Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books - Book Cover Wars + Voters Competition - Round THREE 2020/2021

Before we close the doors for the last time on Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books, we like to take the opportunity to thank you all for the support you have shown us in the last twelve years or so. It has been a hard and very sad decision to make as it has been a fantastic journey and one that I've enjoyed very much. However, we would like to do one more fantasy tango with Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover Wars. It's been a highlight for many years so let us go out with a BANG or maybe just a fizz! 

We are looking to find your favourite book cover ONCE again for 2020/2021. We do this to support the creative heroes of the children's book world; the illustrators and the creative teams behind all the books we love. So, please share this exciting adventure with your friends and followers on social media #bookcoverwars. Everyone is welcome so come and vote and share the FUN. 

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover War Rules: There will be five weekly heats (Two after this one)  with five book covers to vote for. All heat winners will make the grand final plus one more book cover (Wild Card Entry) with the highest amount votes will go through from any of the heats.

As a voter, not only will you get the chance to choose your favourite book cover, but you will also be in with the chance to win a prize each week. This week's prize is a £10 National Book Token (the UK only). Please leave a comment to show your interest. Good luck and let's all have some fun. 

• Round One Winner: Elle McNicoll - A Kind of Spark Illustrated by Kay Wilson - Published by Knights Of (4th June 2020)
• Round Two Winner: Nizrana Farook - The Boy Who Met a Whale - Illustrated by David Dean - Published by Nosy Crow (14th Jan 2021)

If you are interested then all you need to do is:

• Vote for your favourite book cover using the poll - HERE  (or at the bottom of the post)
• Leave a comment through this post or poll - HERE (or at the bottom of the post)
• Have fun, share, and tell the world or just a friend. Tweet, Facebook, Instagram and watch the voting develop, and wait to hear whether you've won (once the poll has closed). 
• This poll will end on 1. 12. 2020 at Midnight UK time. 

So here are the FIVE brilliant book covers to vote for this week:

BOOK ONE: Katya Balen - October, October - Illustrated by Angela Harding - Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books (17 Sept. 2020) - VOTE HERE

BOOK TWO: K. L. Kettle  - The Boy I Am - Illustrated by Thomas Truong - Published by Stripes Publishing (7 Jan. 2021) - VOTE HERE 

BOOK THREE: Lindsay Galvin - Darwin's Dragons - Illustrated by Gordy Wright - Published by Chicken House (7 Jan. 2021) - VOTE HERE

BOOK FOUR: M. G. Leonard & Sam Sedgman - Murder on the Safari Star - Illustrated by Elisa Paganelli - Published by Macmillan Children's Books (4 Feb. 2021) - VOTE HERE 

BOOK FIVE: Jack Meggitt-Philips - The Beast and the Bethany - Illustrated by Isabelle Follath - Published by Egmont (1 Oct. 2020) - VOTE HERE

HAPPY VOTING! #Bookcoverwars 

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books - Book Cover Wars + Voters Competition - Round TWO 2020/2021

 Before we close the doors for the last time on Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books, we like to take the opportunity to thank you all for the support you have shown us in the last twelve years or so. It has been a hard and very sad decision to make as it has been a fantastic journey and one that I've enjoyed very much. However, we would like to do one more fantasy tango with Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover Wars. It's been a highlight for many years so let us go out with a BANG or maybe just a fizz! 

We are looking to find your favourite book cover ONCE again for 2020/2021. We do this to support the creative heroes of the children's book world; the illustrators and the creative teams behind all the books we love. So, please share this exciting adventure with your friends and followers on social media #bookcoverwars. Everyone is welcome so come and vote and share the fun. 

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover War Rules:There will be five weekly heats with five book covers to vote for. All heat winners will make the grand final plus one more book cover (Wild Card Entry) with the highest amount votes will go through from any of the heats.

As a voter, not only will you get the chance to choose your favourite book cover, but you will also be in with the chance to win a prize each week. This week's prize is a £10 National Book Token (the UK only). Please leave a comment to show your interest. Good luck and let's all have some fun. 

