The Best Children's Book Picks AUGUST 2024 US Post - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Tracey Baptiste - Freedom Fire: Moko Magic: Carnival Chaos - Published by Freedom Fire (August 6, 2024) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1368074377 - Hardback - Age:8+ 

From the best-selling author of the Jumbies series comes an Afro-Caribbean-inspired story about three cousins who discover they are mokos--protector spirits--during carnival season in Brooklyn

Weirdness and wonders abound in this colorful celebration of Afro-Caribbean culture by the author of the beloved Jumbies series.

Twelve-year-old Misty and her mother have just moved from Trinidad to Brooklyn, New York, in time for the annual carnival celebrations over Labor Day weekend. Misty has plenty to deal with getting used to living with her cousins Aiden and Brooke in her new surroundings. On top of that, her mom is too busy trying to find a job and her aunts and uncles are too preoccupied with carnival preparations to pay any attention to her. 

Then really strange things begin to happen. A ball of feathers in the basement turns into a creature that squeaks and rolls around. When Misty and her cousins eat pieces of mango anchar, flames shoot out of their mouths. Most disturbing of all, Misty begins to see visions of the future--scary visions that soon come true.

Misty discovers that she and her cousins come from a long line of mokos, people who have special powers meant to help them protect their community. Misty can see impending danger, Aiden can heal, and Brooke has crazy physical strength. The trio is just learning about their skills when Misty senses something watching her. And then each of the carnival events is disrupted by a different disaster. Some kind of evil force is clearly trying to stop the festivities. But why? And will moko magic be enough to save the day?

Kate J. Armstrong - Fyrebirds - Published by Nancy Paulsen Books (August 27, 2024) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593463307 - Hardback - Age:12+ 

With tensions rising and their powers no longer a secret, the Nightbirds must decide for whom and for what they are willing to fight for and how far they will go in the spellbinding sequel to the international bestseller Nightbirds.

The Nightbirds were once their city’s best-kept secret, but now the secret’s out. What’s more, they can do feats of magic no one has seen in centuries. They’re like the Fyrebirds of old: the powerful women who once moved mountains, parted seas, and led armies. Some say that when four join together, they become a force that shakes the earth and sends magic rippling through it. It does seem as if something has awoken in Eudea, but the four girls responsible don’t want the world to know the full extent of what they can do—at least not yet.

As the new leader of Eudea works to lift the prohibition on magic, the churchmen who do not support it—and the gang lords who profit from it—whisper rebellion. The secret resistance who once sheltered the Nightbirds is rallying, too. Smelling blood in the water, an ambitious Farlands king threatens to take Eudea. As war looms, and the empire’s fate hangs from a knife’s edge, the Nightbirds have to decide if becoming more than that are—Fyrebirds—to protect Simta is worth losing themselves entirely and the lives and loves they might have had.

Joan Reardon - The Grimsbane Family Witch Hunters - Published by Aladdin (August 20, 2024) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1665929561 - Hardback - Age: 7+ 

Netflix’s Wednesday meets Jodi Lynn Anderson’s The Memory Thief in this creepy and high-stakes middle-grade adventure about a girl’s quest to save her cursed brother who takes her through perilous, monster-filled woods.

The Grimsbane women have been hunting witches and monsters for generations—ever since the Watcher, the most powerful witch in the Midwest, cursed the Grimsbane men to die untimely and unusual deaths. Part-time skater, full-time troublemaker Anna Grimsbane may be only twelve, but she’s been learning about hunting her whole life and is tired of waiting to do the real thing. She and her twin brother Billy are about to turn thirteen, the age the curse takes hold, and Anna wants to be on the front lines fighting to break it.

Only hours before he’ll become an accident-prone walking disaster, Billy runs away to find the Watcher himself. The Grimsbane women are all out on patrol, leaving it up to Anna and her friends Suvi and Rosario to find Billy before his recklessness hastens his demise. But the woods are crawling with cryptids, most of whom hate humans, and all of whom hate the Grimsbanes, and the deeper Anna gets into the forest, the clearer it is that reading about witch hunting is no replacement for practical experience.

Anna feels in over her head, especially as she starts to suspect she knows much less about her family history than she’d thought. As she races against the clock to find Billy before midnight, it becomes all too evident that he isn’t the only Grimsbane at risk for a grisly death tonight.

Brandon Hoang - The Crossbow of Destiny - Published by 

Scholastic Press (August 6, 2024) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1338789843 - Hardback - Age: 8+ 

Author Brandon Hoang takes readers on a high-stakes adventure through Vietnam in search of an ancient magical crossbow in this debut middle-grade fantasy that Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender calls "a must-read"!

When Vietnamese American Freddie Lo finds herself in Vietnam for the first time since she was little, she's not quite sure how to feel. The memories of her extended family are more like distant echoes; she has a tough time speaking Vietnamese; and she can't help but feel like she just isn't Vietnamese enough. Still, this is her chance to reconnect with her family, especially her Ong ngoai -- or grandfather -- who is receiving a big award.

