Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Jeremy de Quidt - The Wrong Train - Book Review Published by David Fickling

It’s late. Dark. A boy rushes to catch a train, leaping aboard just before it pulls away. Suddenly he realises that it’s the wrong train. He’s annoyed, of course, but not scared.

. . . Yet.

He gets off at the next station, but the platform’s empty, and it doesn’t look like any station he’s seen before. But he’s still not scared.

. . . Yet.

Then a stranger arrives - someone with stories to help pass the time. Only these aren’t any old stories. These are nightmares, and they come with a price to pay.

. . . Scared yet?

You will be.

I'm not a great fan of short stories as I love the journey that you take with a longer read. I like to feel, smell and touch the characters. For me, all of this takes time to build up; the devil is in the detail and to me it's very important in a story. It leaves a really pleasant feeling in my brain which I cannot describe. Maybe I will find a magical book one day with endless pages that keep on turning and being produced each time that I breathe - that would be really cool!

I do, however, love the idea of connecting short stories to a central theme. A platform, pardon the pun, that you can come back to which pulls the narrative together like a steam train and makes a connection. It's a story within a story, shall we say. In this book it's the mystery around an old man on a railway station platform, who is in the middle of nowhere with his scruffy, grey dog called Toby. There is a very spooky side to the old man; it might be the way he looks at the reader without ever really looking at you. He will definitely get inside your head and play with your mind as he starts to wickedly weave his stories that might not just be stories....

You are subtly pulled along in powerful vice-like grip the more that you read this book. The short stories are very dark and have a naive mischievous quality about them. They are very surreal nightmares that giggle through your brain, but they will also suddenly set you on edge and make your spine tingle. At the half way point of the book, there is a short story entitled Babysitting which is fantastic to read. It is immersive, chilling, cleverly written and really enjoyable to read. It will certainly put you on edge and make sure that you never get on the wrong train at night time or get off at the wrong station. 

At the end of the book, there is a real a sting in the tale that you really will love. I will say no more as there are no spoilers to be found here. I love the idea that readers might try to read this book in a similar situation. If not, then maybe you need to try it as this is something that I would have liked to have done. A dark night, in an isolated spot will certainly ramp up the chill factor. However, if you can't do that and IF YOU DARE then read it under the bedcovers by torch light, regardless of age, that should still do it. 

When you do get to read this book, you will also have the privilege of seeing the illustrations. There is one for each story header that has been produced by the talented Dave Shelton. I have not seen these myself, but I am looking forward to seeing them in the finished copy. This is a cracking read; top entertainment and an up and coming Halloween treat... 

Published by : David Fickling Books

ISBN: 978-1910200810

Format: Hardback

Available : 01 September 2016 - Pre-order now

Price : £10.99

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's/Teens UK Book Picks - June 2016 - Post Two

Shirley Hughes - Whistling in the Dark - Published by Walker Books (2 Jun. 2016)

From much-loved author Shirley Hughes comes a compelling World War Two wartime adventure for readers aged 10+ set during the Liverpool Blitz. In the hardship of war, everything is rationed - except true friendship. Joan and best friend Doreen love going to the cinema until the Blitz intensifies and then even that becomes too dangerous, especially when an army deserter is found lurking near their home. Who is he and why does he think Joan can help him? As the Blitz worsens, Joan and her friends make a discovery that will tear the whole community apart. Check out the website for the historical background to the story: www.whistlinginthedarkbook.com.

Justin Fisher - Ned's Circus of Marvels - Published by HarperCollins Children's Books (30 Jun. 2016) 

From exciting debut author, Justin Fisher, comes this rip-roaring, page-turning new magical adventure. Perfect for fans of House of Secrets.

Ned Waddlesworth has always considered his world to be exceptionally ordinary. Until the day he discovers it ISN’T. AT ALL. Because on Ned’s thirteenth birthday he discovers that everything magical he’s ever read about or imagined is REAL.
And without him, the world will soon be engulfed in monstrous beasts and beings.