Congratulations: Round One Winner: Elle McNicoll - A Kind of Spark - Illustrated by Kay Wilson - Published by Knights Of (4th June 2020)

If you are interested then all you need to do is:

• Vote for your favourite book cover using the poll - HERE  (or at the bottom of the post)
• Leave a comment through this post or poll - HERE (or at the bottom of the post)
• Have fun, share, and tell the world. Tweet, Facebook and watch the voting develop, and wait to hear whether you've won (once the poll has closed). 
• This poll will end on 23.11.2020 at Midnight UK time. 

So here are the FIVE brilliant book covers to vote for this week:

BOOK ONE: Phil Hickes - The Haunting of Aveline Jones - Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd (17 Sept. 2020) - Illustrated by Keith Robinson - VOTE HERE

BOOK TWO: Nizrana Farook - The Boy Who Met a Whale - Published by Nosy Crow Ltd (14 Jan. 2021) - Illustrated by David Dean - VOTE HERE

BOOK THREE: Dan Smith - The Invasion of Crooked Oak - Published by Barrington Stoke (3 Sept. 2020) - Illustrated by Chris King - VOTE HERE

BOOK FOUR: Eve McDonnell - Elsetime - Published by Everything with Words (17 Sept. 2020) - Illustrated by Holly Ovenden - VOTE HERE

BOOK FIVE: P.G. Bell - Delivery to the Lost City (The Train to Impossible Places) - Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd (7 Jan. 2021) - Illustrated by Flavia Sorrentino - VOTE HERE

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books - Lockdown Book Cover Wars - Round One 2020/2021

Before we close the doors for the last time on Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books, we like to take the opportunity to thank you all for the support you have shown us in the last twelve years or so. It has been a hard and very sad decision to make as it has been a fantastic journey and one that I've enjoyed very much. However, we would like to do one more fantasy tango with Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover Wars. It's been a highlight for many years so let us go out with a BANG or maybe just a fizz! 

We are looking to find your favourite book cover ONCE again for 2020/2021. We do this to support the creative heroes of the children's book world; the illustrators and the creative teams behind all the books we love. So, please share this exciting adventure with your friends and followers on social media #bookcoverwars. Everyone is welcome so come and vote and share the fun. 

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover War Rules:

There will be five weekly heats with five book covers to vote for. All heat winners will make the grand final plus one more book cover (Wild Card Entry) with the highest amount votes will go through from any of the heats.

As a voter, not only will you get the chance to choose your favourite book cover, but you will also be in with the chance to win a prize each week. This week's prize is a £10 National Book Token (the UK only). Please leave a comment to show your interest. Good luck and let's all have some fun. 

If you are interested then all you need to do is:

• Vote for your favourite book cover using the poll - HERE 
• Leave a comment through this post or poll - HERE
• Have fun, watch the voting develop, and wait to hear whether you've won (once the poll has closed). 
• This poll will end on 15.11.2020 at Midnight UK time. 

So here are the FIVE brilliant book covers to vote for this week:

BOOK ONE: Christopher Edge - Space Oddity - Published by Chicken House (7 Jan. 2021) - Illustrated by Ben Mantle/Steve Wells. VOTE HERE

BOOK TWO: Philip Caveney - The Sins of Allie Lawrence - Published by Fledgling Press (30 Nov. 2020) -  Illustrated by Yvonne Gilbert - VOTE HERE

BOOK THREE: Jaclyn Moriarty -  The Slightly Alarming Tale of The Whispering Wars - Published by Guppy Books (1 Oct. 2020) - Illustrated by Karl James Mountford - VOTE HERE

BOOK FOUR: Hana Tooke - The Unadoptables - Published by Puffin (23 Jul. 2020) - Illustrated by Ayesha L. Rubio - VOTE HERE

BOOK FIVE: Elle McNicoll - A Kind of Spark - Published by Knights Of ( 4 Jun 2020) - Illustrated by Kay Wilson - VOTE HERE

HAPPY VOTING ALL! 

