000

Boarding Schools Show 2023 | MONACO

By Enfants d'Azur

The British Boarding Schools Show presents a unique opportunity for parents in Monaco and the surrounding area to meet the Heads and Admissions Directors of Britain’s most prestigious boarding schools.

Hear from the experts and get the latest strategy and thinking behind the big decisions. A detailed introduction to sending your child to a boarding school at 11/13+ and 16+.

Top UK schools, along with education, property, and relocation experts, will be exhibiting. This provides parents with the opportunity to meticulously plan every aspect of their child’s entry into the world’s most prestigious schools.

Worldwide interest in British boarding schools continues to grow. There are currently 69,979 boarders in UK schools; 41% are from overseas families. The benefits of boarding at a leading British school are undisputed and importantly recognised by both university admissions teams and employers.

For the Monaco market, we have carefully refined the list of attending schools to ensure parents are put in front of the very best of British private education. The alumni these schools produce include business leaders, politicians, academics and athletes. These schools produce high-achieving, well-informed and confident alumni, who make excellent candidates for top UK and US universities.

Supporting the showcased schools will be renowned educational consultants, available throughout the show to provide advice and guidance on securing the best education for your child. Heading this initiative is William Petty, Director at Bonas MacFarlane, London’s foremost educational consultancy. William has been featured in publications such as The Times, The Economist, and Tatler, and has appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

The Independent Schools Show, which originated in London 15 years ago, has expanded to encompass 12 key markets overseas.

Date: 30 November 2023, 0930hrs – 1430hrs

Venue: Fairmont Monte Carlo, 12 Av. des Spélugues, Monte-Carlo, MC 98000

Learn more & register: https://schoolsshow.co.uk/event/monaco

The British Boarding Schools Show returns to Monaco, connecting parents with the UK’s leading boarding schools.

Tickets are free of charge with online pre-registration.

Talks for Visitors:

09:30 - 10:00 | Keynote

11+/13+/16+ How to apply and when is the right time to move

In just 30 minutes get a complete overview of the British Education System.

11:00 - 11:30 | Keynote

Cracking the UK English and Maths Curricula

Main Concerns for Geneva Parents including admissions and test overview

(ISEB/ Consortium).

Hear from the experts and get the latest strategy and thinking behind the big decisions. A

detailed introduction to sending your child to a boarding school at 11/13+ and 16+

Learn more: https://schoolsshow.co.uk/event/monaco

Facebook: www.facebook.com/britishboardingschoolsshow

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/british-boarding-schools-show

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ShowBritish

Instagram: www.instagram.com/britishboardingschoolsshow

Author: Enfants d'Azur

Guilt Free Screen Time: 12 Educational Apps to Keep Kids Busy

hgrattan — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 08:30:51 +0000

Guilt Free Screen Time: 12 Educational Apps to Keep Kids Busy

During the first lockdown, for many of us, kids screen time guidelines went out the window. But with these educational apps, there’s no need to feel guilty about letting them learn online.

By Holly Grattan

With new restrictions and a second lockdown underway, many of us working from home will be faced with difficulty of how to entertain the kids in the afternoon. If you still have that report to write for your 9 am zoom meeting or those sales calls to make to ensure you meet your targets and deadlines, then you will love these screen time options, featuring things that children can do alone with minimal supervision. During this time, we absolutely shouldn’t be feeling guilty about a few extra hours in front of a screen, especially if it allows you to get through this difficult time.

I have handpicked just a few free resources with added educational value in English.

FOR YOUNGER KIDS

Storyline Online https://www.storylineonline.net Reading aloud to children has been shown to improve reading, writing and communication skills. This digital library contains 57 books. You can stream the videos from the website or via a free app. My daughter and I really like “If I ran for president” and “zombies don’t like veggies”.

SciShow Kids is a YouTube channel with Jesse and “Squeekz”, her little robot-mouse. Lots and lots of facts about hundreds of different scientific topics.

National Geographic Kids – videos https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/videos/ Find really fun and educational videos about animals, history and culture, science, how things work, weird but true facts and exploring different jobs and careers, when you grow up and lots of other great topics. They also have a game and quiz section with loads to do.

