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...

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

Victoria Schwab - City of Ghosts - Published by Scholastic Press (28 Aug. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1338111002 - Hardback

Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn't like to think about it), she can pull back the Veil that separates the living from the dead . . . and enter the world of spirits. Her best friend is even a ghost. 

So things are already pretty strange. But they're about to get much stranger. 

When Cass's parents start hosting a TV show about the world's most haunted places, the family heads off to Edinburgh, Scotland. Here, graveyards, castles, and secret passageways teem with restless phantoms. And when Cass meets a girl who shares her "gift," she realizes how much she still has to learn about the Veil -- and herself. 

And she'll have to learn fast. The city of ghosts is more dangerous than she ever imagined.

Catherine Johnson - Freedom - Published by Scholastic (2 Aug. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1407185484 - Paperback

 

An action-packed and pacey story about slavery in Britain. Nathaniel doesn't want to move to England with his master's family, leaving behind his mother and sister on the Jamaican plantation. But then he remembers what his mother told him: once a slave sets foot on English soil, they're free. Perhaps he can earn his fortune and buy his family's freedom, too. When Nat arrives in London, he soon discovers that his mother was wrong. Nat refuses to live like a caged bird, and seizes the first opportunity to escape. Alone on the streets of London, he hears the story of a nightmare ship, the Zong, where over a hundred slaves were thrown overboard. Now, those responsible face a trial. Will the world continue to turn a blind eye to the horrors of slavery? And can Nat really evade his masters forever?

Candy Gourlay - Bone Talk - Published by David Fickling Books (2 Aug. 2018) -  ISBN-13: 978-1788450171 - Hardback (Book Review HERE - Mr Ripley's Book of the Month)

Samkad dreams of becoming a mighty headhunter like his father, carrying his own weapons and etching tattoos across his chest to proclaim his greatness as a warrior. His best friend is a girl his age, Little Luki and Little Luki wants to become a mighty warrior too ... except in their culture, girls don't grow up to become warriors. The two friends have no idea about the world outside their isolated mountain village until a boy from the Lowlands turns up ... a boy who can speak many tongues and who tells stories about the world outside that seem ridiculous and unbelievable especially the part about invaders called 'Americans' who are coming to take over the village.

Sally Nicholls (Author), Brett Helquist (Illustrator) - A Chase In Time (The Time-Seekers) - Published by Nosy Crow (2 Aug. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0857638984 - Paperback 

From multi-award-winning author Sally Nicholls, A Chase In Time is the first in a brilliant time-slip adventure series for 9+ readers, beautifully illustrated by Brett Hellquist.

The old gilt-edged mirror has hung in Alex's aunt's house for as long as he can remember. Alex hardly notices it, until the day he and his sister are pulled through the mirror, back into 1912. It's the same house, but a very different place to live, and the people they meet need their help. Soon they're caught up in car chases and treasure hunts as they race to find a priceless golden cup - but will they ever be able to return to their own time?

Vanessa Harbour - Flight - Published by Firefly Press (1 Aug. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1910080764 - Paperback 

Austria 1945. After losing his family, Jakob shelters with Herr Engel in a rural stable, where they hide the precious Lipizzanner stallions they know Hitler wants to steal. When a German officer comes looking for Jakob and finds the horses, Jakob and his guardian know they must get the stallions to safety, but the only way is straight through Nazi territory. Joined by Kizzy, an orphan Roma girl, the three must guide the horses across the perilous Austrian mountains. Will they reach safety? What will be waiting for them on the other side?

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

Jeremy Lachlan - The Cradle of All Worlds: The Jane Doe Chronicles - Published by Egmont (9 Aug. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1405291330 - Paperback 

Fourteen years ago, Jane Doe and her father arrived on the steps of the Manor – the entrance to a dangerous labyrinth connecting the island of Bluehaven to many other worlds. That was the same night the earthquakes started, and Jane and her silent, troubled father, John have been feared and despised ever since. When the strongest quake yet strikes and John disappears back into the Manor, Jane embarks on a perilous adventure to find her father and save her world – perhaps all worlds – from destruction . . .

Fans of Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials, Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson adventures, Frances Hardinge and the Netflix blockbuster Stranger Things will love this heart-pounding and spell-binding middle-grade adventure with its nod to the classic 80s movies The Goonies and Indiana Jones.

Jeremy Lachlan, a Sydney bookseller, has always been obsessed with the big epic adventures such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones and The Chronicles of Narnia – and was inspired to write The Cradle of All Worlds while lost in the Cairo Museum. The first book in a duology, this is his debut novel.

