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 - April 2020 - POST TWO

This is my second 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 - buying directly from them and let us do our part to support them in these difficult times. Thanks for reading and stay safe.

Rob Lloyd Jones - Jake Atlas and the Keys of the Apocalypse (Jake Atlas 4)  - Published by Walker Books (2 April 2020) - ISBN-13:978 1406385014 - Paperback - Age: 8+ 

JAKE ATLAS: TOMB ROBBER, TREASURE HUNTER, TROUBLEMAKER
This fourth riveting Jake Atlas adventure takes Jake and his family to Rome, where they uncover the secret history of a Roman legion sworn to protect four mysterious keys. The keys hold back a force that wiped out a lost civilization - now, Jake and his family must find them to stop it from returning. Their mission leads them to the edges of what was the Roman empire - to a volcano in Morocco, Hadrian's Wall and an island in the Middle East. There they are forced to team up with their enemy, the People of the Snake, to stop a power that threatens to destroy half the world. But the closer Jake grows to the group that were once his enemy, the further apart he and his family drift. And as he approaches the end of his quest, he's faced with a terrible choice - save the world or save his family!

L. D. Lapinski - The Strangeworlds Travel Agency - Published by Orion Children's Books (30 April 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1510105942 - Paperback - Age: 9+

Pack your suitcase for a magical adventure! Perfect for fans of The Train to Impossible Places and The Polar Bear Explorers' Club.

At the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, each suitcase transports you to a different world. All you have to do is step inside . . .

When 12-year-old Flick Hudson accidentally ends up in the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, she uncovers a fantastic secret: there are hundreds of other worlds just steps away from ours. All you have to do to visit them is jump into the right suitcase. Then Flick gets the invitation of a lifetime: join Strangeworlds' magical travel society and explore other worlds.

But, unknown to Flick, the world at the very centre of it all, a city called Five Lights, is in danger. Buildings and even streets are mysteriously disappearing. Once Flick realizes what's happening she must race against time, travelling through unchartered worlds, seeking a way to fix Five Lights before it collapses into nothingness - and takes our world with it.

A magical adventure for 9+ readers that will take you to whole new worlds.

David O'Connell (Author), Claire Powell (Illustrator) - The Revenge of the Invisible Giant (The Dundoodle Mysteries) - Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books (2 April 2020) - Paperback - Age: 6+

When a batch of his experimental sweets goes wrong at the McBudge Confectionery Company, Archie needs a distraction. And when he hears about a book of magical wisdom lost in a tunnel beneath the mountains, Archie is determined to find it. It's DEFINITELY so he can be the best magical guardian of Dundoodle that he can be and DEFINITELY NOT so he can turn tree branches into flying surfboards. Only trouble is, the key to open the tunnel was broken into four pieces hundreds of years ago and hidden.

Archie, Fliss and Billy set out to find the pieces of the key, but why was the tunnel sealed off in the first place? And what is the deep, sinister, MOUNTAINOUS voice Archie keeps hearing on the wind?

David O'Connell, author of The Chocolate Factory Ghost, returns with the latest adventure in his madcap magical mystery series for anyone who loves monsters, puzzles and SWEETS.

Tom Percival - Attack of the Heebie Jeebies (Dream Team) - Published by Macmillan Children's Books (2 April 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1529029154 - Age: 7+

Meet the Dream Team! Turning nightmares into incredible adventures!

Erika's had a bad day. But going to sleep upset means bad dreams. She finds herself stranded in the Dreamscape along with a mob of hungry Heebie Jeebies - and to make matters worse, she's being hunted by a terrifying Angermare!

Enter the Dream Team! Can they help Erika overcome her worries and get home, or will she be trapped forever?

Attack of the Heebie Jeebies is the first in a fun and engaging colour illustrated series from Tom Percival, exploring anxiety in children through action and adventure.

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Book Picks - April 2020 - Post One

This is my first 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. 

Anthony Horowitz - Nightshade (Alex Rider) - Published by Walker Books (2 April 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1406389296 - Hardback - Age: 9+
Get ready for action, adrenaline, and adventure in this explosive, brand new Alex Rider mission by bestselling author, Anthony Horowitz.
In this adrenaline-fuelled adventure in the number one bestselling series, Alex Rider is sent by MI6 Special Operations to infiltrate a new and sinister organization known only as Nightshade. Alex is on his own, with the fate of thousands of people resting in his hands.

C. J. Haslam - Orla and the Serpent's Curse - Published by Walker Books (2 April 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1406388480 - Paperback - Age:10+

A spooky and darkly comic adventure set in Cornwall - Famous Five with a twist.

Orla thought she was in for a relaxing family holiday, but when she finds a mysterious glowing necklace in the woods, it turns out there is a slight possibility she may have uncovered an ancient curse. After meeting a coven of old ladies, it becomes clear that Orla's arrival in Poldevel is no longer a coincidence. She's the only one who can solve this mystery, and she'll need help from the only other member of the family with good instincts - Dave the dog.

Alex Milway - Hotel Flamingo: Fabulous Feast - Published by Piccadilly Press (30 April 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1848128392 - Paperback - Age: 4+

On Animal Boulevard the snow is finally melting after a long, quiet winter and Hotel Flamingo is ready to embrace the new season and new guests. Anna knows she needs to come up with a plan to get the hotel buzzing again! And what does Hotel Flamingo have that no one else has? One of the best chefs in town - Madame Le Pig! In a stroke of inspiration, Anna decides that the hotel will put on a Battle of the Chefs. Madame Le Pig will go head to head with prestigious Animal Boulevard chefs Peston Crumbletart and Laurence Toot-Toot in a thrilling live cooking show - and there will be an accompanying feast for all who attend. 

But as ever Anna has a lot to contend with - not just grumpy, demanding chefs but a host of new guests with ever-changing needs, from Simon Suckerlot the flamboyant octopus to Alfonso Fastbeak the stunt pigeon. And when taking centre stage proves harder than expected for Madame Le Pig, the whole team must pull together to buoy her up and pull off the most Fabulous Feast that Hotel Flamingo has ever seen.

Dominique Valente (Author), Sarah Warburton (Illustrator) - Starfell 2: Willow Moss and the Forgotten Tale Published by HarperCollins Children's Books (2 April 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-0008308438 - Hardback - Age: 8+

The anticipated second book in 2019’s breakout magical fantasy series, Starfell, starring misfit witch Willow Moss. Perfect for readers of 8+ and beautifully illustrated throughout by Sarah Warburton.

Willow Moss, the youngest and least powerful sister in a family of witches, recently saved the world. The problem is, nobody can remember it – and, to make matters worse, her magical ability seems broken. Instead of finding lost things, objects keep disappearing against her will … which is especially troubling now that her friend Sometimes needs her help!

Sometimes has discovered how to see ten minutes into the future. Unfortunately, that’s only enough time to find out that his kidnappers are on their way! His only hope is to write an urgent letter to Willow, asking if she wouldn’t mind trying to find him.

As Willow and her friends piece together what has happened to Sometimes, their adventure takes them from an enchanted tower to the magical forest of Wisperia and into dangerous new realms… Can Willow save Sometimes when her own powers are out of control?

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

• 
  
• 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?

• 
  
• 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.

• 
  
• 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

• 
  
• 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.

• 
  
• 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!
• 
  
  
• 
  
• 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.
  
  
  
  • 
    
  • 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.