The Best Children's Book Picks FEB 2025 - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Kieran Larwood (Author), Joe Todd Stanton (Illustrator) - Dungeon Runners: Sky Battles - Published by Nosy Crow Ltd (13 Feb. 2025) -ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1839945212 - Paperback - Age: 7

An action-packed new adventure series from Blue Peter Award-winning author Kieran Larwood and Waterstones Children's Book Prize winner Joe Todd Stanton. Young readers will love discovering the world of the Dungeon Runners!

ARE YOU READY FOR THE CHALLENGE? It's time to fight or take flight!

"Highly illustrated, humorous and immediately enthralling" - The Guardian

Kit can hardly believe he's now a professional Dungeon Runner. With his teammates Sandy and Thorn, they set off to a city in the clouds to compete.

But with new dangers at every turn, Kit and his friends will need their wits and bravery to take on enemies as well as monsters. Are they ready for the big leagues? There's only one way to find out!

Have you got what it takes to survive the Dungeon? Now is your chance to prove it!

Helen Fairley - The Soul Collector - Published by The Book Guild Ltd (28 Feb. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1835741320 - Paperback - Age: 8+ 

When siblings Sam and Jude are forced to leave London for a quiet village in the countryside due to their mother's illness, they expect boredom and isolation. But the village isn’t as peaceful as it seems. Next to their new home is an old graveyard with dark secrets.

One night, Sam sees strange flashing lights in the graveyard. He realises the village has mysteries waiting to be solved. Sam and Jude team up to uncover a mystery that has haunted the village for centuries.

Can they help the spirits that wander the village? Can they stop the monster who’s collecting souls?

With time running out, Sam, Jude, and their friends must act quickly to solve the puzzle before the Soul Collector claims his next victim.

Lucy Strange (Author), Rohan Eason (Illustrator) -  The Boy At The Window - Published by Barrington Stoke (13 Feb. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0008712785 - Paperback - Age: 9+ 

A spine-tingling ghost story from bestselling author Lucy Strange

Folk say the fog plays tricks – that it shapes itself into little hands and frightened faces that press at people’s doors and windows, desperate to come inside. But Hugo is convinced the ghost he has seen at the window is no trick of the fog. The boy’s hollow eyes are haunting him. What would happen if Hugo were to open the door and let him in? Brace yourselves for a chilling, wintery ghost story …

Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.

Sam Sedgman - The Forbidden Atlas (Isaac Turner Investigates) - Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books (27 Feb. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1526665430 - Paperback - Age: 8+

The exhilarating sequel to The Clockwork Conspiracy, Isaac Turner is back for another action-packed mystery adventure.

Isaac and Hattie have been invited to a high-profile event at the French National Archives in Paris to finally celebrate their achievement in saving time. But as Isaac prepares to make his speech, the lights go out and a single shot is fired.

The police think it was an assassination attempt on the infamous businessman Balthazar Blaise, but Isaac and Hattie realise that something very different is going on when they discover a boy taking something from the archives before vanishing without a trace.

As they investigate, Isaac and Hattie are pulled into an underground world, searching secret and forgotten places for a stolen letter, a missing sister and a map that will unearth a long buried secret ...

Natasha Mac a'Bháird - The Tower Ghost: A Sycamore Hill Mystery - Book Review Explore - Mr Ripley’s Enchanted Books

**Natasha Mac a'Bháird - The Tower Ghost: A Sycamore Hill Mystery - Published by O'Brien Press Ltd (1 April 2024)**

Chapter 1: A New Beginning at Sycamore Hill

The grand gates of Sycamore Hill Boarding School stood tall and welcoming as Clare nervously stepped onto the cobblestone path leading to her new home. The crisp Donegal air filled her lungs as she took in the sight of the ancient building surrounded by lush greenery and whispered secrets.

Chapter 2: The Mysterious Tower Window

As Clare settled into her dormitory with her roommates Rose and Molly, a chill ran down her spine when she noticed an old tower looming in the distance. That night, as the moon cast an eerie glow over the school, the girls saw a pale face at the tower window and heard faint cries carried by the wind.

