Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Book Picks November 2018 - UK Post

Alex Bell (Author), Tomislav Tomic (Illustrator) - Explorers on Witch Mountain (The Polar Bear Explorers' Club) - Published by Faber & Faber (1 Nov. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0571332564 - Paperback 

Stella Starflake Pearl is eagerly anticipating her next expedition. Suddenly disaster strikes when Stella's father, Felix, is snatched by a fearsome witch. Stella must bring her magic ice princess tiara to Witch Mountain or she will never see Felix again! But no one ever returns from Witch Mountain . . .

Stella, Ethan, Shay, Beanie and reluctant Jungle Cat explorer, Gideon, set off into the unknown. They will face chomping pumpkin patches, vampire trolls, poisonous rabbits, outraged vultures and deranged broomsticks in their quest to rescue Felix.

Matilda Woods - The Girl, the Cat and the Navigator - Published by Scholastic (1 Nov. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1407184906 - Paperback 

An enchanting, charming story of bravery on the ice-tipped ocean, with stunning art by Anuska Allepuz on every page. Curious, pin-bright Oona Britt dreams of setting sail with her ship's captain father for a life of excitement on the wild waves. She has read stories of a magical creature - the Nardoo - who swims through the stars at night, and stows away on whaling boat the Plucky Leopard for an adventure full of myths and marvel among the ice-caps.

Gregg Hurwitz - The Rains (Rains Brothers) - Published by Penguin (1 Nov. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1405938280 - Paperback 

THE FIRST BOOK IN THE HIGH-OCTANE YOUNG ADULT ADVENTURE THRILLER SERIES FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR GREGG HURWITZ.

It's never really been my thing to be the brave one - that's always been my older brother Patrick - but something world-changing is happening in our small town of Creek's Cause. Parasites have infected everyone over the age of eighteen, making them violent, and if they even sniff a kid they either bash our brains in or take us back to their creepy lair.

We're trapped at the school with the other remaining survivors, including Patrick's girlfriend Alex, and we don't know how long we'll last. The school is surrounded by infected adults, and we're sure that there is something else out there, something controlling the people that used to be our parents, our guardians.

But here's the real problem, Patrick is turning eighteen in a few days, so it's up to me - Chance Rain - to find a way to save him. And maybe, just maybe if we survive the next few weeks then we can help save humanity.

Alan Durant - Clownfish - Published by Walker Books (1 Nov. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1406374629 - Paperback 

Clownfish is a moving and stunningly original story of friendship and life after loss, from award-winning and much-loved author Alan Durant.

From award-winning author, Alan Durant comes a surreal, poignant story about family bonds and loss. Dak's dad has been dead for seven days when suddenly he reappears. He's the same in almost every way, with one startling exception: Dad has turned into a clownfish, and now lives in a tank at their local aquarium. Dak is delighted by the news – he has Dad back, even if he isn't quite as he was before. Deciding to keep Dad's transformation a secret, Dak visits him at the aquarium as often as he can and ends up spending so much time there that they offer him a job. This is how he comes to meet Violet, the owner's prickly but kindhearted niece; when the aquarium is threatened with closure, the pair must work together to save it. For Dak, the stakes couldn't be higher … after all, if the aquarium shuts down, what will happen to the fish? In parts wry, moving and undoubtedly strange, this beautifully crafted story will stay with you long after the final page.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Brilliant Graphic Goodness - Gift Inspired Book Picks (Oct - Nov 2018)

Tales from the Inner City (2018), a sister volume to the anthology Tales from Outer Suburbia (2008) is a collection of 25 illustrated stories about relationships between humans and animals. The basic premise set was quite simple: think about an animal in a city. Why is it there? How do people react to it? What meaning does it suggest?

Where can we live if not in each other's shadow?

World-renowned artist Shaun Tan applies his extraordinary talent to a reflection on the nature of humans and animals, and our urban co-existence. From crocodile to frog; tiger to bee, this is a dark and surreal exploration of the perennial love and destruction we feel and inflict – of how animals can save us, and how we are entwined, for better or for worse. Tales from the Inner City is a truly masterly work, bearing all of Shaun Tan’s trademark wit and poignancy in both its prose and exquisite illustrations.

Published by Walker Studio (4 Oct. 2018)

Deep in the African rainforest, in the midst of a tropical storm, a gorilla is born – a gorilla-like no other.

