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. 

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Children's Book Picks UK - May 2023

Zohra Nabi (Author), Tom Clohosy Cole (Illustrated) - The Kingdom Over the Sea - Published by Simon & Schuster Children's UK (2 May 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1398517707 - Paperback - Age: 8+ 

My own Yara, if you are reading this, then something terrible has happened, and you are on your own. To return to the city of Zehaira, you must read out the words on the back of this letter . . . Good luck, my brave girl. 

When Yara’s mother passes away, she leaves behind a letter and a strange set of instructions. Yara must travel from the home she has always known to a place that is not on any map – Zehaira, a world of sorcerers, alchemists and simmering magic. But Zehaira is not the land it used to be. The practice of magic has been outlawed, the Sultan’s alchemists are plotting a sinister scheme – and the answers Yara is searching for seem to be out of reach.
Yara must summon all of her courage to discover the truth about her mother’s past and her own identity . . . and to find her place in this magical new world.

Ross Montgomery - SPELLSTONE - Published by Walker Books (4 May 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1529501933 Paperback - Age: 8+ 

The greatest magic is hidden in plain sight...

Evie is used to not being noticed. But when she meets the mysterious Wainwright, she discovers that going unnoticed might just be what makes her unique. Recruited into a secret magical organization, Evie finds herself at the heart of an ancient and magical battle. Evil is returning to the land, and Evie is the only person who can stop it. But how can she defeat the most dangerous magician in the world, when she doesn’t even know her own powers? 

Skye Melki-Wegner - The Deadlands: Hunted - Published by Walker Books (4 May 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1529504736 - Paperback - Age: 8+ 

Before there were dragons, there were dinosaurs...

Imagine a world in which the dinosaurs weren't killed by a meteor hitting the earth. A world in which dinosaurs have learned to speak. To dream. To wage war.

Eleri is an oryctodromeus, a small dinosaur raised in an underground warren. He dreams of becoming his herd’s storyteller but when he saves an enemy soldier from a pterosaur attack, he is exiled to the Deadlands. To survive this scorched desert full of carnivores, he joins a herd of other young exiles, including a peppy stegosaur, a stoic sauropod, an irritable triceratops … and a mysterious spy. Can five young misfits save their warring kingdoms?

Includes bonus content: a map and extra dinosaur facts.

Ravena Guron - The Thief of Farrowfell - Published by Faber & Faber; Main edition (4 May 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0571371174 - Paperback - Age: 8+

Welcome to a fantasy world where edible magic is the hottest commodity, traded between those who can pay or - in the case of Jude Ripon, the youngest thief in Farrowfell - those who can steal it! 

Twelve-year-old Jude Ripon has never been taken seriously by her family of magic-stealing masterminds. To them, she's just the youngest, only good for keeping watch while they carry out daring heists.

Desperate to prove her worth, Jude decides to steal valuable magic from the fanciest house in town . . .

But Jude's stolen prize was protected by a curse which threatens to wreak havoc on the family business.

While attempting to untangle the mess she's made (and wondering why anyone would want to curse an honest thief trying to earn a living), Jude discovers just how far her family will go to stay at the top of the criminal world.

Suddenly, her quest to become a true Ripon isn't straightforward any more... 

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.