New Children's Fantasy Book Picks September 2013 - UK

                                     

Dawn Finch - Brotherhood of Shades - Published by Authonomy - 19, Sep 2013

From the chaos of Dissolution rises a secret order, a Brotherhood formed to protect the world of the living from the world of the dead.

Adam, a teenage boy living on the streets of London, knows nothing of the fantastic and precarious world that exists just beyond his reality – until he dies, cold and alone, aged 14. After years of rejection, Adam discovers he is important, and the Brotherhood needs him. His recruitment to their Order will take him on an adventure that spans the worlds of both the living and the dead, as he and a living girl (14-year-old Edie Freedom) battle to solve a prophetic riddle and save the world.

                                  

Gwenda Bond - The Woken Gods - Published by Strange Chemistry 3, Sep 2013 

Five years ago, the gods of ancient mythology awoke around the world.

This morning, Kyra Locke is late for school.
Seventeen-year-old Kyra lives in a transformed Washington, D.C., home to the embassies of divine pantheons and the mysterious Society of the Sun. But when rebellious Kyra encounters two trickster gods on her way back from school, one offering a threat and the other a warning, it turns out her life isn’t what it seems. She escapes with the aid of Osborne “Oz” Spencer, an intriguing Society field operative, only to discover that her scholar father has disappeared with a dangerous relic. The Society needs it, and they don’t care that she knows nothing about her father’s secrets.

Now Kyra must depend on her wits and the suspect help of scary gods, her estranged oracle mother, and, of course, Oz–whose first allegiance is to the Society. She has no choice if she’s going to recover the missing relic and save her father. And if she doesn’t? Well, that may just mean the end of the world as she knows it.

                                    

Justin Somper - Allies and Assassins - Published by Atom - 19, Sep 2013

They killed his brother. Now they're coming for him. . .

As the second prince of Archenfield, Jared never asked to be more than the spare. But behind the walls of the castle is a dark and dangerous court where murder and intrigue are never far below the surface.

Now his older brother is dead. The kingdom is his. And the target is on his back. Can he find the assassin before the assassin finds him?

                           

Jan Siegel - The Devil's Apprentice - Published by Ravenstone - 24, Sep 2013

The Devil is retiring... but who's taking over? When teenage Pen inherits the job of caretaker for a London building with no doors and only a secret entrance from the caretaker's lodge which she must never use little does she know it will lead her into unbelievable danger. For Azmordis, also known as Satan, a spirit as old as Time and as powerful as the Dark, Immortality is running out. In the house with no front door, a group of teenagers are trapped in assorted dimensions of myth and history, undergoing the trials that will shape them to step into his cloven footwear or destroy them. Assisted by only by an aspiring teenage chef called Gavin and Jinx, a young witch with more face-piercing than fae-power, Pen must try to stop the Devil's deadly game plan before it s too late.

New Children's Horror Book Picks September 2013 - UK

                                     

Chris Higson - The Fallen ( The Enemy) - Published by Puffin - 12, 2013

The Fallen by Charlie Higson is the fifth awesome book in The Enemy series.

First the sickness rotted the adults' minds. Then their bodies. Now they stalk the streets, hunting human flesh.

The Holloway crew are survivors. They've fought their way across London and made it to the Natural History Museum alive - just. But the fight will never end while the Enemy lives, unless there's another way. . .

The kids at the museum are looking for a cure. All they need are medical supplies. To get them means a journey down unknown roads. Roads where not only crazed, hungry sickos hide in the shadows.

SUDDENLY IT'S NOT SO CLEAR WHO - OR WHAT - THEY'RE FIGHTING.

                                   

Darren Shan - Zom-B Baby - Published by Simon & Schuster Childrens Books - 26, Sep 2013

How do you know if you're working for a lunatic? Where do you go when you've run out of people to trust? Have you ever heard an undead baby scream? B Smith is out of her comfort zone ...