Chapter 3: Whispers of the Past

Rumours of a ghost haunting Sycamore Hill swept through the corridors like wildfire. Clare and her friends couldn't ignore the whispers of a tragic incident from years past - the mysterious death of a pupil whose spirit was said to linger within the school's walls.

Chapter 4: The Haunting of Sycamore Hill

Determined to uncover the truth behind the ghostly sightings, Clare, Rose, and Molly delved into the school's history, unearthing hidden secrets and forgotten memories. But the more they searched, the more they realised that some mysteries were best left undisturbed.

Chapter 5: Unraveling the Enigma

As they pieced together clues and followed cryptic clues, the girls found themselves drawn into a web of intrigue that led them to the heart of the tower. There, they uncovered a truth more chilling than they could have ever imagined - one that connected the past to the present in ways they never thought possible.

Chapter 6: Facing the Unknown

In a race against time, Clare and her friends must confront the ghostly presence that haunts Sycamore Hill before it's too late. With courage and friendship as their guide, they journey into the depths of the tower to confront the secrets that lie within.

Epilogue: A Timeless Friendship

As the sun rose over Sycamore Hill, casting a golden light over the school grounds, Clare, Rose, and Molly stood united, their bond forged through shared adventures and the mysteries they had unravelled. Though the ghost of the tower had faded into memory, their friendship remained as strong as ever, a testament to the enduring magic of Sycamore Hill.

**Natasha Mac a'Bháird - The Tower Ghost: A Sycamore Hill Mystery** is a tale of friendship, courage, and the enduring power of curiosity in the face of the unknown. Join Clare and her friends on a spooky journey through time and mystery as they uncover the secrets of Sycamore Hill and the ghost that dwells within its walls.

Can they solve the mystery before a killer strikes again?

The Best Children's Book Picks JULY 2023 - US Post - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Rob Renzetti - The Horrible Bag of Terrible Things - Published by Penguin Workshop (July 18, 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593519523 - Hardback - Age: 7+ 

From the creator of My Life As a Teenage Robot comes a middle-grade horror story about a horrible bag, the spine-chilling world hidden within it, and a terrifying adventure into the world of GrahBhag.

When Zenith finds a strange, unsettling bag at his front door, he's not sure where it came from or who sent it to him. He knows better than to expect his overprotective older sister Apogee to help him figure it out, because ever since she became a teenager, she's been acting more like a parent to him than a sibling. But he certainly did not expect for a horrifying spiderlike creature to emerge from the bag, kidnap Apogee, and drag her inside to the equally horrifying and unsettling world of GrahBhag. 

Zenith sets off into the bag to bring her back but soon finds a bizarre realm where malicious forests, a trio of blood-drinking mouths, and a sentient sawdust-stuffed giant are lurking within the seams. And from every corner of the world come whispers of the Great Wurm, an eldritch horror with a godlike hold over the creatures of GrahBhag, who seems to have a dark, insidious purpose for Apogee. With the help of a greedy, earwax-nibbling gargoyle, Zenith will have to save Apogee from the Great Wurm and help them both escape the horrible bag before it's too late. 

With a combination of dry, absurdist humor and no-holds-barred horror, Rob Renzetti has crafted a delightfully imaginative fantasy world that will hook readers as surely as it will send chills down their spines.

M. R. Fournet - Brick Dust and Bones - Published by Feiwel & Friends (July 18, 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250876027 - Hardback - Age: 8+

A twelve-year-old cemetery boy and monster hunter–along with his flesh-eating mermaid friend–has to race against the clock to save the ghost of his dead mother in Brick Dust and Bones, M.R. Fournet's magical middle-grade debut. 

Marius Grey hunts Monsters. He's not supposed to. He's only twelve and his job as a Cemetery Boy is to look after the ghosts in his family's graveyard. He should be tending these ghosts and–of course–going to school to learn how to live between worlds without getting into trouble. 

But, Marius has an expensive goal. He wants to bring his mother back from the dead, and that takes a LOT of mystic coins, which means a LOT of Monster Hunting, and his mother’s window to return is closing.