So with the help of a robot mouse, a girl witch and a flying circus unlike any other, it’s up to Ned to swoop in and save the day!

Roll up, roll up, and prepare to be AMAZED by Ned and the marvellous, magical, monstrous flying circus!

Lauren Wolk - Wolf Hollow - Published by Corgi Childrens (30 Jun. 2016)

Annabelle has lived in Wolf Hollow all her life: a quiet place, still scarred by two world wars. But when cruel, manipulative Betty arrives in town, Annabelle's calm world is shattered, along with everything she's ever known about right and wrong.

When Betty accuses gentle loner Toby - a traumatised ex-soldier - of a terrible act, Annabelle knows he's innocent. Then Betty disappears . . . 

Now Annabelle must protect Toby from the spiralling accusations and hysteria, until she can prove to Wolf Hollow what really happened to Betty.

Powerful, poignant and lyrical, Wolf Hollow is an unforgettable story.

Sofi Croft - Indigo's Dragon (Indigos Dragon 1) - Published by Accent Press Ltd (23 Jun. 2016) - Book Review Here - Guest Post Here 

Fans of How to Train your Dragon, Harry Potter, and Percy Jackson will love the debut novel Indigo's Dragon, a tale of adventure, mystery, and a legendary trip where he encounters a monster or two ...Indigo lives in the Lake District, and spends his time exploring the mountains he loves. An unexpected parcel arrives containing a first aid kit inside his grandfather's satchel. Indigo's curiosity is raised as he looks through his grandfather's notebook to discover drawings of mythical creatures. Strange things begin to happen and Indigo finds himself treating an injured magpie-cat, curing a cockatrice of its death-darting gaze, and defending a dragon. Indigo realises he must uncover the secrets his family have kept hidden, and travels alone to the Polish mountains to search for his grandfather and the truth. Danger looms as events spiral out of control, and Indigo needs to make choices that change him, his world, and his future forever...

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Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Lyn Gardner - Rose Campion and the Stolen Secret - Book Review (Nosy Crow)

Murder, mystery and musical thrills in the shadowy streets of Victorian London in this new series from Lyn Gardner. This is historical fiction with a popular twist: murders and mysteries set in the glitzy world of the Victorian music hall which will appeal to fans of Jacqueline Wilson's Hetty Feather but with added detective drama!Rose was left by her mother at the door of Campion's Palace of Variety and Wonders as a baby. It is her home, and she loves it, but she never stops wondering who she really is. When murder threatens to destroy the music hall, Rose will need all her performance skills to crack the crime and delve into a murky past of blackmail, subterfuge and abduction...

You only need to skip and dance through the first page before you find yourself straight into a dark narrative not for the feint of heart. You'll be ceremoniously whipped into a murderous storm as you visit Easingford Hall. The plot is a dark maelstrom of treachery, seen through even darker eyes than the devil himself, the new Lord of Easingford, Henry Edgar Easingford. He will stop at nothing to claim the title and wealth that he so desires. The Stolen Secret is a cracking start to a new series from the author of the Olivia books and theatre critic from the Guardian. 

This is a brilliant story that you will really struggle to put down. It is complex and cunning like the characters themselves. You will easily take to Rose Campion, as she is very determined, lively and head strong, but she has a heart of solid gold. You first meet Rose escaping from the top floor window of Miss Pecksniff's Academy for Young Ladies. Shinning down the drainpipe, Rose will hurtle you into a non-stop adventure of danger, discovery, a world full of crime, colourful characters and MURDER.

This book reminded me of the fantastic times that I spent reading Julia Golding's Cat Royal series. In my opinion it is equally enchanting and holds many similarities. It's a historical snapshot of Victorian London with a fantastic theatrical flourish that oozes period charm. When a brilliant young actor goes missing, Rose and her friends from the music hall get on the case and try to solve the mystery afoot. The music hall is a fantastic place to visit, it's almost a character in itself. It superglues the narrative to engaging heights resulting in a brilliant and captivating read.