                                     

                                 

Christopher Krovatin - Gravediggers: Mountain of Bones - Published by HarperCollins - 25, Sep 2013

When Ian, Kendra, and PJ are separated from their class on a school hiking trip in the mountains, the unthinkable happens: they come face-to-face with a legion of terrifying zombies. They don't know where they are. They don't know how to get home. They don't know what gruesome creatures lurk in the shadows-but when they find out, will they be able to defeat these monsters and escape the mountain together? Perfect for tween readers who are aging out of R.L. Stine's scary chapter book series, Gravediggers: Mountain of Bones is a mysterious, wild ride that will thrill readers to the very last page.

                                                         

Rick Yancey - The Final Descent (Monstrumologist) - Published by Simon & Schuster - 10, Sep  2013

Will Henry and Dr. Warthrop have encountered many horrors together—but can Will endure a monstrumological terror without his mentor? Will Henry has been through more that seems possible for a boy of fourteen. He’s been on the brink of death on more than one occasion, he has gazed into hell—and hell has stared back at him, and known his face. But through it all, Dr. Warthrop has been at his side.When Dr. 

Warthrop fears that Will’s loyalties may be shifting, he turns on Will with a fury, determined to reclaim his young apprentice’s devotion. And so Will must face one of the most horrific creatures of his monstrumology career—and he must face it alone.Over the course of one day, Will’s life—and Pellinor Warthrop’s destiny—will lie in balance. In the terrifying depths of the Monstrumarium, they will face a monster more terrible than any they could have imagined—and their fates will be decided.

                                                      

William Hussey - Haunted - Published by OUP Oxford - 5, Sep 2013

Milton Lake is a seemingly ordinary town, where tales of hauntings and strange goings on ripple beneath the surface. When a mysterious boy comes to town and moves into a large, derelict house, all alone, his arrival changes everything. Shrouded in secrecy, he senses a kindred spirit in Emma Rhodes, and reveals to her a shocking truth. Someone in Milton Lake is using the fabled Ghost Machine to call the spirits of the dead back to our world. 

Now it is up to these two lost souls to find out who is operating the strange invention before it is too late . . .
For call by call, the dead will be unleashed.

Jonathan Stroud - Lockwood & Co: The Screaming Staircase - Book Trailer & Publication Tour

20th August 2013: Edinburgh International Book Festival

Jonathan will be launching his new series in the UK exclusively at the Edinburgh Book Festival this summer. It will be the first public outing of Lockwood & Co: The Screaming Staircase anywhere in the world, and there are exciting plans afoot (whispers of ghosts, video trailers, kit bags and more). For details and tickets, click the following links:  Public Events  |   School Events

29th August 2013: Lockwood & Co UK publication tour!

London – Thursday 29th August (publication day)
London bookshop signings

London – Wednesday 4th September
Launch event in London venue

Cheltenham Literary Festival – Sunday 6th October
Event details TBC

London – Monday 14th October
School events with Tales on Moon Lane bookshop

Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire – Tuesday 15th October
School events with Chorleywood bookshop

York – Wednesday 16th October
School events in York

Ipswich – Thursday 17th October
School events and an evening FCBG event

Leeds – Friday 18th October
Schools events in Harrogate and Leeds

Windsor – Monday 21st October
School events with Waterstones Windsor

London – Tuesday 22nd October
School events in north and east London

Birmingham - Wednesday 23rd October
School events and an evening FCBG event in Dudley

Worcester - Thursday 24th October
School events in Worcester

Newcastle – Friday 25th October
School events set up with Newcastle libraries

Birmingham - Saturday 26th October
Event at the Youth Libraries annual conference

Also check out my Book Review here.

Book Review - SF Said - Phoenix - Illustrated by Dave McKean - Published by David Fickling

                                         

One boy alone . . . . . . can he save the galaxy?

I did not think that it would happen, but just like the brightest light from the furthest star, this book is a creation to behold. Seven years in the making, and the third fantasy adventure from the super talented SF Said, this is one of his creations best yet. It is a breathtaking epic space adventure that will have you gripped in so many ways. It's a pleasure to read and one that I would definitely read again....

