Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books Recommendation: James King - Jungle Jim and the Shadows of Kinabalu

I just wanted to highlight this book from last year, as I really loved it and wanted to take this opportunity to recommend it to you all. It has everything required, and more, in an extremely good read. It is:

• Fast paced;
• Action packed and non-stop; 
• A wild jungle and very descriptive; 
• Superhero, cool characters, monsters and bad villains;
• Dark, mysterious and engaging plot;
• Monsters, myths and madness;
• Middle Grade Read 9+.

It has absolutely everything needed to make this an amazing read, so make sure that you check out the synopsis below.  If it sounds like your kind of book then please track a copy down and help a fantastic debut author on his way. Buy Book Here

‘Jungle’ Jim swings into action in his first exciting adventure, as the superpowered simian tries to shed some light on the mysterious Shadows of Kinabalu. In this hilarious modern spin on the timeless werewolf myth, young ice-hockey star, ‘Jungle’ Jim Regent travels to Borneo looking for lost love and adventure, getting more than he bargained for after he is cursed by a tribe of mysterious Iban Headhunters. Now, whenever the moon turns orange, he transforms into an eight-foot-tall, walking, talking orangutan! He’s not a werewolf, he’s a werangutan. He’s not a monster, but an Ancient Protector of Borneo – and the world beyond.

The cursed Jim now finds himself living the double life of a superhero as he battles the forces of the Shadow Emperor, an evil overlord who has been dragged into our universe by the reckless Dark Matter experiments of the mad scientist Doctor Gila. These diabolical villains command their army of Dark Matter Shadows from the ruins of a top-secret US government laboratory buried deep beneath the mighty Mount Kinabalu. 

But Jim is not alone in his battle against the darkness. Fighting alongside him is an oddball group of friends and colleagues: Rufus McFly, a young academic whose expert knowledge of ancient civilisations is invaluable to Jim; Ruthie Moo, a beautiful and resourceful British Secret Agent, and Jim’s childhood sweetheart, Sengalang, the ancient shaman of the Iban Headhunters; Wira, a highly intelligent baby orangutan fully trained in espionage; and a team of specially trained monkeys!

This band of unlikely heroes must survive a crazy, colourful, ancient, dangerous world, where nothing is what it seems and where everything, from the other-dimensional bad guys to the creepy crawlies, are out to get you. 

PUBLICATION DAY: Anne Booth & Sam Usher - Refuge - Nosy Crow

Nosy Crow publishes Refuge on 12th November. It is a book I dearly hope you will all support.

Like you, I suppose, all of us at Nosy Crow have watched the ongoing refugee crisis on the news – the terrible stories, the appalling pictures, the daily suffering and tragedies – and have wanted desperately to do something. Not just to raise money, but to help parents with young children asking difficult questions about the pictures they see of boys and girls their own age in unimaginable circumstances. But we did not know what we could do.

And then, just five weeks ago, Anne Booth, a picture book author on the Nosy Crow list, sent in a beautiful, careful, succinct text that we read. It made some of us cry with the beauty of the writing and the way it took a story that is already familiar and moving for many of us and cast it in a completely new light. We knew that this could be a book that helps. We matched Anne’s words with the hugely evocative and engaging illustrations of Sam Usher – who had recently visited the Calais ‘Jungle’ camp and met refugees for himself – and we had the book we will publish in just a few days’ time on November 12: Refuge.

Nosy Crow won’t make any money at all from Refuge. By absorbing everything other than our print costs, and through the generosity of all involved in producing, distributing and selling it (the list is on the copyright page of the book), we will be able to give £5 for every copy of this £7.99 book sold to our partner charity, War Child, to help care for Syrian refugee children and their families in camps and host communities in Jordan and Northern Iraq and other children displaced, orphaned and suffering as a result of war too. It’s a small, focussed charity, and they are delighted to be involved.

The Children’s Laureate, Chris Riddell, has called Refuge “an important Christmas book.” He says it is “a book to share with a lump in your throat and an ache in your heart until the beauty and hope of the very last page.”

I agree, and I hope you will too.

Buy Copies here please: http://nosycrow.com/product/refuge/

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books; New Books Published by Hot Key Books - November 2015

C. R. Grey - Flight of the King (Animas) - Hot Key Books (5 Nov. 2015)
When animals and humans unite, amazing things can happen.
Bailey and his group of friends are back Fairmount academy, accompanied by Gwen, the Elder's apprentice. But all is not well. They quickly figure out that evil ruler Viviana has something planned for the day of her grand Progress Fair, and knowing Viviana, it won't be good.

