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

 

Matt McMann - Escape from Grtimstone Manor - Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers (May 9, 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593530719 - Paperback - Age: 7+

Here's the first book in the series of terrifying tales that combine monsters + mysteries, perfect for fans of Goosebumps.

In a mansion on a hill,
lived a man no one could kill.
Raised the dead with magic dark
to rule the world and make his mark.

Zari has always been fascinated by creepy stories about Hezekiah Crawly, the real-life inspiration behind her local amusement park's haunted house attraction, so she's thrilled when her friends Mateo and Taylor agree to go on the last ride of the day before the park closes.

But when the ride breaks down, the three get trapped inside the haunted house for the night! As if that weren't scary enough, the kids stumble onto a hidden staircase leading to a dark, cobwebbed crypt that doesn't seem like part of the ride—and by the looks of it, they aren't alone down there. Is it possible the stories about Hezekiah Crawly and his monstrous experiments are true? And if so, can Zari, Mateo and Taylor make it through the night in one piece?

Lev Grossman - The Golden Swift (The Silver Arrow Series) - Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (May 2, 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316283649 - Paperback - Age: 7+ 

In this thrilling adventure in the New York Times bestselling Silver Arrow series, Kate and Tom must confront the limits of what even magic can do—all while trying to bring balance back to the world.

A lot has changed for Kate in a year. She and Tom are now full-fledged conductors of the steam-powered, animal-saving Great Secret Intercontinental Railway. Life is good!

Or good-ish, anyway. Her uncle Herbert has gone missing, and the worsening climate means that there are more and more animals that need help all the time. How many times does Kate have to save the world before it stays saved? 

And her real life isn’t exactly perfect either. She flunked her audition for the junior high musical and got stuck in the chorus, while her archenemy Jag got a lead.

So, out of desperation, Kate breaks the rules and takes the Silver Arrow out on an unsanctioned mission, to find Uncle Herbert and bring back balance to the world. But she quickly discovers she’s not the only one on the Great Secret Intercontinental Railway. There’s a mysterious train called the Golden Swift out there too, with an agenda of its own. Is it an ally? A rival? An enemy? A bit of all three? 

The question will turn Kate’s world upside down, take her from the Scottish Highlands to the Australian outback to the bottom of the Bering Sea, and lead her straight on a collision course with the mysterious masters of the Great Secret Intercontinental Railway itself. Because when you're a human being fighting to save nature, are you the hero or are you the villain? There are no simple answers.

Ena Jones - Six Feet Below Zero - Published by Holiday House (May 9, 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0823454693 - Paperback - Age: 8+ 

A dead body. A missing will. An evil relative. The good news is, Great Grammy has a plan. The bad news is, she's the dead body.

Rosie and Baker are hiding something. Something big. Their great-grandmother made them promise to pretend she's alive until they find her missing will and get it in the right hands. The will protects the family house from their grandmother, Grim Hesper, who would sell it and ship Rosie and Baker off to separate boarding schools. They've already lost their parents and Great Grammy--they can't lose each other, too.

The siblings kick it into high gear to locate the will, keep their neighbors from prying, and safeguard the house. Rosie has no time to cope with her grief as disasters pop up around every carefully planned corner. She can't even bring herself to read her last-ever letter from Great Grammy. But the lies get bigger and bigger as Rosie and Baker try to convince everyone that their great grandmother is still around, and they'll need more than a six-month supply of frozen noodle casserole and mountains of toilet paper once their wicked grandmother shows up!

This unexpectedly touching read reminds us that families are weird and wonderful, even when they're missing their best parts. With humor, suspense, and a testament to loyalty, Ena Jones takes two brave kids on an unforgettable journey. Includes four recipes for Great Grammy's survival treats.

Christina Li - Ruby Lost and Found - Published by Quill Tree Books (May 16, 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063008939 - Hardback - Age: 7+ 

Perfect for fans of Kelly Yang and Rebecca Stead, this touching middle-grade novel maps one girl’s quest to remember her grandfather through his scavenger hunts; reconnect with her family; and fight for her community in her rapidly changing hometown. 

