This book was a great read. It had fun characters & a good premise.
Charlie is accidentally given posession of the last firefox, a magic creature from another world. He's told that it will be collected in 2 days, but 2 days comes and goes, and the little fox is still around! It's adorable, but given it's fiery nature, accidentally causes some trouble. But even then, it's being hunted by an evil creature that has come through from the other world, and Charlie has to do all he can to protect his new firefox friend.
I loved the normalisation of Charlie having 2 dad's. It was never made a big thing of, like it was something unusual, just treated them as a completely normal family (which they are!), the only time it was really brought up was the antagonist insisting on refering to them as charlies 'guardians', and charlie had to keep correcting it, saying they were his dads.
it was also a good personal growth story, where charlie realises that he is a lot stronger (and more interesting) than he thought. he gets bullied by two boys from school, and though his friends stand up for him, he can never manage to stand up for himself. But thanks to his new foxy friend, he starts to build up his inner strength.

overall, this was just a really enjoyable, fun story to read. I can see me reading it again in the future.

The Last Firefox is a beautiful middle grade!

We join Charlie, who is finding life difficult at times - being bullied at school and lacking in confidence. He becomes the guardian of Cadno - a Firefox and life gets very interesting and very scary. With the help of his friends, Charlie has to battle a hunter who is after Cadno, finding his inner bravery to save the last Firefox.

This book covers a lot of important topics - bullying, standing up for yourself, confidence building, friendships, family relationships, LGBTQ+rep, adoption - all covered very well.

Would highly recommend.

This is a lovely story about friendship, family and a little bit of magic. I was hooked from the very first chapter which was hilarious. Charlie goes to a deserted castle to hide a stone and is handed a fox cub to look after by a mysterious stranger. It’s not just any fox cub though, it is the last fire fox cub and it has an alarming habit of setting things on fire. Charlie tries to look after the cub, Cadno, by himself but has to let his friends into the secret as the cub is being hunted.
I loved the way the story of the firefox is set against Charlie’s normal life. There is a lot going as he is being bullied, he is about to leave primary school and his parents are thinking about adopting another child. All of these things arise normally out of the story together with the fact that Charlie has two Dads. It’s lovely to see a different family set up as well as a story set in Wales where the children are learning Welsh.
This is a lighthearted story with lots of humour but it also deals with big issues. Charlie’s relationships with his friends and family shine through and the cub is simply adorable. A great read.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

We featured this book on Caboodle, the rewards programme from National Book Tokens, in our article "22 children's books to look out for in 2022".

"Between bullies at school and changes at home, Charlie Challinor finds life a bit scary. And when he's made guardian of a fiery furry fox cub called Cadno, things get a whole lot scarier. Lee Newbury's heartwarming story sees Charlie swept up into an unexpected adventure to protect his flammable friend, and he's going to need to find the bravery he never thought he had, if he's going to save the last firefox..."

A truly heartwarming tale of courage, friendship and facing one's fears.

Charlie, Roo and Lippy make a wonderful, well balanced trio of friends and even the more 'supporting' characters are well fleshed out. The firefox of the title is adorable and picture perfect. It's really fast paced, with no part dragging or slowing the book down. Perfectly pitched for a primary audience.

I would definitely recommend this to Y5/6 students. I feel my Y7s might initially be put off because of the age/timeline of the story, but might be a good September read for some.

Charlie is the adopted son of Pa and Dad. He has best friends, Lippy and Roo. But he is worried, Pa and Dad want to adopt another child, he'd love a brother or sister but how would he stand up for them when he can't stand up for himself?
He and his friends play a game in which they paint a stone, and hide it and the place it's hidden is getting more obscure! Lippy hides hers in a duck house on the pond in the park, Charlie is chased by a goose trying to retrieve it. Roo says he must hide the next one in a place neither he nor lippy will ever find and then the game will stop. He decides to hide it in a tower in the old castle.
While he is at the castle though a strange boy, Teg, bursts through the ivy on the castle wall. He isn't too pleased at having to give Charlie the prized Firefox that he needs to keep safe, he doesn't think Charlie has the fire in his belly needed to do the job. Charlie is less keen when he knows what it can do! For goodness sake, his Dad is a firefighter and their house has extinguishers in every room and top of the range fire alarms! How is he supposed to hide it for two days. But Teg doesn't reappear when he should but it becomes obvious to Charlie that something else has escaped through the secret door that Teg sealed. Can he keep the Firefox, now called Cadno, safe?

I loved this book. The story of the Firefox itself is adventurous and magical. But Charlie's own story, and his protection of the firefox runs alongside beautifully.

A really enjoyable read made me laugh and cry and had my emotions all over the place, seeing the story and friendship develop between Charlie and Cadno, and then Lippy and Roo was really special.

I would defiantly recommend this book to people of all ages as I was unable to put it down.

