Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - Children's Book Picks Feb 2023 - US Published Post

 

Beth Lincoln (Author), Claire Powell (Illustrator) - The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels - Published by  Dutton Books for Young Readers (February 7, 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593533239 - Hardback - Age: 7+

On the day they are born, every Swift child is brought before the sacred Family Dictionary. They are given a name, and a definition. A definition it is assumed they will grow up to match. 
Meet Shenanigan Swift: Little sister. Risk-taker. Mischief-maker.

Shenanigan is getting ready for the big Swift Family Reunion and plotting her next great scheme: hunting for Grand-Uncle Vile’s long-lost treasure. She’s excited to finally meet her arriving relatives—until one of them gives Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude a deadly shove down the stairs.

So what if everyone thinks she’ll never be more than a troublemaker, just because of her name? Shenanigan knows she can become whatever she wants, even a detective. And she’s determined to follow the twisty clues and catch the killer.

Deliciously suspenseful and delightfully clever, The Swifts is a remarkable debut that is both brilliantly contemporary and instantly classic. A celebration of words and individuality, it's packed with games, wordplay, and lots and lots of mischief as Shenanigan sets out to save her family and define herself in a world where definitions are so important.

• Jonathan Starrett - The Architect - Published by Tyndale House Publishers (February 7, 2023) - 
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496466600 - Harback - Age: 8+ 
• There’s a golden rule in Phantom City: “No one about when the Zeppelin is out.” But one night, twelve-year-old Charlie Crane comes face-to-face with the Zeppelin, and instead of finding trouble, she is awakened.
  
  Determined to find the truth in a city plagued with lies, Charlie, along with a quirky band of unlikely heroes, works to free the people of Phantom City from the clutches of a shadowy, evil villain. Helped by a mysterious Architect who only communicates over radio and telephone, Charlie wrestles with two big questions: Can she trust a guide she can't see? And is the truth actually worth the trouble?
  
  Filled with sinister schemes, bumbling superheroes, unexpected friendships, and plenty of humor and plot twists, The Architect keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Boys and girls alike will be fascinated by the unique world of Phantom City, with its steampunk and Gotham City–type elements and will quickly find themselves cheering for our heroes in their fight against evil.

Miya T. Beck - The Pearl Hunter - Published by Balzer + Bray (February 7, 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063238190 - Hardback - Age: 8+

Set in a world inspired by pre-Shogun era Japan, this is a stunning debut fantasy in the vein of Grace Lin about how a young pearl diver goes to the ends of the earth to rescue her twin sister, who has been stolen by a ghost whale.

Kai and Kishi share the same futon, the same face, and the same talent for pearl diving. But Kishi is the obedient daughter, while Kai tries to push the rules, and sometimes they fight. Still, when Kishi is stolen and killed by the legendary Ghost Whale, nothing will stop Kai from searching for her, deep in the ocean, hoping for a way to bring her back to life.

But such a rescue is beyond the power of an ordinary mortal. Kai strikes a deal with the gods: she’ll steal a magic pearl in exchange for her sister’s soul. As she journeys across treacherous landscape, Kai must navigate encounters with scheming bandits, a power-hungry warlord, and a legion of conniving fox spirits.  And when a new friendship becomes something almost as powerful as her love for her sister, Kai must make impossible choices and risk everything just to get home again.

Woven through with Japanese culture and legends, this many-layered story will grip readers of all ages.

Misa Sugiura - Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind - Published by Labyrinth Road (February 28, 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593564066 - Hardback - Age 7+ 

All Momo wants for her twelfth birthday is an ordinary life—like everyone else's. At home, she has to take care of her absentminded widowed mother. At school, kids ridicule her for mixing up reality with the magical stories her mother used to tell her.

But then Momo’s mother falls gravely ill, and a death hag straight out of those childhood stories attacks Momo at the mall, where she’s rescued by a talking fox . . . and “ordinary” goes out the window. It turns out that Momo's mother is a banished Shinto goddess who used to protect a long-forgotten passageway to Yomi—a.k.a. the land of the dead. That passageway is now under attack, and countless evil spirits threaten to escape and wreak havoc across the earth.