Thanks to her Ye-Ye’s epic scavenger hunts, thirteen-year-old Ruby Chu knows San Francisco like the back of her hand. But after his death, she feels lost, and it seems like everyone—from her best friends to her older sister—is abandoning her.

After Ruby gets in major trouble at school, her parents decide she has to spend the summer at a local senior center, with her grandmother, Nai-Nai, and Nai-Nai’s friends for company. When a new boy from Ruby’s grade, Liam Yeung, starts showing up too, Ruby’s humiliation is complete.

But Nai-Nai, her friends, and Liam all surprise Ruby. She finds herself working with Liam, who might not be as annoying as he seems, to help save a historic Chinatown bakery that’s being priced out of the neighborhood. And alongside Nai-Nai, who is keeping a secret that threatens to change everything, Ruby retraces Ye-Ye’s scavenger hunt maps in an attempt to find a way out of her grief—and maybe even find herself. 

Alice M. Ross - The Nowhere Thief - Author Interview (Q&A) - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Hello readers and welcome to our fourth interview. This week we are meeting the fantastic author, Alice M. Ross, who has recently had her debut children's book published (March 2023) by Nosy Crow. The book is called The Nowhere Thief but watch out as there really is a thief about. This book is surely going to steal your heart! We loved this story and wanted to find out more so check OUT the review. We hope you are loving this series of interviews - thank you all for contributing and reading. 

• How would you describe your multi-verse adventure The Nowhere Thief?

The Nowhere Thief is a mind-bending multiverse adventure aimed at 9-12-year-olds that is also about finding your family. 12-year-old Elsbeth is stealing things from other worlds to sell in her family's antique shop but as a strange boy starts to follow her and the weather turns weird whenever she travels she starts to ask herself: does her gift come with a price?

• Elsbeth and Idris have a special power where they can steal from other worlds. What would you like them to steal for you and why?

Well it's actually only Elsbeth that can steal things: Idris tries to but every time he does it the objects just disappear! His grandmother makes him feel bad about this. Obviously I wouldn't feel comfortable about possessing stolen goods myself, but if they did come across an interesting object by legal means I think it would be pretty cool to have a chamcha, which is a flying sort of cat that lives in Idris's world.

• Which other world would you like to visit in the book and why?

I'd like to visit Victoria's world, where the sea is rising and children are sent on wilderness survival trips: maybe we could get some tips for our own world. I'd like to meet Victoria, who seems like she would be really cool!  

• Do you have any plans for the characters after this book?

We'll have to wait and see! I definitely have ideas in my head of things that will happen to them, but whether that will end up in book form remains to be seen.

 

• You have spent most of your time being a journalist. Can you share a favourite story you wrote or reported on? How do you think a good journalist can make a difference in the real world?

I've reported on lots of things in my career at the Financial Times but recently I've been writing more about climate change, and how investors can get involved - in fact I wrote a non-fiction book on this topic called Investing to Save the Planet in 2020. Journalists can definitely make a difference by highlighting people's voices when they're not heard that often. 

• How do you juggle real-life with fantasy and do they both play important roles in your life?

Well, I guess it would be a bit weird if real-life didn't play an important role in my life! I have kids and cats and a house and all that grown-up jazz to tend to: I find they complement each other quite well right now but I do have to carve out certain times of the day to write or I'd never get it done! 

• Which book or literary work made you think about the impact we have on the planet?

I did write a book myself about the impact we have on the planet, so I certainly thought about it then. I'm not sure I've ever read a fiction work specifically about climate change but I think it's interesting that this is becoming more of a trend in both adult and children's literature.  

• What would you do differently if you were to write another book?

I'd like to say I would plan it better, but I'm not a huge planner of books - I do think that if you just write you come up with ideas as you go. That said I think it's a good idea to have your themes in your mind/some vague idea of what you're trying to do, so that's what I'm trying to do in the next book I'm writing: I know how it ends but not how it will get there!  

