Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Favourite Children's Book Picks - APRIL 2025 UK

 

Soman Chainani (Author), Joel Gennari (Illustrator) - Coven - Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books (10 April 2025) -ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0008734749 - Paperback - Age: 9+ (Graphic Novel)

Need your magical crime solved?

Call the Witch Coven.

Hester, Anadil, and Dot are legendary across the Endless Woods as vigilante detectives and protectors of the peace. The famed trio are not only talented witches, but also ride-or-die friends who’ve never left a case unsolved.

That is, until the Coven answers a call for help from a mysterious new world―Red Isle, where the Light and Dark Lands are on the brink of all-out war, each blaming the other for a grim spree of deaths. Now the Coven must work together and unmask the killer before Red Isle tears itself apart. Little do they know: the real enemy might be hiding in plain sight …

Anna Kemp (Author), David Wyatt (Illustrator) - The Howling Mountain (A Goblyn Wood Adventure Vol3) - Published by Simon & Schuster Children's UK (24 April 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1398503960 - Paperback - Age: 8+

Looming ahead of them, black against the darkening sky, was the rocky bulk of a mountain . . . brave the perilous heights and fulfill the prophecy. Will you climb the Howling Mountain?

Hazel and Portunia have discovered that the plan to steal magic, involving an alliance between the Fae and the humans, is bigger than they could have ever imagined - and every day more and more children are disappearing.

To save Goblyn Wood, Hazel must climb to the Howling Mountain and retrieve the fabled Fairy Axe. She will be tested again and again on her journey. Can she fulfill the prophecy of the slipskin before the magic of Goblyn Wood is gone forever?

The spectacular conclusion to this imaginative fantasy world by Waterstones prize-shortlisted author Anna Kemp perfect for fans of Nevermoor and Podkin One-Ear!

Georgia Channon - The Curse of the Silvan Oaks - Published by Pushkin Children's Books (10 April 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1782695011 - Paperback - Age: 6+

May the moon light your way...

All is not well in the kingdom of Silvanland. The ancient feud between Queen Titania and King Oberon has turned into a merciless war, and a deadly curse festers in the sacred woods.

When young Prince Cory is kidnapped by Oberon's ruthless soldiers, the Silvan forces think all hope is lost. But fate has other plans. In the mortal world, hidden away in an old oak tree, there lies a portal. And through this portal a girl called Oli will soon fall. Her arrival in the magical land will change everything...

S.A Reyhani - A Sequence of Cosmic Accidents - Published by Rock the Boat (3 April 2025) -ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0861548774 - Paperback - Age: 9+ 

A National Book Tokens 'best new children's books of 2025' pick

 The universe makes no mistakes…

Twelve-year-old Arian never wanted a foster sister, much less the weird and annoying one who has joined his family. From her outlandish outfits and bizarre behaviour to her claim that the random stick she carries is a magical weapon, Madlock is creeping Arian out. There’s just one thing the pair can agree on: that she’s from another planet. Of course, Arian never meant literally…

When Madlock summons a portal to another world, Arian is launched into an adventure of intergalactic proportions. For an ancient enemy is stirring in the shadows, and the universe has a bigger plan for them than the pair could ever have imagined.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Favourite Children's Book Picks - MARCH 2025 UK

 

Jessie Burton - Hidden Treasure - Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books (13 Mar. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1526604569 - Hardback - Age: 8+

For the people who live on the banks of the Thames, the river is a living, breathing thing. It can take your treasures. It can hide your treasures. And, sometimes, it can give them back.

Bo and Billy are two children who have never met. Billy is an orphan. Bo's dad died when she was small and now her brother is off to war. Both children are poor, but they have each found half of a priceless treasure, given up by the river. A treasure which - when the pieces are reunited - holds the power to give back to one of them the most precious thing they have ever lost.

But should the treasure be put back together again? And why has the river given it up now?

For fans of Katherine Rundell and Philip Pullman's The Ruby in the Smoke, Hidden Treasure is a classic in the making, with a rip-roaring plot, spine-tingling twists and an unforgettable cast of characters.

Pádraig Kenny - AFTER - Published by Walker Books (6 Mar. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1529517804 - Paperback - Age: 9+ 

The Last of Us meets Wall-E in this post-apocalyptic tale of family, hope and survival from a multi-award-winning author

Jen and her father are making their way across a deserted world after a technological collapse brought civilization as people knew it to an end. The Flood took out all all technology, but also many people who were connected to a central information hive. Those who are left behind must find each other and build a new life. But Jen's father isn't related to her by blood – he is a human-appearing AI, a glitch in the system, and a secret that must be kept, even from those she wishes she could trust...