BBC Earth KIDS – YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/BBCEarthKids/ What an incredible find. This channel is made purely for kids. Learn about endangered animals, Deadly 60 with Steve Backshall's, a series on how to draw different animals, meet scary bugs and fluffy pedigree pets.

New Horizon – Sleep Stories and Guided Mediations for Kids If your kids find it hard to get to sleep, these bedtime sleep stories, meditations, and breathing exercises by New Horizon are a fantastic find. These guided meditations are about unicorns, space-dinosaurs and nature. There are even mindfulness meditations for teens and music guaranteed to send you off to the land of nod. Accessible on the app or YouTube. In the app Only 7 of the stories are free. You can access the rest through in-app purchases.

Crash Course Kids https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcoursekids is an educational YouTube channel. Learn about Gravity, Volcanos, Weather Systems, Matter, Habitats, Food chains, Engineering, and Space.

FOR BIG KIDS

CrashCourse https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse is the parent educational YouTube channel of CrashCourse kids. It is completely free and aimed at older children. It covers algebra, AI, thermodynamics, mural networks, philosophy, mechanical engineering, statistics and much more. It is aimed at Secondary school and college level. I am so impressed by the level of accuracy/depth of this channel, it is absolutely fantastic.

What Do We Do All Day? https://www.youtube.com/c/whatdowedoallday/featured This YouTube channel is packed full of creative ideas for curious kids. Maths, art, easy science, DIY games, and snazzy arty play ideas. We loved the paper art videos and scientific experiments you can do in your own kitchen.

Netflix documentary

“Our Planet” https://www.netflix.com/title/80049832 is a nature documentary series (8 episodes and bonuses) made for Netflix. The series is narrated by David Attenborough who also created the famous BBC documentary series “Planet Earth”. Videos feature rarely seen animals and address humans’ impact on the environment. Suitable for children 7+.

BBC Earth – YouTube videos https://www.youtube.com/c/bbcearth/videos  is the official channel of well-known Sir David Attenborough series such as Planet Earth, Frozen Planet, and Blue Planet https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL50KW6aT4UgyS95_lha3MOL81rFJ4IaxP. You can also find fantastic nature and wildlife documentaries such as Life of Mammals https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD941E65FBD70DB46 and classics like Planet Dinosaur.

Bear Grylls has a YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/beargrylls/videos My kids loved his survival series which we have on DVD and although you cannot watch full episodes on the channel, you can see some of his survival tips and workouts which are great!

TED-Ed videos https://ed.ted.com is TED’s youth and education initiative. Short 5-minute animated videos teach about a vast array of subject matter such as the rise and fall of history’s first empire, the future of food, and human evolution. They also have a learn to read program with phonics. Suitable from primary school to University. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have introduced TED-Ed@Home https://ed.ted.com/daily_newsletter video-based lessons emailed on a daily basis for free.

Author : Holly Grattan

Make your Lockdown Walks Exciting for Kids with these Fun & Educational Ideas

hgrattan — Sat, 07 Nov 2020 02:40:30 +0000

Exciting Fun and Educational Ideas for your Lockdown Walks

Due to the new lockdown in France, we have been told that yet again, we must stay at home except for an hour or two a day, in which, attestation in hand we are allowed to get some fresh air, stretch our legs, take our pets for a walk or get some exercise and all this within a short distance from home.

Getting out of the house at least once a day is essential for our family's health and wellbeing so, how can we inject a bit of excitement into our walks and local hikes so that kids are raring to get outside? And why not sneak some educational value into your walks to make learning fun too!

Disclaimer: Enfants D’Azur reviews are independent and based on expertise and testing. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, but this never influences our product choices.

1. Go to the beach/river/lake/pool/pond and have a rock skipping competition. See who can get the most skips across the water. For very young children if they can’t skip the rocks yet praise their efforts as they try. Then encourage them to find different sized rocks and pebbles and let them throw them in to see the splash they make. Talk about how larger heavier rocks make a bigger splash. Why not add some items that float such as twigs and leaves and teach the concept of "what floats and what sinks" This idea is guaranteed to be a "splashing good time".