Initially this book really caught me by surprise. I knew nothing about it until it came through the post, which was a feat in itself, as it arrived with only the postcode and my name on the parcel! The front cover has an attractive bright yellow image which stands out from the crowd. If you particularly enjoy a good Sci-fi space fantasy then this book is for you - it has certainly rocketed to the top of my favourite reads this year. Even if you wouldn't normally enjoy this genre, I would still recommend that you try this book as it really is that good. 

The opening of this book presents a strong gravitational pull. The words run through your brain like poetry, whilst your eyes trickle over the amazing images from Dave McKean. These are a feast for the eyes and the brain - both the unimaginable and the impossible have been captured expertly in swirls of organic motion. The illustrations are depicted in black and white, whilst particularly hard to describe, they are very atmospheric and particularly captivating. This book is a must for seeing and reading; it is very creative and unique.

From the word go, you will be gripped by both the words and the images - both of which make a captivating story that will stay with you until the very last page. It has everything that is required (and more) such as amazingly imaginative settings and plenty of compelling action - both of which are written particularly well. The main character, Lucky, is very likable and actually felt like a real person. He appears as a very believable and down-to-earth person. Lucky is a human boy, but life soon becomes very complicated when, one night, he dreams that the stars are singing. On awakening, he finds an uncontrollable power rising inside him. . . . . 

On the run with his unlikely Alien friends, the adventure takes the reader on a galactic mission. Lucky finds himself visiting war-torn galaxies, where Humans and Aliens are deadly enemies. Together they must find a way to save the galaxy. The plot lines are packed full of great detail with many highs and lows around each meteorite. 

This book was really entertaining - it was both original and inventive. When I turned to the very last page I was filled with great sadness as I didn't want the story to end and also because of the tragic turn of events. I would really love to see a sequel, but I'm very doubtful that one might come. I would really recommend buying or borrowing this book otherwise I feel that you might regret it.  

Published by David Fickling - 1st August 2013 - Hardback. Available in all good bookshops now........

Book Review: Roger Davenport - Wanderer - Published by Sky Pony Press

The best introduction that I can come up with for this book is that it is a big time story with lots of heart and soul. It is published by Sky Pony Press in New York who sent me this review copy. I'd like to thank them for sending it over and giving me the opportunity to read it.

I was very keen to read this book when I found that the story portrayed a post-apocalyptic world. I have to say that this theme is difficult to get right when it is featured in books, but when it works it is amazing. So did this book and story live up to my expectations? Well, I have to say yes, in the main it did. This book has a great vision - the author paints the picture in full colour with some great fantasy elements that work particularly well. 

The story takes place in a lost valley in which society has been split into two: the Wanderers and the people who live in the pyramid city of Arcone. The Wanderes, by in large, have a very difficult and turbulent life - they have to battle against the elements, the arid desert landscape and each other. Whilst the people, who live in the pyramid city of Arcone, have a closed environment with a tightly controlled society which enables them to maintain a more civilized basic existence in the face of an environmentally devastated planet. I really did enjoy reading this book; it's highly imaginative and very well written. It is a fast-paced easy to follow story aimed at the 13-17 year old market but it also has a strong pull to older readers, just like myself!   

The characters are varied and very interesting; they are mostly likeable and take you along on a hair raising adventure. One of my favourite parts of the story involved the gas propelled balloon journey which took me on a breathtaking ride. It was really engrossing and set up the vision for the rest of the book. I loved the small attention to detail that you will find throughout this book - it really does make the story stand out from some of the other books within this genre.

The action intensifies the further that you travel into the story. However, it then very abruptly stops leaving the outcome, for me, to end too early. Perhaps the author took a little too long to set up the story for the next book and then made the story feel like two adventures in one book. That was my only gripe about this book really - I would have liked a stronger ending.

