KIDS BOOK REVIEW: WHITEBEARD BY M.C.D ETHERIDGE

My big almost 6 year old only started prep at school at the beginning of this year, and he is so loving learning to read, recognising words, and cannot stop spelling words he sees, anywhere he goes. And as a mum, I really love that. He has such an appetite for learning and he so cannot wait till he can read full books.


We were sent the M.C.D Etheridge Whitebeard book* to read - and aimed at kids aged 8-12, he is naturally a tad little to be able to read it by himself, so for the past few weeks we’ve been reading it as bedtime story, and everyone have been enjoying it.

The Whitebeard book has been written my M.C.D. Etheridge, who is a journalist and TV producer for SKY News, ITN, ITV, Channel 5, and Australia’s Channel 9, and it has been beautifully illustrated by Olivia Ong.

Whitebeard is a fantasy novel about a world where where Santa Claus was a pirate, and where in reality, Saint Nicholas is not only the patron saint of children, but of thieves and sailors too.

In the book you join Captain Whitebeard and his merry band of pirates aboard their ship, the Rudolph’s Revenge. And you got to love the names of the ship’s crew; Dasher, Prancer, Vixen… I am sure I don’t need to continue..!

Throughout the novel Whitebeard and the crew are ‘faced with hungry trolls, desperate mermaids and an elven sorcerer’ there’s plenty at stake as Whitebeard finds a mysterious treasure known only as the Emerald Envy and must prevent his sworn enemy, Jack Frost, from destroying the magic of Christmas.

Like most children books, there is of course also a moral to the story amongst all the fun, where the characters learn about team work and the power of friendships.

Whitebeard originally came out in before Christmas 2018 and with its 24 chapters, it could be enjoyed as an advent calendar in the lead up to Christmas - also as another message of the book Is that Christmas is all about enjoying each others good company and being kind to each other.

Overall, it is a very funny and entertaining book, even I enjoyed reading it, and my boy was begging for just a few more pages each night, clearly getting into all the action of the story.

There are two further books planned, expected to be published in 2019 and 2020 respectively, and needless to say that my boy cannot wait to get his hands on them - and hopefully by then he’ll be one step close to being able to read them by himself.


Whitebeard by M.C.D Etheridge
Available from all good book stores. 

* Some products may have been kindly provided for editorial consideration, and have been reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy, and reviews are 100% honest and based on personal opinion and experience. Note that The Beauty & Lifestyle Hunter is not a professional or expert, so please do not substitute these opinions as professional advice.

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