Exploring themes of what it means to be human, the value of every individual and where true danger lies – in our technological creations, or the ones who create them – this is a powerful and hopeful dystopian adventure for readers age 9+

Humza Arshad & Henry White, Aleksei Bitskoff (Illustrator) - Little Badman and the Game of Nightmares - Published by Puffin (13 Mar. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0241509302 - Paperback - Age: 7+ 

Virtual reality takes on a new meaning in the next laugh-out-loud Little Badman adventure. Perfect for fans of Tom Gates and Planet Omar.

Humza’s life finally feels . . . normal. Aliens aren’t trying to kill him, zombies aren’t trying to eat him, there are no crazy spy missions on the horizon and certainly no mutant hamsters. So why does he still feel stressed? Enter Aisha Mariam Shah a.k.a the girl Humza is desperate to impress.

To get Aisha’s attention, Humza enters the science fair with his friends Wendy and Umer, and it soon looks like they have a real shot at winning. But Alan, their jealous classmate, has other ideas. He has his eyes on Aisha and the science fair prize too, and he’s determined to halt his nemeses in their tracks.

Using his invention, Alan traps the friends in a simulation. The only way to escape? Through a series of nightmare video game challenges. Luckily Humza is an expert gamer . . . or so he thought. Might teamwork hold the answer this time?

M . A . Willows - The Wolf Hunter and The Snap - Published by Independently published (3 Mar. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8312864045 - Paperback - Age: 12+ 

The Wolf Hunter and The Snap – A Haunting Tale of Survival and Horror

Something is wrong with Oliver.

It started the night he and his friends—Alissa and Tim—broke into The House, a crumbling ruin wrapped in town legend. At first, it was just unease, shadows shifting in the corners of his vision. But then came the hunger. The blackouts. The sensation of something inside him, waiting.

He’s not sick. He’s changing.

As Alissa digs into the town’s history, she discovers records missing, dates erased, people forgotten. And lurking at the edges of it all is Lee Lambert, a man who seems to know exactly what’s happening to Oliver—because it once happened to him. The House wasn’t an accident. It was a trap. A way to continue the cycle.

But Oliver won’t go quietly.

As the transformation tightens its grip, he, Alissa, and Tim must fight to break free before he becomes the next vessel for something ancient and insatiable.

🔪 A gripping blend of psychological horror and supernatural terror, The Wolf Hunter and The Snap is a chilling story of survival, buried trauma, and the monsters that walk among us.

Fans of dark, unsettling horror won’t be able to look away.

The Best Children's Book Picks: FEB 2025 US POST Edition - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Isaac Rundansky - Georgie Summers and the Scribes of Scatterplot - Published by Greenleaf Book Group (February 4, 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8886453164 - Hardback - Age: 9+

Exciting CRACK THE CODE adventure inside! Each and every reader who deciphers the hidden clue in each chapter will be entered to win incredible prizes and giveaways! 

In a world where fiction is a crime, young Georgie Summers must write a story to save everyone he loves …

When twelve-year-old Georgie Summers isn’t cooking dinner for his sick dad or trying to survive middle school bullies, you’ll find him in his backyard, slingshot in hand, nailing soda cans from 200 feet out … probably the only sixth grader who could pull off a shot like that.

Sure, life for Georgie was a little lonely, but at least it made sense.

That is, until a terrifying man—a man dressed in shiny black boots and bugs crawling out of a hole in his neck—climbs through a portal in midair and kidnaps Georgie’s father. Where did this man come from? Why was he looking for an ancient fountain pen? What secrets has Georgie’s father been keeping from him?

Completely alone and not to mention scared out of his wits, Georgie quickly teams up with two unlikely allies: Apurva Aluwhalia, an aspiring astronomer and just about the prettiest girl in school (in all of New York as far as Georgie is concerned), and Roscoe Harris, a self-proclaimed YouTube sensation with a whopping fourteen bored subscribers. But hey, big dreams, right?

Together, they stumble into Scatterplot, a hidden realm where mysterious Scribes record the memories of everyone on Earth. Without the Scribes, people would forget everything … they’d lose their minds. Literally.

As the adventure grows increasingly dangerous, Georgie uncovers the evil Flint Eldritch’s plan to destroy those very memories, erasing everyone Georgie has ever loved.

