Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Fantastic Halloween Spooktacular Kids Book Reads 2021

 

Phil Hickes (Author), Keith Robinson (Illustrator) - The Bewitching of Aveline Jones: BK 2 - Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd (16 Sept. 2021) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1474972154 - Paperback 

Turn on your torches and join Aveline Jones! Aveline is thrilled when she discovers that the holiday cottage her mum has rented for the summer is beside a stone circle. Thousands of years old, the local villagers refer to the ancient structure as the Witch Stones, and Aveline cannot wait to learn more about them. Then Aveline meets Hazel. Impossibly cool, mysterious yet friendly, Aveline soon falls under Hazel's spell. In fact, Hazel is quite unlike anyone Aveline has ever met before, but she can't work out why. Will Aveline discover the truth about Hazel, before it's too late? The second in a deliciously spine-tingling, spooky series, where mysteries are always solved, spirits are always laid to rest, and everybody gets to bed on time.

Pádraig Kenny (Author), Edward Bettison (Illustrator) - The Monsters of Rookhaven - Published by Macmillan Children's Books (30 Sept. 2021) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1529031485 - Hardback 

Sometimes the monsters take us. Sometimes we become the monsters.
Mirabelle has always known she is a monster. When the glamour protecting her unusual family from the human world is torn and an orphaned brother and sister stumble upon Rookhaven, Mirabelle soon discovers that friendship can be found in the outside world.

But as something far more sinister comes to threaten them all, it quickly becomes clear that the true monsters aren't necessarily the ones you can see.

A thought-provoking, chilling and beautifully written novel, Pádraig Kenny's The Monsters of Rookhhaven, stunningly illustrated by Edward Bettison, explores difference and empathy through the eyes of characters you won't want to let go.

Chris Priestley - Freeze - Published by Barrington Stoke (2 Sept. 2021) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1781129838 Paperback 
When Maya and her classmates are asked to write a creepy story with a winter theme, they come up with some brilliant ideas. Rising floodwaters uncover long-buried bodies and ghostly children take to the ice on a frozen canal. But as each of the stories is read out in class, Maya grows more and more uncomfortable. She features in each of her friends’ creepy tales and they start to feel a little too real. Finally, when a mysterious new girl stands up to read the last story of the day, the light outside dims and it starts to snow. The classroom starts to freeze but everyone is trapped. Can Maya stop the story before the nightmare comes true?

Alex Foulkes (Author), Sara Ogilvie (Illustrator) - Rules of Vampires - Published by Simon & Schuster Children's UK (16 Sept. 2021) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1471199554 - Paperback 

There are highs and lows to being a vampire. On one claw, you get cool powers like beastly strength and hypnotism and the ability to GRIMWALK.  On the other claw, however, vampires are bound by the Vampiric Laws: rules to protect the balance between the worlds of the Living and the Undead.  And unfortunately, 11-year-old Leo has just forgotten rule number one . . . The Rules for Vampires don't tell you what to do when you make a ghostly enemy, or accidentally restart an ancient war.  But Leo and her very unusual family are more than up to the job.

A monstrously funny and devilishly dark new adventure from debut talent Alex Foulkes, illustrated throughout by the award-winning Sara Ogilvie, Rules for Vampires is the series that fans of Lemony Snickett and Skulduggery Pleasant will devour for breakfast.

Richard Pickard - The Peculiar Tale of the Tentacle Boy - Interview (Q&A) - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books #9

 

Are you ready for something rather fishy? If so, then welcome to our interview with debut author Richard Pickard. The Peculiar Tale of the Tentacle Boy was published in August 2021 by Chicken House Books. It's a super sandy affair to get your suckers into and your imagination ready for ice cream, but before you set off on your adventure check out this post. The book is available to buy from all seaside resorts and good book shops. 

