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

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

Brandon Sanderson - Starsight - Published by Gollancz (26 Nov. 2019) -ISBN-13: 978-1473217898 - Hardback - Pre-Order Signed Edition

All her life, Spensa has dreamed of becoming a pilot. Of proving she's a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned about her father were crushing. The rumors of his cowardice are true - he deserted his flight during a battle against the Krell. Worse, though, he turned against his team and attacked them. 

Spensa is sure there's more to the story. And she's sure that whatever happened to her father in his starship could happen to her. When she made it outside the protective shell of her planet, she heard the stars - and it was terrifying. What she learned turned her world upside down. Everything Spensa's been taught is a lie. 

But Spensa also learned a few things about herself - and she'll travel to the end of the galaxy to save humankind if she needs to. 

Eoin Colfer - The Fowl Twins (Fowl Twins 1) - Published HarperCollins Children's Books (5 Nov. 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-0008324810 - Hardback

 

Myles and Beckett Fowl are twins but the two boys are wildly different. Beckett is blonde, messy and sulks whenever he has to wear clothes. Myles is impeccably neat, has an IQ of 170, and 3D prints a fresh suit every day – just like his older brother, Artemis Fowl.

A week after their eleventh birthday the twins are left in the care of house security system, NANNI, for a single night. In that time, they befriend a troll on the run from a nefarious nobleman and an interrogating nun both of whom need the magical creature for their own gain . . .

Prepare for an epic adventure in which The Fowl Twins and their new troll friend escape, get shot at, kidnapped, buried, arrested, threatened, killed (temporarily) . . . and discover that the strongest bond in the world is not the one forged by covalent electrons in adjacent atoms, but the one that exists between a pair of twins.

The first book in the blockbusting new series from global bestseller Eoin Colfer.

Meet Eoin Colfer - Book Signings 

Waterstones - Leeds - West Yorkshire

Saturday 23rd November 11:00 - 12:00

Come along on Saturday 23rd November 11.00am-12.00 to meet internationally bestselling author Eoin Colfer! He'll be here to sign copies of his new book The Fowl Twins, the first book in an exciting new series from the Fowl family.

Waterstones - Harrogate - North Yorkshire 
Saturday 23rd November 13:30 - 14:30

Meet award-winning author, Eoin Colfer. Eoin is visiting us to sign his latest book, The Fowl Twins - an Artemis Fowl story.

Katharine Orton - Nevertell - Published by Walker Books (7 Nov. 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1406385182 - Paperback 

A gorgeous, snowy adventure, set in the wilds of Siberia, full of magic and wonder, for junior readers.

A world of magic is only a whisper away…

Born in a Soviet prison camp, Lina has never seen the world outside until the night she escapes with her best friend, Bogdan. As the pair journey across a snowy wilderness, they are pursued by a vengeful sorceress and her pack of shadow wolves. The children will need every ounce of courage - and a whisper of magic - if they are to survive…

How it all started:

Nevertell is a story of friendship, survival, sorcery, and courage. It’s been brewing inside me for years, feeding on everything from family stories and interests to all the books I’ve read and loved, to the very first time I heard the unsettling phrase, ‘history is written by the winners,’ in school.

Nevertell comes out on the 7th of November 2019. It’s aimed at ages 9-12, but really it’s for anyone to read and enjoy. You can pre-order it now. https://www.katharineorton.com/books

A. J . Hartley - The Mirroculist Mission (Beyond the Mirror) - Published by UCLan Publishing (4 Nov. 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1912979028 - Paperback 

Eleven-year-old Darwen Arkwright's ordinary life changed forever when he was given a magical mirror, a portal to the wonderful world of Silbrica. Darwen defeated the terrible monsters released from the mirror once. Now, an even more terrifying beast has escaped through the mirror. Darwen and his friends, Rik and Alexandra, must journey to Costa Rica to save the world from a giant tentacled creature that leaves destruction in its wake. This time, old allies can't be trusted, and the danger runs deeper than Darwen could have ever imagined. The problem with doors is that they open both ways. There are monsters inside, and some of them are trying to get out ...

