Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Book Picks - July 2020

Sophie Kirtley - The Wild Way Home - Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books - (1 July 2020) - ISBN-10: 1526616289 - Paperback - Age: 9+ (Book Review Here)

When Charlie's longed-for brother is born with a serious heart condition, Charlie's world is turned upside down. Upset and afraid, Charlie flees the hospital and makes for the ancient forest on the edge of town. There Charlie finds a boy floating face-down in the stream, injured, but alive. But when Charlie sets off back to the hospital to fetch help, it seems the forest has changed. It's become a place as strange and wild as the boy dressed in deerskins. Charlie has unwittingly fled into the Stone Age, with no way to help the boy or return to the present day. Or is there?

What follows is a wild, big-hearted adventure as Charlie and the Stone Age boy set out together to find what they have lost - their courage, their hope, their family and their way home.

Fans of Piers Torday and Stig of the Dump will love this wild, wise and heartfelt debut adventure.

Alex English (Author), Mark Chambers (Illustrator) - Sky Pirates: Echo Quickthorn and the Great Beyond - Published by Simon & Schuster Children's UK (23 July 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1471190773 - Paperback - Age: 8+

Take to the skies in this thrilling new series from author Alex English. (BEWARE: THERE WILL BE PIRATES!)
 
11-year-old Echo Quickthorn has grown up believing that nothing exists outside the Kingdom of Lockfort, but everything changes when an eccentric professor parks his airship outside her window armed with a map that shows all the magical places that exist beyond the city walls. 

Together with her pet lizard, Gilbert, Echo sets off on an incredible adventure to find her missing mother; an adventure that will take her to unimaginable places filled with giant butterflies, mechanical dragons and . . . sky pirates!

Maria Kuzniar - The Ship of Shadows - Published by Penguin (16 July 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-0241372913 - Paperback - Age: 8+

Aleja is a dreamer who longs for a life of magic and adventure. So when a mysterious ship arrives in her Spanish harbour city, crewed by a band of ruthless women, Aleja knows it's sailed right out of a legend.

And it wants her.

But life aboard the Ship of Shadows is more than even she bargained for. It will take all of Aleja's strength and skill to gain the trust of her fellow pirates - and discover what they are risking everything to find . . .

Maria Kuzniar spent six years living in Spain, teaching English and travelling the world, which inspired her debut novel The Ship of Shadows. Now she lives in Nottingham with her husband, where she reads and writes as much as she can and bookstagrams. She is always planning her next adventure.

 Website: www.mariakuzniar.co.uk 
 Instagram: www.instagram.com/cosyreads
 Twitter: twitter.com/thecosyreader

Gabrielle Kent (Author), Rex Crowle (Illustrator) - Knights and Bikes 3 - Published by Knights Of (2 July 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1913311049 - Paperback - Age: 8

A new mystery has rolled onto Penfurzy island and the Rebel Bicycle Club are ready to investigate! Nessa, Demelza and Captain Honkers set-off to explore a travelling fun-fair when things begin to get strange. With new friends and a new legend to uncover, the bestfriends do what they do best: SAVE THE DAY FROM A FATE WORSE THAN HOMEWORK. A mysterious adventure with twists, turns and gross-out caravan invaders guaranteed to make you laugh!

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Book Picks - May 2020

This is my post for some of the best new children's books being published this May 2020. Through these extraordinary times, we are encouraging you to support small independent book shops up and down the country. Therefore, if you fancy reading any of the below books and are thinking of buying a book or two then why not support them - buy directly and let us do our part to support them in these difficult times.  We have put some links for some suggestions for you to get books from. 

