Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Middle-Grade Book Picks May 2018 - UK Post

Derek Landy - Midnight (Skulduggery Pleasant, Book 11) - Published by HarperCollins Children's Books (31 May 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0008284565 - Hardback 

Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain are back in their most gripping story yet, as book 11, Midnight, picks up where Resurrection left off – and runs.

For years, Valkyrie Cain has struggled to keep her loved ones safe from harm, plunging into battle – time and time again – by Skulduggery Pleasant’s side, and always emerging triumphant.

But now the very thing that Valkyrie fights for is in danger, as a ruthless killer snatches her little sister in order to lure Valkyrie into a final confrontation. With Skulduggery racing to catch up and young sorcerer Omen scrambling along behind, Valkyrie only has twelve hours to find Alice before it’s too late. The clock is ticking…

Joseph Delaney - The Beast Awakens (Aberrations) - Published by Puffin (3 May 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0241320990 - Paperback 

The first book in a horrifying new fantasy sequence from Joseph Delaney, the internationally multi-million-selling author of The Spook's Apprentice.

They heard shouting, and cries of fear. Crafty looked down the slope and realised what had happened to cause so much panic. Without warning, the dark wall of the Shole had advanced. 

Crafty can't remember a time before the Shole - the terrifying mist that has engulfed most of Britain, leaving those trapped in it to either die or be transformed into terrifying monsters: the aberrations. Crafty has been stuck in his family's cellar for nearly a year, his only companions his restless, whispering dead brothers, and an unusually friendly aberration he names the Bog Queen.

But then Crafty's life abruptly changes. He is ordered to report to the Castle, where he will train as a gate grub - operators of magical portals that allow the mysterious guild of Gatemancers to explore within the Shole. It is a dangerous job, with a very short life expectancy... 

To survive, Crafty will have to use every inch of his cunning - whatever the cost.

Sylvia Bishop - The Secret of the Night Train - Published by Scholastic (3 May 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1407184401 - Paperback 

One small girl - one BIG adventure. When Max is sent to Istanbul to stay with her boring Great Aunt-Elodie, little does she expect to be plunged into a thrilling night-time adventure across Europe. And when the mysterious Heartbreak Diamond goes missing, Max must find her feet in a whirling world of would-be diamond smugglers, thieves and undercover detectives. Will she discover the real diamond thief before they reach their destination? Or does the answer lie closer to home... Perfect for fans of THE WOLF WILDER and COGHEART, this is Sylvia Bishop writing at her quirky, brilliant best.

Sophie Anderson - The House with Chicken Legs - Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd (3 May 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1474940665 - Paperback 

Book Review Here

Guest Post Here

Marinka dreams of a normal life, where her house stays in one place long enough for her to make friends. But her house has chicken legs and moves on without warning.

For Marinka's grandmother is Baba Yaga, who guides spirits between this world and the next. Marinka longs to change her destiny and sets out to break free from her grandmother's footsteps, but her house has other ideas...

Sophie Anderson - The House with Chicken Legs Blog Tour: Fifteen Russian Fairy Tales and What They Mean to Me

Hooray! Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books is the next stop for 'The House with Chicken Legs' Blog Tour. It is with great pleasure that I find myself taking part in this BLOG tour to celebrate the publication of the book. The House with Chicken Legs is one of the best debut books that I've read. It has a very distinctive plot which is told with great imagination. Please check out my book review HERE. 

Nevermind what I think though - why not check the book out for yourself and buy a copy now. 

Sophie Anderson has written an inspiring post about fifteen Russian fairy tales and what they mean to her. 


The Gigantic Turnip (on community) 


‘Grandfather planted a turnip …’ 

In this Russian fairy tale, collected and published by Alexander Afanasyev in 1855, when the time comes to harvest the turnip, grandfather pulls and pulls, but can’t get the turnip out. So, grandfather calls grandmother, and grandmother pulls grandfather, and grandfather pulls the turnip. But still, the turnip doesn’t budge.

So, grandmother calls granddaughter to help, and when the turnip still doesn’t shift, granddaughter calls her puppy to help. The puppy calls a beetle, who calls another beetle, and another. 


‘Then the fifth beetle came. He pulled the fourth beetle, the fourth beetle pulled the third, the third pulled the second, the second pulled the first, the first beetle pulled the puppy, the puppy pulled the granddaughter, she pulled grandma, grandma pulled grandpa, grandpa pulled the turnip; they pulled and they pulled, and they pulled out the turnip.’ 