Armed with nothing but courage, friendship, and a magical but extremely dangerous pen, Georgie must race against time to save not just his dad … but the minds of everyone on Earth.

… including yours.

In this exhilarating middle-grade debut, perfect for fans of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter, author Isaac Rudansky spins a heart-pounding adventure of courage, hope, and the power of friendship to lift you from the depths of loneliness and despair.

You’ll be on the edge of your seat … just hope you’ll be able to remember it all when it’s over.

I.M. Dehd (Author), B. Sabo (Illustrator) - Terror from Beyond the Mirror - Published by Raintree (13 Feb. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1398259171 - Hardback - Age: 8+ 

Mac has always been a loner. After all, it’s hard to make friends when you’re constantly moving. Why would this year be any different? At her new school, though, there’s a rumour that a mirror in the old second-floor toilets will grant any wish you whisper to it. Believing it to be a cruel prank, Mac is skeptical. But she tries anyway. She wishes for a friend. Unfortunately, the legend is no joke and the thing that lies beyond the mirror wants nothing more than for others to join it in its nightmarish home, forever and ever . . . Will Mac be taken in by the terror or can she find something to bring her back to reality? Prepared to be scared in this chilling chapter book for young readers by the master of misery and fright, I.M. Dehd.

Rosanne Parry (Author), Mónica Armiño (Illustrator) - A Wolf Called Fire - Published by Greenwillow Books (February 4, 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063415133 - Hardback - Age: 7+ 

The stand-alone companion to Rosanne Parry’s New York Times bestseller A Wolf Called Wander tells the wilderness survival story of the wolf pup known as Warm and is illustrated in black and white throughout. This Voice of the Wilderness Novel features informational backmatter, including a map.

Warm is the smallest pup, the one his father calls the heart of the pack. But all Warm sees is his bigger brothers Sharp and Swift, and even his sisters Pounce and Wag, winning all the wrestling matches. Just as Warm is finding his place, enemy wolves destroy and scatter the pack. Warm helps lead the pups away from the fight, only to find himself alone with four pups to defend and feed. Can he be both the heart and the head of a new pack? Does he have to choose the aggressive leadership style of his father and brothers? Or is there another way?

Carina Finn - The Last Great Heir - Published by Sourcebooks Young Readers (4 Feb. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1728298337 - Hardback - Age: 8+

The female heirs of two opposing families must duel for guardianship of the land in this stunning fantasy adventure debut!

Merriment Feast's life is one constant party, complete with dazzling gowns and delicious pastries. Well, except for her aunt's physically grueling training. Merri believes it's her responsibility to protect her family's traditions and the power they've held for generations.

Rue Famine knows that only Feasts benefit from Feast rule. As the heir of House Famine, she spends her days studying potion-making in an enormous, dusty library and learning how to use her magic to help others.

Custom dictates that the heirs of Feast and Famine must duel on their thirteenth birthday. Only one family can rule the land of Fauret, and Merri and Rue have been raised as rivals.

But as the contest draws near and dangers escalate, their true enemy may be a shared one…

The Best Children's Book Picks FEB 2025 - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Kieran Larwood (Author), Joe Todd Stanton (Illustrator) - Dungeon Runners: Sky Battles - Published by Nosy Crow Ltd (13 Feb. 2025) -ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1839945212 - Paperback - Age: 7

An action-packed new adventure series from Blue Peter Award-winning author Kieran Larwood and Waterstones Children's Book Prize winner Joe Todd Stanton. Young readers will love discovering the world of the Dungeon Runners!

ARE YOU READY FOR THE CHALLENGE? It's time to fight or take flight!

"Highly illustrated, humorous and immediately enthralling" - The Guardian

Kit can hardly believe he's now a professional Dungeon Runner. With his teammates Sandy and Thorn, they set off to a city in the clouds to compete.

But with new dangers at every turn, Kit and his friends will need their wits and bravery to take on enemies as well as monsters. Are they ready for the big leagues? There's only one way to find out!

Have you got what it takes to survive the Dungeon? Now is your chance to prove it!

Helen Fairley - The Soul Collector - Published by The Book Guild Ltd (28 Feb. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1835741320 - Paperback - Age: 8+ 

When siblings Sam and Jude are forced to leave London for a quiet village in the countryside due to their mother's illness, they expect boredom and isolation. But the village isn’t as peaceful as it seems. Next to their new home is an old graveyard with dark secrets.