If he wants her back, Marius is going to have to go after bigger and meaner monsters, decide if a certain flesh-eating mermaid is a friend or foe, and avoid meddling Demons and teachers along the way. Can Marius navigate New Orleans’s gritty monster bounty-hunting market, or will he have to say goodbye to his mother forever?

Jacqueline Davies - The International House of Dereliction - Published by Clarion Books (July 18, 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063258075 - Hardback - Age: 7+ 

In this not-so-scary ghost story from Jacqueline Davies, bestselling author of the Lemonade War series, quirky, tool-wielding Alice Cannoli-Potchnik begins to repair the dilapidated mansion next door—only to discover the old house is home to ghosts, and they need mending, too!

Home is where the heart is. But can a house have a heart of its own? 

Ten-year-old Alice is moving for the eleventh time.

She’s lived in so many houses, each more broken than the last, that home to Alice is nothing more than a place you fix and then a place you leave. After all, who needs a permanent home when you’re a whiz at fixing things?

But when Alice arrives at her new home, she can’t take her eyes off the house next door, the stately dark house that hulked in the dimming light. The once-grand mansion, now dilapidated and condemned, beckons Alice; it's the perfect new repair job!

As Alice begins to restore the House to its former splendor, she senses strange presences. Is there a heartbeat coming from the House’s walls? Is someone looking at her? Soon she realizes she’s not alone. Three ghosts have been watching, and they need Alice’s help to solve their unfinished business.

Will Alice be able to unravel the mysteries of the House and find her forever home . . . before it’s too late?

Summer Rachel Short - The Legend of Greyhallow - Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (July 18, 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1665918879 - Hardback - Age: 9+ 

Disney’s Enchanted gets a Lord of the Rings twist in this fantastical middle-grade adventure about two siblings who must close the portal to a magical realm that inspired a popular movie franchise before their own world is conquered by emerging foes.

Twelve-year-old Ainsley Galloway and her ten-year-old brother, Tobin, have just moved to the small, picturesque mountain town of Lowry. The town is famously the setting for the blockbuster Legend of Greyhallow trilogy and there are traces of the films wherever they go. Ainsley’s parents even bought the film director’s former home, which they dream of turning into an inn that caters to fans eager to check out the local Greyhallow Movie Festival. 

But when Ainsley and Tobin are fooling around in the attic of their new home, Ainsley unleashes something. Something she doesn’t quite understand. And suddenly, purple mist is flooding the town, she’s receiving cryptic messages from strangers in medieval garb. Oddest of all, the enigmatic director of the Greyhallow movies, who’s been missing for years, has a message for them.

Ainsley and Tobin have opened a passage between the very real magical world of the movies and their own. In a swirl of shifting loyalties, capricious creatures, and movie trivia, Ainsley and Tobin have to figure out what to do—and who to trust—in order to save them all.

Waka T. Brown - The Very Unfortunate Wish of Melony Yoshimura -  Published by Quill Tree Books (July 18, 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063230767- Hardback - Age: 8+

In this magical and chilling Coraline-esque retelling of the Japanese folktale “The Melon Princess and the Amanjaku," one girl must save herself—and her loved ones—from a deceitful demon she befriended.

Melony Yoshimura’s parents have always been overprotective. They say it’s because a demonic spirit called the Amanjaku once preyed upon kids back in Japan, but Melony suspects it’s just a cautionary tale to keep her in line. So on her twelfth birthday, Melony takes a chance and wishes for the freedom and adventure her parents seem determined to keep her from.

As if conjured by her wish, the Amanjaku appears. At first, Melony is wary. If this creature is real, are the stories about its destructive ways also real? In no time, however, the Amanjaku woos Melony with its ability to shape-shift, grant wishes, and understand her desire for independence. But what Melony doesn’t realize is that the Amanjaku’s friendship has sinister consequences, and she quickly finds every aspect of her life controlled by the demon’s trickery—including herself.

Melony is determined to set things right, but will she be able to before the Amanjaku turns her life, her family, and her community upside down?

