Garth Nix - Book Events - August 2010

Garth has not been to the UK for a few years, so he hopes lots of people will come along to these events to say hello and get books signed and so on. While the blurbs for the events often give age ranges,he say's he will not be talking about specific books or a series, in fact he will talk more generally, and typically the audiences include readers of all ages: kids, young adults, older adults, very old adults, immortals etc

 11.00am - Friday 13th August 2010

Event at Seven Stories, The Centre for Children's Books

30 Lime Street, Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 2PQ

For more information visit:

http://www.sevenstories.org.uk/events/viewarticle.php?id=1876&offset=3

10.00am - Saturday 14^th August 2010

Event in the Main Theatre at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh

For more information visit:

www.edbookfest.co.uk

6.00pm - Monday 16^th August 2010

Event at Waterstone’s, 4-5 Milsom Street, Bath , BA1 1DA

For more information visit:

http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/displayDetailEvent.do?searchType=2&store=302|WATERSTONE%27S%20BATH&sFilter=1

2.30pm - Tuesday 17^th August 2010

Event at The Forum, 2 Millennium Plain, Bethel Street, Norwich, NR2 1TF

For more information visit:

http://www.jarrold.co.uk/events-dids49.html

New Children's Book - Picks For The Month Of July 2010 - (Unreviewd Books)

Eoin Colfer - Artemis and the Atlantis Complex - Published by Puffin - 20 July 2010
ARTEMIS FOWL’S CRIMINAL WAYS HAVE FINALLY GOT THE BETTER OF HIM . . . Young Artemis has frequently used high-tech fairy magic to mastermind the most devious criminal activity of the new century. Now, at a conference in Iceland, Artemis has gathered the fairies to present his latest idea to save the world from global warming. But Artemis is behaving strangely – he seems different. Something terrible has happened to him . . . Artemis Fowl has become nice. The fairies diagnose Atlantis Complex – that’s obsessive compulsive disorder to you and me – dabbling in magic has damaged his mind. Fairy ally Captain Holly Short doesn’t know what to do. Because the subterranean volcanoes are under attack from vicious robots and Artemis cannot fight them. Can Holly get the real Artemis back before the robot probes destroy every human and life form.

Sophie Mckenzie - The Rescue ( The Medusa Project) - Published by Simon & Schuster - 8 July 2010
Fourteen years ago, four babies were implanted with the Medusa gene - a gene for psychic abilities. Now teenagers, Nico, Ketty, Ed and Dylan have been brought together by government agents to create a secret crime-fighting force: The Medusa Project. Since their existence became known to members of the criminal underworld, they have been hidden away in a secluded training camp in Spain, where their identities are being kept secret. Life in camp is hard enough, but then things take a turn for the worse. Ed is blackmailed into using his mind-reading powers - and in doing so he threatens to endanger the whole Medusa Project...

F E Higgins - The Lunatic's Curse - Published by Macmillan Children's - 2 July 2010

Deep within the heart of the Moiraean Mountains lies the town of Opum Oppidulum - home to the freezing Lake Beluarum and it's rumoured monster. An inescapable asylum stands in the centre of the lake, enclosed by the sheer cliffs of Drop Rock island. When Ambrose Grammaticus, famous inventor and master engineer, viciously attacks his own son, Rex, he is hauled to the island and imprisoned. Rex knows his evil stepmother, Acantha, is behind his father's 'madness', but how can he prove it? Only the asylum holds the answers . . .

A savage story of treachery, lunacy, greed, revenge and pure unadulterated wickedness.

Alan Gibbons - Hell's Underground 4:Witch Breed - Published by Orion Children's - 1 July 2010

When Paul arrives in 17th century London, he expects to be thrown into a life or death struggle for the three gates that imprison the ancient King Lud. But the battle doesn't come. Instead, Paul roams alone, learning how to survive in a city where all the talk is of the savage civil war that rages beyond its ramparts. Somewhere underground, Lud is waiting in his crypt, preparing to rise again. War, fear and want are his tools. But Paul too has his own weapons and is gaining strength and losing inhibitions about using it. Meanwhile, beyond the city, innocent women are being killed for it is so easy to claim that they are witches. One woman - whether innocent or guilty - possesses the only power available that can help Paul in his quest.

