Children 9+
A Drop of Golden Sun, Kate Saunders ( paperback Feb 2024)
£7.99
It's 1973 and 12-year-old Jenny is in shock. She's just been cast as one of the lead roles in a feature film. She's going to be a child actor! Soon she must jet off to France, to the idyllic Château Mouchotte, where she will join her film family: three other children and two renowned actors.The glitz and glamour of being on set is a million miles away from Jenny's normal life, but showbiz is never straightforward and there's one fierce and famous actor that threatens the whole shoot. It's up to Jenny and her friends to keep the peace and save the film. Jenny is about to experience a life-changing summer in the spotlight!
Always, Morris Gleitzman ( paperback October 2021)
£7.99
The much-anticipated final journey in the story of Felix, hero of Morris Gleitzman's multi-award-winning Once, Then, After, Soon, Maybe and Now. It's fifteen years since readers were first introduced to Felix in Once and across six celebrated books, our brave young hero has survived many unforgettable and emotional journeys. Now comes the seventh and final part of Felix's story, bringing to a powerful climax a series that countless young readers around the world will remember - Always.
About Once ....
My name is Felix. This is my story. Felix has been living in an orphanage for three years and eight months when the men in armbands arrive to burn the books. Going on the run in search of his parents, Felix soon learns that Poland in 1942 is not a safe place for Jewish boys. But can his gift for storytelling keep him one step ahead of the Nazis and help him find his parents? 'Morris Gleitzman has a rare gift for writing very funny stories and an even rarer gift of wrapping very serious stories inside them' - Guardian
Amari and the Great Game, BB Alston ( paperback May 2023)
£7.99
Sequel to the New York Times bestseller Amari and the Night Brothers!
"Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black" in this magical second book in the New York Times bestselling Supernatural Investigations trilogy, soon to be a major movie starring Marsai Martin. Perfect for 8+ fans of Percy Jackson and Nevermoor. After finding her brother and saving the entire supernatural world, Amari Peters is convinced her first full summer as a Junior Agent will be a breeze.
But between the fearsome new Head Minister's strict anti-magician agenda, fierce Junior Agent rivalries, and her brother Quinton's curse steadily worsening, Amari's plate is full. So when the secretive League of Magicians offers her a chance to stand up for magiciankind as its new leader, she declines. She's got enough to worry about! But her refusal allows someone else to step forward, a magician with dangerous plans for the League.
This challenge sparks the start of the Great Game, a competition to decide who will become the Night Brothers' successor and determine the future of magiciankind. The Great Game is both mysterious and deadly, but among the winner's magical rewards is Quinton's last hope . .. so how can Amari refuse?
An Elephant in the Garden, Morpurgo ( paperback Jan 2024)
£7.99
An epic story of determination and love, about one family's escape from the Allied bombing of Dresden in the Second World War. It's 1945, and the bombing of Dresden is imminent. Before the bombs start to fall, Lizzie's zookeeper mother brings home the one animal she can't bear to lose: Marlene, the elephant. When Lizzie and her family join the thousands of other refugees fleeing the city, they end up with more than one unusual companion .
Annie Lumsden, The Girl From the Sea ( paperback April 2023)
£7.99
A magical story about finding your identity from one of the most acclaimed storytellers of his generation, richly illustrated in full colour by an internationally renowned artist. My mother says that all things can be turned to tales. I thought she meant tales like fish tails, but I was wrong.She meant tales like this, tales that are stories. But this tale of mine is very like a fish tail too... Annie has never been like the other girls.
Her mam tried sending her to school when she was small, but Annie couldn't seem to make words or numbers stick. She prefers instead to be swimming in the sea, or sunbathing on the shore at Stupor Beach, her head full of tales. She should have been a fish, her mam always tells her, and Annie knows the truth of it.
Then a stranger who comes to town is struck by the beauty and the wonder of her, and Annie Lumsden realizes that perhaps she really is half a creature from the sea.
Birdsong, Katya Balen ( paperback July 2022)
£6.99
The blackbirds' song uplifts and restores in this captivating novella from one of the most exciting voices in children's fiction. After a devastating car crash, Annie is unable to play her flute and retreats from the music she's always loved. She exists in a world of angry silence - furious with her mum and furious she can't seem to play her beloved flute any more.
