Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

A beautifully written story that deals with a lot of real-life issues. Fantastic characters and guaranteed to make you giggle. Cannot recommend this enough.

I just loved this book! The heart of this book is Felix and his relationships - with his Grandad, with Jake, with Rebecca and with his parents. His relationship with Jake is brilliantly drawn and really captures some of the trials and tribulations of friendships but there are two moments in particular where Jake really is so lovely and supportive. I also love how Felix's confidence and self-belief grows across the book.

Sign of a good book...I read this one in one sitting!

Felix struggles to concentrate in school. He gets distracted by the thoughts in his head and is often in trouble for it. His German grandfather lives across the road and has lived a dark and lonely life since his wife died a year before. He decides there are 10 things he would like to teach Felix...while Felix thinks these lessons will be impossible to concentrate on. And one of the lessons is chess....how could that be of any interest to him! Will grandad manage to teach him his favourite game? And will he manage to stay out of trouble at school?

This story was really well written. I was rooting for Felix to manage to concentrate in his lessons with grandad, and was eager to learn more about the older man as he’s a very secretive kind of character. It deals with lots of issues, addressing ADHD and how that can affect young people, and also grief and the depression that can come with that. Without giving too much away, there is also an element of German history which really interested me as it was something I didn’t know a lot about.

I’d recommend this for upper key stage 2 or lower key stage 3 readers,p.

This is a heart-warming, yet at times heart-breaking, tale of family, friendships, secrets, the Cold War, ADHD and chess.

We are introduced to Felix, a young boy struggling to deal with his ADHD. He is often in trouble at school from his inability to sit and concentrate or his inappropriate outbursts. We also meet his granddad, who is suspicious of everyone and is semi reclusive. Both are still grieving the loss of Felix's grandmother. Initially forced to spend time together, they are struggling to get on - that is until Granddad introduces (a reluctant and unsuspecting) Felix to the game of chess.

This book is about so much more than a game of chess, it is a rollercoaster of issues and emotions - with the developing confidence of Felix and the ability to control his ADHD, to his granddad's acknowledgement and opening up to Felix about his horrific treatment in Germany.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it to Upper KS2/Lower KS3.

This was such a cute book!

Check Mates is the story of Felix and his Granddad. They live in England, but Felix's Grandpa is originally from Germany and being German myself I can say that his character felt very natural and real. The way he spoke was very realistic and I also loved all the tiny things sprinkled in, like the German TV and shows he watched.

This book deals heavily with loss and moving on and all of that throughout a shared love and while also having an interesting historical part weaved in. There is humour and truly heartfelt scenes that all really got to me.

Def a fun middle grade with just enough depth that I would recommend to anyone interested in this age range.

This was a very enjoyable read, starting with a protagonist always unintentionally in trouble owing to ADHD, and mapping the slow, steady changes that are introduced in his life that effect improvements. It is about the love between a grandfather and his grandson and how they learn to trust in each other despite the history that Granddad would prefer to remain buried in the past.
Chess is redemptive in this novel. It repairs relationships and improves behaviour. It doesn’t require any knowledge of the game thankfully!
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to my class as the characters are intriguing, there is a strong storyline and a mystery from the past, along with themes of loss, love, betrayal, family and hope.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC of this book.

Another winner from Stewart Foster, my favourite of his books so far. Funny, moving and who knew chess could be so exciting! ;D
With Empathy Day coming up in June this would be an ideal read, as would any of the authors previous books.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I had very much enjoyed Stewart Foster's books 'All the things that could go wrong' and especially 'The Bubble Boy', so I was looking forward to this - it did not disappoint.

Felix is always in trouble. He can't sit still, he's always being rude and silly, and there doesn't seem to be anything he can do about it - until his parents insist that he start spending more time with his granddad, who's become increasingly withdrawn after the death of Felix's grandma. Felix's Granddad is a wily one, and his selection of tasks for Felix are revealed to have one thing in common - chess. Felix has an exceptional aptitude for the game, and by the end of the book is winning matches against far more experienced players - and he's also learned to calm down and focus. Interwoven with Felix's story is Granddad's story of his life in Eastern Germany after WWII, and the role that chess played in his escape.

Although this doesn't have the sci-fi element of Ross Wellford's books, I think it would very much appeal to readers of his books and Lisa Thompson's books, as well as those who enjoyed Kim Slater's 'A seven letter word' and Susin Nielsen's 'Word Nerd'

This is the heart-warming story of Felix, a young boy with ADHD who can’t sit still, and his wonderfully eccentric Grandad. When Felix is continually getting into trouble at school, and feeling a failure, his Grandad introduces him, in a very novel way, to his own passion: chess. His Grandad believes that the self- discipline needed to play chess will help Felix become better able to focus, concentrate and pay attention in lessons. But, is this enough if he doesn’t have belief and confidence in himself?
Despite his initial reluctance to play, he soon discovers an intrinsic talent for the game while also learning some of his Grandad’s secrets, carried with him from East Germany. Felix’s relationship with his Grandad is very special and resonates with humour, love, trust, frustration, betrayal, forgiveness. Ultimately, they are there for each other at a time when they are both finding adjusting to new lives difficult.
Felix has a well-meaning friend, Jake, who provides lots of humorous moments as they try to settle into life in secondary school. His other friend, Rebecca, encourages Felix to join the school chess club where he soon finds himself playing competitively, representing his school at tournaments. Will his chance of success be ruined by a rival chess player, his own lack of confidence or his Grandad’s failing health?
Check Mates is a story about the power of self-belief, perseverance and honesty and the importance of family, friends and forgiveness. I found this a truly inspirational story, coupled with an incredible historical twist! A perfect read for children of 9+.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an advance copy of this book.

Meet Felix, an ADHD sufferer and normal teen just lively and unable to concentrate on tasks set to him very well for getting distracted.



His friend Jake likes to mess around too but Rebecca his more sensible friend concentrates and works hard and even likes chess, a big part of his granddad's life.



After losing his grandma, his grandad is lonely and shuts the world out while keeping all is wife's possessions close in their place like she's coming back home.



Yet his distraction is Felix and finding ways to get him to learn about things like his German history and how to do house tasks and play chess too!



Yet, Felix decides to do a list back to his granddad to get him to do something Felix enjoys. Only as his grandad sneaks in more chess tactics into tasks, Felix kind of becomes infected by a chess playing bug and joins the school team becoming a great new player even making his grandad proud.



This was such an amazing book, we have so much covered from death and grief to health problems, finding your perfect hobby, fitting it and feeling let down by family not to forget harbouring huge life changing secrets! It was a fun book looking into the relationship between a grandson and his grandfather and unlike what I've read before in young adult fiction. I may not like chess personally but this book was still fun despite the involvement so don't judge it before you've read it!



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Check Mates was an enjoyable read. Felix begins the book as a lost soul who is constantly in trouble at school through his lack of concentration. Felix’s life is turned around when his grandfather decides to teach him how to play chess.

Felix demonstrates the positive impact that chess has on his life and his relationships with family, friends and teachers.

I teach Year 6 and I feel that the children would enjoy this book and it would be suitable to study as a class.