• Finally three quick questions: favourite meal, place, and one wish for the future? 

My favourite meal has to be twice-baked potato - it is definitely my comfort food that my Mum used to make for me when I was a kid! These days I have it to cheer myself up or when it's a particularly cold day.

My favourite place is Berlin - it's such a cool city, and my kids are half-German so we spend quite a lot of time there.

My wish for the future is obviously to publish more books! I have lots of ideas and I just need to find the time to turn them all into novels!  

https://nosycrow.com/product/the-nowhere-thief/

Anna Brooke - Monster Bogey - Author Interview (Q&A) - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Thank you for joining us once again. It's time to get messy and have a little sing-song with another one of our debut authors, Anna Brooke. Anna is the author of MONSTER BOGEY published by Chicken House this Jan 2023. The book is fantastically illustrated by Owen Lindsay and, as it states on the cover, just pick it up and come and have a laugh. To find out more, you just need to read on my little MONSTERS. 

How much slime should we expect to encounter in this book? Do we need to be wearing a hazmat suit before encountering this story?

Gooliemaloolie! There is so much slime in this book – almost on every page. Yes, I highly recommend wearing a hazmat suit. Or a diving suit. Or a rain suit. Or even just a few plastic bags. Anything you can to protect your clothes.

Can you tell us what the willy-willy-woo-woos are? 

The willy-willy-woo-woos are those uncomfortable feelings you get when you’re scared - like the ‘creeps’ or the ‘jitters’ or (the word most closely related to them) the ‘willies’.

How would you describe your debut book as a quick song?

Ooh. Good question. Either as a ballad (a very cheesy one) about adventure, friendship and accepting people as they are. Or it could be a proper upbeat number about nose-picking called Snot Ball Disco - which is precisely one of the two songs I wrote for it (with French composer Xavier Bussy)! 

The other song, called A-Chooooo! (also co-composed with pianist Sebastien Joly), is a silly Strauss-inspired aria about sneezing. 

I’m a huge fan of musicals, and for a while I sang in an electropop group, so right from the start I knew I wanted Monster Bogey to have a musical element. You can listen to the songs via QR codes and links in the book, or via all the usual streaming platforms.

Or here:

Snot Ball Disco, performed by Lucy Longlegs the cabaret-singing spider (featuring Honkerty Village’s Weird hedgehog): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulYFcLlq_S8 

A-Chooooo!, sung by Mum, an opera singer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk3yeGJvE-w 

Here are some of the lyrics:

Snot ball disco

Step in to the light

Greenie greenie

Forget all your strife

Snot ball disco

When you pick your friends

Greenie greenie

Love never ends

When you’re feeling down at the end of the day

Just Pick It

Just Pick It

Just Pick It

Yeah!

If you’re feeling shy and can’t think what to say

Just Pick It

Just Pick It

Just Pick It

Yeah!

And A-chooooo!:

Have you ever had a tickle in your nose? 

It gets you from your head down to your toes

Then there’s nothing left to do

But let out a sneezy, snotty, sloppy, sticky 

A-CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Don’t try to hold it in

It’ll make you feel so grim

Your eyes will pop with nasal slop!

If you keep it all inside

It’ll come out your behind

And who wants snot around their bot?

Just let rip – go for the goo

It’s the only thing to do.

Just let rip – it’s a breeze

It’s the only way to sneeze.

From Yorkshire to Paris, has this journey influenced any part of the book? 

Yes, definitely. The obvious part is baddy Willamina’s French ancestry. She’s the descendent of French king William the ‘Conkerer’! And she spews French-sounding insults without knowing what they mean – like, ‘ferry pour Calais’ (Ferry to Calais) and ‘saucisson sec’ (cured sausage). 