The gigantic turnip is a simple tale about the power of working together. The individuals pulling on the turnip have different strengths, but it is only by working together they free the turnip – and the last, tiny beetle is equally as important as the grandfather at the front of the line. 


History is full of examples of people working together to make massive changes. The civil rights movement, resistance against apartheid, women’s suffrage, LGBT rights, and the environmental movement, have all achieved levels of success as a result of people working together. 


In recent months I have heard many people call for change to gun laws in the US; from former president Barack Obama, to eleven-year-old activist Naomi Wadler. All their voices are equally important, and perhaps the greatest power is in seeing so many individuals working together to create momentous rallies and demonstrations. 


Away from politics, and on a more personal level, around two and half years ago I began writing The House with Chicken Legs. Although this was an individual endeavour, right from the start I was aware of my family supporting me, all the stories and storytellers who had inspired me, and all the folklorists, mythologists, and historians who had often spend lifetimes researching and creating books that I now dipped into for information. 

At the point I submitted the book to agents, it already felt like a joint effort between myself and at least one hundred other individuals! 


And then I signed with my incredible agent Gemma Cooper, and she led me through several rounds of edits. And then I signed with Usborne, and my amazing editor Rebecca Hill led me through several more rounds of edits! And there were more editors! Becky Walker, Mallory Kass, and Sarah Stewart; as well as proof-readers, cover artists, cover designers, illustrators, marketing people, publicity people, sales people … a seemingly endless array of talented people all working together to bring The House with Chicken Legs into the world.


And then ARCs flew out and there were reviewers, book bloggers, librarians, teachers, and readers, all contributing to making The House with Chicken Legs a success.


Like grandfather wouldn’t have that turnip without the help of many others, The House with Chicken Legs wouldn’t be running around bookstores, libraries, schools, and reader’s imaginations without the help of the countless people who have worked together to bring it into the world, and I am immensely proud of this bookish community and what we have achieved together! 


There is a lovely illustrated picture book retelling of this tale, written by Aleksei Tolstoy and illustrated by Niamh Sharkey, published by Barefoot Books. 



Naomi Wadler’s speech at March For Our Lives: 




Arnold Schwarzenegger’s speech, ‘none of us can make it alone’: 

Sophie Anderson grew up in Swansea, studied at Liverpool University, and has worked as a geologist and science teacher in several parts of the UK. She wrote textbooks until characters from Slavic fairy tales began appearing in her work.

Sophie has an international family and loves to write stories inspired by different folklores, cultures, and landscapes. Her dream is to create books that help children to explore the world and fall in love with its beautiful diversity.

Now living in the Lake District with her teacher and photographer husband, Sophie enjoys the freedom of homeschooling her three children, walking, canoeing, and daydreaming.

Sophie is represented by Gemma Cooper of The Bent Agency. Her first book THE HOUSE WITH CHICKEN LEGS is publishing in 2018 with Usborne in the UK and Scholastic in the US. Rights have also sold in Italy, Germany, and Romania.

Sophie is on Twitter @sophieinspace, Facebook SophieAndersonAuthor and Instagram SophieAndersonAuthor

Press Release: Beanstalk Reveals Top 40 Children's Books for Struggling and Reluctant Readers

40 children’s books have been selected for new starter packs which will benefit children supported by Beanstalk reading helpers in primary schools across England.

Beanstalk – a literacy charity which recruits, trains and places volunteers in primary schools across England to provide one-to-one support to children who have fallen behind with reading – has revealed 40 children’s books that will be used by the charity’s volunteers to kick-start reading engagement for the children they support.

Beanstalk’s ‘Top 40’ has been handpicked by children’s literacy experts including Beanstalk staff, trained reading helpers and literacy consultant Marilyn Brocklehurst – founder of The Norfolk Children’s Book Centre. The selection process involved careful consideration of the types of books Beanstalk-supported children would find fun and motivational. The books will be provided to Beanstalk schools as part of a starter pack resource which will be used by the charity’s trained volunteers placed in that setting.

Beanstalk has been working in schools for over 40 years supporting thousands of children each year across the country who have fallen behind with reading.  By bringing together the expertise of its long-standing reading helpers and highly respected literacy experts, Beanstalk has developed a resource which will ensure its network of reading helpers are well equipped from the outset to help more children than ever before.  