Then she meets Noah, who shows her the blackbirds' nest hidden in the scrubland near their flats. As their friendship grows, the blackbirds' glorious song reignites Annie's passion for music. But when tragedy strikes again, will her fragile progress be put at risk?
Simple text but with an emotional heart, suitable for reluctant or slower reader (Barrington Stoke publishers ) but who want a less simple story. Katya Balen is one of my favourite writers.
Break the Mould, Sinead Burke ( paperback, October 2020)
£9.99
Break the Mould : How to Take Your Place in the World
by Sinead Burke (Author)
Sometimes we can feel like we are not good enough. That we don't belong. Or that we want to be more like our friends.
In this empowering guide, Sinead Burke draws on her own experiences and encourages young readers to believe in themselves, have pride in who they are and use their voice to make the world a fairer, more inclusive place. From the power of being different, to celebrating the things you love about yourself and helping others do the same, this is a brilliantly inspirational handbook for breaking the mould and finding your place in the world. 'A very important book encouraging us all to celebrate the uniqueness and gift of our own and others' differences, while recognising all of that which we share in common.' - Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland
Cardboard Cowboys, Brian Conaghan (10+, Paperback April 2021)
£7.99
Multi-award-winning author Brian Conaghan's first book for 10+ readers is a future classic brimming with humour and heart.
Even though I found him living in a house made of cardboard, Bruce is a massive legend. FACT. So this mine and Bruce's story.You don't have to believe it happened, but it did. All of it. Nobody at school can see past Lenny's size to the person within.
So when lessons get too tough, Lenny always goes to his bench to think. At least there no one can see him. Then one day, midway through lobbing his empty can of Irn-Bru into the canal he's stopped by Bruce.
Bruce lives in a cardboard home hidden away by the banks, and he doesn't approve of kids messing up his front lawn ... But a bumpy start soon gives way to an unexpected friendship - and an epic road trip - that will change both of them for life ...
Cósima Unfortunate Steals A Star, Laura Noakes (paperback May 2023)
£7.99
Exciting, funny, moving - and featuring joyous and authentic disabled representation - Cosima Unfortunate Steals a Star is the middle-grade debut of 2023. Cosima Unfortunate has spent all her life at the Home for Unfortunate Girls - a school where any disabled children, or children deemed different, are sent, whether their families want it or not. It is there that she meets her friends - Pearl, Mary and Diya - and they start to practise mini heists involving the theft of cakes, biscuits and other sweet goodies.But when Cos finds out that Lord Francis Fitzroy, the explorer behind the Empire Exhibition, is planning to adopt them, she and her friends plot the biggest heist of their life. Instead of fondant fancies, they're going to steal Fitzroy's prized tiara, containing the legendary Star Diamond of India! But, as they start preparing for the day, Cosima finds herself drawing ever closer to discovering the one secret she's always wanted to know - the truth about her parents...
Destination Anywhere, by Sara Bernard ( paperback April 2021)
£7.99
A breathtaking novel about finding yourself and finding a friend by the award-winning author of Beautiful Broken Things.Sometimes you have to leave your life behind to find your place in the world.
After five years at secondary school spent without any friends, Peyton King starts sixth form college determined that things will be different. Whatever happens, she will make friends at any cost.
When she finds the friends she’s always dreamed of, including an actual boyfriend, she’s happier than she’s ever been.
But when they let her down in the worst way, Peyton is left no better off than when she started.
Now Peyton knows the only chance she has of finding happiness is to look for it somewhere else. Her life may feel small, but it doesn't have to be. With nothing but her sketchpad and a backpack, she buys a one-way ticket and gets on a plane. . .
In Destination Anywhere, Sara Barnard explores love, life and friendship in this exquisite tale of the lengths one girl will go to to change her story.
Dogs of the Deadlands, Anthony McGowan ( paperback 2023)
£7.99
It broke my heart and then splinted it back together again... Magnificent.' Hannah Gold, bestselling author of The Last Bear 'A dog's eye perspective that's so vivid you can almost taste the earthworms.' FT, YA Book of the Year'This visceral story of heartbreak and survival...has the memorable feel of a classic.' Guardian, Best children's and YA books of 2022Chernobyl, 1986. Natasha's world is coming to an end.Forced to evacuate her home in the middle of the night, she must leave her puppy behind and has no idea if she'll ever return. Some time later, growing up in the shadow of the ruined nuclear power plant, pups Misha and Bratan have to learn how to live in the wild-and fast. Creatures with sharp teeth, claws, and yellow eyes lurk in the overgrown woods.