The other part is the book’s humour, which I think is very much linked to my years growing up in Yorkshire and Birmingham (where I lived until I was ten). People in both regions love a good play on words and have a great sense of humour. I like to think I absorbed some of that and put it into the book. 

Would you recommend tea drinking, Yorkshire pudding flinging, or baguette jousting as a way of limbering up to read Monster Bogey?

Like most Parisians, I always begin a good reading session with un petit peu of baguette jousting. And occasionally croissant chucking. And on special occasions discus throwing with camembert along the Champs Elysées. But I’d recommend any of the above. Or you could just pick your nozzle!

This book sounds wonderful, do you think laughter plays an important role in children's books? 

They say laughter is the best medicine and I think it’s especially true when it comes to reading.  Laughter releases endorphins in your brain, which makes you feel good, which makes reading a positive experience. And what could be better for keeping kids hooked on books than that? 

That’s not to say that children shouldn’t be exposed to all sorts of books. They should. But I think laughter can be a precious tool for attracting kids of any age to reading – especially reluctant readers. If they’ve had a good experience with one book, they’re more likely to want to replicate it by trying another story, and then another, and so on. 

How would you like readers to feel once they have finished reading the story? 

I’d love them to feel as though they’ve been on a wild, funny and mischievous adventure.

My dream comment would be, ‘This made me happy and laugh a lot’. 

I’d also hope that by the end—through Bogey’s character and what happens to him—readers will feel more empathy towards people who are different.

And maybe, just maybe, some people will feel that my book is a refreshing antidote to Covid. During the pandemic, millions of kids must have been told off (more than usual) for picking their noses. And for good reason. But perhaps reading Monster Bogey will—on some level—offer a naughty sense of release, after all that pent-up stress and unchannelled picking energy!

What type of books do you like to read? 

Oh gosh! All sorts. I don’t really have a ‘type’ but here’s a list of some of my favourites books, from childhood through to adulthood:

• Alanna by Tamora Pierce
• The Silver Chair by C.S Lewis
• The Lockwood & Co series by Johnathan Stroud
• The Third Policeman by Flann O’Brian
• Anything by Oscar Wilde, but particularly The Canterville Ghost
• The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly 
• The Monk by Matthew Lewis. In fact, this is probably my all-time favourite.

The illustrations in the book look amazing. At which point of the publication process did you get to see these and how do you think they support the story process? 

By the time I saw Owen Lindsay’s brilliant cover and illustrations, the book was approaching final copy-edit stage. But I was so overwhelmed with some of his pictures, that I actually tweaked a few lines of the text to make it match his drawings. For instance, in the revolving fireplace scene, Owen put a bowler hat on a werewolf carving, and it looked so good I had to write it into the story.

In terms of story process, the illustrations didn’t really support the writing of Monster Bogey per se (aside from the above), because they came at the end. But for the sequel, Monster Stink (due out on August 3^rd 2023), Owen’s style has been very much at the forefront of my mind. I now see Frank, Tiffany and Bogey (the main characters) as the people he has drawn. And I wrote certain scenes thinking about how Owen might portray them. There are some seriously sticky bits in Monster Stink, I’m telling you! And Owen has come up trumps!

What three things would your characters get up to if you let them loose in Paris?

I think Frank and Bogey would head straight to the top of the Eiffel Tower, where Bogey would do an aerial choreography with Paris’ pigeons.

Tiffany would take the slugs to Parc de la Villette, a modern park in the north-east of the city where there are regular circus shows.

Mum would hit the Garnier Opera House and reminisce about when she sang there. And Dad would go straight to the Cinémathèque film museum.

What was the scariest book you read as a child?

I’d have to say, the B.F.G. by Roald Dahl. I was genuinely terrified by the non-friendly giants and what they’d do to Sophie if she got caught.