2. On your walk or shopping trip, pop into a local supermarket or deli and let your child pick items for a delicious picnic. If you want them to choose a balanced menu talk to them before you go about the food groups and healthy eating. You could set them a task of choosing an entrée, a main, a dessert, and their favorite drinks. You will be surprised at how responsible they will be. And even if they do choose a basket of sweet treats - well it’s only a one-off! Just in case plan a backup lunch for when they feel hungry later. Then let them, or help them if they are very young, prepare it for you in your garden or your own balcony. Children can invite dolls and teddys, in the absence of playdate buddies and you could even play some music to enhance the experience

3. Take your binoculars on your walk and go bird watching. Talk to the children about how we classify birds and tell them apart from other animals: They are bipedal; they have 4 clawed toes to grip onto branches; they have a beak, wings, and feathers. Listen out for birdsong and try to imitate them. When you get home look up facts about the birds you encountered. You could even make homemade bird feeders, like this one from"The Kratt Brothers" made from pine cones, peanuts, birdseed, and some string and hang them in your garden on your balcony. Your little ones can then continue to watch and observe the birds from the comfort of home during the lockdown.

4. Search for bugs at the park and look up facts about them. If you have a bug box bring some home as pets. There are lots of resources online for learning about bugs including BBC Earth Kids, just one of many fantastic YouTube channels and Apps I mention in my article about keeping kids busy in lockdown in Enfants D'Azur Magazine's November / December 2020 issue.

Read the article here...

This great little bug box, available from Amazon. It has a magnifying glass, air holes for little creatures to breathe and a pair of tweezer to pick up the dead bugs.

Birdwatching

A fun picnic with deli treats at home.

5. Do a colour, alphabet, or number hunt. As you go on your walk look for anything with that colour/letter/number. This a great literacy game. Watch how your kids point and shout out for joy when they see their chosen numbers on the front doors, apartments, or shops and identify letters in street signs. If you chose an alphabet hunt, find things that start with the letter A, then B, then C, etc... and see how far you get. If you chose to search for colours why not dress up in that colour just for fun! You or your child could use your camera or phone to take pictures of the things you find. When you get home you could make a collage of your pictures and you can continue the game into the afternoon by having a ‘green’ snack of crunchy apples or cucumber crudités, or a ‘red’ meal like pasta with tomato sauce or Pizza Margarita.

6. Get your kids to help you make some of my Easy No-Cook Playdough. This is the last playdough recipe you will ever need it is the perfect consistency and, if covered, lasts for up to 2 weeks. You will find the recipe here in the July/August 2020 issue of Enfants d'Azur Magazine.

Bring the playdough with you on your walk. Then make sculptures, depending on where you go, you can make different sculptures if you go to the park, collect twigs and leaves and if at the beach try seaweed and stones. We would love to see your creations so tag us @enfantsdazur on Instagram and Facebook.

7. Paint some pebbles from the beach and on your walk, leave them for people to find. It might make someone smile. Post a picture on your Facebook and your local school or town social group ( it works best if it's a group with members that live near to you) Post a photo or tell them where you have left your rocks and challenge them to go and find them. You never know it might become a "thing" and other kids in your area might leave some rocks for you to find on your next walk.

8. Make a map of sounds. As you go on your walk, encourage your child to listen to all the noises on the street, in the parks, and at the beach. Can you hear dogs barking, birds tweeting, the wind in the trees, waves crashing, car horns beeping. What else can you hear? When you get home make a map of your journey. Mark all the sounds you heard. You can either draw them like a dog barking or if you prefer you can print out a picture from the Internet or cut one out of a magazine and glue it onto your map. This game is a great sensory play activity and talking about your journey is great for spatial awareness and learning about where you live. What a great piece of your child's art to pin on the front of the fridge.

9. By incorporating this fun game into your walk you can get some exercise in for yourself and your child. Before you go on your walk consider where are you going to go. Talk to your child about how you get there and the different things that you need to pass on the way. For example:

When we get to our gate we’re going to do 10 jumping jacks When we get to the bus stop we’re going to run on the spot till the bus arrives
When we get to the hill we’re going to run up it
When we get to the stairs we’re going to skip down
When we get to the park we’re going to balance on one leg for one minute. Set your stopwatch and challenge your child to see how long they can hold it.

You get the idea you can make it as difficult or as easy as you like.