And they're watching the brothers' every move... But will the dogs survive without humans? And can humans live without them?
Feather, MG Leonard ( paperback Feb 2024)
£7.99
The final unputdownable adventure in the bestselling birdwatching detective series from the internationally acclaimed author of Beetle Boy and Adventures on Trains, wildlife queen M.G. Leonard. On a school trip to the Royal Swan Natural History Museum, Ava finds herself at the centre of a heist: hundreds of invaluable bird of paradise skins from the Alfred Wallace Collection have been stolen! When she discovers a large jet-black feather, she's sure it's a clue, but the police won't listen to her.Slipping away, she takes the case to the Twitchers in an investigation that leads them to the bizarre and sinister world of fly-fishing, and to a mysterious girl with a pet Raven called Caliban and a dangerous ring of thieves and smugglers... Feather is an exciting winter mystery adventure about friendship, bravery and protecting nature, perfect for readers 9+ and for fans of Robin Stevens, Lauren St John and Jenny Pearson. It can be enjoyed as a stand-alone adventure or read as part of The Twitchers series.
Praise for The Twitchers:“Leonard knows her audience and the jeopardy comes in flocks ... Find your nest, curl up and enjoy.†The Times, Children's Book of the Week on Twitch"A twist-laden, thriller-like tale of a bird-mad boy, some bullies and an escaped convict hiding in the nearby woods."
Finding Bear, Hannah Gold ( hardback September 2023)
£12.99
April Wood has returned home from her adventure on Bear Island. But, over a year later, she can't stop thinking about Bear.
When April hears that a polar bear has been shot and injured in Svalbard, she's convinced it's her friend and persuades her dad to travel with her to the northernmost reaches of the Arctic. So begins an unforgettable journey across frozen tundra and icy glaciers. But along the way, she discovers much more than she bargained for - a tiny polar bear cub, desperately in need of her help.
In freezing temperatures, April must navigate the dangerous Arctic terrain and face her deepest fears if she's to save him. Beautifully illustrated by Levi Pinfold, Finding Bear is a stunning story of survival and a heartwarming tale of love that shows us how hope is born from the smallest of beginnings.
Beautifully illustrated by Levi Pinfold and perfect for readers 8+
Finding Wonder, Lauren St John ( paperback Sept 23)
£7.99
Orphaned Roo Thorn feels like the unluckiest girl in the world. Until she discovers a letter. A letter which urges her to 'Grab life by the wings and fly.'With the help of her aunt, Joni, Roo sets out to buy her dream horse - a fiery showjumper named Wonder Boy.Then Wonder vanishes without a trace. Determined to save him, Roo and Joni investigate his disappearance. But as the mystery deepens and more prize horses are stolen, the pair find themselves drawn into a thrilling - but dangerous - adventure .
. . How far will they go, and what will they risk, to find Wonder?
Fireborn: Twelve and the Frozen Forest, by Aisling Fowler ( Sept 2022 Paperback)
£7.99
Set in the snowy northern forests of a prehistoric world, Fireborn is the middle-grade debut of the decade.
By turns exciting, funny and heart wrenchingly sad, it marks the introduction of an unstoppable new voice in children's storytelling. A FIERCE HEROINE RISES Twelve has spoken the Pledge and now she is a Huntling. She has given up her name to train in the art of fighting monsters, and she won't choose a new one until she has earned it.
But when her friend is taken, Twelve sets off on a dangerous journey to rescue her. Teaming up with Dog, the stone Guardian of the Hunting Lodge, Twelve ends up on an epic adventure that will change her life, her name - and her entire world. The second book in the FIREBORN series, Phoenix and the Frost Palace, is available from October 2023 in paperback.