That's when Ong ngoai reveals his secret: He knows the location of an ancient legendary crossbow, one with the power to decimate armies -- and he's hidden it away from those who intend to use its magic for evil. But when Ong ngoai is kidnapped, it's up to Freddie, her cousin Lien, and a mysterious boy named Duy to get to the crossbow before it ends up in the wrong hands.

In this Indiana Jones-style adventure, readers will travel through Vietnam -- from its seaside villages, to the swamps of the Mekong Delta, to the majestic Marble Mountains of Da Nang -- as Freddie learns what it takes to be a hero.

Eibhlís Carcione - Welcome to Dead Town Raven McKay - Author Interview - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Today's post is a gothic mystery interview with author, poet and teacher Eibhlís Carcione. We wanted to highlight the wonderful publication of Welcome to Dead Town Raven McKay published by Everything with Words last month (June 2023). This is a book for readers who love an illustrated supernatural ghost story with bags of imagination. What did we ask the author? Well, come and find out!

1. What kind of atmosphere did you want the reader to feel and how did you go about laying the foundations to deliver the tone of the plot?

I thought it would be exciting to write a story about a place where the living and the dead live side by side. I like dark, lyrical, atmospheric storytelling. I had to delve into my own imagination to create a gothic world of my own. This took time. Folklore and mythology were a huge inspiration. Grave’s Pass and Dead Town are inspired by the winding narrow hills of Cork City where I live. They’re also inspired by places in Sicily like Taormina, Erice and Randazzo where I’ve been on holidays. There is a town in England called Grave’s End. That gave me the idea for Grave’s Pass. I include some of my favourite characters from folklore: A white lady, a redcap, a werewolf, a bogeyman and pooka horses. I also include animals that I like: a Maine coon cat, a labradoodle, and a tortoiseshell cat. I also include a three-wheeled car as I like retro things and antiques.

2. How was the process of teasing ideas out from your memory and getting these down in word form? 

I’ve always liked ghost stories. I’ve always been interested in the supernatural. When I was eight my grandfather died. I stayed at my gran’s for a few weeks because she was lonely. She told me wonderful stories about ghosts, goblins and changelings that made my heart beat faster. These stories have stayed with me. 

In Celtic mythology, black butterflies symbolise the souls of the dead. I knew from early on that the black butterfly was important in my story. It fluttered continually in my subconscious as my story took shape. One of my favourite novels in the Irish language is Cré na Cille (Graveyard Clay) by Máirtín Ó Cadhain. It’s set in a graveyard where the newly dead arrive bringing all the local news to those already in their coffins. I love the dark humour and the roguish characters in this novel. This book probably influenced me unknown to myself. Raven McKay came to me in a dream. I saw her with her suitcase with the faded sticker of the black butterfly in a hilly town with twisty narrow streets. She stood there and looked at me. It was as if she was asking me to write her story. The first few pages came quickly. At that stage I went back to plotting. I let things grow and flourish. I thought about the other characters. When I could see the story unfold like a film in my head, I knew I was ready to write it. I soon found myself in the heart of Dead Town.

3. What do you think is special about the main character, Raven McKay? 

Raven is curious, individualistic, loyal and brave. She stands out in her long dark hair, her beautiful hat with the raven feather, her velvet coat, her blouse with the embroidered butterflies and her boot with the tassels. She is mysterious as she has in her possession an old suitcase with a faded sticker of a black butterfly. Lots of kids go through stages where they feel they don’t fit in, where they feel they should do what others do although a voice in their head is saying, “no, I’d prefer to do something different.” Sometimes they feel odd like Raven McKay. Sometimes they feel alone. 

4. What do you think she would change about the story? 

I think Raven would have liked to arrive in Grave’s Pass sooner so that she could have stopped the ghoul from causing the accident that left her friend Mack in a wheelchair

5.  I'm a very big fan of the publisher. What advice were you given by them that led to the finished book? 

Mikka from Everything With Words was enthusiastic about the book from the start. That really helped with the editing process. We worked very well together. Mikka is a very thorough and thoughtful editor. She recommended some name changes. We both came up with some suggestions and we chose the most suitable. I’m very grateful to Mikka for her passion about my book, her insight and for choosing Ewa as the artist. A perfect choice. 

6. What can you tell me about the illustrations inside the book? 

Ewa Beniak-Haremska, the artist, read the book and loved it. She said Raven reminded her of her younger self. I chatted with Mikka and Ewa over zoom a few times. What’s interesting is that Ewa said the cover of the book came to her in a dream also, which in itself is mysterious. Eva’s illustrations are sublime and wondrous. They’ve added another gothic layer to the book.