1. How would you summarise your debut book, The Peculiar Tale of the Tentacle Boy, to new readers? 

The Peculiar Tale of the Tentacle Boy is a quirky seaside adventure set in a strange town where seventeen fishmongers line the seafront, and everyone is obsessed with fish. Everyone except for Marina Minnow, a young girl who loves to tell stories. One day she sets out to prove that she can have a real-life adventure by rowing across to the haunted pier and inside, she meets an amazing boy named William – who has crab claws for hands and tentacles for hair. He has been waiting there for years, for the fisherman who rescued him from the sea to return. So, together with Marina, these unlikely new friends set out to unravel the mystery of his past. It is surreal, funny, a little bit dark but absolutely full of heart at its core.

2. This is a great name for a book, is this the original title or did it start life with another version? 

My working title was ‘Something Fishy’, which was just a placeholder literally meaning “I will come up with a fishy sounding title eventually”. After a while, it actually started to grow on me as I enjoyed the double meaning. I always knew it would probably change, and the team at Chicken House felt it was a bit too flippant for a book that also has some weight to it. I came up with a new list of suggestions, and after much discussion we all agreed ‘The Peculiar Tale of the Tentacle Boy’ was the winner. I really think it sets the tone perfectly, especially when paired with the incredible cover by Maxine Lee-Mackie.

3. Marina is one of the central characters of the book. Can you explain to us what she is actually looking for?

Marina is a storyteller. It’s something she grew up doing, telling stories with her dad who has since gone missing at sea. Now she tells stories for herself, in order to keep her hope for his safe return alive after everyone else has given up on him ever coming back. She writes her own fantastical tales to explain his disappearance and to stay positive. But lots of people in the town think that she’s a troublemaker and a liar, so she sets out prove that she can also have a real-life adventure – and that’s when she meets William…

4. Do you have an underlying moral or message for us to take away from this story?

Something I’m delighted to see readers are taking away is a message of tolerance and acceptance. What I hope Marina and William have proved by the end of the novel is that friendship and family can really be found in any place, if only we can embrace each other’s differences and see people for who they are in their hearts.

5. Do you believe that your visits to the seaside have inspired parts of the story and, if so, which aspects in particular?

Absolutely! In terms of the setting, Merlington is a real mix of many different seaside towns including West Bay in Dorset, Lyme Regis in Devon, and Whitstable in Kent which is famous for its oysters and shellfish. Brighton’s dilapidated West Pier, one of my favourite UK landmarks, was also the starting point for William’s crumbling shack. That was one of the earliest seeds for the story – imagining what kind of character might live in such an inhospitable place, cut off from the land… A boy with crab claws for hands, obviously!

6. I understand that two of your greatest childhood influences were Roald Dahl and Tim Burton. Are there any characteristics or features from their writing that you have developed or been inspired by to write your story?

With regards to Tim Burton, I’ve always loved his weird and wonderful characters. Especially those who find themselves living in a community of people who are often even stranger! Edward Scissorhands is of course a huge favourite, but more specifically it is Burton’s ability to blend the whimsical with the gloomy and frightful that has always excited and fascinated me. Equally Roald Dahl never shied away from taking his stories in a darkly funny direction. I really think kids love that kind of stuff. When I thought about the kind of town that a boy who is part-fish might be living in, the most deliciously dark idea was of course a town obsessed with eating fish! I think Dahl would’ve loved that, too.

7. Would you have read your book when you were a child?

Absolutely. As we’ve discussed, I was a huge fan of Burton and Dahl growing up and I think the novel was written in the spirit of their work. I loved anything that was slightly odd or unusual as a kid, and I would have instantly been drawn to Maxine’s amazing cover illustration. I wrote the book hoping that it would find its way into the hands of readers who are similar to how I was at the same age – kids who like it when their adventure stories skirt the edge of darkness in a humorous way.

8. How do you go about writing interesting and realistic characters and can (or do) they take you to places you have no control over?

My earliest characters are informed by the setting, which seems to come first for me. The abandoned pier cut off from land created William, and then his presence informed the kind of people who populated Merlington – hungry fishmongers, for the most part. 

From there, without wanting to sound too pretentious, it definitely feels like the characters need to tell me who they are for themselves. For example, I never intended for Marina’s talent for storytelling to be so vital to the plot, but the entire structure would now crumble without it. That’s why my first draft has to be written by hand, as I need to let it spill out on the page which is impossible if I’m staring at a blank computer screen. When it’s ink and paper, I don’t feel the pressure to make it perfect.