Alex Cotter - The House on the Edge - (Nosy Crow) - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

This is a debut book to look forward to by Alex Cotter. As a former bookseller, her dream has come to fruition as she publishes The House on the Edge. It is due to be published this summer (beginning of July 2021) by Nosy Crow Books. I am a massive fan of the book cover which I believe is illustrated by Indonesian illustrator Kathrin Honesta. It's very reflective of the story and really eye-catching on the bookshelf. In my opinion, the colour palette works really well. 

What can you expect from this brilliant book? It's a story of sadness and new beginnings as Faith's dad has gone missing. We are not sure of the circumstances as we are lead down the mysterious garden path. Why has he left his family living in an old house perched on a crumbling clifftop? A crack has suddenly appeared in the cliff and, just like the story, the adventure turns into a thrilling and splitting adventure. The setting is idyllic but the family side of the narrative is anything but. There are many mysteries to uncover in this book. The plotline will keep the readers on their little tiny toes. 

The book turns into a dark and spine-tingling ghost story. Faith's brother brings an element of surprise to the plot when he claims sea ghosts are living in the basement of the house. He then disappears and we start to feel the fractures of family life splinter into dust. You need to watch out for her greedy Uncle Art as the VILLIAN. However, the story is really a race for time to find her brother and father and save the family house from falling into the sea. 

There are a lot of really great elements to this book: a dramatic setting, a moody atmosphere, and a great depiction of a coastal town. The loveable but rather quirky characters are well-written. The history is like a layer of antique dust as it is uncovered to weave the different story threads. It's a creative jaunt that will leave you with a creepy feeling. Chuck in some pirate treasure, smuggler's caves, and a sour teacher and you just about have the lot going on here. It's both thrilling and exciting - just about the best type of book you want to wake up to and have on the reading pile. 

Lindsay Currie - The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street (Halloween Q&A) Interview with Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

With Halloween fast approaching, this is a fantastic book to get the goose-bumps flowing. The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay Currie was published in a gorgeous hardback in the US on the 10th October 2017. This is a great opportunity to find out more about the book and the author. 

I hope you enjoy the questions and that the answers make you want to pick up a copy of the book and read it, maybe in time for Halloween. Welcome, Lindsay Currie, to Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books and thank you for taking the time to answer the questions. 

Who would love reading THE PECULIAR INCIDENT ON SHADY STREET, and why?

Well, PECULIAR INCIDENT is a ghost story with some seriously creepy moments, so anyone who likes to be "spooked" will definitely enjoy it! That said, it's also a fun mystery and a story about friendship, family, bravery, and acceptance, so I hope everyone is able to take something away from Tessa's story! 

When the rain starts. When the lights go out. That's when the trouble begins... 

What trouble can we expect in this book?

Oooh, good question! PECULIAR INCIDENT is based on a real ghost legend who is buried here in Chicago. The legend is so fascinating (and creepy) that folks travel from all over the country to visit the gravesite! When I wrote the book, I attempted to incorporate the feeling you get when you look at the grave in as many scenes as possible. This means that PECULIAR INCIDENT has a pretty unsettling tone. There's storms, flickering lights, a spooky, antique ventriloquist doll, and all kinds of ghostly events! 

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I have so many! I love to write with candles going, so that's definitely something a little unusual about me. I also write with things surrounding me that make me feel inspired, so my writing desk is a bit . . . eclectic. There's an old-fashioned hourglass, several Harry Potter Funko figurines, and a sculpture made from found-items that looks suspiciously like a cross between a Thanksgiving turkey, and a monster. 

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

I generally have an idea of where my story is going, but I don't plot per-se. It makes me feel more comfortable to let the characters lead the way. 

What made you decide to sit down and actually start something?

I’ve been writing my entire life, so the decision to attempt a novel came on the heels of the revelation that writing isn't just a hobby for me. It's a lifestyle. Truthfully, the starting part is always the easiest; it's the finishing part that can be hard. 

Can you pass on any tips regarding the writing process to other budding writers?