The story is a fantastic and dramatic mystery that will sweep the curtains down on your fantasy feet as you flit along the dark and deadly squalor of Victorian streets. You need to make sure that you do not find yourself being pick-pocketed in the process. It's full of shady villains found lurking down the poverty stricken alleyways. However, some humour can be seen through the horror - it will leave you thinking about the possible outcomes and lighten the intentions for any younger readers. Will Rose Campion and her acting friends get to the final act? Will they fail to work out the solution to the biggest mystery in London? Roll up and find out...

This is another great read from Nosy Crow, a publisher on the rise picking a range of fantastic books and bringing them to the world for readers to enjoy. It is a great start to the series; I will certainly be looking out for the next instalment. Out now.... so what are you waiting for?

Guest Post by M . G. Leonard - Why Beetles? (Beetle Boy)

Why Beetles? 

I spent my young life frightened of creepy-crawlies. My fear has ruined countless picnics, barbeques and showers. And then one day, after getting two degrees and feeling pretty confident in my own cleverness, I was stunned to discovered that I didn’t know what a beetle was. 


I didn’t know that beetles fly, pollinate more plants than bees, control disease, fertilize the soil and are the most essential creature to the health of our planet.

When I discovered that beetles breathe through tiny holes in their exoskeleton called spiracles, I wondered if, on a subconscious level, my fear was routed in the illusion that these creatures appear not to respire? They appear to be dead, then shock the hell out of you by moving. Your brain screams WALKING DEAD! ZOMBIE! And before there’s time to process the information you’re running away, or, if you’re feeling brave, imprisoning the poor unthreatening invertebrate in a glass whilst your heart is hammering in your chest.

I can’t overstate the impact of these revelations. How could I be an educated grown-up and not know what a beetle is? My fear of insects had prevented me from ever looking at them properly, and in turn my ignorance had fueled my fear. I wondered if I could have avoided twenty years of the screaming heebie-jeebies dance if I’d learned more about insects when I was young?

My life has been guided and informed by stories. It is a form of information sharing that has a sustained impact on me. I find it hard to retain facts on their own, but put them in a story and I’ll remember them for the rest of my life. So, I looked to see if there were any good stories about insects, which showed them in an appealing light. Actually, invertebrates get a pretty bad press in fiction and in film. Remember the creepy-crawly scene from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, or the flesh-eating scarabs in The Mummy? The only stories I could find that embraced mini-beasts were Charlottes Web and James and the Giant Peach. 


I wanted Beetle Boy to exist, but the only way that was going to happen was if I wrote it myself. 


We experience the pendulum swing between biophilia and biophobia acutely when we watch a David Attenborough show, but it is there in our everyday lives. I embraced it, and as I did the research for Beetle Boy, I found my fascination with the natural world grew, and my fear reduced.

My fear has now reduced to the degree that a week ago I went to The Bug Farm in Pembrokeshire and let flower beetles crawl up my arm. It was wonderful. So wonderful that I have purchased a pair of rainbow stag beetles, and am eagerly awaiting the arrival of our new family pets. My boys are beside themselves with excitement. No other kids at school have pet beetles.

I won’t pretend I’m not proud of Beetle Boy. I am. This crazy adventure story about a boy and a beetle has changed my life. But I don’t feel the success of the book, which has so far been a bestseller in two countries and is being translated into twenty-seven languages, is down to any cleverness on my part. I feel like the story was waiting for me, under a rock, till I was brave enough to pick it up and confront my fear and ignorance.

