Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is a kid's live letter to libraries! A great chapter book about kids who fight for what they love and what is right.

Lovely story from Anna James and Barrington Stoke that is perfect for dyslexic book lovers. It is a perfect compromise for those children who want to read more but find Tilly and the Bookwanderers a bit difficult to get into.

Hetty is joined by her 3 friends to save the school library and they have adventures along the way. It was such a lovely, endearing story about books and friendship and I adored it. I hope that we will meet Hetty in future adventures. Thank you for the ARC.

A nice quick read - with a great pro-library message. Should definitely be on the shelf of every school library. Great for reluctant readers.

This was a really cute read. I could totally see an elementary school or early middle schooler really enjoying this book. I probably would when I was that age and enjoyed it currently (in my 30s haha!). The characters were well thought out.

Hetty and her friends all love the library and even though they have all fallen out with each other, they still see each other in this well used and much loved space, When the librarian is made redundant, Hetty decides to take action but she can’t do it alone. She needs the help of her friends and so must make amends!

This book is basically a call to arms to protect the school library and ensure you are being a good friend, listening and understanding each other, even when it is hard!

Anna James writes brilliant characters and Hetty is impetuous and quick to react but her heart is certainly in the right place.

Another Barrington Stoke success with just the right author tackling just the right story.

Hetty loves books more than anything so when the library at her school is in trouble, she gathers her friends to save it. Love this early chapter book with wonderful illustrations, and so will the children in your life.

A lovely little story of a group of students who are trying to save their librarian. It was thoroughly enjoyable. I liked the use of advocacy and the lesson it teaches students about standing up for what they believe in.

This was such a fun children's book to read and I loved the illustrations. The story was filled with great messages about friendship and the importance of libraries. Going to the library was one of the highlights of my childhood and I remember spending hours there, browsing through the books and taking home a huge stack every time 😅 I highly recommend this book for kids, especially if they love going to the library! This book is also formatted so it's easier to read if you're dyslexic 😊 Thanks to Barrington Stoke for that!

A fun book for young readers about a girl who tries to save her library. The plot was not well flushed out, but I don't think that was the purpose of the book.

This is a cute,, short read with adorable pictures. Hetty learns their school library is being permanently closed after Easter holidays and she is devastated. She is even more upset when she learns the librarian will be losing her job.

She goes to the head teacher (I think in the US this is the equivalent of the principal as this is a UK book) and asks him not to close the library. Then she finds out why he is closing it and chaos ensues as she fights to save her school.

I realize this is for younger readers, probably 6-8 year olds but the story could have been flushed out a lot more and the ending was so abrupt I am docking a star. Give young readers a little more credit for good stories, especially since this book was written by a former school librarian!

I’m a big fan of Anna James’s ‘Pages&Co’ series, so I was very excited to hear that she was writing a Barrington Stoke novel.

‘Hetty and the Battle of the Books’ is a cute story about the importance of reading and libraries, but it did lack the magic and adventure I’ve come to love from her books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Barrington Stoke for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Hetty and the Battle of the Books is a fun and important read about friendship, values and standing up for what you believe in. Hetty has fallen out with her best friends and now needs their help. The school library is being closed and after discovering the real reason why, Hetty needs their help more than ever. This is a great book about the importance of libraries, the community involved in a library and said community pulling together to fight for what is right!
This book is perfect for any child who loves books, teamwork and making a difference! The illustrations are funny and there's some really comical moments through the book which children will love.

Hetty has always loved the library and ever since the ‘Big Falling Out’ with her closest friends she has found herself spending more time there than ever. So when she learns that the headteacher plans to close it down and make librarian Ms juster redundant in the process she is absolutely horrified. Something must be done. Can Hetty repair her broken friendships and come up with a way to save the library before it’s too late? The battle of the books is on. Will pupil power triumph over the headmaster’s sneaky plans…

Love, love, love this. I honestly don’t know what I would do without my local library and the importance of them to many children and their families who do not have access to lots of books at home is impossible to put a value on. Multiple copies of Hetty and the Battle of the Books need to be in every library and school classroom. The next time I hear of a library threatening to close its doors I’ll be strongly suggesting that the decision-makers read this book.

Featuring illustrations by Jez Tuya, Anna James tells a heart-warming, empowering and important story about a group of school children who take it upon themselves to fight to save their school library from closure. Packed full of meaningful messages, the importance of libraries and why their doors very much need to remain open are the stars here.

Libraries are important and not just because they are full of books. For Hetty and her friends the library is a central pillar of their school community. It is a safe place to meet, it is a space to run clubs, somewhere to do homework, a venue to hang-out before and after school, it offers job opportunities - both paid and voluntary. There is much to fight for and the sense of urgency that something must be done and quickly is conveyed superbly within the sixty-eight pages. Pacy and engaging story-telling will have readers racing through the pages as friendships are rekindled and the fight for a common cause brings children together.

Given that libraries appear to be shutting their doors at an alarming rate, this timely and impassioned rallying cry should hit home to readers of all ages. Libraries are magical places and we simply cannot stand by and let them disappear from our communities, we must try and save them, just like Hetty and her friends.

Children are sure to be inspired by Hetty and will no doubt be motivated to fight for what they believe in, to fight for what is right and will take heart in knowing that that they are never too young to be heard and to make a difference.

As with all Barrington Stoke titles the book is published using dyslexic friendly font and colours so everyone can access this read. With huge thanks to the publisher for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review.

Recommended for 8+.

Sweet, fun and with a great sense of bookishness this was a little treat of a novel. Perfection as always from Anna James.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this eBook.

A super cute, and fun read. It is about a group of kids trying to save their school library. It is a great introduction to activism for children. The illustrations were very cute too.

An enjoyable early chapter books that shows the importance of libraries and reading. A dodgy headmaster and four friends that fight for what they believe in and save the day. A very age appropriate and entertaining book. I will recommend this book.

I adored this story about friendship and these kids fighting for their school library. This touches a bit on activism and is great for younger kids to understand the meaning of standing up for what’s right which I appreciated! A great read for late elementary / middle grade students.

This book is a fun and inspiring read and I think my students will enjoy reading it. Hetty is a student at St. Jerome’s Secondary who loves to read and spend time in the school’s multiuse library. When she and her friends find out the school is going to close the library they work together to stop it.. the book is written from Hetty’s first person point of view and her voice is chatty and ironic in a way that is very relatable. I also think it sends great messages about maintaining friendships, working together for a cause, and the joys of reading and books.

The scary reality is that some school libraries are disappearing, and as a reader and library lover I find this a tragedy. Here’s a book with characters after my own heart... Hetty finds out that the school library will be closed due to lack of funding, but Hetty and her ‘ex’ best friends find out that those funds are being used to create a luxury office for the headteacher! Hetty finds a way to rebuild the relationships, and save the library. This one has a good mix of humour and heart. It’s about changing friendships and misunderstandings, and it’s about the importance of libraries for all sorts of reasons, for reading, for study, a meeting place for groups and clubs and sometimes it’s a place where you can take comfort if you’re not really sure where you fit in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Barrington Stoke for the opportunity to review this title.

I'm a big fan of Barrington Stoke books and read them a lot with less confident readers in years 7 and 8. This book has all of the elements of a 'school adventure' - a group of established friends, problematic adults and a quest to save the day. It's a fast-paced story with a simple narrative. My only issue is that the website suggests an interest level of ages 8-12 for this book, although I'd suggest that it's more like 8-10. It's also a little unrealistic (but that's not always a bad thing!).