Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Children's Book Picks July 2023

 

Chris Wormell - The Lucky Bottle - Published by David Fickling Books (6 July 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1788451895 - Paperback - Age: 8+

Ten-year-old Jack is stranded on a desert island. He's been very lucky: he's survived a terrible storm and the mysterious island he has found himself on has a kindly if unusual inhabitant, fresh water and plenty of food. But Jack needs to find his way home, and as he uncovers incredible hidden treasures on the little island, he starts to formulate a plan.

A plan that will involve witchcraft, terrifying sea monsters and pirates! But if Jack's going to succeed he will need to be very very lucky.

Jon Klassen - THE SKULL - Published by Walker Books (11 July 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1529509571 - Hardback - Age: 6

In a big abandoned house, on a barren hill, lives a skull. A brave girl named Otilla has escaped from terrible danger and run away, and when she finds herself lost in the dark forest, the lonely house beckons. Her host, the skull, is afraid of something too, something that comes every night. Can brave Otilla save them both? Steeped in shadows and threaded with subtle wit – with rich, monochromatic artwork and an illuminating author’s note – The Skull is as empowering as it is mysterious and foreboding.

Matthew Fox - The Lovely Dark - Published by Hodder Children's Books (6 July 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1444964745 - Paperback - Age: 8+

Beautifully moving and breathtakingly original, this is a story of bravery and second chances, for readers aged 9+.

When 12-year-old Eleanor Newton dies in an accident, she finds herself journeying down a mysterious river that takes her to The Underworld. She apprehensively embarks on her "afterlife" at Eventide House, a boarding school of sorts for children who have died.

The Underworld is captivating: always sunny and warm but also fractured. Strange things have been happening to Ellie since she arrived: she knows something isn't right, and she doesn't want to be there. She desperately wants to get back to the world of The Living to meet her new baby brother, even if it means being a ghost.

Can Ellie find a way out of the Underworld? And who - or what - will she be if she does? 

The Lovely Dark is another breathtakingly original story from Matthew Fox, author of The Sky Over Rebecca. Set in the modern world, it features themes of life after a pandemic, mental health and grief, all handled with real lightness of touch.

Hiba Noor Khan - Safiyyah's War - Published by Andersen Press (6 July 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1839133138 - Paperback - Age: 8+

War comes to the streets of Paris and Safiyyah’s life changes forever. 

Her best friend’s family has fled, and the bombing makes her afraid to leave the mosque where she lives. But when her father is arrested by the Nazis for his secret Resistance work, it falls to Safiyyah to run the dangerous errands around the city. 
It’s not long before hundreds of persecuted Jews seek sanctuary at the mosque. Can Safiyyah find the courage to enter the treacherous catacombs under Paris and lead the Jews to safety?

Ann Sei Lin - Rebel Fire (Rebel Skies Trilogy) - Published by  Walker Book (6 July 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1406399608 - Paperback - Age: 13+ 

The second in a pacy and lyrical fantasy adventure trilogy set in a world of flying ships, sky cities and rebel uprisings. 

Kurara and her shipmates have escaped the grasp of the princess, whose wish to control and command them as her own human shikigami would be a fate worse than death. Travelling through the forests and across the seas of Mikoshima, they finally the Grand Stream, where their old airship – and old enemies – await.

Both parties seek the greatest shikigami of all: Suzaku, a paper phoenix. But will it be saved – or destroyed?

Book Review - Helen Peters - Friends and Traitors - Published by Nosy Crow Books (6 July 2023) - Book Review HERE