Guest Post - Sarah Baker - Eloise Undercover - UK Blog (5) Tour - MORSE CODE (Catnip)

ELOISE UNDERCOVER

France, 1944. 12-year-old Eloise’s father has not come home in over a week, and she is getting worried that something might be badly wrong. When the Germans occupy Eloise’s town, and the Nazi Kommandant moves into Maison de la Noyer, things start falling apart. Through a chance meeting, Eloise volunteers to join the Resistance. Suspense, secrecy and danger follow her as, inspired by her favourite detective fiction books, she tries to find her father. A hidden passage behind a tapestry, a deportation list and a race against time... Will Eloise find her father? And what other secrets will she reveal?

Read an extract from the book.

Published by Catnip Paperback, £6.99, 9 + year olds, ISBN: 9781910611135- OUT NOW.

--- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . 

Do you know that this says? 

It says Morse Code! 

(Pinterest photo credit) 


Morse Code is a series of dots and dashes used to send individual letters of the alphabet. If you use it over a short wave radio the long and short tones are referred to as dits and dahs. You could also use a torch!

(link to photo credit): http://histclo.com/essay/war/ww2/code/ei/w2-ei.html 


Morse code was used during WW2 because it was the simplest, most recognizable and understandable signal to send. Online encoding didn’t exist yet, so the safest way of making sure your message was secure was to encrypt it yourself, then send it. Someone at the other end would write down your message, feed it through the same manual decoding system in reverse and… voila! 


Could you be a covert code breaker? 


Here’s an example of a substitution cipher. Each letter of the alphabet has been substituted with a code letter. 

HINT: Sometimes it helps to work on the short words first (notice how NBY is repeated several times!) 


Here’s a question for you written in code. Can you crack it? 
QBUN QUM NBY ZCLMN MUNYFFCNY NI ILVCN NBY YULNB? 


Here’s the alphabet to help you. 
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 

Got it? If so, congrats, you’re on your way to becoming a spy! If not, here’s the key: 


Question: 
QBUN QUM NBY ZCLMN MUNYFFCNY NI ILVCN NBY YULNB? 

Key: 
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 
GHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCDEF 

You can use random orders and patterns, but in this case the alphabet has simply shifted 6 places to the right. 


Question: 
QBUN QUM NBY ZCLMN MUNYFFCNY NI ILVCN 
WHAT WAS THE FIRST SATELLITE TO ORBIT 
NBY YULNB? 
THE EARTH? 

Answer: 
Sputnik 1 


If this was far too easy, try a harder cipher HERE or you can find out how much more you need to learn about being a spy by booking one of my school workshops HERE 



Big thanks to Education.com for the Code Breaker resources.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sarah Baker is a children’s writer based in London. Her previous book, Through the Mirror Door, has been very well received by bloggers, bookshops, and readers. Sarah has worked extensively in film, with roles at Aardman Features, the Bermuda Film Festival and as Story Editor at Celador Films. She writes guest features for a number of online magazines and blogs, including the popular #vintage baker finds pieces for Bristol Vintage. ELOISE UNDERCOVER is Sarah’s second novel.

Find out more at bysarahbaker.com<http://bysarahbaker.com/>  and follow Sarah on Instagram and twitter @bysarahbaker

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

Tom Fletcher (Author) Shane Dervries (Illustrator) The Creakers - Published by Puffin (5 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-0141388762

The darkly magical new story about the monsters under the bed, from bestselling author of The Christmasaurus, Tom Fletcher.

What silently waits in the shadows at night? What's under your bed, keeping just out of sight?

Do you ever hear strange, creaking noises at night? Ever wonder what makes those noises?
Lucy Dungston always did.
Until, one morning, Lucy discovers that all the grown-ups have disappeared - as if into thin air. Chaos descends as the children in Lucy's town run riot. It's mayhem. It's madness. To most kids, it's amazing!
But Lucy wants to find out the truth. Lucy lost her dad not long ago, and she's determined not to lose her mum too. She's going to get her back - and nothing is going to stop her . . .
. . . except maybe the Creakers.

Lauren St John  (Author) Catherine Hyde (Illustrator) - The Snow Angel - Published by Zephyr (5 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1786695895

Lauren St John's stunning Christmas classic is about forgotten children, the power of nature to heal us and a girl who will climb mountains in search for a place to call home. 

