At points I did feel like the author was trying a bit to hard to relate to a younger audience which is why it got a 4 star rating from me but overall this was fantastic. I’ve not read a middle grade for 24 years and although I’m a lot older now I enjoyed every second of this book it made me feel like a child all over again. From the incredible imagination of Chris Smith - bestselling author and now a major new solo talent - comes an extraordinary accidental adventure for fans of Cressida Cowell and Pixar's Onward .

If you were registered for the newsletter, you will now receive the Puffin Schools newsletter, which is filled with all the latest information about accompanying resources and upcoming shows. Answering all the important questions you never knew you had, like where fairytale characters go to the toilet, this book offers plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Think Lord of the rings meets bedknobs and broomsticks with a bit of harry potter, echoes of Labyrinth, adventure, creatures and a quest despite Frankie raging it is most assuredly NOT A QUEST. When their Granda is kidnapped by gnoblins they have to enter a magical realm to get him back embarking on a magical, dangerous and unbelievable tale like the games their parents created.

Smiths world building was astoundingly magical and throughout every chapter I found myself transported to Parralelia and I am now a firm member of the fellowship of the bacon roll. I absolutely adored the subtle Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit nods scattered throughout the book specially the “second breakfast”. She provides a running commentary in the form of snide comments and scornful remarks that remind readers just how silly all this fantasy stuff is.

He's a lovely boy and tried hard for his granny and it was a successful start, completed by his mum, my daughter. no, that is not spelt incorrectly) Forcing Frankie to embark on a rescue mission across a magical realm.As the true nature of her quest is revealed, Frankie begins to question her priorities: perhaps there is room in her life for a little magic, after all. Frankie is twelve and all teen angst, glued to her phone, her brother is a geek and this cannot be happening.

Then she finds a secret door in the bedroom which leads to the attic and then everything changes, Frankie doesn't like fantasy games because that is what her mum and dad produce and that was what her friends at school had picked on her about. Before they know it, Frankie and Joel find themselves embarking on a quest (it’s not a quest, Frankie hates quests) to rescue their grandad. We’ve re-named Puffin Virtually Live so that it’s easier for new teachers to discover it as part of Puffin Schools and to acknowledge that the show now premieres on show day, rather than being streamed live. It is YA (young adult) but don't let anyone tell you these books can only be enjoyed by or purely for youngsters.One of my grandsons, 9 years old and slightly dyslexic, was in need of something to capture his imagination which would help with his reading.

Chris Smith has wanted to be an author ever since he was eight and won a competition by writing a story about a baby dinosaur who loved biscuits. Even if readers hate quests as much as Frankie does, they will find the page-turning excitement on offer very hard to resist.

With brilliant place names like Splendidness, Calmwater Bay and Fishsmelling-on-Sea, I hope there will be more adventures in Parallelia to come!