Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Favourite Children's Book Picks - MAY 2026 - UK Post

 

Fiona Dixon - Crow: Thief of Magic - Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books (7 May 2026) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0008717360 - Paperback - Age: 8+

Twelve-year-old Crow is a thief.

Scraping a living on the winding streets of Starsgard, Crow works for the leader of the criminal underworld, stealing from the city’s wealthy ruling class. But when a routine job takes Crow to the home of a mysterious sorcerer, his whole life is turned upside down – and after a planned heist goes wrong, leaving Crow alone and with nowhere to turn, he finds himself a new position as the sorcerer’s apprentice.

Before long, Crow is introduced to the ancient art of dream magic – catching dream essence and using it to create dreams for the rich citizens from whom he once stole. But when Crow learns of an ancient strain of nightmare magic that threatens to unleash devastation on Starsgard, he must make a terrible choice… and decide who he can really trust.

With a stunning, richly-detailed world, an incredible story, and a wonderful cast of characters, Crow: Thief of Magic is an extraordinarily exciting fantasy debut – perfect for fans of Impossible Creatures, His Dark Materials, and Skandar and the Unicorn Thief.

David Solomons (Author), Hazem Asif (Illustrator) - The Ministry of Manners - Published by Piccadilly Press (7 May 2026) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1835873175 - Paperback - Age: 8+

Be quiet. Be polite. Or be silenced.

Alfie and Margot Hawthorne have grown up under the Ministry of Manners, where politeness isn't a choice - it's the law. And one wrong word can change your life. He knows how to stay out of trouble, but she has never been one for quiet obedience.

When the Ministry takes Margot, everything changes. Inside the Manners Retreat, she fights to stay herself in a place built to erase her. Meanwhile, Alfie falls in with the Unsilenced - those who still dare to speak. But the Ministry has plans of its own. And if they succeed, rebellion won't just be punished. It'll be impossible.

Curtis Jobling - Vampire Empire: Red Tide - Published by Fox & Ink Books (7 May 2026) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1917894050 -  Paperback - Age: 11+  

In 900 AD, Shetland, a fearless Norse girl and a blacksmith’s son must fight for survival when a supernatural Viking warband descends on their island, bringing terror, blood, and an unquenchable hunger. The first in a brand new duology from bestselling author, Curtis Jobling.

The people of Unst, Norse and Pict alike, enjoy lives of relative peace – none more so than Hilde, daughter to Jarl Frida, and Cormac, the blacksmith’s boy. Hilde yearns for a life of adventure, like the one her mother had before her, carving her name in the great sagas as a legendary shieldmaiden.

But Hilde should be careful what she wishes for. When a terrible Viking warband arrives upon the island, shrouded by an otherworldly fog and hellbent upon horror, Hilde and Cormac’s worlds are turned upside down. They bring with them terrors and secrets, the likes of which a Norse girl and a Pictish boy could never have dreamt of in their worst nightmares.

For when the Harrowed Men come raiding, there is no escape from their cruelty – or their hunger.

And no amount of blood will slake their thirst …

Penny Boxall - Letty and the Mystery of the Word Thieves - Published by Puffin (28 May 2026) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0241657478 - Paperback - Age: 8+

LONDON, OCTOBER 1775

Lettice Breech is itching to go on another adventure.

But her beloved Pa is sick, and their home is in danger. Letty needs money. She needs treasure.

So, when a mysterious socialite appears in London, promising more treasure than she can imagine, Letty finds herself embroiled in a thrilling new mystery right in her home city. Baffling poems, puzzling clues in dictionaries, and curious notes from a mysterious group known only as The Alphabetters lead Letty on a whirlwind adventure through the streets of London. And then there is - nearly – a murder . . .

Can Letty use her deductive skills to unravel the mystery of the word thieves?

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Favourite Children's/Kids Book Picks - April 2026 US Post

Brandon Mull - Forbidden Mountain - Published by Labyrinth Road (April 14, 2026) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593712047 - Deluxe Hardback - Age: 8+

READ SAMPLE. 

Every Anoran child dreams of the day they will enter the sacred bonding hut and match with a guardian—a spiritual guide who grants magically enhanced abilities. A lucky few will bond with Advocates, who promise greatness and glory. Others will be tempted by forbidden offers from the Accursed—dangerous spirits who bring nothing but destruction and a penalty of death to any Anoran who chooses them. But when Mako discovers that the worst of these agents of chaos has returned to spread an ancient evil through the empire, he faces an unthinkable choice: Will he bond with one of the Accursed to gain the power to stop another?

Halfway across the empire, Arden has no guardian and no prospects of adventure…until she infiltrates an underground criminal network to find her missing friend. Relying on her knack for sensing the truth through even the smoothest lies, Arden finds herself at the center of a sinister conspiracy that runs much deeper than she ever imagined.