Growing up in vibrant, crowded Nairobi, Makena has only one dream: to climb Mount Kenya like her hero, her mountain guide father. But when her beautiful world is shattered, she finds that in the city's dark places there are a thousand ways to fall, each more deadly than any crevasse. In a world of strangers, does she dare trust Snow, whose ballet dreams are haunted by a past she's still running from? And is the sparkling fox friend or foe? 

After a fresh start in the Scottish Highlands turns bad, Makena flees to the mountains. But will they betray her or be the making of her?

Kaye Umansky (Author) Ashley King (Illustrator) Witch for a Week - Published by Simon & Schuster Children's UK (5 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1471160905

When Elsie Pickles offers to house-sit the mysterious home of local witch Magenta Sharp, she has no idea what she's getting herself into. Left with a talking raven and a scruffy dog for company, a magical tower that has a mind of its own and a book of instruction called Everything You Need to Know, what could possibly go wrong?

With an assortment of weird and wonderful neighbours banging at the door and a box of volatile magical ingredients that must be used immediately, Elsie finds out that looking after Magenta's home might not be as easy as she first thought ... does she have what it takes to be a witch for a week or will it all end in a magical disaster? 


A new magical adventure from Kaye Umansky, the bestselling author of the spellbinding children's classic Pongwiffy, brought to life with charming illustrations from rising star Ashley King!

Lisa Lueddecke - A Shiver of Snow and Sky - Published by Scholastic (5 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1407174037

On the frozen island of Skane, the sky speaks. Beautiful lights appear on clear nights, and their colours have meaning: Green means all is well, and the Goddess is happy. Blue means a snow storm is on the way. And then there's red. Red is rare. A warning. Seventeen years ago the sky turned red just as Osa was born, unleashing a plague that claimed the lives of hundreds of villagers, including her own mother. This time, when the night sky once again bleeds crimson, she must discover what it means before so many lives are lost again.

Danny Weston - Scarecrow - Published by Andersen Press (5 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1783445318

 Jack and his dad are runaways. Jack’s father recently turned whistleblower, revealing the truth about the illicit dealings of some powerful people. Realising that he and Jack might be in danger, Dad drives them to a remote shooting lodge in the Scottish Highlands, where they intend to lay low. 

In the cornfield beside the lodge stands a scarecrow. When Jack witnesses something incredible, he begins to realise that it is no ordinary scarecrow – it is alive, hungry and fuelled by rage. And when Dad’s enemies begin to converge on the lodge, the scarecrow might just turn out to be Jack’s best hope of survival.

Jessica Townsend - Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow - Published by Orion Children's Books (12 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1510104112 - (Book Review Here)

Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day of the year, she's blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks - and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday. 

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away to the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

It's then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter wants her to contend for a place in the city's most prestigious organisation: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart - an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests - otherwise she'll have to leave and confront her deadly fate once and for all.

Saviour Pirotta - ANCIENT GREEK MYSTERIES (Q&A) Interview With Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Welcome Saviour to Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books. Thank you for taking the time out to answer some questions about the Ancient Greek Mysteries. The series sounds like a fun and action-packed read that all readers will learn from and enjoy. Here is the first question. 

• For potential readers from this blog, how would you summarise and sell the first book to encourage them to read it? 

MARK OF THE CYCLOPS is a thrilling adventure mystery set in 433BC. Nico is a scribe and his best friend Thrax is a slave who dreams of buying his freedom so he can set off to find his mother. When the two attend a wedding in the city of Corinth, someone smashes one of the precious wedding gifts. A vase. The master of the house blames Gaia, one of the slaves. She insists that a cyclops climbed in through the window and broke the vase. No one believes her but Thrax and Nico set out to find the truth. 

Their investigations pit them against a gang of ruthless criminals who would stop at nothing to conceal the truth. What is the gang up to? Why is it smashing vases all over Corinth, vases that are marked with the face of a cyclops? Will Thrax and Nico find out or will they end up buried alive in one of Corinth’s long-abandoned graveyards?

Book 1, MARK OF THE CYCLOPS was published by Bloomsbury on the 9th March 2017.

•  Tell us more about the encounter you had with a real-life detective twenty-five years ago on the Island of Poros in Greece? How did this shape the book? 