10. Finally "Apothecary", is a fabulous game, a game from my own childhood taught to me by my grandmother and I recently wrote about in the November / December issue of Enfants d'Azur magazine. Take a little basket or a box with you, a walk is a perfect opportunity to collect all the many different leaves, buds twigs petals, and other objects and items from nature you will need to play. The objective is to make a pretend apothecary shop using those items and sell these items to siblings and other members of your family. To read more about the "Apothecary Shop" game and other old-fashioned easy to make games check out my article in this issue of Enfants D'Azur Magazine Nov Dec 2020.

I hope you have lots of fun trying out these fun ideas on your lockdown walks.

Enjoy,

Holly

Enfants d'Azur Magazine is a bilingual Parenting and Lifestyle Magazine for the Cote d'Azur. It is also available in French.

www.enfantsdazur.com/magazine

Our Choice – Best Young Adult Books 2020

hgrattan — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 23:40:48 +0000

Disclaimer: Enfants D’Azur reviews are independent and based on expertise and testing. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, but this never influences our product choices.

Young Adult Books - Our Choice of the titles, teens are sure to love.

Here at Enfants d'Azur we have put together our choice of some of the best Young Adult (YA) Books for your teens for the remainder of 2020.

The YA category is growing year on year and it has a lot to offer as teens demonstrate their appetite for socially-progressive stories.

No matter what your teen loves to read, whether it’s thrillers, romance, fantasy, nonfiction, or graphic novels, you’ll find a wide variety of books in our list sure to satisfy every kind of reader. With all of these great works to read, your teen may even ditch the social and be happily turning pages instead.

Internment by Samira Ahmed

'A must-read . . . A heart-rending and all-too credible tale of sacrifice, the ugly face of authority and the courage of youth' Sunday Times' Children's Book of the Month

About this book

Rebellions are built on hope. A fight against islamophobia. Set in a horrifying near-future United States, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens. Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom, leading a revolution against the internment camp's Director and his guards. If you enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale, you will love this!

About the Author

Samira Ahmed is the New York Times bestselling and Indies Introduce author of LOVE, HATE & OTHER FILTERS. She was born in Bombay, India, and grew up in Batavia, Illinois, in a house that smelled like fried onions, spices, and potpourri. Samira once spent a year searching for the perfect mango, eventually learning that the quest was always about the journey and not merely the destination. She graduated from the University of Chicago and has taught high school English and worked in education non-profits and on political campaigns. These days, she lives and writes in Chicago, every keystroke reminding her that art is resistance. Find her at www.samiraahmed.com and @sam_aye_ahm

The Ballad Of The Songbirds and Snakes By Suzanne Collins (Audiobook)

"A Hunger Games without Everdeen might have seemed as peculiar as a Potter without Harry, but it works beautifully" Collins leaves us with a cliffhanger that doesn't just ask politely for another book, it prostrates itself and begs. Please don't make us wait another decade. - The Times

About this Book

Ambition will fuel him. Competition will drive him. But power has its price.

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favour or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.

About the Author

Suzanne Collins has had a successful and prolific career writing for children's television. She has worked on the staffs of several Nickelodeon shows, including the Emmy-nominated hit Clarissa Explains It All and The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. Collins made her mark in children's literature with the New York Times bestselling five-book series for middle-grade readers The Underland Chronicles, which has received numerous accolades in both the United States and abroad. In the award-winning The Hunger Games trilogy, Collins continues to explore the effects of war and violence on those coming of age. Collins lives with her family in Connecticut.

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

A thrilling blend of family secrets, illicit romance and a high-stakes treasure hunt . . . The nonstop twists kept me guessing until the very last page! - Katharine McGee, NYT bestselling author of American Royals

About this Book

Avery Grambs is a relative nobody when she learns that an eccentric billionaire she never knew has died and named her the largest beneficiary to his massive estate. The only catch? She must move into his sprawling home with the extended family that he just disinherited, including his four charming, mysterious and good-looking grandsons. Filled with riddles, puzzles and high-stakes twists all leading to a thrilling conclusion, this one will leave you reeling long after you’ve finished.

About the Author

Jennifer Lynn Barnes has written more than a dozen acclaimed young adult novels. Jen is also a Fulbright Scholar with advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive science. She received her Ph.D. from Yale University in 2012 and is currently a professor of psychology and professional writing at the University of Oklahoma. You can find her online at www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com or follow her on Twitter @jenlynnbarnes.

