Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Top Five Children's Picture Books 2017

A book makes a fantastic gift, but the gift of a picture book is particularly special. It is an opportunity to share a great story and wonderful illustrations together. Never before have we been in an age of such wonderful choice. Today we have some of the most amazing picture books on sale. Recently, we have spent some wonderful hours in bookshops selecting picture books for Christmas presents. Here are some of our top choices, but we would be delighted to consider your favourites and add these to our list.

Mac Barnett (Author) Jon Klassen (Illustrator) - The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse - Walker Books (12 Oct. 2017) Hardcover – 12 Oct 2017 - ISBN-13: 978-1406377798

Early one morning a mouse met a wolf and was quickly gobbled up... When a woeful mouse is swallowed up by a wolf, he quickly learns he is not alone: a duck has already set up digs and, boy, has that duck got it figured out! Turns out it's pretty nice inside the belly of the beast - there's delicious food, elegant table settings and, best of all, dancing. And there's something more: no more fear of being eaten by a wolf! Life's not so bad, considering the alternatives. That is, until a hunter shows up... With a nod to traditional fables and a wink to the reader, the award-winning Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen of Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, Extra Yarn and Triangle offer a tale of cooperation and creative cuisine that is sure to go down easy.

Benji Davies - The Grotlyn - HarperCollins Children's Books (7 Sept. 2017) Hardcover - ISBN-13: 978-0008212759

A stunningly illustrated picture book full of mystery and suspense, from the bestselling author of THE STORM WHALE and GRANDAD’S ISLAND.

“I know when the Grotlyn’s been
Slipping through your house unseen…”

What is the mysterious Grotlyn? What sort of creature could it be, scuttling across the town, frightening everyone in its path? And why has it stolen PC Vickers’ knickers?!

A beautifully illustrated rhyming tale about things that go bump in the night for ages four and up, from picture book superstar, Benji Davies, winner of Oscar’s First Book Prize 2014 and Sainsbury’s Children’s Book of the Year 2015. Perfect for fans of Oliver Jeffers and Jon Klassen.

Tom Percival - Perfectly Norman - Bloomsbury Children's Books (10 Aug. 2017) Paperback - ISBN-13: 978-1408880975

Norman had always been perfectly normal. That was until the day he grew a pair of wings!

Norman is very surprised to have wings suddenly - and he has the most fun ever trying them out high in the sky. But then he has to go in for dinner. What will his parents think? What will everyone else think? Norman feels the safest plan is to cover his wings with a big coat. 

But hiding the thing that makes you different proves tricky and upsetting. Can Norman ever truly be himself?

Rebecca Green - How To Make Friends With A Ghost - Tundra (7 Sept. 2017)  Hardcover  - ISBN-13: 978-1101919019

What do you do when you meet a ghost? One: Provide the ghost with some of its favorite snacks, like mud tarts and earwax truffles. Two: Tell your ghost bedtime stories (ghosts love to be read to). Three: Make sure no one mistakes your ghost for whipped cream or a marshmallow when you aren't looking! If you follow these few simple steps and the rest of the essential tips in How to Make Friends with a Ghost, you'll see how a ghost friend will lovingly grow up and grow old with you.Website:http://myblankpaper.com

David Litchfield - Grandad's Secret Giant - Frances Lincoln Children's Books (6 April 2017) - Hardcover - ISBN-13: 978-1847808479

'Funny, touching and visually stunning, this really is a book to treasure.' Daily Mail A GIANT story of belonging and friendship from David Litchfield, author of the Waterstones Illustrated Book Prize 2016 winner The Bear and the Piano. "He has hands the size of tables," Grandad said, "legs as long as drainpipes and feet as big as rowing boats. Do you know who I mean?" "Yes," sighed Billy. "The Secret Giant. But he's not real!" Billy doesn't believe his Grandad when he tells him there's a giant living in his town, doing good deeds for everyone. He knows that a giant is too big to keep himself hidden. And why would he WANT to keep himself a secret? But as time goes on, Billy learns that some secrets are too BIG to stay secret for long...      