First Term at Fernside, Sheena Wilkinson ( paperback Sept 2024)
£8.99
It’s a new term at Fernside boarding school, and Robin can’t wait for fun in the dorm, playing games and maybe even winning the coveted Form Shield. But for new girl Linnet, Robin’s younger cousin, there are just too many new faces and strict rules. Luckily, she has Robin for help and her very own hideaway.
And when the adorable puppy Rudy disappears, it is Linnet who is determined to find him. Even if it means dragging Robin and all her new friends headfirst into danger. There may be daring rescues, secret missions and adventures galore, but best of all are the true friendships to be made at Fernside.
Flying Tips for Flightless Birds, by Kelly McCaughrain (paperback)
£7.99
Twins Finch and Birdie Franconi are stars of the flying trapeze. But when Birdie suffers a terrifying accident, Finch must team up with the geeky new kid, Hector Hazzard, to form an all-boys double act and save the family circus school.
Recently shortlisted for the Great Reads Award, this debut YA novel is funny, warm hearted and encouraging for anyone who feels they just don’t fit ‘the mould’.
Friends and Traitors, Helen Peters ( children's paperback July 2023)
£7.99
Some secrets are just too dangerous to know... A gripping World War II story about how two girls foil an aristocratic plot to bring down the government and hand the country to the Nazis... When Sidney Dashworth's school is evacuated to a huge stately home in the countryside, she thinks she's going to spend the war being very bored.At least her brother must be having fun, flying his Spitfire all over France! But soon Sidney and a housemaid called Nancy discover that the Earl is up to no good. He has secret nighttime meetings with mysterious men from the government and seems to be hiding something sinister on his land. At first it's all terribly thrilling, investigating by creeping about at night and finding secret passageways, but soon everything takes a deadly turn.
Sidney's brother goes missing over France and the war hits home with a terrible reality. The Earl and his evil plotters must be stopped, or nothing will ever be the same again...
Glassborn, Peter Bunzl ( paperback Nov 23)
£7.99
Fairy Tree tall and grand, open a path to Fairyland. The year is 1826, and the four Belle siblings arrive at their new home - Fairykeep Cottage. Here Acton, the youngest member of the family, discovers a hidden key that opens a door into Fairyland.But when he ventures through, he's kidnapped by the Fairy Queen's servants. Cora, Elle and Bram set out on a quest to rescue their brother. But Fairyland is full of dangers...and to overcome the Fairy Queen they will need all their courage, cunning and a great deal of hope.
An enthralling tale of magic and mystery, from the bestselling author of The Cogheart Adventures.
Hollowpox :Morrigan Crow series, Jessica Townsend ( June 2021 paperback)
£7.99
Discover the magical world of Nevermoor and the adventures of Morrigan Crow, in this bestselling, award-winning series ( for fans of Harry Potter and Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials)
Morrigan Crow is determined, daring and ready for a new challenge: to step into her destiny as a Wundersmith, master the mysterious Wretched Arts, and control the power that threatens to consume her. She and her friends are proud to be in their second year of attendance at the magical Wundrous Society, and together they can face anything. But a strange illness has taken hold of Nevermoor, turning its peaceable Wunimals into mindless, vicious unnimals on the hunt.
As victims of the Hollowpox multiply, panic spreads. And with the city she loves in a state of fear, Morrigan quickly realises it is up to her to find a cure for the Hollowpox, even if it will put her - and the rest of Nevermoor - in more danger than ever before ... Enter a world of hope and imagination in this Wundrous series, winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and with film rights sold to Fox.
Hope On the Horizon, Onjali Q Rauf (May 2022)
£9.99
No one is too small to make a change." Growing up, there is so much out of our control and so much we can feel helpless about. But together, we can make a difference. In this inspiring and practical handbook, bestselling children's author and Human Rights campaigner, Onjali Rauf, shares her top ten ways for creating change.With the help of her favourite fictional characters and some of the most inspiring people she has ever met, Onjali invites readers to dive in and discover everything there is to know about kindness, empathy, friendship and fighting for the things that matter. (Plus cool stuff like X-ray vision and deflecting negative forces.)Because with a bit of compassion, a big dollop of hope and even the smallest act of kindness, we can all make the world a better place. Hope is on the horizon; you just have to find it.
Parental guidance recommended: issues related to discrimination, injustice and prejudice are included.
