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

 

Pam Muñoz Ryan - Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs - Published by Disney-Hyperion (January 31, 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1368078443 - Paperback - Age: 8+

"I advise you to tell no one about the gift unless you trust them implicitly."

Ever since Solimar was a little girl, she has gone to the ouamel forest bordering her kingdom to observe the monarch butterflies during their migration, but always from a safe distance. Now, on the brink of her quinceañera and her official coronation, Solimar crosses the dangerous creek to sit among the butterflies. There, a mysterious event gives her a gift and a burden--the responsibility to protect the young and weak butterflies with her magical rebozo, or silk shawl. 

Solimar is committed to fulfilling her role, and has a plan that might have worked. But when her father, the king, and her brother, the prince, leave on an expedition, a neighboring king overthrows the kingdom and holds everyone left in the village hostage. It takes all of Solimar's courage to escape and then embark on a dangerous journey to save her kingdom, but she's not alone. Her pet bird, Lázaro, the butterflies she protects, and a magical rag doll, Zarita, are with her. Then, at a precarious moment, she meets a river boy who knows the rapids. 

Even with help, can Solimar save her family, the kingdom, and the future of the monarchs from a greedy king?

Megan Reyes - Heroes of Havensong: Dragonboy - Labyrinth Road (January 24, 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593482377 - Hardback - Age: 7+ 
This timeless fantasy debut follows four unlikely heroes—a boy-turned-dragon, his reluctant dragon rider, a runaway witch, and a young soldier—bound by the Fates to save their world, and magic itself, from being destroyed.

Blue, River, Wren, and Shenli grew up on different sides of a war they didn’t start. Their land has been torn apart over centuries of conflict, with humans taught to fear all things magical, dragons driven to near extinction, and magic under attack. But an ancient prophecy has put the four of them on a collision course with destiny—and with each other—in a mission to heal the fractured realm once known as Haven. 

All of them must follow the threads of Fate, leaving behind the lives and homes they know to discover the truth about the seemingly endless war—and the truth about themselves. As the barriers between them begin to crumble, can they unravel the lies they’ve been taught to believe in order to restore the balance between humans, dragons, and magic before it’s too late?

John David Anderson - Riley's Ghost - Published by Walden Pond Press (January 11, 2022) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062985972 - Hardback - Age: 8

From John David Anderson, acclaimed author of Posted, comes a ghost story pulled from the darkest shadows of middle school.

Riley Flynn is alone. 

It feels like she’s been on her own since sixth grade, when her best friend, Emily, ditched her for the cool girls. Girls who don’t like Riley. Girls who decide one day to lock her in the science closet after hours, after everyone else has gone home.

When Riley is finally able to escape, however, she finds that her horror story is only just beginning. All the school doors are locked, the windows won’t budge, the phones are dead, and the lights aren't working. Through halls lit only by the narrow beam of her flashlight, Riley roams the building, seeking a way out, an answer, an explanation. And as she does, she starts to suspect she isn’t alone after all. 

While she’s always liked a good scary story, Riley knows there is no such thing as ghosts. But what else could explain the things happening in the school, the haunting force that seems to lurk in every shadow, around every corner? As she tries to find answers, she starts reliving moments that brought her to this night. Moments from her own life...and a life that is not her own., acclaimed author of Posted, comes a ghost story pulled from the darkest shadows of middle school.

Riley Flynn is alone. 

It feels like she’s been on her own since sixth grade, when her best friend, Emily, ditched her for the cool girls. Girls who don’t like Riley. Girls who decide one day to lock her in the science closet after hours, after everyone else has gone home.

When Riley is finally able to escape, however, she finds that her horror story is only just beginning. All the school doors are locked, the windows won’t budge, the phones are dead, and the lights aren't working. Through halls lit only by the narrow beam of her flashlight, Riley roams the building, seeking a way out, an answer, an explanation. And as she does, she starts to suspect she isn’t alone after all. 

While she’s always liked a good scary story, Riley knows there is no such thing as ghosts. But what else could explain the things happening in the school, the haunting force that seems to lurk in every shadow, around every corner? As she tries to find answers, she starts reliving moments that brought her to this night. Moments from her own life...and a life that is not her own.

Dianne K. Salerni - The Carrefour Curse - Published by Holiday House (January 31, 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0823452675 - Hardback - Age: 8

The Addams Family meets The Westing Game in this exhilarating mystery about a modern magical dynasty trapped in the ruins of their once-grand, now-crumbling ancestral home.