This delightful heartfelt story of belonging and friendship teaches the importance of tolerance and acceptance to young children. Website: http://www.davidlitchfieldillustration.com

Kids/Children's Middle-Grade Book Picks - November 2017 - UK Post Two

Connie Glynn - Undercover Princess (The Rosewood Chronicles) - Published by Penguin (2 Nov. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-0141379852

Lottie Pumpkin is an ordinary girl who longs to be a princess, attending Rosewood Hall on a scholarship.

Ellie Wolf is a princess who longs to be ordinary, attending Rosewood Hall to avoid her royal duties in the kingdom of Maradova.

When fate puts the two fourteen-year-olds in the same dorm, it seems like a natural solution to swap identities: after all, everyone mistakenly believes Lottie to be the princess anyway.

But someone's on to their secret, and at Rosewood nothing is ever as it seems...

Nicholas Bowling - Witchborn - Published by Chicken House (2 Nov. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1911077251

It's 1577. Queen Elizabeth I has imprisoned scheming Mary Queen of Scots, and Alyce's mother is burned at the stake for witchcraft. Alyce kills the witchfinder and flees to London - but the chase isn't over yet. As she discovers her own dark magic, powerful political forces are on her trail. She can't help but wonder: why is she so important? Soon she finds herself deep in a secret battle between rival queens, the fate of England resting on her shoulders ...

Ross Montgomery - Christmas Dinner of Souls - Published by Faber & Faber (2 Nov. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-0571317974

It's a dark and lonely Christmas Eve in the dining room of ancient Soul's College. The kitchen boy, 11-year-old Lewis, has helped prepare a highly unusual meal, made with unrecognisable ingredients, cooked by a mysterious chef. And then the guests arrive ... and carnage ensues. They are ex-students of Soul's College, and they are all completely demented. They demand bottle after bottle of wine, flinging their cutlery and howling like banshees until ... silence. The Dean of Soul's College has arrived, and the evening's ceremonies must begin.

For this is the annual meeting of a secret club for those who despise children, warmth, happiness, and above all Christmas. Each member must try to outdo the others by telling the most terrible, disgusting story they know.

A spooky, shocking, bloodthirsty alternative to festive cheer that will appeal to, fascinate and delight young readers.

Joe Pasquale - Deadknobs and Doomsticks - Published by Caffeine Nights Publishing (30 Nov. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1910720912

Deadknobs And Doomsticks is a collection of twelve illustrated short horror stories. Ranging from the darkly bizarre to the horrifically surreal, many of the stories are laced with a theme of bullying and bullies.  Dark undertones and malevolent overtones interweave with characters and situations that pull the reader to the edge of their seat. Wit and black humour is prevalent through the stories, each with a delicious payoff for the reader.  Joe Pasquale shows that where there is laughter there is also a dark and disturbing voice that is drawn to the horror genre to find its release.  With illustrations by the author, this collection shows a rich depth of talent as an artist and author. Joe shows he has as unique a voice in the world of horror writing, as it is in comedy.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Middle-Grade Book Picks (9-12yrs) November 2017 - UK Post

Neil Patrick Harris - The Magic Misfits - Published by Egmont (30 Nov. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1405290333

The first in a funny and magical new children's books series from Emmy award-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris. 

Perfect for children aged 8 to 12 years old and fans of Lemony Snicket, David Walliams, David Baddiel, My Brother is a Superhero . . . and magic!

Cover illustration by David Litchfield, winner of the Waterstones Children's Books Prize 2016 for The Bear and the Piano. 

This book contains a BIG SECRET. Read on if you dare . . .

Do you believe in magic?

Carter doesn’t. He knows magic tricks are just that – tricks. And as a street magician he’s also pretty good at them. But then Carter runs away from his conman uncle and he finds himself alone and in danger from dastardly carnival ringleader, B.B. Bosso. He could really use some magic now . . .