Thomas Taylor - Gargantis (The Legends of Eerie-on-Sea) - Published by Walker Books (7 May 2020) - ISBN-10: 1406386294 - Paperback - Age: 7+ - Pre-order a signed copy here from The Book Nook - HERE 

There's a storm raging in Eerie-on-Sea. Has the mighty Gargantis come back from the deep...? When an ancient bottle is found washed up on the beach after a ferocious electrical storm, all the residents of Eerie-on-Sea seem to want it ... but should they in fact fear it? Legend has it that the bottle contains an extraordinary secret that spells doom for the whole of Eerie-on-Sea. Could it be true that the vast sea creature Gargantis has awoken from her slumbers, and is causing the large cracks that are appearing all across the town? Finding themselves entrusted with the bottle, Herbie and Violet discover they will need to ride the terrible storm and pacify the creature if they want to save Eerie-on-Sea from sliding into the ocean and being lost forever

Lindsay Galvin - Darwin's Dragons - Published by Chicken House (7 May 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1912626465 - Paperback - Age: 8+ (Sorry Postponed Until March 2020)

Robinson Crusoe meets How to Train Your Dragon in this wonderful adventure from Lindsay Galvin!
Syms Covington has landed the job of a lifetime - cabin boy and fiddler on Charles Darwin's Beagle. But when he is separated from the crew during a storm, his life takes a truly extraordinary turn. Shipwrecked on a Galapagos island, he makes a discovery that could change the world - and make his fortune. But should he share his find, or will it lead to the extinction of a legendary species? There's one person who could help, but he's busy writing a book ...  Book in three words. Daring, Discovery, Adventure. 

Liz Flanagan -  Rise of the Shadow Dragons (Legends of the Sky) - Published by David Fickling Books (7 May 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1788451444 - Hardback - Age: 9+ - Read the first chapter Here buy from Kenilworth Books Here 

Jowan wants only one thing: to have a dragon of his own. Then disaster strikes, and his world suddenly turns into a darker and more dangerous place. But a new friend and an astonishing discovery could lead him to what he has always wanted ... if he is just willing to take a leap of faith and brave the impossible. He needs to act fast though - a volcano is waking up!

Nick Mohammed - The Young Magicians and the 24-Hour Telepathy Plot - Published by Puffin (7 May 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-0241331088 - Paperback - Age: 7+ - Buy Here

The Young Magicians are back - and this time the mystery is an attempted murder! The second fabulously funny, trick-filled adventure from rising-star comedian and actor, Nick Mohammed! 

Follow Alex, Jonny, Zack and Sophie as they use their amazing real magic skills to get to the bottom of an impossible-seeming crime. The gang are away at a magic convention when thy discover something unspeakable - someone is trying to poison the president of the Magic Circle! The secret society is stumped - but can our intrepid illusionists get to the bottom of who's trying to do in President Pickle?

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Book Picks - April 2020 - POST THREE

This is my third post for some of the best new children's books being published this April 2020. Through these extraordinary times, we are encouraging you to support small independent book shops up and down the country. The sad thing is that, if we don't, we might lose some at a time like this. Therefore, if you fancy reading any of the below books and are thinking of buying a book or two then why not support them - buy directly and let us do our part to support them in these difficult times. They need our love. Check out Twitter for an idea as to which bookshops are posting out @IndieBookshopUK or visit the website which has a handy map for you to look at http://www.indiebookshops.com Thanks for reading and stay safe. 

Jess Butterworth - Where the Wilderness Lives - Published by Orion Children's Books (2 April 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1510105508 - Paperback - Age: 8+

An epic race for survival that follows four children and their dog through treacherous waterways, dense forests and the deep, dark wilderness of Wales.

One day, as Cara and her siblings are trying to clean up the canal where they live, they pull out a mysterious locked safe. Though none of them can open it, they're sure it's something special.

That night, a thief comes after the safe. The children flee, traveling with their boat as far as they can, before continuing into the forest on foot. But soon they're lost in the mountains with a snowstorm about to land and food supplies running low. 

Will Cara and her siblings be able to survive the wilderness with nothing but their wits, their bravery and one very large dog to help?

Nicola Skinner - Storm - Published by HarperCollins Children's Books (2 April 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-0008295325 - Hardback - Age: 10+

The extraordinarily moving, funny and original new novel from the author of the rapturously acclaimed BLOOM.

“You were born raging, Frances Frida Ripley. That’s what happens when you’re born in a storm.”