Poros is a small island about ninety minutes away by boat from Athens. It’s the perfect place to plan books and write. The last time I visited, it was out of season. Most of the other travellers on board were Greek. There was only one English guy. He was very tall, with a tattoo of a snake on one side of his shaved head. I nicknamed him Snake, after the main character played by Kurt Russell in Escape from New York. 

We struck up a conversation. It turned out Snake was a detective. He wouldn’t tell me what he was investigating and I couldn’t for the life of me think what a detective would be doing on Poros. It’s a tiny island with only a small town and a handful of shops and cafes. 

During my week there I spotted Snake several times, once on the beach and at least three times guzzling stew in a café. He seemed to be on holiday rather than working. But one morning, I saw him boarding the boat back to Athens. There were two Greek policemen with him, who shook his hand warmly and thumped him on the shoulder before he left. It was obviously a case of mission accomplished. I asked locals if they knew anything about Snake but no one even seemed to be aware there’d been a detective on the island. Or if they did, they were keeping mum about it. The next day I visited the famous temple of Poseidon on Poros. I was researching a non-fiction book about temples in ancient Greece but somehow I couldn’t stop thinking about Snake and the policemen seeing him off on the ferry. Snake became Thrax in my imagination and the Ancient Greek Mysteries were born.

• How are the books being used in schools to support the KS2 curriculum? 

A lot of schools doing Ancient Greece in KS2 are adopting the Ancient Greek Myths as their class read. The stories can be read for pleasure but they also give you tons of facts about how the ancient Greeks lived, not just what they are and wore but also what they felt about major issues like slavery, poverty, freedom of expression, the role of women in society etc.

 I quote from a teacher’s review on Amazon: "Expertly written historical fiction - an engaging narrative with historical accuracy and carefully woven facts. Perfect to support the study of Ancient Greece and perfect for children who enjoy a good read. My son is now hooked, desperately awaiting the next book in the series!" 

From a teaching point of view, books like this are worth their weight in gold, especially with the Primary Curriculum having so many historical drivers and topics and, sadly, very little historical fiction available. 
Bloomsbury have produced teaching notes to go with Mark of the Cyclops which teachers can download HERE!

I also do writing workshops in schools helping children to write their own mystery stories set in the past.

• How have you used research to incorporate facts and information about life in ancient Greece?

One of the reasons I wrote the Ancient Greek Mysteries is because I feel there are a lot of fantasy books based on Greek mythology but not much about what life really was like in Ancient Greece.

I’m obsessed with facts, especially everyday details from ancient history. I’ve always been curious about how people lived in the past, what clothes they wore, what food they ate, what games they played. My aunt used to get me a magazine called Look and Learn which fed my obsession. It had wonderful articles and illustrations. I was always in awe at how the authors could spin an actual incident in history into an exciting story.

The Ancient Greek Mysteries use the same technique. They’re mystery adventure stories but they’re peppered with what I hope is interesting information about Classical Greece. I have a huge non-fiction library which I built up over the years and I mostly use that for research. I have whole books about ancient Greek coins, weapons and food. I actually cooked the food Thrax and Nico eat, to make sure I described it right.

Book 2, SECRET OF THE ORACLE publishes on 5th October.

• How was the collaboration established between you and Freya (illustrator)?

I have no say on who gets to illustrate any of my books. Which is probably a good thing or they’ll all look like the Pauline Bayliss editions of the Narnia books. 

Bloomsbury chose Frey who’d just illustrated The Dragon with the Chocolate Heart. It was the right choice. Freya had really made my version of Ancient Greece come alive. The characters are so close to what I imagined them to be, it’s uncanny. She first drews roughs which Hannah Rolls, my brilliant editor at Bloomsbury, emailed me to make sure we got right. There were little details that had to be tweaked, like the shapes of tombstones, the patterns on vases and styles of haircuts but I was amazed at how accurate her portrayals where. I printed out the final edits when they arrived and hung them up in my office for inspiration. Freya is hard at work on the illustrations for Book 3 at the moment. It’s called Pirates of Poseidon and I’m dying to see what they look like. 

• What is the best question that you've been asked by a child? 