But their plans to stop her are swiftly torn apart. Taleth, the last white tiger and Bailey's only kin, is kidnapped. Bailey and Hal must follow her trail deep into the Dust Plains, but they could never have predicted the danger that they will find there. Meanwhile, Gwen and Phi are on a quest of their own - having been entrusted with finding 'The Instrument of Change', they know their mission is an important one. But could Gwen be more special than she knows? Somehow, although they are separated, the friends must pull together. Because the fate of not just the kingdom, but the Animas bond itself, is in their hands..

Ruth Hatfield - The Colour of Darkness - Hot Key Books (5 Nov. 2015)
A vibrant, powerful follow-up to the electrifying THE BOOK OF STORMS.
Danny O'Neill hasn't had a single good night's sleep in the year since he discovered the book of storms. Exhausted and a social outcast, he wishes only to escape the shadowy figure of Sammael who controls his dreams and nightmares.

Cath Carrera, from the other side of town, dreams of escaping her brutish father and spiteful step-family. So when she meets Barshin, a talking hare who offers her protection from her dad's latest violent rage, she doesn't think twice about going with him. But she didn't expect to find a place like Chromos: a vibrant, addictive dreamland built from her imagination, in all its colours.

In return for his protection, Barshin wants Cath to deliver a message to Danny: he must rescue his cousin Tom from Sammael before it is too late.Together, the three must find a way to stop Sammael before he destroys Tom. But even with the help of talking plants and creatures, and a friendly stag, the journey to Chromos and beyond is a dangerous, near-impossible mission, and Danny and Cath will have to muster every scrap of bravery and ingenuity to have a hope of succeeding. 

Keris Stainton - Lily and the Christmas Wish - Hot Key Books (5 Nov. 2015)
When a town's Christmas wishes get mixed-up, can one little girl and her dog put them right? The little town of Pinewood can't wait for Christmas this year. They're going to celebrate by putting up a giant Christmas tree in the town square, and asking all the townspeople to hang a Christmas wish on its branches. Everyone is feeling very festive, including nine-year-old Lily - although she's not sure she believes in wishes. Then a very strange storm blows in, scattering all the wishes...and Lily wakes up the next morning to a bit of a surprise. Bug, her adorable pug puppy, can talk! It's magic - and a wish come true! But it's not Lily's wish...Lily and her little brother James soon discover that something must have happened during the storm - the town's wishes have been granted, but to all the wrong people! Lily, James and Bug must work out which wish belongs to who, and sort everything out before Christmas Eve - otherwise no one will get what they want for Christmas.

Edward Carey - Lungdon (Iremonger trilogy) - Hot key Books (5 Nov. 2015)
The ghastly climax to the gothic Iremonger trilogy.
The dirt town of Foulsham has been destroyed, its ashes still smoldering. Darkness lies heavily over the city, the sun has not come up for days. Inside the houses throughout the capital, ordinary objects have begun to move. Strange new people run through the darkened streets. There are rumours of a terrible contagion. From the richest mansion to the poorest slum people have disappeared. The police have been instructed to carry arms. And rats, there are rats everywhere.

Someone has stolen a certain plug.
Someone is lighting a certain box of matches.
All will come tumbling down.

The Iremongers have come to London.

Why not subscribe to the Hot Key Books Newsletter: HERE

Jim Carrington - Boy 23 - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Book Review

Boy 23 isn't in My Place any more. He can't see The Screen, he can't hear The Voice. Boy 23 is alone. 

One dark night, Boy 23 is thrown in the back of the van and driven out of My Place - the only home he has ever known. He is abandoned in a forest with a rucksack containing the bare essentials for survival. Before the van drives away, a voice tells him he must run as far as he can. His life depends on it. Boy 23 has never known another human. Boy 23 has never even been outside. So who is he? Why do people want to kill him? And more to the point, who is the voice that wants to save him?

Boy 23 is Jim Carrington's eagerly awaited fourth book to be published by Bloomsbury on the 19th of November 2015. It's another adventure in the young adult world of fiction and my personal favourite, by Jim, to date. You only need to read the synopsis of the book to get your imagination going. It's very intriguing and makes you want to find out why/what happens. 

The basis of this book has been taken from a number of contemporary life stories; one of which turned out to be a hoax. A teenage boy turned up alone in the town of Nuremburg in Germany in 1828 claiming to have been brought up in a dark cell. This story becomes the setting for the book My Place. The start of the story is slow-paced but essential in drawing you into the plot of mystery and intrigue. It's very dark and atmospheric; a fantasy world that might just happen one day. 