Joined by Niko the fox and Danny—her former best friend turned popular jerk, whom she never planned to speak to again, much less save the world with—Momo must embrace her (definitely not "ordinary") identity as half human, half goddess to unlock her divine powers, save her mother’s life, and force the demons back to Yomi.

Justin Davies - HAARVILLE - (Kelpies) - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

 

                                                       Welcome to Haarvlle. 

                If you've haarived, you've survived...

Are you ready for a fishy adventure or some limpet buns? Welcome to the latest book by jet-setter Justin Davies. Haarville will be published by Floris books based in Edinburgh on the 23rd February 2023. We love the cracking, golden shiny book cover by Francesca Ficorilli which is an absolute STUNNER. 

It's time for you to dip your fins into the sea of tranquility and mayhem in this fantasy adventure with this glorious story. It's a UNIQUE and quirky blend of imagination and setting that will set you off on a mesmerising expedition that will have you glued to the pages. This has to be my favourite read so far this year; layered with dark humour, and a big perpetual mystery it is an amazing story. You will definitely ride the amberose roller-coaster storm as you follow the main characters of the book. Orphan (Manx Fearty), his best friend Fantoosh and drag-queen guardian Father G, face two unexpected arrivals on a little-known off-grid island town. It is notoriously difficult to get to with its rolling haar (mist) and fishy pongs that hide a powerful secret. 

This brilliant well-written story transports you to a murky seaside town that is the life and soul of the party. The characters are colourful and heartwarming whilst the villains make it an edgy race to uncover secrets to save the family's legacy and Haarville from sinister newcomers. It's full of Gaelic charm, food references and some smashing world-building that will captivate the reader's imagination. 

It's time to have your salt 'n' sauce with this battered treat in an epic outrageous narrative that will lift the human spirit regardless of age. We have a great action-packed MAGICAL ending that leaves a wanted expectation for more books in the series - at least we really hope this is the case!

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Book Cover Competition Final Winner 2022/23

Another exciting children's book cover competition has drawn to a close; this was the fourteenth competition in fifteen years. We would like to thank every voter and supporter, illustrator, author, and publisher who got behind our little competition. We have had a challenging time shouting about this one and making it visible. However, we've had five fabulous rounds where you voted with a good sense of adventure. We're delighted to have showcased 34 brilliant book covers. We could have chosen many more as there is such a wealth of talent and such amazing illustrators around. Unfortunately, they do not always get the credit they really deserve but we hope this platform helps to highlight such creative talent and work. A big thank you to everyone who supported and voted for them through the rounds - you have done them proud. 

Last night, the final came to a fantastic conclusion with another excellent winner ... I'm delighted to announce that the winning book cover was illustrated by Becka Moor for the second book by Jo Clarke - Libby and the Highland Heist (The Travelling School Mysteries Book 2) which will be published by Firefly Press on the 19th January 2023. 

You can check out more of her brilliant work on her website HERE. We welcome her to the hall of fame featuring all the other past winners across the years (see below). Many congratulations, Becka!

2009/10 - Jon Mayhew 'Mortlock' Illustrated by Christian Lorenz Scheurer

2010/11 - Darren Shan 'Birth of a Killer' Illustrated by David Wyatt

2011/12 - Curtis Jobling 'Werewolf: Shadow of the Hawk' Illustrated by Andrew Farley

2012/13 - Thomas Taylor 'Haunters' Illustrated by Steve Wells 

2013/14 - Niel Bushnell 'Timesmith' Illustrated by James Fraser 

2014/15 - M. G. Harris/Gerry Anderson's 'Gemini Force One' Black Horizon Illustrated by Blacksheep

2015/16 -  M. G. Leonard 'Beetle Boy' Illustrated by Julia Sarda 

2016/17 - Roderick Gordon 'Summerhouse Land' - Illustrated by Stanley Donwood

2017/18 - (No Book Cover Wars) 