Ginny Lunn, Chief Executive Officer of Beanstalk, said:  

“As part of Beanstalk’s vision to help more children become confident and able readers we need to ensure that our volunteers have immediate access to age-appropriate and expertly chosen books as well as ongoing training and support to use those resources with children in the best possible ways. Up to now we have been so fortunate to have fantastic supplies of book boxes for volunteers to use, however, the introduction of Beanstalk’s starter packs will ensure that new volunteers are well equipped and have some brilliant resources to work on engaging the children from the very beginning – while they are still getting to know them. We also hope that by revealing Beanstalk’s ‘Top 40 ‘, it might help anyone looking for inspiration for a child they know - from parents to grandparents, reading helpers to teaching staff. And of course we will continue to develop and adapt this resource as the needs of our reading helpers and children changes, as well as encouraging volunteers to work with a variety of reading materials, as we always have done, including exploring local libraries and the school’s own library if they have one.”

Marilyn Brocklehurst, founder of the Norfolk Children’s Book Centre, said:

“We were very happy to work closely with Beanstalk to choose books for their starter packs and were so pleased with the final selection as they are all brilliant for children reading at all levels. They are great fun and a lot of the books are very original! We chose a mix of some classic books, such as Dear Zoo and more contemporary books, like Oi Frog! We, at the Norfolk Children’s Book Centre, are very happy to work with Beanstalk, the support that the children receive from Beanstalk reading helpers is exceptional.”

Beanstalk’s ‘Top 40’ has been organised into four age-appropriate sets of 10 books aimed at Lower Key Stage 1 (ages 5-6), Upper KS1 (ages 6-7) LKS1 (ages 7-8/9) and UKS2 (ages 9-11). All new schools that sign up with Beanstalk receive one starter pack of the 40 books. All volunteers that go through Beanstalk’s selection and training process from now on will have access to a full starter pack of 40 books when they begin in a school.

Thanks to the support of Marilyn Brocklehurst the relevant starter packs required by Beanstalk partner schools will be selected, boxed and distributed by the Norfolk Children’s Book Centre ready for newly-trained volunteers to use once they begin their one-to-one sessions with the children.  

What the authors say…

Michael Rosen, author of The Laugh Out Loud Joke Book, said: “I can remember with great fondness the way my brother and I used to read out jokes to each other. It's a great way of enjoying what books can offer us. With this in mind I put together a joke book and I'm delighted that Beanstalk have put it in their starter pack. Enjoy!”

Philip Ardagh, author of Norman the Norman from Normandy, said: "Tom Morgan-Jones and I are DELIGHTED that Norman the Norman from Normandy has found his way into the Beanstalk starter packs, aren't we Tom? Tom's nodding as he's busily drawing Norman riding Truffle, the not-so-wild boar. Why are we so pleased. "Because Beanstalk is the best!" I was going to say that, Tom... *Mutters* Anyway, it's a fantastic scheme and we're all-three pleased to be a part of it. All four, if you count Truffle."

Pippa Goodhart, author of You Choose, said: “Of all the more than a hundred books I've written, You Choose is the one that I most often seen in crumpled, torn and drawn-on condition.  That is wonderful because it reflects a book being used and used and used to bits by children! I was a child who loved listening to stories and playing stories, but I found reading very hard, and 'reading books' scary.  In You Choose, the text is incidental to the main task of 'reading' the pictures, and so the pressure of a chunk of text that has to be read is removed.  As they make their choices through the book, children become co-creators with the author and illustrator, rather than passive recipients of an already formed story.  What they take from the book really is 'theirs', and that makes it both fun and empowering.  My hope is that this is a book which helps less sure children make friends with books.”

Nick Sharratt, Illustrator for You Choose, Wriggle and Roar, Mixed Up Fairy Tales, The Big Book of Magical Mix Ups said: “As a huge admirer of Beanstalk and the vital work they do in primary schools, I'm truly delighted that not one but four of the books I've illustrated have been selected for inclusion for their starter packs, geared to help set children on the path to confident reading.”

Julia Donaldson, author of Wriggle and Roar!, said: "I have great admiration for the work that Beanstalk do and I am delighted that they have selected Wriggle and Roar for this brilliant new initiative"

Kes Gray, author of Oi Frog!, said: “Oi Beanstalk! Thank you so much for including Oi Frog in your reading scheme! I’ll trust you to get your seating arrangements right.”

Andy Stanton, author of You’re a Bad Man, Mr. Gum! Said: “I've been told many times that 'Mr Gum' has helped to get young readers started and it never fails to give me goosebumps - what a privilege it is to write for children. My stories might be silly, but I take writing and reading very seriously and am absolutely delighted to be included in Beanstalk's starter pack.”

Axel Scheffler author of Flip Flap Jungle, said: “It’s an honour and pleasure for me to know that Flip Flap Jungle will be introduced to so many children through Beanstalk’s great work in encouraging literacy and the joy of reading.”