I’ve been asked all sorts of questions over the years. They vary from the sublime, to the incisive, to the downright funny. The most bewildering one came from a Year 2 boy in South Shields a few years ago. Do you have a toilet in your house? I thought that was a pretty odd question, until I discovered that the boy’s grandfather still used an outside toilet in the backyard. Perhaps to the boy I looked as old as his grandpa.


I get asked one question over and over again, and it’s my favourite. How do you become an author? The answer is simple. Write every day. Work on your writing to make it better. Read other people’s work; it will inspire you and give you ideas. And never give up your dream. I had to leave my country of origin to achieve mine. I slept rough in London, lived in freezing squats, cried when I got rejection slips, but it never occurred to me to give up.

• Are you able to give us a sneak preview of one of the illustrations from book 2 prior to its release in October?

Here’s an early rough that Freya did for Secret of the Oracle. The two boys are Thrax and Nico, the main stars of the Ancient Greek Mysteries. The woman is a diviner called Mother Kessandra. She can interpret dreams and tell the future. She receives her clients in a mysterious cave high above the famous oracle in Delphi. It’s a real cave, which is still there to this very day. It cost money to consult the famous oracle so the very poor used to make do with visiting people like Mother Kessandra. 


I think even in this early sketch, Freya managed to capture the eerie atmosphere of the cave. I love the contrast between the light from the fire and the shadows in the background.

• Who would you choose as your four guests for a literary dinner party? 

I had to give that question a lot of thought. I am completely obsessed by the creative process and there are a lot of writers whose brains I would love to pick. In the end I settled on these four. Sadly they’re all dead, so my fantasy literary dinner party will never be anything but a dream. 

Guest of honour would be C.S. Lewis, because he wrote the Narnia books. They blew my mind when I first read them. His house was packed to the rafters with books. A bit like mine, really, so we’d have a lot to talk about.

My second choice would be R.L. Stevenson. I think Treasure Island is the best pirate story ever written and I’d love to find out how he created the character of Long John Silver.

I’d also invite Tove Jannson, creator of the Moomins. Her books are not only entertaining but also deal with some very serious issues, like mental health and artistic freedom.


Last of all I would invite Roald Dahl. He’d probably be vile to the other guests and that would make for a lively evening. Hold on, he’d probably be horrible to me too…

Book 3, PIRATES OF POSEIDON publishes March 2018.

Book 4, REVENGE OF THE CENTAURS publishes October 2018

Check out Saviour Pirotta Website for more details:https://www.spirotta.com

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

Alex Bell (Author), Tomislav Tomic (Illustrator)The Polar Bear Explorers' Club - Published by Faber & Faber (2 Nov. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-0571332540

It sounded like a respectable and worthy enough death for an explorer - tumbling from an ice bridge to be impaled upon a mammoth tusk - but Stella really, really didn't want that to happen, just the same.

Join Stella Starflake Pearl and her three fellow explorers as they trek across the snowy Icelands and come face-to-face with frost fairies, snow queens, outlaw hideouts, unicorns, pygmy dinosaurs and carnivorous cabbages . . . 

When Stella and three other junior explorers get separated from their expedition can they cross the frozen wilderness and live to tell the tale?

Andrew Beasley - Carnival of Monsters (S.C.R.E.A.M #2) - Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd (1 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1474906937

Roll up, roll up if you dare to Doctor Vindicta's carnival! Gasp at the dancing ghosts! Grimace at the creepy clowns! Giggle in the hall of mirrors!

It's all harmless fun and frights... until a young boy disappears. The police believe he's run away, but his sister swears he was snatched by a monster.

Only the cleverest detectives can catch a demon: send for Billy Flint and Charley Steel aka S.C.R.E.A.M. - top-secret investigators of Supernatural Crimes, Rescues, Emergencies And Mysteries.

Kate Saunders - The Land of Neverendings - Published by  Faber & Faber (5 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-0571310845

The cat flap opened. Emily thought a wild animal was coming into the house. But the muddy creature that climbed through had four little wheels and a tail. It spoke in a voice like rough sandpaper. 
'Come on, you two - it's nice and warm in here.'

What if there exists a world powered by imagination?

A world of silliness, where humans and their toys live on long after they've left the Hard World . . . and what if the door between that world and this one was broken?

Welcome to the Land of Neverendings.

