Jo Simmons (Author),‎ Nathan Reed (Illustrator) - I Swapped My Brother On The Internet - Book Review

'I can get a new brother? On the internet?' Jonny muttered. 'Oh sweet mangoes of heaven!' 

Everyone has dreamed of being able to get rid of their brother or sister at one time or another - but for Jonny, the dream is about to become a reality with SiblingSwap.com! What could be better than someone awesome to replace Ted, Jonny's obnoxious older brother. 

But finding the perfect brother isn't easy, as Jonny discovers when Sibling Swap sends him a line of increasingly bizarre replacements: first a merboy, then a brother raised by meerkats, and then the ghost of Henry the Eighth! What's coming next?! Suddenly old Ted isn't looking so bad. But can Jonny ever get him back?

This is another brilliant book published in January 2018 by Bloomsbury Kids. I Swapped My Brother On The Internet by Jo Simmons is just the type of book you need to kick off the New Year. Christmas is over, winter is kicking in and you've gone back to school - do we have to? These are the cries that can be heard. Yes, you do as your parents want some peace and quiet. Therefore, what you need is a cracking good read that will make you laugh your holey, odd socks off regardless of age or sense of humour. This is the book for you (and your holey socks!) Oh, I'm sorry, I hear you got new socks for Christmas, what was I thinking....? 

From the start of the book, you will start to see the input from Nathan Reed the illustrator. The drawings are fun and the typeface changes in places to keep the reader engaged in the story. The book cover is strong, bold, bright and eye-catching. With such a combination it should definitely pull the readers in for a closer look. Do book covers make a difference when choosing a book?

You will be taken on a bizarre journey where everything goes wrong in the most spectacular way. It's a comical story written really well and told through a wild imagination. The plot is brilliant and transports the reader on a carpet of laughter and humour that is both engaging and easy to read.

The book takes a close look at the relationship between brothers and what it's like to have a brother. The concept is a brilliant one which the middle-grade audience will relate to and love. The reality side of the book depicts a typical family and school life background. The subplot heads the reader into the unknown and will keep you guessing until the very end of the book. The characters grow with the story and play a fantastic part. At the end of the book, you may FIND a surprising twist that really makes for a satisfactory conclusion.

This is a brilliantly fun and bizarre read that will wash the New Year blues away with a squeak or two.  Would you dare swap your BROTHER?

Guest Post by Stephen Bennett - Writing App Goes Free as Survey Shows Internet Leading Distraction for Writers‏!

A survey of 1000 US writers has found that the Internet is the biggest distraction preventing them from writing.

The survey undertaken by Stop Procrastinating, the website blocker and productivity tool, found that 42% of writers claimed to have turned to browsing the internet for inspiration only to be lose hours reading articles or watching YouTube videos.

The survey found that digital distractions such as emails, social media and the Internet were also most likely to prevent them from writing.

Most interesting is what they were viewing. Most writers didn’t turn to the great works for inspiration, but were more likely to watch YouTube videos of comedy acts or cats and other animals doing funny things. 45% of those who said they were distracted by the internet from writing said they had watched a funny animal video at least once to help get them through a creative block.

32% of respondents claimed the level at which the internet distracted them from writing was significant and worrying.

Of all respondents 42% said they had tried to concentrate on writing for more than a week only to be distracted at some point by the internet.

45% said they had lost their chain of thought because they checked and responded to an email or social media alert while they were trying to write.

Some 33% said visiting distracting websites or social media cost them at least an hour a day in lost productivity or writing time.

Tim Rollins, Stop Procrastinating director, said: "We have made Stop Procrastinating free today in order help writers beat their Internet distractions and get more writing done. The Internet, social media, emails are pervasive and eating into our quality time. We need urgently to put ourselves back in control. 

"Writers have always had distractions, but they have never had to deal with a technology that is everywhere at once and influences every part of our lives. It is unprecedented the level of intrusion and distraction that today's writers have to cope with," he said. 

About Stop Procrastinating:

Stop Procrastinating is an Internet blocking and productivity application. It is compatible with Mac OS and Windows. It allows users the option to block the Internet for a period of time in three ways, depending on how much self-discipline they have.

Option 1 allows users to block the Internet for a set amount of time, but they can get back online if they reboot their computer.

Option 2 allows users to block the Internet for a set amount of time, but prevents access to the internet even if they restart their computer. They have to wait until their chosen time is up to reconnect.

Option 3 allows users to input into a black list specific websites they wish to block, such as Facebook or Twitter, and to stay connected to the Internet.

Stop Procrastinating also gives users the option to write down their works goals before disconnecting from the Internet. Research has shown this to be a powerful aid to motivation. It also allows users to chart their progress over time, which helps users see how much more work they are getting done.