Another great book by MG Leonard who writes in such an engaging way for children. I loved the central character and his love for birds! Reminded my of myself!

This book describes the thrill of.a hobby and how it can take you over, the power of building friendships on your own terms and has an action packed conclusion!

What a fantastic heartfelt story! I loved how deeply Twitch felt for everything and everyone. He is such a fantastic character for children to see themselves in. I felt so sorry for him in the beginning, like Conor in 'A Monster Calls' but then was in awe of his strength and compassion.

The story was full of twists and turns - definitely can see the relation to the beloved 'Adventures on Trains' books - and I enjoyed every single bit.

What a great book!

I wasn’t sure how exciting a book about birdwatching could be but I’m so happy to have been proven wrong - I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! I also learned a lot about birds and birdwatching, which is an added plus that I didn’t expect. I adored the characters, and fantastic writing from M G Leonard as per usual.

I am a huge fan of M G Leonard’s ‘Beetle Boy’ trilogy but not so much ‘The Adventures on Trains’ series, so was intrigued to read ‘Twitch’ to see where my opinion would fall…. I am delighted to report that I LOVED this book. Maybe a co-incidence, as I was watching the tv series Sweet Tooth at the same time, but my image of Twitch in my head was of Gus, the lead character from the aforementioned series. No bad thing as he is as gorgeous & sensitive as Twitch. This book has a perfect summer holiday setting & has all the elements to connect children with an outdoor adventure & the natural world. Readers will learn a lot and hopefully be inspired to set out on a bird-spotting adventure of their own. I cannot wait for second book in The Twitchers series to follow Summer 2022.

I wasn’t prepared for how much I would love this book. The story will speak to a reader who needs to find the confidence and strength to dance to the beat of their own drum. I loved how comfortable the MC was with his own company and following his own interests with no need to ‘fit in’ and this is certainly something that young readers need to see. The mystery element was excellent and I thought I had it worked out but it kept me guessing with its twists and turns until the end. Brilliant. I look forward to sharing this with my Year 6s.

Twitch is a bird-loving nature enthusiast who struggles to fit in at school, often being picked on by the bullies in his class. When a notorious robber escapes from prison nearby and is believed to be hiding in the woods where he spends his time watching birds, Twitch quickly becomes wrapped up in trying to solve the crime.

Friendship was woven throughout the book, with one of the children who bullied Twitch, Jack, suddenly taking an interest in what Twitch is doing and showing all the signs of wanting to become friends, despite their history together. This felt really true-to-life, with Twitch not being sure of Jack's intention and receiving conflicting advice from the adults he meets.

I loved how this book did so much, so well. There was a real risk with so much going on that some parts would fall flat but they all fitted together perfectly. It's a book that you can read and just enjoy the story and the mystery but also has so many themes and plot twists that you want to talk about and explore more.

Really highly recommended, an excellent middle grade story!

Best known for being the author of The Battle of the Beetles series (and co-author of Adventures on Trains with Sam Sedgman), Twitch is M.G. Leonard’s first standalone novel.

My first experience of an M.G. Leonard novel was an absolute delight. This story follows a birdwatcher called Twitch, who inadvertently finds himself caught up in the drama surrounding the search for an escaped prisoner.

Twitch is the butt of everyone’s jokes in school, caring far more about birds than people, but when he saves Jack – one of his bullies – from being tormented by older boys, Twitch and Jack strike up an unlikely friendship. Unfortunately, it isn’t long before their fledging friendship is on the rocks, thanks to the interference of friendly stranger Billy.

Billy saves Twitch from Jack on the last day of school, and he’s convinced that a leopard can’t change its spots. But Twitch can’t help wondering if there’s something suspicious about the new arrival. Billy is lovely to Twitch and seems to be looking out for him, but is there more to the fact that Billy has arrived in town the day that an escaped prisoner is being reported in the news?

The thing I loved the most about Twitch is that it shows younger readers that it’s okay to have an unusual hobby, and an intense interest in something out of the norm. I’ve already mentioned this in my mid-month wrap up, but I used to love gardening and birdwatching. I grew out of it because it wasn’t seen as ‘cool’ and I felt awkward and dorky about it, and that’s one of my biggest life regrets. If I’d read Twitch when I was younger, it legitimately would have changed my life! For that reason alone, I’d recommend it to all middle grade readers, and I’ll be passing it on to my little ones when they’re older.