7. What do you love most about being a published author?

The past year has been amazing. Meeting kids, meeting other writers, calling into bookshops, chatting with booksellers and seeing my book. Kids have sent me drawings of Raven. They’ve told me they’re going to dress up as Raven McKay for Halloween. Others have told me that they’re going to dress up as the redcap, Bram and Callie. It’s all very exciting!

8. Do you believe in ghosts or the supernatural? 

I’m not sure. I would like to believe that there is another world. There are things in life we can’t explain. I think spooky stories help us deal with our own fears. It is the same for children. Supernatural tales bring us into an unknown realm where we often come face to face with our own fears. 

I’ve always loved ghost stories but I was easily scared as a child. I didn’t like going up the stairs to bed. I thought there could be a ghost lurking in the shadows. Dark winter evenings often left me on edge. Maybe this was because I secretly believed that there was something out there. Still I was brave enough to sit in a dark loft and tell ghost stories with my friends. But it shows that even if you’re scared of things it’s still fun to be scared too. There is a great thrill to be had from a spooky tale.

9. What would your favourite day look like? 

Coffee. A walk with our dogs, Maddie and Bella. Music in the background while I write. I never write without music. (I write in the mornings when I’m on holidays and in the evenings when I’m teaching.) After lunch I read, usually a novel and some poetry. Sometimes I listen to podcasts. Another walk with the dogs. Dinner with my husband Jay and our daughter Rosa (16). We usually watch a film or series. We’re enjoying Black Mirror at the moment. 

10. Has anything spooky happened to you?

When I was a student I stayed in a hostel on an island off the west coast of Ireland. There was an old portrait in the room. I swear it was staring at me all night. It gave me chills down my spine. The same chills I got from the hostel owner. The sound of crashing waves and the wind added to my unease.

Delighted to see Welcome to Dead Town Raven McKay out in the world
Order here: https://t.co/F8fcgpoflE @EveryWithWords #RavenMcKay
🎬👻🖤👻🖤Book Trailer 👻🖤👻🖤 pic.twitter.com/4xcj4zJCit

— Eibhlís Carcione (@eibhliscarcione) June 1, 2023

Andy Ruffell - Lily Grim and The City of Undone - Author Interview (Q&A) - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

This is another fantastic debut author interview. This week, we're delighted to introduce Andy Ruffell and his new book - we are really looking forward to reading this. Lily Grim and The City of Undone will be published by Hodder Children's Books on the 11th May, 2023. We hope after reading this interview you might dare to put this gothic adventure on your reading list. You can preorder it from all the best places you usually buy your books from and help LILY GRIM unravel her mystery. 

1. Your book sounds wonderful, can you tell us something about the book that we might not find in the publisher's synopsis? 

Although the story is set within the claustrophobic streets of Undone (and the sewers and tunnels beneath them) there’s a whole world that already stretches way beyond the city walls which I’m itching for readers to discover. If I get the chance to share the sequels, you’ll see the frozen lands of the Wintermen with their ghosts, the walking dead, volcanoes and wolfriders, and you’ll visit the Cities of Fire far to the south of Undone, deep within deserts whose coasts and dunes are plagued with pirates.

The map in the front of the book (which I absolutely love!) hints at some of these future possibilities and I can’t wait to bring the places on the map, and the people who live there, to life. Incidentally, the name of the northern port of Freeside is a nod to real-life Teesside, the area that welcomed me nearly 30 years ago, as is the name of one of my favourite characters from the book (all Teesside readers will instantly know which one when they read it!) 

2. Undone is a dark and dangerous place to live, what survival tips can you give to potential readers to stay alive? 

First of all, trust no one… Except for Dekka, he’s great: he’s the kind of friend we all wish we had and the person we wished we were. 

Secondly, make sure you’ve got a strong stomach as you’ll be spending a lot of time intimately acquainted with the insides of the sewers and all that gathers there.

Thirdly, if in doubt, just trust your feelings and go for it.

Lastly, beware of the flesh-eating sewer pigs! If you hear a snorting in the darkness, you’d better start running or you’ll be eaten alive.

3. The main characters in the book have a second-hand shop, what would be able to purchase if we were to visit, and would we get a bargain?

Lily’s guardian Gabriel is so kind that everyone ends up with a bargain! The shop sells anything and everything: old false teeth, jewellery, second-hand clothes, watches, tools, glass eyes, umbrellas, books, maps… If I were you, I’d buy a good pair of boots (because you’re bound to need to run away from someone at some point), a hat or scarf to disguise your face, and some old clothes to help you blend into the crowd because, if there’s anything that’s going to put you in danger in Undone, it’s standing out and getting noticed by the evil Master.

4. When and how did this story start to take shape? Did it start with a light bulb moment? 

I was driving to work one morning (in ‘real-life’ I’m a primary school headteacher) when Lily Grim’s name came to me. Funnily enough, it arrived in the first person, as though she was speaking to me and she said, “I am Grim, Lily Grim.” I loved the name and knew I wanted to tell her story, but I just let her sit awhile and put on a bit of flesh before I was ready to write.

