Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Favourite Children's Book Picks - MARCH 2025 UK

 

Jessie Burton - Hidden Treasure - Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books (13 Mar. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1526604569 - Hardback - Age: 8+

For the people who live on the banks of the Thames, the river is a living, breathing thing. It can take your treasures. It can hide your treasures. And, sometimes, it can give them back.

Bo and Billy are two children who have never met. Billy is an orphan. Bo's dad died when she was small and now her brother is off to war. Both children are poor, but they have each found half of a priceless treasure, given up by the river. A treasure which - when the pieces are reunited - holds the power to give back to one of them the most precious thing they have ever lost.

But should the treasure be put back together again? And why has the river given it up now?

For fans of Katherine Rundell and Philip Pullman's The Ruby in the Smoke, Hidden Treasure is a classic in the making, with a rip-roaring plot, spine-tingling twists and an unforgettable cast of characters.

Pádraig Kenny - AFTER - Published by Walker Books (6 Mar. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1529517804 - Paperback - Age: 9+ 

The Last of Us meets Wall-E in this post-apocalyptic tale of family, hope and survival from a multi-award-winning author

Jen and her father are making their way across a deserted world after a technological collapse brought civilization as people knew it to an end. The Flood took out all all technology, but also many people who were connected to a central information hive. Those who are left behind must find each other and build a new life. But Jen's father isn't related to her by blood – he is a human-appearing AI, a glitch in the system, and a secret that must be kept, even from those she wishes she could trust...

Exploring themes of what it means to be human, the value of every individual and where true danger lies – in our technological creations, or the ones who create them – this is a powerful and hopeful dystopian adventure for readers age 9+

Humza Arshad & Henry White, Aleksei Bitskoff (Illustrator) - Little Badman and the Game of Nightmares - Published by Puffin (13 Mar. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0241509302 - Paperback - Age: 7+ 

Virtual reality takes on a new meaning in the next laugh-out-loud Little Badman adventure. Perfect for fans of Tom Gates and Planet Omar.

Humza’s life finally feels . . . normal. Aliens aren’t trying to kill him, zombies aren’t trying to eat him, there are no crazy spy missions on the horizon and certainly no mutant hamsters. So why does he still feel stressed? Enter Aisha Mariam Shah a.k.a the girl Humza is desperate to impress.

To get Aisha’s attention, Humza enters the science fair with his friends Wendy and Umer, and it soon looks like they have a real shot at winning. But Alan, their jealous classmate, has other ideas. He has his eyes on Aisha and the science fair prize too, and he’s determined to halt his nemeses in their tracks.

Using his invention, Alan traps the friends in a simulation. The only way to escape? Through a series of nightmare video game challenges. Luckily Humza is an expert gamer . . . or so he thought. Might teamwork hold the answer this time?

M . A . Willows - The Wolf Hunter and The Snap - Published by Independently published (3 Mar. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8312864045 - Paperback - Age: 12+ 

The Wolf Hunter and The Snap – A Haunting Tale of Survival and Horror

Something is wrong with Oliver.

It started the night he and his friends—Alissa and Tim—broke into The House, a crumbling ruin wrapped in town legend. At first, it was just unease, shadows shifting in the corners of his vision. But then came the hunger. The blackouts. The sensation of something inside him, waiting.

He’s not sick. He’s changing.

As Alissa digs into the town’s history, she discovers records missing, dates erased, people forgotten. And lurking at the edges of it all is Lee Lambert, a man who seems to know exactly what’s happening to Oliver—because it once happened to him. The House wasn’t an accident. It was a trap. A way to continue the cycle.

But Oliver won’t go quietly.

As the transformation tightens its grip, he, Alissa, and Tim must fight to break free before he becomes the next vessel for something ancient and insatiable.

🔪 A gripping blend of psychological horror and supernatural terror, The Wolf Hunter and The Snap is a chilling story of survival, buried trauma, and the monsters that walk among us.

Fans of dark, unsettling horror won’t be able to look away.

