ParcelHero - The Decline of the High Street British Book Store

The last chapter for British book stores

2030: Dead End for the High Street 

As UK weekly online shopping reaches £1 Billion, a new report by e-commerce delivery specialists ParcelHero reveals home shopping will wipe out over 50% of town centre stores, and spell the end for the majority of High Street book stores by 2030.

UK shoppers’ weekly online spending has reached £1 Billion a week - an increase of 26.8% on 2015 - and a major new report by e-commerce fulfilment specialists ParcelHero says the death of the High Street as we know it may be far nearer than people think. The report - 2030: The Death of the High Street - reveals that by 2030, just 13 years’ time, the impact of online shopping and home deliveries will mean the majority of Britain’s local and chain book stores, will be a memory.

The report looks in depth at the final chapter for Britain’s High Street book shops, as ParcelHero's Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks MILT, reveals there will be less than 600 book shops remaining in the UK by 2030.

 David Jinks says:

• Remember Borders, Booksetc, Dillons and Ottaker’s? The traditional high street book store industry is collapsing at 2.3% sales decline a year; with just 1,071 retail businesses remaining. 
• Between the beginning of 2005 and the end of 2012 the number of high street bookshops in the UK halved
• We could have reached many bookshops final chapter with just 535 left in our major towns and cities by 2030.
• Independent book shops declined from 1535 in 2008 to 987 in 2013.
• With Amazon Prime members now receiving free Kindle bestsellers in the US, in its new Prime Reading offer, the story of the High Street book store is a long one; but it could be reaching the final chapter.

 The full report is available at https://www.parcelhero.com/blog/news-updates/2030-dead-end-for-the-high-street

Don't miss the fascinating interactive timeline charting the demise of favourite High Street brands at www.parcelhero.com/highstreet

 The reports main author, ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research David Jinks MILT, is available to supply unique written comment or for interview. David is available at david@parcelhero.com or on 07772 055748.

Christopher Edge - The Jamie Drake Equation - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

How amazing would it be to have a dad who's an astronaut? Rocket launches, zero gravity, and flying through space like a superhero! Jamie Drake's dad is orbiting the Earth in the International Space Station and Jamie ought to think it's cool but he just really misses him...Hanging out at his local observatory, Jamie picks up a strange signal on his phone. It looks like alien life is getting closer to home. But space is a dangerous place and when his dad's mission goes wrong, can Jamie prove that he's a hero too? A cosmic adventure for anyone who's ever looked at the stars, from the author of The Many Worlds of Albie Bright. 

As soon as you turn the first page, you will suddenly find yourself being transported into a gravitational time dilation. The real world will slow down, as the fantasy universe kicks in, and powers you on into outer space and beyond. The very first page will hook you into a cracking story about a young boy, called Jamie Drake, and his famous astronaut father, who recently left earth. He is flying through space on a mission to send small probes to the further reaches of space, hoping to find proof of extraterrestrial life, but what will they find?

The book is beautifully written. It fully explores science and scientific elements including the solar system and the possibilities of intelligent life beyond planet earth. It is a great educational ride; it subconsciously makes learning fun, cool and very interesting. Christopher really shows off his passion, once again, by showing readers just how much fun science can be through a good story narrative and mixing it with action adventure and family life.  

Another great element of this story is that it has a historical impact on the world today. With the ever-increasing topics of space travel and life beyond earth, the author asks many questions for the reader to think about and perhaps even discuss in class. Just like the characters in Jamie's school, the children are involved in making models, dressing up as aliens and being involved in a live broadcast to space which is beamed into the school from the International Space Center. All are very uber cool, right?

This story is a cosmic ray of light that will uplift your soul to the nebulae and back. It will take you on the best journey that the imagination has to offer and let you escape into a fantasy world that is filled with reality and fantastic characters that make you feel warm at heart. It is all delivered with a bucketful of heart and snappy middle-grade dialogue throughout. The mystery and a twist will keep the reader on their toes until the very end of the book. 

