In this episode, Krish reviews The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera, a Newbery Medal-winning and New York Times bestselling sci-fi adventure.

The story follows Petra, a 12-year-old girl who boards a spaceship bound for a distant planet called Sagan, one of the last survivors of a dying Earth. But when she wakes mid journey to discover that a group called The Collective has taken control and is quietly erasing what makes people human. Petra realises that the stories she carries inside her might be the most powerful thing left worth fighting for.

Krish shares what made this book genuinely different from other sci-fi he has read, why Petra's journey felt so personal to him and the moment that truly stayed with him.

Krish is also joined by James from the Rebel Reading Society, a UK organisation on a mission to get kids off screens and into books, for an honest and wide-ranging conversation about reading for pleasure, what actually works in getting boys to pick up a book and what they have planned for the UK National Year of Reading.

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In this episode, Krish talks about Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, a powerful and emotional story set during the Second World War. This book follows Annemarie Johansen, a young girl living in Nazi-occupied Denmark, who finds herself caught in a world of fear, bravery and difficult choices as her family helps their Jewish friends escape to safety. Krish shares the moments that stayed with him most, from Annemarie’s terrifying journey through the forest to the tension of soldiers questioning her family and connects the story to real history, including Anne Frank and his recent visit to Amsterdam. Krish reflects on what it means to do the right thing, even when it’s difficult.

In this episode, Krish dives into Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm by Ash Bond, an unforgettable fantasy adventure that blends Greek mythology with nature based magic and a hidden world beneath our own. The story follows Peregrine Quinn, an ordinary girl who discovers a secret realm accessed through living plant portals. As she is drawn deeper into the Cosmic Realm, strange and dangerous events begin to unfold.

Krish shares why this book stood out to him as truly memorable, exploring its unique magical concepts, imaginative world building and the sense of wonder that runs throughout the story. Krish is also joined by author Ash Bond for an exciting and insightful conversation about the story and the creative journey behind it.

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