Frances’s parents were not prepared for her birth: they had a blanket and an easel and some paint, but not anything useful, like a car or a phone. So it’s no wonder Frankie has always had a temper. She was born on a BEACH, in a STORM.

What Frances was not prepared for was dying in a freak natural disaster that wiped out her whole town.

Waking up 100 years later, Frances finds a whole load of new things to be angry about. And that’s before the visitors start turning up, treating her home like it’s a tourist attraction. Which it is.

Only there are worse people out there than tourists… and they’re coming for Frankie.

Frankie is about to discover that there are things more important than herself – and that anger has its uses. Because when you have a storm inside you – sometimes the only thing to do is let it out…

Emma Read - Milton the Megastar (Milton the Mighty) - Published by Chicken House (2 April 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1912626069 - Paperback - Age: 7 

In this sequel to Milton the Mighty, Milton goes international!
Milton's superstardom is stressing him out: the events, the glamour, the adoring fans! Secretly, Zoe, Audrey and Ralph think he's turned into ... well ... a bit of a diva. So when Dad and Greta plan a trip to Hawaii, Zoe knows she has to take her best spider pals along for the ride: they all need a break. But with a live volcano, an endangered spider species, an unscrupulous entrepreneur and Milton's ego to contend with, this is hardly a holiday ...

Fleur Hitchcock - Clifftoppers: The Thorn Island Adventure - Published by Nosy Crow Ltd (2 April 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1788007900 - Paperback - Age: 7+

For Aiden, Chloe, Ava and Josh, holidays at their grandparents' cottage mean wild beaches, no curfew, Bella the dog, and most of all - adventure! While sailing their Grandad's boat along the coast with her cousins, Chloe sees a terrified face at a tower window on Thorn Island. Could the face belong to recently kidnapped young George, the only child of a rich local businessman? No one they tell believes there could be a child held prisoner in the tower. So, certain that the villains are hiding out nearby, the cousins must use all their skills and cunning to conduct a daring rescue. Fleur Hitchcock is famous for her excellent "thrillers for beginners". 

This action-packed series takes 7+ readers on fantastic, realistic adventures. 

Cover illustration by Tom Clohosy Cole. 
Look out for the other books in the Clifftoppers series: 
The Arrowhead Moor Adventure 
The Fire Bay Adventure 

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books - Children's Book Picks March 2020 - UK POST TWO

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• Author: Mikki Lish + Kelly Ngai
• Book Title: The House on Hoarder Hill
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Age Range: 9 - 12 years
• Publisher: Chicken House 
• Date: 5 Mar. 2020
• ISBN-13: 978-1912626212

Magical, spooky and mysterious: welcome to the House on Hoarder Hill ...
When Hedy and Spencer start receiving messages on dusty picture frames, Christmas at their grandfather's spooky house turns into a mission to solve the mystery of their grandmother's disappearance. What is their magician grandfather not telling them? With the help of a (talking) mounted stag head, an (also talking) bear rug, and other (currently) disembodied spirits, and against the resistance of gargoyles and ravens, Hedy and Spencer set out to find the truth.

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• Author: Guy Bass
• Illustrator: Pete Williamson
• Book Title: Skelton Keys: The Haunting of Luna Moon 
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Age Range: 7 - 9 years
• Publisher: Stripes Publishing 
• Date: 5 Mar. 2020
• ISBN-13: 978-1788951043

The second tall-but-true tale in the darkly comic new series SKELETON KEYS from the award-winning duo behind STITCH HEAD...

Greetings! My name is Skeleton Keys and these fantabulant fingers of mine can open doors to hidden worlds… Join me for the strange tale of Luna Moon, whose family is disappearing before her very eyes…

Luna is the only one to mourn the death of her grandfather Old Man Moon – the rest of her family couldn’t be happier to see the back of the bad-tempered old miser. But as they celebrate his demise with a giddy jig, Aunt Summer vanishes ... only to reappear as a painting.