9. What has been the best/most surprising experience working with Chicken House books?

Chicken House had always been my dream publisher, so I was quite nervous before the real work started. I had no idea whether I would be able to make the novel any better having already put so much time and energy into it. In reality, I absolutely loved the whole editing process from start to finish. It was incredible to have a team of people so invested in my barmy story which had been private for such a long time. There were so many fantastic ideas and suggestions flying about – not least from my brilliant editor, Kesia – and I can’t believe how far it has come from that very first draft. I really surprised myself.

10. Can you tell us about any new projects or plans that might be in the pipeline? 

I’m just coming to the end of the first draft of my second novel for Chicken House, with the deadline just around the corner! This one is a full-blown summertime adventure. Much less fish, but a lot more sun and sea, plus another very odd family mystery…

Neill Cameron - MEGA ROBO BROS - Power UP & Double Threat - David Fickling Books

Sparkling summer entertainment for all the family by Neill Cameron.  MEGA ROBO BROS - Power UP 

In the first instalment, we have a winning mix of Family drama, SUPERPOWERS and Flying tube trains and MEGA amounts of thrilling ACTION, in epic graphic novel form! Published by David Fickling Books on the 5th August 2021, Paperback RRp £12.99. 

 This amazing book republishes MEGA ROBO BROS, fully remastered and adapted into a new chunky format, with lots of extra bonus content! BROTHERS. ROBOTS. SUPERHEROES. ALEX AND FREDDY are two normal bickering brothers - who also happen to be SUPER-POWERED ROBOTS! They're off on school trips, going to the theme park, and annoying each other in the playground. But when ROBOT ATTACKS take place over London, it's time for the boys to step up! Will they be able to foil the plans of the EVIL ROBOT 23?

MEGA ROBO BROS - Double Threat. Excitement and empathy and electrifying high stakes. Two brothers saving the DAY! Fantastic visual adventure for the reluctant READER.  Both books are out NOW!

This awesome book republishes MEGA ROBO RUMBLE, fully remastered and adapted into a new chunky format, with lots of extra bonus content! BROTHERS. ROBOTS. SUPERHEROES. ALEX AND FREDDY are super-powered robots, juggling school with saving the day. But being robot SUPERHEROES isn't easy, especially when there's a new enemy in town. Team Robotix, GENIUS INVENTORS, are determined to take down the Mega Robo Bros with one of their TERRIFYING giant robots! Will the boys be able to stop them?

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 & Young Adult Book Picks US - May 2020

Celesta Rimington - The Elephant's Girl - Published by Crown Books for Young Readers (May 19, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-0593121221 - Hardback - Age: 8+

An elephant never forgets, but Lexington Willow can't remember what happened before a tornado swept her away when she was a toddler. All she knows is that it landed her near an enclosure in a Nebraska zoo, and there an elephant named Nyah protected her from the storm. With no trace of her birth family, Lex grew up at the zoo with Nyah and her elephant family; her foster father, Roger; her best friend, Fisher; and the wind whispering in her ear.

Now that she's twelve, Lex is finally old enough to help with the elephants. But during their first training session, Nyah sends her a telepathic image of the woods outside the zoo. Despite the wind's protests, Lex decides to investigate Nyah's message and gets wrapped up in an adventure involving ghosts, lost treasure, and a puzzle that might be the key to finding her family. As she hunts for answers, Lex must summon the courage to leave the secure borders of her zoo to discover who she really is--and why the tornado brought her here all those years ago.

Mari Mancusi - Dragon Ops - Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (May 12, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1368040907 - Hardback - Age: 8+

One wrong move, and it's game over.

Welcome to DRAGON OPS, the world's first augmented-reality video-game theme park. Set on a once-deserted island, our three beta players-classic gamer geek Ian; his adventure-seeking sister, Lily; and their too-cool-for-gaming cousin, Derek-have been lucky enough to score an invite to play before the fully immersive experience opens to the public.