Author Interview with Joan Haig - Tiger Skin Rug - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books

                                                           

Welcome to the amazing interview with debut author Joan Haig. Her book, Tiger Skin Rug, was published in January by (Pokey Hat Children's Books) Cranachan Publishing. It takes readers on a magical journey from a Scottish village to an Indian mountain and from the back streets of London to the palaces and sewers of Mumbai. The story brilliantly explores the power of legends whilst also focusing on themes such as families, friendship and forgiveness. 

The following interview considers the origins and the inspirations behind this incredible story. You'll also get an opportunity to find out more about the author's life. It is hoped that this will encourage you to read and purchase this wonderful book. If you would like to support an Independent Publisher and Debut Author then please follow this LINK

We hope you enjoy!

Fly into the night. What adventure can we expect when we start to read Tiger Skin Rug?

A wild one! The children – brothers Lal and Dilip and their new friend Jenny – set out to help keep an old promise. Their adventure features the London underground, Coventry backstreets and Mumbai rooftops. There’s also a riddle, a street fight, and a villain… and a magical tiger.

The book has a cultural feeling with settings in England, Scotland, and India. How did you make these different places work together to make the plot feel grounded and realistic?

The children visit the sites they do for reasons specific to the plot, but also because I wrote about places and cultures I know. I moved to Scotland from a warm climate when I was a young girl. Lal’s first impressions of the country (and of Coventry and London) are not dissimilar to my own. Similarly, I needed Lal to see things about India that he might not have noticed when he’d lived there – I drew on memories, letters and diaries from living in India as a teenager. In some ways, the different settings work together to show that you can find the familiar in unfamiliar places.

Is there a message in the book you would like readers to connect with?

Most of all, I would like readers to enjoy the adventure. If by the end they’ve gained a connection to one of the characters, paused to reflect on the tiger’s narrative, or are moved by the way the story resolves, I’d be tickled pink. I don’t expect all readers will connect with the same message, though; in my debut-author dreamworld, readers return and see something new each time.

What/who inspired you to write this book?

My Auntie Lilian, the best storyteller in all the lands. She was always going to write about a mysterious tiger skin rug. Her story was stolen by dementia before she told it to anyone. In 2015 after a diagnosis of thyroid cancer, I retreated to Moniack Mhor for a creative writing course; I wanted to write something for my children, who inspire me every day. Auntie Lilian’s story (or its kernel) was stolen again – this time, by me.

What ingredients do you think makes a great book for children but will also be loved by adults?

Ooh, tricky Q. I don’t know if there are any set ingredients, but the right kind of humour is great if you have it to hand. There’s the humour that works on two different levels, but for me the best kind provokes genuine laughter on the same level for everyone. Another ingredient is relatability – in a good book, readers will relate to characters as they do to real-life people, and that isn’t always determined by age. Characters needn't even be the same species. (I’m thinking here of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, or my other five-star rodent read, The World According to Humphrey.) And, of course, sometimes the magic ingredient is... magic (1 tbsp or thereabouts, sprinkled lightly).

Do you think reading for pleasure helps you become the author you are?

I can only speak for myself, but yes. Reading for pleasure has made me the person I am. My childhood in Zambia included packages from Scotland of ‘Storyteller’ audio cassette tapes with read-along magazines; I boarded a flight to India after reading Vikram Seth’s A Suitable Boy as a teenager; Graham Greene and a posse of poets let me cry on their shoulders throughout university; and a friend who knows me well brought Diana Wynne Jones’s Howl’s Moving Castle to my hospital bedside. I like to read new books, and widely, but I think it’s been helpful to me as a writer to examine what it is that has made those old favourites stick.

We love the book cover for Tiger Skin Rug. Do you think the book cover plays an important part? 

Very much so – it makes the book stand out before anyone’s even opened it, and it looks awesome on the tables of well-known bookshops 😉 It won the 2019 #BookCoverWars against some seriously tough competition. What makes this contest extra special is that it is open to all. My small Scottish publisher got to compete with its top-notch cover work against some giants in the world of children’s literature. Small publishers are usually priced out of contests; we’re hugely grateful for the inclusivity of the #BookCoverWars. (P.S. The tiger's eyes shine!)

