Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Favourite Children's Book Picks - AUGUST 2026 - UK Post

 

Freddie Kölsch - SPINDLEWOOD - Published by Puffin (27 Aug. 2026) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0241753873 - Paperback - Age: 7+

Lilac Black does not believe in ghosts. So she’s rather surprised to learn she comes from a long line of gifted Seers, all of whom attended Spindlewood: a top-secret boarding school for children with the power to see, hear and communicate with spirits.

And now, Lilac has an invitation to Spindlewood herself. The only problem? There's been a huge misunderstanding. Lilac does not have the gift.

Reluctant to disappoint her proud uncles, and curious to see this mysterious school for herself, she decides to play along. But as Lilac’s web of lies becomes more tangled, one thing is clear: there is something wrong at Spindlewood. Something ancient and sinister, hidden beneath the library. Something connected to the long-ago disappearance of Lilac's parents.

  Eiko Kadono (Author), Joe Todd-Stanton (Illustrator), Emily Balistrieri (Translator) - Kiki and the New Magic - Published by Puffin (27 Aug. 2026) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0241825198 - Paperback - Age: 7+

Join Kiki, the beloved young witch, and her clever cat Jiji in the enchanting sequel to the modern classic! 

This new translation will reveal more about the story that inspired the Hiyao Miyazaki film, Kiki's Delivery Service.

It has been a year since Kiki started her new life as an honest-to-goodness witch, and the - not quite so - little courier has become a real celebrity.

But fame comes with its own set of challenges. As Kiki faces increasingly perilous tasks, her friendships with Jiji and Tombo are put to the test. Doubts creep in, leading her to question her purpose.

Danny Wallace (Author), Tor Freeman (Illustrator), - Henry Tudor: The Incredible Diaries of Me!- Published by Simon & Schuster Children's UK (27 Aug. 2026) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1398554412 - Age: 7+

Horrible Histories meets Horrid Henry meets Loki, in the laugh-out-loud funny diary adventures of a royally awful young Henry VIII. Enjoy immersive sound design, silly sound effects, and the incredible combined vocal talents of Jude Farrant and Danny Wallace in the must-listen audiobook of The Incredible Diaries of Me!

Prince Henry is eight and a half, and definitely the BEST at EVERYTHING. The best at jousting, the best at sword fighting, the best at archery and wrestling, and stealing pies from the kitchen. But after a mysterious stranger challenges Henry to a series of competitions, nothing seems to be going his way. Can Henry prove to everyone that they’re wrong, he’s right (as always), and he IS the best at everything? And just who is this mysterious stranger anyway?! 

Discover the rudest, snobbiest, most chaotic new voice in middle grade, with this hilarious, mostly historical diary series starring the famous royal that everyone loves to hate, from bestseller Danny Wallace.

Annie Graves  (Author), Glenn McElhinney (Illustrator) - The Nightmare Club: The Elsewhere Funfair - Published by LITTLE ISLAND (‎ 6 Aug. 2026) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1912417179 - Age: 7+

Welcome to the Nightmare Club, the sleepover that is definitely not for wimps. Annie Graves is your host, and she only invites guests who can tell really creepy stories.

Lynn thinks her granny is really cool, until family secrets start creeping out… Reader be warned – a trip to the funfair does not always turn out as planned!

Don’t come snivelling to Annie if you’re sorry you ever opened this book … You’ve been warned!

Danny Wallace (Author) & Jamie Littler (Illustrator) - Hamish and the Neverpeople - Mr Ripley's Book Review

Nobody knows it yet, but the people of Earth are in big, big trouble.
Like - HUGE trouble. Oh, come on, where's your imagination? Double what you're thinking!
And it's all got to do with a shadowy figure, an enormous tower, some sinister monsters, huge clanking and thundering metal oddballs, and people who are just like you… but not like you at all.
Luckily Hamish and the PDF are around to help save the day! Aren't they??

Anything is possible when you read a good book. One minute you can fly to the moon in a hot air balloon made of Swiss cheese. The next, you can sail the seven seas on a floating cracker, whilst wrestling a ten foot long shark. We all can dream the dream and walk the tight rope of fantasy and, in this book, we can also share the laughter with Danny Wallace. This is the second outing for Hamish and the Pause Defence Force who are back again to foil an another evil plan. The PDF gang need to have their whits about them if they are going to succeed.

This is one of my personal favourite ongoing book series. Hamish and the WorldStoppers was a fantastic first book and it was also one of the best selling children's fiction debuts of 2015. The second instalment, Hamish and the Neverpeople is as equally as good as the first book. We still have Jamie Littler (the creator and writer of Cogg and Sprokit) onboard, whose work was serialised in The Phoenix Comics. His fantastic full page and half page illustrations makes the book come alive, as well as the brilliant cover and eye catching graphical endpapers, which will help it fly off the bookshelves once again. 

So what makes this a great book? Well, it makes me grin from ear to ear. It is an expanding ball of silliness, just like a fart, when you are a child. It's infectious and makes you laugh all of the time. The plot is zany and totally crazy. It is a "BIG SECRET" and you, the reader, only know what's going on. Are you ready to face the MEGAPOCALYPSE?  You will have to be brave like Hamish and the gang and turn the pages on a non stop action rollercoaster, which will have you doing a loop de loop of excitement.

It's very cool, very original and is built on big plot ideas and huge amounts of quirky imagination. You will encounter many characters with silly names, visit a strange parallel world and a city like no other! You will travel to Otherearth and locate Scarmarsh, the evil one, and do battle with some sinister crazy monsters. The next minute you will be running away screaming in the face of huge clanking metal oddballs. Only then you will need to rescue the King whilst saving the world. We are actually in HUGE trouble!

It's very action packed, fully immersive and an absolute joy to read. Additionally, it is full of great characters, who are well written and some of whom we only get a tantalising, fleeting glimpse of. King Les the Second is one my favourite characters, as he is unusual and very talkative. He also has a very bizarre fashion sense, so do watch out for him.You will never read a book as quick as this one, in my opinion, it's pure middle grade madness! A great book to pick up for reluctant readers with a true sense of adventure that will brighten your day.  

Published by Simon and Schuster 11th February 2016, get your order in NOW! 
JOIN THE FUN AT WORLDOFHAMISH.COM!

Danny Wallace - Hamish and the Worldstoppers - Book Trailer (Simon & Schuster )

Book Blurb: What would YOU do...if the whole world just stopped? Yes the WHOLE WORLD. Birds in the air. Planes in the sky. And every single person on the planet - except you! Because that's what keeps happening to ten-year-old Hamish Ellerby. And it's being caused by The WorldStoppers and their terrifying friends The Terribles! They have a PLAN! They want to take our world for their own ...Oh, and they hate children. Especially if you're a child who knows about them. Hang on - You know now, don't you? Oh dear. Can Hamish save us from the WorldStoppers? Only time will tell!

Also find my review over at: http://middlegradestrikesback.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/danny-wallace-hamish-and-worldstoppers.html and another great post about creating the book cover. http://middlegradestrikesback.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/guest-post-by-jamie-littler-creating.html

Here is the brilliant trailer for Danny Wallace’s new book Hamish and the Worldstoppers which is published today (illustrated by Jamie Littler), it’s a very special occasion as it’s Danny’s very first book for children. 



Published by  Simon & Schuster Childrens Books (12 March 2015)