Catherine Webb - The Dream Thief:V4 (Horatio Lyle) - Published by ATOM - 1 July 2010

London, 1865, and young Theresa Hatch (Tess, to her friends) receives a nast surprise late at night. When Horatio finds a young girl on his doorstep, passed out, dying - apparently poisoned - he's appalled. Investigations lead to Tess's old workhouse, but a surprise visit to that sorry establishment yields more questions than answers. Only one thing is clear: something very, very bad is happening to the children in the East End. There's a mystery to be solved, sending Lyle, Thomas, Tate and - naturally - Tess out into the wilds of east London and a certain former thief's old stamping grounds. What they find is terrifying: Tess's old crowd of artful dodgers and ace pickpockets are now wandering the streets like zombies, drooling in the workhouses or plain mad in the asylum. And it isn't just affecting Tess' old crowd; children all over the area are turning up with their memories in tatters and their minds all but gone. The only clue is a name, half-whispered in fear: Old Greybags.

Garren Ewing - The Rainbow Orchid: Adventures Julius Chancer V.2 - Egmont Books - 5 July 2010

In Volume Two, the heroic Julius Chancer journeys from Europe to the Indian sub-continent as he steps up his quest for the rainbow orchid. He soon discovers that he's not the only one seeking the mystical flower: he has enemies more dangerous than he could ever have imagined. "The Rainbow Orchid" is an ambitious blend of classic storytelling, and cinematic artwork, in which adventure, historical drama and legend are seamlessly intertwined.

New Children's Book - Picks For The Month Of June 2010

Joanne Owen - The Alchemist and the Angel - Published by Orion Children's - 3 June  2010 - P/B
Everything changes for orphaned Jan when his beloved uncle, Gustav - anatomist, natural scientist and aspiring alchemist - enlists his help in a quest to create a life-generating serum. To test the serum, they must follow a set of ancient instructions and play a dangerous game of bringing the inanimate to life... When Gustav dies suddenly, it's up to Jan to continue his work - little does he know that his beautiful, calculating aunt dreams of using the serum for her own purposes - eternal life. Under the facade of her grief, she convinces Jan they must move from Vienna to Prague, and when she mysteriously disappears, Jan searches for her. In the plague-ridden ghettos and the court of the mad Emperor Rudolf, he must pit his wits against an extraordinary cast of characters and events. His only ally is Zuzana, a girl with secrets of her own. Set against the vivid backdrop of 16th century Prague and the equally breathtaking Vienna, a magical, historical adventure from a talented author.

Jane Prowse - Hattori Hachi: Stalking the Enemy - Published by Piccadilly - 1 June 2010 - P/B

A summer camp in the heart of Kielder forest that's not what it seems, a village flooded to make a reservoir, and a toiling bell that sounds underwater on dark nights to warn of a mighty war, predicted in the legend of the three Diamond Daggers - how will Hattie, Mad Dog and Neena make sense of it all?

In her second thrilling adventure, Hattie Jackson discovers more about the history that has led the underground Kataki to the point of war against her legitimate Ninjutsu family... a family so full of dark secrets, not even her parents could have predicted what's in store...

Colin Bateman - Ice Quake (SOS Adventure) - Published by Hodder Children's - 3 June 2010 - P/B
Baring Island, the Canadian Arctic.
Michael and Katya are alone, in the middle of a blizzard.
There are wolves snapping at their heels, and somewhere ahead of them, a gigantic polar bear with the taste for human blood.
They’ve come with the SOS team in search of a missing satellite, but nowthey’re just struggling to stay alive.

Simon B Nicholson - The Oldmoor Orphans and the Rodents' Revenge - Published by TicTock books - 30 June 2010 H/B
Oldmoor Hotel is a rickety hotel in the middle of a bleak, foggy moor. Two children, Ernest and Daisy, manage it because their grandmother has mysteriously disappeared. But why are the guests so odd? And what draws them to this strange and isolated hotel?
Rodents' Revenge is the first in the Oldmoor Orphans six-book series and features squirrels, a mad parrot, secret passageways and a whole load of nutty goings-on.

New Children's Book - Picks For The Month Of May 2010 - Post Two

D I Toft - Wolven: The Twilight Circus - Published by Chicken House -  3 May 2010
Book Synopsis: 
Having spent the summer dodging mutant werewolves and barking-mad scientists, Nat Carver and Woody, his shape-shifting friend, have joined the Twilight Circus of Illusion before going in search of Woody s long-lost clan. But instead the boys are caught up in a thrilling new adventure, this time against the forces of evil in the guise of a black widow vampire and her terrifying hive.