You are taking part in the WriteMentor summer program. Would you like to tell us a little more about that? 

Yes, please! It’s a fabulous scheme set up to support new and aspiring writers. Successful applicants are buddied with a published or agented author who works with them on their manuscript for a YA or children’s novel. The window for applications is 15-17 April. To learn more about my mentoring preferences and promises, please take a look at my website: www.joanhaigbooks.com. Let’s shine this summer with #WriteMentor!

What role do you think books can have in helping adults and children through this current situation and beyond?

Such a positive one. Books give us comfort, reassurance, prompts for tricky topics, and opportunities to look at our situation in different ways and walk in other people’s shoes. You can travel and connect across spaces and cultures in books – EVEN during lockdown! Books are portals to other worlds: we need to make sure everyone can access them, and we need to keep them open. Always.

What are you working on at the moment? 

A children’s illustrated nonfiction book with author Joan Lennon for Templar/Bonnier (out in 2021). I can’t wait! I’m also chiselling away at my children’s fiction. At the moment it’s a giant writer’s block – but inside there’s an adventure story about island cats, a storm and a secret (shh!). 

CONGRATULATIONS - FINAL WINNER OF MR RIPLEY'S BOOK COVER WARS 2018/19

Mr Ripley's book cover wars final 2018/19 has now come to an exciting end. After four cracking heats, we now have another fantastic winner ....... 

I would like to thank all the people who have supported the book cover wars. I hope that you have enjoyed it as much as we have. It's been very exciting and very nail-biting.  I would like to thank everyone who has taken part and supported this long-running competition. Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover Wars was started to give credit to the unsung heroes of some of our favourite book covers and the creative teams behind them. I hope we've done that HERE. 

Altogether, over 1,600 votes were cast over five weeks. Thank you all once again FOR VOTING. The winner of the £10 Book Voucher and the Book will be announced on Twitter. 

Anyway, without further ado, I'd like to award the title of 'Mr Ripley's Book Cover Wars - Book Cover of the year 2018/19' to . . . . . . .    

Vashti Hardy - 'Brightstorm: A Sky-Ship Adventure' - Book Cover illustrated by George Ermos 

Many congratulations to the winner. This book cover will be placed in the Mr Ripley's Hall of Fame where it will accompany the following worthy past winners:

2009/10 - Jon Mayhew 'Mortlock' 

2010/11 - Darren Shan 'Birth of a Killer' illustrated by David Wyatt

2011/12 - Curtis Jobling ''Werewolf: Shadow of the Hawk' illustrated by Andrew Farley

2012/13 - Thomas Taylor - 'Haunters' illustrated by Steve Wells 

2013/14 - Niel Bushnell - 'Timesmith' - illustrated by James Fraser 

2014/15  - M. G. Harris/Gerry Anderson's - 'Gemini Force One' Black Horizon by Blacksheep. 
2015/16 -  M. G. Leonard - 'Beetle Boy' - illustrated by Julia Sarda 

2016/17 - Roderick Gordon - 'Summerhouse Land' - Book Cover by Stanley Donwood

Mr Ripley's Book Cover Wars Final 2018/19 + Book Voucher +Diary of a Wimpy Kid Competition

Hello Everybody. Are you ready for the final of Mr Ripley's Book Cover Wars?

Over the last four weeks, different authors, illustrators and publishers have battled for their book covers to be voted into the grand final. As a result, we now have five worthy winners who have the chance to be crowned with the title 'Mr Ripley's Enchanted book cover of the year'. So without any further waiting, let the final battle of Book Cover Wars commence . . . . 

As a voter, not only will you get the chance to choose your favourite book cover, but you will also be in with the chance to win a different special book/gift voucher each week. This week is the chance to win a £10 Book Voucher and a first edition book of the new Jeff Kineney Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown. 