Chris and the team at Nosy Crow have delivered another award winning performance. It is published in paperback on the 2nd March 2017 and has been wrapped up in another fantastic book cover illustration by Matt Saunders.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Middle Grade Book Picks (9-12yrs) Feb 2017 - UK Published Post One

Maz Evans - Who Let the Gods Out? - Published by Chicken House (2 Feb. 2017)
Elliot's mum is ill and his home is under threat, but a shooting star crashes to earth and changes his life forever. The star is Virgo - a young Zodiac goddess on a mission. But the pair accidentally release Thanatos, a wicked death daemon imprisoned beneath Stonehenge, and must then turn to the old Olympian gods for help. After centuries of cushy retirement on earth, are Zeus and his crew up to the task of saving the world - and solving Elliot's problems too?

Robert J. Harris - Artie Conan Doyle and the Gravediggers' Club - Published by Kelpies (16 Feb. 2017)
One day Arthur Conan Doyle will create the greatest detective of all -- Sherlock Holmes. But right now Artie Conan Doyle is a twelve-year-old Edinburgh schoolboy with a mystery of his own to solve. While sneaking out to explore Greyfriars Kirkyard by night, Artie and his best friend Ham spot a ghostly lady in grey and discover the footprints of a gigantic hound. Could the two mysteries be connected? These strange clues lead them to a series of robberies carried out by the sinister Gravediggers' Club and soon they find themselves pitted against the villainous Colonel Braxton Dash. Will Artie survive his encounters with graveyards and ghosts in the foggy streets of nineteenth century Edinburgh -- or will his first case be his last? 

Robert J. Harris, author of The World's Gone Loki series and William Shakespeare and the Pirate's Fire, brings the young Conan Doyle to life in this ingenious detective story full of twists, turns and clever reveals.

Abi Elphinstone - The Night Spinner (Dreamsnatcher 3) - Published by Simon & Schuster Children's UK (23 Feb. 2017)

Moll Pecksniff and her friends are back for a new adventure as the thrilling trilogy that began with The Dreamsnatcher concludes.

In a ruined monastery in the northern wilderness, a Shadowmask called Wormhook sits in front of a spinning wheel. He is spinning a quilt of darkness known as the Veil. A masked figure then carries the Veil across the lands, slipping it through the windows of children’s bedrooms to poison their minds...

Meanwhile deep within Tanglefern Forest, Moll and her wildcat, Gryff, are waiting for a sign from the Old Magic before they continue their quest to find the last Amulet of Truth and free their world from the Shadowmasks’ terrible magic.
 
Still missing fellow Tribe member, Alfie, and armed only with a mysterious set of clues, Moll sets out on an adventure across the northern wilderness with Gryff and her friend Siddy at her side. They must brave the Lost Isles, scale the Barbed Peaks and face witches, goblins and giants who lurk at every turn . . . while the Shadowmasks draw ever closer.
 
Can Moll, Siddy and Gryff find the friend they think they have lost? And do the Tribe have what it takes to defeat the Dark magic once and for all?

Garth Nix - Frogkisser - Published by Piccadilly Press (28 Feb. 2017)

Garth Nix is on hilarious form as he spins his very own fairy tale, featuring Princess Anya, who, with her loyal dog, must embark on a terribly important (capital Q) Quest to acquire the ingredients for a reversal lip balm, the vital item needed to change a frog back to a prince . . . oh, and save her kingdom from her villainous step(step)father. 

A brilliantly funny take on fairytales and quests for younger readers.

Kenneth Oppel - Every Hidden Thing - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Deep in the Badlands, embedded in rock and sand, lies the skeleton of a massive dinosaur, larger than anything the world has ever seen.

For Samuel Bolt it's the dinosaur that could put him and his father into the history books. But Samuel and his father aren't the only ones on the trail. Rachel Cartland is dreading a future of housewifery or spinsterhood. But the Rex could be her ticket to finally explore her love of science and adventure.

Samuel and Rachel are pushed closer together as their paths cross and the rivalry between their fathers becomes more intense. And with both after the same prize, any romance seems destined to fail. Can they find the skeleton-and with it a new life together-or will the rivalry tear them apart?

What would it be like to be the first person to dig up a massive dinosaur bone? One of the first recorded fossil finds was here in England in 1676. According to the history books, a huge thigh bone (femur) was found by Reverend Plot. It was thought that the bone belonged to a "giant," but was probably from a dinosaur. Kenneth Oppel uses this as a basis for his story which takes us on a fantastic ride. With his wild imagination, he writes a brilliant story that will take the reader back in time to the 1800's - a period of discovery within the ever-evolving America landscape. 

