The Best Children's UK Book Picks January 2022 - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Lucy Brandt (Author), Gladys Jose (Illustrator) - Leonora Bolt: Secret Inventor: BK 1 - Published by Puffin (20 Jan. 2022) - Paperback 

 'Fizzing with fun, friendship and fabulous inventions!' - Maria Kuzniar

WARNING: EPIC INVENTIONS AND SECRET SOCITIES AHEAD . . .

Leonora Bolt spends her days creating incredible inventions in her TOP SECRET laboratory, under the watchful eye of her terrifying uncle.

Everything changes one day when a strange boy washes up on an inflatable lobster and reveals that Uncle Luther has been stealing her inventions and selling them on the mainland. Leonora, armed with her most important inventions, must leave Crabby Island for the first time EVER to embark on an unforgettable journey that will test her brainpower to its limits.

With the help of an otter with a special skilll, a questionable cook and a singing sea captain, can Leonora dream up an invention that will defeat her evil uncle once and for all?

Ross Welford - Into the Sideways World - Published by ‎HarperCollins Children’s Books (20 Jan. 2022) - Paperback 

The moving, funny, thrilling and adventured-filled new novel for readers of 10 and up from bestselling author Ross Welford.

When twelve-year-olds Willa and Manny hear of a mysterious animal prowling their town, they are determined to prove it is real. Following the creature into a cave one full moon, they are swept into an alternate, ideal, world – one where pollution and conflict have been conquered decades ago and even their own families seem happier.

But when they return, no one believes them. So, with a global war looming in their own world, their quest for proof of the Sideways World becomes ever-more urgent, in a nail-biting race against time.

And Willa and Manny will have to make an impossible decision: because once you find a perfect world, can you ever leave it behind . . .?

Sam Copeland (Author), Sarah Horne (Illustrator) - Greta and the Ghost Hunters - Published by Puffin (20 Jan. 2022) - Paperback 

The hilarious tale of a family coming to terms with its ghosts - literally.

Greta Woebegone did not believe in ghosts until the day she was knocked over by a car and almost died. Then everything changed...

Now Greta can not only see the spirits that haunt her ancestral home, she can talk to them too - from her grumpy Grandpa Woebegone and Percy the poo-pushing plague victim to the sinister spook in the cellar.

Can Greta help the ghosts avoid being exorcised (a fate worse than undeath)? 

Can the ghosts help Greta stop her beloved Grandma being put in a home? 

And can they all help each other overcome the pain in their past that's holding them back from the future?

Lucy Strange (Author), Pam Say (Illustrator) - The Mermaid in the Millpond - Published by Barrington Stoke (6 Jan. 2022) - Paperback 

History and myth entwine in this atmospheric tale of freedom and friendship from bestselling author Lucy Strange, and acclaimed illustrator Pam Smy.

Bess has left the London workhouse behind for a job at a rural cotton mill. But life at the mill is hard and cruel– a far cry from the fresh start Bess hoped for. The only way to survive is to escape, but the mill is like a prison, with no way out. Meanwhile, rumours are spreading about a vicious creature that lurks in the millpond. Bess is sure it’s all nonsense, until one night she sees something stir in the murky water. But is it really a monster that lives in the depths of the pond? Or a creature trapped and alone, just like Bess, desperate to escape?

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Children's Book Picks - May 2021 - UK Post One

Louie Stowell - Otherland - Published by Nosy Crow Ltd (6 May 2021)

Otherland is a dangerous magical underworld - a place where appearances can be deceiving and anything can happen. 

A world of demi-gods, vampires, and fairies. It's also... horrible.

When best friends Myra and Rohan discover that Rohan's baby sister Shilpa has been stolen and taken to Otherland, the only way to rescue her is by taking part in a deadly game - three impossible challenges set by the Fairy Queen, the ruler of Otherland. Win the game, and Rohan and Myra can go home with Shilpa - but lose, and they'll be trapped in Otherland forever... 

