Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Book Picks - September 2019

Piers Torday - The Frozen Sea - Published by Quercus Children's Books (5 Sept. 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1786540768 - Hardback - Age: 9+ 

It is 1984 and forty years since Simon, Patricia and Evelyn and Larry first stepped through a magical library door into the enchanted world of Folio. When Patricia's daughter, Jewel, makes a mysterious discovery in an old bookshop, she begins a quest that will make her question everything she thought she knew. Summoned to Folio, she must rescue her missing aunt, helped only by her rude pet hamster Fizz and a malfunctioning robot.

Their mission to the Frozen Sea will bring them face-to-face with a danger both more deadly and more magnificent than they ever imagined.

What Jewel discovers will change not just who she thinks she is, but who we all think we are...

Victoria Schwab - Tunnel of Bones (City of Ghosts) - Published by Scholastic Press (3 Sept. 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1338111040 - Hardback - Age: 9+

The thrilling sequel to Victoria Schwab's New York Timesbestselling City of Ghosts!
Trouble is haunting Cassidy Blake . . . even more than usual. 

She (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob, of course) are in Paris, where Cass's parents are filming their TV show about the world's most haunted cities. Sure, it's fun eating croissants and seeing the Eiffel Tower, but there's true ghostly danger lurking beneath Paris, in the creepy underground Catacombs. 

When Cass accidentally awakens a frighteningly strong spirit, she must rely on her still-growing skills as a ghosthunter -- and turn to friends both old and new to help her unravel a mystery. But time is running out, and the spirit is only growing stronger. 

And if Cass fails, the force she's unleashed could haunt the city forever.

Simon Mockler - Beatrix the Bold and the Riddletown Dragon - Published by Piccadilly Press (5 Sept. 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1848127678 - Paperback - Age: 8+

A gloriously funny and anarchic series full of wizards, queens and more than a little mud
Perfect for fans of Andy Stanton, Danny Wallace and Roald Dahl 
Beatrix the Bold is a queen. A very bold queen. And she's also only ten years old. But that's never stopped her from doing anything before, and it's not going to stop her now. She's already averted her own kidnapping and fought off an Evil Army. Now she needs to find her long-lost parents, and fend off her villainous aunt Esmerelda. She just has to cross a vast kingdom to get there and save a bunch of children from deadly peril while confronting a terrifying dragon ... Easy, right? But when you're Beatrix the Bold and you've got Oi the Boy, Dog the Dog and Wilfred the Wise by your side, you can do anything . . .

Sophie Anderson (Author), Kathrin Honesta (Illustrator) - The Girl Who Speaks Bear - Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd (5 Sept. 2019) ISBN-13: 978-1474940672 - Paperback - Age: 9

They call me Yanka the Bear. Not because of where I was found - only a few people know about that. They call me Yanka the Bear because I am so big and strong.

Found abandoned in a bear cave as a baby, Yanka has always wondered about where she is from. She tries to ignore the strange whispers and looks from the villagers, wishing she was as strong on the inside as she is on the outside. But, when she has to flee her house, looking for answers about who she really is, a journey far beyond one that she ever imagined begins: from icy rivers to smouldering mountains meeting an ever-growing herd of extraordinary friends along the way.

Natasha Farrant (Author), Lydia Corry (Illustrator) - Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror - Published by Zephyr (5 Sept. 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1788541152 - Hardback - Age: ?

Here are eight princesses for the Rebel Girls generation: bold, empowered, full of curiosity, adventure and determined to be true to themselves. Natasha Farrant's original stories are set in different times all around the world, blending modern and traditional storytelling with glowing full-colour illustrations by debut artist Lydia Corry in a glorious gift book. 

'Mirror, mirror on the wall... what makes a princess excellent?' When the enchantress flings her magic mirror into our universe, reflected in it are princesses who refuse to be pretty, polite or obedient. These are girls determined to do the rescuing themselves. The Arabian princess of the desert protects her people from the king with the black and gold banner; Latin American Princess, Tica, takes a crocodile for a pet; a Scottish princess explores the high seas; African Princess, Abayome, puts empathy and kindness above being royal; and in a tower-block, Princess saves her precious community garden from the hands of urban developers. Complemented by detailed, jewel-coloured artwork, these beautifully imagined stories are a twist on familiar princess tales.

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