The idea for this book really hooked me; it really is a ground-breaking beast of an idea. I was gripped with the narrative from the very first page. The american cultural perspective from that time captivated me until the very end of the book. You will be pulled along by a seductive charm of the characters, setting and the time period. The story will whip up a sand storm of fantasy and magic that will run away with your imagination. 

Every Hidden Thing really sums up the story of adventure and the pioneering discovery of evolution in more ways than one. It takes a good look at people around that time and explores the plight of the native American Indian which will draw you into the world of action, adventure and pure escapism. The author has obviously done a lot of research into the history at this time, which has really given an element of authenticity to the plot and helped with the fantasy realism which, in my opinion, makes it really enjoyable. 

Wild wild west takes a head-on collision with palaeontology is the best way to describe this novel. It is a race against time to uncover the biggest discovery and name a new species of prehistoric dinosaur. This is a KING REX like no other. 

Running alongside the action-adventure narrative, there is an undercurrent of romance and forbidden young love. Samuel and Rachel find it very hard going when their fathers bitter rivalry comes to ahead. However, this drives the characters together to become romantically involved. I'm not really keen on this aspect, but I am interested to know what you all think. 

Oppel has expertly tied together a number of strong themes including: rivalry, danger, and a strong bitter competition that drives the characters to make some bad decisions. It is a fantastically paced and harrowing story that should be read as well as loved in so many ways. 

Published by: David Fickling Books

ISBN: 9781910989579

Format: Hardback

Available: 02 March 2017 - Pre-order now

Price : £10.99

Thomas E Schuster - Sale of Alice in Wonderland Collection at Mallams Oxford 2017

ONE OF THE LARGEST COLLECTIONS OF
ALICE IN WONDERLAND BOOKS AND MEMORABILIA GOES ON SALE WITH MALLAMS IN OXFORD ON FEBRUARY 8^TH

TREASURE TROVE OF 3,000 ALICE IN WONDERLAND ITEMS COLLECTED BY THOMAS & ALICE SCHUSTER OVER A 25 YEARS

A remarkable collection of Alice in Wonderland books and memorabilia, among the largest in the world, goes on sale with Mallams auctioneers in Oxford next month. The ‘Oxford Authors Sale’ at Mallams on February 8 includes more than 3,000 Alice items acquired across a 25-year collecting odyssey by the late Thomas Schuster and his wife Greta.

Thomas E Schuster, who died in 2013, aged 76, was an international antiquarian books and prints dealer based in Maddox Street in Mayfair, London. His interest in English children’s literature was first ignited by a client in Japan and he became a recognised expert in the works of Kate Greenaway, Beatrix Potter and the Enid Blyton character ‘Noddy’. He published the Kate Greenaway catalogue raisonne in 1986.

But it was the Victorian writer, photographer and mathematician Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, who proved a lasting passion for both Thomas Schuster and his wife. Buying at auction, at antique fairs at home and abroad, and through specialist dealers, Alice in Wonderland was the couple’s shared hobby for more than a quarter century.

Highlights from the massive collection (to be sold in 360 lots) have been exhibited publicly on two previous occasions: at the Schuster gallery in the late 1990s and at the Tate Modern Liverpool in 2012, as part of an Alice in Wonderland exhibition that later moved to Italy and Germany. However, Mallams’ sale will provide the first opportunity to view the collection in its entirety - the myriad books, porcelain, artwork, posters, toys, dolls and ephemera that have surrounded the cult of Alice since the earliest years. They range from the rare and academically important to the downright bizarre. 

Greta Schuster and son Chris have chosen to sell the collection in Oxford for its intimate associations with the Alice story. It was famously during a boat trip on the Thames in 1862 that Christ Church College don Charles Dodgson first entertained the 10-year-old Alice Liddell and her sisters with the tale of a girl who fell down a rabbit hole into a world called Wonderland.

Commenting on the reason for creating the collection Mrs Schuster said: “What attracted my husband and I to the work of Charles Dodgson is the sheer magic of the stories and the extraordinary intelligence behind them. He created a world of great imagination which we found bewitching. If he had been alive today we would have been the best of friends, as he became one of our best friends through many happy years of collecting his works." 

Dodgson was persuaded to write down the story, with the book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland first published in 1865. Every year Oxford celebrates all thing's Alice, with the annual Alice's Day celebrations scheduled this year for July 1.