Nosy Crow Books said: “We very much admire and value the work that Beanstalk does, so we are delighted that Nosy Crow books have been chosen for inclusion in their starter packs.”

To view Beanstalk’s ‘Top 40’ books visit the reading resources area of the website: https://www.beanstalkcharity.org.uk/beanstalk-top-40  

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Interview with Sara Mulvanny Illustrator (Q&A)

It's fantastic to have the very talented illustrator, Sara Mulvannyon, on Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books today. It's always fascinating to uncover the inside life of an illustrator, their work and background. I love Sara Mulvanny's work, especially her brilliant book covers for children and adult books. This post has been a wonderful opportunity to ask her questions about her career and life. I hope this little interview has piqued your interest in her work. If so, then why not pop over to her website and take a look at her other projects at http://www.saramulvanny.com 

Have a great day and happy reading.

How did you become an illustrator? 
I grew up painting and drawing and I knew from an early age that I wanted to be an artist. Although I was quite academic at school and excelled at maths and physics, my favourite subject was art. It was something I loved doing so it never felt like a chore. At college, I realised that it was the commercial application of art that I found really fascinating rather than fine art. I loved collecting old posters, adverts and beautiful ephemera. I studied Illustration at Kingston University and graduated with a BA (Hons) in 2010 after which I moved back to my Hampshire studio to pursue a career as a freelance illustrator. I was thrilled to receive my first commission a few days after I graduated, it was a book cover for Random House. Since then I’ve created illustrations for books, magazines, packaging, restaurant/museum interiors, and posters. In 2013 I joined Agency Rush and each year gets better and better and therefore busier and busier! 

What is your favourite medium to draw/paint with? 
All my Illustrations start as rough sketches to work out ideas and composition. I use a Staedtler Mars Micro Mechanical Pencil on cartridge paper, my favourite being Daler Rowney Smooth Heavyweight paper which is great for line work. When I am happy with the rough I will effectively pull it apart so that I can re-draw each element separately using pen and ink. My favourite finer liners are Uni PIN Drawing Pens, but I also use a Rotring Artpen and a Pentel brush pen as well. Those separate line drawings are then scanned into my Apple iMac and the final illustration is digitally composed on Adobe Photoshop using colour and texture. My final illustrations exist as digital files and are composed of sometimes hundreds of layers which gives me freedom to adjust colours and layout easily. I absolutely love my Wacom pen tablet which I use for Photoshop work and I don’t know how I ever survived without it. 

Describe your typical working week? 
Every week is different and I love the variation in my working life, you never know what challenges you will face from each day to the next. I’m the most productive and creative in the mornings so I tend to get up early if I’m very busy with commissions. I’m disciplined about taking tea/coffee/yoga breaks otherwise I become sluggish and lose motivation during the afternoon. When I have a lot of deadlines I will draw all day. I find that allocating a certain amount of time for each project prevents me from falling behind. I dislike working late at night because I’m not very productive when I’m tired. When I have a respite from deadlines I catch-up on more menial tasks such as organising paperwork and accounts. I also try to go to the gym every evening to do an exercise class in an attempt to stop myself from becoming a hermit. Trying to keep a good work/life balance can be difficult, they can easily amalgamate into one and the same thing which isn’t particularly healthy. I’m lucky enough to be part of Agency Rush who are a great bunch of people, they are really supportive and they definitely help me feel less isolated when I’m working on my own. Occasionally I get the chance to go to London to visit a client, or Brighton to visit Agency Rush, these days a rare luxury now but it’s always good to get out of my quiet studio and see the hustle and bustle of the city. 

What kind of illustration projects are you most interested in? 
I’m very grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects over the years; My illustrations have been featured in a variety of media from books to packaging, restaurant interiors to posters. It’s this variety that makes life as an illustrator so exciting, rather than a particular type of commission. I’m often juggling a few commissions at once, and it’s their differences which make them enjoyable, rather than their similarities. I’m currently working on a large commission for a museum, a book about plants, a map for a magazine cover, a science book, and an editorial piece about wedding cakes! 

Could you tell us a bit about any of your upcoming projects? 
I’ve been working on a large commission over the last few months for the Museum of Royal Worcester which is having a complete redesign by the very talented Studio Savage. My illustrations are being used on each floor of the museum in a manner of different scenarios which is really exciting. The largest part of the project is the life-size kitchen installation. The kitchen is split down the middle, with a 1920’s design on one side and a 1970’s design on the other. I’ve illustrated everything from the floor patterns and wallpaper to the kitchen cupboards, food, china, life-size oven, microwave, table and the posters adorning the walls. I also created a large 18th century map of England and a smattering of other illustrations throughout the museum. It’s currently being printed and I can’t wait for the launch, it’s the largest commission I’ve worked on and it will be great to see my work in such an immersive setting. 