Really hoping we are able to revisit in the future to see what Charlie and Cadno get up to

On the surface this is a story about a small boy called Charlie who is bullied a lot in school and wants to be brave enough to stand up to those bullies. Charlie has two great friends in Lippy and Roo who make life fun and are both loyal and trustworthy. Charlie also has two dads who adopted him and are looking to adopt again. This layer of the story, the relationship between Charlie and his parents is handled really well and the kindness and respect between them shines through the book. The other layer in the story is where the magic comes in. Playing a game of hide the stone with his friends Charlie accidentally opens up a portal to another world and through it comes Firetail, the last Firefox, who is trying to escape capture in his home world. Charlie is entrusted with the care of this magical Firefox and he embarks on a journey that will ignite his inner flame and prove he’s braver than he knows. This is a wonderful story filled with fun and warmth and sensitivity covering some really important themes like bullying, adoption and single sex parents throughout. A magical adventure and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

I just loved this middle grade story about a young boy who learns about bravery and inner strength through a mission to protect the last Firefox.

I thought the story was very well done and I loved how the author had woven in different important themes throughout the book such as rainbow families, adoption, friendships, self confidence/inner beliefs and other childhood challenges.

The plot is creative and I love that it’s set in Wales and involves mythical creatures. So heart warming and a fun fun read.

This story will appeal greatly to those children who has a fierce love of animals and enjoys a touch of fantasy. My daughter of 8 would adore this book and I can’t wait to buy it for her next birthday.

My 2022 reading so far has been brilliant <touch wood> Last night I inhaled #TheLastFirefox by @leewhowrites (ill. by Laura Catalan). Fab #UKMG: Charlie must find his bravery with the help of wonderful friends, family, & a Firefox! Thanks @PuffinBooks for the proof, pub. 3/3/22 https://t.co/afiG7NO2Al

“… That people had to be a certain way and fit into a certain box. Well it couldn’t be more wrong. Nobody has to fit into a box - my family is proof of that.”

🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊

I’ve followed the author of my latest read for quite some time, and was so happy when I found out he was going to be published. Children’s/ MG books aren’t usually on my TBR, but I had to support @lnewberybooks debut #TheLastFirefox which I’m so happy I got to read in advance of its publication on 3 March.

Thank you @puffinbooksuk, @penguinukbooks for my early copy via @NetGalley.

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Find Your Inner Flame… When Charlie is charged with the care of a magical Firefox from Fargone, he embarks on a journey that will ignite his inner flame and prove he’s braver than he knows. 🔥
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Whilst Charlie is in the midst of planting a pebble in a secret location inside a Castle near his home, as part of a game he plays with his friends, a portal to another world is opened and through it comes Firetail - The Last Firefox from Fargone.

Firetail is under threat from the King of Fargone, and a porter in the King’s Kitchen is trying to save him - but the King has instructed the Firefox be captured and has hired the help of a Grendilock - a shapeshifter to bring Firetail back to him.

Teg, the porter entrusts young Charlie with the care of the Last Firefox whilst he tries to lead the ever-changing Grendilock away from Charlie’s world. Awestruck at the events that are unfolding, Charlie can’t help but want to help the ADORABLE Firetail. However, Charlie isn’t fussed on his name and decides to rename him Cando.

Now that Cando is under Charlie’s care, he enlists the help of his best friends Lippy & Roo to keep him safe, whilst trying to keep it secret from his two Dads that he’s caring for this magical creature.

With feelings of self doubt, dealing with bullies at school and changes at home and now looking after a magical creature, Charlie has a lot to deal with.

I’ll not spoil how this adventure unfolds, you’ll need to dive into this story and go on the journey with Charlie, his friends & Cadno to see if Charlie is brave enough to face his own fears and save The Last Firefox.

This is a fun MG book with a great plot, brilliant characters, a friendship trio as likeable as Harry, Ron & Hermione and an adorable Firefox who comes to life through beautiful illustrations; but my favourite thing of a all, representation of same sex parenting! This book would have been an absolute favourite of mine as a kid for sure.

This book is perfect for all the young readers in your life and can just as easily be enjoyed by older readers as well!

Congratulations @lnewburybooks on your fantastic debut! I can’t wait for more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blurb:

A heartwarming story about family, friendship and finding your inner fire.

Between bullies at school and changes at home, Charlie Challinor finds life a bit scary. And when he's made guardian of a furry fox cub called Cadno, things get a whole lot scarier.

Because Cadno isn't just any fox: he's a firefox - the only one of his kind - and a sinister hunter from another world is on his trail.

Swept up into an unexpected adventure to protect his flammable friend, Charlie's going to need to find the bravery he never thought he had, if he's going to save the last firefox . . .

What the book Is about:

We follow the life of a boy called Charlie, who has his daily struggles in school and at home. Charlie and his friends have a game where they hide a pebble in a hard to find place and they have to work out where it is and retrieve it. This is where it all starts..