Craig Simpson - Special Operations:Wolf Squadron - Published by Corgi Children's - 27 May 2010
Book Synopsis:
Finn Gunnersen and his friends Loki and Freya are behind enemy lines once more and at the heart of a dangerous Special Ops mission. A mole has struck at the heart of HQ and is jeopardizing the entire resistance network in Holland. Meanwhile Finn's charged with providing a escort for a British Double agent in possession of critical Nazi invasion plans but with his father missing in action, he has a personal score to settle with the enemy.. 

Joanne Owen - The Alchemist and the Angel - Published by Orion - 27 May 2010
Book Synopsis: 
Everything changes for orphaned Jan when his beloved uncle, Gustav - anatomist, natural scientist and aspiring alchemist - enlists his help in a quest to create a life-generating serum. To test the serum, they must follow a set of ancient instructions and play a dangerous game of bringing the inanimate to life... When Gustav dies suddenly, it's up to Jan to continue his work - little does he know that his beautiful, calculating aunt dreams of using the serum for her own purposes - eternal life. Under the facade of her grief, she convinces Jan they must move from Vienna to Prague, and when she mysteriously disappears, Jan searches for her. In the plague-ridden ghettos and the court of the mad Emperor Rudolf, he must pit his wits against an extraordinary cast of characters and events. His only ally is Zuzana, a girl with secrets of her own. Set against the vivid backdrop of 16th century Prague and the equally breathtaking Vienna, a magical, historical adventure from a talented author.

David Calcutt - The Map of Marvels - Published by Oxford - 1 May 2010
Book Synopsis:
When Connor starts creating a map of an imaginary world for his school project he has no idea where it will lead. As he draws the outlines of the islands and the mountains, the map begins to take shape. And then there's the tower-ominous and threatening - but so necessary that without it the map would not be complete. Perhaps without the tower, the map might not even exist. But the map does exist, and so does the tower. As Connor enters the world he's created he meets others there who all have their own tale to tell. Together they travel between many worlds, on many adventures and through many stories. On their journey they encounter places and creatures beyond Connor's imagination. But he has imagined them, hasn't he? Surely this world can't be real, because if it is, his life at home must just be another story . . .

Nicola Morgan - Wasted - Walker Books - 3 May 2010
Book Synopsis:
Jack worships luck and decides his actions by the flip of a coin. No risk is too great if the coin demands it. Luck brings him Jess, a beautiful singer who will change his life. But Jack’s luck is running out, and soon the stakes are high. As chance and choice unravel, the risks of Jack’s game become terrifyingly clear. An evening of heady recklessness, and suddenly a life hangs in the balance, decided by the toss of a coin. In the end, it is the reader who must choose whether to spin that coin and determine: life or death.

New Children's Book - Picks For The Month Of May 2010 - Post One

Joseph Delaney - The Spook's Nightmare - Published by Bodley Head Children's - 27 May 2010 - H/B
Book Synopsis:
The Spook, Tom and Alice return from Greece to find the County under siege - and the Spook's home is burnt to the ground. With his precious library of knowledge destroyed, they seek refuge on the nearby island of Mona. But with Mona in the thrall of a twisted Shaman there is little respite from hostility or denizens of the dark. And as Alice dodges the ever-tightening net of the island's witch hunters, a more deadly enemy emerges...Bony Lizzie, freshly-escaped from the Spook's bonds, has grand ambitions: to take for herself the throne of isle. She has harnessed the services of a tunnel-dwelling buggane, an evil creature which thrives on stealing the animas, or life force, from its unsuspecting victims. With the buggane as her secret weapon can she become an all-powerful Witch Queen?

Mark Walden - Rouge(H.I.V.E) - Published by Bloomsbury Publishing - 3 May 2010 - P/B
Book Synopsis:
The leaders of the world's villainous forces are being picked off one by one in a series of mysterious attacks and Dr Nero is forced to take temporary control of G.L.O.V.E. when Diabolus Darkdoom is seriously injured. He then discovers that Otto, who has now been missing for several months since Dreadnought, is leading the attacks. Under pressure from the remaining members of the ruling council, Nero is left with no choice but to issue a capture or kill order for Otto. Wing learns of the order and persuades Raven to allow him to join her on her mission to retrieve Otto. Other members of the ruling council, suspicious of Nero's relationship with the boy, have initiated their own missions to eliminate Otto. Wing and Raven find themselves in a deadly race against time to track Otto down before the other G.L.O.V.E. assassins get to him. Their pursuit takes them to a secret facility hidden deep within the Amazon rainforest, where they face a mysterious operative even deadlier than Raven. Meanwhile back at H.I.V.E., the school's own automated defence systems turn against the pupils and staff. And there is no one there to stop it