What is the best piece of advice that you have ever received from someone within the industry? 
There’s plenty of great advice out there for new illustrators, fledgling designers should definitely pick up a copy of The Fundamentals of Illustration by Lawrence Zeegen: it’s packed full great tips and advice I found useful when starting out. But often the best lessons are the hard ones you learn yourself. You can’t avoid making mistakes, it’s a natural part of progress. However, when you make mistakes you learn from them and (hopefully!) you don’t make them again. 

A quote that I found helpful over the years is: 

‘Admire someone else’s beauty without questioning your own’ 

As an illustrator you will have moments in life when you compare your work to other people’s with the result being that you end up feeling inferior. An important skill is being able to admire other people’s work without doubting your own abilities. There are so many great illustrators out there it can be daunting pursuing a career in such a competitive market. But we all have insecurities as an artist, days when we feel like what we do isn’t good enough, and there are some commissions which just don’t work out as well as others for whatever reason. However, I’ve found that there are far more good days than bad, and there are some really great days as well. Perseverance pays off and the great days make all the hard work worthwhile. 

What is a favourite piece of work that you have produced? 
One of my favourite book cover commissions is still ‘Chasing the Dram’ by Rachel McCormack. The brief itself was quite open: the publisher wanted the cover to feel ‘really fun’ and if I made sure the whisky and travelogue aspects were clear, I had a free reign so to speak. That kind of brief either works out really well or can be a bit of struggle if the client is unsure of what they want. In this case it was the former and it’s one of my favourite commissions as I got to combine my love of hand-drawn typography with some humour and narrative elements, a limited muted colour palette and the creation of a map for the end papers. 


Who are your favourite illustrators and why? 
I love the strong, bold designs of Noma Bar: his clever use of negative space and humour is unapparelled, it’s essentially the definition of great design. Being able to communicate an idea with minimal shapes takes maximum skill. On the other side of the spectrum I’m always in awe of the lavish wallpaper patterns by William Morris, the beauty of the sinuous flora is mesmerising. I love patterns and it’s something I would like to do more of in the future. 

Tell us a secret? 
I’m a massive Harry Potter geek, I queued up for the books at midnight and my sister and I have been on the studio tour 4 times so far… I also listen to the Harry Potter audio books read by Stephen Fry when I’m getting stressed because they keep me calm. In truth, my family and friends would say my Harry Potter obsession is less of a secret and more of a well-known fact.

John Clewarth - Firestorm Rising - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Raingate Cemetery is the spooky playground of Tom Allerton, Daniel 'Doc' Studd and Jasmine 'Jazz' Baxter, and provides a great opportunity for them to play a practical Halloween joke on their schoolmates. Events take an unexpected turn when a freak storm occurs and lightning strikes an ancient and crumbling tomb. The children flee in terror, all except for Jazz who decides to investigate. Peering into the smoking rubble of the sepulchre, she is strangely drawn towards a weird pendant which unleashes a chain of terrifying and supernatural events. As the unearthly owner of the pendant endeavours to get it back, the friendship of the central characters is put to the toughest test, and they discover the true meanings of friendship, loyalty, truthfulness and fear. The children learn that there are far more things in the universe than they ever learned at school, as a terrifying monster is awakened from a long hot sleep. . .

When I was a child, I loved being scared. I'm not quite sure why? But I did. I loved to watch old creepy movies late at night and hide behind my pillows. One of my favourite places to go was the local graveyard. I pretended that there were monsters, ghosts and zombies roaming about in the dark, ready to jump out and grab me! Reading 'Firestorm Rising' by John Clewarth definitely took me back to my childhood. The atmospheric tale kept me reading late into the night and searching for a secure cover. 

The book has an interesting and intriguing open sentence "The meteor sizzles through the vastness of space like a giant, blazing phoenix". This certainly grabs and pulls you into a dark vortex of mystery. The story captures your imaganation but without revealing too much in the way of infomation. It helps each fantasy brain to fill in the gaps and provides every reader with their own interpretation and perspective of the story. Nevertheless, you'll find yourself hurtling along a roller-coaster of an adventure into a plot of spookiness, friendship and a terrifying monster. The story gains power and momentum, feeding off the fear from the characters and readers alike. 