A darkly funny, action-packed fantasy adventure, perfect for fans of Malamander, Stranger Things, Coraline and Pan's Labyrinth, from the author of the highly-acclaimed Dragon in the Library series.

N. J Poulton - Podwitch - Published by Matador (28 May 2021)

You will soon learn that many things exist in this life to which you have so far remained completely oblivious. You must embrace them, for it is a journey of wonder upon which you are embarking, one not without its perils, but miraculous nonetheless.” 
An Aldhelm is a protector of something very old and very powerful. Cal's dad says he himself, is the chosen Aldhelm, but Cal refuses to believe it's true... 
Podwitch chronicles the tale of Cal Wainwright and his best friend Janey Wickthorpe as they fight to survive a wild yet wonderful adventure throughout the streets of London. When the ravens are killed at the Tower of London, Cal’s life on Podwitch, a mysterious narrowboat, is turned upside down... 
A menacing stranger arrives with a cryptic message, which hurls Cal and Janey into a series of events far beyond their imagination that will have readers gasping for breath. Escaping the clutches of a minotaur in the Labyrinth, crossing through London's 'Blue Plaques' to reach a place beyond the realms of time, and bartering with river pirates to spare their lives...This is just another day in the life of an Aldhelm – but can Cal and Janey stay one step ahead? 
This tale of astonishing miracles and heroic adventures will be enjoyed by young readers from the age of 12 and will also appeal to fans of fantasy fiction of any age.

Jim Beckett (Author), Olia Muza (Illustrator) - The Caravan at the Edge of Doom

Published by Farshore (27 May 2021)

The perfect summer read for fans of Terry Pratchett, David Walliams and Roald Dahl!

When her grandparents explode in their caravan toilet late one night, twelve-year-old Harley discovers a surprising truth: their toilet is a gateway to the Land of the Dead, and they are its Guardians. Well, they were. But there’s no time to mourn their passing. Because Harley’s baby brother has accidentally gone with them to the Land of the Dead. And Harley only has 24 hours to rescue him before he’s trapped there FOREVER!

This hilarious and heartbreaking debut features exploding grandparents, unexpected heroes and a truly EPIC adventure.

Guy Bass (Author), Pete Williamson (Illustrator) - Skeleton Keys: The Night of the Nobody - Published by Stripes Publishing (13 May 2021)

The fourth tall-but-true tale in the darkly comic series SKELETON KEYS from the award-winning duo behind STITCH HEAD.

Greetings! My name is Skeleton Keys and these fantabulant fingers of mine can open doors to hidden worlds… Join me for the terrifying tale of the Nobody – a nightmarish unimaginary with a dark mission… 

On the hunt for an unimaginary, Skeleton Keys meets young Flynn Twist, a boy with a wild imagination who tells of his encounter with a terrifying shadow calling itself the Nobody.

Skeleton Keys suspects it could be a shapeless unimaginary searching for a physical form. As night falls the Nobody roams the village of Matching Trousers turning everyone it meets into zombie-like nobodies. No one is safe – not even Skeleton Keys. Soon only Flynn is left. Can he become the brave hero of his imagination and free everybody from the Nobody?

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Top Book Picks - Jan 2021

 

Lauren St John - Kate Wolfe on Thin Ice (Wolfe & Lamb) - Published by Macmillan Children's Books (7 Jan. 2021) - ISBN-13: 978-1509874279 - Paperback - Age: 9+

Join Kat Wolfe and her best friend Harper Lamb on the winter holiday of a lifetime in Kat Wolfe on Thin Ice – full of mystery, intrigue, snow and huskies!

Kat and Harper can’t wait to join their parents on a winter vacation in a mountain cabin in the US. But a series of misadventures result in them being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Alone. 
When Kat discovers that an argument she witnessed in New York City holds the key to a major crime, she's certain that it’s only a matter of time until the culprits come looking for her. 
With a snow storm moving in and no way out, all that stands between the girls and disaster are a team of eight huskies and one impossible raccoon.