I’m terrible at getting started on anything and had basically managed to put off writing a book for several decades because I was so worried that I’d fail and would have to kill off the last of my childhood dreams. However, my amazing wife Joanne, told me I had to find something to do to take my mind off the stress of running a school during the pandemic, and she insisted I tried writing the book I’d always said I’d write someday.

Within eight weeks, I had the first draft finished and couldn’t believe I’d managed it after all those years of procrastinating. I was obviously just waiting for the combined powers of Lily and Joanne to kickstart me into action!

5. Would your younger self enjoy reading this book?

Absolutely! I loved anything dark and mysterious and devoured books by Alan Garner, Ursula K Le Guin and Susan Cooper. I liked a bit of magic in a story, but always preferred magic that was unpredictable and dangerous and put the user at risk (like the magic that Wart experiences in T H White’s Sword in the Stone). I kept the otherworldly powers of Lily and the Others well within this branch of ancient and shifting magic as I didn’t want them to find things too easy, or too safe!

Lily Grim and the City of Undone is full of darkness and danger but, at its heart, is the great friendship that grows between Lily and Dekka, the Other boy who rescues Lily and helps her discover who she is. With two daughters, I wanted to write a book that had a really strong girl as the lead character, but Dekka is such a fabulous friend to Lily and such an easy character to love, that I ended up writing a book that essentially has two leads. 

6. I love the book cover. Could you tell us more about the cover and what your thoughts are about it? Do you think it is a good reflection of the story inside?

I love the cover so much! Everything from the dark colours which make it feel different from most middle-grade books, to the skull detail on the lettering, to the jumbled cityscape of Undone, to Dekka featuring on the cover, to Lily’s own gothic style. The fabulous illustrator, Francesca Carbonari, and the design team at Hachette have done such a great job in using the book as a starting point and producing something totally new. 

Francesca has captured Lily’s bold wilfulness and spark of mischief perfectly. In the book, I deliberately avoided giving Lily much of a description, so that readers could see her how they wanted. My daughters love the extra details that Francesca has added – the dark eyeliner, the ghost hair tie, and the double ear piercings – none of which are described in the book. It’s endlessly fascinating to imagine multitudes of different Lilies existing in other people’s heads. 

The idea for the feel of the City of Undone itself came from a combination of mediaeval cities like Canterbury, York and Durham with their overhanging, tightly packed and crooked buildings, along with the joyless growth of Dickensian slums, mills and factories of the Industrial Revolution. Francesca has distilled this grime and claustrophobia so well on the cover and I’m thrilled to see the city itself featuring so strongly. I also love Francesca’s addition of the watchful ravens, whose beady eyes seem so malevolent and full of dark intent - they ramp up the gothic atmosphere and give it all a delicious air of threat and malice.

The cover captures the feel of the story so well and I will be eternally grateful for the fabulous job that Francesca has done! Thank you!

7. Are there any stories that have been a key influence in writing and developing your storyline?

As mentioned earlier, I loved reading dark and mysterious books when I was younger. In addition to the writers previously discussed, as a child I read Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings pretty much on repeat (which may be why I absolutely LOVE a map in a book and why I was overjoyed when Hachette said I could have one in Lily Grim!)

I’ve always enjoyed folktales, fairy tales and ghost stories and I guess this back catalogue of reading experiences, coupled with a foray into horror as a teen and more recent TV programmes like Inside No. 9, all mixed together to create the dark, gothic adventure of Lily Grim.

Weirdly, about 10 years prior to writing Lily Grim and the City of Undone, I wrote the opening couple of pages for a different story. I’d forgotten that I’d written it, and only rediscovered it when I opened an old notebook. Although the characters have different names, the setting is undeniably Undone and it’s clear that the atmosphere and many of the themes of this unfinished story share their DNA with Lily Grim – to the extent that some sentences are spookily similar. 

8. What are you particularly looking forward to as an author once your book has been published?

I can’t wait to see someone, somewhere reading the book and discovering Lily and Dekka for themselves. Knowing that Lily and Dekka are running around the City of Undone in that person’s imagination is so humbling. I loved creating the characters, the world, and the story that pulled them all together, but sharing it is equally important. The thought that everyone will imagine Lily in a different way is amazing. Through sharing stories, we create infinite characters and settings that are personal to their own reader and it’s really quite overwhelming when you get given the opportunity to do this.

9. Who would you like to invite to your book launch and why? 

Ha! Despite spending 20 years in primary education as a teacher and headteacher and always having to be ready to ‘perform’ in lessons or assemblies, I’m actually really shy. Even the thought of a book launch where I am centre of attention makes me nervous so, certainly for this first book, I think I’ll just be enjoying the day of publication itself with my family. 

That said, if I was having a launch and could invite anyone, I’d definitely ask Gandalf, Bilbo Baggins, Indiana Jones and Michael J Fox (all childhood heroes) along with Laurie Lee, my favourite writer of all time.