‘Bug me! This is as good as it gets! This book will have you scuttling with joy! Beetlelicious, fantastic fun for everyone. I was crawling with joy from every page that I read. Gross, funny and heart warming - a flapping great read, this book has imagination with wings.’ MR RIPLEY’S ENCHANTED BOOKS for more Beetle goodness check out the authors website: http://www.mgleonard.com 
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Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Guest Post - Iris by HP Wood - (Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet)

Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet by H.P. Wood is one of the best adult books that I've read in a very long time. I really would recommend it with my heart. If you would like to read my book review for it, then click the link Here. This guest post, by the author, is a really good insight as to how the book has evolved into the story that you will hopefully read. I hope this post inspires you to pick up a copy and give it a try. 

My book, MAGRUDER’S CURIOSITY CABINET, is set among the sideshow folk of 1900s Coney Island.  Consequently, it features many characters who were considered “oddities” at the time, but who we today would describe as “disabled.”

As someone born into a pretty typical body, I had a lot of thinking and listening and researching to do, in order to create believable characters whose lives were so different from my own.  The seed for all those characters can be traced back to someone I met more than 30 years ago.

I was just a kid—maybe 11 or 12? I’m not even sure now—and I’d gotten the opportunity to volunteer at a Special Olympics event.  (Special Olympics was founded in 1968 to provide athletic opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities.)  Each volunteer was paired with an athlete, and volunteers were charged with helping the athletes make their way from event to event, assisting them in whatever way they might need, and just generally being their buddies and personal cheering section. 

I still remember the pamphlet I filled out in order to volunteer.  So many smiling, joyful faces—people cheering, sharing snacks, putting medals on each other.  And hugging.  Lots and lots of hugging.  

I was the only child of a taciturn New England family.  I was down for some serious hugging.

So when the big day arrived, it was with much eagerness—and stored-up hugs—that I greeted my athlete.  Let’s call her Iris. 

Iris was not at all what I expected.  She was older than me, for one thing, which was not important in-and-of-itself, but the thing was: Iris seemed aware that she was older, in a way that I wasn’t prepared for.  Suddenly this notion of little me as Iris’s “helper” took on a weight I didn’t expect.  I felt embarrassed of myself in a way that I couldn’t begin to understand at the time.

Iris didn’t smile.  She didn’t seem to want to be friends.  And she didn’t want a helper.  

But she had trouble sorting out which event was next.  The little map we’d been given seemed mysterious to her.  Managing her sneakers and sweatshirt and backpack plus a water bottle and that damned map seemed insurmountable.  So she did need me.  But she didn’t want me.  And she sure as hell wasn’t going to hug me.

We trudged from event to event, mostly in awkward silence.  “Do you want to do X,” I would ask.  “Should we go see about Y?”  Iris would shrug and keep walking.  

All around us: cheering, laughing, the occasional skinned knee.  And hugging. Just like the brochure promised: lots and lots of hugging.  But not for me. 

At the end, I returned Iris and her participation medals to her kind-eyed parents.  “Congrats on your medals,” I said with as much enthusiasm as I could fake, “it was great hanging out with you.” 

“Sure,” Iris said down at her sneakers.  And that was it.

For a long time, I kept this story in my mental file of “Life’s Minor Disappointments.”  But decades later, when I started working on MAGRUDER’S, the memory of Iris returned to me.  And I realized that there’s a very different moral to that story than I’d realized when I was young.

Iris didn’t step out of some brochure.  She was a kid like me. In a certain sense, yes, she was unlike me. But she was a complete individual with moods and motivations just as complex as my own.

Maybe it angered her to be led around like a puppy by someone younger than herself.  Maybe she felt—even if she couldn’t express—humiliated or even enraged by the power dynamic between us.  Maybe the whole spectacle offended her: all these neurotypical kids bused in to see how the other half lives, patting each other on the back for being such good little volunteers.  Scooping up un-earned hugs like so many participation medals.

Or maybe the problem was simpler.  Perhaps she wasn’t feeling well that day, maybe she’d argued with her mother.  Heck, what if Iris just didn’t like sports?  I never liked sports—my school’s annual “field day” events were nightmares for me.  So why did I assume Iris liked sports?  