Amy Sparkes - The House at the Edge of Magic - Published by Walker Books (7 Jan. 2021) - ISBN-13 : 978-1406395310 - Paperback - Age: 7+

"Sometimes you are a whisper away from magic without even realizing it."

Nine is an orphan pickpocket determined to escape her life in the Nest of a Thousand Treasures. When she steals a house-shaped ornament from a mysterious woman’s purse, she knocks on its tiny door and watches it grow into a huge, higgledy-piggeldy house. Inside she finds a host of magical and brilliantly funny characters, including Flabberghast – a young wizard who’s particularly competitive at hopscotch – and a hideous troll housekeeper who’s emotionally attached to his feather duster. They have been placed under an extraordinary spell, which they are desperate for Nine to break – and if she can, maybe they can offer her a new life in return…

 

Louie Stowell (Author), Davide Ortu (Illustrator) - The Wizard in the Wood (The Dragon in the Library) - Published by Nosy Crow Ltd (14 Jan. 2021) - ISBN-13 : 978-1788006323 - Paperback Age: 7+

Kit, Josh and Alita are heading back to school - and they're excited to discover that they're getting a brand new library, which also means getting their own wizard librarian... and a dragon! But when something VERY BAD happens at the new library, it's up to Kit and her friends to save the world one more time. The third instalment in the funny, exciting, magical, and action-packed Dragon in the Library series, brilliantly illustrated throughout by Davide Ortu. Have you read the other books in the series? Look out for: The Dragon in the Library The Monster in the Lake. 

Ross Welford - When We Got Lost in Dreamland - Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books (21 Jan. 2021) - ISBN-13 : 978-0008447182 - Age: 8+ - Hardback 

The landmark new novel from Ross Welford, one of the fastest-growing and most critically acclaimed middle-grade authors in the UK, this funny, moving and brilliant sixth book cements his position as the most exciting storyteller around for readers of 10+.

When 12-year-old Malky and his younger brother Seb become the owners of a “Dreaminator”, they are thrust into worlds beyond their wildest imagination.
 
From tree-top flights and Spanish galleons, to thrilling battles and sporting greatness – it seems like nothing is out of reach when you can share a dream with someone else.
 
But… impossible dreams come with incredible risks, and when Seb won’t wake up and is taken to hospital in a coma, Malky is forced to leave reality behind and undertake a final, terrifying journey to the stone-age to wake his brother…

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books: Young Adult/Teen Book Picks US - March 2020

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• Author: Joe Simonds
• Book Title: The Chair: Daniel and the Twin Fountains of Alcazar
• Paperback: 203 Pages
• Age Range: 10+
• Publisher: Independently Published 
• Date: March 5, 2020
• ISBN-13: 978-1707404285

In this amazing new fantasy story, America is caught in a cyber-war with an evil underground civilization, which is attempting to shut down the United States power grid. Daniel Ruhlin, a teenager in a wheelchair, turns out to be the only one who can save the world... He has never walked or talked a day in his life. Daniel's severe cerebral palsy has left him confined to a wheelchair under the care of his widowed father. He has never had any real friends, played a sport or musical instrument, attended a party, or done anything that most teenagers would take for granted. He spends his days in the library learning how to hack into computers for fun. However, all of that is about to change when he discovers a magical fountain near an old, abandoned hotel. This fountain leads him into a mystical new world known as Alcazar. During his perilous journey through the underground, he develops friendships, discovers who he is, and uncovers a family secret, which has been hidden for decades. He learns of the fountain of youth, which gives him the ability to walk and talk again. Little does he know, he has been selected to thwart a plot to take over America by an evil, underground empire. Everyone from the citizens of Alcazar to the President of the United States is counting on him to save both worlds, but he will have to face his biggest fears in order to defeat these evil forces... 