Sure! I think when I first started out in publishing, I suffered from wanting things to happen fast all the time. I wanted to finish books quickly, edit them quickly, and see them in agent/editor hands quickly. I've come to learn this is a pretty common rookie error. The publishing industry is not a fast one, and the work of a writer should not be either. You need to take your time to write a good, timely book. It's impossible to know your characters and their goals/dreams/what motivates them unless you slow down and figure out what makes them tick. Same goes for plot. And editing? The more time you can take shining up your work, the better. There's a lot of amazing books out there, so make yours stand out! 

Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying/reading process?

Yes. Although we've all heard the old adage "don't judge a book by its cover", I think cover art is immensely important. A striking cover stands out on shelves, and a thoughtfully designed cover speaks to the reader even while they are reading the book. I got very lucky with my cover for THE PECULIAR INCIDENT ON SHADY STREET because the designer - Jessica Handelman - has designed several other covers that I adore, so I knew I'd love whatever she came up with for Tessa's story. The colors in the background are not only a nod to the stormy weather that persists in the book, but also my main character's hobby - pastel drawing. It truly couldn't be more perfect. 

What are your thoughts about how to encourage more children to read? Tough question. I really think this varies from child-to-child. For many children, it seems the key is finding what they enjoy. Finding books that don't feel like a chore to read - either from a content or reading level standpoint. 

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Spend time with my family. I have three children - ages 15, 14, and 11 that are my inspiration for everything. My favorite weekends are the ones where we hang out together, make dinner or rent a movie. 

My husband travels for work so when he's here, we do our best to make the most of it. 

What is your favourite book to read that scares you?

Yikes! Favorite scary book? That's a hard one. I'm going to answer with a book from my childhood called The Dollhouse Murders. That book terrified me as a kid, but was so deliciously wonderful that I couldn't stop reading. I reread it about two years ago and was delighted to discover that it still raises goosebumps on my arms today! 

About the Author 

Lindsay lives in Chicago, Illinois with one incredibly patient hubby, three amazing kids and THREE DOGS! She's fond of tea, Halloween, Disney World and things that go bump in the night!

 

An author of young adult and middle-grade fiction, Lindsay is represented by Kathleen Rushall, of Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Her middle-grade novels are published with Simon & Schuster/Aladdin. Her young adult novels are published with Flux/Llewellyn and Merit Press. For more details on Lindsay's upcoming books, please visit her website:https://www.lindsaycurrie.com

Guest Post: My Top Five Halloween Reads by Jane McLoughlin (Author of The Crowham Martyrs)

Jane’s most recent book, The Crowham Martyrs, was published in June by Catnip Books. It is a middle grade ghost story set in a boarding school in rural Sussex. The Crowham Martyrs has been shortlisted for the 2016 Essex Book Awards. 

My ghost-filled middle grade novel The Crowham Martyrs was published this summer, but it’s set during a darker and drearier time of year: Bonfire Night on the 5th of November. 
Halloween may not get much of a mention in the story, but The Crowham Martyrs is full of spooks and frights, and before I started to write it, I scared myself silly by reading ghost stories and re-reading some other ghoulish tales.  

Here is the blurb: 

Ghosts don’t frighten Maddy Deeprose; she’s seen them all her life. 
So when her mum sends her to creepy old boarding school, Crowham Martyrs, Maddie isn’t worried. But then her friends start disappearing, and Maddy knows it’s time to be scared. 
Something is lurking at Crowham Martyrs. 
Something evil. 
Is the place that’s supposed to keep Maddy safe about to become the hunting ground?

Here are the books that set my heart thumping the most rapidly! 