2018/19 - Vashti Hardy 'Brightstorm: A Sky-Ship Adventure' Illustrated by George Ermos 

2019/20 - Joan Haig - 'Tiger Skin Rug' - Illustrated by Annie Glennie

2020/21 - Nizrana Farook -' The Boy Who Met a Whale' - Illustrated by David Dean

2021/22 - Michael Mann - 'Ghostcloud '- Illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat

Sarah Todd Taylor - Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire! A Spoonful of Spying - BOOK REVIEW - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Are we ready for a sweet adventure? Then it's time to be whisked away by the second book featuring Alice Éclair Spy Extraordinaire. A Spoonful of Spying will be thrown into the mixing bowl (early January 2023) by Nosy Crow Books. 

The story has moved on from the first adventure where we were on board France's most glamorous train, The Sapphire Express. In book 2, the setting is the exciting and wonderful Paris World Fair. It's a new world full of invention, discovery, and arts. This really drives the narrative to a fabulous, fantastical world of mystery, and espionage that the amateur sleuth will love to read and be immersed in. 

Alice Éclair leads an exciting double life - a baker by day and a spy by night! From fashion to aviation we rush into a whirlwind of baked goods to a waltz down Paris surrounded by enemy spies. Alice needs to choose her friends wisely as some of the inventors she encounters are in terrible danger.  As we plunge into the book (and the river Seine!) we are treated to an immersive story that is really uplifting to read whilst keeping the readers on their sugar-coated toes. 

This is a rapid read which is spiked with danger; Alice must save her friends and foil the enemy's plot to save the ever-changing world. It's part of a brilliant series in an ever-expanding popular genre. Real events and great character-driven plots fuel this story. It's a really comfy armchair read for anyone and everyone. Does anyone fancy some cake? 

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books - Children's Favourite Book Cover Competition - THE GRAND FINAL 2022/2023

Welcome everybody to the 13th GRAND FINAL of Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books' favourite book cover. We have already run five fantastic heats so all the winners and highest runners-up are now ready for your VOTES once again. This is your chance to choose your favourite to be crowned the ultimate winner. So get your fingers ready as it all starts NOW. Who will win this YEAR?  

This week's voters' prize is a £10 National Book Token, a book (Fleur Hitchcock - Murder at Snowfall), and a bar of chocolate. (Voters prize is open to the UK Only) 

If you are interested all you need to do is:

• Vote for your favourite book cover using the poll HERE  (or at the bottom of the post)
• Leave a comment through this post/poll or #RT our Pinned tweet on @Enchantedbooks or you could do both for a better chance to win.
• This poll will end on 16th JAN 2023 at Midnight (UK). Have fun and share with the world through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Watch the voting develop, and wait to hear whether you've won (once the poll has closed).

Here are all the fantastic book covers to vote for: 

BOOK ONE: Jo Clarke - Libby and the Highland Heist - Published by Firefly Press (19 Jan. 2023) - Illustrated by Becka Moor - VOTE HERE 

BOOK TWO: Eve McDonnell - The Chestnut Roaster - Published by Everything with Words (27 Oct. 2022) - Book Cover Illustrated by Holly Ovenden - VOTE HERE 

BOOK THREE: Andy Sagar - Yesterday Crumb and the Teapot Chaos - Book Published by Orion Children's Books (16 Mar. 2023) - Book Cover Illustrated by MARINE GOSSELIN/Jen Alliston - VOTE HERE

BOOK FOUR: Levi Pinfold - Paradise Sands: A Story of Enchantment - Published by Walker Studio (3 Nov. 2022) - Book Cover Illustrated by Levi Pinfold - VOTE HERE  

BOOK FIVE: Holly Webb - The Story of Greenriver - Book Published by Orion Children's Books (1 Sept. 2022) - Illustrated by Zanna Goldhawk/designed by Lynne Manning - VOTE HERE

BOOK SIX: Jodie Garnish - The Spectaculars - Published by Usborne Publishing (29 Sept. 2022) - Illustrated by Nathan Collins - VOTE HERE

BOOK SEVEN: Penny Chrimes - WILDER - Published by 

Orion Children's Books (16 Feb. 2023) - Book Cover Illustrated by - Manuel Šumberac - VOTE HERE 

Happy Voting!