Twelve-year-old Garnet regrets that she doesn’t know her family. Her mother has done her best to keep it that way, living far from the rest of the magical Carrefour clan and their dark, dangerous mansion known as Crossroad House.

But when Garnet finally gets summoned to the estate, it isn’t quite what she hoped for. Her relatives are strange and quarrelsome, each room in Crossroad House is more dilapidated than the last, and she can’t keep straight which dusty hallways and cobwebbed corners are forbidden. 

Then Garnet learns the family secret: their dying patriarch fights to retain his life by stealing power from others. Every accident that isn’t an accident, every unexpected illness and unexplained disappearance grants Jasper Carrefour a little more time. While the Carrefours squabbles over who will inherit his role when (if) he dies, Garnet encounters evidence of an even deeper curse. Was she brought to Crossroad House as part of the curse . . . or is she meant to break it?

Written with loads of creepy atmosphere and an edge-of-your-seat magical mystery, this thrilling story reads like The Haunting of Hill House for preteens. Perfect for late-night reading under the covers.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Jason Rohan - S.T.E.A.L.T.H.: Access Denied (BK1) - Book Review

 

Are you ready for a new series from Jason Rohan? Are you looking for a good book that plunges you into a world of gadgets, espionage, and the world's deadliest weapon? If so, then you might have just come to the right place. Let me introduce you to S.T.E.A.L.T.H - Access Denied - which is due to be published by Nosy Crow on 7th April, 2022. It's time for an unlikely set of kids to save the WORLD again. This is the kind of story you can really escape into as you travel down a spider's web of intrigue encountering some rather bizarre moments.

IT'S JUST ANOTHER DAY, that is until Arun arrives home from school. His house is full of armed police and his dad's just disappeared. This all leads to a brilliant start featuring a secret AI project called MANDROID. The narrative is a really slick-tight performance from a group of kids all with interesting backstories. Arun is smart and reserved, Sam is the geeky one who loves tech and Donna is the action, athletic tough-talking member of the group. The characters really pull the story together like magic glue which sticks to the reader in many fantastic and vivid ways. Their ability to problem-solve is a particular strength of the narrative that makes it particularly enjoyable. 

There are plenty of scrapes including the attempted theft of the deadliest weapon on Earth by a group of organised villains - never mind the car chase smashes and run-ins with the police. The plot is a race to save the day; it's ingenious, clever, and at times produces some deeply amusing situations. I absolutely loved the characters as they were warm, genuine, and relatable. I also enjoyed the depth and detail of information given when introducing the weapons and gadgets.  

This is a perfect book for everybody; a great mash-up of a story, influenced by comics, in a heart-stopping mission that will be sure to be your next favourite read. It has a great climactic ending surely leading up to another book. In the meantime, seek out a copy of S.T.E.A.L.T.H in the near future.  Access is only denied if you do not BUY a copy and read it. What are you waiting for? 

You can read an exclusive extract HERE

Mr Ripley's Guest Post: My Literary Hero Ray Bradbury by Philip Caveney

My Literary Hero by Philip Caveney

Picture this. 

I’m fourteen years old and I’m stuck in a boarding school in Peterborough, while my parents are on an airbase somewhere in Malaysia, where they’ll live and work for the next three years. The school is a horrible place. Put aside all that nonsense you read in Mallory Towers. This is a barbaric hellhole where corporal punishment is an everyday occurrence and where even the prefects have permission to slipper your backside for misdemeanours like slovenliness and tardiness and… well, just not looking quite right. I really shouldn’t name the place because that would be unprofessional but… it’s called The King’s School, Peterborough. We kids have other, more inventive names for it.

Naturally, I long to escape, but I can’t do that physically, not unless I want to be virtually caned insensible, so I’ve devised a method of freeing my mind. I simply go to the well-stocked library, select a book and promptly lose myself in it. Because a book can take you anywhere in the world and even, out of it.

One day I pick up a book that will change my life forever. It’s called Something Wicked This Way Comes and it’s by Ray Bradbury.

Now, I’m not a complete novice when it comes to Mr B. The very first thing I was given to read at ‘big school’ was The Fog Horn, from his short story collection, The Golden Apples of the Sun, so I already know he’s good. But this book… this book is different. This book blows me out of my little socks. This book is midnight carnivals and mirror mazes, blind witches and haunted carousels, it’s Mr Cooger and Mr Darke’s Pandemonium Shadow Show and it is every wonderful twisted thing that every teenage boy desires. I breathe it in like oxygen for the soul. It is genius. It is perfect. And when I have finished reading it, I think a very strange thought: this is what I want to do with my life. I want to be a writer!