If you are interested then all you need to do is:

• Vote for your favourite book cover using the poll 
• Leave a comment through this post or poll - HERE
• Mention it on Twitter/Facebook share any place you like!  #BOOKCOVERWARS 
• Sit back, watch the voting develop and wait to hear whether you've won (once the poll has closed).
• This poll will end 26th November 2018 at midnight UK time. 

Here we have the five book covers to vote for this week:

Book One: Nick Cook -  Fractured Light - Published by Voice from the Clouds (20 Aug. 2018) - Book Cover Illustrated by Ryan Schwarz

Book Two: Sophie Green - Potkin and Stubbs - Illustrated by Karl Mountford - Published by Piccadilly Press (7 Mar. 2019)

Book Three: Vashti Hardy - Brightstorm: A Sky-Ship Adventure - Published by Scholastic (1 Mar. 2018) - Book Cover Illustration by George Ermos

Book Four: Liz Flanagan - Dragon Daughter - Illustrated by Angelo Rinaldi - Published by David Fickling (4 Oct. 2018)

Book Five: P. G. Bell - The Train to Impossible Places - Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd (4 Oct. 2018) - Cover Illustration By Flavia Sorrentino 

HAPPY VOTING EVERYBODY! #BOOKCOVERWARS

Mr Ripley's New Book Cover Wars Heat FOUR 2018/19 + Matt Haig & Chris Mould - The Truth Pixie Signed Book Competition

We have now come to the end of week three.....

Congratulations to our previous heat winners, 

Heat One: P. G. Bell 'The Train to Impossible Places'. Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd (4 Oct. 2018) with the Book Cover Illustration By Flavia Sorrentino. - 65 Votes

Heat Two: Sophie Green - 'Potkin & Stubbs'. Published by Piccadilly Press (7 Mar. 2019) with the Book Cover Illustration by Karl James Mountford - 128 Votes

Heat Three: Vashti Hardy - Brightstorm: A Sky-Ship Adventure - Published by Scholastic (1 Mar. 2018) - Book Cover Illustration by George Ermos - 88 Votes

Heat Three: The winner of the £10 Book Voucher is -  Mrs Lenbob - Congratulations!

This week is the fourth heat (four altogether) of the Book Cover Wars. For any follower of this site, I am going to select another five book covers for you to vote from. The winner of this heat will then go forward to the final round and get a chance to be crowned as 'Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover Winner 2018/19'.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover War Rules are as follows: 

• There will be four weekly heats with five book covers to vote for.
• One heat winner each week will make the grand final. 
• The book cover with the most votes from the other four heats as the highest runner-up will also be entered into the final. 

As a voter, not only will you get the chance to choose your favourite book cover, but you will also be in with the chance to win a different special book/gift voucher each week. This week is the chance to win a first edition Double signed a copy of Matt Haig & Chris Mould - The Truth Pixie, a fantastic read...

If you are interested then all you need to do is:

• Vote for your favourite book cover using the poll 
• Leave a comment through this post or poll - HERE
• Mention it on Twitter/Facebook share any place you like!  #BOOKCOVERWARS 
• Sit back, watch the voting develop and wait to hear whether you've won (once the poll has closed).
• This poll will end 12th November 2018 at midnight UK time. 

So here are the five book covers to vote for this week:

Book One: Nick Cook -  Fractured Light - Published by Voice from the Clouds (20 Aug. 2018) - Book Cover Illustrated by Ryan Schwarz

Book Two: Amy Wilson - Snowglobe - Published by Macmillan Children's Books (18 Oct. 2018) - Book Cover Illustration by Helen Crawford-White 

Book Three: Candy Gourlay - Bone Talk - Published by David Fickling Books (2 Aug. 2018) - Book Cover Illustration by Kerby Rosanes

Book Four: Philip Reeve - Night Flights - Published by Scholastic (5 July 2018) - Book Cover Illustration by Ian McQue

Book Five: Jarrett Lerner - REVENGE OF THE ENGINERDS? - Published by Aladdin Paperbacks (19 Feb. 2019) - Book Cover Illustration by Serge Seidlitz



HAPPY VOTING EVERYBODY! #BOOKCOVERWARS