5) Dracula by Bram Stoker 
When it comes to scary stories, Dracula must be the granddaddy of them all! 
Many years ago I was on holiday in Ireland with my family. We weren’t on an isolated cottage near a windswept coastline or in a creaking old Dublin townhouse. We were staying in a modern, non-descript bungalow, near a busy road: lovely and comfortable, but hardly atmospheric. However, on one rainy and windy night, my kids were fast asleep, my husband was off to the local pub and I was in bed, reading Dracula. Suddenly, the secure, unthreatening location counted for nothing. I sat up, hunched over the book, one eye on the page, the other on the closed curtains, waiting for them to twitch, or to hear a tap on the other side of the glass, or for the window to fly open without warning and a swarm of bats to swoop into the room and….and… 

4) The Hunting Ground by Cliff McNish 
Cliff McNish has written many brilliant ghost stories for young people, and his book Breathe: A Ghost Story is a modern classic. However, I’m including The Hunting Ground on this list, because the setting was so superb. To me, a really good ghost story deserves a fantastic haunted house, and Glebe House, especially its malevolent East Wing, is brilliantly and terrifyingly realised. The Hunting Ground creates a sense of horrifying claustrophobia—readers will feel as if they themselves are trapped by Glebe House’s secrets. 

3) The Shining by Stephen King 
The perfect haunted house, full of menacing ghosts, and a brilliant focus on the psychological and emotional demons that also fuel a great horror story. The Shining was published when I was young, and still living with my parents and siblings. Despite being surrounded by the comfort and safety of home, I remember reading it late into the night and feeling vulnerable and alone. It was as if I was wandering through the empty corridors of the Overlook Hotel, unable to resist the tantalising lure of the saloon bar of the damned. The story, if not the ghosts, had seeped into my soul and taken possession of me. 

2) Long Lankin by Lindsay Barraclough 
This book was published in 2012 and is set in post=war England, but could have been written in a much earlier period. It has the feel of a classic ghost story in the Susan Hill vein, and the fact that it’s based on an actual legend adds to the timeless feeling. Like The Hunting Ground, it oozes atmosphere—an abandoned church, an isolated house, a dreary, threatening landscape. It also has a terrifyingly realised monster and children who have to rely on their own wits to survive an ancient, deadly curse. I haven’t read Barraclough’s follow-up, The Mark of Cain, but might do this Halloween!

1) Dark Matter by Michelle Paver 
This book is number one on my list for a reason: it’s the scariest book I’ve ever read. It’s so scary I don’t even want to write about it. But it’s number one on my list, so I’ll have to… 
Dark Matter has none of the usual horror or ghost story conventions---there’s no castle or haunted house, there are no creepy kids (dead or alive), no baying wolves. For a book that falls into the category of psychological horror, there’s no underlying sense of grief or loss. There is just, as the title says, “Dark Matter.” There are dim figures that one struggles to see; tiny noises that one has to strain to hear. There is the loss of light (literally, as it’s set in the Norwegian Arctic and the winter is drawing near) and the suggestion of menace planted in the mind of the narrator grows and grows as the light fades. Most importantly, the writing is as spare and beautiful as the Arctic landscape. I was totally overwhelmed by this book’s subtlety and power. I’d read it again this Halloween—if only I dared! 


Although these books are named as my top five, it was very tough to decide which authors to include. The British/Irish ghost and horror tradition is deep and strong, and this includes many contemporary YA and middle grade writers. Here’s a list of some other brilliant writers I was sad to leave out: 
Susan Hill (The Woman in White, The Small Hand), Chris Priestley (The Dead of Winter), Helen Grant (The Glass Demon), Emma Carroll (Frost Hollow Hall). BR Collins (Tyme’s End), James Dawson (Say her Name), Neil Gaiman (The Graveyard Book), Tatum Flynn (The D'Evil Diaries), MR James.

About Jane McLoughlin: 
Jane McLoughlin’s first novel, At Yellow Lake, was published in 2012 by Frances Lincoln Children’s books. A YA thriller, set in an isolated cabin in the northern USA, At Yellow Lake was nominated for the 2013 Carnegie Medal, longlisted for the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize and longlisted for the 2013 Branford Boase Award.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Danny Weston - The Piper - Book Review

'Please,' he whispers as he thrust a copy of his book at me. 'Read this,' the strange man grunts at me. He leaves me with no choice as he quickly vaporises into thin air; I can still feel the prickly sensation from the strange encounter on that unusual day in November. To be brutally honest, that surreal vision kept me up all night as I read 'The Piper' by Danny Weston. Could he be the vision and the voice that I heard? Ah well, we will perhaps never know.