Can you be saved from a deadly new disease?

It's a very good opener that leads you into dystopian world featuring a character with unique powers. It's very different in style from my recent reads which is actually really good. The story is told through the three main characters. There's Jesper, aka Boy 23, whose feelings and emotions are played out really well and leave lots of thought provoking questions. There's also Carina, who is very determined and mentally scarred. She has had a disturbing and troubled past which links and weaves the narrative together. The final perspective is the mysterious Mr Blake, who slowly unravels himself along the way and keeps the imagination ticking.

The science fiction twists lift the turn of events and deliver a frenzied action packed story. This will keep you engrossed right until the very end of the book. In fact the more that you read, the faster the pages will turn as you unravel the mysteries. You will find yourself hooked.

The challenges that Boy 23 face are very brutal and leave him alienated. It would be really good to follow up this book with a sequel and to find out Jesper's fate. There are so many unanswered questions left and a fantastic further plot to discover. I'm hoping that this is a possibility.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Interview with Jim Carrington - Boy 23 (Bloomsbury)

I'm really pleased to be sharing with you the following Q&A with Jim Carrington. His latest novel, Boy 23, will be published on the 19th November 2015 by Bloomsbury Children's Books. It is a dystopian novel that has had me thoroughly intrigued. I'm only half way through the book, but I'm really enjoying it. I hope that this interview piques your interest and encourages you to purchase a copy to read.

Tell us a little bit about your latest book Boy 23?

Boy 23 is completely different to anything I've written before.  It's a dystopian story, set in Germany, featuring a character with unique powers and a deadly new disease.  It has a bit of sci-fi in there as well.  It's been described by some as Black Mirror meets the Chaos Walking trilogy.  And seeing as I love both of those, I'm happy to be compared to them.

Is there a message in your book?

Stories are a reflection of the world we live in, so if they don't say something about that world, if they don't contain some kind of message, I think there's a problem.  In Boy 23 I think readers could find messages about religion, about the way that those with power behave, about disease and those that profit from disease through providing vaccines and medicines.  I didn't set out to write a book that sent those messages, they just came from the story I wanted to tell.

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

In the past I've been inspired by things that have happened in real life which I've seen or have happened to me.  Having said that, the idea usually changes quite a lot from the original inspiration.  In the case of Boy 23, though, I was intrigued by a few news stories I read a while ago about 'wild children' who had lived in the forests, away from the rest of society.  One story in particular took my interest - Kaspar Hauser.  He was a boy who turned up in a German town.  He didn't seem to know much about who he was or where he came from.  Eventually he told people his story, that he'd been kept in a dark cell for his whole life, never getting to meet another human being until just before he was left in the forest.  It's a real life story, but nobody knows for sure what had happened to him before he walked into the town.  Some believe he was the rightful prince of Baden, who had been swapped over at birth.  His story gave me inspiration to write Boy 23.

What do you think makes a good story?

I always look for something that flows well, first of all, something which sucks you in from the very first page and then doesn't let you go until the very last page.  Believable characters are also a necessity.  And a plot which is intriguing, something you can't necessarily predict.  I like all kinds of stories and books.  The major turn-offs for me are flowery description which goes on for pages and writers who clearly have a well-thumbed thesaurus at hand and use the longest, most pretentious words they can find.

How many books have you written? Which is your favourite and why?

Boy 23 is my fourth novel.  Before this I'd written Inside My Head, In the Bag and Drive By.  I love each one of them, but at the moment my favourite is Boy 23.  It's the one I've had to put the most research into and it took the longest to write.  I've always loved dystopian stories, so it feels good to have finally written one myself.

Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing/etc come from?

I owe it to my parents I think.  Our house was always filled with books, so it was natural to me to pick them up and start reading.  As for my love of writing, I think it has always been in me.  Apparently when I was three years old I wrote my name backwards on my bedroom wall and I haven't stopped since then (although I usually use a notebook or computer nowadays).  Over the years I've had a go at writing most things - fanzines, newspapers, magazines and now books.  Writing a great sentence gives me such a buzz.  I love being able to conjure up whole worlds just from the contents of my mind.  There isn't a better job, is there?

Do you think that the book cover plays an important part in the buying process? 

