Children's Book Picks - June 2021 - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Kate Gilby Smith - The Astonishing Future of Alex Nobody - Published by Orion Children's Books (10 Jun. 2021)
On the day Alex was born, crowds surrounded the hospital. On her first day of school, people spied from the gates. And recently, strangers came to watch her perform in her school play ... as the llama.

But why? Alex has always been a nobody.

Then a mysterious boy named Jasper starts at school and he alone seems to know the answer. But before he can tell Alex, he disappears ... into the year 2100. Can Alex brave traveling into the future to discover what's happened to him and to unravel the secret of her own astonishing destiny ... before time runs out?

Lauren St John (Author), Rachael Dean (Illustrator) - Wave Riders - Published by Macmillan Children's Books (10 Jun. 2021)
Twins Jess and Jude Carter live a dream life sailing from one exotic destination to the next with their guardian, Gabriel. But after Gabe vanishes and a storm smashes up their lives, they’re left penniless and alone. When a wealthy, glamorous family offers them a home, everybody tells them they’re the luckiest children in the world. But the Blakeneys’ stately mansion is full of secrets – secrets that seem entangled with the twins’ own fate. As they race to uncover the truth, Jess and Jude must confront their deepest fears.

How do you solve a mystery when that mystery is you?


Efua Traore - Children of the Quicksands - Published by 
Chicken House (3 Jun. 2021)

City girl Simi is sent to stay with her long-lost grandmother in a remote Nigerian village. There's no TV, internet or phone. Not a single human-made sound can be heard at night, just the noise of birds and animals rustling in the dark forest outside.

Her witchlike grandmother dispenses advice and herbal medicine to the village, but she's tight-lipped about their family history. Something must have happened, but what?

Determined to find out, Simi disobeys her grandmother and goes exploring. Caught in the sinking red quicksand of a forbidden lake, her fantastical journey begins ...

  • A richly imagined magical fantasy adventure set in West Africa by a prize-winning new voice in children’s writing.
  • Introduces readers to Yoruba myths and legends whilst showcasing the wealth of culture, traditions, adventure, fun, joy, celebrations, music, pride and love found in Nigeria. 
  • Beautifully explores themes of grief and belonging.
  • Efua is the winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2018.                                      


M. G. Leonard - Twitch - Published by 
Walker Books (3 Jun. 2021)
  • From the internationally bestselling author of Beetle Boy and the Adventures on Trains series, comes the first book in The Twitchers, a brand new mystery adventure series celebrating friendship, bravery and the incredible world of birds, starring a birdwatching detective called Twitch!

    Can a birdwatcher outwit an escaped convict?

    Twitch has three pet chickens, four pigeons, swallows nesting in his bedroom and a passion for birdwatching. On the first day of the summer holidays, he arrives at his secret hide to find police everywhere: a convicted robber has broken out of prison and is hiding in Aves Wood. Can Twitch use his talents for birdwatching to hunt for the dangerous prisoner and find the missing loot?

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