The Queen's Assassin by Melissa De La Cruz

“de la Cruz’s trademark tight construction, detailed world building, and action-packed romance are all at work in this sure-to-be-popular new series.” --Booklist

About this Book

If you love YA fantasy novels with deadly assassins and forbidden romance, you're in luck. Melissa de la Cruz's newest book is the first in a duology about Cal, an assassin magically bound to serve the queen. When he collides with Shadow, a girl bound to the court, they team up and uncover the corruption and secrets hidden in the kingdom.

About this Author

Melissa de la Cruz is the #1 New York Times, #1 Publisher’s Weekly and #1 IndieBound bestselling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for readers of all ages. Her books have topped USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestseller lists and been published in more than twenty countries. She is best-known for her Blue Bloods series (with more than three million copies in print), The Descendants books based on the Disney Channel films, and the Witches of East End novels, which were turned into a two-season drama series on Lifetime Television. Melissa de la Cruz lives in West Hollywood with her husband and daughter.

The Kingdom Of Back by Marie Lu

“The shivery fantasy and bluntly realistic historical detail harmonize well, and there’s plenty to ponder about women whose contributions have been suppressed or lost to history.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

About this book

A historical YA fantasy about a musical prodigy and the dangerous lengths she'll go to make history remember her.

Two siblings. Two brilliant talents. But only one Mozart.

In her first work of historical fiction, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu spins a lush, lyrically-told story of music, magic, and the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister.

Born with a gift for music, Nannerl Mozart has just one wish--to be remembered forever. But even as she delights audiences with her masterful playing, she has little hope she'll ever become the acclaimed composer she longs to be. She is a young woman in 18th century Europe, and that means composing is forbidden to her. She will perform only until she reaches a marriageable age--her tyrannical father has made that much clear.

And as Nannerl's hope grows dimmer with each passing year, the talents of her beloved younger brother, Wolfgang, only seem to shine brighter. His brilliance begins to eclipse her own, until one day a mysterious stranger from a magical land appears with an irresistible offer. He has the power to make her wish come true--but his help may cost her everything.

About the Author

Marie Lu is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Young Elites series, as well as the blockbuster bestselling Legend series. She graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry as an artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare time reading, drawing, playing games, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles with her illustrator-author husband, Primo Gallanosa, and their dogs.
Visit her online at Marielubooks.com or on Twitter @Marie_Lu.

Girls On the Verge by Sharon Biggs Waller

Absolutely essential, as is the underlying message that girls take care of each other when no one else will. -Booklist

About this Story

Girls on the Verge is an incredibly timely novel about a woman's right to choose. Sharon Biggs Waller brings to life a narrative that has to continue to fight for its right to be told, and honored.

Camille couldn't be having a better summer--she kills it as Ophelia in her community theater's production of Hamlet, catches the eye of the cutest boy in the play, and nabs a spot in a prestigious theater program. But on the very night she learns she got into the program, she also finds out she's pregnant. She definitely can't tell her parents. And her best friend Bea doesn't agree with the decision Camille has made.

Camille is forced to try to solve her problem alone...and the system is very much working against her. At her most vulnerable, Camille reaches out to Annabelle Ponsonby, a girl she only barely knows from the theater. Happily, Annabelle agrees to drive her wherever she needs to go. And in a last minute change of heart, Bea decides to come with.

Over the course of more than a thousand miles, friendships will be tested and dreams will be challenged. But ultimately, the girls will realize that friends are the real heroes in every story.

About the Author

Sharon Biggs Waller is the Friends of American Writers-award winning author of A Mad, Wicked Folly and The Forbidden Orchid. She also writes for magazines about horses, chickens, and farming. Previously, she worked as a riding instructor at the Royal Mews in Buckingham Palace. In addition to writing, she is a dressage rider and trainer and Planned Parenthood volunteer. She lives on a ten-acre sustainable farm in Northwest Indiana with her husband, Mark

The Glass Castle A Memoir By Jeanette Walls

A stunning and life-affirming memoir about surviving a willfully impoverished, eccentric, and severely misguided family.