I also liked the friendship between Twitch and Jack. In some ways it reminded me as Wonder, another middle grade novel which demonstrates that friendships can develop in the most unlikely of places. Just because you don’t get along with someone when you first meet them, it doesn’t mean that they won’t eventually become your friend. I think this is an important lesson to teach younger children, because there are so many reasons why someone might not be friendly towards you when you first meet them, and it’s always worth being kind and giving them another chance. Don’t judge a book by its cover, and don’t judge a person by your first encounter with them!

The only reason I gave Twitch four stars instead of five was because I struggled to suspend my disbelief at times. Yes, it’s a middle grade, but some of the things which happened had me rolling my eyes because they were too convenient. This might appeal to a younger reader – one of the perils of reading middle grade as an adult – but it threw me out of the story a little bit.

Overall, Twitch was an enjoyable and fast-paced middle grade read from an author who I’ll definitely be reading more from in the future.

M.G Leonard does it again! Already a huge fan of the Adventures on Trains series which she co-writes with Sam Sedgman, I was keen to read this book. Our protagonist, Twitch, is a boy who finds birds and the natural world easier to deal with than children of his own age. When an escaped prisoner is discovered in the area, Twitch finds himself drawn into an adventure that will test his bravery, and put his avian knowledge to good use. I took an instant liking to Twitch, and found myself looking at the birds in my garden more closely once I'd finished this! Another great addition to the middle grade mystery genre.

What a great book! Suitable for older KS2and young KS3 readers, Twitch has all the ingredients that this discerning age group demands: heroes and villains - CHECK!; mild peril - CHECK!; ecological awareness - CHECK!; and subtle messaging over the ‘proper’ way to behave - CHECK! In the nicest possible way it’s as if the better features of Enid Blyton’s adventures for older children had been re-cast to incorporate the themes that are essential requirements of 21st century children’s fiction whilst preserving that vital spark of just about credible adventures where children take the leading roles. Highly recommended

Loved this book. The insight into bird watching was interesting and I loved Twitch's character. Great Middle Grade book. Would highly recommend.

Thanks to Walker Books, M. G Leonard and NetGalley for the ARC of Twitch.

We loved this book. My daughter has just turned 8 but is a keen reader and we read this together over a course of a week before bed.

Twitch is a 12 year old boy, so called because of his love of birdwatching. Whilst most boys his age are playing football or causing trouble, Twitch loves tending to his chickens, swallows and pigeons and can't wait for the summer holidays to start so he can get away from school and get back in the great outdoors.

When the summer holidays start however, they don't go exactly as he planned. A convicted robber escapes from the local prison and police are everywhere. Twitch understands much more about birds than he does about humans, but can he help track the robber down and get him back where he belongs?

With vivid descriptions and scene setting that at times makes you feel like you are right there, we fell in love with Twitch and really rooted for him throughout. There's a strong theme of friendship and staying true to your real self and I loved that positive message it portrays to its readers. I've since heard that there may be a 2nd in a series of Twitch books and I really hope that is true.

A perfectly timed read after our new found appreciation for the nature and world around us with a crime vibe that Erin loved.

Twitch is small, quiet and loves birds. He wants to spend his summer watching birds, training his pet pigeons and generally living a quiet life. But these plans are thrown into doubt when the notorious criminal, Robber Ryan, escapes and is seen near where he lives. When stranger Billy appears and seemingly wants to help Twitch, can Twitch have the summer that he hopes for or will his plans have to change?

This is a lovely story which is ultimately about friendship but with a good dollop of adventure thrown in. Twitch's relationship with his birds is heart-warming but it is the blossoming friendships with previous enemies that really make you smile.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review (I have now bought a physical copy as I want to share it with my class!)

I can not praise this middle grade novel enough. I loved it. ❤️

Twitch is the story of friendship, a young boy, and his love of birds.

12 year old Twitch is fascinated with birds having inherited a love of bird watching from his late Grandfather. Unpopular at school Twitch spends his days in his hide recording the birds he sees at Aves Wood and training his pigeons. That is until a dangerous convict escapes and is suspected to be hidden inside Aves Wood.