The Rise of The Legends by Jake Zortman - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Children's Book Picks March 2024 US

The Rise of The Legends by Jake Zortman - PUBLISHED BY Good Harbor Entertainment (March 19, 2024) - Paperback - Age: 8+ 

Mikaela Kadono is bummed when her parents move the family to a creepy, old, fixer-upper house, leaving behind her friends, school and familiar neighborhood. But things quickly look up when she meets her new neighbor, George, who invites her to join a cool club called Drone Legends. Little does Mikaela know that this will be the first step in a life-changing adventure!

On The Drone Legends very first mission, a nearly tragic accident brings a mysterious, talking AI drone into their lives. But was it really an accident? And who created this drone that seems to be far beyond any available technology? As they search for answers, Mikaela discovers that the old house her parents bought holds a secret - a cryptic message from the past, hidden in riddles and codes. With the help of her new friends, they embark on a quest to solve the mystery, which takes them on a perilous journey from adventure on the high seas to secret tunnels deep beneath the ground.

The team applies science, math, cutting-edge technology and old-fashioned gadgets as they solve the clues and battle a mysterious foe who always seems to be one step ahead. The closer they get to solving the mystery, the more it seems that the messages were left specifically for them. But how would someone living a century earlier know that Mikaela and her friends would even exist? And what role is this strange, intelligent drone playing? Is it a friend, or part of a conspiracy to change the course of history?

It’s a nail-biting adventure full of twists and turns, as Mikaela and her friends race against time to stop an evil plot to take over the world. Are they following their destiny, or are they in over their heads? The fate of world and future of humanity hangs in the balance.

Press Release: Jason Bradbury are Hoverboards the future of a car-free London?

Jason Hoverboard Photo's from Stephen Muchmore (Design Agency) Jason Bradbury wows crowds with his Delorean and Hoverboard in Piccadilly last night | Location: London UK -

Timing was everything, so Jason made sure he was ready for the start of Back To The Future week. The crowds couldn’t get their phones out quick enough to start filming the one-off stunt. Dressed in the iconic Marty McFly attire, needing no help with his Nike Power Laces, Jason jumped on his exact replica of Marty's hoverboard and hovered around Piccadilly Circus asking passers-by "What year is it?”. "Wow, unbelievable stunt anyone would think Marty McFly was in town"  "The attention to detail of the Delorean and Hoverboard were epic" "Anything is possible in the future, all you have to do is believe” "Nothing expresses the magic of Technology more than the Hoverboard" says Jason The large crowd of BTTF fans stared in awe at Jason as he flew passed in the coolest way possible, before disappearing off again. (Probably back to the future). Twitter: @jasonbradbury / @design_agencyuk Hashtags: #jasonbradbury #bttf2015 #bttf #BackToTheFuture

Mr Ripley's Book Review: Twinmaker by Sean Williams - Electric Monkey

                           

Twinmaker is the first instalment in a new trilogy that will definitely have you clambering to read the next book in the series. I have never actually read a book by this author, as a solo writer, only the books that he has collaborated with Garth Nix on. Therefore, I was very interested to read this yellow lump of a book which is over 500 pages long. The intriguing idea and the blurb on back was fascinating to me - I really wanted to see how this book would develop.

After two chapters or so the book, in my opinion, was not going too well. I found it really difficult to connect with the two main female characters. On reflection, I perhaps found them a little too overpowering. However, the further I read through the story the more things dramatically changed. More characters were brought into the mix and the whole story unfolded in an amazing way. It soon became an absolute joy to read. In fact, it got to the point where I could not put this book down. I soon found myself reading late into the night.

This book is set in a futuristic world which is strongly led by technology. It explores the themes of identity and social networking, which are both brought to a whole new level. It could be that this vision actually becomes reality in years to come. The ability to step into a booth and be instantly transported, to anyplace that you desire - even space. This fuels an amazing journey that will have you transported to Sean's imaginary world and all from the comfort of your very own armchair. 