The Best Children's Book Picks January 2023 - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Abi Elphinstone - Saving Neverland -  Puffin Children's Books (5 Jan. 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0241473320 - Hardback - Age: 8+ 

Number 14 Darlington Road, looks like a perfectly ordinary townhouse - at first glance, anyway, but magic is good at hiding . . . when it's waiting for the right person to discover it . . .

Martha Pennydrop is ten, and desperate to grow up. But growing up is a tricky business. It means turning your back on imagination, fun and magic, because those were the things that led to the Terrible Day when something awful nearly happened to Martha's younger brother, Scruff, which would have been All Her Fault.

But when Martha and Scruff discover a drawer full of mysterious gold dust in the bedroom of their new house - along with a window that's seemingly impossible to close - it's the start of an incredible adventure to a magical world: Neverland! The Pennydrop's new house used to belong to another family - the Darlings - who once visited this world themselves. Now Peter Panis back, and in need of their help. Neverland is in the icy grip of a terrible curse - cast long ago by Captain Hook. And only Martha and Scruff can save it . . .

A reluctant Martha and excited Scruff are swept off to Neverland and into the company of the Lost Kids. But when Scruff is kidnapped, Martha must rediscover all the imagination, magic and belief she has buried deep inside herself for so long, to save him - and Neverland itself.

Sarah Ann Juckes (Author), Sharon King-Chai - The Night Animals - Published by Simon & Schuster Children's UK (5 Jan. 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1398510920. - Paperback - Age: 8+ 

Uncover the ghost animals within in this moving and uplifting story about finding help where you need it, from the highly acclaimed author and illustrator of The Hunt for the Nightingale.  

Nora's mum has good days and bad days, but the bad days are getting worse.  It's been just the two of them for always, and they don't need anyone else.  When the rainbow-shimmering ghost animals Nora used to see when she was small start to reappear, she's convinced that they hold all the answers.  Along with new friend Kwame, Nora follows a glittering ghostly fox, hare, raven and otter on the adventure of a lifetime, helping her to find the strength she needs to help her family.

In a heartbreaking and hopeful narrative, Sarah Ann Juckes' stunning novel, illustrated by the award-winning Sharon King-Chai sees a brave young girl face down her ghosts.  For fans of The Last Bear and Julia and the Shark.

Nigel Baines - A Tricky Kind of Magic - Published by Hodder Children's Books (5 Jan. 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1444960266 - Paperback - Age: 8+ 

Cooper is brilliant at magic tricks. Card tricks, clever illusions - he can do them all. His dad, also known as the Great Eduardo, taught him the tricks of the magical trade before he passed away. But the one thing Cooper can't do is see his dad again. 

So when a talking rabbit appears from his dad's top hat, and reveals there is a place where Cooper might find him, he jumps at the chance. Magic is about believing the impossible, after all. And Cooper desperately wants to believe that he can see his dad once more.

But what - and who - is waiting for them in the land where magic goes wrong?

Filled with humour and emotion, this is an action-packed graphic novel about finding magic when you need it the most.

Peter Lantos - The Boy Who Didn't Want to Die - Published by Scholastic (5 Jan. 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0702323089 - Paperback - Age: 8+ 

A story of survival, of love between mother and son and of enduring hope in the face of unspeakable hardship. An important read. 

The Boy Who Didn't Want to Die describes an extraordinary journey, made by Peter, a boy of five, through war-torn Europe in 1944 and 1945. Peter and his parents set out from a small Hungarian town, travelling through Austria and then Germany together. Along the way, unforgettable images of adventure flash one after another: sleeping in a tent and then under the sky, discovering a disused brick factory, catching butterflies in the meadows – and as Peter realises that this adventure is really a nightmare – watching bombs falling from the blue sky outside Vienna, learning maths from his mother in Belsen. All this is drawn against a background of terror, starvation, infection and, inevitably, death, before Peter and his mother can return home. 