A chance encounter with the mysterious Mr Dante Vernon leads Carter to a magic shop, where he teams up with five other like-minded kids and the MAGIC MISFITS are born! Can the gang use their magical talents to save the day and stop B.B. stealing a priceless diamond?

And now for the BIG SECRET . . .
Inside this book you will find a treasure trove of tips, codes and stage tricks that will help YOU join the Magic Misfits and make some magic of your own. (BUT DON'T TELL ANYONE.)

Hilton Pashley Michael'S Spear - Published by Dome Press (16 Nov. 2017) -ISBN-13: 978-0995672352

The Universe is coming apart at the seams. As Jonathan and his friends fight to save it, their every move is being watched from the shadows. Lilith, the last Archdemon has plans of her own, and with the legendary Michael's Spear under her control.  Jonathan has never faced a more lethal foe. With the odds stacked against him, Jonathan will need all the help he can get if he is to fulfill his destiny. It's time for Gabriel's grandson finally to spread his wings...

Kerr Thomson - The Rise of Wolves - Published by Chicken House (2 Nov. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1911077695

Innis Munro is walking home across the bleak wilderness of Nin Island when he hears the chilling howl of a wolf. But there are no wolves on the island - not since they were hunted to extinction, centuries ago. He decides to investigate his island home and accepts an ancient challenge: he who jumps the Bonnie Laddie's Leap wins a fortune. As the wolves rise from the darkness of history, and long-buried secrets resurface, Innis's adventure truly begins ...

Helen Cooper - The Hippo at the End of the Hall - Published by David Fickling Books (2 Nov. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1910989753 

Helen Cooper is an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator whose picture books include Pumpkin Soup, The Baby Who Wouldn’t Go to Bed. Both of which won the CILIP Kate Greenaway award. Her debut novel, The Hippo at the End of the Hall, will be published by David Fickling Books on the 2nd November 2017 which is a fantastic accomplished debut and an absolute joy to read. It is a visual story that will you not forget. Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - BOOK REVIEW HERE

In the Gee Museum there's an insect room. (Insects inspired partly by the wonderful Natural History Museum Oxford.) #GeeHippo @morethanadodo pic.twitter.com/kp55V9Rc1O

— Helen Cooper (@HelenCooperbook) November 3, 2017

The Hippo at the End of the Hall is published today! This is the Gee Museum.Come Inside Sometime and meet the inhabitants. #GeeHippo #Museum pic.twitter.com/wC51C5JSrz

— Helen Cooper (@HelenCooperbook) November 2, 2017

 

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Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Middle-Grade Book Picks (9-12yrs) October 2017 - UK Post TWO

Tom Fletcher (Author) Shane Dervries (Illustrator) The Creakers - Published by Puffin (5 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-0141388762

The darkly magical new story about the monsters under the bed, from bestselling author of The Christmasaurus, Tom Fletcher.

What silently waits in the shadows at night? What's under your bed, keeping just out of sight?

Do you ever hear strange, creaking noises at night? Ever wonder what makes those noises?
Lucy Dungston always did.
Until, one morning, Lucy discovers that all the grown-ups have disappeared - as if into thin air. Chaos descends as the children in Lucy's town run riot. It's mayhem. It's madness. To most kids, it's amazing!
But Lucy wants to find out the truth. Lucy lost her dad not long ago, and she's determined not to lose her mum too. She's going to get her back - and nothing is going to stop her . . .
. . . except maybe the Creakers.

Lauren St John  (Author) Catherine Hyde (Illustrator) - The Snow Angel - Published by Zephyr (5 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1786695895

Lauren St John's stunning Christmas classic is about forgotten children, the power of nature to heal us and a girl who will climb mountains in search for a place to call home. 

Growing up in vibrant, crowded Nairobi, Makena has only one dream: to climb Mount Kenya like her hero, her mountain guide father. But when her beautiful world is shattered, she finds that in the city's dark places there are a thousand ways to fall, each more deadly than any crevasse. In a world of strangers, does she dare trust Snow, whose ballet dreams are haunted by a past she's still running from? And is the sparkling fox friend or foe? 