This is the story of that gorilla’s fantastic voyage across the world, from the Congolese jungle to the grand bazaar of Istanbul, from Borneo to London, Singapore and beyond. The story of a mysterious jewel thief and a sad sailor with a heart of gold. A story of friendship and adventure on the high seas.

This is the story of Sally Jones.

The prequel to the award-winning international bestseller The Murderer’s Ape by Jakob Wegelius, for children aged 7+.

Website: http://jakobwegelius.com/home

Published by Pushkin Children's Books (1 Nov. 2018)

Traces of the Great War features contributions from both the UK and around the world. The anthology includes a number of collaborations between graphic artists and writers (Dave McKean with poet Simon Armitage, Charlie Adlard with Robbie Morrison, Sean Phillips with novelist Ian Rankin), and between artists and illustrators who have never worked together before (Juan Díaz Canales and Kris, Régis Hautière and Thomas von Kummant).

Co-commissioned by 14-18 NOW: WW1 Centenary Art Commissions, La Mission du centenaire de la Première Guerre mondiale, On a Marché sur la Bulle and the Lakes International Comic Arts Festival. It is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, the Heritage Lottery Fund and from the Department for Culture Media and Sport.

Traces of the Great War anthology launched in October 2018 at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (Kendal, UK) and Salon du livre d’Albert (Albert, France), and is accompanied by touring exhibitions and a wide-ranging education programme. The project will also celebrate the historic alliance between Ulverston in Cumbria and Albert in the Somme. The twinned towns will be actively involved in the launch of the project.

Website: https://www.comicartfestival.com/project/traces-of-the-great-war

Published by Image Comics (1 Nov. 2018)

Jon McNaught returns with another beautiful comic that makes the ordinary, extraordinary. A family sets off for a long weekend at a caravan park on the British coast. We follow them through the familiar landscapes of a summer holiday: motorway service stations, windswept cliffs, dilapidated museums and tourist giftshops. In this atmospheric and contemplative work, Jon McNaught explores the rhythms of nature, the passing of time, and the beauty and boredom of a summer holiday.

Website: https://www.jonmcnaught.co.uk/

Published by Nobrow (1 Oct. 2018) -  ISBN-13: 978-1910620243

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Book Picks October 2018 - UK Post Two

Catherine Fisher - THE CLOCKWORK CROW - Published by FIREFLY PRESS (4 Oct. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1910080849 - Paperback 

A magical story of snow and stars by Catherine Fisher. The Clockwork Crow is a mysterious gothic Christmas tale set in a frost-bound Victorian country mansion. When orphaned Seren Rees is given a mysterious package by a strange and frightened man on her way to her new home, she reluctantly takes it with her. But what is in the parcel? Who are the Family who must not be spoken of, and can the Crow help Seren find Tom, before the owner of the parcel finds her? The Clockwork Crow is a gripping Christmas tale of families and belonging set in snowy Wales from a master storyteller.

Jan Eldredge (Author), Risa Rodil (Illustrator) - Witch Girl - Published by Scholastic (4 Oct. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1407181028 Paperback 

Goth Girl meets Ghostbusters in this read-in-one-sitting mystery adventure with the perfect spine-tingling balance of fun and scares!

Evangeline Clement spends her days learning the ways of magic from her witch grandmother. 

When they are called to a creepy old mansion to solve an unusual case, Evangeline encounters an enemy unlike any of the terrifying monsters she has faced before. and a secret about her own family that will shake her to the tips of her silver-toed boots. Beware! This is a story to read with the lights on.

Chris Priestley - Treasure of the Golden Skull (Maudlin Towers) - Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books (4 Oct. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1408873106 - Paperback

Return to the weird and wonderful world of Maudlin Towers for a second adventure - brilliantly written and illustrated throughout by Chris Priestley in this striking and funny package.

Mildew and Sponge don't think much of Maudlin Towers, the blackened, gloom-laden, gargoyle-infested monstrosity that is their school. But when they are told the school might close, our heroes realise that being apart and somewhere else could be even worse!

But what starts out as a secret hunt for buried treasure quickly becomes weirder than Mildew and Sponge could ever have imagined. Who is that new boy who can get people to do whatever he wants just by looking them intently in the eye? (A hypnotist!) Why does that strange teacher have tattoos and a beard? (He's really a pirate also looking for the treasure!) Could their heartbroken English teacher hold the key to this riddle of riddles? (Just maybe .)

Most importantly, can Mildew and Sponge save the day - and the school - once more?