Author: James Ponti
Book Title: City Spies (1)

• Age Range: 8 - 12 years
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin
• Date: March 10, 2020
• ISBN-13: 978-1534414914
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Sara Martinez is a hacker. She recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers. However, instead of being hailed as a hero, Sara finds herself facing years in a juvenile detention facility and banned from using computers for the same stretch of time. Enter Mother, a British spy who not only gets Sara released from jail but also offers her a chance to make a home for herself within a secret MI6 agency.

Operating out of a base in Scotland, the City Spies are five kids from various parts of the world. When they’re not attending the local boarding school, they’re honing their unique skills, such as sleight of hand, breaking and entering, observation, and explosives. All of these allow them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t.

Before she knows what she’s doing, Sarah is heading to Paris for an international youth summit, hacking into a rival school’s computer to prevent them from winning a million euros, dangling thirty feet off the side of a building, and trying to stop a villain…all while navigating the complex dynamics of her new team.

No one said saving the world was easy…

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• Author: Kenneth Oppel
• Book Title: Bloom (The Overthrow)
• Age Range: 10 and up 
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers 
• Date: March 10, 2020
• ISBN-13: 978-1524773007

The first book in a can't-put-it-down, can't-read-it-fast-enough action-thriller trilogy that's part Hatchet, part Alien!
The invasion begins--but not as you'd expect. It begins with rain. Rain that carries seeds. Seeds that sprout--overnight, everywhere. These new plants take over crop fields, twine up houses, and burrow below streets. They bloom--and release toxic pollens. They bloom--and form Venus flytrap-like pods that swallow animals and people. They bloom--everywhere, unstoppable. 

Or are they? Three kids on a remote island seem immune to the toxic plants. Anaya, Petra, Seth. They each have strange allergies--and yet not to these plants. What's their secret? Can they somehow be the key to beating back this invasion? They'd better figure it out fast, because it's starting to rain again....

• 
  
• Author: Kaela Noel
• Book Title: Coo
• Age Range: 8 - 12 years
• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books
• Date: March 3, 2020
• ISBN-13: 978-0062955975

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  In this exceptional debut, one young girl’s determination to save the flock she calls family creates a lasting impact on her community and in her heart. Gorgeous and literary, this is an unforgettable animal story about friendship, family, home, and belonging. For readers who love books by Kate DiCamillo and Katherine Applegate.
  Ten years ago, an impossible thing happened: a flock of pigeons picked up a human baby who had been abandoned in an empty lot and carried her, bundled in blankets, to their roof. Coo has lived her entire life on the rooftop with the pigeons who saved her. It’s the only home she’s ever known. But then a hungry hawk nearly kills Burr, the pigeon she loves most, and leaves him gravely hurt.
  Coo must make a perilous trip to the ground for the first time to find Tully, a retired postal worker who occasionally feeds Coo’s flock, and who can heal injured birds. Tully mends Burr’s broken wing and coaxes Coo from her isolated life. Living with Tully, Coo experiences warmth, safety, and human relationships for the first time. But just as Coo is beginning to blossom, she learns the human world is infinitely more complex―and cruel―than she could have imagined. 

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books: Young Adult/Teens Book Picks US - February 2020

Kat Leyh - Snapdragon - Published by First Second (February 4, 2020) - SBN-13: 978-1250171115 - Paperback 

Kat Leyh's Snapdragon is a magical realist graphic novel about a young girl who befriends her town’s witch and discovers the strange magic within herself.

Snap's town had a witch.

At least, that’s how the rumor goes. But in reality, Jacks is just a crocks-wearing, internet-savvy old lady who sells roadkill skeletons online―after doing a little ritual to put their spirits to rest. It’s creepy, sure, but Snap thinks it’s kind of cool, too.

They make a deal: Jacks will teach Snap how to take care of the baby opossums that Snap rescued, and Snap will help Jacks with her work. But as Snap starts to get to know Jacks, she realizes that Jacks may, in fact, have real magic―and a connection with Snap’s family’s past.