On the other hand, maybe she had a perfectly fine time, and she just wasn’t able to communicate as much.  I believe she let me take her hand at one point. To me, a poor substitute for a hug.  But it could have been the very best she had to offer.

The point is, Iris was a subject—her own subject.   She was not my object.  It was not her job to make me feel good, or to compensate for whatever hug deficit I might have been experiencing.  

Remembering Iris was just the beginning of the work I had to do in order to write MAGRUDER’S.  But holding her in my mind, revisiting those eyes that didn’t owe me a goddamned thing, was definitely the foundation of everything that followed.

To be clear, the disabled characters in my novel aren’t angry, necessarily.  I mean, sometimes they’re angry.  Sometimes they’re happy.  Sometimes they’re scared.  Sometimes they’re in love.  Sometimes they’re a little drunk.  

Just like the rest of us.  

About H.P. Wood: Is the granddaughter of a mad inventor and a sideshow magician. Instead of making things disappear, she makes books of all shapes and sizes. She has written or edited works on an array topics, including the history of the Internet, the future of human rights, and the total awesomeness of playing with sticks. She lives in Connecticut with a charming and patient husband, a daughter from whom she steals all her best ideas, and more cats than is strictly logical. You can find her at hpwood.net.

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Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Teens/Children's Book Picks Published UK - June 2016 - Post One

Jennifer Bell - The Crooked Sixpence (THE UNCOMMONERS) - Published by Corgi Childrens (2 Jun. 2016)

Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems . . . 

When their grandmother Sylvie is rushed to hospital, Ivy Sparrow and her annoying big brother Seb cannot imagine what adventure lies in store. Returning to Sylvie’s house, they find it has been ransacked by unknown intruders – before a mysterious feather scratches an ominous message onto the kitchen wall. A very strange policeman turns up on the scene, determined to apprehend them . . . with a toilet brush. Ivy and Seb make their escape – only to find themselves in a completely uncommon world, where ordinary objects have amazing powers.

The forces of evil are closing in fast, and Ivy and Seb must get to the bottom of a family secret . . . before it’s too late. 

Dive head first into the world of Lundinor in this magical adventure story for anyone with a Hogwarts-shaped hole in their life.

D. D. Everest (Author) James del la Rue (Illustrator) - Archie Greene and the Alchemist's Curse - Published by Faber & Faber (2 Jun. 2016)

Archie's cousin, Thistle, is about to start his apprenticeship at the Museum of Magical Miscellany. But when it comes to his initiation, the firemark that burns into Thistle's hand is a strange one, and Archie and Bramble are given it too. 

The Golden Circle is the mark of an ancient alchemist's club and when Archie and his cousins learn about a curse that threatens their beloved museum, they have no choice but to start their own alchemist's club, and face the darkest kind of magic.

Helen Dennis (Author) Bonnie Kate Wolf (Illustrator) - Zenith (River of Ink 2) - Published by Hodder Children's Books (2 Jun. 2016)

Jed must confront the revelation of his true identity: he is the alchemist Fulcanelli who discovered the elixir of life and used it to become young again. He must take the elixir one more time in order to live for ever. If he doesn't take it he will die. But Jed only has nine months left to take the elixir. And he has absolutely no idea how to make it. 

The challenge is clear. Jed, Kassia and co. must hunt down the secret recipe.Their quest takes them to Prague and then on to Paris - but hot on their heels are NOAH, the secret organisation that will do anything to get their hands on the secret to eternal life. 

Jed has everything to live for. But who can he trust?

The second in an action-packed series full of adventure, this book has an illustrated narrative running through it, helping readers to solve the mystery alongside the characters in the story.

Robin Jarvis - The Power of Dark (The Witching Legacy) - Published by Egmont (30 Jun. 2016) - Book Review Here - Interview Here Check them out.

An enthralling mix of magic and horror – first of a new series from fantasy legend Robin Jarvis. 