Soon Mako’s and Arden’s fates collide, and together they must face bandit armies, dark secrets, and untold dangers to fight an enemy who could destroy all they’ve ever known. 

Mats Strandberg (Author), Sofia Falkenhem (Illustrator) - Frank the Monster - Published by Gecko Press (April 7, 2026) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8348027285 - Hardback - Age: 6+

Frank is nipped by a dog on his ninth birthday, and his life turns inside out. His nights are filled with mysterious dreams and eerie adventures. A wild beast is reported roaming the town after dark. 

Frightening encounters lead to Frank’s discovery that he is a shapeshifter. But he can’t understand why everyone is afraid. Even in his monster form, Frank is still a boy inside―just one who feels a strong urge to have his tummy scratched.

Forced to own his new identity, Frank learns about the town’s secret underbelly. Beneath the library live other monsters, hiding from the humans. Perhaps he has found a place to belong. 

Frank the Monster is a gripping adventure about trying to belong, with a big, warm heart.

Deva Fagan - The Delta Codex - Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers (April 14, 2026) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1665963572 - Hardback - Age: 9+ 

A girl whose subconscious contains dangerous ancient knowledge finds her voice in this gripping middle-grade sci-fi fantasy perfect for fans of Diana Wynne Jones and Scott Reintgen.

Is there safety in silence?

In the city of Danak-Tol, children known as codexes are chosen to safeguard echoes—fragments of ancient knowledge too valuable to destroy but too dangerous to use. Forbidden to speak lest she accidentally release her echo, codex Delta lives a lonely life. Still, she knows she must obey the wardens’ strict rules to keep her home safe from the vicious beasts, heretical Scrappers, and toxic blood storms that lurk beyond the city walls.

But when Delta breaks her vows to help a young girl escape a blood storm, she begins to have strange dreams, which lead her to question everything she knows to be true about herself and her city. To find answers, Delta must journey to the one place she most fears: the wasteland beyond the walls of Danak-Tol.

Together with her small but feisty mechanical companion Flick, Delta dares the perilous ruins of a long-abandoned skyship, the gullet of a ravenous sphincter worm, and even befriends a young Scrapper named Drii. But all these adventures only lead to more questions. What is the true danger that threatens her entire planet—is it really her echo, or is it the silence that has imprisoned the truth for so long?

Sarwat Chadda - Crow's Revenge (Storm Singer) - Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (April 21, 2026) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1665962476 - Hardback - Age: 8+

Nargis faces deadly new foes and the unintended consequences of bringing back the rain in this riveting middle-grade fantasy sequel to Storm Singer from Rick Riordan Presents author Sarwat Chadda. 

A year has passed since Nargis overthrew the centuries-old tyranny of the winged garudas by freeing the storm goddess Monsoon and bringing the rains back to the desert. Now, Nargis has everything she could have wished for—fame, wealth, respect. But success comes with a price, and an old foe, the crow assassin Sickle, is sharpening her talons for a piece of Nargis…literally.

Instead of waiting for Sickle to strike, Nargis and her friends journey beyond Bharat to defeat the assassin once and for all. There, Nargis discovers the price of her success. The rains she freed have brought flood and devastation to villages across the country. And the vulnerability of that desolation has drawn the fabled bat-winged rakshasas, the ancient enemies of the garudas, out of hiding—hungry for garuda blood.

With the shadow of war looming between the garudas and rakshasas, Nargis is faced with a choice—ally with the assassin sworn to end her life or watch Bharat be torn apart.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Favourite Children's Book Picks - April 2026 - UK Post

 

Alastair Chisholm - We are Dragon (I am Wolf) - Published by Nosy Crow Ltd (9 April 2026) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1805131274 - Paperback - Age: 8+ 

An outstanding, highly original and unputdownable read. Following on from I AM WOLF and I AM RAVEN, this is a bold, thought-provoking adventure perfect for fans of MORTAL ENGINES and THE LAST WILD.

Rieka’s world is on fire.

She’s lived her whole life aboard Constructs, giant mechanical creatures that battle each other for territory. Now a new enemy has swept across the land – DRAGON. And even with all the survivors united against it, Dragon is winning.

Technically brilliant, Rieka believes that she alone can turn the war. But the path she sets out on is dangerous, both for her and her friends. And all the while, there is a truth about herself she must face…

If she doesn’t, she could destroy everything she’s trying to save. See Book Review HERE!

Also written by the award-winning Alastair Chisholm:

• I Am Wolf - Shortlisted, Peters Children's Book of the Year award 2025 
• I Am Raven
• Orion Lost
• The Consequence Girl

Katharine Orton - The Traitor Moth (A Moon Realm Novel) - Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (7 April 2026) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1665982085 - Hardback - Age: 8+

A brave young moth sets off on an epic quest to save his clan and the kingdom from peril in this first book in the sweeping Moon Realm fantasy middle grade series--perfect for fans of Wilderlore and Erin Hunter's Warriors series.