I start, pretty much there and then. I start with short stories, which I read to my classmates after lights out (8 pm, no exceptions) with the aid of a contraband torch. I listen to their criticisms and then I write another story and another one, hoping that each time I’ll get more positive comments and after a while, I decide it’s time to have go at a novel. That doesn’t really work, not the first time, but I have the bit between my teeth now and I think, I’m going to keep doing this until I’m good enough to be published.

It takes me ten years.

Picture this. It’s 1983 and I’m working as a film critic for Piccadilly Radio. I’ve published a couple of books by now and they’ve done okay. I’m really excited because today I’m reviewing the long awaited film adaptation of Something Wicked This Way Comes, directed by Jack Clayton and starring Jonathan Pryce as Mr Darke. I’ve waited over twenty years for this moment.

And sadly, inevitably, it’s really disappointing. It’s disappointing mainly because it’s not the succession of images I’ve carried around in my head for so long. I knew how each scene should look. I had filmed it with my brain, over and over until I got it perfect. I feel so strongly about it that I go home and I write a letter to Ray Bradbury himself, courtesy of his publishers, expressing my dissatisfaction and telling him how important his book was to me. How dare somebody make a lacklustre version of his masterpiece? How dare they? 

Against all the odds, he writes back to me, a lovely long letter, warm and sincere, thanking me for taking the trouble to write and telling me that he agrees, the film hasn’t quite caught what he was trying to do, but that this is the best attempt yet to get one of his books into a movie theatre and maybe the best he can ever hope for. I still have that letter, it’s one of my most treasured objects.

Picture this. It’s 2013 and I’m on holiday in Spain. Glancing at Facebook on my phone, I notice that one of my friends has just said, ‘Phil Caveney is going to be so sad to hear this news.’ But because of a glitch in the system, I can’t find the original post my friend was referring to. What can possibly have happened? And then it dawns on me. It must be Uncle Ray. And sure enough, the news is soon confirmed. Ray Bradbury has died. He was 91 years old, so he had, what people call, ‘a good innings.’

It’s a bad day when your childhood hero dies. You somehow think they’ll live forever. And many will argue that Ray will do exactly that, because his books will always be around. But will they? I am constantly dismayed when I go into a school to do workshops only to discover that none of the kids have heard of him (in some schools, none of the teachers, either!) In every school I visit, I urge the pupils to read Something Wicked. I tell them what a wonderful work of imagination it is. And I tell them how that book changed my life.

And now, I suppose, I’m saying it to you, dear reader. If you haven’t caught up with this classic fantasy novel, why not give it a shot? Trust me. You will not be disappointed.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: New Children's Fantasy Books - Published December 2013 - US Post

Adam Jay Epstein & Andrew Jacobson - The Familiars #4: Palace of Dreams - Published by HarperCollins - 23, December 2013

The familiars Aldwyn the cat, Skyler the blue jay, and Gilbert the tree frog are off on an all-new adventure in the series that Michael Buckley, bestselling author of The Sisters Grimm and NERDS series, says "combines the magic of Harry Potter and the adventure of Warriors." With inventive magic, laugh-out-loud humor, and a mysterious conspiracy that will take all the familiars' wits to unravel, Palace of Dreams is the familiars' most extraordinary adventure yet.

Peace has returned to the queendom of Vastia. Paksahara has been defeated, and the three familiars Aldwyn, Skyler, and Gilbert are the heroes to thank. But when a birthday celebration at the palace goes dreadfully wrong, and Queen Loranella falls victim to a curse, it seems the familiars are the prime suspects. After narrowly escaping the palace dungeons, they'll have to embark on a quest to clear their names—a quest that will lead them across Vastia and even into the magical land of dreams.

Toby Forward - Fireborn: A Dragon Novel - Published by Bloomsbury - 22, December 2013 ( If you missed it first time round)

If magic sets the world on fire, something new is born from the flames.

When an old, dying wizard steals magic from his young apprentice, Bee, he changes his own life and nearly destroys hers. But he also releases something new into the world - a wild magic that turns fields to flames and upsets the order of the world. It will take another apprentice, Cabbage, to find Bee and try to set the world right again.