Moving, raw and funny in all the right ways, The Land of Neverendings is a rip-roaring adventure, but it also gives an honest portrayal of grief for young readers, and shows us that whilst sadness does exist in the world, it doesn't have to cancel out happiness, or silliness, even when you lose someone you love.

Andy Mulligan - Dog - Published by Pushkin Children's Books (26 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1782691716

 

When Tom gets a puppy called Spider, it changes both their lives. Tom finally has a special friend all of his own - which is just what he needs as he struggles with a difficult new school and trouble at home. And Spider has someone to love him. But the course of their love does not run entirely smoothly, as they embark on a gruelling journey of separation and reunion.

Dog is a book about trust, standing up for yourself, and learning to love. By the award-winning Andy Mulligan, author of the bestselling Trash, it is a story that will delight readers young and old.

Chris Priestley - Curse of the Werewolf Boy (Maudlin Towers) - Published by Bloomsbury Childrens (5 Oct. 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1408873083 - Book Review Here

'We shall be detectives, Sponge!' exclaimed Mildew. 'We shall solve the Mystery of the School Spoon!'

Mildew and Sponge don't think much of Maudlin Towers, the blackened, gloom-laden, gargoyle-infested monstrosity that is their school. But when somebody steals the School Spoon and the teachers threaten to cancel the Christmas holidays until the culprit is found, our heroes must spring into action and solve the crime!

But what starts out as a classic bit of detectivating quickly becomes weirder than they could have imagined. Who is the ghost in the attic? What's their history teacher doing with a time machine? And why do a crazy bunch of Vikings seem to think Mildew is a werewolf?

Hugely funny, deliciously creepy and action-packed by turns, this brand new series from Chris Priestley is perfect for 8+ readers who like their mysteries with a bit of bite. Fans of Lemony Snicket and Chris Riddell will love Curse of the Werewolf Boy.

Jessica Townsend - Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books Review

Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she's blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks - and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday. But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor. It's then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city's most prestigious organisation: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart - an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests - or she'll have to leave the city and confront her deadly fate once and for all.

One of this years most hotly tipped and anticipated children's books, Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow will be zipped on the brolly line and into publication on the 12th October 2017. Published in the UK by Orion Children's Books and later in the US by Little, Brown Book Group on the 31st October 2017. Written by Austrailian author, Jessica Towsend, this story has been ten years in the making. Finally, this book is ready to fledge and fly into the hands of eager readers and dragon riders alike. 

Jessica started to write this ever-changing book in the year that she left High School. Subsequently, she moved to London and found that the story grew into this fantastical adventure. It will spirit you away on a magical journey that is both for the young and old. As soon as you turn the first page, you'll find yourself plunged into an intriguing and extraordinary world that is . . . . .  Nevermoor. 

The narrative starts with a sombre feel as we are introduced to the main character, Morrigan. Eventide would march on like a drum beat, unstoppable. Morrigan Crow would have no future as she would die on her eleventh birthday; this story will have no happy ending. Tears will flow like little seeds of imagination in this story as you are whisked away on a mechanical spider on an unforgettable adventure like no other. 

This book has all the magical ingredients required to leave you with wonderful memories. You will soak up the atmosphere by being accompanied by a host of quaint, odd and rather endearing characters through a chorus of screechy violins and spooky organ music. Nevermind being transported to a world of infinite pleasure, chased by the deadly Hunt of Smoke and Shadow which will lift the stakes of this bold and brilliant adventure and add a little creepiness that will deliver a shaky hand to Hallowmas night. 

It's such a thrilling read that you will not want to put this book down. Equally, you will not want it to ever end. You will turn every page absorbing the humour and snarky remarks that deliver an icy punch. It's wildly imaginative and full of creativity and personality; a visit to Hotel Deucalion Smoking Parlour must not be missed. I recommend a pinch of excitement, a splash of courage and a little hint of lavender smoke to get you into the mood of the trials and madness that Morrigan Crow will face with her friends.

Stories like this can take time to shape like shimmering shadows that lurk beyond the peripheral vision. They often have other adventures that manifest before the main plot incubates and becomes the actual story that we read. The author's many ideas, feelings, and inspirations, whilst possibly writing in her pyjamas, have shaped this book into a  magical storytelling spectacle. There is so much more that I could mention about this fantastical book, but I won't. Read it for yourself and enter the wondrous world of Morrigan Crow and Nevermoor. This is one of the best books of 2017. 