While Luna is convinced her grandfather has kept his word to haunt them from beyond the grave, Skeleton Keys is certain that this is the work of an unimaginary. Can he get to the bottom of the mystery before the whole of Luna’s family disappears?

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• Author: Sally Gardner
• Illustration: Nick Maland
• Title: Mr Tiger, Betsy, and the Golden Seahorse 
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Zephyr 
• Date: 5 Mar. 2020)
• ISBN-13: 978-1788546614

Following the success of their first two adventures Mr Tiger, Betsy and the Blue Moon and Mr Tiger, Betsy and the Sea Dragon, the intrepid pair join Betsy's mum, Myrtle the mermaid, beneath the waves, from bestselling author Sally Gardner and illustrated by Nick Maland.

Crumble cakes! When Betsy joins Myrtle the mermaid in her underwater world, she discovers there may be monsters... shipwrecks, lost treasure and secret cities. A seapig's prize seahorse, Pudding Pie, has been stolen by a cantankerous giant octopus and Betsy and Mr Tiger must go to the rescue in their new submarine. But what happens when a tiger's whiskers and tail are simply too long to squeeze into forgotten dark caverns where even the moon cannot shine, and Betsy has to take the final steps of the adventure on her own? 

The hardback edition of this book is printed in blue ink in Dyslexie, a font specially designed to make reading easier – and more fun.

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• Author: J. M. Joseph 
• Book Title: Fire Boy
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Age Range: 9 - 11 years
• Publisher: Hodder Children's Books 
• Date: 19 Mar. 2020
• ISBN-13: 978-1444954685

Fire Boy is a laugh-out-loud story about friendship, unexpected superpowers, magical sweets, Inca legends and a cat named Lemon - perfect for fans of My Brother is A Superhero and The Parent Agency.

When 11-year-old Aidan receives a mysterious package of sweets from South America in the post, he and his two best friends Sadie and Hussein eat one sweet each - and suddenly develop amazing superpowers. Sadie can move objects with her mind. Hussein can control any electronic device. And Aidan can ignite his body at will...though he can't always control the resulting flames.

When they discover that the sweets were sent by a dangerous criminal who is trying to hunt them down to get them back, they have to use all their new powers to outwit him ... before everything goes up in a fiery blaze.

But can three ordinary kids keep their powers a secret? Will Aidan learn to control his fiery capabilities? Or will the ultimate bad guy spoil the whole adventure?

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books - Children's Book Picks March 2020 - UK POST

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• Author: Judith Eagle
• Illustrator: Kim Geyer
• Book Title: The Pear Affair
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Age Range: 8 - 12 years
• Publisher: Faber & Faber 
• Date: 5 March 2020
• ISBN-13: 978-0571346851

When Penelope Magnificent's awful parents tell her they're taking a trip to Paris, she surprises them by begging to go along. 

Nell is usually content to avoid her money-obsessed father and her fashion-focussed mother, but Paris holds something very dear to her... her old au pair Perrine - Pear - lives there. Pear used to write to Nell every week promising to come to her rescue but recently the letters have stopped...

Arriving at her parent's posh hotel, Nell is determined to find Pear... but no one has seen her at her last known address, and no one seems to want to tell her anything about Pear's whereabouts. 

Luckily she befriends the hotel bellboy who introduces her to the world of tunnels underneath the city, and together they set out to find Pear, whilst uncovering an extraordinary mystery of their own...

Black and white chapter head illustrations bring this story to life.

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• Author: Jennifer Bell
• Illustrator: Alice Lickens
• Book Title: Agents of the Wild (Operation Honeyhunt)
• Paperback: 184 pages
• Age Range: 7 - 9 years
• Publisher: Walker Books 
• Date: 5 Mar. 2020
• ISBN-13: 978-1406388459
• Enter the world of Agnes & Attie: AGENTS OF THE WILD; fun-packed young fiction with wildlife conservation themes.
  When 8-year-old Agnes is signed up for SPEARS (the Society for the Protection of Endangered and Awesomely Rare Species), she has no idea of the adventures that lie ahead with her elephant-shrew mentor Attie (short for "Attenborough"). Operation Honeyhunt sends them to the Brazilian rainforest, on a mission to save an endangered, dance-loving bee named Elton. Will Agnes pass the test and become a full SPEARS agent? Species in danger? Girl and shrew to the rescue!
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• 
  
