Such a joyful little book about friendship and the importance of books and libraries
An easy fun read that I really enjoyed ❤️💛💙💚💜

Hetty and the Battle of the Books by is a lovely little story about the importance of school libraries, falling out with your best friends by not talking to them and Dungeons and Dragons. I really enjoyed it!

For a relatively short book, so much of this had an impact on me while I was reading it. My daughter helps out in her school library, so I know how important that space is to her and the impact it would have on her school and social life if it was taken away from her.

As a keen Dungeons and Dragons player I really loved how it was handled in this book. Not only was it one of the many activities depending upon the library space, but it was also a memory of a group of friends before things had gone wrong with their friendship, and used as an example of how to approach a problem by working together and having people use their own strengths in harmony. There was a lot of complexity to it, but presented in a really fun and accessible manner, as befits a Barrington Stoke book.

The friendship breakdown was beautifully handled too. It really captured that feeling of being betrayed by the people you are closest to, and the hurt and anger it causes, especially when you keep seeing them around. It can be such a powerful and difficult thing, and I thought it came across really well here.

I also loved spotting little cameos hidden in the book. I'm pretty sure I recognised at least two of the teachers' names, and the author herself.

All in all, a fantastic little story about stories, friendship and the importance of libraries.

This book is about 12 year old Hetty, who is devastated when she learns her school library is going to be closed and the beloved librarian Ms. Juster will be fired. I loved how this book was centered around Hetty’s love of reading and stories, and how that motivates Hetty to reunite with her former best friends to save the library from closing. This book is very approachable for young readers and was very fast paced and engaging to read. It would be great for any classroom! Thank you to NetGalley and Barrington Stokes for the digital ARC and the opportunity to share my opinions on the book!

Thank you for the advance copy of "Hetty and the Battle of the Books"

Barrington Stoke books always have a special place in my heart and I recommend them professionally all the time they are fantastic for so many reasons.

This book really resonated with me and I think it will be enjoyed by the target audience, you can absolutely see that the author has experience of working in a library knowing that for so many the library is a haven, a safe space be that a school library or public library.

The story is really good and will be well loved the age old of tale of fighting for what you believe in!

This is a story about children trying to save their school library when the head teacher threatens to close it "to help the budget." Given that so many libraries are shut in schools, it's a premise that hits rather hard. Libraries <em>are</em> magic, and this book is a rallying cry that we should all try to save them because no one else will. It also shows the many different ways people can get involved, as the characters all have different skills.

It's also a book about the stupid little misunderstandings that can break up friendships - and how we can rescue them later if we just <em>try</em> to understand what happened.

Wow, I loved this story! Hetty and the Battle of the Books is a beautiful story about friendship and the power of books. I enjoyed every moment of this story and also love that this book is dyslexia-friendly for young readers who need that boost of confidence.

This book would be a great read-aloud book in the classroom as there are meaningful messages throughout the story. You watch Hetty humble herself so she can try to mend her relationship with her three best friends. You bite your nails as they work together as a team to try and save the library, a safe haven for many. Tender and heart-warming, it made me realize how much I love my library and my friends.

Thank you NetGalley and Barrington Stoke for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Hetty and the Battle of the Books is a short, accessible title by Anna James for Barrington Stoke. When Hetty finds out that her beloved school library is to close, and her favourite librarian is to lose her job, she takes it upon herself to launch a campaign to save this previous space. Will a falling out between friends be enough to derail her efforts?

This is a short and enjoyable story. It reminds readers of the importance of libraries and deals with issues related to friendship and growing up. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

"Hetty and the battle of the books" is Anna James' first novel for UK-based publisher Barrington Stoke, an independent and award-winning publisher of "super-readable, dyslexia-friendly fiction to help every child become a reader."

James has found success with her must-read Pages & Co. series, about Tilly and her friends who can travel into books, and the former school librarian returns to the world of books in this short, accessible story.

7th grader Hetty loves books, reading, and the library at her school. Unfortunately, after a big fallout with her friends Mei, Rocket, and Ali, she still has to see them regularly in the library where they attend their respective clubs and societies. But even more unfortunately, the future of the library, and the position of the beloved librarian Ms. Juster, are at stake when the headmaster announces a budget cut. Everyone is devastated. Can Hetty save the library and kit the relationship with her friends?

As with her Pages & Co. series, James weaves her story around the love for books, reading, libraries, and everything around it. However, she also includes a political aspect, as libraries across the UK have been affected by budget cuts and closings in the last years, much to the detriment of especially young pupils, for whom the library not only provides a safe space to study, meet friends, and relax, but also to access books that are not available - be it due to financial means or other barriers.

Honoring her friends and family by naming characters in the books after her, and making an appearance herself, James creates a comfortable atmosphere in the book, one in which children with different interests can share the same space and work together toward a communal goal. Among this diverse cast of school children and supportive teachers, Hetty was, for me, maybe the least likeable character, although her love for books and mention of beloved characters such as Anne of Green Gables and His Dark Materials' Lyra, that child readers may have a fun time recognising, made up for the quick judgement of her friends.

Fun illustrations by Jez Tuya round off the book that is designed with Barrington Stoke's signature dyslexia-friendly layout and font, this book will engage many more young readers and introduce them to the love for books on reading on two levels -within and outside of the story.

Hetty is starting middle school at a new school and she and her three best friends are not speaking to each other. But when a plan to close the school library is unearthed the four must find a way to work together to save it. With a high interest and low reading level it is perfect for dyslexic readers or others with reading disabilities. The relationships are ones all middle schoolers can relate to and at less than one hundred pages it is manageable for readers of all skill levels. Thanks to Netgalley and Barrington Stokes for giving me an electronic advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ahhh I love pages and Co and as a dyslexic myself was very excited to read this so I could recommend to customers! Loved it- a lovely little story about a brave group of friends who have to save their library!

This was such a delight!
A story about a girl having to eat her pride and reunite with her former friends in order to save their school library and expose institutional corruption - What could possibly more delightful? This was such a wholesome story about the awkwardness of growing up, the importance of libraries as safe spaces, and the comfort of books, as well as the power of collective action! It also made me giggle out loud a couple of times despite being ... a tad older than the target audience.
A wonderful, accessible read for young ones and beyond.
(also have to note that the illustrations were equally lovely and helped the story come to life!)

I am aware that this book is aimed predominately at children aged between 8 and 12, and I am rather a bit older than that, but I still appreciated the chance to read it, especially as I look for books appropriate to the children in my family, all under the age of 10.

I love how passionate this book is. And I love all books, no matter their target audience, that sing the praises of reading. I love how passionate Hetty is about books. I don’t know the author personally, but it feels like she’s put all her feelings on reading and books into this little girl which is lovely to see. It definitely feels like a joyous love letter to reading and particularly to school libraries.

Whilst it is aimed at readers 20 years younger than me, it was a really lovely, sweet little book, and as it’s only 104 pages long, it’s very quick to read. I think school-age children would really like the book, it’s not too taxing or complicated, nor is it “dumbed down”, and it gives them something they can relate to.

I personally think it would be the perfect book to have in primary schools. When I was young, we didn’t have computer rooms or the Internet to rely on, all our work was done through books and the library. And I think there’s a risk today that kids won’t have that same appreciation, especially as budget cuts mean more and more public libraries are shutting. But by giving this book to them whilst they’re young, hopefully they’ll grow to understand how important books are.