10. What do you love to do in your spare time?  

I absolutely love reading and, of all my pastimes, that’s the one I’d really struggle to live without. Reading in a hammock in the garden on a sunny day with our lovely cat Otis curled up on my chest would be my perfect way to relax.

I’m also a big fan of TV and, although I don’t watch a great deal of it, I love being drawn into a great story and I’m a sucker for a really compelling drama. 

I hate being stuck indoors, so I’m often outside and I’m happiest when I’m close to the natural world – either getting muddy in the garden, or out running or walking. I’m lucky enough to live near the North York Moors and I love being out in the hills.

From April to October, I try to go to the beach at Saltburn-by-the-Sea as much as possible to surf (really badly). It’s such a friendly place and there’s nothing like surfing for making you feel like a child again – it’s pure joy, even when you’re rubbish like me and spend more time underwater than riding the waves.

Yvonne Banham - The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie - Author Interview (Q&A) - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Hello Everybody. It's time to walk this way to read our second interview. This week we are delighted to introduce Yvonne Banham who is showcasing her debut children's book. The dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie is a gothic escapade that will be published by Firefly Press in April 2023. The book looks and sounds fabulous - I already have it on my purchase list. If you need any more encouragement then read our little interview to find out more about the book and the author. In the meantime, if you have any questions please leave them in the comments section below. You can pre-order copies of this book at Firefly Press using this link Order Book HERE. 

• The book cover is brilliant as it says so much about the story. What can you tell us about the plot that might entice new readers to give it a go? 

I LOVE the cover. Nathan Collins’ vision of Delores is spot on. The story opens as Delores is being chased home by a restless spirit These spirits crave Delores’ energy to help them return from the dead. They’re not like ordinary ghosts (simply memories stuck on repeat), these spirits know they’re dead and they’re not happy about it! So, Delores is sent to the mysterious Uncles in Edinburgh Old Town to learn to control her paranormal gifts, but a sinister apparition appears and threatens the lives of her strange new housemates. Can Delores Mackenzie really push back the dead? Read on to find out! If you like Jonathan Stroud, Phil Hicks or Frances Hardinge, you might enjoy this too!

• How much of your personality is featured in the different characters? 

Delores and Prudence have a lot of traits stolen from my daughters (though I’ll never say which is which!)  Delores’ love of gothic fiction, her hatred of coriander and the word lobule are all me, as well as a fair bit of Prudence’s sarcasm sorry to say! 

• Tolbooth Book Store is full of curious surprises, what surprises did you find when writing this book?

 I’m not a planner so there were LOTS of surprises. When I started, I didn’t know about the Uncles, or the little demon gargoyle Bartleby, or how unintentionally funny Prudence would be, I didn’t even know the ending. The biggest surprise was Prudence’s secret and I loved going back and weaving that through the plot.

• What do you think makes a really effective dark mystery and do you think you have achieved this in your debut book? 

Maintaining the tension is crucial, but also having resting spots so the reader isn’t overwhelmed by the dark; include lighter characters such as Katy Starr (great fun to write!), grumpy Bartleby, or Sweet-Shop Esme. Mix the clues amongst lots of twists and turns and tap into things that genuinely scare you. Use those feelings to keep the story dark. I hope I’ve achieved that tricky balance, but really that’s for the readers to decide.

• How much has your story changed since the first draft? 

I’m always going back over sections as I write, so I don’t have as many full drafts as most writers. The biggest changes came when I started to thread new ideas through the existing plot to give a more satisfying ending. I also got to add a scene at the end which in hindsight was crucial to the shape of the story. Delores’ world is also much now more richly curated, and I love doing that part. If I had to put a number on it, I’d say 80% of it is from the really proper, fully worked first draft. 

• If you could have a dangerous gift what would it be and why?

 I LOVE that question. I think I’d choose shapeshifting but as shapeshifters are basically outlaws, I’d need to make sure not to get caught. As I’m sometimes late, being able to fly everywhere would be amazing – and just image what you’d see from the sky! Or I’d be a cat next to a log fire when I wanted to just lie there and create spooky plots in my head.

• What has inspired you the most to write a book for children? 

I read lots of books for children and young adults. I love the plots, the characters and the worlds. When I write, that’s where my head’s at and that’s how my own stories come out. My biggest inspiration is Frances Hardinge. Her books show how far you can push the boundaries in children’s fiction and that subject fascinates me. She never patronises her readers in terms of plot, character, dialogue or levels of creepiness.

• What would you like people to know about you?

 I write dark stuff and adore dark stories, but I also love an uncontrollable, unstoppable belly-laugh. You feel amazing after! 

• What are some of the common traps for new writers as they pursue their dreams of getting their book published?