This is a great story for the Halloween-period as it is fast-paced, easy to read and very relatable. The author has written a great story distilling the dark elements of the story and contrasting these with the friendships and playfulness in which the story is told. The individual character personalities shine through and enable the reader to develop an emotional attachment with at least one or more of the characters. 

A great recommended read that has its feet set in reality. It slowly sucks the reading into an unconventional and absorbing spooky fantasy that you will want to read quickly. This should be a great hit with every age - young and old, but especially reluctant readers. If this sounds like your type of book then you might want to read an extract of the book or visit the author's website to buy a copy now. Equally, I understand you can purchase this from Silver Quill Publishing/Amazon very shortly. In the meantime, why not pop over and say hello at http://www.johnclewarth.com 

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Middle-Grade Book Picks April 2018 - US Post Two

Vera Brosgol - Be Prepared - Published by First Second (April 24, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1626724457 - Paperback 

"Beautifully drawn, brutally funny, brilliantly honest. Vera is such a good cartoonist I almost can’t stand it.” ―Raina Telgemeier, author of Smile

All Vera wants to do is fit in―but that’s not easy for a Russian girl in the suburbs. Her friends live in fancy houses and their parents can afford to send them to the best summer camps. Vera’s single mother can’t afford that sort of luxury, but there's one summer camp in her price range―Russian summer camp.

Vera is sure she's found the one place she can fit in, but camp is far from what she imagined. And nothing could prepare her for all the "cool girl" drama, endless Russian history lessons, and outhouses straight out of nightmares!

Ellen Potter & Felicita Sala - Big Foot and Little Foot (Book #1 Published by Harry N. Abrams (April 10, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1419728594 - Hardback

Hugo is a young Sasquatch who longs for adventure. Boone is young boy who longs to see a Sasquatch. When their worlds collide, they become the unlikeliest pair of best friends.
 
At the Academy for Curious Squidges, Hugo learns all manner of Sneaking—after all, the most important part of being a Sasquatch is staying hidden from humans. But Hugo dreams of roaming free in the Big Wide World rather than staying cooped up in caves. When he has an unexpected run-in with a young human boy, Hugo seizes the opportunity for a grand adventure. Soon, the two team up to search high and low for mythical beasts, like Ogopogos and Snoot-Nosed Gints. Through discovering these new creatures, together, Big Foot and Little Foot explore the ins and outs of each other’s very different worlds but learn that, deep down, maybe they’re not so different after all.

Jordan Stratford (Author) Kelly Murphy (Illustrator) - The Case of the Perilous Palace (The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency, Book 4) - Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers (April 17, 2018) - 

• ISBN-13: 978-0553536447 - Hardback 

The history-mystery-science series concludes as the Wollstonecraft Detectives--Ada Byron Lovelace and Mary Shelley--take on a case by royal request.

Ada's imperious grandmother has absolutely shut the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency down--until they get a case from a princess, that is.

The princess Alexandrina Victoria, age 9 (who will grow up to be Queeen Victoria), is the most closely watched girl in England. She is never alone. Every morsel she eats is catalogued. Every visitor overseen. Every move noted down. She has but one thing of her own--a sketchbook she uses as a secret diary, where she records her private thoughts in code. But now, somehow, that sketchbook has disappeared.

And so the princess enlists Ada and Mary to figure out what has happened to the sketchbook without arousing the suspicions of her minders. A most clandestine case indeed! One that will involve breaking into Kensington Palace and uncovering a host of surprising royal secrets...

This funny, Christmas-time romp of a caper will delight history and mystery fans alike.

Lauren Abbey Greenberg - The Battle of Junk Mountain - Published by Running Press Kids (April 17, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0762462957 - Hardback 

Twelve-year-old Shayne Whittaker has always spent summers on the Maine coast, visiting her grandmother Bea and playing with her BFF Poppy. Both Shayne and Bea are collectors, in their own ways: Shayne revels in golden memories of searching for sea glass and weaving friendship bracelets with Poppy, while Bea scours flea markets for valuable finds, much of which she adds to a growing pile in her house that Shayne jokingly calls Junk Mountain.

This summer, though, everything has changed. Poppy would rather talk about boys than bracelets, and Bea's collecting mania has morphed into hoarding. Only Linc, the weird Civil War-obsessed kid next door, pays attention to her. Turns out Linc's collected a secret of his own, one that could enrage the meanest lobsterman on the planet, his grandpa. What begins as the worst summer of Shayne's life becomes the most meaningful, as she wages an all-out battle to save her friendships, rescue her grandmother, and protect the memories she loves the most.