John August - Arlo Finch in the Kingdom of Shadows - Published by Roaring Brook Press (February 4, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1626728189 - Hardback 

Arlo Finch in the Kingdom of Shadows is a captivating fantasy-adventure story by master screenwriter John August.

After a harrowing summer camp, Arlo Finch is back in Pine Mountain, Colorado, preparing to face a new school, new threats, and two new Rangers in Blue Patrol. 

Arlo is about to undertake his most dangerous journey yet: all the way to China to try to bring his father home.

But when the mysterious Eldritch reveals their true agenda, Arlo must make an impossible choice: save his friends and family, or save the Long Woods. Both worlds will never be the same.

Nicki Pau Preto - Heart of Flames (Crown of Feathers) - Published by Simon Pulse (February 11, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1534424654 - Hardback 

 Veronyka, Tristan, and Sev must stop the advancing empire from destroying the Phoenix Riders in this fiery sequel to Crown of Feathers, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake calls “absolutely unforgettable!”

You are a daughter of queens.

The world is balanced on the edge of a knife, and war is almost certain between the empire and the Phoenix Riders.

Like Nefyra before you, your life will be a trial by fire.

Veronyka finally got her wish to join the Riders, but while she’s supposed to be in training, all she really wants to do is fly out to defend the villages of Pyra from the advancing empire. Tristan has been promoted to Master Rider, but he has very different ideas about the best way to protect their people than his father, the commander. Sev has been sent to spy on the empire, but maintaining his cover may force him to fight on the wrong side of the war. And Veronyka’s sister, Val, is determined to regain the empire she lost—even if it means inciting the war herself.

Such is your inheritance. A name. A legacy. An empire in ruin.

As tensions reach a boiling point, the characters all find themselves drawn together into a fight that will shape the course of the empire—and determine the future of the Phoenix Riders. Each must decide how far they’re willing to go—and what they’re willing to lose in the process.

I pray you are able to pass through the flames.

K. R. Alexander - The Undrowned - Published by Scholastic Paperbacks (February 4, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1338540529 - Paperback 

In too deadly.

In too deep.

Samantha and Rachel used to be friends. But then Rachel betrayed Samantha . . . and Samantha decided to make her life a living nightmare.

Then one day, Sam and Rachel found themselves in a fight

by a lake.

Samantha pushed Rachel . . . and watched as Rachel fell back.

And back.

Into the water. And gone.

No way to save her. No way she could be alive.

The next day, Rachel shows up to school as if nothing happened.

And now she's the one who wants to make her former friend's life a living nightmare . . .

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books: Young Adult/Teens Book Picks US - January 2020

Scott Reintgen - Ashlords - Published by Crown Books for Young Readers (January 21, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-0593119174 - Hardback - Age: 11+

Red Rising meets The Scorpio Races in this epic fantasy following three phoenix horse riders--skilled at alchemy--who must compete at The Races--the modern spectacle that has replaced warfare within their empire.

Every year since the Ashlords were gifted phoenix horses by their gods, they've raced them. First into battle, then on great hunts, and finally for the pure sport of seeing who rode the fastest. Centuries of blood and fire carved their competition into a more modern spectacle: The Races.

Over the course of a multi-day event, elite riders from clashing cultures vie to be crowned champion. But the modern version of the sport requires more than good riding. Competitors must be skilled at creating and controlling phoenix horses made of ash and alchemy, which are summoned back to life each sunrise with uniquely crafted powers to cover impossible distances and challenges before bursting into flames at sunset. But good alchemy only matters if a rider knows how to defend their phoenix horse at night. Murder is outlawed, but breaking bones and poisoning ashes? That's all legal and encouraged. 

In this year's Races, eleven riders will compete, but three of them have more to lose than the rest--a champion's daughter, a scholarship entrant, and a revolutionary's son. Who will attain their own dream of glory? Or will they all flame out in defeat?