• Author: Alison Croggon
• Book Title: The Threads of Magic
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Age Range: 9 - 12 years
• Publisher: Walker Books 
• Date: 5 Mar. 2020
• ISBN-13: 978-1406384741
• Pip lives on his wits in the city of Clarel. When he pickpockets the wrong man, he finds himself in possession of a strange object - a heart in a silver casket. What's more, the heart seems to be trying to communicate with Pip, and the royal officials who lost it will stop at nothing to get it back.
  Pip has unwittingly broken an ancient spell, and his theft will have far-reaching consequences for the whole city. As the ancient war between the Spectres and witches of Clarel reignites, the heart prepares to seek revenge for all it has suffered…
  Alison Croggon conjures a rich, immersive world with brilliant and memorable characters in this captivating story of loyalty, courage, and friendship.
  
  
  
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  • Author: Ally Carter
  • Book Title: Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valour
  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Age Range: 9 - 12 years
  • Publisher: Orchard Books 
  • Date: 5 Mar. 2020
  • ISBN-13: 978-1408357378
  • FIVE EXTRAORDINARY ORPHANS. ONE INCREDIBLE MYSTERY.
    UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF THE WINTERBORNE HOME FOR VENGEANCE AND VALOUR
    When 11-year-old April joins a group of kids living at Winterborne Home she doesn't expect to be there for very long. But she soon learns that this home isn't like any of the others - especially when she unearths the secret of the missing-and-presumed-dead billionaire, Gabriel Winterborne, who is neither missing nor dead but is actually living in a basement lair, sharpening his swords and looking for vengeance.
    Now that April knows Gabriel Winterborne is alive, she must turn to the other orphans to keep him that way. As a looming new danger threatens to take Gabriel down once and for all, they must use their individual talents to find a way to make sure this home for misfits isn't lost to them for ever.
    Because at the Winterborne Home, nothing is what it seems, no one is who they say they are and nowhere is safe. And now a ragtag group of orphans must unravel the riddle of a missing heir, a supposed phantom and a secret key, all without alerting the adults of Winterborne House that trouble is afoot.

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books - Children Book Picks Feb 2020 - UK POST TWO

Sara Pennypacker - Here in the Real World - Published by HarperCollins Children's Books (6 Feb. 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-0008371692 - Paperback

From the author of the highly acclaimed, bestselling novel Paxcomes a gorgeous and moving novel that is an ode to introverts, dreamers, and misfits everywhere, ideal for readers aged 9–12.

Ware can’t wait to spend summer ‘off in his own world’ and generally being left alone. But then his parents sign him up for dreaded Rec camp, where he must endure Meaningful Social Interaction and whatever activities so-called ‘normal’ kids do.

On his first day, Ware meets Jolene, a tough, secretive girl planting a garden in the rubble of an abandoned church next to the camp. Soon Ware starts skipping Rec, creating a castle-like space of his own in the church lot.

Jolene scoffs, calling him a dreamer – he doesn’t live in the ‘real world’ like she does. As different as Ware and Jolene are, though, they have one thing in common: for them, the lot is a refuge. And when their sanctuary is threatened, Ware vows to save the lot.

But what does a hero look like in real life? And what can two misfit kids do?

Holly Rivers - Demelza and the Spectre Detectors - Published by Chicken House  (6 Feb. 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1912626038 - Paperback

Read Full Extract HERE 

Demelza loves science - she loves it so much that she's been known to stay up late to work on her peculiar inventions! But Demelza discovers she has inherited a distinctly un-scientific set of skills: Spectre Detecting. Like her grandmother, she can summon the ghosts of the dead. But when Grandma is kidnapped by a mysterious villain, she knows Spectre Detecting has something to do with it. Only Demelza and her pasty best friend, Percy, can solve the deadly mystery ...