Something is brewing in the town of Whitby. To best friends Lil and Verne, it just seems like a particularly bad storm. But Cherry Cerise, the last of the Whitby witches, fears that ancient forces are at work, reviving the curse of a long lost magical artefact.

The legend goes that the Nimius was created by magician Melchior Pyke, with the assistance of a young witch known as Scaur Annie. But they were both betrayed by Pyke’s villainous manservant, Mister Dark, causing a feud that has survived even beyond death.

As Mister Dark, with his horrific winged familiar, arises to mastermind Whitby’s very own apocalypse and take the Nimius for his own evil purposes, can Lil and Verne join with Cherry to quell his plans and save their home?

Guest Post by Sofia Croft - Finding Inspiration, and Dragons, in the Lake District - Indigo's Dragon Blog Tour

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books is very proud to be starting Indigo's Dragon blog tour. Sofi will be calling at some great blogs in the next ten days, so why not check them all out. See the tour banner at the end of this post for more details. This is the first book in the series, which is soon to be published on the 23 June 2016 by Accent Press Ltd.  It is a great dragon adventure story full of mystery; a legendary trip where the main character encounters a monster or two . Check out my book review HERE to find out more. 

We also have a cracking #bookgiveaway pack to win on twitter via @Enchantedbooks. Check it out -it ends midnight on Sunday 19th June 2016. UK only. Give it a RT and mention!  

Here is the post. I hope you enjoy it.....

Finding Inspiration, and Dragons, in the Lake District by Sofi Croft

I didn’t want to be a writer. My mother is a writer and when I was young I remember her spending hours of every day in front of her typewriter lost in an imaginary world. This didn’t appeal to me at all. I was far more interested in living in the real world. I studied science and became an exploration geologist, travelling around the UK, digging big holes to look at the soil and rocks. 

Things changed when, in my thirties, I started a family and moved to the Lake District so we could live amidst the beautiful scenery. I spent a huge amount of time outdoors with my children, wandering the valleys, climbing the fells and splashing in the becks. 

I began to see dragons everywhere. They hide in caves, smoke circling from their nostrils as they sleep. They lurk in plunge pools and dart through the deep dark waters of the lakes. They sit eyeing sheep from the edge of woodland, camouflaged among rocks and mossy mounds. They balance in the tops of the tallest trees and fly through the sunsets and clear starry nights. 

My children asked about the dragons so I told them stories, and once you start telling stories it can be very difficult to stop. Ideas for stories are everywhere in the Lake District; in the landscape, the weather, the wildlife, and the local history and legends. I started carrying a notebook when we went exploring, so I could record some of the things we saw and the stories we told. Very slowly, over the first few years I lived in the Lake District, the thoughts, ideas, pictures and words in my notebooks came together to create Indigo’s Dragon.

One day I realised that, without ever really planning to, I might have written a book. I had an overwhelming urge to move it from my scribbly notebooks to the computer to see if it really was a book, so I pulled out my dilapidated laptop and spent my evenings typing it up. Dragons gathered outside my window, watching from behind the sycamore trees and circling the skies above, wondering why I was spending hours sat at the computer lost in an imaginary world like my mother. 

By the time Indigo’s Dragon was finished I had discovered that I loved writing, with all its ups and downs. I sent Indigo off to a few publishers, out of curiosity more than anything else, and set about writing another book. Six books later and my head is still full of stories I want to write, and each time I venture outside to explore the Lake District I see more dragons, and find more stories. 

Indigo’s Dragon (Indigo’s Dragon #1) by Sofi Croft is a children’s fantasy novel full of adventure, mystery, monsters and dragons.

It is published by AccentYA on 23^rd June

You can find out more about Sofi and her books on her website www.soficroft.com and follow her on twitter: @croftdragon 

Dragon photography by seenicksphotography

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Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Teens/Children's Book Picks US Published - June 2016 - Post Two

Lindsay Ribar - Rocks Fall Everyone Dies - Published by Kathy Dawson Books (June 7, 2016)
A paranormal suspense novel about a boy who can reach inside people and steal their innermost things—fears, memories, scars, even love—and his family's secret ritual that for centuries has kept the cliff above their small town from collapsing.