I really would like more people to find a copy of this book as it had a really good pace and rhythm to it. It has a gripping, fantastical world element that will have you engaged by following the characters' hardships, friendships and survival. There were some particularly great scenes and epic battles involving the survival of the main characters that will keep you immersed in the story. I really did enjoy reading this book as it was easy to follow, well written and really engaging from the start. The story included many great ideas which were well thought out and all told with a twist of mystery and a sense of adrenaline. I would recommend reading this book, so track down a copy if you can......

Floris Kelpies Children's Prize Shortlist 2013

Every year as part of the Kelpies Prize, we look for the best unpublished children’s fiction with a Scottish twist. Since February, our editors have been working their way through a record number of entries to find our three finalists for this year’s prize – and they certainly weren’t disappointed.

We’re delighted to announce that the books shortlisted for the Kelpies Prize 2013 are:

• Never Back by Barbara Henderson
• Attack of the Giant Robot Chickens by Alex McCall
• The Great Moon Mission by Shona McQuilken

Never Back is an exciting Scottish thriller about a dangerous journey to remember who you really are. TJ and Levi have no memory of their life before New Dawn, brainwashed to forget by the Authorities. Can they discover their past before their present catches up with them?

Barbara Henderson has taught English and Drama, and started her own small puppetry business. She won the Nairn Festival Short Story Competition in 2012.

It’s an age-old question, but why did the chicken cross the road? To start the giant robot chicken apocalypse, of course. In Attack of the Giant Robot Chickens, there’s something fowl going on in Aberdeen as the city is terrorised by giant robotic chickens. But Jesse and his friends aren’t going to let the chickens rule the roost any longer …

Alex McCall grew up in Aberdeen, which may be why it is the first city he has destroyed in print. He has published several poetry and short story anthologies.

It’s an out-of-this world experience in The Great Moon Mission. Jimmy and his friends were expecting canoeing or sailing for this year’s class trip, not the chance to blast off into space! But as they begin to wonder what this mission is really about, Jimmy and his friends find themselves in a race against time, and slime, to save Earth from some little green men.

When her school careers advisor told her that being an author wasn’t a proper job, Shona McQuilken decided to become a scientist instead. The Great Moon Mission combines her two passions.

It won’t be long until you can find out which will be the latest addition to our Kelpies list. The winner of the Kelpies Prize 2013 will be announced at a ceremony at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on Thursday 22nd August 2013.

Want to enter next year’s Prize?

Manuscripts are now invited for submission to the Kelpies Prize 2014. The deadline is 28 February 2014 and for full rules and guidelines, you can read more here.

Guest Post #5: Andrew Beasley - Five Favourite Reads - "The Something of Something” Adventures!

                                    

Twitter: @Ben_Kingdom  Website: http://pages.usborne.com/benkingdom

I have loved books all my life, but I am now in the very wonderful position where I am sometimes asked to make recommendations. I have chosen these five books especially for Mr Ripley. Only one of them is a direct inspiration, but each has special links with my own book; The Battles of Ben Kingdom: The Claws of Evil. Happy reading, folks!

On my tours I freely acknowledge the debt I owe to The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle. It was these stories that set my young imagination on fire. I am writing Victorian fantasy now because I have never been able to escape the mystery and the wonder of those fog-bound, cobbled streets. The character of Holmes himself continues to be one of the milestones of literature, and my tribute to the Great Detective comes in the shape of my character, Jago Moon. If Holmes was old, shaven-headed, blind and played by Ray Winstone, then you’d have Mr. Moon.

                                     

Wolf in Shadow by David Gemmell continues to be one of the most amazing stories I have ever read. The character of Jon Shannow, the Jerusalem Man, is a brilliant tragic hero; in a post-apocalyptic wasteland he finds the wreck of the Titanic and believes it is the Biblical Noah’s Ark. Gemmell had a knack, not just for breath-taking action but for believable motivation; his evil devil worshippers here are so reasonable in their own understanding of the world. I hope that the Watchers and the Legion in my stories are equally honest.

                             

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz makes my list for all sorts of reasons. Amazing characters again, and a seamless blend of fantasy and reality. Most of all I have to include Dean Koontz because it is impossible to read one of his books slowly. Koontz is a master of the page- turner and I try to keep my pace as whip-crack fast as his.