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

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Young Adult Book Picks January 2017 - US Published Post

Amanda Hocking - Freeks: A Novel - Published by St. Martin's Griffin (January 3, 2017)

Step into a wondrously strange new world with this dazzling new standalone novel by Amanda Hocking, New York Times bestselling author of The Kanin Chronicles! 

Mara has become used to the extraordinary. Roaming from place to place with Gideon Davorin’s Traveling Carnival, she longs for an ordinary life where no one has the ability to levitate or predict the future. 

She gets her chance when the struggling sideshow sets up camp in the small town of Caudry, and she meets a gorgeous local guy named Gabe. But before long, Mara realizes there’s a dark presence lurking in the town that’s threatening the lives of her friends. She has seven days to take control of a power she didn’t know she had in order to save everyone she cares about―and change the future forever. 

In the pages of Freeks, Amanda Hocking once again proves her ability to create amazing characters and enchanting worlds that will capture your imagination and never let go.

Stephanie Garber - Caraval - Published by Flatiron Books (January 31, 2017)

Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world . . . 

Welcome, welcome to Caraval―Stephanie Garber’s sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangerous intrigue of a legendary game.

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

Veronica Roth - Carve the Mark - Published by Katherine Tegen Books (January 17, 2017)

Fans of Star Wars and Divergent will revel in internationally bestselling author Veronica Roth’s stunning new science-fiction fantasy series.

On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favored by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not—their gifts make them vulnerable to others’ control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world?

Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power—something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.

Akos is from the peace-loving nation of Thuvhe, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Though protected by his unusual currentgift, once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive—no matter what the cost. When Akos is thrust into Cyra’s world, the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. They must decide to help each other to survive—or to destroy one another.

Alexandra Bracken - Wayfarer (Passenger) - Published by Disney-Hyperion (January 3, 2017)

I've been orphaned by my time.

The timeline has changed.

My future is gone.

Etta Spencer didn't know she was a traveler until the day she emerged both miles and years from her home. Now, robbed of the powerful object that was her only hope of saving her mother, Etta finds herself stranded once more, cut off from Nicholas-the eighteenth century privateer she loves-and her natural time.

When Etta inadvertently stumbles into the heart of the Thorns, the renegade travelers who stole the astrolabe from her, she vows to finish what she started and destroy the astrolabe once and for all. Instead, she's blindsided by a bombshell revelation from their leader, Henry Hemlock: he is her father. Suddenly questioning everything she's been fighting for, Etta must choose a path, one that could transform her future.

Still devastated by Etta's disappearance, Nicholas has enlisted the unlikely help of Sophia Ironwood and a cheeky mercenary-for-hire to track both her and the missing astrolabe down. But as the tremors of change to the timeline grow stronger and the stakes for recovering the astrolabe mount, they discover an ancient power far more frightening than the rival travelers currently locked in a battle for control. . . a power that threatens to eradicate the timeline altogether.

School Wars Blog Tour - St Grizzle's vs Beaky Malone + Karen McCombie and Becka Moor

St Grizzle's School For Girls, Goats and Random Boys Blog Tour

I am delighted to welcome you to the penultimate Stripes School Wars Blog Tour. As part of Team Grizzle, I have a tempting post from the illustrator, Becka Moor about producing the final character illustrtaions for the book.

To find out more about the illustrator and the author look at their website and follow them on #StGrizzles. You can join in with the rest of the #SchoolWars blog tour for more fantastic guest posts.

How you developed your character illustrations

I was first given some character descriptions from Karen, the author. I did a few sample doodles of a couple of the characters and tweaked them until they were just right and everyone was happy with them. I then drew a whole cast line up of the main characters next to each other to see how they might work together. St Grizzles is a really fun concept and story so I just tried my best to make the characters as exciting and interesting as possible.

 

Becka has very kindly sent a range of bookcover concepts in the lead up to the final draft and edition that was published.

Many thanks to Becka Moor for sending the above illustrations and information about her work for this book. 

Becka Moor is an Illustrator & Storyteller from Manchester. 

She studied Illustration for Children's Publishing at Glyndwr university, graduating in 2012. She has since gone on to work on a lot of really fun projects including her first fiction book, Violet and the Pearl of the Orient (Harriet Whitehorn, Simon & Schuster) which was shortlisted for the Waterstones book awards in 2015.