Twitch is a charming tale full of adventure and mystery and is rich in bird knowledge. I adored Twitch's character. He is such a charming, loving boy, with a close bond with his mum. The book leaves children with a powerful message about popularity, friendship and being your authentic self. I can't wait to read this one with my kids.

I love M. G. Leonard’s books, children’s crime, and birdwatching, so this book was an obvious choice for me. I was so pleased to be given an ARC, and it really didn’t disappoint!

I enjoyed this book so much, I read it in the space of a few hours. I loved the way the birdwatching, the crime solving, and the story of friendship, all wove together into one excellent story. I thought that the way Twitch struggles to work out who he can trust was really well written (as, of course, was the whole book).

This story will sweep you away on adventure, and it’s one that feels like it could happen in your local woods! I highly recommend it.

Apologies for the brevity and lateness of my review, I’ve had the flu.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

I received and ARC of this book from NetGalley and Walker Books in exchange for an honest review.

I've read all of the Adventures on Trains books and loved them, but this is my first time reading one of M. G. Leonard's solo works, so I was excited to see what I thought. Answer: I loved it!

Twitch is a 12-year old boy who loves birds and birdwatching. He has chickens in his back garden, swallows that nest in his bedroom and a growing family of pigeons. Birds make sense. People often don't. All Twitch wants is to get through the last few days of school and make it to the summer holidays. He plans to spend his free time training his birds to become homing pigeons and birdwatching from his secret hide in Aves Wood. However, a dangerous criminal has escaped from prison and is rumoured to be hiding in the wood. With police searching for the convict, strangers on holiday in the area and children from Twitch's school traipsing through the wood hoping to find the criminal's missing loot, it looks like his summer might be quite different to the one that he had planned!

Twitch is such a wonderful character. He is honest and caring. He stands up to bullies and doesn't let other people's opinions change the way he behaves. Although things aren't always easy for Twitch, he remains kind and hopeful. We could all do with being a bit more like Twitch. Through Twitch, we get to experience what it's like to take care of birds and to be a birdwatcher. We see the excitement he feels when the swallows return again or his pigeons learn a new skill. We also witness the panic that ensues when a cat threatens the chickens and the anxiety he has over releasing the pigeons on their first homing flight. I learnt so many new facts and interesting pieces of information about birds from reading this story, just because Twitch's love of birds shines through everything he does.

Another thing I loved in this book were the relationships between characters. The love and trust between Twitch and his mum is great. After reading several books where there were secrets being kept and tension between parents and their children, it was refreshing to read about an open and loving dynamic. Amita provided Twitch with another secure adult relationship. I loved the banter between them, the brilliant advice she gave and the way she totally got involved in his birdwatching world. The growth in Twitches other relationships and his developing friendships were heart-warming to read about.

I know from reading M. G. Leonard's previous books that she is skilled at writing a mystery and cleverly bring all the threads together at the right time. This skill is evident again here. There's a lot of clues as to what is really going on and the are some great pay offs to these at the end. I loved how well everything was set up for the finale. The ending was very satisfying and the book stands alone just fine. However, I'd be very happy to get a sequel so we can catch up with Twitch and the others one year on. I'm sure there's more birdwatching/mystery adventures waiting to be told!

A fun, well-paced adventure that is as much a story about friendship as it is about an escaped bank robber. Indeed, it was the material relating to friendship that worked best for me. The storyline between Twitch and Jack was well-paced and believable, as Jack seemingly goes from bully to ally, and we're not really sure until the end just how much of that transformation is genuine. Scenes with Twitch's other erstwhile bullies are less convincing, though: an exchange between Twitch and Ozuru in chapter 16 feels more like narration converted into dialogue than a real conversation. It's a minor niggle, and one which only really stood out for me because of the realism of the dialogue between Twitch and Jack. There is some wonderful characterisation at work here, and some genuine laugh-out-loud moments - such as when Vernon Boon (what a name!) and Terry Vallis arrive for the apocalyptic showdown in chapter 27:

“The muscles have arrived,” Vernon announced, flexing his biceps as they joined everyone in the peacock room. He looked at Twitch and said eagerly, “Terry says we can punch someone.”