This story landed in the hands of a reader who loved every minute spent reading each page. It's the best spine-tingling, atmospheric tale that I've read for some time - I really love to read good books like this. Just of late, I feel that this genre is becoming quite scarce to find. It is a good old-fashioned campfire ghost story, but with a twist to the tale.....

The story is set on the eve of World War Two. At this time, children were evacuated from busy cities to the safer countryside. Peter and Daisy are two such children who have been sent to a rather strange farmhouse in the middle of a desolate landscape. The house and the family have a dark secret. From the moment they arrive, they are aware that something evil and mysterious haunts the place.

Just like the Pied Piper and the town rats, you are soon hypnotically drawn into the mysterious past. It is like an eerie melody that plays repetitively and alluringly until you finally wake up. Be aware though, as you might not be in the same place that you were before you started reading. It is a spooky fantasy that will hit you full in the face the more that you read. Watch out for the floating cold hands that drag down weary people into the murky waters and children vanishing on mass.  Peter's sister finds herself in terrible danger; her last breath may soon become her final scream.

I thought that the plot was very well written and cleverly executed. It is a classic blend of Pied Piper meets The Machine Gunners. I read the whole book in one night as I couldn't put it down. The bleak sensation of war mixed with a hidden dark family history pulls you in to a vice-like grip. The loose ends are tied together in a satisfying climax that will stay with you for some time. If you like the ghost horror genre, then this book is a recommended read. Warning: be prepared to be up all night.

This book is out in all good book shops now ready to buy for the festive season.

Guest Author Post by Sandra Greaves - The Skull in the Wood

                             

Guest post: Shivers down the spine

As Hallowe’en approaches, Undiscovered Voices 2012 winner Sandra Greaves talks about how she created the creepy atmosphere in her first novel, The Skull in the Wood, and how to get into the right frame of mind to bring on the shivers. 

A contemporary ghost story set on Dartmoor, The Skull in the Wood is the tale of two quarrelling cousins who unearth a curlew skull in the middle of a wood. From that moment, dark things start to happen – birds and animals turn bad, and there’s talk of an ancient evil called the gabbleratchet stirring into life. Which is very bad indeed…

The Skull in the Wood became spookier over several rewrites. In part, it was down to the moor. Dartmoor can be a very scary place, and it got into my blood – we live close by and I did lots of walking there as I was writing the book. It’s vast, strange and empty – 368 square miles of wilderness, and one of the last bits of wild Britain.

And of course it’s a gift of a location – brooding, dark, unsettling. There are countless myths and legends associated with it, and most of them are nasty. Conan Doyle set The Hound of the Baskervilles here, and the folklore is full of tales of giant black dogs that spell big trouble. On top of that, it’s a dangerous place – extremely cold, with mires you can sink into, and the fog can come down without warning, obliterating every landmark. 

All I had to was to bring it to life.

I drew on a number of dark myths to construct my plot. The folklore of birds features prominently – particularly the malevolent reputation of curlews, seen for centuries as birds of ill omen. And I took the European-wide myth of the Wild Hunt, led by the devil, which is prominent on Dartmoor, and entwined it with weird English folk tales about wild geese changing into hellhounds on stormy nights. In some regions this is known as the ‘gabbleratchet’ – a wonderful word that became central to The Skull in the Wood.

What I found along the way was that less was more. Not describing what lay at the heart of the gathering evil was far more effective than trying to spell it out. My editor, Rachel Leyshon, was brilliant in encouraging me to up the scariness and increase the peril at every stage. What worked best for me was to take terror into the everyday – to twist normality a tiny bit so that ordinary things became suddenly chilling.

Often I wrote the most frightening bits after dark. For the scariest passages, I had to get myself into a kind of semi-waking state (often with a glass of wine at my hand). Then I’d type madly, letting the demons in and onto the page.

Happy Hallowe’en.

                          

The Skull in the Wood is out this autumn, published by Chicken House, for 10+ readers. Mr Ripley's Book review find it Here
www.sandragreaves.com Twitter: @sandra_greaves 

Book Review: Sandra Greaves - The Skull in the Wood

                           

This book looked really good when it arrived through the post - it  definitely looked and sounded like my kind of read. As always with books published by Chicken House, it had a reputation to live up to, so I was really pleased to get stuck into this story and to find out more.