Katherine Woodfine (Author), Karl James Mountford (Illustrator) - Peril in Paris (Taylor and Rose Secret Agents) - Published by Egmont (9 Aug. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1405287043 - Paperback 

ALL ABOARD THE TRAIN TO PARIS!

It’s 1911, and the young detectives of TAYLOR & ROSE are turning their talents to ESPIONAGE. 

On a case for the mysterious SECRET SERVICE BUREAU, the daring MISS SOPHIE TAYLOR and MISS LILIAN ROSE must leave London for the boulevards and grand hotels of Paris.

But DANGER lurks beneath the bright lights of the city - and INTRIGUE and MURDER lie in store. As airplanes soar in the skies overhead, our heroines will need to put all their spy skills to the test to face the PERIL that awaits them...

Lindsay Galvin - The Secret Deep - Published by Chicken House (2 Aug. 2018) ISBN-13: 978-1911490029 - Paperback 

When Aster wakes alone on a tropical island, she has no idea what has happened, why she is there, or where to find her younger sister, Poppy. Meanwhile, Sam who once met the sisters on a plane makes links between the mystery of their disappearance and suspicious happenings in his own life. In a stunning dual narrative, the truth unravels with devastating effect - and the answer lies in the secret underwater world surrounding the desert island, populated by the beautiful and the impossible ...

Sam Hearn - Baker Street Academy: Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Curse - Published by Scholastic (2 Aug. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1407164069

Welcome to Baker Street Academy, where there's always a mystery to be solved! Told through Watson's diary, a top-secret detective dossier and energetic comic-strip illustrations, this introduction to Arthur Conan Doyle's classic characters will have every young super-sleuth hooked! Luckily Sherlock Holmes is on the case, with his friends John Watson and Martha Hudson. No crime is too big, no villain too cunning - especially if it's James Moriarty. This time, Sherlock and the gang are up against a centuries-old curse...

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

Janina Ramirez (Author), David Wyatt (Illustrator) - Riddle of the Runes (Viking Mystery 1) - Published by OUP Oxford (5 July 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0192766335 - Paperback 

Alva rushes through the trees in the dead of night with her sniffer wolf, Fen. Being out alone when there's a kidnapper on the loose is reckless, but if she ever wants to be an investigator like her Uncle Magnus, she'll need to be first to the crime scene. But what Alva discovers raises more questions than it answers, drawing her into a dangerous search for truth, and for treasure.

Check out more illustrations on David Wyatt's Blog Here: https://davidwyattillustration.wordpress.com/2018/01/11/a-crone-for-christmas/

Tamsin Cooke - Stunt Double: Jungle Curse - Published by  OUP Oxford (5 July 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0192749840 - Paperback

An action-packed adventure story with an exciting film location setting. 
Fearless stunt double Finn is in Thailand working on the latest Rio Dinoni blockbuster. It's a dream job, but are the whispers around set true? Is the film really cursed? When stunt, after stunt goes wrong; filming starts to get really dangerous. So far, Finn's survived all sorts of smashes and crashes, even an elephant stampede, but it's the secrets on set that might finally break him.

Justin Fisher - The Darkening King (Ned’s Circus of Marvels, Book 3) - Published by  HarperCollins Children's Books (26 July 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0008124588 - Paperback

Ned and the magical Circus of Marvels are back in a third rip-roaring, page-turning adventure!

The Armstrongs are both predator and prey, hunting for clues to help them fight the Darkening-King, while constantly watching their backs. This time it’s not just the world of the Hidden searching for them: the Josser world is intent on capturing the family too. Leading the search is the curious Mr Fox and his agents in grey, and they’ve found an ally who knows Ned’s every move.

As the world of the Hidden begins to fall apart, its horde of Demons and Darklings threatens to spill out of the shadows at any moment. With his trusty mouse and Familiar, Lucy and George, Ned must travel from the snow-swept forests of Siberia to the cliffs of Dover in a desperate attempt to rally allies for a final stand. Fearsome enemies will become allies and old allies enemies, as Ned prepares himself for the final battle.

Tania Unsworth (Author), Helen Crawford-White (Illustrator)The Girl Who Thought Her Mother Was a Mermaid - Published by Zephyr (12 July 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1788541671 - Hardback - (Check out the book review here)

Even though she's terrified of the sea, a girl who believes her mum might have been a mermaid runs away to the ocean to solve the mystery of who she really is. Stella is the odd one out. She sleepwalks, is terrified of water, yet obsessed by the ocean. Her mum who died when Stella was eight remains the biggest mystery of all. Who was she and why did she give Stella a necklace called 'the word of the sea' before she died? Nobody can give her any answers. Her father is consumed by grief and her grandmother's memories are fading with dementia.