One night, Sam sees strange flashing lights in the graveyard. He realises the village has mysteries waiting to be solved. Sam and Jude team up to uncover a mystery that has haunted the village for centuries.

Can they help the spirits that wander the village? Can they stop the monster who’s collecting souls?

With time running out, Sam, Jude, and their friends must act quickly to solve the puzzle before the Soul Collector claims his next victim.

Lucy Strange (Author), Rohan Eason (Illustrator) -  The Boy At The Window - Published by Barrington Stoke (13 Feb. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0008712785 - Paperback - Age: 9+ 

A spine-tingling ghost story from bestselling author Lucy Strange

Folk say the fog plays tricks – that it shapes itself into little hands and frightened faces that press at people’s doors and windows, desperate to come inside. But Hugo is convinced the ghost he has seen at the window is no trick of the fog. The boy’s hollow eyes are haunting him. What would happen if Hugo were to open the door and let him in? Brace yourselves for a chilling, wintery ghost story …

Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.

Sam Sedgman - The Forbidden Atlas (Isaac Turner Investigates) - Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books (27 Feb. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1526665430 - Paperback - Age: 8+

The exhilarating sequel to The Clockwork Conspiracy, Isaac Turner is back for another action-packed mystery adventure.

Isaac and Hattie have been invited to a high-profile event at the French National Archives in Paris to finally celebrate their achievement in saving time. But as Isaac prepares to make his speech, the lights go out and a single shot is fired.

The police think it was an assassination attempt on the infamous businessman Balthazar Blaise, but Isaac and Hattie realise that something very different is going on when they discover a boy taking something from the archives before vanishing without a trace.

As they investigate, Isaac and Hattie are pulled into an underground world, searching secret and forgotten places for a stolen letter, a missing sister and a map that will unearth a long buried secret ...

The Best Children's Book Picks JAN 2025 - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Penny Boxall - Letty and the Mystery of the Golden Thread - Published by Puffin (30 Jan. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0241657447 - Paperback - Age: 8+

Anybody who found themselves in the rigging of the good ship Lotus very early that morning would have seen an unusual sight: a shy, plump girl with a magpie fidgeting on her shoulder, holding in her hand a glinting coin…

We begin in LONDON, 1774.

Twelve-year-old Lettice Breech is excited to visit Europe with her Pa, who is eternally fascinated by ancient objects. Together they’re going to admire breathtaking French art, astounding Roman ruins, and spectacular Greek carvings.

But their plans are dashed when part of a famous statue is exposed as a forgery, and Pa is thrown in gaol for the crime.

Susan Brownrigg (Author), Jenny Czerwonka (Illustrator) - Wrong Tracks - UCLan Publishing (9 Jan. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1916747340 - Paperback - Age: 8+

Who is sabotaging the Rainhill Trials?

It is 1829. Everyone is talking about the exciting new rail ways and young Edward Entwistle cannot believe his good fortune: a chance encounter sees him offered a job at the Stephensons’ Steam Locomotive Manufactory.

The Stephensons are preparing for an important competition – The Rainhill Trials. A race of innovation and daring which will award the winner a contract to run the new Liverpool & Manchester Rail Way. Edward must protect the father and son inventors’ latest creation – their precious Premium Engine – but strange and dangerous accidents keep stalling construction.

Edward and his new loco-mad friend Prudence soon realise someone is trying to scupper the Stephensons’ chances. It is up to the friends to spot sabotage and chase down spies in a thrilling race against the clock.

Inspired by the Rainhill Trials.

Jo Todd-Stanton - The Comet - Published by Flying Eye Books (2 Jan. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1838741242 - Paperback - Age: 4+ (Picture Book) 

When Nyla has to leave her home in the countryside to start life again in the city, all she can think about is everything she misses from before. So when a comet comes crashing through the city streets and starts to glow and grow, Nyla can’t resist a chance to head somewhere that feels closer to what she had before … but what starts as an escape could be just the thing to make her finally feel at home. From the award-winning Joe Todd-Stanton, comes an exquisite and heartfelt picture book touching on the bewildering experience of moving house. This beautiful story explores how this can affect a child's sense of belonging, but also how it can open them up to new and wonderful experiences.

Alice Nuttall - The Zombie Project - Published by Chicken House (2 Jan. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915947345 - Paperback - Age: 9+ 

The action-packed and horrorful zombie adventure from debut author Alice Nuttall, with an original environmental twist . . .