Sandra is a prize-winning poet who has now turned her hand to writing books for children. Her first outing is aimed at the 9+ audience which is suitable and appealing to both boys and girls. It really is an impressive start - she is definitely an author that has serious potential. 

The creepy plot is based around the atmospheric backdrop of Dartmoor; desolate, bleak and wild but yet also beautiful. The story ambles along at a steady pace. Mysteriously you become drawn into the storyteller's power - a superb blend of dark imagination that will have you running away in delicious fright. You will never see a spooky wood in the same light once you have experienced Old Scratch Woods. 

As the mist rolls in off the moor, dark things start to happen when a buried skull is found by Tilda and Matt. These two quarrelling cousins soon find themselves cursed by the gabblerachet - a fantastic name but a deadly nightmare. Dreadful things start to happen as the curse thrives on the bad blood between Tilda and Matt. As it feeds off their emotions, black things start to happen such as animals turning bad, dogs turning wild and other unimaginable events. The only way to break the curse is to work together, but will it be enough.... or will the curse end up taking them all?

This is an original ghost story that is both imaginative and enjoyable, which is  a refreshing change. It is a down-to-earth, old-fashioned tale set in a real place but in modern day life. It is a tale of a family full of complications and unpredictabilities that we all can relate to. The flesh and bones of life and emotional turmoil e.g. sadness, happiness, anger and joy. Everything that makes us human is sophisticatedly portrayed in this book.  Psychologically, this page turner will stay with you for a while. It is a book that you will be glad to have read. 

Move over you badly behaved chickens as there is a new voice in town to recommend. This book had now been published in clucking paperback glory and can be found in a hen house near you. 

Book Review: Chris Riddell - Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse

Welcome to Ghastly-Gorm Hall - the home to yet another brilliant read. Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse is one of the best books that I have read by Chris Riddell as a solo writer. It is brilliantly funny and an absolute joy to read.

The first thing that you will notice is how gorgeous this book both looks and feel. There is a great deal of attention to detail which is brilliant to see within this digital era. The hand-held hardback is in the same style as the much loved Ottoline series which was published way back in February 2007. The book will definitely jump off the bookshelves to potential readers through the striking and quirky image of Ada on the front cover. 

Before you even start to read the book, another two aspects that will capture your attention are the iridescent purple page edges and the silver gilt skull motifs on the endpapers. Both of these elements work particularly well, in my opinion. These are definitely the best endpapers that I have seen for a very long time. The silver gilt skull motifs on black paper shine with so much light that you will need sunglasses on just to look at them. They really make the book come alive before you even start to read the fantastic adventure inside. 

When Ada Goth wakes in the night to find the disgruntled ghost of a mouse on her bedroom carpet, she is more intrigued than scared. The mouse, formally known as Ishmael, is rather cross about his ghostly predicament so Ada decides to befriend him. In a house where it is believed that little girls should be heard not seen, which means Ada has to walk round Ghastly-Gorm Hall with large oversize boots, a whim of her eccentric father Lord Goth. 

Whilst exploring the mysterious halls and winding corridors, Ada and Ishmael uncover a dastardly plot to sabotage her father's annual Metaphorical Bike Race and Indoor Hunt. 

As you follow Ada and the Ghost mouse through this tale you will be both enchanted and delighted in this family adventure. It is a perfect book to read to your children - the fantastic pen/pencil detailed images scattered throughout this beautiful book add another outstanding level of fantasy to enhance the story.

Chris Riddell has excelled himself with this book. It is a witty homage to some of the most famous literary classics, which have allowed him to run riot with his spectacular ideas. It is a warm, funny and highly imaginative tale of courage, friendship and loyalty. All of which have been told in a deliciously dark and gothic way. What more could you want? Well there is a little bonus at the end, but I shall say no more!

We need many more books like this.........

Published by Macmillan Children's Books in Hardback on 12th September 2013