Ewa Jozefkowicz - The Mystery of the Colour Thief - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

First the accident, then the nightmares. The shadowy thief steals all the colours from Izzy's world leaving her feeling empty and hopeless. Will her new neighbour and a nest full of cygnets save Izzy and solve the mystery of the colour thief? A heartwarming story about families, friendships, school, nature, hope and self-confidence. 

After a frightening car accident, Izzy's mum is in a coma. Her family is in pieces. Her best friend at school has dumped her. And her nightmares are haunted by a shadowy man stealing all the colours from her world. She's trying so hard to be brave, but Izzy thinks everything is her fault. Then she meets her new neighbour, Toby, paralyzed after a skateboarding accident, and together they find a nest of cygnets who need rescuing. Particularly the odd one out, called Spike. Will saving Spike save Izzy? Will she and Toby solve the mystery of the colour thief and bring hope and happiness back to Izzy's life? Written with insight, compassion and empathy – an authentic story about real life and how to survive it.

What is on the review table this week? 

Well, it is a brilliant debut book by Polish author, Ewa Jozefkowicz. The Mystery of the Colour Thief will hit the shops, with a resounding bundle of emotions, on 3rd May 2018. It has been published by Zephyr and is aimed at 9-12 year old readers. However, I believe that it will be especially loved by adults. 

This is a very thought provoking book; deeply moving with a very tragic story which could happen to anybody in real-life. The book is emotionally and sensitively written. It shows how perspectives differ depending on the feelings of the character. The main character is a young girl called Izzy, who is trying to deal with the fact that her mother is in hospital. Unfortunately, she is in an induced coma after a car accident. 

You might think this book sounds rather depressing with such a theme. However, the author has achieved an excellent balance displaying the vulnerability of the characters and actions whilst still delivering an upbeat narrative filled with a fantasy edge. Everything is told through her daily life in school, but especially through her nightmares. This creates a dramatic and inspirational story that gives the reader a shiny beacon of hope, even in the bleakest of times. I thought the situation the characters found themselves in were particularly well written. They displayed great understanding and provided a true representation of what people might be going through as part of their everyday life. 

The book features two young and brilliantly written central characters that you will warm to in a big way.  It was really interesting viewing the perspective through childrens' eyes and seeing the world in a fresh light. The importance of making friends in an instant and sharing what the world has to offer from an early age. I have never read a book containing two such resilient characters like Izzy and Toby. Toby is definitely an inspiration to us all. He is a wheelchair user who really shines as a character and encourages a positive outlook on life despite overcoming many difficulties. He helps Izzy to solve the puzzle in the story.

I loved the idea of Spike, a vulnerable cygnet, which tied in with the theme of the book and brought a kindred spirited feeling. It made you really think about the plot. This is a fantastic story inspired by life. It's a book that I would recommend that you read with your heart and maybe a tissue or two. 

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Middle-Grade Book Picks April 2018 - US Post

Kwame Alexander - Rebound - Published by  HMH Books for Young Readers (April 2, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0544868137

From the New York Times, bestselling author Kwame Alexander comes Rebound, a dynamic novel in verse and companion to his Newbery Award-winner, The Crossover, illustrated with striking graphic novel panels.

Before Josh and Jordan Bell were streaking up and down the court, their father was learning his own moves. In this prequel to Newbery Medal winner The Crossover, Chuck Bell takes center stage, as readers get a glimpse of his childhood and how he became the jazz music worshiping, basketball star his sons look up to.   

A novel in verse with all the impact and rhythm readers have come to expect from Kwame Alexander, Rebound will go back in time to visit the childhood of Chuck "Da Man" Bell during one pivotal summer when young Charlie is sent to stay with his grandparents where he discovers basketball and learns more about his family's past.  

Erin Entrada Kelly - You Go First - Published by Greenwillow Books (April 10, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0062414182

Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly’s You Go First is an engaging exploration of family, bullying, spelling, art, and the ever-complicated world of middle school friendships. Her perfectly pitched tween voice will resonate with fans of Kate DiCamillo’s Raymie Nightingale.

Twelve-year-old Charlotte Lockard and eleven-year-old Ben Boxer are separated by more than a thousand miles. On the surface, their lives seem vastly different—Charlotte lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while Ben is in the small town of Lanester, Louisiana. Charlotte wants to be a geologist and keeps a rock collection in her room. Ben is obsessed with Harry Potter, presidential history, and recycling. But the two have more in common than they think. They’re both highly gifted. They’re both experiencing family turmoil. And they both sit alone at lunch.