Dashe Roberts - Sticky Pines: The Bigwoof Conspiracy - Published by Nosy Crow Ltd (6 Feb. 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1788006866 - Paperback

When twelve-year-old, UFO-obsessed, Lucy Sladan sneaks out in the middle of a thunderstorm to investigate the unexplained disappearances in her hometown of Sticky Pines, she finds more than she bargained for: a huge hairy creature, a thirteen-year-old stranger named Milo Fisher and a deep-rooted secret. Together, Lucy and Milo become entwined in a mystery that threatens to engulf the whole town of Sticky Pines and its weird and wonderful residents. Sticky Pines: The Bigwoof Conspiracy is the debut novel for children by the talented Dashe Roberts.

Simon Leic - Deadfall: Book 3 (The Haven) - Published by Hodder Children's Books (6 Feb. 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1444947649 - Paperback

You don't know it exists, but when you have nowhere else to turn, the Haven will find you ... An adrenaline-fuelled adventure, third in the Haven series, by top thriller writer Simon Lelic. 

Our city. Our secret. Our rules.

The Haven is a secret organisation - run by kids, for kids. But the police are on to them, and Ollie's friend Lily is locked up in an off-grid, high-security prison. 

Ollie and the Haven's investigations team are forced to choose: do they hide away and protect what they have? Or do they stay true to the Haven's mission, helping kids in trouble wherever - and whoever - they may be? 

It's a decision that will threaten the Haven's very existence ... 

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books - Children Book Picks Feb 2020 - UK POST ONE

Michelle Harrison - A Pinch of Magic - Published by Simon & Schuster Children's UK (6 Feb. 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1471183867 - Paperback - Reading Age: 8+ 
From the bestselling author of A PINCH OF MAGIC comes another spellbinding adventure that will take your breath away and make you believe in magic. 

A missing sister, a secret island and ... a sprinkle of sorcery.

The family curse has been lifted and the Widdershins sisters: Betty, Fliss and Charlie are free to leave the misty prison isle of Crowstone. But when a mysterious girl arrives at the Poacher’s Pocket with a pocketful of hagstones and accompanied by a will-o’-the-wisp, it seems another adventure has landed on their doorstep. And when Charlie goes missing, it’s up to Betty and Fliss to journey through misty marches, past wisp catchers and on to a secret island that doesn’t exist on any map…

Ross Mackenzie - Evernight - Published by Andersen Press (6 Feb. 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1783448319 - Paperback - Reading Age: 10+
Thousands of years ago, the Evernight came to the Silver Kingdom and turned everything to darkness and chaos. It was only defeated thanks to the skill and bravery of the Witches. But now the Evernight is about to return, released by the evil Mrs Hester, and the only spell that might stop it is lost, deep below the great city of King s Haven. 

Then orphan Larabelle Fox stumbles across a mysterious wooden box while treasure-hunting in the city s sewers. Little does she realise she is about to be catapulted into an adventure, facing wild magic and mortal danger and a man who casts no shadow . . .

Anne Miller (Author), Becka Moor (Illustrator) - Mickey and the Animal Spies - Published by OUP Oxford (6 Feb. 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-0192773630 - Paperback - Reading Age: 8+
Mickey is the type of kid who's always on the lookout for a code to crack. So it's her lucky day when she spots a strange poster on the bus home from school written completely in code. Within the strange jumble of letters is a curious message, one that leads to exciting adventure-with diamond thieves, dognappers, and an extraordinary group of animal spies! 

This book contains real coded messages, can you crack the codes before Mickey does?

Shane Hegarty  (Author), Ben Mantle (Illustrator) - BOOT: The Rusty Rescue - Published by Hodder Children's Books (20 Feb. 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1444949391 - Reading Age: 6+

For fans of Toy Story and Charlie Changes into a Chicken, this is the second hilarious, warm-hearted story about a small robot on a big adventure. With illustrations by Ben Mantle bringing Boot's world to life, this is a thrill-ride of an adventure, stuffed with fun, friendship and a warehouse full of bouncy castles.