Roderick Gordon & Brian Williams - Closer(Tunnels) - Published by Chicken House - 3 May 2010 - P/B
Book Synopsis:
At the centre of the Earth, in a world that no one knows exists, Will is in trouble. His enemy, the Styx, are close behind. They'll pursue him to the ends of the world - any world. Meanwhile Drake - with help from the unlikeliest of allies - is preparing to fight the Styx from above. But will his daring plan bring him closer to victory ... or to certain death?

Patrick Ness - Monsters of Men(Chaos Walking)  - Published by Walker Books - 3 May 2010 - H/B
Book Synopsis:
“War,” says the Mayor. “At last.” Three armies march on New Prentisstown, each one intent on destroying the others. Todd and Viola are caught in the middle, with no chance of escape. As the battles commence, how can they hope to stop the fighting? How can there ever be peace when they’re so hopelessly outnumbered? And if war makes monsters of men, what terrible choices await? But then a third voice breaks into the battle, one bent on revenge… The electrifying finale to the award-winning Chaos Walking trilogy, Monsters of Men is a heart-stopping novel about 
power, survival, and the devastating realities of war.

Tommy Donbavand - Scream Street 8:Attack of the Trolls - Published by Walker - 4 May 2010 - P/B
Book Synopsis:
This is the eighth crazy adventure in this hugely popular comedy horror series for ghouls and girls! Now that Luke, Resus and Cleo have learnt how to rid Scream Street of invading normals, they're keen to begin their new quest right away. First stop, Count Negatov's castle! As the trio make their way through the bleak, mucky wilds of Transylvania, it seems that this adventure will be dull, but easy. Until, that is, they're kidnapped by trolls. 'Exactly the sort of grisly, gross and hilarious stuff that kids will love!' - Eoin Colfer. 'Lightning-paced, bloodcurdling fun. I wish I'd been able to visit Scream Street as a kid!' - Darren Shan. This title includes four free collector's cards inside. Wickedly funny Scream Street website is updated regularly with competitions, short stories and new issues of Scream Street's own newspaper, "The Terror Times".

Chris Wooding - Havoc - Published by Scholastic - 3 May 2010 - P/B
Book Synopsis:
This is the eighth crazy adventure in this hugely popular comedy horror series for ghouls and girls! Now that Luke, Resus and Cleo have learnt how to rid Scream Street of invading normals, they're keen to begin their new quest right away. First stop, Count Negatov's castle! As the trio make their way through the bleak, mucky wilds of Transylvania, it seems that this adventure will be dull, but easy. Until, that is, they're kidnapped by trolls. 'Exactly the sort of grisly, gross and hilarious stuff that kids will love!' - Eoin Colfer. 'Lightning-paced, bloodcurdling fun. I wish I'd been able to visit Scream Street as a kid!' - Darren Shan. This title includes four free collector's cards inside. Wickedly funny Scream Street website is updated regularly with competitions, short stories and new issues of Scream Street's own newspaper, "The Terror Times".

Jenna Burtenshaw - Wintercraft - Published by Headline 13 May 2010 - P/B
Book Synopsis :
Ten years ago Kate Winters’ parents were taken by the High Council’s wardens to help with the country’s war effort. 
Now the wardens are back...and prisoners, including Kate's uncle Artemis, are taken south on the terrifying Night Train. Kate and her friend Edgar are hunted by a far more dangerous enemy. Silas Dane – the High Council’s most feared man – recognises Kate as one of the Skilled; a rare group of people able to see through the veil between the living and the dead. His spirit was damaged by the High Council’s experiments into the veil, and he’s convinced that Kate can undo the damage and allow him to find peace.
The knowledge Kate needs lies within Wintercraft – a book thought to be hidden deep beneath the graveyard city of Fume. But the Night of Souls, when the veil between life and death is at its thinnest, is just days away and the High Council have their own sinister plans for Kate and Wintercraft.

New Children's Book - Picks For The Month Of March 2010

We have lots of great and varied reads to offer in the month of March, there is a good selection of  interesting books. There are some particularly strong titles being published by Chicken House and Hodder Children's within this month. Interestingly, all the books mentioned are being published in paperback and no hardbacks - this is a first. I hope you manage to find a few books that entice you to read them. Love to hear any comments you may have. Thanks and enjoy.


