A very sweet book about overcoming your fears and the power of friendship.

It was never in any doubt to me that the titular Firefox would steal the show, and so it comes as no surprise when I say that I adored Cadno. Pretty much the only hazard of reading a book like this, is that you are left desperately wishing for a little firefox pup of your own! Cadno was cute, cuddly and brimming with a sassy personality. I loved him so much.

I really enjoyed reading Charlie's story, it was exactly the kind of story I needed at this age as he was so very much like me. I was also the quiet one at school, who was bullied relentlessly, largely for being the 'weird' quiet one. It was so good to see Charlie learn to stand up proud, and to listen to his inner fire rather than the voices of the petty boys with nothing better to do. I know how much it would have meant to me to read this as a youngster, and so I'm sure it'll do wonders for readers in similar positions.

Charlie is surrounded by a great bunch of side characters. Not least of all his dads, who I actually wish we'd seen more of because they seemed like a lot of fun (perhaps thats me showing my age?). Lippy and Roo, his best friends, were also brilliant. I loved how quickly they were by his side through all sorts of danger, and it was also great to see a book where the friends actually speak up and stand up for their friend, rather than just watching the bullying happen.

The Last Firefox has a big heart, and is sprinkled with a little bit of magic. It's sure to be a favourite with readers both young and old.

I brilliant story of friendship and family and all the different forms it takes.

Charlie needs to find his fire and when Cadno is thrust in to his care that journey finally begins.

Tension and adventure run high in this book. An ideal read for children age 8+

Known as Red Fox Reads, I knew I'd love #TheLastFirefox before I began reading, as I'd heard so many positive things on twitter. Inclusive, imaginative & instantly hilarious (the goose!). Set in Wales with a magic portal and a pesky pet, this is perfect for 8+ fans of #TheBoyWhoGrewDragons sensitively addressing bullying, adoption & LGBTQ families

Adorable does not even begin to describe this stunning debut from Lee Newbery.

Okay, so, this is a beautiful story that follows Charlie and his quest to find his inner fire to not only face his bullies but to be the best big brother to his new brother or sister his Dads hopes to adopt.

While hiding an important pebble, Charlie meets a mysterious person from another world who hands him a fox, not just any fox, a Firefox. The mysterious stranger entrusts Charlie to look after Firetail until he returns in 2 days, but those days come and go with no sign of the stranger, so Charlie has to keep Firetail (now called Cadno) hidden for a lot longer.
And, so the magical adventure begins.

This book oozes love. The love between Charlie and his BFFs, Lippy & Roo. The love Charlie has for his Dads and they for him. And the new love for his fiery new pet.

I also cannot begin to express how wonderful it is to see a family that consists of 2 Dads and their (adoptive) son. Kids with the same or similar family setup will feel seen. All families are unique, and there is no one set requirement to what makes a family.
LOVE is what makes a family.

This book made me smile and laugh a lot. It delivers beautiful messages in such a delightful and easily accessible way with the cutest illustrations that add to the magic of this fantastic story.

If you love magic, adventure, and a dastardly menacing villain, this is the book for you.

I cannot wait to own a physical copy for my collection.

I give this book 5 Hoooonnnks lol (if you know, you know lol)

Thank you so much, @NetGalley & @PuffinBooks (Randon House Children’s Books UK), for the arc ebook in return for an honest review.

This brilliant Middle-Grade story celebrates friendship, family and finding your inner fire.

Charlie isn't very good at being brave. When his dads tell him their exciting news about adopting a new baby brother or sister, Charlie struggles to feel excited. It's not that he doesn't want his family to grow - he just isn't sure how he could possibly be a good big brother when he can't even stand up to the class bullies. But when a magical encounter at a ruined castle leaves Charlie looking after a very special house-guest, Charlie learns that it's easy to be brave when you're defending those you love.

The Last Firefox is a fast paced, fun fantasy adventure, with high stakes and plenty of drama! Adorable firefox, Cadno, was really entertaining, causing accidental havoc where ever he went, and brought to life in this novel's sweet illustrations.

It's also extremely relatable, covering topics like moving schools, standing up to bullies and changes at home.

Charlie's friendship with Roo and Lippy was really strong, and I loved that this is a fantasy story where the adult characters aren't completely oblivious to what's going on!

I think this is a Middle Grade novel readers are going to LOVE this Spring.

Thank you Puffin for letting me review an advanced copy on NetGalley.