  

                             

The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell is a poignant and beautifully written zombie holocaust noir. I love it because Bell is brave enough to make incredibly daring editorial choices. I’ve tried to be just as bold in my second Ben Kingdom story, The Feast of Ravens. All I’m saying is, no one is safe.

                               

                        

And finally, Harvest of Time by Alastair Reynolds is the most recent book on the list, but I include it because it returns me to my childhood love. Like so many writers that I meet, Doctor Who has been a lifelong companion. This new story is the literary equivalent of sticky toffee pudding – Jon Pertwee’s dandy Doctor, UNIT, the Brigadier, and the Master – comfort food for the mind. My title The Claws of Evil is a tribute to 70’s Who. Find a list somewhere and check out those brilliant “The Something of Something” adventures!   

My book review for Andrew Beasley's - The Claws of Evil (The Battles of Ben Kingdom) 
here: http://mrripleysenchantedbooks.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/book-review-andrew-beasley-battles-of.html

Neil Gaiman reveals the inspiration behind his new children's book FORTUNATELY THE MILK - Bloomsbury

Neil Gaiman reveals the inspiration behind his exciting new children’s book in this brand new video for Bloomsbury.

 See below a specially recorded message from Neil Gaiman.

Packed with globby green aliens, intergalactic dinosaur police, pirates and a

time-travelling dinosaur Fortunately, the Milk is Neil Gaiman’s silliest story yet.

Be swept along on an adventure that will have children of all ages (and lots of childish grown-ups)

laughing with glee as Dad tries to get the milk home...and possibly save the universe along the way.

Fortunately, the Milk is published by Bloomsbury in hardback, 17^th September 2013, £10:99

Press Release: Michelle Paver - Short Story Challenge - Gods and Warriors: The Burning Shadow - Puffin Books

BESTSELLING AUTHOR PUTS SHORT STORY CHALLENGE TO YOUNG WANNABE WRITERS

Michelle Paver invites youngsters to ‘Write for the Gods’

Gods and Warriors: The Burning Shadow released 1^st August

Young people with a talent for spinning an adventurous yarn are being invited to take part in a unique writing challenge by bestselling novelist Michelle Paver.

To mark the release of her new book, Gods and Warriors: The Burning Shadow, the award-winning children’s author is launching ‘Write for the Gods’, a short story contest offering youngsters of all ages the chance to show off their storytelling skills and scoop some money-can’t-buy prizes.

The Burning Shadow is the second instalment in an epic five-part series transporting readers back to the Mediterranean Bronze Age, most of the research for which was done first hand with Michelle climbing volcanoes and meeting animals – dolphins, falcons and lions – that feature in the stories.

Now the author is calling on young wannabe writers to take inspiration from her books and adventures and submit their own original tale of up to 450 words.

The ten most imaginative and exciting stories – as selected by Michelle herself – will be published online as part of an official Write for the Gods page on social media platform Tumblr, and appear on the new Gods and Warriors website.

Winning entrants will also receive signed copies of The Burning Shadow, as well as a copy of the first book in the Gods and Warriors series, The Outsiders.

Taking part is simple. Just visit http://www.writeforthegods.tumblr.com where you will find some opening lines written by Michelle to get your entry started, along with step by step instructions for sending in your finished story. The first two winners will be revealed on 26 July, with two more unveiled every week until 23 August 2013.

If you’re stuck for a brainwave, Michelle’s top writing tips should come in handy:

Ask yourself: who is my main character? What do they like, hate or fear? Most importantly, what do they want? To escape a lion? Pass a test? Get to safety?

Next, ask: what gets in their way of achieving their aim? An enemy? A blizzard? Self doubt? Putting an obstacle in your character’s way, then deciding how they deal with it, will give you the basis of a story

Now make your story real. If it’s set in a forest, take a walk in one and pretend to be your character. Take notes on whatever strikes you, using all five senses

Then, start writing. Just get something down. (You can either write on paper first, or straight onto a computer, whatever feels right for you.)