Andrew Newbound - Demon Strike - Published By Chicken House - 1 March - (Book Pick)
Book Synopsis:
Demons from the Dark Dimension pour through a portal in the wall of Pittingham Manor, the mid-point for an attack on high. They're planning an assault. Into this chaos stumbles 12-year-old ghostbusting psychic Alannah Malarra and burglar Worley Flint. Up until now they've only ever faced tame treasure-hording ghosts, but this is something else. Their only hope is a plucky angel police patrol on a routine earth-monitoring mission. Enter Inspectre Flhi Swift and officers Yell and Gloom

Emily Diamand - Flood and Fire - Published By Chicken House -  1 March
Book Synopsis:
Flooded England, 2216 - Lilly Melkun has outwitted the bloodthirsty Reavers, who prowl the waters that cover most of England - and escaped to Cambridge. But Lilly is far from safe, because stil in her keeping is PSAI, the last hand-held computer in existence - a now malfunctioning treasure from the past. Inside the jewellike computer, is a sinister looking chip with an unknown purpose. Worse follows, when the professors of Cambridge plug it into an ancient mainframe computer setting in motion a fiery chain of events.

C.J Skuse - Pretty Bad Things - Published By Chicken House - 1 March
Book Synopsis:
SIXTEEN-YEAR OLD TWINS IN CANDY-STORE CRIME SPREE Twins, Paisley and Beau Argent are in the headlines again. Last time, they were the 'wonder twins', when as six-year-olds they were found alive in woods after three days missing following their mother's death - three days spent looking for their dad. Now at sixteen, life's not so wonderful. Out-cast and exploited by their money-grabbing grandmother they're still clueless about their dad's whereabouts. Until they discover an old letter from him. That's when they decide to hit the road - and make headlines again. Holding up fast-food joints might seem extreme but if they can get on the news, and tell their dad they need him, they might get the dream reunion they thought could happen.

Catherine Banner - Voices in the Dark - Published By Corgi Children's - 4 March
Book Synopsis:
Anselm Andros has always thought he had a normal life - confidante to his mother, Maria, confessor to his stepfather, Leo, a man haunted by the secrets of his past, and support to his sister Jasmine. But when the political landscape of Malonia starts to shift, this unassuming family begin to unravel. Even though they have spent the past fifteen years leading a quiet life, Maria and Leo's actions are forever linked to the turbulent history of Malonia and its parallel world, modern-day England. The voices from the past still echo in the present and Anselm must pull all the pieces together - whatever the cost.

Garth Nix - Lord Sunday( The Keys to the Kingdom) - Published By HarperCollins - 4 March
Book Synopsis:
In this seventh and last book of THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM, the mysteries of the House, the Architect, the Trustees, the Keys and the Will are revealed, and the fate of Arthur, our Earth, and the entire Universe is finally decided. Arthur has wrested the Sixth Key from Superior Saturday, but has fallen from the Incomparable Gardens; fallen not to the Upper House but to somewhere completely unexpected. Alone in enemy territory, as his mind and body are further transformed by the power of the Keys, Arthur must struggle with himself as much as with his many enemies. Meanwhile, Arthur's friend Suzy Blue plots an escape from her prison in Saturday's tower, as battle rages above and below. Saturday's elite force is pressing on into the Incomparable Gardens, while her massed sorcerers fight a desperate rear-guard action against the Piper and his Newnith army. On earth, Leaf has to cope with the aftermath of a nuclear strike. Responsible for all the Sleepers in Friday's private hospital, she needs all the help she can get, particularly as Leaf herself has become a target for intruders from the House. And the tide of Nothing continues to rise, destroying everything in its path ...

Chris Bradford - The Way of the Dragon(Young Samurai) - Published By Puffin - 4 March
Book Synopsis:
June 1613. Japan is threatened with war and Jack is facing his greatest battle yet. Samurai are taking sides and, as the blood begins to flow, Jack’s warrior training is put to the ultimate test. His survival – and that of his friends – depends upon him mastering the Two Heavens, the secret sword technique of the legendary samurai Masamoto Takeshi. But first Jack must recover his father’s prize possession from the deadly ninja Dragon Eye. Can Jack defeat his ruthless enemy? Or will the ninja complete his mission to kill the young samurai . . .