Toy robot Boot has come a long way since it woke up in a scrapyard with only two and a half glitchy memories. It has a home with its robot pals in an abandoned amusement arcade, and has discovered what true happiness is - although it's still not sure why humans are so leaky and weird ... But when Boot and the gang stumble upon Rusty, an old, broken robot, forgotten in the back of a testing lab, it's time to spring into action. Boot knows there's something special about Rusty - but can they free the old robot and help it find its purpose?

Illustrated throughout in glorious black and white by the award-winning Ben Mantle, this is an unforgettable tale of resilience and hope. 

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Book Picks Jan 2020

Ross Welford - The Kid Who Came from Space - Published by HarperCollins Children's Books (9 Jan. 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-0008333782 - Paperback 

The stunning new 10+ story from the bestselling and award-winning author of TIME TRAVELLING WITH A HAMSTER, for anyone who loved the humour of WALL-E, the action of STAR WARS and the deeply touching emotion of ET.

A small village in the wilds of Northumberland is rocked by the disappearance of twelve-year-old Tammy. Only her twin brother, Ethan, knows she is safe – and the extraordinary truth of where she is. It is a secret he must keep, or risk never seeing her again.

But that doesn’t mean he’s going to give up.

Together with his friend Iggy and the mysterious (and very hairy) Hellyann, Ethan teams up with a spaceship called Philip, and Suzy the trained chicken, for a nail-biting chase to get his sister back… that will take him further than anyone has ever been before.

Tom McLaughlin - The Day I Started a Mega Robot Invasion - Walker Books (2 Jan. 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1406389647 - Paperback - Age: 7+

A nine-year-old inventor is about to have her worst day ever in this laugh-a-minute mega-robot adventure!
Molly should be doing her homework, but instead, she builds a robot to do it for her. The robot is pretty clever ... so clever that it decides to make another robot. Then that robot makes another one. Before long, an army of slightly-too-clever-for-their-own-good robots are running around town causing chaos. But when robot number one gets wind of Molly’s plan to shut them down, the mechanical army set out to get rid of the humanoid once and for all. Now, Molly must race against time to stop the mega-robot invasion … and hand in her homework!

Anna Hoghton -  The Mask of Aribella - Published by Chicken House (2 Jan. 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1912626106 - Paperback - Age: 9+

Perfect for fans of The Thief Lord!

Aribella lives in Venice, the daughter of an impoverished lace-maker. But she has a deadly secret: when angered, sparks shoot from her fingertips. Unable to keep her power hidden, she flees - but when dark spectres rise from the lagoon, the fire in her hands saves her life. A stranger witnesses the attack - and through him, Aribella leaves her old life behind and discovers the world of the Cannovacci, magical warriors sworn to defeat the strange spectres menacing the city ...

Nick East - Agent Weasel and the Abominable Dr Snow: Book 2 - Published by Hodder Children's Books (23 Jan. 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1444945300 - Paperback - Age: 7+

Meet Agent Weasel: woodland super-spy. Can he save the Big Freeze winter games from disaster? And will there be enough marshmallows for another hot chocolate? Perfect for reading alone or sharing together, for fans of The Bolds and Toto the Ninja Cat.

It's the opening night of the Winter Whopper Games, but all is not well in the United Woodlands. Top animal athletes are disappearing, and there are whispers of a silent snow beast on the prowl. 

It's time to call Agent Weasel, woodland super-spy. Can he and his trusty dormouse friend Doorkins find out the secrets of Blanche, their mysterious team-mate? Will Weasel be able to compete for a golden fir cone without falling over his own feet? Will there be enough marshmallows and sprinkles for another hot chocolate? Who knows? 

But rest assured: even on the darkest and snowiest of nights, Agent Weasel always gets his animal. 

This is the second in the rib-ticklingly funny Agent Weasel series, with glorious illustrations throughout. Check out book one: Agent Weasel and the Fiendish Fox Gang.