The Best Children's Book Picks January 2023 - US Post - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Pam Muñoz Ryan - Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs - Published by Disney-Hyperion (January 31, 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1368078443 - Paperback - Age: 8+

"I advise you to tell no one about the gift unless you trust them implicitly."

Ever since Solimar was a little girl, she has gone to the ouamel forest bordering her kingdom to observe the monarch butterflies during their migration, but always from a safe distance. Now, on the brink of her quinceañera and her official coronation, Solimar crosses the dangerous creek to sit among the butterflies. There, a mysterious event gives her a gift and a burden--the responsibility to protect the young and weak butterflies with her magical rebozo, or silk shawl. 

Solimar is committed to fulfilling her role, and has a plan that might have worked. But when her father, the king, and her brother, the prince, leave on an expedition, a neighboring king overthrows the kingdom and holds everyone left in the village hostage. It takes all of Solimar's courage to escape and then embark on a dangerous journey to save her kingdom, but she's not alone. Her pet bird, Lázaro, the butterflies she protects, and a magical rag doll, Zarita, are with her. Then, at a precarious moment, she meets a river boy who knows the rapids. 

Even with help, can Solimar save her family, the kingdom, and the future of the monarchs from a greedy king?

Megan Reyes - Heroes of Havensong: Dragonboy - Labyrinth Road (January 24, 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593482377 - Hardback - Age: 7+ 
This timeless fantasy debut follows four unlikely heroes—a boy-turned-dragon, his reluctant dragon rider, a runaway witch, and a young soldier—bound by the Fates to save their world, and magic itself, from being destroyed.

Blue, River, Wren, and Shenli grew up on different sides of a war they didn’t start. Their land has been torn apart over centuries of conflict, with humans taught to fear all things magical, dragons driven to near extinction, and magic under attack. But an ancient prophecy has put the four of them on a collision course with destiny—and with each other—in a mission to heal the fractured realm once known as Haven. 

All of them must follow the threads of Fate, leaving behind the lives and homes they know to discover the truth about the seemingly endless war—and the truth about themselves. As the barriers between them begin to crumble, can they unravel the lies they’ve been taught to believe in order to restore the balance between humans, dragons, and magic before it’s too late?

John David Anderson - Riley's Ghost - Published by Walden Pond Press (January 11, 2022) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062985972 - Hardback - Age: 8

From John David Anderson, acclaimed author of Posted, comes a ghost story pulled from the darkest shadows of middle school.

Riley Flynn is alone. 

It feels like she’s been on her own since sixth grade, when her best friend, Emily, ditched her for the cool girls. Girls who don’t like Riley. Girls who decide one day to lock her in the science closet after hours, after everyone else has gone home.

When Riley is finally able to escape, however, she finds that her horror story is only just beginning. All the school doors are locked, the windows won’t budge, the phones are dead, and the lights aren't working. Through halls lit only by the narrow beam of her flashlight, Riley roams the building, seeking a way out, an answer, an explanation. And as she does, she starts to suspect she isn’t alone after all. 

While she’s always liked a good scary story, Riley knows there is no such thing as ghosts. But what else could explain the things happening in the school, the haunting force that seems to lurk in every shadow, around every corner? As she tries to find answers, she starts reliving moments that brought her to this night. Moments from her own life...and a life that is not her own., acclaimed author of Posted, comes a ghost story pulled from the darkest shadows of middle school.

Riley Flynn is alone. 

It feels like she’s been on her own since sixth grade, when her best friend, Emily, ditched her for the cool girls. Girls who don’t like Riley. Girls who decide one day to lock her in the science closet after hours, after everyone else has gone home.