Other projects include The Royal Babysitters (Clementine Beauvais, Bloomsbury) which was shortisted in 2014 for the first Sainsburys book awards, The Wigglesbottom Primary series (Pamela Butchart, Nosy Crow) and her first UK picture book as illustrator, The Three Ninja Pigs (David Bedford, Simon & Schuster.)

Jack Cheng - See You in the Cosmos - Book Review (Puffin 2 Mar. 2017) Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

A space-obsessed boy and his dog, Carl Sagan, take a journey toward family, love, hope, and awe in this funny and moving novel for fans of Counting by 7s and Walk Two Moons.

11-year-old Alex Petroski loves space and rockets, his mom, his brother, and his dog Carl Sagan - named for his hero, the real-life astronomer. All he wants is to launch his golden iPod into space the way Carl Sagan (the man, not the dog) launched his Golden Record on the Voyager spacecraft in 1977. From Colorado to New Mexico, Las Vegas to L.A., Alex records a journey on his iPod to show other lifeforms what life on earth, his earth, is like. But his destination keeps changing. And the funny, lost, remarkable people he meets along the way can only partially prepare him for the secrets he'll uncover - from the truth about his long-dead dad to the fact that, for a kid with a troubled mom and a mostly not-around brother, he has way more family than he ever knew.

See You in the Cosmos is the first book to be published by the outstanding new talent, Jack Cheng. The novel will be jointly published by Puffin Books, here in the UK, and Dial Books for Young Readers in the US. It's a fantastic story that will make its maiden voyage into the cosmos on a golden iPod and beyond from early March 2017. 

The skies will certainly move and the stars will shine brightly with every page turned. It's an uplifting and poignant story which is told with passion. It has been written from deep within the author's heart. As you skip your way through the book, following 11-year-old Alex Petroski (space obsessed boy) through a moving landscape of emotions, his distinctive voice will pull you through a turbulent narrative that is one of the best that I have read for some time. Other people will make comparisons to other books but, in my opinion, that is not really fair. This book and its plot is a unique reading gem and one that I would definitely recommend for you to read. 

When I received this book for review, I initially had my doubts about it. I loved the book cover but the synopsis did not really grab me. It was only when I opened the first page that I became hooked by the internal voice from the main character; it's brilliant, compelling and very special. Alex records everything and the story plays out through a sequence of recordings from his golden iPod. He records the story of how he travels to New Mexico, to a rocket festival, with his best friend, Carl Sagan (his dog), who was named after his hero the American Astronomer. The ongoing transcript of Alex's iPod is brilliant and a really quirky way of telling the story. 

It is a very moving and powerful story. Alex finds out that a man, with the same name and birthday as his dead father, has an address in Las Vegas. From this point forward, the story will move you incredibly as you laugh and cry throughout this amazing journey. One minute you will be flying to Mars on a tank full of LOX immersed in great humour, but then you'll find yourself catapulted onto a rollercoaster full of acronyms and emotions that will hit your senses. It soon brings you crashing back to earth with sadness, a heavy heart and a feeling of emptiness. 

I hope you that you will read this book once it has been published as it will make you look at the world and people around you in a different light. It will pump you full of empathy and humility and should, hopefully, also show you the joy of being alive. It's a fantastically inspiring read that will take you out of the stratosphere and stay in your heart for a very long time. The last time I felt like this was reading 'The Bubble Boy' by Stewart Foster. Fantastic, riveting and I have awarded it five golden stars! 

See You in the Cosmos - SYS! 

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Interview with Author Huw Powell (Spacejackers) The Pirate King (Bloomsbury Kids)

Here we are, as promised, Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books interview with Huw Powell, the author of the Spacejackers trilogy. The Pirate King is the latest, and final, book to be published in the trilogy on the 12th January by Bloomsbury Kids Books. Here is my recent review of The Pirate King if you would like to know more about this book. Welcome, Huw, and thank you for taking the time out to answer some personal questions about your writing career and The Pirate King. 

Here are the questions and answers to the interview. I hope that you enjoy these and that they entice new readers to the series. 

1. The Pirate King is the third and final adventure, what can we expect?
   
   
   Friendship, space pirates and a galaxy load of adventure! Teenage tearaway, Jake Cutler, returns in The Pirate King to search for his father and save his friends. The galaxy is now at war and Jake is right at the heart of it. He needs to lead the independent colonies into battle, but will anyone trust to a spacejacker? Jake has to prove himself as a leader, so he can take down the corrupt Interstellar Government once and for all.
   