A great cover can make me pick up a book and want to read it, make me want to own it and covet it and display it on my shelves.  But it's the words inside that really count.  I might pick up a book with a great cover and start reading it, but if the words aren't right, the cover won't save it.  I think I've been lucky to have some really brilliant covers on my books.  And Boy 23 is the best cover yet, in my opinion.  Hopefully my readers agree that the words live up to the covers.

Are you currently involved in any writing projects that you can tell us about?

I'm very excited about what I'm currently writing.  It's a superhero story with a massive twist - boy gets hit by electrified worm and accidentally clones himself when cutting his nails.  It has the working title of WormBoy!

Do you read much and, if so, who are your favourite authors?

I read loads.  My tastes are fairly varied - I read a mix of adult, YA and children's books.  Right now I'm reading a childrens' book by Jo Nesbo and before that I was reading Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy.  Next up, I plan to read The Rachel Papers by Martin Amis.  My all time favourite book is probably Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse.  I tend to get drawn towards books with anti-heroes, and Billy is the perfect anti-hero.  I plan to write my own story with an anti-hero soon.

What are your thoughts about how to encourage more children/teenagers to read?

It's my opinion that the perfect book is out there for everyone.  Once children find that book, they'll realise the enormous fun that reading can be and they'll be hooked.  Some readers are lucky enough to find their perfect book or genre really early and they never look back.  The challenge is finding the perfect book for each person and that's where parents, school librarians and teachers can come in so useful.  Over the years, I've met some school librarians and teachers who have been brilliant at doing this for their pupils, knowledgeable people who know exactly the right book to interest each child.  They've turned countless non-readers into readers and have enriched their lives immensely.  If I was to give one bit of advice to schools, it would be to employ a really, really good school librarian and to stock their libraries with excellent reading matter.

Website: http://www.jimcarrington.co.uk

Twitter: @JimCarrington1

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Book Picks November 2015

Christopher William Hill - Tales from Schwartzgarten: Marius and the Band of Blood - Published by Orchard Books (5 Nov. 2015)

Meet Marius Myerdorf, the newest recruit of Schwartzgarten's most secret of societies. His is a tale of adventure and abduction, friendship and fearlessness, as The Band of Blood race against time to unmask two of the foulest fiends in the history of the Great City. The deeds are DASTARDLY. The twists are TERRIFYING. And happy endings are NOT always guaranteed. If you prefer CLEAVERS to KITTENS and FIENDS to FAIRIES...then welcome to the gruesomely funny Tales from Schwartzgarten.

Curtis Jobling - Max Helsing and the Thirteenth Curse - Published by Viking (US Publication) (10 Nov. 2015)

Slaying.... and playing. All part of a day's work for Max Helsing.

Descended from a long line of monster hunters, Max Helsing does a pretty good job of being and eighth grader by day and keeping his town safe from demons, ghouls and the occasional mummy by night. That is, until he turns thriteen and discovers he's been cursed by an ancient vampire who wants him dead - at any cost. To save the world - and his life - Max must rely on his wise-cracking best friend, cantankerous monster, computer genius neighbour, and brand-new puppy. He'll need all their help and more to break the Thirteenth Curse!

David Almond & Salvatore Rubbino - Harry Miller's Run - Published by Walker Books (5 Nov. 2015)

A joyful, uplifting story of times gone by from the internationally acclaimed author of Skellig, illustrated in full colour by the award-winning illustrator of A Walk in London. Liam just wants to go out running with his mates - it's not long till the Junior Great North Run, and there's training to be done. But Mam needs him today, to help old Harry clear out his house. Harry knows a thing or two about running. When he was a lad, he says, he ran all the way from Newcastle to South Shields. "But Harry," says Mam, "that's thirteen miles!" Harry grins. "Different times," he says. This is the story of that day: of sweltering heat, clattering boots, briny sea air and the heavenly taste of ice cream; the day when Harry and his pals ran and ran and ran through the blazing sunlight all the way to the sea.

Jim Carrington - Boy 23 - Published by Bloomsbury Children's (19 Nov. 2015)

Boy 23 isn't in My Place any more. He can't see The Screen, he can't hear The Voice. Boy 23 is alone. 

One dark night, Boy 23 is thrown in the back of the van and driven out of My Place - the only home he has ever known. He is abandoned in a forest with a rucksack containing the bare essentials for survival. Before the van drives away, a voice tells him he must run as far as he can. His life depends on it. Boy 23 has never known another human. Boy 23 has never even been outside. So who is he? Why do people want to kill him? And more to the point, who is the voice that wants to save him?