 Trying to guess the trends or following what’s popular. By the time you’ve written yours, the publishing world will have moved on. And sending stuff out too soon; join a writing community, get some feedback, let your story rest a while and come back to it. That story gets one chance to make an impression so make it count. 

• What and where is the spookiest place you've ever been to? 

The Blair Street Vaults under Edinburgh Old Town. SUPER creepy. There’s supposedly the ghost of a young boy down there. I didn’t see him, but other people say they have. It has a peculiar atmosphere and one of the rooms had a very odd kind of dark. It features in the book; go there, I dare you! I want to visit the Covenanter’s Jail in Greyfriars Kirkyard but so far, I’m too scared to go in! It supposedly has the most active poltergeist in all of Edinburgh and that’s up against some pretty steep competition!

Hana Tooke (Author), Ayesha L. Rubio (Illustrator) - THE MIDNIGHTERS - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

The best stories feel like dreams... This is the second middle-grade book by Hana Tooke. THE MIDNIGHTERS has the power to transport you in your dreams to one of the best places in the world; the world of fantasy and make-believe. This book really is magnificent - you only need to hold and see the proof copy to know that it is going to be a great read. The book will be published on 23rd June 2022 by Puffin Books; the cover has been illustrated by Ayesha L. Rubio. I'm really looking forward to seeing the final hardback copy once it's been published. 

Streetlamps looked like fallen stars is one of the first lines in the book. As soon as you read these words, the magic and the power instantly transport you into a world of awe and wonder. This is a gothic story full of magic, invention, and intrigue. The dark and unsettling nature is so delicious to read and savour, it really is spellbinding stuff. The reader follows in the footsteps of the leading character happily wandering the streets and alleyways.

Ema Vaškov is the twelfth child to be born into an extraordinary family in extraordinary circumstances. She has the gift to predict events before they happen. However, will the bad omens come TRUE? Set in Prague in December 1877, the story uncovers secret midnight adventures with a mystery girl called Silvie. Unfortunately, she suddenly goes missing providing the opportunity to uncover the secrets of her disappearance and her identity. This story will really take your breath away; it'll steal your heartbeat as you cycle on one of Josef's handmade boneshaker bikes. It's full of places that will make your imagination explode and dazzle whilst the plot is so thick with possibilities you will not what to miss this adventure. 

This book is a true delight and one of the best reads of the year. It's a story full of adventure, friendship, facing fears, and finding out who you really are. It's time for you to find the secret society and go behind the four different doors: The Dreamer, The Illusionist, The Bone Sculptor, and The Astronomer. Each place contains a pinch of magic, a splash of the macabre, a dollop of invention, and a world full of wonder. You will not be disappointed - this is a truly enchanting read that is up there with the very best. 

You can buy the book HERE. 

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: A Halloween Interview with Cameron McAllister - The Demon Undertaker

Cameron McAllister is a British television writer and producer. His first children's book was The Tin Snail, which is a fantastic read inspired by real events of how one little car changed history. 
The Demon Undertaker is his second book, published this September (2016), it is a brilliant read for this time of year. For a spooky atmospheric read that will send your spine a-tingling, please read my book review HERE. 

WELCOME Cameron McAllister to Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books.

Let’s talk about writing! How do you want your readers to react when they read the last page of The Demon Undertaker?

“I MUST write a five star review immediately!” Obviously, that would be a great reaction. But more than anything, a writer wants their reader to come away wishing the book hadn’t ended, but at the same time feeling it ended in just the right place. I hope with THE DEMON UNDERTAKER they feel like they’ve been taken on what you called a breathtaking “stagecoach” of a ride. The book is definitely intended to be full of thrills and spills, as well as spooky – not to mention downright gruesome – moments. But I think if that’s all it was it would feel a bit soulless. I always try to find a story with a big human heart, so I hope readers will come away feeling they’ve had their heartstrings plucked a bit too!

Where did you get your spooky inspiration from?

One of my biggest inspirations was the Childcatcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! I also liked the idea of London being a bit like Diagon Alley in Harry Potter, full of secret back alleyways. As well as this, I did a lot of research into grave robbers and surgeons looking for corpses to dissect. The idea for the Undertaker himself sprang from thinking how someone might best disguise themselves if they were snatching victims off the street. It was important to have something visually strong and ghoulish. Something wrapped up in death. I also discovered that the year in which the book is set was the first known use of the term “vampyre.” So I wanted to make my Demon feel supernatural – that way people might think he was the living dead! 

I’d also been wanting to write something for a long time about the real life magistrate Henry Fielding. As well as a famous playwright and author, he was effectively the chief of police and was credited with creating the first prototype for the modern-day police force, the Bow Street Runners. Lots of other books have tackled the Runners, so I wanted a unique angle. Henry Fielding was a bit of a rogue in his youth, so I thought it would be fun if it was his teenage nephew who was really behind the creation of the Runners. What better than London’s first detective agency being manned exclusively by kids! 

Do you ever research real events, legends, or myths to get ideas?