What a wonderful story. I loved reading about young Charlie and the fabulous firefox, Cadno. Charlie is a loveable character - he is an unlikely hero, being bullied at school and struggling with the idea of having a younger sibling. He wants his parents to adopt again, but the idea of being responsible for a younger sibling and being a good big brother is terrifying to him. Yet when he accidentally finds himself in sole charge of the las firefox, he discovers how brave and strong he really can be. Not only that but he discovers that he really does have the best of friends.

Set at the end of primary school, and covering a plethora of life experiences (such as same sex parents, adoption, social workers, bullying, responsibility, and fear)this really is an absolute gem of a book. Highly recommended from aged nine and above.

Beautiful, family adventure with heart, fun and a wonderful cast of characters. I loved Cadno., I loved the whole gang. I can’t wait for more.

What a truly fantastic Book , one which I believe all Children & their Parents should read together, also in School & other organisations . It is full of wonderful Diversity both in Family life , how we perceive ourselves ,each other & the world around us , especially in these crazy unsettling times that our societies are going through right now all around the Globe ,which makes this Book & it's story suitable for every child no matter their nationality or circumstances. This Book covers subjects such as Bullying ,Self doubt ,adoption ,mixed sex parents, friendships ,our bounds with animals domestic or wild & History with all it's magic & mystery especially when it's set in Wales. I am going to highly recommend this Book to Family & friends ( some of who are Teachers ) & I am going to buy a copy to send to my youngest grandchildren in Japan.#NetGalley, #GoodReads, #FB, #Instagram, #Amazon.co.uk , #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/358a5cecda71b11036ec19d9f7bf5c96d13e2c55" width="80" height="80" alt="100 Book Reviews" title="100 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

Newbery's debut novel is a triumph in empathy-building, celebrating family diversity. It is a charming story about facing your fears, encouraging children to stand up for themselves and having them trust that who they are is always enough.

Cadno is a mischievous little fox cub who Lights up the spark in Charlie. From the very first line ‘I’m being chased to my death by a goose.’ I knew this was going to be an entertaining, action filled middle grade book.

Newberry brought his own experiences of having same-sex parents into this story, which just made it more personal. I feel that having same-sex parents featured within middle grade is something that isn’t done enough, and this does need to be addressed. Charlie having two dads was never made a big deal of, and this is how it should be.

Charlie's charcter develops and adapts throughout the story, which just makes us warm to him even more. He makes mistakes and learns from them and also learns that telling the truth is so important. He also has to find courage within to overcome his fears.
Charlie's friendship not just with Cadno but with Roo and Lippy is so strong and brilliantly written that you just love them all and enjoy the story more.

A brilliant story full of friendship, magic, family, trust, love, adventure, a Firefox and a Young boy who like any human makes mistakes and learns from them. It contains brilliant morals and lesson for any young reader.
Highly recommend.

The Last Firefox is a charming story about facing your fears and learning to trust that who you are is always enough. Lee Newbery's fantastic debut is a triumph in empathy-building, celebrating family diversity and encouraging children to stand up for themselves.

Charlie loves a lot of things about his life - the home he has with his two dads, hanging out with his best friends, Lippy & Roo, and exploring the area around his Welsh town. What he doesn't love is the thought of moving to secondary school, the bullies who try to make themselves look tough by picking on him and the ridiculous pebble game Lippy invented that causes him to get chased to death by a goose or worse!

When his dads surprise him with the news that they're thinking about adopting another child, Charlie knows he should be pleased but he really isn't sure. What if he can't protect a little brother or sister? What if he isn't brave enough?

Faced with the task of hiding his fears and Lippy's pebble, Charlie ends up at the local castle ruins. There he meets Teg (a strange boy from another world) and the last remaining firefox. Charlie makes a promise to look after the adorable glowing creature for two days, just until Teg comes back for him - but this is a huge responsibility! What if the fox gets into trouble? What is Charlie can't protect him? What if someone finds out?

Charlie has no choice but to be brave and step up into his new role. Through challenge and adventure (as well as the support from his friends), he learns that he does have what it takes to look after someone else and he's actually really good at it. As he spends time with Cadno, the firefox, he finds his own inner fire.

Thank you to Puffin Books for this wonderful story!

This was a heart warming story of friendship and courage. There will be chuldren out there that can related to the characters for more reason than one. I loved the inclusion of the family setup- children need to see their family reflected in storybooks and this is just that.

Thank you so much to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a chance to read this book!

I absolutely loved this short and sweet story. Charlie finds life all a bit scary, particularly the goose at the pond! He wants to be braver and to be brave for his new sibling that his dads are wanting to adopt.

When a Firefox cub, Cadno, ends up in his protection, Charlie and his 2 closest friends (Lippy and Roo) come together to look after him. Can they keep him safe from the Grendilock that’s hunting for him? And can they stop him being discovered by the adults around them? After all, Cadno is literally on fire, and as they will discover, that is hard to hide!