Matt Killeen - Devil Darling Spy - Published by Viking Books for Young Readers (January 21, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-0451479259 - Hardback - Age: 11+

In this utterly gripping thriller, Sarah, the fearless heroine of indie bestseller Orphan Monster Spy, hunts a rogue German doctor in Central Africa who might be a serial murderer.

It's 1940, and Sarah Goldstein is hiding in plain sight as Ursula Haller, the Shirley Temple of Nazi high society. She helps the resistance by spying on Nazi generals at cocktail parties in Berlin, but she yearns to do more. Then the spy she works for, the Captain, gets word of a German doctor who's gone rogue in Central Africa. Rumors say the doctor is experimenting with a weapon of germ warfare so deadly it could wipe out entire cities. It's up to the Captain and Sarah to reach the doctor and seize this weapon--known as "the Bleeding"--before the Nazis can use it to murder thousands. Joining them on their journey, in of the guise of a servant, is Clementine, a half-German, half-Senegalese girl, whose wit and ferocity are a perfect match for Sarah's. As they travel through the areas now known as the Republic of the Congo and Gabon, Clementine's astute observations force Sarah to face a hard truth: that mass extermination didn't start with the Nazis. 

This unbearably high-stakes thriller pushes Sarah to face the worst that humanity is capable of--and challenges her to find reasons to keep fighting.

Francesca Flores - Diamond City: A Novel - Published by Wednesday Books (January 28, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1250220448 - Hardback - Age: 11+

Good things don't happen to girls who come from nothing...unless they risk everything.

Fierce and ambitious, Aina Solís as sharp as her blade and as mysterious as the blood magic she protects. After the murder of her parents, Aina takes a job as an assassin to survive and finds a new family in those like her: the unwanted and forgotten. 

Her boss is brutal and cold, with a questionable sense of morality, but he provides a place for people with nowhere else to go. And makes sure they stay there.

DIAMOND CITY: built by magic, ruled by tyrants, and in desperate need of saving. It is a world full of dark forces and hidden agendas, old rivalries and lethal new enemies. 

To claim a future for herself in a world that doesn't want her to survive, Aina will have to win a game of murder and conspiracy―and risk losing everything. 

Full of action, romance, and dark magic, book one of Francesca Flores' breathtaking fantasy duology will leave readers eager for more!

Kiersten White - Chosen (2) (Slayer) - Published by Simon Pulse (January 7, 2020) - ISBN-13: 978-1534404984 - Hardback - Age: 10+

 

Nina continues to learn how to use her slayer powers against enemies old and new in this second novel in the New York Times bestselling series from Kiersten White, set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Now that Nina has turned the Watcher’s Castle into a utopia for hurt and lonely demons, she’s still waiting for the utopia part to kick in. With her sister Artemis gone and only a few people remaining at the castle—including her still-distant mother—Nina has her hands full. Plus, though she gained back her Slayer powers from Leo, they’re not feeling quite right after being held by the seriously evil succubus Eve, a.k.a. fake Watcher’s Council member and Leo’s mom.

And while Nina is dealing with the darkness inside, there’s also a new threat on the outside, portended by an odd triangle symbol that seems to be popping up everywhere, in connection with Sean’s demon drug ring as well as someone a bit closer to home. Because one near-apocalypse just isn’t enough, right? 

The darkness always finds you. And once again, it’s coming for the Slayer.

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Book Picks US - December 2019

Ben Guterson (Author), Chloe Bristol (Illustrator) - The Winterhouse Mysteries - Published by Henry Holt and Co (December 31, 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1250123923 - Hardback 

Danger, intrigue, and the power of family combine in The Winterhouse Mysteries, the fast-paced conclusion to Ben Guterson and Chloe Bristol's illustrated, enchanting Winterhouse middle-grade trilogy.