But once inside, they find themselves trapped in a game taken over by a rogue AI dragon called Atreus, and suddenly the stakes go beyond the virtual world. With no cheat codes, guidebooks, save points, or do-overs, they'll need all their cunning and video-game hacks to beat the game? and survive in real life.

Action-packed and unputdownable, Dragon Ops will thrill gamers and reluctant readers alike with high-tech adventure and electrifying twists and turns.

Peter Lerangis - Throwback: The Chaos Loop - Published by HarperCollins (May 5, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-0062406415 - Hardback - Age: 7+

Peter Lerangis, the New York Times bestselling author of the Seven Wonders and Max Tilt series, returns with the second installment of his electrifying trilogy about a boy who discovers that he alone can alter the course of history.

Ever since Corey Fletcher found out that he’s the world’s first “throwback,” with the power to not only visit history but change it, he’s been spending as much time in the past as possible. Corey loves using his skills to fix problems and help his friends and family. But as Corey becomes more and more addicted to rewriting history, he learns that time travel might change him in ways he may never be able to reverse. 

Aware now that he can’t keep going into the past forever, Corey decides to use the trips he still has to change history in the most meaningful way he can imagine: by stopping Adolf Hitler. But when Corey travels back to World War II-era Germany, he quickly learns that the forces of history are strong and that it’s going to take a lot more than his good intentions to turn back the tides of evil—or even to survive them.  

Get ready for a time-warping adventure with a historical twist in the second book of the Throwback trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Peter Lerangis, whose books have sold over five and a half million copies worldwide.

Kevin Emerson - Lost in Space: Infinity's Edge (Lost in Space (2)) - Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (May 19, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-0316425971 - Hardback - Age: 8+

The second thrilling, original novel based on Netflix's smash hit Lost in Space! This all-new story focuses on twelve-year-old Will Robinson and his closest friend and greatest protector--a mysterious Robot with a dangerous past.

The Robinsons--Will, his two teenage sisters, and their parents--are members of a colonist group who had been traveling across the galaxy to establish a new home, only to have had their ship attached and stranded on an alien planet. Just when they had finally managed to get off-world, the Robinsons were thrown off course yet again and were sent drifting toward an unknown location.

Now, six months later, the Robinsons are stuck on an inhospitable water planet with no contact from their fellow colonists or from Will's beloved Robot. The twelve-year-old doesn't have any friends in his new home until he discovers a mysterious girl...from the future. Her name is Clare, and she desperately needs Will's help to save her family. Will is eager to bond with his new friend, but--little does he know--something sinister lurks just beneath her surface. Can Will find a way to help Clare while keeping his own family safe?

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 & Young Adult Book Picks US - Post Two - April 2020

Welcome readers... Here are our children's book picks for April 2020 which have all been published this month in the US.  If you don't live in the US you could probably get them shipped. So take a look and support the authors below in these difficult times. Happy reading - I hope there is a sparkle of magic on this list to add to your reading pile, wherever you are. Stay safe and happy reading.

Sandra Fernandez Rhoads - Mortal Sight (The Colliding Line) - Enclave Publishing (April 14, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1621841203 - Hardback - Age:| 13+
When Worlds Collide, Shadow Wrestles Light
Seventeen-year-old Cera Marlowe wants a normal life; one where she and her mom can stop skipping town every time a disturbing vision strikes. But when a girl she knows is murdered by a monster she can't explain, Cera's world turns upside down.

Suddenly thrown into an ancient supernatural battle, Cera discovers she's not alone in her gifting and vows to use her visions to save lives. But why does John Milton's poem Paradise Lost keep interrupting her thoughts?

In a race against time and a war against unearthly creatures, will decoding messages embedded in the works of classic literature be enough to stop the bloodshed and protect those she loves? 

Christian McKay Heidicker  - Thieves of Weirdwood - Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (April 7, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1250302885 - Hardback - Age: 8+

For fans of Brandon Mull and Rick Riordan comes William Shivering and Newbery Honor winner Christian McKay Heidicker's Thieves of Weirdwood, a brand-new illustrated fantasy series about two kid thieves who are plunged into a battle between the Real and Imaginary worlds! 