Fleur Hitchcock - Murder At Twilight - Published by Nosy Crow Ltd (4 Oct. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1788000628 - Paperback

When Viv has a fight with Noah, she doesn't think it'll be the last time she sees him. But when she gets back from school, he's nowhere to be found and there are police cars everywhere, lights flashing and sirens blaring.

Viv is sure Noah's run away to get attention. But it's really cold, and getting dark, and the rain just won't stop falling. So she sets off to look for him, furious at his selfishness, as the floodwaters rise. And then she finds him, and realises that a much more dangerous story is unfolding around them...

Robin Stevens - Death in the Spotlight: A Murder Most Unladylike Mystery - Published by Puffin (4 Oct. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0141373829 - Paperback

Someone will take their final bow . . .

Fresh from their adventure in Hong Kong, Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells are off to the Rue Theatre in London to face an entirely new challenge: acting. 

But the Detective Society is never far away from danger, and it's clear there's trouble afoot at the Rue. 

Jealousy, threats and horrible pranks quickly spiral out of control - and then a body is found. 

Now Hazel and Daisy must take centre stage and solve the crime . . . before the murderer strikes again.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Book Picks October 2018 - UK Post

Jessica Townsend - Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow Book 2 (Nevermoor) - Published by Orion Children's Books (30 Oct. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1510104440 - Hardback 

Morrigan Crow's adventures in the magical world of Nevermoor continue . . . The most anticipated sequel of the year - a treat for all fans of magic and 'wunder'. 

Imagination, discovery and friendship await Morrigan Crow when she escapes her deadly curse and joins the Wundrous Society. It promises her protection and belonging for life - but then Morrigan doesn't receive the welcome she hoped for...

Morrigan is a much-feared Wundersmith. So, instead of the Society helping Morrigan to embrace her power, she is only taught that all Wundersmiths are evil and she must suppress her mysterious ability at all costs.

To make things worse, Nevermoor is quickly turning from a place of safety into one of danger. Society members are going missing, someone is blackmailing Morrigan's new friends, turning them against her. And Ezra Squall, the evillest man who ever lived, is determined to lure Morrigan from the Society by promising to reveal the true nature of the Wunder that calls to her, which is becoming ever harder to resist...

Has Morrigan's dream of escaping her cursed life ended before it truly began?

Amy Wilson - Snowglobe - Published by Macmillan Children's Books (18 Oct. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1509885800 - Paperback 

When daydreamer Clementine discovers a mysterious house standing in the middle of town that was never there before, she is pulled towards it by the powerful sense of a mother she never knew. The place is full of snowglobes, swirling with stars and snow and each containing a trapped magician, watched over by Gan, the bitter keeper of the house. One of these is Dylan, a boy who teases her in the real world but who is now desperate for her help. 

So Clem ventures into the snowglobes, rescuing Dylan and discovering her own powerful connection to the magic of these thousand worlds. Vowing to release the magicians from the control of their enchantments, Clem unknowingly unleashes a struggle for power that will not only put her family, but the future of magic itself in danger.

Peter Bunzl - Skycircus (The Cogheart Adventures #3) - Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd (4 Oct. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1474940658 - Paperback 

When a travelling skycircus arrives in Brackenbridge, Lily and Robert can't wait to step aboard... But there's something sinister about the hybrid children who appear as part of the act. And before Lily and Robert can do anything, they're captured by shadowy figures and whisked off in the mysterious flying circus to somewhere far, far away... Treachery, tight-ropes and trickery combine in this incredible third Cogheart adventure...

Alexandra Bracken - The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding: Book 1 - Published by Quercus Children's Books (4 Oct. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1786540683 - Paperback 

Every family has secrets - but not every family has a secret pact with a demon.

A darkly comic tale with thrilling twists and turns that will keep every reader guessing. Perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket, Jonathan Stroud and Skulduggery Pleasant.

Prosper is the only unexceptional Redding in his remarkable family. So, when he discovers that an 800-year-old demon called Alastor is responsible for their luck - and that this demon is currently living inside him - he's more than a little surprised.

Alastor isn't keen to be banished back to the demon realm and will do anything to try and trick his unwilling host into a contract - from nasty insults to wild promises. And even more unnerving, his power over Prosper seems to be growing with each passing night. 

Prosper has only days to break the curse - a feat that seems impossible. But with the help of a feisty witch-in-training, maybe he can do it?