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

Philip Reeve (Author) & Ian McQue (Illustrator) - Night Flights (Mortal Engines 5) - Published by Scholastic (5 July 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1407186771 - Hardback
Anna Fang is a spy. An aviatrix. An escaped slave. But no one knows the whole story - until now. 

In the dangerous future world of MORTAL ENGINES, huge motorized cities hunt, attack and devour each other. It is there that Anna's home was consumed by Arkangel, the great predator city. She was separated from her parents and kept as a slave in the dark belly of Arkangel - but Anna is determined to be free again.

Check out the Philip Reeve post about Night Flights it's very interesting.

http://www.philip-reeve.com/night-flights/ 

Jennifer Bell (Author) & Karl James Mountford (Illustrator) - The Frozen Telescope (THE UNCOMMONERS) Published by Corgi Childrens (5 July 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0552572910 - Paperback

After the thrilling events which concluded The Smoking Hourglass, Ivy, Seb and Valian think they've vanquished their enemies, and those of Lundinor, forever. It turns out their adventure was only just beginning . . . 

Ivy and Seb can't wait to join Valian for their first ever overseas uncommon adventure - they're meeting in Nubrook, the completely astonishing and totally-different-to-Ludinor trading market hidden underneath New York. But there's no time to enjoy looking round all the incredible sights - they're on a mission to find Valian's long-lost sister, Rosie.

But it seems they're not the only ones looking for her. Once again the Dirge rear their terrifying heads, and it appears they're after not only Rosie, but another enormously powerful Great Uncommon Good object. But what do they want it for? And can Ivy, Seb and Valian stop them from finding it?

Catherine Doyle - The Storm Keeper’s Island - Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books (1 July 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1408896884

When Fionn Boyle sets foot on Arranmore Island, it begins to stir beneath his feet ...

Once in a generation, Arranmore Island chooses a new Storm Keeper to wield its power and keep its magic safe from enemies. The time has come for Fionn's grandfather, a secretive and eccentric old man, to step down. Soon, a new Keeper will rise.

But, deep underground, someone has been waiting for Fionn. As the battle to become the island's next champion rages, a more sinister magic is waking up, intent on rekindling an ancient war.

Andrew Lane - AWOL 1  Agent Without Licence - Published by Piccadilly Press (12 July 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1848126633 - Paperback 

Young Bond and James Bond meet Alex Rider and Cherub in this brilliantly written, fast-paced spy action thriller. All credibly delivered from somebody who knows all about counter-intelligence...

Kieron and his friend Sam are shocked to see a man kidnapped in a Newcastle shopping centre right in front of their eyes. The boys quickly realise that the kidnapped man left something behind in the scuffle - an earpiece and glasses. Kieron puts them on and realises he can see not what is front of him, but a busy, tourist city, somewhere very hot - in Mumbai...

Kieron has accidentally stumbled upon the undercover world of Rebecca 'Bex' Wilson - a freelance agent working for the British Secret Intelligence Service. And without her handler Bradley (the man who was kidnapped), Bex is in trouble. She doesn't know who of her usual contacts she can trust, and like it or not, she is going to have to use teenage Kieron to get her out of danger. Before Kieron and Sam know it, they are part of a mission to stop a weapon of mass destruction from falling into the wrong hands...

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

Abie Longstaff - The Scent of Danger: Book 2 (The Trapdoor Mysteries) - Published by  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (14 Jun. 2018) ISBN-13: 978-1510200227

The second book in The Trapdoor Mysteries, a series about Tally, a code-breaking, animal-loving servant girl and her best friend, a squirrel named Squill, who solve mysteries with the help of a secret library...

Orphan Tally is the servant girl at Mollett Manor - and she's also the Secret Keeper of the magical library hidden beneath a trapdoor, underneath the manor's grounds. Along with Squill the squirrel, she uses the enchanted books to solve crimes. So when Lady Mollett's new puppy, Widdles, is kidnapped, Tally and Squill head straight to the library. But will they be able to catch the dognapper or is it already too late?

Lindsay Eagar - Race to the Bottom of the Sea - Published by Walker Books (7 Jun. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1406377392

A swashbuckling pirate adventure story from the author of the critically acclaimed Hour of the Bees.