Charlie stumbles across a fox club who has powerful elements and is believed to be the last firefox where he is from. We go along the adventure with Charlie and his friends, trying to protect this cub and crossing several hurdles himself. Charlie has to act with bravery, courage and to prove to himself that he can achieve anything with the right mindset.

How I Felt:

I really enjoyed reading The Last Firefox. It was such a refreshing middle grade read and would highly recommend giving it a go! It was full of adventure, friendships, overcoming your fears and even gave a glimpse into same sex parenting! I think that The Last Firefox is going to be one that I keep thinking about after reading and I cannot wait for others to have that experience too.

This is one of those rare books that speaks about challenging topics in a lovely sensitive way. It brought about conversations in our house in a natural way and was a way into topics that may have been difficult to broach in other ways. This is definitely a book to be read by parents to their children. As a story itself is lovely but the discussions it starts is even better. Buy it now.

The Last Firefox is aptly named because Lee Newbery’s debut novel is filled with fun and so much warmth!

This joyful story will have readers of all ages reflecting on the need for courage and the importance of self-belief.

This is a fantastic debut novel and I can’t wait to see what Newbery does next!

I didn’t expect a children's book to impact me in the same way an adult book does, but here we are. The Last Firefox is a heartwarming tale about finding your spark, growing up and friendship alongside the chaotic antics of a little fluff-ball of fire.

I went into this book largely blind, wasn’t too sure what to expect but the general description and the cover (especially that absolutely adorable cover!) highly intrigued me. I wasn’t disappointed at all, this book gripped me from start to finish. Often I ended up reading for a lot longer than I meant to, it was hard for me to put it down! The writing was very fluid, scenes easily moved into the next one, I didn’t get lost at all and the pacing stayed largely consistent throughout.

Reading a book that incorporated Welsh into it was exciting! First book I’ve read (so far!) to do so, and seeing Welsh being used, even as small as it is in this, made me happy. Same with having casual queer representation, especially in a childrens book. As much as books where the protag is exploring their identity is important, and “coming out” books, I feel like there also needs to be books where it’s the stages after those first steps. Being in a happy healthy relationship, in a happy family, showing it’s not all confusion and turmoil but you can be happy being who you are, you can have a family. Having that representation feels very important, and the writing around this was super cute I felt!

In general the writing was very good, I loved reading the descriptions of the action, the scenery, the imaginative plots. It really felt like I was a kid again, off on a vibrant adventure, running alongside the characters.

This book is going to be one I’ll pick up once it releases, not only because I’m a massive sucker for adorable animals on covers, but also so I can easy share it and lend it out. I highly recommend reading this. Even if you’re an adult, give it a go!

(Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review!)

I was really excited to be able to get access to this book before it is released on the 3rd March this year and I have to say that I was not disappointed - in fact I read it in 2 days and couldn't put it down.

It follows the adventures a young boy called Charlie has when he is left to look after a young Firefox cub called Cadno. These adventures lead Charlie to make some deep discoveries about himself and I particularly enjoyed the emotional journey he went on throughout the book - I've taught many children who would really connect with it.

One thing about this book that I love is the representation of families. I am a strong believer that everyone should see themselves represented in literature and this does that for adopted children and for children with same sex parents. It does it sensitively and beautifully and, having followed Lee on Instagram as The Adventure Squad, you can see where his inspiration came from.

This book should be in every primary and secondary school library. It would also make a great class novel for Year 5 or 6 and could be used as a class text for literacy given the high quality of writing and description.

I really did enjoy this book and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a well written, exciting adventure and fantasy story. Oh and I now want a pet Firefox.

What a lovely middle-grade read!

This story is full of adventure and emotion that kept me turning the page, I cant wait for my pre-order to arrive so I can share this story of courage and family with my son.

What would YOU do if you were chased by a goose and hassled by bullies and worried about going to big school and stressed by your dads' decision to adopt another child and then, if that weren't enough, caught up in a magical quest to protect the last Firefox from the evil clutches of a shape-shifting Grendilock?

This is the pickle that 11 year old Charlie, who never thinks of himself as brave, finds himself in. Can he and his fiercely loyal pals Lippy and Roo protect Cadno, the Firefox cub, from a terrible fate? And along the way can Cadno (which is Welsh for fox) help Charlie find his inner fire?

This is a gorgeous middle-grade book, full of sparky writing, beautifully inclusive family structures and the cutest little Firefox that you ever did see.

Lush.

A truly gorgeous debut from Lee Newbury. The perfect, heartfelt read for readers 8+. It has great representation of queer characters as well as alternative family structures e.g. adoption. Cadno is an adorable character and if you don’t want a pet Firefox by the end, then I don’t want to know you.

A story to warm your very soul. The importance of finding and stoking your inner fire rages through this book. With themes of friendship and family running alongside this is a perfect read for KS2. There are so many subtle layers running through this book everyone will be able to find some part they identify with.
If you were given the honour of taking care of, and keeping alive, the last Firefox, would you be able to ward off evil and triumph? Read it to find out if Charlie manages it.