Over the course of a week, Charlotte and Ben—online friends connected only by a Scrabble game—will intersect in unexpected ways, as they struggle to navigate the turmoil of middle school. This engaging story about growing up and finding your place in the world by the Newbery Medal-winning author of Hello, Universe and the winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature will appeal to fans of Rebecca Stead and Rita Williams-Garcia.

Dave Eggers - The Lifters - Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers (April 24, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1524764166

Journey to an underground world where adventure awaits and heroes are made in this middle-grade novel from the bestselling, Pulitzer-nominated author of The Monk of Mokhaand Her Right Foot.

When Gran and his family move to Carousel, he has no idea that the town is built atop a secret. Little does he suspect, as he walks his sister to school or casually eats a banana, that mysterious forces lurk mere inches beneath his feet, tearing up the earth like mini-hurricanes and causing the town to slowly but surely sink.

When Gran's friend, the difficult-to-impress Catalina Catalan, presses a silver handle into a hillside and opens a doorway to an underground, he knows that she is extraordinary and brave and that he will have no choice but to follow wherever she leads. With luck on their side, and some discarded hockey sticks for good measure, Gran and Catalina might just find a way to lift their town--and the known world--out of danger.

In The Lifters, critically acclaimed author Dave Eggers establishes himself as a storyteller who can entertain and inspire readers of any age.

Joshua Khan - Burning Magic (A Shadow Magic Novel) - Published by Disney-Hyperion (April 10, 2018) - ISBN-10: 1368008429

In Book 3 of a three-book series, when Lily, aka the "witch queen" and bat-rider extraordinaire Thorn travel to Sultanate of Fire, things go terribly wrong. Instead of celebrating a reunion with their old friend K'leef, they are thrust into royal murder, an epic quest, and a deadly battle for the throne.

While investigating the murder, Lily learns shocking truths about her life that could destroy all she has achieved. Yet, among the ruins of her old life, she has the opportunity to become someone greater . . . and more terrifying.

Thorn and the magnificent bat, Hades, join the timid K'leef and the idiotic Gabriel Solar in a quest to find a phoenix. These fire birds are the key to saving the sultanate, but they nest within the Shardlands. The boys must defeat not only the monsters of that magical wilderness but also rivals eager to claim the throne for themselves. Rivals that include a renegade from House Shadow . . .

Chilling surprises, ghostly encounters, and belly laughs are just some of the treats in store for readers of this burning-hot desert adventure.

Harriet Whitehorn - The Company of Eight - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Cass has always wanted to audition as an acrobat for the famous Circus Boat that sails the warm seas of the Longest World. But when her chance is snatched away, she comes up with a new plan. Soon she has secured a job on the Palace Boat, following the circus around the islands. Yet Cass has been invited on the boat for a very different reason – and it’s not long before she is embroiled with thieves, sword fighters and a mysterious group of women called The Company of Eight… 

Are you ready to set sail on a perilous voyage? Here we have a marvelous rumbunctious tale from Harriet Whitehorn the author of the Violet books. The Company of Eight will dock in the harbour on the 3rd May 2018 by Stripes Publishing. Exploring this book from page one was an absolute delight and really enjoyable to read. Here we have a fast-paced and spectacularly delivered story from the perspective of Cass, a plucky and courageous young female. It will warm the hearts of the readers as she set sails into a world of peril and self-discovery.

You will hurtle into a swashbuckling affair that will take you to the far-flung corners of the world. Visiting an impressive landscape full of ice bound cities and tropical Islands you will be led into a world full of enchanted magic. It is a creatively imaginative story fuelled by strong-lead female characters. They find themselves facing danger and leaping into a wild and abundant action full of pirates, swordfighters, thieves and slave traders. 

It's a brilliant and easy going read that everybody will love and enjoy, regardless of age or reading ability. It is a book that explores the dreams and ambitions of Cass whilst searching for a life as an acrobat in a circus and travelling the world.  The young female heroin chases her goal and takes some big risks by running away from home. When things don't go to plan, the story unfolds in a dramatic and thrilling way which will captivate your imagination on so many levels.

The narrative will leave the readers asking questions and even challenging their own perceptions. It's a brilliant escape into fantasy which is brimming with peril. It delivers intrigue, fantastic twists and plot-turns with copious amounts of action both on land and sea. However, there is also a sprinkling of old-fashioned magic that gives this book another dimension, which I really liked. 

This is an epic start to a new series with so much more to explore. Especially after the explosive and brilliant ending. So are you ready to join the company? 

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