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's/Young Adult Book Picks September 2018 - US Post Two

Mary Downing Hahn - The Girl in the Locked Room: A Ghost Story - Published by Clarion Books (September 4, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1328850928 - Hardback 

Ghost story master Mary Downing Hahn unrolls the suspenseful, spine-chilling yarn of a girl imprisoned for more than a century, the terrifying events that put her there, and a friendship that crosses the boundary between past and present.

A family moves into an old, abandoned house. Jules's parents love the house, but Jules is frightened and feels a sense of foreboding. When she sees a pale face in an upstairs window, though, she can't stop wondering about the eerie presence on the top floor—in a room with a locked door. Could it be someone who lived in the house a century earlier?

Her fear replaced by fascination, Jules is determined to make contact with the mysterious figure and help unlock the door. Past and present intersect as she and her ghostly friend discover—and change—the fate of the family who lived in the house all those many years ago.

Kevin Sands Call of the Wraith (The Blackthorn Key) - Published by Aladdin (September 25, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1534428478 - Hardback 

Christopher Rowe is back and there are more puzzles, riddles, and secrets to uncover in this fourth novel of the award-winning Blackthorn Key series.

Christopher Rowe has no idea who he is. After being shipwrecked in Devonshire, he wakes up alone, his memories gone. Villagers tell him he was possessed by an unseen evil, and only became conscious after being visited by the local witch.

As Christopher tries to get his bearings, he realizes his current state may be far from coincidence. Dark events have been happening in this corner of Britain—village children are disappearing without a trace. There are whispers that the malevolent ghost of the White Lady has returned to steal the children away, one by one, and consume their souls.

Thankfully, friends Tom and Sally find Christopher and help him reconnect with his unique skills and talents, even as his memories elude him. But as motives and secrets are revealed, Christopher finds himself in a desperate race to reclaim his memories and discover the missing children before it’s too late.

Pete Hautman - Otherwood - Published by Candlewick (September 11, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0763690717 - Hardback 

What happened in the woods that day? Pete Hautman’s riveting middle-grade novel touches on secrets and mysteries — and the power of connections with family and friends.

“Hatred combined with lies and secrets can break the world.” Grandpa Zach used to say that before he died, but Stuey never really knew what he meant. It was kind of like how he used to talk about quantum physics or how he used to say ghosts haunted their overgrown golf course. But then one day, after Stuey and his best friend, Elly Rose, spend countless afternoons in the deadfall in the middle of the woods, something totally unbelievable happens. As Stuey and Elly Rose struggle to come to grips with their lives after that reality-splitting moment, all the things Grandpa Zach used to say start to make a lot more sense. This is a book about memory and loss and the destructive nature of secrets, but also about the way friendship, truth, and perseverance have the ability to knit a torn-apart world back together.

Daniel José Older - Dactyl Hill Squad - Published by Arthur A. Levine Books (September 11, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1338268812 - Hardback 

It's 1863 and dinosaurs roam the streets of New York as the Civil War rages between raptor-mounted armies down South. Magdalys Roca and her friends from the Colored Orphan Asylum are on a field trip when the Draft Riots break out, and a number of their fellow orphans are kidnapped by an evil magistrate, Richard Riker. 

Magdalys and her friends flee to Brooklyn and settle in the Dactyl Hill neighborhood, where black and brown New Yorkers have set up an independent community--a safe haven from the threats of Manhattan. Together with the Vigilance Committee, they train to fly on dactylback, discover new friends and amazing dinosaurs, and plot to take down Riker. Can Magdalys and the squad rescue the rest of their friends before it's too late?

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's/Young Adult Book Picks September 2018 - US Post

Sean Easley - The Hotel Between - Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (September 4, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1534416970 - Hardback 

A magical hotel, a mysterious tree, and a cryptic story about their missing father leads twins Cam and Cass on a worldly adventure in this enchanting debut novel that’s perfect for fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and Wildwood. 

Twins Cam and Cass have never known their parents. They’ve been told their mother died, and Cass is certain their father abandoned them. Cam isn’t so sure. He wants to prove her wrong; he must.

Cam’s wish is soon granted in the form of a glistening, golden sign with elaborate flourishes that reads: The Hotel Between. With doors that open to countries all over the world, magical trollies, charmed corridors that can be altered on a whim, stone elephants that turn to life, sweets made from rocks; everything is possible in The Hotel. Cam has a hunch his father is somehow connected to this magical place, and may even be lost within its hidden halls.

Every journey has its risks, and The Hotel Between is full of dangerous secrets. If Cam’s not careful, his stay may be over before his vacation has even started.