Cadno is a mischievous but loveable cub who helps to alight Charlie’s inner fire. A fabulous, heartwarming, and fun middle grade read! Well done Lee. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next.

This was such a cute middle grade! I adored cadno and his relationship with Charlie. The illustrations were so cute and the overall story was heartwarming. I read it all in a day, it was such a quick read with a heartwarming message.

The Last Firefox is a magical fantasy and adventure story, which will capture your heart.

Charlie Challinor, the main protagonist, has a lot on his plate. He’s dealing with bullying at school, and his Dad and Pa have started the process of adopting another child. While Charlie would like a sibling, he worries that he isn’t brave enough to be a big brother.
When Charlie is entrusted with looking after Cadno, the last firefox, he has to protect him from a dangerous hunter. Will he find his own inner fire to save the last firefox?

The Last Firefox is an action-packed middle grade story with an amazing cast of characters. I read the story to my middling, who is in the target age bracket, and we were both hooked from the outset, laughing as Charlie escaped from the goose in the opening sequence.
It’s a story with a lot of heart, with a wonderful young protagonist who learns to stand up for himself, and with an equally great cast of supporting characters: Charlie’s friends Lippy and Roo, Dad and Pa, and of course Cadno the firefox. And it’s also a story which doesn’t shy away from challenging topics, such as bullying, self esteem, adoption, and same sex parenting, which it addresses in a sensitive and organic manner.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for allowing me to read an eARC of book in exchange for an honest review. I have pre-ordered a physical copy to add to our shelves!

Charlie is a boy who finds life a bit frightening and is struggling to find his inner fire amongst bullies at school and changes happening at home. One day Charlie meets the mysterious Teg, who is running from an enemy. Ted has a creature with him – a Firefox, the only one of its kind and entrusts him into Charlie’s care. Charlie soon has to figure out how to hide the firefox, who he’s named Cadno from not only his parents and schoolmates but from a sinister hunter from another world who wants to capture Cadno.

WOW! Is the first word to describe The Last Firefox, from the very first line ‘I’m being chased to my death by a goose.’ I knew this was going to be one heck of a read. This was one of those books that I ended up reading in one sitting, just because I was that engrossed and couldn’t get enough of it. It had the perfect mix of adventure, emotion and magic that you want in a middle grade, and this is one of the reasons it stood out so much to me.

Plotwise, in my opinion, was set at a smooth pace where you were able to soak up every single detail within the story itself. The setting was superb, I don’t think I’ve ever read a book set in Wales before so it was refreshing and I also loved the little snippets of the welsh language that were added in, it brought a unique feel to the story and I feel would certainly engage readers, especially those who can speak Welsh. My favourite place within The Last Firefox has to have been the castle. I am a sucker for a castle or any ancient relic within fiction and the way this was described was perfection, I also loved how it was the setting for the finale of the book. Amongst the adventure, we also got some hilarious moments that had me chuckling for a long while. Many of these involved Cadno and Charlie and there’s one scene that shone out to me the most and had me howling. Newbery certainly has a way of writing humour and it stood out amongst everything else going on.

I want to talk about the representation within The Last Firefox for a moment. The queer representation featured was fantastic and was just discussed as part of everyday life. Having same-sex parents featured within middle grade is something that isn’t done enough, and this does need to be addressed. Charlie having two dads was never made a big deal of, and this is how it should be. Also, you could tell how Newbery brought his own experiences of being a same-sex parent into the story and this made it feel all that more personal.

Charlie’s development throughout the story was next to none, and I enjoyed seeing him find his inner fire come to the end. His narration of the story let us get into his mind, and we found out about all his worries and struggles and this made me warm to him almost straight away. He made mistakes, especially when trying to hide Cadno, but he learnt from them and soon realised that telling the truth was the way to go. Also, his friendship with Roo and Lippy was so pure, and you could tell how much they meant to him. Friendship was absolutely another theme within The Last Firefox. Cadno was my favourite character though. He was just so cute, even though he did cause some disasters. The way his growing relationship with Charlie was told, was just heartwarming and I even found myself wanting my own Cadno, which is a good thing right?

The Last Firefox was a cute, magical read packed full of adventure, friendship and love. This was the perfect debut and I am very much looking forward to seeing what Newbery writes next. A sequel perhaps?