After a fresh start in the Scottish Highlands turns bad, Makena flees to the mountains. But will they betray her or be the making of her?

Kaye Umansky (Author) Ashley King (Illustrator) Witch for a Week - Published by Simon & Schuster Children's UK (5 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1471160905

When Elsie Pickles offers to house-sit the mysterious home of local witch Magenta Sharp, she has no idea what she's getting herself into. Left with a talking raven and a scruffy dog for company, a magical tower that has a mind of its own and a book of instruction called Everything You Need to Know, what could possibly go wrong?

With an assortment of weird and wonderful neighbours banging at the door and a box of volatile magical ingredients that must be used immediately, Elsie finds out that looking after Magenta's home might not be as easy as she first thought ... does she have what it takes to be a witch for a week or will it all end in a magical disaster? 


A new magical adventure from Kaye Umansky, the bestselling author of the spellbinding children's classic Pongwiffy, brought to life with charming illustrations from rising star Ashley King!

Lisa Lueddecke - A Shiver of Snow and Sky - Published by Scholastic (5 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1407174037

On the frozen island of Skane, the sky speaks. Beautiful lights appear on clear nights, and their colours have meaning: Green means all is well, and the Goddess is happy. Blue means a snow storm is on the way. And then there's red. Red is rare. A warning. Seventeen years ago the sky turned red just as Osa was born, unleashing a plague that claimed the lives of hundreds of villagers, including her own mother. This time, when the night sky once again bleeds crimson, she must discover what it means before so many lives are lost again.

Danny Weston - Scarecrow - Published by Andersen Press (5 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1783445318

 Jack and his dad are runaways. Jack’s father recently turned whistleblower, revealing the truth about the illicit dealings of some powerful people. Realising that he and Jack might be in danger, Dad drives them to a remote shooting lodge in the Scottish Highlands, where they intend to lay low. 

In the cornfield beside the lodge stands a scarecrow. When Jack witnesses something incredible, he begins to realise that it is no ordinary scarecrow – it is alive, hungry and fuelled by rage. And when Dad’s enemies begin to converge on the lodge, the scarecrow might just turn out to be Jack’s best hope of survival.

Jessica Townsend - Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow - Published by Orion Children's Books (12 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1510104112 - (Book Review Here)

Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day of the year, she's blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks - and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday. 

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away to the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

It's then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter wants her to contend for a place in the city's most prestigious organisation: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart - an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests - otherwise she'll have to leave and confront her deadly fate once and for all.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Middle-Grade Book Picks (9-12yrs) October 2017 - UK Post

Alex Bell (Author), Tomislav Tomic (Illustrator)The Polar Bear Explorers' Club - Published by Faber & Faber (2 Nov. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-0571332540

It sounded like a respectable and worthy enough death for an explorer - tumbling from an ice bridge to be impaled upon a mammoth tusk - but Stella really, really didn't want that to happen, just the same.

Join Stella Starflake Pearl and her three fellow explorers as they trek across the snowy Icelands and come face-to-face with frost fairies, snow queens, outlaw hideouts, unicorns, pygmy dinosaurs and carnivorous cabbages . . . 

When Stella and three other junior explorers get separated from their expedition can they cross the frozen wilderness and live to tell the tale?

Andrew Beasley - Carnival of Monsters (S.C.R.E.A.M #2) - Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd (1 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1474906937

Roll up, roll up if you dare to Doctor Vindicta's carnival! Gasp at the dancing ghosts! Grimace at the creepy clowns! Giggle in the hall of mirrors!

It's all harmless fun and frights... until a young boy disappears. The police believe he's run away, but his sister swears he was snatched by a monster.

Only the cleverest detectives can catch a demon: send for Billy Flint and Charley Steel aka S.C.R.E.A.M. - top-secret investigators of Supernatural Crimes, Rescues, Emergencies And Mysteries.

