The Best Children's Book Picks JAN 2025 - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Penny Boxall - Letty and the Mystery of the Golden Thread - Published by Puffin (30 Jan. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0241657447 - Paperback - Age: 8+

Anybody who found themselves in the rigging of the good ship Lotus very early that morning would have seen an unusual sight: a shy, plump girl with a magpie fidgeting on her shoulder, holding in her hand a glinting coin…

We begin in LONDON, 1774.

Twelve-year-old Lettice Breech is excited to visit Europe with her Pa, who is eternally fascinated by ancient objects. Together they’re going to admire breathtaking French art, astounding Roman ruins, and spectacular Greek carvings.

But their plans are dashed when part of a famous statue is exposed as a forgery, and Pa is thrown in gaol for the crime.

Susan Brownrigg (Author), Jenny Czerwonka (Illustrator) - Wrong Tracks - UCLan Publishing (9 Jan. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1916747340 - Paperback - Age: 8+

Who is sabotaging the Rainhill Trials?

It is 1829. Everyone is talking about the exciting new rail ways and young Edward Entwistle cannot believe his good fortune: a chance encounter sees him offered a job at the Stephensons’ Steam Locomotive Manufactory.

The Stephensons are preparing for an important competition – The Rainhill Trials. A race of innovation and daring which will award the winner a contract to run the new Liverpool & Manchester Rail Way. Edward must protect the father and son inventors’ latest creation – their precious Premium Engine – but strange and dangerous accidents keep stalling construction.

Edward and his new loco-mad friend Prudence soon realise someone is trying to scupper the Stephensons’ chances. It is up to the friends to spot sabotage and chase down spies in a thrilling race against the clock.

Inspired by the Rainhill Trials.

Jo Todd-Stanton - The Comet - Published by Flying Eye Books (2 Jan. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1838741242 - Paperback - Age: 4+ (Picture Book) 

When Nyla has to leave her home in the countryside to start life again in the city, all she can think about is everything she misses from before. So when a comet comes crashing through the city streets and starts to glow and grow, Nyla can’t resist a chance to head somewhere that feels closer to what she had before … but what starts as an escape could be just the thing to make her finally feel at home. From the award-winning Joe Todd-Stanton, comes an exquisite and heartfelt picture book touching on the bewildering experience of moving house. This beautiful story explores how this can affect a child's sense of belonging, but also how it can open them up to new and wonderful experiences.

Alice Nuttall - The Zombie Project - Published by Chicken House (2 Jan. 2025) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915947345 - Paperback - Age: 9+ 

The action-packed and horrorful zombie adventure from debut author Alice Nuttall, with an original environmental twist . . .

In a world without bees, death-flies are needed to grow food. But death-flies need bodies – lots of them. And bodies mean zombies.
Merian understands this, but others are afraid. Can one girl prove that zombies are the future?

• The action-packed debut novel of MSLexia Children’s and YA 2023 winner, Alice Nuttall.
• An original idea that turns the usual zombie story on its head – save the zombies, don’t kill them!
• With environmental themes packaged alongside age-appropriate horror and scares.

Read Extract HERE

P. G. Bell - The Train to Impossible Places - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books Review

The Train to Impossible Places is a fast-paced adventure starring 12-year-old Suzy, a science-loving realist who wakes one night to find a grumpy troll building a railway track through her hallway. Moments later the Impossible Postal Express, in all its physics-bending glory, thunders into the hall. Of course, Suzy has to jump aboard! She becomes a postie charged with delivering a package to the sinister Lady Crepuscular of The Obsidian Tower. Of course, the package is cursed. And of course, the fate of the Union of Impossible Places depends on Suzy. And so a magical fantasy adventure begins for Suzy...and all in her second best pair of PJs. 

The Train to Impossible Places is the debut middle-grade book by P.G. Bell. It will arrive into the impossible world and beyond with full steam ahead on the 4th October 2018. It is being published by Usborne Publishing (UK) in a brilliant hardback format. The book has been lovingly decorated with illustrations by the talented Flavia Sorrentino. It's an actual marvel, you only need to look at the dust jacket for it to get your attention. However, take a moment to also remove the dust jacket and marvel at the amazing piece of artwork underneath - it just needs to be seen and admired.

The book started as a bedtime story for Peter’s young son, who demanded ‘another amazing story’ the night after they’d finished reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Inspired by that story, The Train to Impossible Places grew into this epic story that will be loved by many people for many years to come. It's a story packed full of imagination that will instantly transport any reader into the fantastic plot. 

It's a beautiful engineered story full of whimsical characters and industrious landscapes that would not be out of place on the set of a magical film. The start of the book for me was slow going, just like the train, but it soon gathered pace until I was hanging on by my fantasy fingertips for the next page. You will hurtle through explosive amounts of action and arrive with brilliant bouts of humour. I especially loved the scene with the underwater ghost pirates fantasy gold. I think they should have their very own spin-off story. 

The book is littered with little cameo moments that are loaded with irony, just like the rails the Postal Express train runs on. All of these moments turn the narrative into a phantasmagorical dream making this one of the best creative MG fantasy stories for any dreamer, this year. 

It's full of magic, mayhem, mysterious marvelousness and endearing characters. As part of your journey, you will encounter some over-excited retired postal trolls and a frog trapped in a snow globe. You'll battle hard with a sorceress and an army of deadly stone statues. These are just a few of the examples that Suzy Smith (main character) finds herself facing. Written well, rich in detail and full of postal mayhem and exploding bananas, yes you will need to watch out for them all. 

This story once finished will leave you out of breath and will have you hungry for more. It's a surprise package with more to come in the next installment - I literally can't wait! What a brilliant book - it's a family read full of fun, wonder, and pure delight.