Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Book Picks - April 2020 - POST TWO

This is my second post for some of the best new children's books being published this April 2020. Through these extraordinary times, we are encouraging you to support small independent book shops up and down the country. The sad thing is that, if we don't, we might lose some at a time like this. Therefore, if you fancy reading any of the below books and are thinking of buying a book or two then why not support them - buying directly from them and let us do our part to support them in these difficult times. Thanks for reading and stay safe.

Rob Lloyd Jones - Jake Atlas and the Keys of the Apocalypse (Jake Atlas 4)  - Published by Walker Books (2 April 2020) - ISBN-13:978 1406385014 - Paperback - Age: 8+ 

JAKE ATLAS: TOMB ROBBER, TREASURE HUNTER, TROUBLEMAKER
This fourth riveting Jake Atlas adventure takes Jake and his family to Rome, where they uncover the secret history of a Roman legion sworn to protect four mysterious keys. The keys hold back a force that wiped out a lost civilization - now, Jake and his family must find them to stop it from returning. Their mission leads them to the edges of what was the Roman empire - to a volcano in Morocco, Hadrian's Wall and an island in the Middle East. There they are forced to team up with their enemy, the People of the Snake, to stop a power that threatens to destroy half the world. But the closer Jake grows to the group that were once his enemy, the further apart he and his family drift. And as he approaches the end of his quest, he's faced with a terrible choice - save the world or save his family!

L. D. Lapinski - The Strangeworlds Travel Agency - Published by Orion Children's Books (30 April 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1510105942 - Paperback - Age: 9+

Pack your suitcase for a magical adventure! Perfect for fans of The Train to Impossible Places and The Polar Bear Explorers' Club.

At the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, each suitcase transports you to a different world. All you have to do is step inside . . .

When 12-year-old Flick Hudson accidentally ends up in the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, she uncovers a fantastic secret: there are hundreds of other worlds just steps away from ours. All you have to do to visit them is jump into the right suitcase. Then Flick gets the invitation of a lifetime: join Strangeworlds' magical travel society and explore other worlds.

But, unknown to Flick, the world at the very centre of it all, a city called Five Lights, is in danger. Buildings and even streets are mysteriously disappearing. Once Flick realizes what's happening she must race against time, travelling through unchartered worlds, seeking a way to fix Five Lights before it collapses into nothingness - and takes our world with it.

A magical adventure for 9+ readers that will take you to whole new worlds.

David O'Connell (Author), Claire Powell (Illustrator) - The Revenge of the Invisible Giant (The Dundoodle Mysteries) - Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books (2 April 2020) - Paperback - Age: 6+

When a batch of his experimental sweets goes wrong at the McBudge Confectionery Company, Archie needs a distraction. And when he hears about a book of magical wisdom lost in a tunnel beneath the mountains, Archie is determined to find it. It's DEFINITELY so he can be the best magical guardian of Dundoodle that he can be and DEFINITELY NOT so he can turn tree branches into flying surfboards. Only trouble is, the key to open the tunnel was broken into four pieces hundreds of years ago and hidden.

Archie, Fliss and Billy set out to find the pieces of the key, but why was the tunnel sealed off in the first place? And what is the deep, sinister, MOUNTAINOUS voice Archie keeps hearing on the wind?

David O'Connell, author of The Chocolate Factory Ghost, returns with the latest adventure in his madcap magical mystery series for anyone who loves monsters, puzzles and SWEETS.

Tom Percival - Attack of the Heebie Jeebies (Dream Team) - Published by Macmillan Children's Books (2 April 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1529029154 - Age: 7+

Meet the Dream Team! Turning nightmares into incredible adventures!

Erika's had a bad day. But going to sleep upset means bad dreams. She finds herself stranded in the Dreamscape along with a mob of hungry Heebie Jeebies - and to make matters worse, she's being hunted by a terrifying Angermare!

Enter the Dream Team! Can they help Erika overcome her worries and get home, or will she be trapped forever?

Attack of the Heebie Jeebies is the first in a fun and engaging colour illustrated series from Tom Percival, exploring anxiety in children through action and adventure.