Kate Saunders - The Land of Neverendings - Published by  Faber & Faber (5 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-0571310845

The cat flap opened. Emily thought a wild animal was coming into the house. But the muddy creature that climbed through had four little wheels and a tail. It spoke in a voice like rough sandpaper. 
'Come on, you two - it's nice and warm in here.'

What if there exists a world powered by imagination?

A world of silliness, where humans and their toys live on long after they've left the Hard World . . . and what if the door between that world and this one was broken?

Welcome to the Land of Neverendings.

Moving, raw and funny in all the right ways, The Land of Neverendings is a rip-roaring adventure, but it also gives an honest portrayal of grief for young readers, and shows us that whilst sadness does exist in the world, it doesn't have to cancel out happiness, or silliness, even when you lose someone you love.

Andy Mulligan - Dog - Published by Pushkin Children's Books (26 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1782691716

 

When Tom gets a puppy called Spider, it changes both their lives. Tom finally has a special friend all of his own - which is just what he needs as he struggles with a difficult new school and trouble at home. And Spider has someone to love him. But the course of their love does not run entirely smoothly, as they embark on a gruelling journey of separation and reunion.

Dog is a book about trust, standing up for yourself, and learning to love. By the award-winning Andy Mulligan, author of the bestselling Trash, it is a story that will delight readers young and old.

Chris Priestley - Curse of the Werewolf Boy (Maudlin Towers) - Published by Bloomsbury Childrens (5 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1408873083 - Book Review Here

'We shall be detectives, Sponge!' exclaimed Mildew. 'We shall solve the Mystery of the School Spoon!'

Mildew and Sponge don't think much of Maudlin Towers, the blackened, gloom-laden, gargoyle-infested monstrosity that is their school. But when somebody steals the School Spoon and the teachers threaten to cancel the Christmas holidays until the culprit is found, our heroes must spring into action and solve the crime!

But what starts out as a classic bit of detectivating quickly becomes weirder than they could have imagined. Who is the ghost in the attic? What's their history teacher doing with a time machine? And why do a crazy bunch of Vikings seem to think Mildew is a werewolf?

Hugely funny, deliciously creepy and action-packed by turns, this brand new series from Chris Priestley is perfect for 8+ readers who like their mysteries with a bit of bite. Fans of Lemony Snicket and Chris Riddell will love Curse of the Werewolf Boy.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Middle-Grade Book Picks (9-12yrs) September 2017 - UK Post Two

Chris Riddell - Goth Girl and the Sinister Symphony - Published by Macmillan Children's Books (7 Sept. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1447277941

There are musical goings-on at Ghastly-Gorm Hall and another spooky mystery for Ada Goth to solve in the fourth book in the Goth Girl series by Chris Riddell, Children's Laureate 2015-2017.

Lord Goth is throwing a music festival at Ghastly-Gorm Hall, with performances from the finest composers in the land. Ada can't wait, but it's quite distracting when her grandmother is trying to find her father a fashionable new wife, there's a faun living in her wardrobe and Maltravers is up to his old tricks. Ada must make sure everything goes to plan, and luckily help is at hand from a very interesting house guest . . .

Kieran Larwood (Author) David Wyatt (Illustrator) - The Five Realms: The Gift of Dark Hollow - Published by Faber & Faber (7 Sept. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-0571328413

 The bard tiptoes out of his room, the crow-dream still echoing in his head, making him twitch at imaginary creaks of iron wings.

The bard must leave Thornbury. It is not safe for him to stay. Rue, his new apprentice, travels with him - keen to learn his trade - and hear the next installment in the legend of Podkin One-Ear . . . 

Podkin and his fellow rabbits have been sheltering in Dark Hollow after their battle with Scramashank. Paz tends to the rabbits with sleeping sickness; Crom meets with the war council . . . Podkin has nothing to do! Frustrated, Podkin goes exploring and discovers an abandoned underground chamber! Armed with the Gift of Dark Hollow, Podkin learns to moonstride, and Paz is rewarded with a magical gift of her own . . .