With this book and my last, THE TIN SNAIL, I used elements of real events and mixed them with a good dose of invention. In THE TIN SNAIL it was the remarkable story of how the 2CV car was invented in secret during WW2 so the Nazis couldn’t steal it. Once I’d found this story it was great fun adding invented characters and stories to flesh it out. Likewise, Henry Fielding, the magistrate in THE DEMON UNDERTAKER, was a real person. I did a lot of research into him and London’s sinister underbelly of crime. It was almost a struggle to fit all the gruesome things I discovered into the book! 

What are the differences between writing a script and writing a book?

The biggest difference is that you generally don’t have to describe things much in a TV or film script – you just write a stage direction saying “Sinister back alley.” If you did that in a book, the reader would rightly feel cheated. The novelist’s job is to conjure up a vivid image in the reader’s head. So describing locations and what characters look like all adds to the flavour and atmosphere. Likewise, in a TV script you rarely describe what the character is thinking inside their head or what they’re feeling – it’s almost always just done in dialogue. After all, the viewer isn’t going to read the script. In a book you have a fantastic advantage – you can describe EVERYTHING your character is experiencing! That way the reader is completely walking in their shoes.

What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?

The best writers make you feel like you’re totally inside the character, feeling and thinking everything they are. “Insight” is a key word – the writer needs to know the character’s innermost thoughts. The more authentic the character and their world feels, the more vivid the reader’s experience will be. As well as this I want a really juicy story. Everyone looks for different ingredients in a book, but I love a really gripping plot that keeps me guessing and, just when I think I know what’s going to happen, there’s a big twist to subvert it. 

Another big ingredient for me is what you might call “heart” – I need to really care about my hero (or anti-hero). People mistakenly think this means that heroes must always be completely “good”. I think this sometimes makes them a bit boring. I prefer my heroes to more realistic – which means they do good AND bad things like the rest of us. The important thing is that they’re INTERESTING and they have a chink in their armour – a way that lets you see into their secret vulnerable side. People who are vulnerable on the inside are often the most interesting to read about because we all identify with people’s fears and insecurities. 

I usually find that if a character is also BRAVE or FUNNY, I can forgive them a multitude of other failings. Hermione in Harry Potter could have been a really boring goody-two-shoes, but she’s so brave you can’t help but love her. Likewise I deliberately made Esther in DEMON UNDERTAKER quite bossy and standoffish. But you soon discover she’s vulnerable and warm on the inside, but also very gutsy. I loved her character so much I’m making the hero in my new book a lot like her!

Are you working on any books/projects that you would like to share with us?

I’ve just finished a first draft of a new book that’s a bit older. It’s a supernatural thriller about someone who discovers that everything they thought about their life is based on a massive lie. 

What scares you?

One of the shows I’ve written on was a series called PRIMEVAL about dinosaurs coming back from the past. When we were making it I discovered that the best way to scare the living daylights out of children – and adults – is very simple. Just make them think the monster/baddie is about to jump out on the hero at any moment. The longer you sustain this, the more suspense there is. For me, suspense is the most important ingredient. Often, when the monster does jump out, it can be a bit of a let down. That’s why the best scary movies won’t show you what the monster looks like for about an hour. The longer they can keep you in suspense, the more scared you are because NOTHING is ever as scary as what’s in your own head. Except perhaps the monster in ALIEN. Now that what a cool monster. But again, you didn’t see it for AGES!

Funnily enough, the scariest monsters for me are often the simplest. A few horror films stand out way above the others for me – HALLOWEEN, THE GRUDGE and THE RING. The last two are inspired by Japanese ghost stories and use almost no special effects, but they completely terrified me. Just that idea that you think you’re alone and then you catch a glimpse of someone’s foot hidden behind a door and you realise – oh no! - someone’s there! 

HALLOWEEN was one of the first movies I saw where the bogey man simply wore a white mask. But masks are TERRIFYING – simply because you can’t see any human expression or eyes. DOCTOR WHO did a great episode called THE EMPTY CHILD which scared my own children to death even though the bogey man was just a kid! Why? Because the child in question wore a gas mask. It was seriously creepy!

It’s for this reason THE DEMON UNDERTAKER wears a spooky white mask. If you can’t see their face, hell, maybe they don’t have one! Just think how terrifying clowns are!

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Cameron McAllister - The Demon Undertaker - Book Review

Bolt your doors! Do not dare to sleep! A kidnapper known as ‘The Demon Undertaker’ is on the loose in London!  Yesterday he continued his reign of terror in his most chilling crime yet – kidnapping Lady Grace Davenport from under the very noses of her family!  

A barrage of bullets could not stop the blood-thirsty ghoul from escaping in his black hearse – is he man or vampyre? Young Thomas Fielding, nephew of the Chief Magistrate, stumbled across the villain and gave chase. Can Thomas and his team of Bow Street Detectives save Lady Grace and catch the Demon Undertaker before he snatches his next victim?