Aspen Quick has never really worried about how he's affecting people when he steals from them. But this summer he'll discover just how strong the Quick family magic is—and how far they'll go to keep their secrets safe.

With a smart, arrogant protagonist, a sinister family tradition, and an ending you won't see coming, this is a fast-paced, twisty story about power, addiction, and deciding what kind of person you want to be, in a family that has the ability to control everything you are.

Laura Marx Fitzgearld - The Gallery - Published by Dial Books (June 14, 2016)
A riveting historical art mystery for fans of Chasing Vermeer and The Westing Game, set in the Roaring Twenties!
It's 1929, and twelve-year-old Martha has no choice but to work as a maid in the New York City mansion of the wealthy Sewell family. But, despite the Gatsby-like parties and trimmings of success, she suspects something might be deeply wrong in the household—specifically with Rose Sewell, the formerly vivacious lady of the house who now refuses to leave her room. The other servants say Rose is crazy, but scrappy, strong-willed Martha thinks there’s more to the story—and that the paintings in the Sewell’s gallery contain a hidden message detailing the truth. But in a house filled with secrets, nothing is quite what it seems, and no one is who they say. Can Martha follow the clues, decipher the code, and solve the mystery of what’s really going on with Rose Sewell?

Inspired by true events described in a fascinating author’s note, The Gallery is a 1920s caper told with humor and spunk that readers today will love.

Paul Griffin - When Friendship Followed Me Home - Published by Dial Books (June 7, 2016)

A boy’s chance encounter with a scruffy dog leads to an unforgettable friendship in this deeply moving story about life, loss, and the meaning of family

Ben Coffin has never been one for making friends. As a former foster kid, he knows people can up and leave without so much as a goodbye. Ben prefers to spend his time with the characters in his favorite sci-fi books…until he rescues an abandoned mutt from the ally next-door to the Coney Island Library. 

Scruffy little Flip leads Ben to befriend a fellow book-lover named Halley—yes, like the comet—a girl unlike anyone he has ever met. Ben begins thinking of her as “Rainbow Girl” because of her crazy-colored clothes and her laugh, pure magic, the kind that makes you smile away the stormiest day.  

Rainbow Girl convinces Ben to write a novel with her.  But as their story unfolds Ben’s life begins to unravel, and Ben must discover for himself the truth about friendship and the meaning of home. 

Paul Griffin’s breathtaking middle-grade debut will warm your heart as much as it breaks it with a story about two unforgettable kids standing at the crossroads of happiness and loss.  

M . A . Larson - The Shadow Cadets of Pennyroyal Academy - Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers (June 14, 2016)

Perfect for fans of The School for Good and Evil comes the eagerly anticipated follow-up to M. A. Larson's Pennyroyal Academy, hailed by the New York Times as a "breathtakingly exciting novel" with a heroine who "deserves a special place in a new pantheon of capable, feisty and, yes, admirable literary princesses."

A triumphant victory over the witches has proven that Princess Cadet Evie really does belong at Pennyroyal Academy. News of her heroism has traveled far and wide—inspiring a kingdom of grateful citizens and, when the new term starts, a wave of fresh Academy recruits.

While it’s good to be returning to the Academy as a second-class Cadet, things are not as they should be. Evie witnesses the vicious attack of an innocent woman—by a trio of princesses. Pennyroyal’s Headmistress General, Princess Beatrice, is dubious about what Evie saw—princesses are enforcers of truth and justice, not thugs. But Evie isn’t so sure. Then, amidst piles of fan mail, she finds a letter with an ominous threat. A secret society has come out of the shadows with a wicked plan, putting the Academy in peril. It’s up to Evie and her friends to unravel the devious plot and save Pennyroyal Academy.