A hugely fast-paced dystopian page-turner which by the end will leave you in a state of shock. For fans of Chaos Walking and Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Middle Grade Children's Book Picks - November 2015 - US Post Two

Juman Malouf - The Trilogy of Two - Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers (November 10, 2015)
Identical twins Sonja and Charlotte are musical prodigies with extraordinary powers. Born on All-Hallows-Eve, the girls could play music before they could walk. They were found one night by Tatty, the Tattooed Lady of the circus, in a pail on her doorstep with only a note and a heart-shaped locket. They’ve been with Tatty ever since, roaming the Outskirts in the circus caravans, moving from place to place.

But lately, curious things have started to happen when they play their instruments. During one of their performances, the girls accidentally levitate their entire audience, drawing too much unwanted attention. Soon, ominous Enforcers come after them, and Charlotte and Sonja must embark on a perilous journey through enchanted lands in hopes of unlocking the secrets of their mysterious past.

Andrea Cremer - The Conjurer's Riddle (The Inventor's Secret)  - Published by Philomel Books (November 3, 2015)
The Revolution is beginning–and Charlotte may be on the wrong side.

In this sequel to The Inventor's Secret, Charlotte and her companions escape the British Empire, but they haven't left danger behind. In fact, if they go against the revolutionaries, they face even greater peril. 

Charlotte leads her group of exiles west, plunging into a wild world of shady merchants and surly rivermen on the way to New Orleans. But as Charlotte learns more about the revolution she has championed, she wonders if she's on the right side after all. Charlotte and her friends get to know the mystical New Orleans bayou and deep into the shadowy tunnels below the city–the den of criminals, assassins and pirates–Charlotte must decide if the revolution's goals justify their means, or if some things, like the lives of her friends, are too sacred to sacrifice.

This alternate-history adventure series asks the questions: What would have happened if America had lost the Revolutionary War? And what would people be willing to do to finally taste freedom?

Anne Nesbet - The Wrinkled Crown - Published by HarperCollins (November 10, 2015)

Fans of Anne Ursu will love Anne Nesbet's tale of music and friendship, set against an age-old war between magic and science.

In the enchanted village of Lourka, almost-twelve-year-old Linny breaks an ancient law. Girls are forbidden to so much as touch the town's namesake musical instrument before their twelfth birthday or risk being spirited away. But Linny can't resist the call to play a lourka, so she builds one herself.

When the punishment strikes her best friend instead, Linny must leave home to try to set things right. With her father's young apprentice, Elias, along for the journey, Linny travels from the magical wrinkled country to the scientific land of the Plain, where she finds herself at the center of a battle between the logical and the magical.

J. Lynn Bailey - Black Five (Black Blood Chronicles) - Published by Poorhouse Publishing (November 17, 2015)

 Seventeen-year-old Penelope Jackson has a seemingly ordinary life until she learns of the bizarre and magical world surrounding her, a world that is nearing extinction because of one man, Vacavious . . . the same man who wants to destroy her. Penn’s adventure begins after a stranger’s death puts her on a collision course with the very person she has been sheltered from her entire life. No one is who they seem to be, including those closest to her.  As powerful forces await the fall of her protective veil on her 18th birthday, Penn prepares to fight against unseen evils before it’s too late. The world of Nighmeriantotte and its people depend on her survival, for she is Sanguine.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Middle Grade Children's Book Picks - November 2015 - US Post One

Tania Del Rio and Will Staehle - Warren the 13th and The All-Seeing Eye - Published by Quirk Books (November 24, 2015)

Meet Warren the 13th, a cursed 12-year-old Victorian bellhop who’s terribly unlucky . . . yet perpetually optimistic, hard-working, and curious. Orphan Warren’s pride and joy is his family’s hotel, but he’s been miserable ever since his evil Aunt Anaconda took over the management. Anaconda believes a mysterious treasure known as the All-Seeing Eye is hidden somewhere on the grounds, and she’ll do anything to find it. If Warren wants to preserve his family’s legacy, he’ll need to find the treasure first—if the hotel’s many strange and wacky guests don’t beat him to it! This middle-grade adventure features gorgeous two-color illustrations on every page and a lavish two-column Victorian design that will pull young readers into a spooky and delightful mystery.

Pintip Dunn - Forget Tomorrow - Published by Entangled: Teen (November 3, 2015)

Imagine a world where your destiny has already been decided...by your futureself.