Remarkable for its deft, dramatic prose and thrilling magical adventure, Toby Forward's Dragonborn delighted critics and fans. This companion novel, set in the same world in a different time, is a breathtaking work of magic and suffering, friendship and transformation - and the new power that rises from the ashes of a terrible deed.

Jason Fry - The Jupiter Pirates: Hunt for the Hydra - Published by HarperCollins - 23, December 2013

In this swashbuckling new sci-fi adventure series from New York Times bestselling author Jason Fry, three siblings in a family of privateers must compete to decide who will be the next ship captain, all while battling space pirates, Earth diplomats, and even treachery from within the family.

The relationship between Tycho Hashoone, his twin sister, Yana, and their older brother, Carlo, isn't your average sibling rivalry. They might be crew members together aboard the Shadow Comet, but only one of them can be the next ship captain. So when the Hashoones find themselves in the midst of a dangerous conspiracy, each sibling is desperate to prove his or her worth. The only trouble is if they don't work together, none of them may make it out alive.

Perfect for fans of fantasy adventures like Ranger's Apprentice and such space-age epics as Star Wars, The Jupiter Pirates: Hunt for the Hydra is a wholly original saga about a galaxy on the brink of war and one unforgettable family caught in the crossfire.

Sarah Prineas -  Moonkind ( Winterling) - Published by HarperCollins - 31, December 2013

Fer must save her realm from the Forsworn, a group destroying the land with their broken oaths, in Moonkind, the conclusion to award-winning author Sarah Prineas's fantasy-adventure series, which includes Winterling, Summerkin, and the short story ebook Thrice Sworn.

As the Lady of the Summerlands, Fer has vowed to serve her people without the deception of the glamorie and she had trusted other leaders to fulfill the same promise. But not all the Lords and Ladies want to keep their oaths, and they've unleashed the consequences of their betrayal onto the lands. Only Fer, with the help of the puck-boy Rook, can fight the stillness invading the lands. But can she trust Rook? And can she protect her people before it's too late?

Michael Grant - The Magnificent 12 - The Call - Book Review

Michael Grant is the author of the bestselling "Gone" series - a dark dystopian thriller for young adults. However, his new series is somewhat different in its approach, in fact it's a lot different but equally as good. It is written with a much younger audience in mind and has been written really well - Michael has done a great job!


I really enjoyed this book, it's a totally compelling read as you follow the unlikely hero of Mac. Mac has so many phobias that one of them is actually having too many phobias! I know you're wondering where this type of story might lead but it actually becomes an action packed, laugh-out loud read, that's full of humour and whit, with a splash of sarcasm thrown in.  The adventure follows two story threads that eventually collide with one another. One story is set around 3000 years ago, at the time of the Pale Queen being imprisoned, which makes for an exciting tale. Whilst the other thread is set in real-time but it draws the characters into a fantastical adventure where they eventually collide with a bang.


Twelve-year-old Mack MacAvoy suffers from a serious case of mediumness. Medium looks. Medium grades. Medium parents who barely notice him. With a list of phobias that could make anyone crazy, Mack never would have guessed that he is destined for a more-than-medium life.

And then, one day, something incredibly strange happens to Mack. A three-thousand-year-old man named Grimluk appears in the boys’ bathroom to deliver some startling news: Mack is one of the Magnificent Twelve, called the Magnifica in ancient times, whatever that means. An evil force is on its way, and it’s up to Mack to track down eleven other twelve-year-olds in order to stop it. He must travel across the world to battle the wicked Pale Queen’s dangerous daughter, Ereskigal—also known as Risky. But Risky sounds a little scary, and Mack doesn’t want to be a hero. 

The good thing about this book it will appeal to girls and boys with the mix of characters used, and every reader will find something to laugh about. I also takes a lighter perspective on a series issue of bullying in schools. The genius part of the book is the character of Golem he's made from mud and has the ability to replicate Mac the twelve year old boy who goes dashing of to save the world. Golem stays behind and lives with his parents and sends reports back to him which made me laugh my socks off.

This is a really good book, especially if you want to smile and lose yourself between the pages. I feel we need more books like this - magical excitement and elements of humour which make 

reading an even more enjoyable activity. I look forward to the very next book soon.

I will leave you with the words of the Golem.