Twelve-year-old thieves Arthur and Wally are determined to steal their way up the ranks of the notorious Black Feathers gang. With loan sharks chasing after Arthur’s father and Wally’s brother’s hospital bill due, they’re in need of serious cash. Fast.

When Arthur spots some wealthy strangers exiting a seemingly deserted mansion, he smells an opportunity for a big score. Little do the boys realize, they’ve stumbled upon Weirdwood Manor, the headquarters of a magical order who protect the Balance between the Real and Imaginary worlds. When Kingsport is besieged by nightmarish creatures, it’s up to a pair of thieves to save their city. 

Filled with giant tentacle monsters and heroes literally ripped from the pages of adventure stories, this imagination-bending series is perfect for fans of Keeper of the Lost Cities, Aru Shah, and Nevermoor.

                                
               Cover design by Nicole Hower, Cover art by Jana Heidersdorf
Juliana Brandt: When you look at the cover, I hope you notice all the pieces I’d hoped it would include: the sisters, the wolf, the ocean waves, the lighthouse, and the night sky. But included too are pieces I never would have considered: the ocean foam, the bright beam from the lighthouse, the incredible font with the water swirling through, the snow on the edges of the cape setting, the magic that seems to live inside the wolf’s fur. All of these parts add up to create an atmosphere that speaks directly to the book I wrote. Full Post HERE

Juliana Brandt - The Wolf of Cape Fen - Published by Sourcebooks Young Readers (April 7, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1728209616 - Hardback - Age: 7+

Beyond the Bright, Sea meets Echo in this story of a young girl who must break a magical bargain before an enchanted wolf steals her sister away.

First Frost has touched Cape Fen, and that means Baron Dire has returned. For as long as anyone can remember, Baron Dire has haunted the town come winter, striking magical bargains and demanding unjust payment in return. The Serling sisters know better than to bargain, lest they find themselves hunted by the Baron's companion, the Wolf.

And then the Wolf attacks Eliza's sister Winnie. They manage to escape, but they know the Wolf will be back. Because Winnie would never bargain, so that must mean that someone has struck a deal with Winnie as the price.

Eliza refuses to lose her sister and embarks on a journey to save her. If Eliza can learn the truth, she might be able to protect her sister, but the truth behind the bargain could put her own life in danger. 

Stephenie  Wilson Peterson - Grace's Ghosts - Published by Immortal Works LLC (April 28, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1734386622 - Paperback - Age|: 9+

• 
  

Twelve-year-old Grace and her feline best friend, Midnight, have a secret: Midnight is a ghost. But then again, so are the rest of Graces' friends. Since she's the only person in hundreds of years with the ability to see them, the many ghosts of Tansy have flocked to Grace since birth. She doesn't mind. She prefers the company of the dead to that of the cliquey kids at school. 

Grace is happy with her strange life, until one day, the ghosts tell her about the secret her town has hidden for centuries. There's a reason there are more ghosts than living people in Tansy. Three-hundred years ago, a lonely witch cast a spell that mistakenly trapped the soul of every person to ever set foot in the tiny town. So when the spirits beg her to find a way to break the curse, Grace is eager to help.

As she searches for answers, Grace makes discoveries about the secret her family hid for generations and a world of magic hidden in her own backyard. Grace soon realizes that if she succeeds in breaking the curse, she'll lose Midnight and all of her ghost friends, but if she fails, everyone living in Tansy will face the same fate. Can Grace break the curse before it's too late?

Check out Grace’s Ghosts on Goodreads! 

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's & Young Adult Book Picks US - April 2020

Welcome readers... Here are our children's book picks for April 2020 which have all been published this month in the US.  If you don't live in the US you could probably get them shipped. All you need is some time, imagination and a little bit of money. So take a look and support the authors below in these difficult times. Happy reading - I hope there is a sparkle of magic on this list to add to your reading pile, wherever you are. Stay safe and happy reading - armchair adventures are out there for us all. 