William Hussey - Witchfinder:Dawn of the Demontide -(Witchfinders) - Published By OUP - 4 March
Book Synopsis - See Book Review 
The first in a terrifying trilogy, read on if you dare: Jake could now see the demon fully. Its body was a mass of steely sinew, its arms roped with muscle. Six fingers sprouted from its hands, each ending in lethal talons. The thing did not possess a nose; instead a large hole, bubbling with green mucus, occupied the middle of its face. Mr Pinch's tongue flickered between his teeth and slurped across his fat lips. He was hungry. When a violent storm rages around the little village of Hobarron's Hollow, a young boy is sacrificed 'for the greater good'. His blood is used to seal a mystical doorway and prevent an apocalyptic disaster known only as the Demontide. Twenty-five years later, another boy, Jake Harker, is about to be drawn into the nightmare of the Demontide. Witches and their demon familiars stalk his every move, and his dreams are plagued by visions of a 17th Century figure known only as the Witchfinder. When his father is abducted, Jake must face the terrible secrets kept by those closest to him and a shocking truth that will change his life 
forever . . .

Malinda Lo - Ash -  Published By Hodder Children's Books - 4 March  -  (Book Pick)
Book Synopsis:
In the world of ASH, fairies are an older race of people who walk the line between life and death, reality and magic. As orphaned Ash grows up, a servant in her stepmother’s home, she begans to realise that her beloved mother, Elinor was very much in tune with these underworld folk, and that she herself has the power to see them too. Against the sheer misery of her stepmother's cruelty, greed and ambition in preparing her two charrmless daughters for presentation at court, and hopefully Royal or aristocratic marriage, Ash  befriends one of these fairies–a mysterious, handsome man–who grants her wishes and restores hope to Ash's existence, even though she knows there will be a price to pay. But most important of all, she also meets Kaisa, a huntress employed by the king, and it is Kaisa who truly awakens Ash’s desires for both love and self-respect...Ash escapes a life with her grim and self-serving stepmother and finds her beloved one...
ASH is a fairy tale about possibility and recognizing the opportunities for change. From the deepest grief comes the chance for transformation.

Robert Williams - Luke and John - Published By Faber and Faber - 18 March

Book Synopsis:

Luke's mum is dead. He finds himself in a small, scruffy northern hill town, with a near silent father, who he fears might be trying to drink himself to death. Then he meets Jon. Jon is massively strange. He wears 1950s clothes, has a side-parting and a twitch. The kids at school call him 'Slackjaw'. When Luke discovers his secret, Jon changes his life in more ways than he can imagine. Luke and Jon is a coming of age novel about family, bereavement and how lives can change forever in a single second. Written with great power, warmth and humour, it signals a hugely engaging and original new voice. Compelling and emotionally acute, it is a unique debut.

Annemarie Allan - Ushig - Published By Floris Books - 25 March

Book Synopsis:

 Ellen whistled again and repeated the old rhyme Aunt Marian had taught her. 'I call you once. I call you twice. I call you three times over'. Surely in a place as beautiful as this, anything that answered her call was bound to be friendly. While exploring a small loch above the village of Aldhammer with her brother Davie, Ellen repeats a childish rhyme to call something to her. What arrives is an ancient being with the ability to shapeshift and the power to destroy. Ushig is a kelpie, a water wraith, and his intentions are anything but pure. Dragged into a dark, parallel world, inhabited by the creatures of Scottish legend, Ellen must pitch her wits against primeval magic. Can she outsmart the predatory Queen of the Night? And what does Ushig stand to gain? Another unique and gripping tale from Annemarie Allan, presenting an innovative spin on characters from Scottish folklore in a very modern manner. If you thought you knew the story of the kelpie - think again!

Waterstone's Children's Book Prize Short List 2010

• Flyaway by Lucy Christopher - Published By Chicken House
• In this touching novel for ages 10+, Lucy Christopher explores the remarkable bond between a young girl, a boy and a damaged wild bird - a relationship that will touch everyone who reads it. While visiting her father in hospital, thirteen-year-old Isla meets Harry, the first boy to understand her and her love of the outdoors. But Harry is ill, and as his health fails, Isla is determined to help him in the only way she knows how. Together they watch a lone swan struggling to fly on the lake outside Harry's window. 