In a world without bees, death-flies are needed to grow food. But death-flies need bodies – lots of them. And bodies mean zombies.
Merian understands this, but others are afraid. Can one girl prove that zombies are the future?

• The action-packed debut novel of MSLexia Children’s and YA 2023 winner, Alice Nuttall.
• An original idea that turns the usual zombie story on its head – save the zombies, don’t kill them!
• With environmental themes packaged alongside age-appropriate horror and scares.

Read Extract HERE

The Best Children's Book Picks SEPTEMBER 2024 - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Philip Reeve - Mortal Engines: Thunder City - Published by Scholastic (26 Sept. 2024) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0702335471 - Paperback - Age: 8+ 

An epic, thrilling, action-packed city-eat-city adventure starring brave fighter Tamzin Pook, who must travel from the spectator sport combat arena in Margate to the Thunder City, where a chilling, ruthless villain has seized power. She will face Revenants - animal/machine hybrids with ferocious appetites - dangerous mercenaries and must learn to trust a group of oddballs whose eccentricities mask their huge hearts and steadfast courage.

Lindsay Galvin - The Great Phoenix of London - Published by ‎Chicken House (12 Sept. 2024) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915026972 - Paperback - Age: 8+ 

An exciting new middle-grade historical adventure from the bestselling author of Darwin's Dragons.

London, 1666

When fire breaks out, eleven-year-old Gil is separated from his family in the chaos. One of his few remaining possessions is a mysterious ball of rock that fell from the sky.

As he races to beat the inferno spreading across the city, neither he, nor his new friend Jennet, has any idea that the stone in his satchel is an unhatched bird of myth and fire. And that there are some who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a legendary phoenix . . .

Helena Duggan - The Light Thieves and the Terrifying Dawn - Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd (12 Sept. 2024) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1474991124 - Paperback - Age: 8 

The third and final action-packed eco-techno-adventure in The Light Thieves series from Helena Duggan, bestselling author of A Place Called Perfect.

People know that the sun is being stolen by tech-billionaire Howard Hansom, who's been spinning everyone a massive lie.
The only person who can stop him from plunging the world into darkness is the mysterious White Rose. She must keep her identity a secret, so she's been sending out coded letters hoping good people will find them and work out what's going on. Young heroes, Grian, Shelli and Jeffrey have been deciphering her letters and are close to solving all the puzzles. But they need one more set of clues to help them in their quest. 
Can they find the White Rose before it's too late?

Anne Fine - ON THE WALL - Published by Old Barn (5 Sept. 2024) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1910646991 - Paperback - Age: 9+ 

Can you find happiness anywhere? Anywhere at all?

Amid the chaos of breaktime, Finley Tandy sits peacefully on the wall. Mr Goodhew, watching from the staffroom, is in awe of the boy's gift for stillness, and his seemingly cast-iron happiness. But tranquility may be catching. Because gradually everyone in the school comes to appreciate what Finley's long silences can offer. Even Juliet finds answers to her crushing worries when she's close to Finley, up on the wall.

A warm and witty novel, with a lot to say about the value of silence and self-acceptance, this new young teen story from Anne Fine is the perfect 'transition read' for those approaching the new challenges and joys of the first year of secondary school.

The Best Children's Book Picks AUGUST 2024 US Post - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Tracey Baptiste - Freedom Fire: Moko Magic: Carnival Chaos - Published by Freedom Fire (August 6, 2024) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1368074377 - Hardback - Age:8+ 

From the best-selling author of the Jumbies series comes an Afro-Caribbean-inspired story about three cousins who discover they are mokos--protector spirits--during carnival season in Brooklyn

Weirdness and wonders abound in this colorful celebration of Afro-Caribbean culture by the author of the beloved Jumbies series.

Twelve-year-old Misty and her mother have just moved from Trinidad to Brooklyn, New York, in time for the annual carnival celebrations over Labor Day weekend. Misty has plenty to deal with getting used to living with her cousins Aiden and Brooke in her new surroundings. On top of that, her mom is too busy trying to find a job and her aunts and uncles are too preoccupied with carnival preparations to pay any attention to her. 

Then really strange things begin to happen. A ball of feathers in the basement turns into a creature that squeaks and rolls around. When Misty and her cousins eat pieces of mango anchar, flames shoot out of their mouths. Most disturbing of all, Misty begins to see visions of the future--scary visions that soon come true.