Jonathan Stroud - Lockwood & Co: The Empty Grave - Published by Corgi Childrens (21 Sept. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-0552575799

Want to hear a ghost story? That's good. I know a few . . . After their recent adventures, the Lockwood & Co team deserve a well-earned break . . . so naturally they decide to risk their lives breaking into a heavily-guarded crypt. A building full of unsettled souls, it's also the final resting place of Marissa Fittes, the legendary and (supposedly) long-dead ghost hunter - though the team have their suspicions about just how dead she might be. What they discover changes everything. Pitched into a desperate race to get to the truth behind the country's ghost epidemic, the team ignite a final, epic battle against the Fittes agency. A battle that will force them to journey to the Other Side, and face the most terrifying enemy they have ever known. Can everyone make it out alive? 

Sue Purkiss - Jack Fortune and the Search for the Hidden Valley - Alma Books (28 Sept. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1846884283

An orphan child full of mischief, Jack lives with his crotchety widow aunt in eighteenth-century England. His naughtiness knows no limits, and when one day he goes a step too far, Aunt Constance decides that she s had enough: from now on, his bachelor uncle can take care of him. Uncle Edmund is in no way prepared for a boy with boundless energy and an impish streak and anyway, he s off to the Himalayas to search for rare plants! But Aunt Constance is absolutely determined, and Jack's uncle has no choice he will have to take the boy with him. What follows is a terrific adventure that will see Jack and his uncle the most unlikely of all expedition teams sail to India, cross the jungle and reach their mountainous destination, before returning to London to present their findings to the Royal Society. Along the way, Jack will finally come to terms with the great loss that has blighted his childhood years and discover, quite unexpectedly, that he and his late father have much in common.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Middle-Grade Book Picks (9-12yrs) September 2017 - UK Post One

R . M . Romero - The Dollmaker of Krakow - Published by Walker Books (5 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1406375633

A timeless fantasy set in the Second World War that weaves together magic, folklore and history, perfect for fans of The Book Thief, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Goodnight Mister Tom. 

One night a little doll named Karolina comes to life in a toyshop in Krakow, Poland, in 1939 and changes the life of the gruff, broken-hearted Dollmaker. And when the darkness of the Nazi occupation sweeps over the city, Karolina and the Dollmaker must bravely use their magic to save their Jewish friends from a terrible danger, no matter what the risks. This powerful story is about finding friendship in the darkest of places and the importance of love in times of great pain.

Mira Bartok - The Wonderling - Published by Walker Books (28 Sept. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1406370645

In this extraordinary debut novel with its deft nod to Dickensian heroes and rogues, Mira Bartók tells the story of Arthur, a shy, fox-like foundling with only one ear and a desperate desire to belong, as he seeks his destiny.

Welcome to the Home for Wayward and Misbegotten Creatures, an institution run by evil Miss Carbunkle, a cunning villainess who believes her terrified young charges exist only to serve and suffer. Part animal and part human, the groundlings toil in classroom and factory, forbidden to enjoy anything regular children have, most particularly singing and music. For the Wonderling, an innocent-hearted, one-eared, fox-like eleven-year-old with only a number rather than a proper name ― a 13 etched on a medallion around his neck ― it is the only home he has ever known. But unexpected courage leads him to acquire the loyalty of a young bird groundling named Trinket, who gives the Home’s loneliest inhabitant two incredible gifts: a real name ― Arthur, like the good king in the old stories ― and a best friend. Using Trinket’s ingenious invention, the pair escape over the wall and embark on an adventure that will take them out into the wider world and ultimately down the path of sweet Arthur’s true destiny.

Frances Hardinge - A Skinful of Shadows - Published by Macmillan (21 Sept. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1509837540

When a creature dies, its spirit can go looking for somewhere to hide. 

Some people have space inside them, perfect for hiding.

Makepeace, a courageous girl with a mysterious past, defends herself nightly from the ghosts which try to possess her. Then a dreadful event causes her to drop her guard for a moment.

And now there's a ghost inside her.

The spirit is wild, brutish and strong, but it may be her only defence in a time of dark suspicion and fear. As the English Civil War erupts, Makepeace must decide which is worse: possession – or death.

