We return to the adventures of Charlie and Cadno after they defeat the evil Grendilock. All seems fine but it's not long till they are caught up in another adventure - but this time they must travel to Cadno’s home realm of ‘Fargone’. After reading so much about this magical world in book 1, I was so excited to finally be able to see and explore this world alongside Charlie and his friends Lippy and Roo. It truly is a magical place - even if there is a dark creature known as ‘Draig’ on the loose and causing chaos! Lee does it again in this book, a brilliant story that leaves kids and adults alike hooked on these wonderful stories that leave us wanting more!

The First Shadowdragon is an adventure full of magic and trying to find your inner fire; how to be brave in difficult situations. This is a perfect sequel for The Last Firefox because it has the same elements of exploring often difficult themes through a fun adventure. Lee Newbery has a talent for writing humorous story that balances the fun, the adventure, and the difficult themes perfectly. Charlie and Cadno lead an adventure to Fargone, where terrifying Draig has started to terrorize the magical world. Since Charlie defeated the Grendilock, he's asked to come and save Fargone because he's thought to be the only one who can do it. So Charlie, Cadno, Roo, Lippy, Charlie's sister and fathers end up to Fargone. I absolutely loved how Charlie's dads came along and it is not only the kids going on an adventure. This is a brilliant and funny story, which I highly recommend to everyone. It's heart-warming adventure and Lee Newbery's writing is superb.

I have been anxiously waiting for this sequel ever since i finished The Last Fire Fox. I had read The last Fire Fox within a day and my son who was 11 at the time finished over 3 days. He was hooked! I also had a signing in store with Lee and what an absolute joy he was. So humbled and funny to talk to. I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of The First Shadowdragon this from the publisher. It came in a beautiful little package with some goodies and i can not thank Penguin enough. I finished it within 24 hours. My son, within a few days. It was brilliant and so close to being on par with The Last Fire fox (i just have a special place in my heart for that i don't think anything will compare to it ). After saving Cadno from the evils lurking in the Last Firefox, Charlie thinks his dangerous quests are behind him. Until now. Fargone is in danger and having the life sucked from it. Everything seems to be dying (trees, plants, landscapes) and only Charlie can save the day - With the help of some very well know characters (and new ones they meet along the way). The ending for me was a mix of emotions and i am so glad it finished the way it did. This series is such a perfect read for children. Inclusive, fun, magical and full of great characters. All legends must start somewhere...