Now read your story through as if you were a new reader. Is anything unclear? A bit boring, wordy or unnecessary? Change it! You can rewrite anything. It’s your story. You’re in charge.

Finally, reading your story out loud can really help, especially in writing natural-sounding dialogue

Gods and Warriors: The Burning Shadow is published in Puffin hardback on 1st August 2013. Follow on Twitter @PuffinBooks.

WILLIAM ALEXANDER - GOBLIN SECRETS - (THE IMPORTANCE OF MASKS IN GOBLIN SECRETS) - UK BLOG TOUR

                                      

Masks: Real & Fictional Collections

I own several masks, and I'm still trying to understand them. Masks are odd and contradictory things. They let us hide who we are and pretend to be something we're not, but they're also more than disguises, more than just lies carved into face-like shapes. Masks allow us try on new qualities and possibilities. They help us decide what we might want to become. 

The acting troupe in Goblin Secrets owns a vast collection of masks. Here's a glimpse of it:

The masks covered both the upstream and the downstream walls. Rownie saw heroes and ladies, villains and charmers, nursemaids and gentry. He saw animal masks made of fur, feathers, and scaly lizard skins bristling with teeth. Most had been carved out of wood or shaped in paster, but he also saw masks made of tin and polished copper, gleaming in the lantern light. He saw thin, translucent masks made of beetles' wings and carapaces. He saw long-nosed tricksters and ghoulish false faces. Hundreds and hundreds of masks hung from nails by lengths of string, and every one of them seemed to be watching Rownie as he watched them.
— Goblin Secrets, Act III, Scene ii

I keep my smaller collection in my office. Ara, the Mali embodiment of water, sits above a messier, papier-mâché water droplet made by a local puppet theatre company. Momo from The Last Airbender sits directly on top of a demon from Deli. I'm not sure why Momo ended up there, but he did. 

"OfficeMasks"

I also have a fox mask by Jeff Semmerling and an unfinished Ko-Omoto by the Noh master Bidou Yamaguchi. Both Jeff and Bidou were hugely helpful with my mask-making research, and both have masks named after them inside the book. A finished Noh mask can change expressions without moving; just tilting the angle turns a smile into a thoughtful frown. The leather fox mask might be my favourite, and one of my favourite bookstores made a great, big, paper version of it the last time I read there.

["WillFox" — Photographer by Teri Fullerton]

["Unfinished" & "KoOmoto" —the finished version, and the photo of it, are both by Bidou Yamaguchi]

                 

["RumpusFox" —Photograph by Laura Given]

Online I have a much larger collection. Students at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design made them for me, and each one can be printed, colored-in, and worn with string. 

["FoxTemplate"]

Treat them well when you put them on.....

Check out the book review Here

Book Review: William Alexander - Goblin Secrets - UK Post - Published by Much-in-Little

                                         

I bought this book purely on the book cover as you probably know that I'm a sucker for a good front cover. In fact I was drawn in purely on this alone..... Perhaps a question that might be asked is did the cover live up to the story within? I have to say that it did ...

I didn't know anything about the author or the book before I started reading. Therefore, I was very interested to see how it would read. The first thing that I noticed from the start was its cast of colourful characters that leapt off the page. They were very interesting to read and intriguing to follow. 

The author soon sets out his stall in building a great setting. I immediately became immersed and lost within it. I have not read many books this year that will come close to establishing such a great setting. The author has skilfully dreamt up a place of awe and one that I enjoyed visiting and being apart of very much. 

Equally, I loved the unique and original ideas - these are becoming harder to find as so many books are now being published. However, they really worked within this story. The distinctive language had a style of its own that flowed through the pages. This perhaps holds similarities with the great writer, Catherynne M Valente, who also has a similar style of writing. Every page you read makes you think and evaluate the story. The heart of the book is very complex and at times I wasn't sure whether I was grasping what the author was intending. Therefore, I found myself revisiting certain parts of the book, but it was a good for me to do this as I did not want to miss anything by rushing through the pages.