Anna Brooke

Anna’s writing career started in journalism as a film critic for Time Out Paris and the author of seven travel guidebooks for Frommer’s. She has written for multiple publications, including the Financial Times, The Times and The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, where she was the long-standing Paris expert. Her debut novel, Frank ‘n’ Bogey, was a SCBWI Undiscovered Voices winner and longlisted for the Bath Children’s Novel Award. When not writing, she has been an actress, a cabaret singer and an electro-pop artist, performing on stage and composing songs for films and commercials. Raised in Birmingham and Yorkshire, she now lives in Paris with her French-Canadian husband and son. Author Website: https://www.annabrookewriter.com

Jodie Garnish - The Spectaculars - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Are you looking for your next favourite read? What about a new series involving magical settings and a trip on a flying canoe? If so, then look no further than the debut book by Jodie Garnish. The Spectaculars will be published in magnificent hardback glory with a brilliant book cover and internal illustrations by Nathan Collins. I can hear you ask when can I get my hands on this book? Well, it will fly into bookshops across the fantasy world on the 29th September 2022 (TODAY!) and has been published by the good people at Usborne Publishing. 

After reading the book synopsis, I thought the story sounded rather wonderful. To be absolutely honest, it really is a theatrical delight that I (and I'm sure you will also) fall in love with. It's a far-flung fantasy story inspired by the author's love for drama and theatre. The plot is brimming with charm and magical stardust as the setting fully immerses the reader. Welcome to the WONDRIA - a place full of magical performers with gifted special powers. However, lurking behind every curtain lies nightmares, danger, peril, and a lot of superstition. 

You will need to keep your wits about you as you join Harper, Trick and Thief in a fast-paced adventure that will elevate you off your feet. The plot is full of marvellous mayhem and unexpected explosions. It's an epic and enchanting zip wire extravaganza full of mystery as the characters look to save their travelling theatre and boarding school from closing for good. The characters are larger than life as they face rivalry, villains, scrapes, and near misses that pull you through epic scenes in a surreal and dramatic way. The story is full of surprises which are all pieced together like a jigsaw to keep the readers both interested and entertained. The author has left a lot of unanswered questions which allows the next installment to be introduced and continue seamlessly; this is going to be a fantastic new series. 

It was a wonder and a delight to read this book; it shines brighter than the North Star.  One of the best debut children's books that I have read this year.  May you be cursed with the stings of a thousand bees and may your toes be chewed off by wolves! Keep this in mind as you decide whether to embark on this new journey. But be warned that if you don't then you'll miss out on the best SPECTACULAR adventure in town. 

New Children's Book Picks September 2022 - Post One - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Dream a world away in the best children's book picks this September 2022. This is the first post of some truly great adventures you can have. Just turn the page and off you go. What are you reading and loving this month? 

Helena Duggan - The Light Thieves - Published by Usborne Publishing (1 Sept. 2022) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1474991094 - Paperback - Age: 8+ 

Clever, quirky and hugely imaginative, discover the eagerly anticipated new series from the bestselling author of A Place Called Perfect. Who would you trust to save the world...a boy or a billionaire? The earth has shifted on its axis and a mysterious dark mark has appeared on the sun - the whole world is in peril! But billionaire tech genius Howard Hansom has a plan... When Grian's sister goes missing he's convinced she has run off to Hansom's new city to help save the world. But when Grian and his two friends Jeffrey and Shelli track her there they find that nothing is quite as it seems. Why is everything so secret? Where is the mysterious Area 13? What does Howard Hansom want with all the people he has enticed to live in his city? The days are getting darker but what's really happening to the sun?

Carlie Sorosiak - Always, Clementine (Letters from a Runway Mouse) - Published by Nosy Crow Ltd (1 Sept. 2022) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1839941085 - Paperback - Age: 8

A funny, wise and heartwarming story, with a truly one-of-a-kind hero, from the author of the highly-acclaimed I, Cosmo and My Life as a Cat.

I am an optimist. A very difficult thing to be, sometimes, at three inches tall.

Clementine is a genius. She can calculate pi to 69,689 places, remembers the exact moment she was born, and dreams in Latin.

She's also a mouse.