Kim Ventrella (Author), Victoria Assanelli (Illustrator)Skeleton Tree - Published by Macmillan Children's Books (21 Sept. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1509828678

When Stanley Stanwright finds a bone poking out of the earth in his back garden, he is determined to take a picture of it and send it to the Young Discoverer's Competition, thinking it will help bring his dad back home. But the bone begins to grow, reaching up out of the ground until it turns into a skeleton - a skeleton with an unusual interest in his unwell younger sister Miren.

As time wears on, Miren's condition worsens, and the only time she is truly at peace is when she is playing with the skeleton. But Stanley is wary of him, especially when he finally manages to get a picture, and spots a scythe at the skeleton's feet. . .

A whimsical, heartfelt story about a boy who finds a friend in Death with the help of an unusual tree growing in his back garden. With black line illustrations throughout by Victoria Assanelli.

Summer Children's Middle Grade Book Picks (9-12yrs) August 2017 - UK Post Two

Mark Powers (Author) Tim Wesson (Illustrator) - Spy Toys: Out of Control! - Published by Bloomsbury Childrens (10 Aug. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1408870884

Toy Story meets James Bond in the second book in this incredible action-packed series!

Fresh from the success of their first mission, our heroes the Spy Toys - Dan the Snugaliffic Cuddlestar bear, Arabella the Loadsasmiles Sunshine Doll and Flax the custom-made police robot rabbit - are ready for their next task. This time, the secret code that controls every Snaztacular Ultrafun toy has been stolen and all over the world toys are revolting and turning against the children who own them. 

Can Arabella disguise herself as a super-sweet little doll in order to find out more from the daughter of Snaztacular's top scientist? Can Dan and Flax chase down Jade the Jigsaw, the puzzling prime suspect for the robbery? And can they save the day before the mind-controlled toys forget what it means to play nice?

Featuring hilarious illustrations by Tim Wesson throughout, this series is perfect for fans of Pamela Butchart and David Solomons' My Brother is a Superhero.

Lari Don - The Witch's Guide to Magical Combat (Kelpies) - Published by Kelpies (17 Aug. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1782503071

Molly's shape-shifting curse is getting stronger and more unpredictable. Becoming a hare she could cope with. At least she could run... fast. But now she's turning into the prey of any predator she hears. Life's pretty dangerous if you become a worm whenever you hear a bird tweet. As Molly and her friends search for a stone that can curb the Promise Keeper's powers, and each one of them must face their own monster, Molly is forced to choose: is she prepared to use dark magic to break her curse? Will she become a witch and enter into magical combat? And if she does, will she lose the friendships she most cares about? In this third and final thrilling installment of the breathtaking Spellchasers trilogy the team faces a blizzard of powerful threats. Can they bring balance to the magical world, defeat the creatures that pursue them and finally break Molly's curse? Or will darkness triumph over friendship?

Maz Evans - Simply the Quest (Who Let the Gods Out?) - Published by Chicken House (3 Aug. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1910655511

Elliot Hooper's troubles are far from over: his mum's health worsens, he's struggling at school, and a bunch of anarchic Greek immortals have moved into his home - including teen goddess Virgo, who's in trouble with the Zodiac. What's more, death-daemon Thanatos and his scary mum are at large. As even more immortal allies and enemies emerge, Virgo and Elliot must learn how to be heroes ...

Katherine Rundell (Author) Hannah Horn (Illustrator) - The Explorer - Published by Bloomsbury Children's (10 Aug. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1408854877

From his seat in the tiny aeroplane, Fred watches as the mysteries of the Amazon jungle pass by below him. He has always dreamed of becoming an explorer, of making history and of reading his name amongst the lists of great discoveries. If only he could land and look about him.

As the plane crashes into the canopy, Fred is suddenly left without a choice. He and the three other children may be alive, but the jungle is a vast, untamed place. With no hope of rescue, the chance of getting home feels impossibly small.

Except, it seems, someone has been there before them.