Misty discovers that she and her cousins come from a long line of mokos, people who have special powers meant to help them protect their community. Misty can see impending danger, Aiden can heal, and Brooke has crazy physical strength. The trio is just learning about their skills when Misty senses something watching her. And then each of the carnival events is disrupted by a different disaster. Some kind of evil force is clearly trying to stop the festivities. But why? And will moko magic be enough to save the day?

Kate J. Armstrong - Fyrebirds - Published by Nancy Paulsen Books (August 27, 2024) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593463307 - Hardback - Age:12+ 

With tensions rising and their powers no longer a secret, the Nightbirds must decide for whom and for what they are willing to fight for and how far they will go in the spellbinding sequel to the international bestseller Nightbirds.

The Nightbirds were once their city’s best-kept secret, but now the secret’s out. What’s more, they can do feats of magic no one has seen in centuries. They’re like the Fyrebirds of old: the powerful women who once moved mountains, parted seas, and led armies. Some say that when four join together, they become a force that shakes the earth and sends magic rippling through it. It does seem as if something has awoken in Eudea, but the four girls responsible don’t want the world to know the full extent of what they can do—at least not yet.

As the new leader of Eudea works to lift the prohibition on magic, the churchmen who do not support it—and the gang lords who profit from it—whisper rebellion. The secret resistance who once sheltered the Nightbirds is rallying, too. Smelling blood in the water, an ambitious Farlands king threatens to take Eudea. As war looms, and the empire’s fate hangs from a knife’s edge, the Nightbirds have to decide if becoming more than that are—Fyrebirds—to protect Simta is worth losing themselves entirely and the lives and loves they might have had.

Joan Reardon - The Grimsbane Family Witch Hunters - Published by Aladdin (August 20, 2024) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1665929561 - Hardback - Age: 7+ 

Netflix’s Wednesday meets Jodi Lynn Anderson’s The Memory Thief in this creepy and high-stakes middle-grade adventure about a girl’s quest to save her cursed brother who takes her through perilous, monster-filled woods.

The Grimsbane women have been hunting witches and monsters for generations—ever since the Watcher, the most powerful witch in the Midwest, cursed the Grimsbane men to die untimely and unusual deaths. Part-time skater, full-time troublemaker Anna Grimsbane may be only twelve, but she’s been learning about hunting her whole life and is tired of waiting to do the real thing. She and her twin brother Billy are about to turn thirteen, the age the curse takes hold, and Anna wants to be on the front lines fighting to break it.

Only hours before he’ll become an accident-prone walking disaster, Billy runs away to find the Watcher himself. The Grimsbane women are all out on patrol, leaving it up to Anna and her friends Suvi and Rosario to find Billy before his recklessness hastens his demise. But the woods are crawling with cryptids, most of whom hate humans, and all of whom hate the Grimsbanes, and the deeper Anna gets into the forest, the clearer it is that reading about witch hunting is no replacement for practical experience.

Anna feels in over her head, especially as she starts to suspect she knows much less about her family history than she’d thought. As she races against the clock to find Billy before midnight, it becomes all too evident that he isn’t the only Grimsbane at risk for a grisly death tonight.

Brandon Hoang - The Crossbow of Destiny - Published by 

Scholastic Press (August 6, 2024) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1338789843 - Hardback - Age: 8+ 

Author Brandon Hoang takes readers on a high-stakes adventure through Vietnam in search of an ancient magical crossbow in this debut middle-grade fantasy that Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender calls "a must-read"!

When Vietnamese American Freddie Lo finds herself in Vietnam for the first time since she was little, she's not quite sure how to feel. The memories of her extended family are more like distant echoes; she has a tough time speaking Vietnamese; and she can't help but feel like she just isn't Vietnamese enough. Still, this is her chance to reconnect with her family, especially her Ong ngoai -- or grandfather -- who is receiving a big award.

That's when Ong ngoai reveals his secret: He knows the location of an ancient legendary crossbow, one with the power to decimate armies -- and he's hidden it away from those who intend to use its magic for evil. But when Ong ngoai is kidnapped, it's up to Freddie, her cousin Lien, and a mysterious boy named Duy to get to the crossbow before it ends up in the wrong hands.

In this Indiana Jones-style adventure, readers will travel through Vietnam -- from its seaside villages, to the swamps of the Mekong Delta, to the majestic Marble Mountains of Da Nang -- as Freddie learns what it takes to be a hero.