Psychologically you will find it hitting the spot for the YA audience. It asks such questions as: if you were given the chance to change something about yourself, would you? What about if it was morally wrong, would you still do it?  The character, Libby, is determined to give it a try when she gets the following message offering 'improvements". . . . 

You are Special.

           You are Unique.

                 And you have been selected.

                           The method is simple.

                               Improvement is certain.

                                  You can change anything.

At this point, the adventure takes a fast rapid turn of events when Libby's friend, Claire, goes in search for answers. This new direction for the reader means that you will be sucked into a maelstrom and spat straight back out into an amazing futuristic world. You'll find yourself zipping from place to place in your own personal d-mat booth. 

The story for me included everything that you would want and more - it has been very cleverly written and thought out. The identifiable poetry quotations add a fascinating and interesting element to the story. Whilst the complex ideas that have been woven into the fabric of the story add another dimension and texture. The characters soon became engaging, interesting and varied. This book was a fantastic surprise for me - a really cool book and a dream to read. I'm ready to crashland back to reality......

Overall verdict: buy it and try it....

Published by Electric Monkey - UK (7 Nov 2013) ISBN-13: 978-1405264334

Website: http://twinmakerbooks.com/go/

Mr Ripley's Book Preview: Lord R. Benson - iPlot

                                     

When an older married couple inadvertently claim the iPad of a stranger at airport security, its shadowy contents thrusts them into a dizzying world of political corruption, suicide and the attempted assassination of the Australian Prime Minister.

For Londoners Derek and Beth Rosengold, an escape to the beauty of Australia to visit their extended family was to be a well- deserved break. But while passing through security at London Heathrow Airport, their iPad is confused with that of a stranger, altering the course of their trip in an unimaginable way. When they realise they have the wrong iPad, Derek spends the flight trying to access it, discovering that the cryptic device reveals a sinister plot to kill the Australian Prime Minister. Upon arriving in Sydney, their son, with his tech-savvy knowledge, tracks their lost iPad to the political capital of Canberra. After sending a slew of unanswered messages to the other iPad, in a bid to trace its owner, Derek and Beth change their travel plans and embark on a dangerous and intriguing journey that takes them to Canberra.

Meanwhile, Coco Martinez also discovers the device she has is not hers and fears that the compromising information on it could fall into the wrong hands. To her surprise however, she is reunited with her iPad when Derek and Beth arrive. Shortly after the exchange the Rosengold’s discover that the Aussie PM has mysteriously been taken ill, and begin to fear that their efforts have come too late. Unable to trust anyone, they soon find themselves trapped in a landscape of lethal political corruption far removed from their everyday lives.

iPlot is the debut novel by the author Lord R. Benson, an electrifying depiction of two average people thrown headlong into a murder plot exacted on Australia’s first female leader, set largely around the nation’s foremost city of Canberra.

iPlot begins with the pair’s guarded intrigue and quickly displaces them into a well realised and tension-wrought world of murderous political backstabbing, all punctuated by Benson’s creative use of technology and science. Its political backdrop reflects current real-world tensions and disillusionment toward the maligned current Prime Minister, demonstrating an eerily plausible near future. These poignancies run deeper still, as iPlot raises the question of modern society’s dependence on social networking and our complacency with information flow, ultimately leaving us vulnerable.

About the author: Lord R. Benson was a war baby born to parents from Vienna and Warsaw, and since 1981 has been the MD of Eureka Entertainment, a movie distributing company that releases classic films. His most notable achievement with Eureka came in 2004 with ‘The Masters of Cinema Series’, a curated DVD collection of movie greats including Shoah (Lanzmann, 1985), Onibaba (Shindo, 1964), Sunrise (Murnau, 1927), plus many more. This is his first novel.

iPlot by Lord R. Benson (published by Matador 2012) is available in Hardback (RRP £12.99) paperback (RRP £8.99) and ebook (RRP £3.99) online at retailers including Amazon.com and can be ordered from all good bookstores.