   
2. How would you best describe a swashbuckling adventure? 
   Fast and furious, where daring heroes use their courage, wits and sword skills to defeat sinister villains and save the day. Swashbuckling spans several genres, featuring pirates, musketeers, knights and outlaws – with heroes such as The Three Musketeers, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Princess Bride, Robin Hood, Zorro, Blackbeard, Jack Sparrow, Morgan Adams and (of course) Jake Cutler.
   
   
3. How did you feel, when you had written the last word?
   I knew at the time that the writing process wasn’t quite finished, that there would be edits and re-writes, but typing that final full stop was like finally solving a very long and complicated puzzle, or finishing an epic game of chess. It was over, the first draft was complete. I was mentally exhausted, but buzzing from the achievement, as well as relieved to hit the deadline. I remember that there was a strange emptiness in my head, where before there had been a relentless hive of activity and trains of thought spanning three novels. But it didn’t last long – because writers move on; our brains becomes restless and we get itchy fingers. A question suddenly popped into my head: “What’s next?”
   
   
4. Is this really the end? What's next?
   For now, this is the end of Spacejackers, or at least the end of this particular trilogy. However, you never know when adventure might call again for Jake Cutler. It has been a lot of fun writing the three Spacejackers novels, but it’s time for a change. I’m going to work on a few new ideas this year and see where they take me. But who knows, there might be a fourth Spacejackers novel one day.
   
   
5. What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
   Swear words. When you’re a child, there’s nothing more intriguing than a collection of forbidden words. The fact that these words are kept secret from children, that they are reserved for adult use only, makes them as notorious as Lord Voldemort. What really gives swear words power is the reaction of those who hear them. The level of offence and upset that these words can cause made me realise that language must be used with respect.
   
   
6. What dreams have been realised as a result of your writing?
   It’s always special to get published, to see your name in print, to see your ideas on a page, to discover your book on a shelf, to hold it in your hands, to smell its print, to hear the audio book, to download the e-book, to visit schools and speak at literature festivals, to sign copies for excited children, to receive positive reviews and to be short-listed for an award. Writing a trilogy was a massive challenge and a journey of discovery. It’s still hard to believe that all three books are now published. I’ve still got a few more writing dreams to realise, including winning an award, improving sales in the USA and having my books adapted as films.
   
   
7. Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?
   Yes, I started writing a YA novel before Spacejackers, but I stopped half-way through the final chapter. The story is dark and gritty, however it’s not easy to describe and I knew it would struggle to find a mass market, therefore I decided to park that particular manuscript and make my name with a space pirate adventure instead, before taking another look at it.
   
   
8. Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?
   Absolutely. They say that you should not judge a book by its cover, but the cover can help a book to stand out on a crowded shelf. Awards, reviews and recommendations are useful when searching for the best books to read, however a good cover can often tell you everything you need to know. I was adamant that the Spacejackers cover would feature a skull in a space helmet over crossbones, because this would tell readers exactly the sort of book they were buying.
   
   
9. What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?
   For children’s books, it’s important to make things easy for the readers, so they can immerse themselves in the plot and enjoy the experience. Yes, books should challenge your imagination and vocabulary, but not to the extent that readers have to work for every sentence. For me, quirky sentence structures and excessive ‘wow’ words disrupt the narrative flow, which can burst the reading bubble and get in the way of the story. There are other important elements, such as tone, pace, spelling and grammar, as well as avoiding obvious clichés and tropes. But most of all, children’s books should be engaging and exciting (and if possible, fun)! 
   
   
10. You're hosting a literary dinner party, which authors/illustrators would you invite? 
    Everyone has their favourites, however I would include those whose works have touched me the most, as well as those who would make fascinating dinner guests (assuming we can go back in time). My list of children’s authors and illustrators would include JRR Tolkien, Sir Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, JK Rowling, Richard Adams, Douglas Adams, CS Lewis, Roald Dahl, Julia Donaldson, Quentin Blake and Raymond Briggs. I would also have David Baddiel and David Walliams on standby, in case the dinner conversation became too serious.
    
