Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Best Children's Book Picks September 2023

Nicola Davies (Author), Jackie Morris (Illustrator) - Skrimsli - Published by Firefly Press (14 Sept. 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1913102807 - Hardback 

“ Immersive, breathtaking visionary and an illustrated delight ” – Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Who are you if you’ve never seen another face like yours? Where do you belong if you don’t know where your home is? What do you call yourself when others call you ‘freak'...? Skrimsli is a second fantasy adventure from author Nicola Davies, set in a world where animals and humans can sometimes share their thoughts. It traces the early life of Skrimsli, the tiger sea captain who stole readers’ hearts in The Song that Sings Us. He and his friends, Owl and Kal, must first escape the clutches of tyrannical circus owner Kobret Majak and his twin assassin-acrobats, then stop a war and save an ancient forest! Skrimsli and his friends are helped by desert princess the Palatine and her eagle, a chihuahua who thinks she’s a wolf, a horse with heart of gold and the crew of a very unusual ship. This is a story full of excitement and danger, that explores themes of friendship, loyalty, identity and love, in the context of some of humanity’s toughest problems.

Sarah Todd Taylor - Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire!: A Sprinkling of Danger - Published by Nosy Crow Ltd (14 Sept. 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1839948855 - Paperback 

Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire will whisk you away on a fabulous adventure, full of daring action and delicious cakes!

Baker by day, spy by night - Alice Éclair leads an exciting double life!

On a glamorous movie set at the Palace of Versailles, someone is leaking national secrets. Is it the American director with the shady past, or the flamboyant lead actress whose Renaissance wig is full of secrets? Or is it someone so devious, Alice hasn't even noticed them? Whoever it is, this person has a deadly plan...
Armed with a light sponge mix and an airy disregard for danger, Alice Éclair is on the case! And she'll need to use every trick in her recipe book to survive this mission...
A Sprinkling of Danger is Alice's third adventure and can be read as a stand-alone novel, or enjoyed as part of the Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire series. Look out for Alice's other missions, A Recipe for Trouble and A Spoonful of Spying!

Hannah Gold (Author), Levi Pinfold (Illustrator) - Finding Bear - Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books (28 Sept. 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0008582012 - Hardback 

The unmissable follow-up to the phenomenal bestselling and award-winning The Last Bear. Beautifully illustrated by Levi Pinfold and perfect for readers 8+

April Wood has returned home from her adventure on Bear Island. But, over a year later, she can’t stop thinking about Bear.

When April hears that a polar bear has been shot and injured in Svalbard, she’s convinced it’s her friend and persuades her dad to travel with her to the northernmost reaches of the Arctic. So begins an unforgettable journey across frozen tundra and icy glaciers.

But along the way, she discovers much more than she bargained for – a tiny polar bear cub, desperately in need of her help. In freezing temperatures, April must navigate the dangerous Arctic terrain and face her deepest fears if she’s to save him.

Beautifully illustrated by Levi Pinfold, Finding Bear is a stunning story of survival and a heartwarming tale of love that shows us how hope is born from the smallest of beginnings.

Claire Fayers - Tapper Watson and the Quest for the Nemo Machine -  Published by Firefly Press (7 Sept. 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915444158 - Paperback 

Tapper Watson is just an ordinary Erisean boy who loves adventure stories. But when one of his sixty-seven cousins sends him away on a smugglers’ submarine through the River Lethe to other worlds, he just wants to go home again. On an unscheduled visit to Earth he meets Fern Shakespeare, and a talking plant called Morse, and their adventures begin. And when he finds himself being chased through worlds by a pair of trigger-happy lobster mobsters in search of the mysterious Nemo Machine, Tapper begins to realise that he might not be so ordinary after all…

September 2023 -  Post Highlights 

Book Review - Claire Fayers - Tapper Watson and the Quest for the Nemo Machine - HERE

Guest Post - ANGELA KECOJEVIC - SCAREGROUND - here