I was really intrigued by the masks coming to life - this section was fascinating to read as it gave the story a real fantasy element. Look out for the great guest post I have coming up by the author, Thursday 25 July 2013 "The Importance of Masks" which might help you pick up a copy and give it a try.  

The idea of the inhabitants of Zombay running around with clock work parts, gears and sprockets to fix the human body was a particularly cool concept. It injected the story with a slight steampunk theme, and one that I really loved reading. 

There is a lot going on within so few pages. In fact once the story comes to an end, you will want to start the book all over again. This book is like a clockwork automaton as it runs on its very own magic right up to the end. This is a book for the reader who enjoys the power of words and a great story. A recommended book for definite, now published in the UK.

• Publisher: Much-in-Little (18 July 2013)

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Children's Book Picks August 2013 - UK Post

                                             

Michelle Paver - The Burning Shadow (Gods and Warriors Book 2) - Published by Puffin - 1 August 2013

If an Outsider wields the blade, the House of Koronos burns...'

A boy on the run.

A deadly prophecy.

A race against time.

Hylas the Outsider is captured by slavers. Set to work in the terrible underground mines of Thalakrea, he learns to his horror that he's now closer than ever to his murderous enemies, the Crows. He has to escape before they find out he's here.

Pirra, the daughter of the High Priestess, is also on the run. When Fate reunites her with Hylas, their survival depends on ancient magic and an orphaned lion cub - unless the Gods have other plans...

                  

F. E. Higgins - THE PHENOMENALS: A GAME OF GHOULS - Published by Macmillan - 1 August 2013

An earthquake has rumbled through the twisted city of Degringolade, stopping the town Kronometer and the infamous Phenomenals in their tracks. Legend has it that if the ancient clock stops ticking a terrible fate will befall the people of Degringolade, and there's no denying that the super-mundane entities of the tar-pits are behaving strangely.

They know something that the townspeople don't: deep below the city, something has woken up. And it's hungry . . .

                                           

Jenny Nimmo - Leopards' Gold (The Secret Kingdom) - Published by Egmont Books - 29 August 2013 

In the conclusion to this beautifully crafted trilogy, bestselling author Jenny Nimmo takes her readers on an extraordinary journey that will enthral any fan of magical fantasy. From the author of the Charlie Bone series and The Snow Spider. Fans of Diana Wynne Jones and Angie Sage's Septimus Heap will love the Red King's adventures. In the conclusion to this beautifully crafted trilogy, bestselling author Jenny Nimmo takes her readers on an extraordinary journey that will enthral any fan of magical fantasy. From the author of the Charlie Bone series and The Snow Spider. Fans of Diana Wynne Jones and Angie Sage's Septimus Heap will love the Red King's adventures. Many years have passed since King Timoken settled in Britain, and his majestic home is protected by the wizards Llyr and Eri, whose powerful enchantments make the great Red Castle and its people invisible whenever danger threatens. Then the castle bellman disappears. A trace of blood on the stairs is the only clue as to his fate. Could there be a traitor in their midst? Petrello and Tolomeo, the most inquisitive of Timoken's nine children, are determined to solve the mystery.

                          

Chris Northrop & Jeff Stokely - The Reason for Dragons - Published by Archaia Entertainment - 6 August 2013 

Wendell is a high school outcast who lives a lonely, suburban existence, losing himself in books in order to avoid his distant, motorcycle-riding stepfather, Ted. When the school bullies convince Wendell to venture into the forest around their neighborhood and explore the long-abandoned Renaissance Faire grounds they all believe to be haunted, Wendell is surprised to find a man living in the barn - and even more surprised by the man himself. His new acquaintance seems the definition of crackpot, believing himself to be a medieval knight named Sir Habersham, tasked with the duty of slaying the dragon he insists is wandering the woods. But when Wendell starts hearing rumblings - and listening to Habersham's stories - he starts to wonder if, perhaps, it could all be true. In a heartfelt coming-of age story, Wendell must defy logic in order to follow his heart.