Liesl Shurtliff - Time Castaways #1: The Mona Lisa Key - Published by Katherine Tegen Books (September 18, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0062568137 - Hardback 

 

From the New York Times bestselling author of Rump comes a thrilling new middle-grade trilogy about three city kids who get on the wrong subway train and wind up on a wild, magical mystery-adventure throughout time. Imaginative, daring, and packed with fun, Time Castaways is perfect for fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Libraryand Percy Jackson.

Mateo, Ruby, and Corey Hudson’s parents don’t have too many rules. It’s the usual stuff: Be good. Do your homework. And never ride the subway without an adult, EVER. But when the siblings wake up late for school, they have no choice but to break a rule. The Hudson siblings board the subway in Manhattan and end up on a frigate ship in Paris…in the year 1911.

As time does tell, the Hudson family has a lot of secrets. The past, present, and future are intertwined—and a time-traveling ship called the Vermillion is at the center. Racing to untangle the truth, the kids find themselves in the middle of one of the greatest art heists of all time.

And the adventure is just getting started.

Karsten Knight - Welcome to Doom Farms (Bonegarden) - Published by Independently published (September 4, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1718179325 - Paperback 

The first in a spooky new series perfect for fans of Goosebumps. 
When Kayla Dunn’s family moves from the city to the country town of Orchard Falls, she has one dream: to grow pumpkins big enough to compete in the annual Jack-o’-Lantern Festival. Desperate to win—and beat her next-door nemesis—she resorts to planting unusual, glowing seeds from a mysterious shopkeeper. 

Kayla should be overjoyed when her pumpkins grow faster and bigger than she ever imagined … but her first harvest is about to become a real nightmare. 

Because these pumpkins are blue and veiny. 

Because their vines seem to have a mind of their own. 

And because something terrifying inside them is longing to hatch.

Cherie Priest (Author), Tara O'Connor (Illustrator) - The Agony House - Published by Arthur A. Levine Books (September 25, 2018) - 

• ISBN-13: 978-0545934299 - Hardback 

Denise Farber has just moved back to New Orleans with her mom and step-dad. They left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and have finally returned, wagering the last of their family's money on fixing up an old, rundown house and converting it to a bed and breakfast. 

Nothing seems to work around the place, which doesn't seem too weird to Denise. The unexplained noises are a little more out of the ordinary, but again, nothing too unusual. But when floors collapse, deadly objects rain down, and she hears creepy voices, it's clear to Denise that something more sinister lurks hidden here.

Answers may lie in an old comic book Denise finds concealed in the attic: the lost, final project of a famous artist who disappeared in the 1950s. Denise isn't budging from her new home, so she must unravel the mystery-on the pages and off-if she and her family are to survive...

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Book Picks September 2018 - UK Post Two

Patrick Ness (Author), Rovina Cai (Illustrator) - And the Ocean Was Our Sky - Published by Walker Books (6 Sept. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1406383560 - Hardback

  

From the multi-award-winning author of A Monster Calls comes a haunting tale of power and obsession that turns the story of Moby Dick upside down.

"Call me Bathsheba." The whales of Bathsheba's pod live for the hunt. Led by the formidable Captain Alexandra, they fight a never-ending war against men. Then the whales attack a man ship, and instead of easy prey they find the trail of a myth, a monster, perhaps the devil himself... With their relentless Captain leading the chase, they embark on the final hunt, one that will forever change the worlds of whales and men.

Andy Briggs - Drone Racer - Published by Scholastic (6 Sept. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1407188423

An action-packed novel that brings drone racing to life!

Carson and his friends love racing drones, and they can't believe their luck when they stumble across a discarded one at a junkyard. 

But this new find is full of surprises. When they power the drone up, it starts talking! 

And it's fast.
Really fast.
Carson's team could win big prizes in the racing leagues. 

Trouble is, someone wants their incredible drone back, and they'll stop at nothing to get it. How can three kids protect their new friend?

J. R. Wallis - The Black Amulet (Badlands 2) - Published by Simon & Schuster Children's UK (6 Sept. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1471157943 - Paperback  

Welcome to the Badlands ... a hidden part of our world populated by creatures which most people think exist only in fairy tales and nightmares.

Reunited with his parents, Jones is finally living the 'normal' life he's always wanted. But, despite leaving the Badlands behind, there's still magic inside him...

His two friends, Ruby and Thomas Gabriel, are struggling with their new lives too; Thomas Gabriel's magical abilities are fading away and Ruby is realizing she might never be accepted as a 'proper' Badlander in a world of monster-hunting men.