While I found the level of detail relating to birds occasionally a little much - there's no denying the author did her homework! - the character of Twitch and his passion for ornithology are always credible. You believe unquestioningly that this a boy who loves birds, and who has consequently learned a lot about them. The usefulness of that knowledge in solving the mystery of the escaped bank robber never feels forced, and that was a "Chekhov's gun" trap the author could so easily have fallen into.

Twitch is a book about appearances. In this story, people are seldom what they appear to be, whether it be Jack, Billy, Nan, Tippi or Ava, and so we're never sure quite who we can trust. It all makes for an engaging, twisty tale. No surprise that it comes from the author of the Adventures on Trains series. If Twitch doesn't also turn into a series (and it should do), I'll eat a hat.

A brilliant start to what I'm guessing could be a new series. Young birdwatcher, Twitch, is a lovely character struggling with bullying, friendships and who he can trust. As the book progresses he becomes embroiled in the hunt for a bank robber as well as training his fledgling pigeons to fly home and navigate the tricky world of new friendships. This has a fair amount about birds, much I didn't know, told in a light and fun way that should engage children without overwhelming them. With action and crime solving, this was a lot of fun.

I’ve really loved the Adventures on Trains series from MG Leonard and Sam Sedgman, so I was really excited for M. G. Leonard’s new solo book, Twitch.


Twitch by MG Leonard, cover art by Paddy Donnelly, published by Walker Books

Robber Ryan is on the run having escaped police custody and rumours are they’re in Aves Wood, Twitch’s favourite bird-watching haunt…

And with a new arrival in town asking questions, two unknown girls acting strangely by the woods, former bullies making friends and bigger bullies on the hunt for treasure there’s plenty for Twitch to be suspicious about…

This is such a cleverly crafted mystery with so much heart and humour too.

I have to admit I was unsure at first as things seemed all too obvious, but I should have had more faith in MG Leonard’s writing than that (especially after the number of times she and Sam Sedgman have left me stumped in Adventures on Trains!)

What I really loved was the way just as I started to think things were playing out all too obviously, Twitch voiced my thoughts and/or something happened to throw us off once more!

And so this became a really engrossing mystery that was incredibly smartly written with a couple of fantastic twists!

I loved seeing Jack and Twitch join forces and watching their friendship develop; seeing Twitch start to open up and reach out to make a friend, and seeing Jack drop the act and show his true self as they hesitantly get to know each other was lovely.

I also really loved the way nature, specifically birds, were brought into the story. In the same way that going into Adventures on Trains I thought I had no interest in trains but found myself fascinated, Twitch has served to pique my interest in birds.

I have always liked to see the birds in the garden or park, but Twitch had me listening out for different calls and ready to grab my binoculars and head out spotting! Not to mentioning making me rather guiltily reconsider my stance on rock doves… And now I really want a teapot tree too!

There is a wealth of love, respect and knowledge of birds encompassed in these pages and it is simply joyous. Reading about Maya’s research and inspiration, and especially her dedication to her mother-in-law at the end only enhanced this further.

And then there is the ending, of which I can say very little but just let me tell you it is perfect! Utterly joyous, a little bit madcap, packed with action and team spirit – it reads like a scene from a late 80s/early 90s family film and it was glorious! I was grinning from ear to ear!

Action, suspense and bravery; family, friendship and loyalty; marshes and woodland and birdsong; heart and humour and high spirits – this book has it all and has left me desperate for more!

MG Leonard has done it again with her latest book, Twitch - a top notch mystery story with friendship at its heart.

Twelve year old, Twitch, doesn't have any friends, unless you can count his birds: pigeons, chickens and the starlings that nest in his bedroom. He has grand plans to spend the summer holidays in his hide watching birds in Aves Wood, but his plans are derailed when he finds out a dangerous criminal, Robber Ryan, is on the loose and hiding in the woods. Will Twitch spot signs of 'fowl play' and solve the mystery unfolding before him?

This is fantastic read that is sure to keep you guessing until MG Leonard masterfully ties everything up at the end. It's great to hear that this is the first in the series and I am already looking forward to reading the follow up. I would highly recommend this to readers aged 9+.