    
11. Anything else you would like to share with us? 
    
    I’ve discovered a lot over the last few years as I’ve written the Spacejackers trilogy. I’ve discovered that the average author earns £11k a year (according to the Society of Authors); that girls read more than boys (according to the Literacy Trust); that reading for pleasure helps children to do better at school (according to the Institute of Education); that school and public librarians are literary saints; that book bloggers are massively important for the industry; that you should trust your agent and publisher; that writing is not a gift, it’s hard work; that commercial novels are less likely to be short-listed for awards; that family time is precious; and that I love writing children’s books!

www.spacejackers.com 

www.facebook.com/spacejackers

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Middle Grade Book Picks (9-12yrs) January 2017 - US Published Post One

Here we have four hand-picked books to munch away for your reading pleasure in January 2017 all published in the US. 

Keir Graff - The Matchstick Castle -  Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers (January 10, 2017)

A wild and whimsical adventure story, perfect for fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library

Brian can think of a few places he'd rather spend his summer than with his aunt and uncle in Boring, Illinois. Jail, for example. Or an earplug factory. Anything would be better than doing summer school on a computer while his scientist dad is stationed at the South Pole.
 
Boring lives up to its name until Brian and his cousin Nora have a fight, get lost, and discover a huge, wooden house in the forest. With balconies, turrets, and windows seemingly stuck on at random, it looks ready to fall over in the next stiff breeze. To the madcap, eccentric family that lives inside, it’s not just a home—it’s a castle. 
 
Suddenly, summer gets a lot more exciting. With their new friends, Brian and Nora tangle with giant wasps, sharp-tusked wild boars, and a crazed bureaucrat intent on bringing the dangerously dilapidated old house down with a wrecking ball.
 
This funny, fantastical story will resonate with any reader who’s ever wished a little adventure would find them.

"For boys and girls alike, this story sings.”—Blue Balliett, award-winning author of Chasing Vermeer 

Dan Gemeinhart - Scar Island - Published by Scholastic Press (January 3, 2017)

Jonathan Grisby is the newest arrival at the Slabhenge Reformatory School for Troubled Boys--an ancient, crumbling fortress of gray stone rising up from the ocean. It is dark, damp, and dismal. And it is just the place Jonathan figures he deserves.

Because Jonathan has done something terrible. And he's willing to accept whatever punishment he has coming.

Just as he's getting used to his new situation, however, a freak accident leaves the troubled boys of Slabhenge without any adult supervision. Suddenly the kids are free, with an entire island to themselves. But freedom brings unexpected danger. And if Jonathan can't come to terms with the sins of his past and lead his new friends to safety... then every boy on the island is doomed.

Dan Gemeinhart's most gripping novel yet, this is a tale of misfits and outcasts at odds and in peril, and a redemption story that shines a light on dark truths to reveal that the strongest prisons of all are the ones we build for ourselves.

Watt Key - Terror at Bottle Creek - Published by Square Fish; Reprint edition (January 10, 2017)

In this gritty, realistic wilderness adventure, thirteen-year-old Cort is caught in a battle against a Gulf Coast hurricane. Cort's father is a local expert on hunting and swamp lore in lower Alabama who has been teaching his son everything he knows. But when a deadly Category 3 storm makes landfall, Cort must unexpectedly put all his skills―and bravery―to the test. One catastrophe seems to lead to another, leaving Cort and two neighbor girls to face the storm as best they can. Amid miles of storm-thrashed wetlands filled with dangerous, desperate wild animals, it's up to Cort to win―or lose―the fight for their lives.

Terror at Bottle Creek by Watt Key is a harrowing survival story set in a gripping, man vs. nature situation.

Holly Goldberg Sloan - Short - Published by Dial Books (January 31, 2017)

In this heartwarming, funny middle-grade novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Counting by 7s, Julia grows into herself while playing a Munchkin in a production of  The Wizard of Oz
 
Julia is very short for her age, but by the end of the summer run of The Wizard of Oz, she'll realize how big she is inside, where it counts. She hasn't ever thought of herself as a performer, but when the wonderful director of Oz casts her as a Munchkin, she begins to see herself in a new way. Julia becomes friendly with the poised and wise Olive--one of the adults with dwarfism who've joined the production's motley crew of Munchkins. With her deeply artistic neighbor, Mrs. Chang, Julia's own sense of self as an artist grows. Soon, she doesn't want to fade into the background--and it's a good thing, because her director has more big plans for Julia!
 
Bubbling over with humor and tenderness, while emphasizing the importance of role models, this is an irresistible story of self-discovery.