It's Callie's seventeenth birthday and, like everyone else, she's eagerly awaiting her vision-a memory sent back in time to sculpt each citizen into the person they're meant to be. A world-class swimmer. A renowned scientist.

Or in Callie's case, a criminal.

In her vision, she sees herself murdering her gifted younger sister. Before she can process what it means, Callie is arrested and placed in Limbo-a hellish prison for those destined to break the law. With the help of her childhood crush, Logan, a boy she hasn't spoken to in five years, she escapes.

But on the run from her future, as well as the government, Callie sets in motion a chain of events that she hopes will change her fate. If not, she must figure out how to protect her sister from the biggest threat of all-Callie, herself.

Jodi Lynn Anderson - My Diary from the Edge of the World - Published by Aladdin (November 3, 2015)

Told in diary form by an irresistible heroine, this playful and perceptive novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the May Bird trilogy sparkles with science, myth, magic, and the strange beauty of the everyday marvels we sometimes forget to notice.

Spirited, restless Gracie Lockwood has lived in Cliffden, Maine, her whole life. She’s a typical girl in an atypical world: one where sasquatches helped to win the Civil War, where dragons glide over Route 1 on their way south for the winter (sometimes burning down a T.J. Maxx or an Applebee’s along the way), where giants hide in caves near LA and mermaids hunt along the beaches, and where Dark Clouds come for people when they die.

To Gracie it’s all pretty ho-hum…until a Cloud comes looking for her little brother Sam, turning her small-town life upside down. Determined to protect Sam against all odds, her parents pack the family into a used Winnebago and set out on an epic search for a safe place that most people say doesn’t exist: The Extraordinary World. It’s rumored to lie at the ends of the earth, and no one has ever made it there and lived to tell the tale. To reach it, the Lockwoods will have to learn to believe in each other—and to trust that the world holds more possibilities than they’ve ever imagined.

 

Maile Meloy and Ian Schoenherr - The After-Room (The Apothecary Series) - Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers (November 3, 2015)

It’s 1955, and Benjamin Burrows and Janie Scott are trying to live a safe, normal life in America. It’s not easy, when they have the power to prevent nuclear disaster, and sinister forces are circling. Soon the advice of a mysterious, unscrupulous magician propels Janie and Benjamin into danger, and toward the land of the dead.  
 
Meanwhile, their friend Jin Lo washes up on a remote island where an American spy is stationed, and finds herself on the trail of a deadly threat in China. But she’s on the other side of the world—how can Janie and Benjamin reach her?
 
The triumphant finale in the trilogy that began with Maile Meloy’s bestselling, critically acclaimed The Apothecary, and continued in its captivating sequel, The Apprentices, The After-Room is full of enchantment and heart, with Ian Schoenherr’s stunning illustrations throughout.

Matt Haig Writes Christmas Book - A Boy Called Hope - Illustrated by Chris Mould

Canongate have acquired a splendid new children's book by Matt Haig. A BOY CALLED CHRISTMAS tells the story of the early years of the world's most beloved hero. It is a gripping adventure set in eighteenth century Finland full of elves, reindeer, kidnapping and an eleven-year-old boy called Nikolas who isn't afraid to believe in magic.

'Father Christmas is the original super-hero. And Matt Haig, master of big hearted story-telling, is the perfect writer to bring his early years to life. In the utterly brilliant Chris Mould, Matt has found the perfect creative partner. I can see this book lighting up so many faces young and old this Christmas, and for many Christmases to come.'

A BOY CALLED CHRISTMAS will be published in the UK in hardback on Nov 5th 2015. Canongate have paired Haig with British illustrator Chris Mould who has created over 60 illustrations which help tell this unforgettable story.

About Matt Haig: Suffered a breakdown in his early twenties. After battling depression for a long while he turned to writing. He now believes that reading and writing books saved his life, and believes that 'in a world trying to increasingly isolate us from our environment and our true selves, books are our route to freedom, and to each other'. . His novels include the bestsellers The Last Family in England, The Radleys and The Humans. His books have been translated into 30 languages. All his novels for adults have been optioned for film. He has also written novels for children, including Shadow Forest, To Be A Cat and the new YA novel Echo Boy. His next book is about his experience of depression, called Reasons To Stay Alive.

About Chris Mould: Was born in Bradford and has lived and worked there all his life. He began drawing at a very early age and hasn't stopped since. He trained in Art college for six years altogether starting in Dewsbury College and moving to Leeds, during which time he gained a joint honours degree in Graphic Design and Illustration.