When Riley is finally able to escape, however, she finds that her horror story is only just beginning. All the school doors are locked, the windows won’t budge, the phones are dead, and the lights aren't working. Through halls lit only by the narrow beam of her flashlight, Riley roams the building, seeking a way out, an answer, an explanation. And as she does, she starts to suspect she isn’t alone after all. 

While she’s always liked a good scary story, Riley knows there is no such thing as ghosts. But what else could explain the things happening in the school, the haunting force that seems to lurk in every shadow, around every corner? As she tries to find answers, she starts reliving moments that brought her to this night. Moments from her own life...and a life that is not her own.

Dianne K. Salerni - The Carrefour Curse - Published by Holiday House (January 31, 2023) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0823452675 - Hardback - Age: 8

The Addams Family meets The Westing Game in this exhilarating mystery about a modern magical dynasty trapped in the ruins of their once-grand, now-crumbling ancestral home.

Twelve-year-old Garnet regrets that she doesn’t know her family. Her mother has done her best to keep it that way, living far from the rest of the magical Carrefour clan and their dark, dangerous mansion known as Crossroad House.

But when Garnet finally gets summoned to the estate, it isn’t quite what she hoped for. Her relatives are strange and quarrelsome, each room in Crossroad House is more dilapidated than the last, and she can’t keep straight which dusty hallways and cobwebbed corners are forbidden. 

Then Garnet learns the family secret: their dying patriarch fights to retain his life by stealing power from others. Every accident that isn’t an accident, every unexpected illness and unexplained disappearance grants Jasper Carrefour a little more time. While the Carrefours squabbles over who will inherit his role when (if) he dies, Garnet encounters evidence of an even deeper curse. Was she brought to Crossroad House as part of the curse . . . or is she meant to break it?

Written with loads of creepy atmosphere and an edge-of-your-seat magical mystery, this thrilling story reads like The Haunting of Hill House for preteens. Perfect for late-night reading under the covers.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Best Book Cover Illustration Competition - Round 5 - 2022/23

 HELLO Everybody! It's a big MASSIVE and warm welcome to the 13th annual Children's Book Cover Competition (check out the previous winner's HERE). This year we are looking again to find your favourite book cover for 2022/2023. We do this to support the creative unsung heroes of the children's book world; the illustrators and the brilliant creative teams behind all the books we love. Please share this exciting adventure with your friends and followers on social media. Everyone is welcome to vote so share the FUN with others. 

Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Book Cover Competition Rules 

There will be five weekly heats; each with six books to vote for. (In this last one we have just gone for it!) Although there will be 7 book covers in the final to vote for. All heat winners will make the grand final plus two book covers as the highest runners-up from all the heats. 

ROUND ONE WINNER: Jo Clarke - Libby and the Highland Heist - Published by Firefly Press (19 Jan. 2023) - Illustrated by Becka Moor.

ROUND TWO WINNER: Eve McDonnell - The Chestnut Roaster - Published by Everything with Words (27 Oct. 2022) - Book Cover Illustrated by Holly Ovenden. 

ROUND THREE WINNER: Andy Sagar - Yesterday Crumb and the Teapot Chaos - Book Published by Orion Children's Books (16 Mar. 2023) - Book Cover Illustrated by MARINE GOSSELIN/Jen Alliston

ROUND FOUR WINNER: Levi Pinfold - Paradise Sands: A Story of Enchantment - Published by Walker Studio  (3 Nov. 2022)- Illustrated by Levi Pinfold

Each week you vote you will be in with a chance to win an exciting prize. 

This week's prize is a £10 Waterstones Book Voucher + The Secret of Ragnar's Gold by Mark Dawson and a bar of Chocolate. 

If you are interested all you need to do is:

• Vote for your favourite book cover using the poll HERE  (or at the bottom of the post)
• Leave a comment through this post/poll or see pinned Tweet for more details on @Enchantedbooks
• This poll will end on Tuesday the 13th of December 2022 at Midnight (UK). 

Have fun and share with the world through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Watch the voting develop, and wait to hear whether you've won (once the poll has closed).