Its springtime at Winterhouse and Elizabeth is settling into the joyful chaos of her new home. But it isn’t long before she and Freddy are drawn into an ominous new mystery. Guests at the hotel start behaving oddly, and Elizabeth’s powers manifest in thrilling―sometimes frightening―new ways. As unnatural tremors shake the foundations of Winterhouse, Elizabeth hears cries for help from Gracella Winters, a villain she’d thought dead and gone for good. 

Elizabeth’s discovery of a rare book containing secrets of an ancient ritual leads to a tragic realization: someone at the hotel is trying to help Gracella rise again. Can Elizabeth and Freddy banish these threats and protect the future of Winterhouse once and for all?

Terry Lynn Johnson - Dog Driven - Published by HMH Books for Young Readers (December 3, 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1328551597 - Hardback 

From the author of Ice Dogs comes a riveting adventure about a musher who sets out to prove her impaired vision won't hold her back from competing in a rigorous sled race through the Canadian wilderness. Perfect for fans of Gary Paulsen.

McKenna Barney is trying to hide her worsening eyesight and has been isolating herself for the last year. But at the request of her little sister, she signs up for a commemorative mail run race in the Canadian wilderness—a race she doesn’t know if she can even see to run. 
 
Winning would mean getting her disease—and her sister’s—national media coverage, but it would also pit McKenna and her team of eight sled dogs against racers from across the globe for three days of shifting lake ice, sudden owl attacks, snow squalls, and bitterly cold nights.

 A page-turning adventure about living with disability and surviving the wilderness, Dog Driven is the story of one girl’s self-determination and the courage it takes to trust in others.

Kate Davies - The Crims at Sea - Published by HarperCollins Children's  (December 10, 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-0062494160 - Hardback 

The hapless Crim family sets sail on their final adventure in the zaniest installment of the Crims series, perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Caroline Carlson!

Imogen Crim has been terribly bored since she returned to Blandington. So when her nemesis-turned-best friend Ava Kruk offers to swing by the Crims’ dreadful beach vacation in Dullport and rescue her in her stolen submarine, Imogen quickly agrees. A real heist with a real villain—this is the excitement Imogen has been looking for.

But before Imogen and Ava can accomplish their mission, the entire Crim family catches up to them, dressed in their pirate-y finest. And what starts as an innocent (well, for a boat full of criminals) quest for buried treasure is about to become a stand-off with an up-and-coming super-villain called The Gull.

If Imogen has any hope of saving her family from his claws—and returning to her vacation—she’ll have to trust a Kruk with her life.

Romily Bernard - The Monster Hypothesis - Published by Disney-Hyperion (December 10, 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1368028554 - Hardback 

Welcome to Bohring-home to 453 people, 2,053 alligators, and one monster curse. Correction: home to 454 people, now that Kick Winter is living in the swamp Hollows with her Grandma Missouri, the town (fake) psychic. Bohring is anything but boring for Kick who has already blown a hole through the kitchen floor, befriended a chicken-eating gator, and discovered that the town's hundred-year curse is upon them.

It's the Bohring curse and all the kids are about to become monsters-or so the legend goes. People are worried-except for Kick. She knows there's a scientific explanation for everything, especially curses and monsters. But Kick is the new kid in school and she's determined to make a name for herself . . . by pretending to be psychic.

According to her calculations: one teeny-tiny life + (fake) psychic skills = popularity. But when kids start disappearing and glowing creatures start showing up, Kick's theory quickly evaporates in a puff of foul-smelling swamp gas. Can Kick use her (real) science smarts to prove the curse is a hoax? Or is it just-maybe-sort of-somehow possible the curse is here?

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books: US Kids/Young Adult Book Picks - November 2019

Alex Bell (Author), Tomislav Tomic - The Forbidden Expedition (2) (The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club) - Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (November 12, 2019) -  ISBN-13: 978-1534406490 - Hardback

Stella and the gang travel to Witch Mountain to save Felix and what they find along the way could change the course of their adventures forever in this second novel in the whimsical Polar Bear Explorers’ Club series.

