Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Book Picks - July 2020

Sophie Kirtley - The Wild Way Home - Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books - (1 July 2020) - ISBN-10: 1526616289 - Paperback - Age: 9+ (Book Review Here)

When Charlie's longed-for brother is born with a serious heart condition, Charlie's world is turned upside down. Upset and afraid, Charlie flees the hospital and makes for the ancient forest on the edge of town. There Charlie finds a boy floating face-down in the stream, injured, but alive. But when Charlie sets off back to the hospital to fetch help, it seems the forest has changed. It's become a place as strange and wild as the boy dressed in deerskins. Charlie has unwittingly fled into the Stone Age, with no way to help the boy or return to the present day. Or is there?

What follows is a wild, big-hearted adventure as Charlie and the Stone Age boy set out together to find what they have lost - their courage, their hope, their family and their way home.

Fans of Piers Torday and Stig of the Dump will love this wild, wise and heartfelt debut adventure.

Alex English (Author), Mark Chambers (Illustrator) - Sky Pirates: Echo Quickthorn and the Great Beyond - Published by Simon & Schuster Children's UK (23 July 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1471190773 - Paperback - Age: 8+

Take to the skies in this thrilling new series from author Alex English. (BEWARE: THERE WILL BE PIRATES!)
 
11-year-old Echo Quickthorn has grown up believing that nothing exists outside the Kingdom of Lockfort, but everything changes when an eccentric professor parks his airship outside her window armed with a map that shows all the magical places that exist beyond the city walls. 

Together with her pet lizard, Gilbert, Echo sets off on an incredible adventure to find her missing mother; an adventure that will take her to unimaginable places filled with giant butterflies, mechanical dragons and . . . sky pirates!

Maria Kuzniar - The Ship of Shadows - Published by Penguin (16 July 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-0241372913 - Paperback - Age: 8+

Aleja is a dreamer who longs for a life of magic and adventure. So when a mysterious ship arrives in her Spanish harbour city, crewed by a band of ruthless women, Aleja knows it's sailed right out of a legend.

And it wants her.

But life aboard the Ship of Shadows is more than even she bargained for. It will take all of Aleja's strength and skill to gain the trust of her fellow pirates - and discover what they are risking everything to find . . .

Maria Kuzniar spent six years living in Spain, teaching English and travelling the world, which inspired her debut novel The Ship of Shadows. Now she lives in Nottingham with her husband, where she reads and writes as much as she can and bookstagrams. She is always planning her next adventure.

 Website: www.mariakuzniar.co.uk 
 Instagram: www.instagram.com/cosyreads
 Twitter: twitter.com/thecosyreader

Gabrielle Kent (Author), Rex Crowle (Illustrator) - Knights and Bikes 3 - Published by Knights Of (2 July 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1913311049 - Paperback - Age: 8

A new mystery has rolled onto Penfurzy island and the Rebel Bicycle Club are ready to investigate! Nessa, Demelza and Captain Honkers set-off to explore a travelling fun-fair when things begin to get strange. With new friends and a new legend to uncover, the bestfriends do what they do best: SAVE THE DAY FROM A FATE WORSE THAN HOMEWORK. A mysterious adventure with twists, turns and gross-out caravan invaders guaranteed to make you laugh!

Sophie Kirtley - The Wild Way Home - Book Review - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books

Sophie Kirtley is a prize-winning published poet. The Wild Way Home is her debut middle-grade children's book which is due to be published in July 2020 by Bloomsbury Children's Books. I think the book cover is superb - it really made me want to read it instantly when it arrived through the door.  In fact, this is the reason why the book review is slightly early.

The book is an unforgettable adventure that starts from the very first page. Charlie's baby brother is born with a problem in his heart - it is a very sad and poignant story that sets the branches swaying and the brains ticking. As Charlie RUNS away from the hospital to the forest to face his emotions, in a fit of rage, he climbs up a tree and the world changes before he reaches the ground. At this point, we are plunged back into an atmospheric time THE STONE AGE. Something wild is just about to happen which finds the readers hurtling into a rich and detailed adventure that will capture the hearts and minds of the readers.

The story tension builds into a thrilling action-adventure set in the forest. Charlie stumbles upon a strange boy dressed in deerskins lying in the RIVER. The characters have a lot in common as they try to solve their own predicaments. Both have lost their family and have obstacles to battle as their path is intertwined with each other's destiny. The book has a lot of raw emotions going on that will make you think about the situation the characters are facing and feeling. This will help younger readers with empathy and deal with the topics of jealously, loneliness, love, and family. 

The landscape is very well written and the historical detail has the right feel for that time period. The book delivers timely action in the wilderness. The communication between both characters, Charlie in English and Harby speaking Stone Age, is very imaginative and helped to keep the authenticity of the plot.  The story has a spiritual element giving it a little spooky edge that adds to the mood. This is a brilliant and engaging read about finding the way home. It will flip the reader's inside out - your wild spirit will soar with hope and adventure. Recommended highly so get it by pre-ordering today.