About this Memoir

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

About the Author

Jeannette Walls graduated from Barnard College and was a journalist in New York. Her memoir, The Glass Castle, has been a New York Times bestseller for more than six years. She is also the author of the instant New York Times bestsellers The Silver Star and Half Broke Horses, which was named one of the ten best books of 2009 by the editors of The New York Times Book Review. Walls lives in rural Virginia with her husband, the writer John Taylor.

Truly Devious Trilogy by Maureen Johnson

“Parallel mysteries unfold with cleverly written dialogue, pate-turning brilliance, and a young sleuth as captivating as Hercule Poirot.” -USA Today

“Take it from the world’s most impatient reader: If the Truly Devious series is basically one long mystery book, The Vanishing Stair is middle part so enjoyable you won’t even want to skip to the end.” - Entertainment Weekly

“A richly satisfying, Poirot-like ending for Johnson's inspired and inspiring teen sleuth.” - Kirkus Reviews

About this Trilogy

Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place,” he said, “where learning is a game.”

Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym “Truly, Devious.” It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.

True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester.

But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.

The two interwoven mysteries of this first book in the Truly Devious series dovetail brilliantly, and Stevie Bell will continue her relentless quest for the murderers in books two and three.

About this Author

Maureen Johnson is the bestselling author of several novels, including 13 Little Blue Envelopes, the Truly Devious series, the Suite Scarlett series, and the Shades of London series. She has also written collaborative works such as Let It Snow with John Green and Lauren Myracle and The Bane Chronicles with Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan. Maureen lives in New York and online on Twitter @maureenjohnson or at www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com.

The Things We Cannot Say By Kelly Rimmer

'Alina and Tomasz's story is one of bravery, resilience, and the lengths we will go to for the ones we love' Sally Hepworth

About this Story

It begins with the discovery of a tattered photo, a letter and a tiny leather shoe...

World War Two, Poland. Alina and Tomasz are childhood sweethearts. The night before he leaves for college, Tomasz proposes marriage. But when their village falls to the Nazis, Alina doesn't know if Tomasz is alive or dead.

2019. Life changed beyond recognition for Alice when her son, Eddie, was born with autism spectrum disorder. She must do everything to support him, but at what cost to her family? When her cherished grandmother is hospitalised, a hidden box of mementoes reveals a tattered photo of a young man, a tiny leather shoe and a letter. Her grandmother begs Alice to return to Poland to see what became of those she held dearest. In Poland, separated from her family, Alice begins to uncover the story her grandmother is so desperate to tell, and discovers a love that bloomed in the winter of 1942. As a painful family history comes to light, will the struggles of the past and present finally reach a heartbreaking resolution?

About this Author

Kelly Rimmer is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of ten novels, including The Secret Daughter and The Things We Cannot Say. Her books (Paperback Editions) have sold more than one million copies, and have been translated into more than 20 languages worldwide. Kelly lives in rural Australia with her family and fantastically naughty dogs, Sully and Basil.

The Guilded Ones By Namina Forna - 9 février 2021

“Fans of Children of Blood and Bone, Mulan, and the Dora Milaje from Black Panther are going to adore this one.” —BuzzFeed

About this Story

The start of a bold and immersive West African-inspired, feminist fantasy series for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and Black Panther. In this world, girls are outcasts by blood and warriors by choice.

Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs. But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity–and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death. Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki–near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat. Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known.

About this Author

Namina Forna has a MFA in film and TV production from USC School of Cinematic Arts and a BA from Spelman College. She now works as a screenwriter in LA and loves telling stories with fierce female leads. The Gilded Ones is her debut novel. Visit her on twitter at @NaminaForna and on Instagram at @namina.forna.

My Favourite Things to do in Autumn on the French Riviera with Kids.

hgrattan — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 17:53:12 +0000

The weather in Autumn on the French Riviera is still exceptionally sunny but the great advantage is that all the tourists have gone home. It is an incredibly stark contrast to the bustle of summer and feels so calm and tranquil. There are so many opportunities to take long walks along the beach, hike inland, one of my favourites being Greolières. You can visit one of the stunning natural parks like Le parc naturel de la Valmasque and l’Étang Fontmerle, visit the weekly markets to buy fresh local seasonal produce or visit some of the many art galleries in the area.