UCLan Publishing is a not-for-profit, independent, trade children’s publisher based at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston. We are unique in our innovative approach to publishing, combining the best in publishing education with exciting live projects. Website:https://uclanpublishing.com

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books: US Children's/Teens - Books Picks - November 2019

Ryan Calejo  - Charlie Hernández & the Castle of Bones  - Published by  Aladdin (November 12, 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1534426610 - Hardback - Age 10+

Picks 
Inspired by Hispanic folklore, legends, and myths from the Iberian Peninsula and Central and South America, this bold sequel to Charlie Hernández & the League of Shadows, which Booklist called “a perfect pick for kids who love Rick Riordan” in a starred review, follows Charlie as he continues on his quest to embrace his morphling identity. 

Charlie Hernandez still likes to think of himself as a normal kid. But what’s normal about being a demon-slaying preteen with an encyclopedic knowledge of Hispanic and Latino mythology who can partially manifest nearly any animal trait found in nature? Well, not much. But, Charlie believes he can get used to this new “normal,” because being able to sprout wings or morph fins is pretty cool.

But there is a downside: it means having to constantly watch his back for La Mano Peluda’s sinister schemes. And when the leader of La Liga, the Witch Queen Jo herself, is suddenly kidnapped, Charlie’s sure they’re at it again.

Determined to save the queen and keep La Liga’s alliances intact, Charlie and his good friend Violet Rey embark on a perilous journey to track down her captors. As Charlie and Violet are drawn deeper into a world of monstruos and magia they are soon left with more questions than answers—like, why do they keep hearing rumors of dead men walking, and why is Charlie suddenly having visions of an ancient evil: a necromancer priest who’s been dead for more than five centuries?

Charlie’s abuela once told him that when dead men walk, the living run in fear. And Charlie’s about to learn the truth of that—the hard way.

Maggie Stiefvater - Call Down the Hawk (The Dreamer Trilogy, Book 1) - Published by Scholastic Press (November 5, 2019) -  ISBN-13: 978-1338188325 - Hardback - Age: 12+

The dreamers walk among us . . . and so do the dreamed. Those who dream cannot stop dreaming – they can only try to control it. Those who are dreamed cannot have their own lives – they will sleep forever if their dreamers die.

And then there are those who are drawn to the dreamers. To use them. To trap them. To kill them before their dreams destroy us all.

Ronan Lynch is a dreamer. He can pull both curiosities and catastrophes out of his dreams and into his compromised reality.

Jordan Hennessy is a thief. The closer she comes to the dream object she is after, the more inextricably she becomes tied to it. 

Carmen Farooq-Lane is a hunter. Her brother was a dreamer . . . and a killer. She has seen what dreaming can do to a person. And she has seen the damage that dreamers can do. But that is nothing compared to the destruction that is about to be unleashed. . . 

Denis Markell - The Ghost in Apartment 2R - Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers (November 12, 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-0525645719 - Hardback - Age: 10+

What if there was a ghost in your brother's room? 
This kid-friendly mystery about three friends who try to help a restless spirit find peace is perfect for fans of Under the Egg and The Book Scavenger.

It stinks that Danny's older brother moved out and went to college. But you know what's worse? He left behind an angry ghost in his room!

With the help of his friends Nat and Gus, Danny interviews everyone in his Brooklyn neighborhood to find out about spirits. Is it an Arabian ghoul? A Korean gwishin? A Polish haunting? Maybe the answer lies with Danny's own bubbe and her tales of a dybbuk, a Jewish mythological ghost. Regardless of its origins, what does the spirit truly want? And can Danny manage to bring the phantom to rest?

Jeremiah Franklin - Dark Tomorrow II: Cult of the Crow - Published by Month9Books, LLC (November 12, 2019) - ISBN-13: 978-1948671958 - Paperback - Age: 10+

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.

Dark Tomorrow II: Cult of the Crow is an action-packed dystopian novel for fans of Netflix's The Society, CW's The 100, and How it Ends.