Stella Starflake Pearl has been eagerly awaiting her next adventure, ever since she and Felix returned from the Snowy Icelands. She fears, however, that she might never be sent on another expedition, especially since the president of the Polar Bear Explorers’ Club himself is afraid of her ice princess powers. But when disaster strikes and Felix is snatched by a fearsome witch, Stella and the rest of the junior explorers—including a reluctant new ally from the Jungle Cat Explorers’ Club—must set off into the unknown on a forbidden journey to the top of Witch Mountain.

What awaits them there is a mystery. The only thing they know is this: No one ever returns from Witch Mountain.

In the second installment of Alex Bell’s magical The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club series, Stella and the gang face villainous vultures, terrifying witch wolves, flying sharks, and eerie picnicking teddy bears on their daring quest to save one of their own.

Jeremiah Franklin - Dark Tomorrow II: Cult of the Crow - Published by Month9Books (November 12, 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1948671958 - Paperback 

Kill or be killed is the new normal for Sawyer, Sara, and the survivors of the deadly virus that has all but annihilated the human race. With the death of Sara’s father and the disappearance of the strange boy known as Mason, the teens are left reeling, but alongside the enigmatic ex-Marine, Edward, they soon forge an alliance with a collection of young survivors led by the sage and charismatic Kai. Nevertheless, when their new companions begin to mysteriously disappear, the group is once again thrown into a desperate struggle for survival, where only the most cunning and relentless will prevail. Ultimately, among whispers of top-secret military bunkers, lost gold, and a shadowy group known as the Cult of the Crow, Sawyer, and Sara must face the grim realization that death and betrayal lurks in every corner, and when it comes to the end of the world--nothing is what it seems.

 Amélie Wen Zhao - Blood Heir - Published by Delacorte Press (November 19, 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-0525707790 - Hardback 

This hot debut, perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone and An Ember in the Ashes, is the first book in an epic new series about a princess hiding a dark secret and the con man she must trust to clear her name for her father's murder. 

 
In the Cyrilian Empire, Affinites are reviled. Their varied gifts to control the world around them are unnatural—dangerous. And Anastacya Mikhailov, the crown princess, has a terrifying secret. Her deadly Affinity to blood is her curse and the reason she has lived her life hidden behind palace walls. 

When Ana’s father, the emperor, is murdered, her world is shattered. Framed as his killer, Ana must flee the palace to save her life. And to clear her name, she must find her father’s murderer on her own. But the Cyrilia beyond the palace walls is far different from the one she thought she knew. Corruption rules the land, and a greater conspiracy is at work—one that threatens the very balance of her world. And there is only one person corrupt enough to help Ana get to its core: Ramson Quicktongue.

A cunning crime lord of the Cyrilian underworld, Ramson has sinister plans—though he might have met his match in Ana. Because in this story, the princess might be the most dangerous player of all.

Matthew Swanson (Author), Illustrator (Robbi Behr) - The Real McCoys: Wonder Undercover - Published by Imprint (November 5, 2019) - 

• ISBN-13: 978-1250307828 - Hardback 
• In the third book in the critically acclaimed middle-grade series about mystery-solving siblings, Moxie McCoy, fourth-grade detective, goes undercover. 
  Moxie joins the Wonder Scouts to investigate a suspected saboteur in the badge competition. She’s never liked the Wonder Scouts, but once she joins the group, Moxie becomes enchanted with earning badges herself! 
  Meanwhile, someone has broken into Tiddlywhump’s Local House of History, and it’s up to Moxie’s little brother, Milton, to begin his own investigation. 
  Can this irrepressible detective duo crack two different cases? 
  Richly illustrated and laugh-out-loud funny Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr’s Wonder Undercover is a must-have for young readers. 
  There are more mysteries in The Real McCoys series:
  The Real McCoys 
  The Real McCoys: Two’s a Crowd 
  The Real McCoys: Wonder Undercover