Nicola Palmer

Third in a lovely series for children. We've all felt different, haven't we? Not as different as Alice, though!

Alice Parker and the Secret of Arcanum Cove

Amazon.com Alice Parker and the Secret of Arcanum Cove

My review - 

Alice, her brother and her grandparents go on holiday to Arcanum Cove where Alice discovers her remarkable new swimming ability. She meets her grandfather's friend, Felix, her enemy Hugh's grandfather. She learns that she has been left a legacy by a mysterious woman but to find it she and the group need to go to Aspen Island.

This book, intended for youngsters of around 9 - 12 years of age, is a thrilling adventure where discoveries are made, not only about the legacy Alice receives but about the identity of the woman who left it to her. Her grandfather is also left a bequest which the whole family enjoys. Alice now has the ability to know the future. If you could, would you dare use it? A great story for the young at heart.

Nicola Palmer

This is the first in the Alice Parker series. It's delightful!

Alice Parker's Metamorphosis

Amazon .com Alice Parker's Metamorphosis

My review -

In this book for young adults, Alice Parker is a thirteen year old with all the typical problems. A major one is her older brother, studying science at Oxford. She begins to find her school work easy and gets top marks in subjects into which she’s put no effort. Great, you might think. Not so when it leads to problems with her classmates. It’s not just her sudden acquisition of brain cells that leads to such a change in Alice’s life.

This is a lovely story with an interesting premise. It’s something a bit different and the dialogue between Alice and her best friend and her brother rings so true. It’s got problems and difficulties for Alice and her friends to solve – it’s not all plain sailing – but it’s a great feel-good story. Excellent for old and young alike.

Nicola Palmer

Nicola Palmer writes stories for children and they are always worth reading whatever your age.

The Christmas Project

Amazon.com The Christmas Project


This is the second Christmas story by Nicola Palmer that I've enjoyed. She is able to write a story for children which can encapsulate the excitement of the season but give it an entirely different slant. Billy's family are affected by the unseasonably early snow (September!) as his Dad, a builder, is out of work. Billy meets their strange new neighbours. As the story unfolds we find out more about the neighbours and what happened almost a year ago to Granddad.

Nicola Palmer doesn't write down to her young audience which is no doubt why her stories have a much wider appeal. She has a lovely and deceptively simple style of writing which makes her stories a delighted to read.

Nicola Palmer

A delightful story of a young boy growing up.

The Stranger in the Shed

Amazon.com The Stranger in the Shed

My review - 

Rory is a very bright and articulate 11 year old who doesn’t get on with his peers.  It doesn’t help that his father is a celebrity chef and his mother has left the family home.  His older sister is studying psychology and seems to want to analyse him!  Nobody seems to understand how Rory is feeling – certainly not his school fellows.  Then he meets Angus.  Not just a stranger but very strange.  He understands Rory in a way nobody else does, but he also infuriates him.  We come to see both Rory and Angus in a new light as this charming story progresses.

The tale is a quick read for an adult but contains a lot of wisdom.  Don’t dismiss it because it’s for young people.  It’s very well written and whips along at a good pace.  I enjoyed this very much!

Nicola Palmer

This is the first Nicola Palmer book I have read and I admit I fell for the Christmas theme.  It's a delight!

One Strange Christmas

Amazon.com One Strange Christmas

My review -

In this delightful short story for children, nine year old Jake wishes for something exciting to happen on Christmas morning. He believes firmly in Father Christmas - he's seen him! He wakes up to a heavy fall of blue snow - and the day becomes stranger still. It's a story for children which doesn't talk down to them and is a very pleasant read for an adult too. We meet Jake's family - his older brother Ben, who no longer believes in Santa, elves, even magic.

The writing style is easy for a child to follow - I'm going to try it on my 8 year old Granddaughter over the holiday! It doesn't patronise though, and is eloquent enough to engage an adult's attention. I love to try a few Christmas stories at this time of year and this one is a good one! It touches upon the heavily burdened mum, cooking the dinner for family and guests, the dad who has to work on the day and misses out on family time, but mainly, young Jake, who feels people are missing the magic of the season by falling asleep after lunch. I agree with him. If you haven't got children to read this story to, read it for yourself and remember when you felt the magic. You'll enjoy it.