Charlie is quiet, unassuming and not very brave. He is bothered by bullies at school and has worries about being a good big brother, as his Dads are keen to adopt. With his courage failing and more interactions with bullies, Charlie needs to find his voice before secondary school.
A long standing game with his best friends, Roo and Lippy, leads Charlie to a castle in his town. Climbing the northwest tower, he hides a stone and is drafting their clue when a strange event occurs. Something unbelievable and with huge impact on Charlie’s life.
A small fox and a boy appear, the fox erupting into flames as a howl fills the air. The boy entrusts the Firefox to Charlie, promising to return in 2 days once it is safe. Taking the fox home, Charlie must try to avoid his Dads and friends until Teg, the boy, returns.
When Teg does not return, Charlie will need to ask for help and find his courage. Courage comes from wanting to protect that which you love more than yourself.
This book is a wonderful debut, full of family love, trust and finding your flame. Charlie, Roo and Lippy are a devoted trio of friends and their love for Cadno, the Firefox will help them to face unimaginable danger, all for the love of the fox and their families.
Charming and adventurous, I loved delving into Charlie‘s world and I was cheering him on all the way through!

The Last Firefox made me smile right from the opening sentence: "I'm being chased to my death by a goose", which is accompanied by an illustration of a goose in a full throttle run with an open beak! If you have ever been chased by wild fowl, you will know this can be a perilous chase! The protagonist speaks directly to the reader like a friend, inviting you to experience the adventure alongside him and creating such a visual story that easy to imagine. "Turns out that reversing out of a duck house butt first is a guaranteed way of messing with your senses... I broke the surface gasping for air, with a lily pad stuck to my face."
This is such a fun read. My 8 year old found it comedy gold and laughed along. She loved the fantastic illustrations. Behind all the fun and frolics, is a tender hearted boy going through a hard time. Charlie Challinor is bullied at school and finding changes at home difficult. Things take an unexpected turn when he finds a friend in an unlikely character- a furry fox cub called Cadno, who happens to be the only Firefox in existence. Cannot is in danger from a hunter and Charlie has to dig deep, find his courage and protect his friend. A fun and heartwarming adventure. #the last Firefox #leenewberry #lauracatalan #penguinrandomhouse #Netgalley

I absolutely loved The Last Firefox.
Firstly I have to shout from the rooftops about the same sex parenting representation, because there is not enough of it in kids books. It is so nice to see families like your own represented in books, especially as a kid.
Now that that's out of the way lets get to the story! It kicks off with a crazy caper that involves an angry goose! Loved that. Shenanigans from the start. We meet Charlie, who is struggling with his 'inner fire'. Charlie and his friends play a game that involves designing and hiding pebbles in secret places then giving a clue for the others to find it. When Charlie is going to hide his pebble up at a castle he bumps into Teg, who is on the run from a mysterious enemy. He has Cadno with him, the last firefox of the title. He asks Charlie to take care of the ball of flaming cuteness until he returns. The ups and downs of trying to hide Cadno whilst also protecting him from an evil hound prove for a great read!
I loved the metaphorical fire inside of Charlie and his growth that pairs with the firefox's actual fire. Charlie is also dealing with bullies and cant bring himself to stand up to them. His Pa and Dad also tell him they are planning to adopt a younger brother or sister and Charlie is excited for this, but it worries him too because he's not sure he will be able to protect them when he can't stand up for himself at the minute. These real world issues run along side the 'fantasy' main story so well.
I have to say I was so excited for this book. I have it pre-ordered to share with our own kids when it is out. They are going to love it as much as I did I'm sure. It's a great tale of finding your self belief and courage mixed with a cute, but highly flammable pet fox. It's a brilliantly written debut from Lee Newbery and I can't wait to see what he has in store for us in the future. I do hope it includes a Firefox sequel.

Charlie's dads are talking about adopting a younger sibling for him, but if he can't stand up to the bullies at school how will Charlie ever be able to protect a younger sibling? But when Charlie encounters a creature from another realm, he has to be brave and protect the last Firefox from the terrifying giant hound who is hunting him. A wonderfully warm and inclusive story about finding your courage.

This was such a wholesome story!

We follow Charlie, a young boy in his last year of primary school about to head into secondary. Charlie doesn't have it easy in school with being the target for the school bully as well as not believing himself. Then comes Teg, a boy who's appeared from another land with a young Firefox cub and its Charlie's job to protect the cub whilst Teg goes off to lead the evil Grendilock away from his path.

Through friendship and bravery, Charlie ends up finding his inner fire and stands up for himself, overcoming his fears.

I absolutely loved everything this book stood for. There was such a fantastic family dynamic between Charlie and his dad's. The LGBTQ+ rep was great as well, and something I would love to see more of in middle grade books!

I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially if you're a lover of animals! I think this is going to be a future comfort read for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.