Catclaw dreams that one day he will have the gift of prophecy, just like his Dreamkin ancestors. 

But many moons ago, the Dreamkins were exiled from the other noble moth clans for a crime too awful to even speak of, and their gift of prophecy was lost. No Dreamkin has seen the future in generations. So when Catclaw receives a vision telling him that all the moth clans are in terrible danger, he's branded a liar and exiled. 

Catclaw knows it's the right thing to protect his fellow moths, even if his own clan doesn't believe him, so he sets out alone on the long and treacherous journey back to Queen Adeia's Kingdom to warn them. 

But there is more to the moth clans' history than Catclaw ever knew, and the closer he gets to the kingdom, the more the danger grows.

Sophie Anderson - The House with Chicken Legs Runs Away - Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd (9 April 2026) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1803704364 - Paperback - Age: 7+ - See Book Review HERE

Brimming with fairy-tale magic, friendship and extraordinary adventure, The House with Chicken Legs Runs Away is the epic, spellbinding return to the bestselling, award-winning world of The House with Chicken Legs.

All Marinka's life, she has lived in her house with chicken legs. Running across the world on magical adventures, Marinka knows how her house is feeling, and it listens to her, too. But something is wrong. And before anyone can stop it, the house has pulled itself apart and run away. 

With her friend Benjamin and crow Jack, Marinka races after it to find answers. Travelling across far-distant lands, through new realms and magical places, Marinka must face up to her fears to save her friends. But her house might not want to stop running...

Mina Ikemoto Ghosh - Hyo and the Deep-Rooted Demon - Published by Scholastic Books (9 April 2026) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0702328961 - Paperback - Age: 12+ 

"A vividly imagined fantasy like no other. With a plot that keeps twisting, Hyo will satisfy both the mystery and anime fans alike." - Eliza Chan, author of Fathomfolk

Meet the Hakai Family Hellmakers: Purveyors of artisan hells and unlucky days to inflict upon your enemies.

They'll make it personal... But for a price!

Onogoro is in the middle of electing a new chief - but, as the deadline looms, a sword-wielding serial killer comes to town. Hyo, busy trying to solve a kidnapping mystery, soon crosses paths with the serial killer himself, who reveals a sinister conspiracy with the future of the island at stake. Promising vengeance, Hyo embarks on her strangest special commission yet - and learns more about the powers of being a Hellmaker...

* The second YA fantasy from author and illustrator Mina Ikemoto Ghosh. * This beautiful package is highly illustrated with Manga-style art. * Perfect for fans of Six of Crows, Iron Widow and Spirited Away.

ROSS MACKENZIE - THE NOWHERE EMPORIUM NEW ILLUSTRATED EDITION - BOOK COVER REVEAL + COMPETITION - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Are you ready to rediscover The Nowhere Emporium? 

Exclusive book cover reveal!

Today, we are really excited to REVEAL the stunning new book cover for Ross MacKenzie's illustrated edition. We will be sharing it here and on social media (Facebook, X, and Instagram @Enchantedbooks) to win a great prize. See below for more details.

Ross MacKenzie's beloved, Blue Peter award-winning fantasy adventure has been capturing young readers' imaginations for over a decade! Now loyal fans and new readers alike can explore the magical Emporium like never before, in this stunning new illustrated hardback edition, published 24^th September 2026.

Today, we’re excited to reveal the spectacular new book cover, illustrated by Mariano Epelbaum. Plus, enter our giveaway for the chance to win the first-ever signed copy of the new book!

Whether you’re visiting for the first time or the thousandth time, step inside the mysterious Nowhere Emporium as it arrives in Glasgow, where orphan Daniel Holmes stumbles upon it quite by accident. Before long, the 'shop from nowhere' and its owner, Mr Silver, draw Daniel into a breathtaking world of magic and enchantment.

With the help of Mr Silver's daughter Ellie, Daniel explores the Emporium's vast labyrinth of passageways and rooms -- rooms that contain wonders beyond anything Daniel has ever imagined. But when Mr Silver disappears, and a shadow from the past threatens everything, the Emporium and all its wonders begin to crumble.

Can Daniel and Ellie save their home and their friends before the Nowhere Emporium is destroyed forever?

This modern classic has been reimagined for a new generation with magical, atmospheric illustrations by Mariano Epelbaum. A unique die-cut hardback design invites readers to open the door and step inside the fantastical shop from nowhere. Just bring your imagination!

WIN THE VERY FIRST SIGNED COPY of The Nowhere Emporium illustrated edition! All you need to do to be in with a chance to win is simply like, share and comment on this or any of our social media posts. The winner will receive their prize by the end of August 2026.

If you would like to preorder a copy using this link to take you to the publisher's (DiscoverKelpies) website HERE