And when she escapes from the lab which has bred her, Clementine discovers that it's not enough to be the smartest mouse in history if she wants to survive in the real world - especially while the scientists who kept her are trying to recover their prize specimen. So, together with her new human friends, Clementine must find a way to earn her freedom - for good.

Hayley Hoskins - The Whisperling - Published by Puffin (1 Sept. 2022) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0241514504 - Paperback - Age: 8+

When you're dead, you're dead. When you're gone, you're gone.
Unless, of course, you're not.
And that's where I come in.

The year is 1897, and Peggy Devona can speak with ghosts. 

She hides her gift from those afraid of a girl with such powers, terrified of the secrets the dead could reveal through her. But when her best friend is accused of murdering her rich mistress, Peggy knows only she - a whisperling - can save her. 

Peggy escapes to her uncle's psychic emporium in the city, seeking out new ghosts to help her solve Sally's case.

Yet time is running out, and each step towards uncovering the truth also brings Sally one step closer to the gallows. . .

Dashe Roberts - Sticky Pines: The Valley of the Strange - Published by Nosy Crow Ltd (1 Sept. 2022) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1788008938 - Paperback - Age: 9+

Things are FREAKY and about to get even FREAKIER in the sleepy American town of Sticky Pines.

Weirdness mounts upon creepiness to create a riotously funny potion in The Valley of the Strange, the latest explosive installment of the cult sci-fi series for children.

Lucy Sladan has made the biggest, most bizarre discovery of all time ... but still no one believes her. Even her best friend Milo Fisher is not convinced. But his father knows she is on to something. Soon Lucy is in a race to stop Mr Fisher's monstrous efforts to uncover the source of the sticky-pine sap that is making his fortune ... and so risking the destruction of the world.

Perfect for the younger siblings of Stranger Things fans, Sticky Pines offers laugh-out-loud, hair-raising sci-fi and mysteries aplenty. The TRUTH is OUT THERE - are you ready for it?

The Valley of the Strange is the third book in the Sticky Pines Series, join Lucy and Milo for more adventures in The Bigwoof Conspiracy and The Thing at Black Hole Lake.

Cressida Cowell - Which Way to Anywhere - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Which Way to Anywhere is the brand new magical adventure written and illustrated by the no.1 bestselling author of How to Train Your Dragon and The Wizards of Once, Cressida Cowell. This gorgeous book will fly into the shops (via the back of magical hoovers) on the 15th of September 2022. It has been published in glorious hardback by Hodder Children's Books. 

The first words of this book were written over 25 years ago. Written in spidery, messy longhand they have lay waiting in the writer's writing shed. The pages yellowing as the magic slowly seeps away from the dormant story; waiting its turn for a new audience. However, that audience is now us and we are to be taken on a spectacular ride in this brilliant new series. Hold your breath, we're going in...

We plunge into a brilliant world of escapism from the very first page. In my opinion, this is the best story the author has written. It is also the most personal as it pays a silent and respectful nod to her father. 

Now come with me if you dare. It's time to be introduced to a family that has a magical secret; a child with a powerful gift to draw maps. However, these maps become real worlds that can be visited in a heartbeat. You will find yourself being escorted by the unlikely heroes of K2 O'Hero, his twin sister Izzabird, and their waring stepsiblings. You'll visit worlds with six hundred moons, burning rivers and dark, twisty jungles alive with plants that hunt by the smell of fear. Maybe there's time to visit Excelsiar way beyond the distant poles but watch your step as you GO! 

Without a shadow of a doubt, this will be one of the best reads of the year. The story strikes a quirky balance of wild and outrageous storytelling that only great authors can dream up. It is full of brilliant characters, dialogue, and a daring rescue mission with terrible beasts and a robot assassin. Everything about this story makes it a fantastic compulsive read. As a story sat lingering over the years, this book has now been turned into an epic read that radiates fun and magic.  Dream BIG and travel well. 