• The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh - Published By Chicken House - See Book Review
• It's 1347 and fifteen-year-old Will, an orphan boy, lives at Crowfield Abbey. Sent into the forest to gather wood, he rescues instead, a creature from a trap - a hob, who shares with Will a terrible secret. Somewhere in the forest behind the abbey where he lives,is a grave. And buried deep in the snow is an angel. But how can an angel die? What has it to do with the monks of the Abbey? When two hooded strangers arrive at Crowfield asking questions about the angel's grave. Will is drawn into a world of dangerous Old

• The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester - Published By Macmillan
• Piper McCloud can fly. Just like that. Easy as pie. Problem is, the good folk of Lowland County are afraid of Piper. And her ma’s at her wits' end. So it seems only fitting that she leave her parents’ farm to attend a top-secret, maximum-security school for kids with exceptional abilities, whose skills range from super-strength to super-genius. But Piper is special, even among the special. And there are consequences. Consequences too dire to talk about. Too crazy to consider. And too dangerous to ignore.
• 
  
  By turns exhilarating and terrifying, an unforgettable story of defiance and courage starring an irrepressible heroine who can, who will, who must . . . fly.
  
  
  

• Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur  - Published By Puffin
• Something terrible has happened. Eleven-year-old Aubrey is on her own. ‘It was fun at first, playing house. Nothing to think about but TV and cheese. A perfect world.Â’ SheÂ’s determined to hide away and take care of herself, because facing the truth is too much to bear. ‘I couldnÂ’t let anyone know that I was alone. I was staying right here.Â’ But with the love of her grandmother and the letters she writes, can Aubrey begin to see that even though sheÂ’s lost everything – all is not lost?

• The Seven Sorcerers by Caro King -  Published By Quercus - See Book Review
• Nin had never liked Wednesdays, but this one took the biscuit. On this Wednesday she woke up to find that it was raining buckets and that her brother had ceased to exist. Nin realizes she is the only person to remember Toby because whoever took him is about to make her disappear too. Enter Skerridge the Bogeyman, who steals kids for Mr. Strood. With his spindle, he draws all memories of Nin out of her mother's head. She escapes to the Drift, a land filled with the fabulous and the dreadful. What is the sorcerers' secret and will Nin and Toby escape their fate at the House of Strood?

• The Toymaker by Jeremy De Quidt - Published By David Fickling
• What good is a toy that will wind down? What if you could put a heart in one? A real heart. One that beat and beat and didn't stop. What couldn't you do if you could make a toy like that? From the moment Mathias becomes the owner of a mysterious piece of paper, he is in terrible danger. Entangled in devious plots and pursued by the sinister Doctor Leiter and his devilish toys, Mathias finds himself on a quest to uncover a deadly secret.

• Meteorite Strike by A.G. Taylor - Published By Usborne - See Book Review
• Sarah and Robert are sure their number is up when their aeroplane crashes over the Australian desert. But this is no ordinary air disaster. A meteorite strike has impacted Earth, bringing with it a deadly alien disease. Thousands fall victim to the virus, falling into a deep coma. Luckily, Robert and Sarah appear to be unaffected - until they begin to exhibit some extraordinary psychic side-effects. This quickly makes them a target for HIDRA, a rogue international agency determined to experiment on them like lab rats in an attempt to control their superpowers. Before long, the children are captured in HIDRA's secret desert HQ, a prison for superhuman kids who can control fire, create storms and tear steel with their minds. This new generation of superheroes must join forces if they are to escape HIDRA. But what kind of world awaits them outside?

• The Great Hamster Massacre by Katie Davies. - Published By Simon & Schuster
• A very natural and honest version of life's events from the perspective of a young girl - from her suspicions about her neighbours, to her rocky friendship with the girl next door; from the sudden death of her beloved granny to her relentless quest for a pet hamster, only to then find it mysteriously slaughtered - which kickstarts a local investigation of 'suspects'. This is the first in a proposed series of short novels featuring the same characters and setting - with the themes of pets and detective work holding them together.

• Desperate Measures by Laura Summers - Published By Piccadilly Press 
• Vicky and Rhianna are twins but they couldn’t be more different. For their fourteenth birthday, Vicky wants a card from the hottest boy in school. Rhianna, brain-damaged at birth, wants a Furby. Instead they get a nasty shock – their foster parents can’t cope and it looks as if Vicky and Rhianna and their younger brother Jamie will have to be split up. How can they stay together? Desperate times call for desperate measures…

  Do you have your favorite?


Goog luck to you all! The winner will be announced on Wednesday 10 February.