One thing could help them all - the Black Amulet, a magical artefact hidden for centuries by the most powerful Badlander that ever lived. But finding it won't be easy, and using it even harder, because things are never simple when magic is involved... 

Cornelia Funke - The Glass of Lead and Gold - Published by Pushkin Children's Books (27 Sept. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1782691983

It's a beautiful story set in an alternate London, and is full of magical characters you may have seen in the InkWorld and MirrorWorld stories!

 In a land of elves, mermaids and trolls, true magic is where you least expect it...

In the snow-covered city of Londra, young Tabetha survives by finding treasures in the mudbanks of the river Themse. On Christmas Eve, a sinister stranger asks her to keep her eyes open for a priceless, long-lost magical object: the Glass of Lead and Gold.

As word of the Glass spreads across the city, Tabetha finds herself with some unlikely companions, not least a one-armed girl and a rather impressive soup chef. But will Tabetha discover that there are even greater fortunes to be found than the magical Glass?

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Book Picks September 2018 - UK Post

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books has handpicked some of the best reads from those coming out this September 2018. We have been thoroughly spoilt by the quality of so many books packing a great fantasy punch. Why not check out the post and maybe add some of them to your upcoming reading book pile. 

Kieran Larwood (Author), David Wyatt (Illustrator) The Five Realms: The Beasts of Grimheart - Published by Faber & Faber (6 Sept. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0571328444 - Hardback 

 The bard looks up at the three figures. They have black hooded cloaks and long robes. From the holes in their masks, three pairs of eyes watch him: cold, calm, emotionless.'Yes,' says the bard. 'They're bonedancers. You don't need to sound quite so excited, though. They have come to kill me.'

And so it is that the bard and and his young apprentice Rue are taken to Spinestone, the temple warren of the bonedancers. It is here that the bard is ordered to retell the tale that has got him in so much trouble . . . and so to the next instalment in the astonishing tale of Podkin One-Ear . . .

Podkin, Paz and Pook once again find their home under threat, but this time they are ready to fight! Podkin and the others leave for Sparrowfast to ask their uncle for the use of his magic bow. It's the one weapon that could save them all. But as they flee into the forest depths, it seems they have been betrayed . . 

Anna James - Pages & Co: Tilly and the Bookwanderers - Published by HarperCollins Children's Books (18 Sept. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0008229863 - Hardback

 A captivating, curl-up-on-the-sofa debut about the magic of books and the power of the imagination. 

Since her mother’s disappearance, eleven-year-old Tilly has found comfort in stories at Pages & Co., her grandparents’ bookshop. But when her favourite characters, Anne of Green Gables and Alice from Wonderland, appear in the shop, Tilly’s adventures become very real. Not only can she follow Anne and Alice into their thrilling worlds, she discovers she can bookwander into any story she chooses.

Tilly’s new ability could even help her solve the mystery of what happened to her mother all those years ago. But danger may be lurking on the very next page…

Ross MacKenzie - The Elsewhere Emporium - Published by Kelpies (13 Sept. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1782505198 - Paperback (Book Review Here)

The Nowhere Emporium has been stolen. The shop from nowhere has vanished without a trace. Will it ever reappear? As they search for the lost Emporium, Daniel and Ellie encounter magical bookshops, deserted islands, and an array of magicians (both dead and alive). Meanwhile a dangerous force is attacking the Emporium from the inside, waiting for a chance to break free. In this highly anticipated sequel to the award-winning The Nowhere Emporium, readers will once again be transported into a magical realm where imagination is power and anything is possible. Loyal fans will be astonished by the new wonders beyond the Emporium's doors as the gripping mystery unfolds.

Piers Torday - The Lost Magician - Published by Quercus Children's Books (6 Sept. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1786540515 - Hardback

'If you can imagine it, it exists ... somewhere.' The new spellbinding fantasy adventure from the bestselling, award-winning author of The Last Wild trilogy.

1945. They have survived the Blitz, but when Simon, Patricia, Evelyn and Larry step through a mysterious library door, it is the beginning of their most dangerous adventure yet. They discover the magical world of Folio, where an enchanted kingdom of fairy knights, bears and tree gods is under threat from a sinister robot army. 

The many stories of the Library are locked in eternal war, and the children's only hope is to find their creator - a magician who has been lost for centuries. 

What they find will change not just their own lives, but the fate of the world, for ever...