If you have ever read 'The Tin Snail' by Cameron McAllister, which is his debut book, you should know that you are in for a real treat with this one. The Demon Undertaker will be his second book to date. It really is pitch perfect for that special time coming up - Halloween - which we all love, isn't that right? 

This book will thrill you and delight you from the very first page to the last. It is a brilliant and captivating read that will transport the reader back in history. You will hurtle back in time to 18th century Georgian London; a period of big social change and some very gruesome goings on. These are described and used to good affect in this fantastic story. 

It is lightening fast, stage coach of a ride. It has a brilliant plot that reluctant readers will love. Packed full of mystery adventure, you will be engaged with London's first ever team of detectives known as the Bow Street Runners; the first professional police force in London. Founded by Henry Fielding, they originally numbered just six men. This is the seed to a plot which is full of macabre moments. It is a fantastic detective mystery to uncover, but you should only do this at your peril. 

Every page transports the reader into an enjoyable and fantastical reading experience. The setting is written particularly well and suggests that a lot of research has gone into this book, in order to get the details authentically correct. The characters have a lot of charisma and sparkle. Whilst the hero and heroine will leave you with your heart in your mouth many times throughout the story. As you follow the narrative in this gothically disturbed world, you will give chase in pursuit of a bullet dodging, blood-thirsty ghoul that will have you running round London until the very climatic ending. 

This is a fantastic five star read and is one of my favourite books this year. It has everything that I love and look for in a book. There is a mystery to uncover, which is full of gruesome adventure, facts blended in with fiction, great characters, as well as a detailed and atmospheric gothic type setting. It has a spooky and supernatural undercurrent with a fantastic ending. I'm now hoping for another story to run along side this one from Cameron! 

Caleb Krisp - Anyone but Ivy Pocket Guest Blog Tour ( THE BIRTH OF AN ANTI-HEROINE )

Many thanks to Caleb Krisp for dropping by Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books to tell us about the THE BIRTH OF AN ANTI-HEROINE. What a character she is.....what do you think?


How I came to write IVY POCKET is actually a heartwarming tale - for years I had devoted myself to writing. I lived and breathed my work, crafting stories that were heartbreakingly moving, bone shatteringly brilliant and entirely in Latin. Naturally, it was a cruel shock when the publishing world rejected one book after another. At the very moment I was struggling with my latest literary failure - a nine hundred page masterpiece on the history of butter - my beloved housekeeper, Mrs Cuttlefish, took a creative writing course via correspondence. The deluded fossil was convinced she had a gift for writing and from time to time she would ask for my expert opinion. Her stories were terrible. Until last winter, when Mrs Cuttlefish presented me with the first five chapters of a new novel - the tale of a twelve year old maid by the name of Ivy Pocket. To my amazement, it wasn't completely awful. In fact, it was rather good. 

A few months later she showed me the finished manuscript. What she had written needed work, but it was fresh and funny and slightly wicked. Here was a character who was plucky and optimistic, but also incorrigible, delusional, loose with the truth, infuriating and utterly bonkers. I knew that with my help, my bone-headed housekeeper was destined to find great success with "Anyone But Ivy Pocket" Was I jealous? Not at all! I was delighted for the haggard old bat.

Mrs Cuttlefish confessed she hadn't showed her manuscript to a soul, apart from me. Which was frightfully interesting. One evening I decided to do a little gardening - digging and whatnot. It took several hours, but I managed to dig a rather impressive hole. By a remarkable coincidence, it matched the exact dimensions of Mrs Cuttlefish. 

Unfortunately, my watch must have fallen off as I was gardening. So I asked Mrs Cuttlefish to come outside and help me find it. She seemed to have misplaced her glasses, which was regrettable. She stumbled about in the dark for at least fifteen minutes, before plummeting into the hole. What are the odds?  

I shone the torch into the hole, fully prepared to rescue the kind-hearted nincompoop. Which was terribly selfish of me. For as I watched her lying there, I couldn't deny how remarkably contented she looked. And as she was old and had a vast collection of ceramic frogs, I felt the kindest thing to do was cover her over with some soil and plant a rose bush (which is flowering beautifully, by the way)

Being a magnificent sort of person, I quickly decided that the only way to honour Mrs Cuttlefish's memory was to make a few improvements to her book, remove her name from the manuscript and replace it with my own. Then send it out into the world. The rest is literary history. And I know for a fact that Mrs Cuttlefish is delighted by my success, for she haunts my cottage with great enthusiasm. In fact, I am hoping that once she stops shaking the walls and throwing pots at my head, she will help me write the next adventure of Ivy Pocket. A happy ending all around.

Other blog tour posts: Caleb Krisp - Author Interview - My Book Corner 
John Kelly, the illustrator for Anyone But Ivy Pocket - MinerrvaReads
You can read my review of Anyone But Ivy Pocket - HERE