This sequel to the beloved, critically acclaimed Pennyroyal Academy promises middle-grade readers a tale full of adventure and suspense.

New Survey Launched on Kindness Day Reveals London as the Kindest Region in Britain (Penguin Random House Children’s)

New survey launched on Kindness Day reveals London as the kindest region in Britain

 Friday, 10^th June 2016: A new national survey carried out by YouGov and released today by Penguin Random House Children’s UK and The Diana Award reveals over 63% of Londoners have received a random act of kindness from a stranger over the past 12 months, making it the kindest region in Britain. London, often considered one of the loneliest places to live in the UK, came out on top of other regions in research released today to mark Kindness Day. 

The survey, which was based on a representative sample of 2,060 adults in Great Britain between the ages of 18 and 55, shows that over the last twelve months, receiving a compliment (34%), directions when lost (20%), and strangers listening to problems (16%) were the most popular types of random act of kindness received by British adults.

A 'random act of kindness' was defined as a selfless and spontaneous act which one individual performs to a stranger, with the intention to help them in any way.

Kindness Day, now in its second year, was founded by Penguin Random House Children’s in partnership with The Diana Award in 2015. A nationwide campaign, Kindness Day encourages kindness in schools and was inspired by the internationally bestselling novel WONDER by R. J. Palacio, soon to be released by Lionsgate as a major film in April 2017 starring Julia Roberts. 

Author R. J. Palacio commented: ‘The idea of having one day where everyone can take time to think about kindness and celebrate those who are kind is truly inspiring. Over the last few years I have been blown away by readers’ reactions to WONDER. Auggie’s story has been life-changing, not only for me but for millions of adults and children around the world who understand this really isn’t just a book about a kid with a facial anomaly: it’s a celebration of kindness.’ 

To support Kindness Day, Penguin Random House Children’s and The Diana Award Anti-Bullying Campaign launched a social media campaign kindness trail (#KindnessDay) asking users to vote for

the UK’s kindest person, school and celebrity.  The winners are today announced as: Kindest person: Jackie Costello. Jackie is 48 years old from Hanley in London. Not a day goes by when she doesn’t demonstrate kindness, whether it’s taking elderly and vulnerable people out for the day or inspiring children in schools. 

• Kindest celebrity: Ed Sheeran. In March Ed Sheeran raised money for a number of charities near his hometown by donating his whole wardrobe, including outfits he took to the Grammy Awards, to be sold off for charity.

• Kindest school: Waddington Redwood Primary School in Lincoln. The whole school will be celebrating Kindness Day with various activities, including giving compliments and sending kindness cards.  The school has Diana Award Anti-bullying Ambassadors and playground buddies who support students and encourage kindness all year round.

Alex Holmes, Head of the Anti-Bullying Campaign, commented: ‘Whether you’re in a school, a workplace or out in the street- kindness is something we are all capable of. WONDER is an inspiring book that celebrates kindness and can help us realise that we can all do something to make someone’s day. We’re delighted to be shining a light on individuals and schools with our new Kindness Day Awards.  We hope they inspire everyone to choose kindness.’

The Diana Award has trained over 18,000 young people as Anti-Bullying Ambassadors who each day promote kindness throughout their school.   Supporters of Kindness Day include James McVey from the Vamps, Kodaline, Danny O’Carroll, and Jedward.

WONDER has been published as both an adult and children’s book and has sold in 38 territories across the world. It has sold almost 5 million copies worldwide and continues to be a #1 New York Times bestseller. This week Lionsgate announced the Wonder film will be released on 7^th April 2017, starring Julia Roberts and rising star Jacob Tremblay.

 Hollywood actress Julia Roberts said of the book: ‘I recently read WONDER, a young adult book that blew me away. I bought it for my eldest son, and ended up reading it myself. It gives you such a clear picture of people’s lives and misunderstandings… As a grown-up, I was reminded that there are ten sides to every story. But for a child, especially a boy, it’s nice to see different points of view.’