When her marine scientist parents are killed in a tragic accident, eleven-year-old Fidelia Quail is racked by grief – and guilt. It was a submarine of Fidelia’s invention that her parents were in when they died, and it was she who pressed them to stay out longer when the raging Undertow was looming. But Fidelia is forced out of her mourning when she’s kidnapped by Merrick the Monstrous, a pirate whose list of treasons stretches longer than a ribbon eel. Her task? Use her marine know-how to retrieve his treasure, lost on the ocean floor. But as Fidelia and the pirates close in on the prize with the navy hot on their heels, she realizes that Merrick doesn’t expect to live long enough to enjoy his loot. Could something other than black-hearted greed be driving him? Will Fidelia be able to master the perils of the ocean without her parents – and piece together the mystery of Merrick the Monstrous before it’s too late?

Lena Jones - The Secret Key (Agatha Oddly, Book 1) - Published by Harper Collins Children's Books (28 Jun. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0008211837

Meet thirteen-year-old Agatha Oddly – a bold, determined heroine, and the star of a stylish new detective series.

Agatha Oddlow has been a detective for as long as she can remember – she’s just been waiting for her first big case. And nothing gets bigger than saving the City of London from some strange goings-on.

With a scholarship to the prestigious St Regis School, a cottage in the middle of Hyde Park, a room full of beloved sleuthing novels, and a secret key that gives her access to a whole hidden side of London, Agatha is perfectly poised to solve the mystery of what’s going on. But just who can she trust when no one is quite who they seem…

Adam Baron - Boy Underwater - Published by Harper Collins Children's Books (1 Jun. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0008267018

A heart-breaking, heart-warming novel for every one of 10 and older – this book will probably make you cry, and will definitely make you laugh.

Cymbeline Igloo (yes, really!) has NEVER been swimming

Not ever. Not once.

But how hard can it be? He’s Googled front crawl and he’s found his dad’s old pair of trunks. He’s totally ready.

What he’s not ready for is the accident at the pool – or how it leads his mum to a sudden breakdown.

Now, with the help of friends old and new, Cymbeline must solve the mystery of why his mum never took him near water – and it will turn his whole life upside down…

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

Will Mabbitt - Embassy of the Dead: Book 1 - Published by Orion Children's Books (14 Jun. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1510104556 - Paperback

 

The first book in a spookily funny new series, where the living meets the dead and survival is a race against time. Perfect for fans of Skulduggery Pleasant and Who Let the Gods Out.

Welcome to the Embassy of the Dead. Leave your life at the door. (Thanks.)

When Jake opens a strange box containing a severed finger, he accidentally summons a grim reaper to drag him to the Eternal Void (yep, it's as fatal as it sounds) and now he's running for his life! But luckily Jake isn't alone - he can see and speak to ghosts.

Jake and his deadly gang (well dead, at least) - Stiffkey the undertaker, hockey stick-wielding, Cora, and Zorro the ghost fox - have one mission: find the Embassy of the Dead and seek protection. But the Embassy has troubles of its own and may not be the safe haven Jake is hoping for . . .

David Solomons - My Arch-Enemy Is a Brain In a Jar (My Brother Is a Superhero 4) - Published by Nosy Crow (28 Jun. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0857639912 - Paperback

Luke and his brother have swapped bodies by accident. Zack's got Luke's weird feet while Luke has Zack's SUPERPOWERS! Now he needs another world-threatening adventure to try them out. Could a family mini-break at Great Minds Leisure Park be his chance? Probably, because that's where his super-clever arch-enemy lurks, fermenting dastardly plans and bubbling gently... 'My Arch-Enemy Is a Brain In a Jar' is the fourth instalment of Luke's laugh-out-loud adventures. From the author of 'My Brother Is a Superhero', winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the British Book Industry Awards Children's Book of the Year, and 'My Gym Teacher Is an Alien Overlord', winner of a Lollies Laugh Out Loud 2017 Book Award.

Nicki Thornton - The Last Chance Hotel - Published by Chicken House (7 Jun. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1911077671 - Paperback

Seth is the downtrodden kitchen boy at the remote Last Chance Hotel, owned by the nasty Bunn family. His only friend is his black cat, Nightshade. But when a strange gathering of magicians arrives for dinner, kindly Dr Thallomius is poisoned by Seth’s special dessert. A locked-room murder investigation ensues – and Seth is the main suspect. The funny thing is, he’s innocent … can he solve the mystery and clear his name, especially when magic’s afoot?

Winner of the 2016 Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition. Extract Here. 

Mark Huckerby & Nick Ostler - Defender of the Realm: King's Army

Published by Scholastic (7 Jun. 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1407186665 - Paperback

The thrilling conclusion to the trilogy! After the Defender's losing battle against the Black Dragon, the United Kingdom finds itself under the cruel control of "Lord Protector" Lock, the undead Viking invaders and the monstrous berserkers unleashed by the Raven Banner. King Alfie must raise an army and take back his country - or is that exactly what Lock's evil master wants him to do?