Sally Gardner (Author), Nick Maland (Illustrator) - Mr. Tiger, Betsy, and the Blue Moon - Published by Penguin Workshop (April 7, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-0593095164 - Hardback - Age: 7+

Award-winning author Sally Gardner delivers a whimsical tale about the daughter of a mermaid and an ice cream maker, a mysterious talking tiger, and a challenge as big as the moon.

From a magical world of well-dressed animals, talking toads, and bossy princesses comes a timeless story about Mr. Tiger and his troupe of acrobats, and Betsy K. Glory, the daughter of a mermaid and an ice cream maker. Together they must figure out how to turn the moon blue, appease a grumpy giant, and make the best-tasting and rarest ice cream in the world--Gongalong Berry Ice Cream. Told with beautiful one-color illustrations throughout, this modern fairy tale teaches us that happiness is sometimes big enough to solve even the toughest problems.

Sarah S Reida - All Sales Final - Published by Warrior Press (April 3, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1734817010 - ISBN-13: 978-1734817010 - Paperback - Age: 9+ 

What price would you pay for everything you've ever wanted? 11-year-old Anna has always wanted to be extraordinary, but she feels as ordinary as her sleepy Midwestern town of Longford. Then a secondhand shop opens in Longford – a shop full of magic that only Anna can see. When the shop’s owner, Ruth, offers Anna a job not just anyone can perform, Anna feels that her dream is finally coming true. Proudly, she spreads the news of the shop, charming others into visiting and helping match each person to the perfect item. Then Anna sees what Ruth's bargains take away from her customers. Ruth's magic is darker than she let on, and so is the life she's offered, Anna. Even worse, if Anna doesn't stop Ruth, Longford will be doomed. But what chance does one ordinary girl have against someone like Ruth?

Jordan Thompson - What Lurks Below - Published by Monster Ivy Publishing (April 7, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1948095549 - Hardback - Age:?

At Colony, no one knows where the children came from. No one talks about how they were babies when they were ripped from their parents to be raised in the Tin Can.

No one knows, that is, except Amelia. At thirteen, Amelia remembers a mother who loved her. She remembers fresh peaches and ice cream--not the calorically rationed food that tastes like stagnant swamp water and chemicals.

Desperate to hold on to her memories, Amelia shares her past with her younger brother, Alex. She teaches him about the reality of The Garden and its power to provide safety and love. 

Soon, Alex learns that life at Colony is more dangerous than he thought. He spies an enormous, black ... something ... lurking in the water, while no one seems to notice it at all.

Fear of the creature has Alex thrashing his sheets in bed. His marks drop, and Council insists on Amelia telling them what is wrong. Amelia tries to keep up appearances, but Council refuses to believe her and locks her up.

If Amelia isn't willing to forgo the love she felt and the life she had back Then, Council will throw her in the water to meet whatever it is that lurks below the Tin Can.

For fans of The Giver, this dystopian-charged fantasy will show readers the valiance of holding on to one's beliefs and the value of true sibling love.

Jenn Reese - A Game of Fox & Squirrels - Published by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (April 14, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1250243010 - Hardback - Age: 9+

After an incident shatters their family, eleven-year-old Samantha and her older sister Caitlin are sent to live in rural Oregon with an aunt they've never met. Sam wants nothing more than to go back to the way things were… before she spoke up about their father's anger.

When Aunt Vicky gives Sam a mysterious card game called "A Game of Fox & Squirrels," Sam falls in love with the animal characters, especially the charming trickster fox, Ashander. Then one-day Ashander shows up in Sam’s room and offers her an adventure and a promise: find the Golden Acorn, and Sam can have anything she desires. 

But the fox is hiding rules that Sam isn't prepared for, and her new home feels more tempting than she'd ever expected. As Sam is swept up in the dangerous quest, the line between magic and reality grows thin. If she makes the wrong move, she'll lose far more than just a game.

Perfect for fans of Barbara O'Connor, Lauren Wolk, and Ali Benjamin, A Game of Fox and Squirrels is a stunning, heartbreaking novel about a girl who finds the light in the darkness... and ultimately discovers the true meaning of home.