Here are all the brilliant book covers to vote for this week: 

BOOK ONE: Ian Eagleton - The Woodcutter and The Snow Prince - Book Published by Owlet Press (3 Nov. 2022) - Illustrated by Davide Ortu - VOTE HERE

BOOK TWO: Peter Bunzl - The Clockwork Queen - Published by Barrington Stoke (2 Jun. 2022) - Illustrated by Lia Visirin - VOTE HERE

BOOK THREE: Holly Webb - The Story of Greenriver - Book Published by Orion Children's Books (1 Sept. 2022) - Illustrated by Zanna Goldhawk - VOTE HERE 

BOOK FOUR: Stuart White - Ghosts of Mars - Published by Penobi Press (16 Jan. 2023) - Illustrated by Jennifer Jamieson - VOTE HERE 

BOOK FIVE: Honor and Perdita Cargill - 

Diary of an Accidental Witch: Unexpected Guests - Published 

Stripes Publishing (2 Feb. 2023) - Illustrated by Katie Saunders and designed by Sophie Bransby - VOTE HERE 

BOOK SIX: Lucy Ann Unwin - The Octopus, Dadu and Me - Published by UCLan Publishing (5 Jan. 2023) - Illustrated by Selom Sunu/Lucy Mulligan and designed by Amy Cooper - VOTE HERE 

BOOK SEVEN: Laura Ellen Anderson - Rainbow Grey: Battle for the Skies - Published by Farshore (2 Feb. 2023) - Illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson - VOTE HERE 

BOOK EIGHT: Fleur Hitchcock - Murder at Snowfall - Published by Nosy Crow (3 Nov. 2022) -  Illustrated by Robert Ball - VOTE HERE 

BOOK NINE: Jaclyn Moriarty - The Astonishing Chronicles of Oscar from Elsewhere - Published by Guppy Books (2 Mar. 2023) - Illustrated by Karl James Mountford - VOTE HERE 

BOOK TEN: Elizabeth Lim - The Dragons Promise - Published by Hodder & Stoughton (30 Aug. 2022) - Illustrated by Kelly Chong - VOTE HERE 

HAPPY VOTING! 

Ryan Hammond - Villains Academy - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Villains Academy is Ryan's first author-illustrated book to be published by Simon & Schuster Children's. It is not available to buy at the moment as it isn't due to be published until February 2023. This is the first book in a planned series featuring no cute animals but only bad ones at the school full of villains (or is it?). The book is a really light-hearted and fun read that might just give you a boost producing an upbeat feeling. It is an excellent choice for particularly the younger but also the older reader with a big heart.

On the first day at Villains Academy, we are welcomed into class Z with Master Mardybum and his group of students. Each student is hoping to be crowned VILLIAN of the Week. The book follows a group of things - this is really the best way to describe the motley class of characters. One team is called The Cereal Killers and comprises of A Werewolf called Bram, Mona the elf-witch, Bryan the lion, Shelia the ghost, and Tony the skeleton. The other team is called The Overlords and includes Mr Toad, Spike the Snappy Croc, Jeeves, The Tooth Hairy, and MAL the lost. 

The teams compete in a mayhem plot that fills the reader with joy, sadness, and a rollercoaster of emotions. Bram needs to find his inner badness to become the villain he's always dreamed of being to win. However, everyone has to work as a TEAM which is easier said than DONE! The book is written in a fantasy, dream-like way as the quirky characters take you on the most wicked and nastiest adventure you could ever think of. It's a school adventure where it's always good to be bad or just to be able to leave in one piece. It's a cracking story full of laughs, wit, sarcasm, and huge dollops of bad smells. 

If you dare to enter Villian's Academy be prepared to expect lots of farting as well as illustrations that will delight an explosion of nightmares. It's a fast-page, evil adventure with the most frightening word, are you ready to hear it? "SHUBBLEMEGUMP" .... There, you have been warned. If this sounds like your kind of tasty toes to read then grab a copy as soon as you can. We may see you next time Soony Peeps or will we?