The Best Children's US Book Picks August 2022 - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

B. B Alston - Amari and the Great Game (BK2) - Published by ‎Balzer + Bray (August 30, 2022) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062975195 - Hardback - Age: 7+ 

After finding her brother and saving the entire supernatural world, Amari Peters is convinced her first full summer as a Junior Agent will be a breeze.

But between the fearsome new Head Minister’s strict anti-magician agenda, fierce Junior Agent rivalries, and her brother Quinton’s curse steadily worsening, Amari’s plate is full. So when the secretive League of Magicians offers her a chance to stand up for magiciankind as its new leader, she declines. She’s got enough to worry about!

But her refusal allows someone else to step forward, a magician with dangerous plans for the League. This challenge sparks the start of the Great Game, a competition to decide who will become the Night Brothers’ successor and determine the future of magiciankind.

The Great Game is both mysterious and deadly, but among the winner’s magical rewards is Quinton’s last hope—so how can Amari refuse?

Dan Gemeinhart - The Midnight Children - Published by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (August 30, 2022) -ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250196729 - Hardback - Age: 7+

In the dead of night, a truck arrives in Slaughterville, a small town curiously named after its windowless slaughterhouse. Seven mysterious kids with suitcases step out of the vehicle and into an abandoned home on a dead-end street, looking over their shoulders to make sure they aren't noticed.

But Ravani Foster covertly witnesses their arrival from his bedroom window. Timid and lonely, Ravani is eager to learn everything he can about his new neighbors: What secrets are they hiding? And most mysterious of all...where are the adults?

Yet amid this shadowy group of children, Ravani finds an unexpected friend in the warm and gutsy Virginia. But with this friendship comes secrets revealed―and danger. When Ravani learns of a threat to his new friends, he must fight to keep them safe, or lose the only person who has ever understood him. 

Full of wonder, friendship, and mystery, The Midnight Children explores the meaning of "home," what makes a family, and what it takes to find the courage to believe in yourself.

J. A White - Gravebooks (Nightbooks Sequel) - Published by Katherine Tegen Books (August 16, 2022) -  ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063082014 -  Hardback - Age: 8+ 

Return to the world of Nightbooks . . . if you dare. Dead stories—and dead witches—are back to haunt Alex and Yasmin. To find a happy ending, Alex will have to write it, in this sequel to Nightbooks from acclaimed author J. A. White. 

Alex thought he was done with witches. But when Natacha, the witch who held him captive for scary stories, appears again one night, Alex realizes he’s trapped in a nightmare—literally. She’s found a way to enter his dreams with a new, terrifying familiar named Simeon. And they once again want Alex to write. Transported to a story graveyard with best friend Yasmin, Alex will have to complete an original scary story each night.

But what does Natacha plan to do with his finished stories? And what makes a story good enough? While Natacha might have control of the beginnings, only Alex has the power to write the ending.

Readers can delight in a spooky story while also exploring the craft of writing alongside Alex. As he writes his own scary tales, he learns about plot twists, active characters, identifying originality, and accepting feedback, as well as dealing with writer’s block—making this an ideal book to read for fun or use in classrooms.

Fleur Bradley - Daybreak on Raven Island - Published by Viking Books for Young Readers (August 23, 2022) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593404638 - Hardback - Age: 7+

From the critically acclaimed author of Midnight at the Barclay Hotel comes a thrilling new middle-grade mystery novel inspired by Alcatraz Prison.

Tori, Marvin, and Noah would rather be anywhere else than on the seventh-grade class field trip to Raven Island prison. Tori would rather be on the soccer field, but her bad grades have benched her until further notice; Marvin would rather be at the first day of a film festival with his best friend, Kevin; and Noah isn't looking forward to having to make small talk with his classmates at this new school.
 
But when the three of them stumble upon a dead body in the woods, miss the last ferry back home, and then have to spend the night on Raven Island, they find that they need each other now more than ever. They must work together to uncover a killer, outrun a motley ghost-hunting crew, and expose the age-old secrets of the island all before daybreak.