The Literary Lakes - A Place For Inspiration and Writers Infographic

The Lake District is well-known for its amazing scenery. It’s no surprise the region has formed an inspiration and backdrop to some of our most famous wordsmiths, with the likes of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge writing about the beauty of the area. Their legacy remains today, with countless visitors to the district looking to follow in their footsteps.

The region remains a huge inspiration for all visitors who put pen to paper. Enjoy our literary guide to the all-time greats and here’s to the next generation of Lakeland scribes and poets.

The Literary Lakes by Craig Manor.

This post is shared in conjunction with:- https://www.craigmanor.co.uk/the-literary-lakes/ thank's Daisy. 

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

Polly Horvath - The Night Garden - Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (September 12, 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-0374304522

From Newbery Honor and National Book  Award–winning author Polly Horvath is this magical middle-grade novel about a garden that grants wishes. It is World War II, and Franny and her parents, Sina and Old Tom, enjoy a quiet life on a farm on Vancouver Island. Franny writes, Sina sculpts, and Old Tom tends to their many gardens―including the ancient, mysterious night garden. Their peaceful life is interrupted when their neighbor, Crying Alice, begs Sina to watch her children while she goes to visit her husband at the military base because she suspects he’s up to no good. Soon after the children move in, letters arrive from their father that suggest he's about to do something to change their lives; and appearances from a stubborn young cook, UFOs, hermits, and ghosts only make life stranger. Can the forbidden night garden that supposedly grants everyone one wish help them all out of trouble? And if so, at what cost? The Night Garden is a poignant and hilarious story from acclaimed children's author Polly Horvath.

Patrick Moody (Author) Graham Carter (Illustrator) The Gravedigger's Son - Published by Sky Pony Press (September 26, 2017) - 

• ISBN-13: 978-1510710733

“A Digger must not refuse a request from the Dead." —Rule Five of the Gravedigger’s Code 

Ian Fossor is last in a long line of Gravediggers. It’s his family’s job to bury the dead and then, when Called by the dearly departed, to help settle the worries that linger beyond the grave so spirits can find peace in the Beyond.

But Ian doesn’t want to help the dead—he wants to be a Healer and help the living. Such a wish is, of course, selfish and impossible. Fossors are Gravediggers. So he reluctantly continues his training under the careful watch of his undead mentor, hoping every day that he’s never Called and carefully avoiding the path that leads into the forbidden woods bordering the cemetery.

Just as Ian’s friend, Fiona, convinces him to talk to his father, they’re lured into the woods by a risen corpse that doesn’t want to play by the rules. There, the two are captured by a coven of Weavers, dark magic witches who want only two thing—to escape the murky woods where they’ve been banished, and to raise the dead and shift the balance of power back to themselves.

Only Ian can stop them. With a little help from his friends. And his long-dead ancestors.

Equal parts spooky and melancholy, funny and heartfelt, The Gravedigger’s Son is a gorgeous debut that will long sit beside Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book and Jonathan Auxier's The Night Gardener.

Alexandra Bracken - The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding - Published by Disney-Hyperion (September 5, 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1484778173

Prosper is the only unexceptional Redding in his old and storied family history-that is, until he discovers the demon living inside him. Turns out Prosper's great-great-great-great-great-something grandfather made-and then broke-a contract with a malefactor, a demon who exchanges fortune for eternal servitude. And, weirdly enough, eight-hundred-year-old Alastor isn't exactly the forgiving type. 

The fiend has reawakened with one purpose--to destroy the family whose success he ensured and who then betrayed him. With only days to break the curse and banish Alastor back to the demon realm, Prosper is playing unwilling host to the fiend, who delights in tormenting him with nasty insults and constant attempts to trick him into a contract. Yeah, Prosper will take his afterlife without a side of eternal servitude, thanks. But with the help of his long-lost uncle, Barnabas, and his daughter, Nell, a witch-in-training, it seems like Prosper has at least a fighting chance of ridding himself of Alastor before the demon escapes and wreaks havoc on his family. 

Little does Prosper know, the malefactor's control over his body grows stronger with each passing night and there's a lot Alastor isn't telling his dim-witted (but admittedly strong-willed) human host 

From #1 New York Times best-selling author Alexandra Bracken comes a tale of betrayal and revenge, of old hurts passed down from generation to generation. Can you ever fully right a wrong, ever truly escape your history? Or will Prosper and Alastor be doomed to repeat it?