DEAR MACK,

TODAY I ATE PIZZA. BUT I REALIZED THAT I DO NOT HAVE A STOMACH AND HAD TO SPIT IT OUT ON THE TABLE. LATER I USED A SPOON TO REACH INSIDE MY MOUTH AND DIG OUT A STOMACH. I PLACED THE MUD CAREFULLY IN THE TOILED AND FLUSHED MANY TIMES. NOW THERE IS WATER ON THE FLOOR AND ALSO ON THE STAIRS. I THINK MOM NOTICED.

YOUR FRIEND,
GOLEM 

Matthew Cody - Powerless (Guest Book Review )

Guest Book Review

In a wholly satisfying debut, Cody tackles themes of heroism, sacrifice and coming-of-age, as played out in a comic book–inspired good vs. evil scenario. Soon after arriving in the small town of Noble's Green, Pa., where his family has moved to take care of his ailing grandmother, 12-year-old Daniel Corrigan discovers the existence of real-life superheroes. In this town, certain kids develop superpowers, which they use in secret to perform good deeds (for the most part). One catch: as soon as they turn 13, their powers and all related memories vanish. As Daniel forges a friendship with these extraordinary youths, he uses good old-fashioned investigative skills rather than superhuman abilities to uncover the secret of their powers' origins and the dark force that has been preying on the town's children for decades. What do comic books from the 1940s, a pulp hero, a burned-down orphanage and a pair of superhuman bullies have to do with the mystery? It all comes together in a tightly woven narrative characterized by a persuasive premise, memorable characters, a bit of intrigue and a sense of wonder. Ages 10–up. 

 Knopf Books for Young Readers (October 27, 2009)


Synopsis

Twelve-year-old Daniel, the new kid in town, soon learns the truth about his nice—but odd—new friends: one can fly, another can turn invisible, yet another controls electricity. Incredible. The superkids use their powers to secretly do good in the town, but they’re haunted by the fact that the moment they turn thirteen, their abilities will disappear—along with any memory that they ever had them. Is a memory-stealing supervillain sapping their powers?

The answers lie in a long-ago meteor strike, a World War II–era comic book (Fantastic Futures, starring the first superhero, Johnny Noble), the green-flamed Witch Fire, a hidden Shroud cave, and—possibly, unbelievably—“powerless” regular-kid Daniel himself.

Superhero kids meet comic book mystery in this action-filled debut about the true meaning of a hero.


About the author divides his time between writing and teaching college English. He lives with his wife and young son in New York City, where he is at work on his next novel for Knopf.

Neil Gaiman & Andy Kubert - Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader?

Mr Ripley Say's

I was never a particularly big fan of comics and graphic novels, as a result I always stayed away from this format. But over the past year I have been drawn towards this media and have finally been persuaded by the illustrative lure expressing a story within its pages. Anyway to cut a long story short I was up in Edinburgh on the day of the Neil Gaiman event, where I was drawn to an area of the festival bookshop which had a nice collection of his books (some of the more popular titles and some not). After some time of perusing the books I got my hands on a nice Deluxe Edition (of the above title) and started to read this on my train journey back home. Unfortunately it remained unsigned, due to the incredibly long queue which took over three hours, by which time I had a train to catch! But hats off to Neil who persevered to sign for that amount of time.
The story is very good, I got into the spirit of the characters of the book really quickly and enjoyed every page. It actually left me feeling that Batman was an under-rated super hero! The images are particularly striking and work really well with the text. They capture your interest and allow you to delve deeper into the intended vision rather than the reader elaborating on a basic concept. A recommended read and a great book to have in any book collection.

Book Synopsis

Gotham City is plagued with crime and corruption in places high and low, but one man has taken a stand against evil of all forms: the dark avenger known as Batman. But now the Dark Knight is dead; apparently fallen at the hands of dying god Darkseid. "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader" is a captivating and mysterious tale, the likes of which Batman and friends have never experienced before. Delving into the realms of life, death and the afterlife, no stone is left unturned in this exploration of every facet and era of Bruce Wayne's life. Neil Gaiman, the multiple award-winning author of "Sandman" and "Coraline", is joined by legendary artist Andy Kubert ("Batman and Son") for the ultimate Batman story!

About the Author

Neil Gaiman is the most critically acclaimed comics writer alive and is the author of numerous bestselling books and graphic novels, winning countless awards. His best known work in comics is the epic Sandman series. Andy Kubert has long been one of comics' greatest talents, with work including both X-Men and Ultimate X-Men, Adam Strange, Captain America, 1602 and much more!