Before I moved to teaching Year 3 I had already started to explore books aimed at lower KS2 – both to improve my own knowledge of titles written for a younger audience and so that my little library shelf had a better selection of reads for the less confident readers in my then Year 5 class. When I read The Last Firefox – Lee Newbery’s debut book – I knew that I had found a real winner, a beautiful story which was not only written in short chapters (all important when you are less confident) and fabulously illustrated but also a title that was inclusive in its representation of a family with same-sex parents and an adopted protagonist. As soon as I saw that there would be a follow-up title, I was thrilled. Now teaching Year 3 and equally as determined to share high quality, inclusive stories with my children as I was previously, this is a book I simply had to request from Net Galley for an advance read ahead of publication. Again beautifully written in those so important short chapters and perfectly complemented by Laura Catalán’s enchanting illustrations, here is another read that deserves a place on every lower KS2 class bookshelf to delight those who pick it up – and surely there will be a great many. Life has returned to a new normality for Charlie after his previous adventures. Not only does his family now share their home with firefox Cadno but they’ve been joined by recently-adopted toddler Edie, whose cuddly unicorn Madam Sugarpuff is missing at the start of the story – causing her a huge amount of upset. Retrieving the cuddly toy from the back garden where it has been buried by Cadno, Charlie’s dads discuss the firefox’s recent misdemeanours leading Charlie to worry that they are planning to get rid of his pet. Sharing his concerns with best friends Lippy and Roo, their comments that Cadno is probably missing his magical home of Fargone do nothing to reassure him and together with the firefox the group makes their way to Bryncastell Castle, where Charlie first met his pet, hoping to give Charlie inspiration for a school project he is struggling to complete. Discovering that the portal to Fargone is open once more, the gang rush back to Charlie’s house to ask his dads if anything odd has happened there. Almost as soon as they have asked, a variety of strange creatures appear in the garden, accompanied by Teg who asked Charlie to protect Cadno in his first adventure. Over tea, Teg reveals that Fargone is under threat from a monster called Draig who is draining the life force from the land. Unconvinced that he is the right person to tackle the crisis, Charlie protests that his previous success was purely down to good luck but Teg refuses to take no for an answer until Charlie’s dads put their joint foot down and say that they will not allow him to put his life in danger again causing Teg and the magical animals to leave. The following morning, it is clear that Edie has vanished during the night and all the evidence points to her disappearance being linked to magic. With no other option, Charlie’s dads decide the family must travel to Fargone to find her and together with Lippy and Roo they make their way to the hidden portal at the castle and slip through into the magical land. Finding Edie quickly, Charlie and the others meet Teg once more who again asks Charlie for help in defeating Draig. Guilt-tripped into realising that he is the only one that will be able to rid the land of its tormentor, Charlie seizes the opportunity to sneak off with Lippy, Roo, Cadno and new friend Blodyn to find and defeat the beast. Can the friends carry out their mission and release Fargone from Draig’s clutches and can they do so before Charlie’s dads catch up with them? Charlie is a wonderful character – a real friend to Lippy and Roo and somebody who wants to do the right thing, whether that be completing his homework, putting Cadno’s needs above his own or saving Fargone. These positive traits don’t make him an unbelievable paragon of virtue, however, he has his flaws just like the rest of us and here young readers will be able to recognise many of their own faults in him and breathe a sigh of relief that despite his errors he is unconditionally loved by those around him. This is so important for children to realise – perhaps especially for those who are adopted, who frequently feel rejected by their biological parents – because, let’s face it, none of us is perfect and here Charlie is completely secure in the knowledge that his imperfections do not affect the love his dads, or the other characters, have for him. I love a magical adventure and this one is a sheer delight from start to finish. With just the right amount of scariness and peril for young readers, this is a book which ticks so many boxes for me and is one that will work perfectly well as a standalone read. I must say at this point that it seems unbelievable to me – as it does to many others – that the threat of the removal of LGBTQ+ books from schools and libraries is again being debated. All of our children need to see rainbow families represented in the reading materials they enjoy and this is a book which I know many of us will be proud to promote and share with our charges for that very reason. With the introduction of new magical creature Blodyn to the gang and a way back to Fargone now in place, I am hoping that we will see much more from Charlie and Cadno in the future. Until then though, I am enormously indebted to publisher Puffin Books and to Net Galley for my advance virtual read. The First Shadowdragon publishes April 27th.

Charlie, Roo, Lippy and Cadno, The Last Firefox are back! Whilst I suppose you could read this as a standalone it is meant to be a sequel to The Last Firefox, which you should read anyway because it is a great story and this all makes far more sense if you know Charlie's story. This starts with "There's a unicorn butt poking out of the lawn." What more could you possibly do than read on! Charlie, Pa, Dad and baby sister Edie are working on family life with a crazy firefox who likes to bury stuff or singes it (by accident when excited). Is he too much for them? And definitely don't say walk! When Charlie and his friends go to the castle to get Cadno out of the house for a while, there's a problem - the portal to Fargone is open. They rush home, and there are magical creatures in his garden and of course, Teg, the boy from Fargone who Cadno is very excited to see. He's there for help. Amusingly for all concerned Charlie is famous in Fargone! But Dad and Pa don't want Charlie to go anywhere so Teg takes an unusual route to ensure he gets the help that he wants. Can Charlie, Roo and Lippy really help? And what exactly do they have to help with? Who can help them? This is a fabulous sequel to The Last Firefox. Charlie's feelings for his family, friends and Cadno lead his determination. But does he have the faith in himself that others have? Loved it!