Katherine Applegate - Wishtree - Published by Feiwel & Friends (September 26, 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1250043221

Trees can't tell jokes, but they can certainly tell stories. . . .

Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood "wishtree"―people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red's branches. Along with her crow friend Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red's hollows, this "wishtree" watches over the neighborhood.

You might say Red has seen it all. Until a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red's experiences as a wishtree are more important than ever.

Funny, deep, warm, and nuanced, Wishtree is Newbery Medalist and New York Times–bestselling author Katherine Applegate at her very best―writing from the heart, and from a completely unexpected point of view.

This book has Common Core connections.

Robert Kondo & Dice Tsutsumi - The Dam Keeper - Published by First Second (September 26, 2017) - ISBN-13: 978-1626724266

Life in Sunrise Valley is tranquil, but beyond its borders lies certain death. A dangerous black fog looms outside the village, but its inhabitants are kept safe by an ingenious machine known as the dam. Pig’s father built the dam and taught him how to maintain it. And then this brilliant inventor did the unthinkable: he walked into the fog and was never seen again.

Now Pig is the dam keeper. Except for his best friend, Fox, and the town bully, Hippo, few are aware of his tireless efforts. But a new threat is on the horizon―a tidal wave of black fog is descending on Sunrise Valley. Now Pig, Fox, and Hippo must face the greatest danger imaginable: the world on the other side of the dam.

Based on the Oscar-nominated animated short film of the same name, The Dam Keeper is a lush, vibrantly drawn graphic novel by Tonko House cofounders Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi.

Chris Priestley - Curse of the Werewolf Boy (Maudlin Towers) - Bloomsbury Kids - Book Review (Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books)

Mildew and Sponge don't think much of Maudlin Towers, the blackened, gloom-laden, gargoyle-infested monstrosity that is their school. But when somebody steals the School Spoon and the teachers threaten to cancel the Christmas holidays until the culprit is found, our heroes must spring into action and solve the crime!

But what starts out as a classic bit of detectivating quickly becomes weirder than they could have imagined. Who is the ghost in the attic? What's their history teacher doing with a time machine? And why do a crazy bunch of Vikings seem to think Mildew is a werewolf?

This is the brand new series from the talented Chris Priestley. The first book, The Curse of the Werewolf Boy, will be published by Bloomsbury and will hit the shops on the 5th October 2017. Book two will soon follow as it is going to be published during the summer of 2018.

You only need amble through the first few pages to see the rising pillars of gloom leading to Maudlin Towers. Here you will enter the weird and wonderful world and meet the unlikely heroes, Mildew and Sponge. 

This amazing adventure is illustrated throughout by the talented author. The pen and ink style complements the gothic appeal perfectly. The black and white illustrations provide an extra dimension to the story and certainly develop the atmosphere. They will definitely appeal to the younger audience.

Chris Priestley welcomes the reader to the weird and wonderful world and delivers a fantastic spooky narrative by bringing together a range of quirky characters. The muddled and varied humour makes for an interesting and funny read. The character gallery is entertaining just by itself, as it introduces each character profile and personality. 

There is a crime to be solved at Maudlin Towers. It is down to Mildew and Sponge to detect who has stolen the school spoon. It is imperative that they catch the thief otherwise the school Christmas holidays will be cancelled. Together they unravel the mysteries, but rather weird events also unfold such as ghosts in the attic, a teacher with a time machine, werewolves and a group of Vikings in the school perhaps. 

This is a hugely engaging and easy going gothic story which is full of action-packed twists and turns, mayhem, madness, and nonsense. It is perfect for readers of 8+. Fans of Lemony Snickett and Chris Riddell will love this book. The mystery adventure has a bit of bite and some atmospheric realism which will captivate readers of all ages. There's never a dull moment at Maudlin Towers so grab a copy now - it is a perfect autumnal read. 

Chris Priestley lives in Cambridge with his wife and son. His novels are brilliantly original additions to a long tradition of horror stories by authors such as M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe. Chris wrote one of the World Book Day books for 2011 and has been shortlisted for a variety of prestigious children's book awards. Catch up with Chris at www.chrispriestley.blogspot.com.