How Far We’ve Come, Joyce Efia Harmer (PAPERBACK 2024)
£8.99
From debut author, Joyce Efia Harmer, comes a ground-breaking YA story of friendship and freedom that crosses continents and centuries, in a timeslip novel exploring the legacy of slavery.
Sometime, me love to dream that me is a human, a proper one, like them white folks is. Enslaved on a plantation in Barbados, Obah dreams of freedom.
As talk of rebellion bubbles up around her in the Big House, she imagines escape. Meeting a strange boy who's not quite of this world, she decides to put her trust in him. But Jacob is from the twenty-first century.
Desperate to give Obah a better life, he takes her back with him. At first it seems like dreams really do come true - until the cracks begin to show and Obah sees that freedom comes at an unimaginable cost . .
. Both hopeful and devastating, this powerful novel about equality, how far we've come, and how far we still have to go introduces an extraordinary new literary voice.
How I lost My Heart & Other Breakables, Alex Barclay ( paperback Jan 2023)
£7.99
My Heart & Other Breakables: How I lost my mum, found my dad, and made friends with catastrophe.
The hilarious and deeply moving diary novel from bestselling author Alex Barclay - this might just be the funniest book ever to make you cry your eyes out. This is the diary of me, Ellery Brown, aged fifteen and a half. I'm supposed to be recording my feelings about my mum, since she died, so why do I keep thinking about who my dad might be instead? Until now, I've had literally NO IDEA who my dad is.
My best friend Meg and I have narrowed it down to three authors my mum knew. (She was an author too.) But as they're all on different CONTINENTS, we're going to need fake IDs, passports, plane tickets and to get away from my self-obsessed grandmother . .
. One thing's for sure: this year is going to be INTERESTING!
For 12 +
How To Spaghettify Your Dog : and other science secrets of the universe by Hiba Noor Khan (Author)
£8.99
A wonderfully illustrated, jam-packed, must-have science book for all aspiring young physicists!' The Royal Institution Have you ever wondered how to slow down time? Or what would happen if the Earth stopped spinning? Or whether you'd be OK if you fell into a black hole? Well, wonder no more. This book, by former physics teacher and UKLA longlisted author Hiba Noor Khan, is bursting with fascinating physics facts that will explain everything you want to know, and more, about the curiosities of our cosmos. Become acquainted with the phenomenal laws of physics - from the tiniest building blocks of our body to the enormous stars that burn in our skies, light years away.The book breaks down complex science topics into fun, digestible chunks. Featuring easy-to-follow experiments, eye-catching illustrations by Waterstones Book Prize winner Harry Woodgate and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, this hands-on book will demystify physics and bring science to life.
I, Spy : a Bletchley Park mystery, Rhian Tracey ( paperback April 2023)
£7.99
A thrilling mystery adventure set in Bletchley Park at the start of World War II, based on true events. Perfect for fans of Phil Earle and Hilary McKay. "A highly original, gripping World War II story" - Emma CarrollTwelve-year-old Robyn has grown up in Bletchley Park, where her father works as a driver.When she's not at school, there's nothing she likes more than helping her dad in the garages. Then the war begins and everything at Bletchley changes. Robyn is assigned to help with the carrier pigeons that take messages to the Allies.
But first, she must sign the Official Secrets Act and is ordered not to leave the grounds of the park. While Bletchley is buzzing with people recruited for the war effort and all eyes are on the skies, Robyn becomes convinced that there's something sinister going on within Bletchley Park itself. Together with her friends Mary and Ned, Robyn resolves to uncover the enemy in their midst .
. . 'I loved this spy mystery about Robyn and her friends as they try to uncover the enemy in their midst.
Rhian's wonderful descriptions of Bletchley Park made me feel I was there in one of the most famous settings in WWII Britain. Readers will be hooked till the end.' Sufiya Ahmed, author of Rosie Raja: Churchill's Spy
Impossible Creatures- Katharine Rundell (paperback August 24)
£14.99
A boy called Christopher is visiting his reclusive grandfather when he witnesses an avalanche of mythical creatures come tearing down the hill. This is how Christopher learns that his grandfather is the guardian of one of the ways between the non-magical world and a place called the Archipelago, a cluster of magical islands where all the creatures we tell of in myth live and breed and thrive alongside humans. They have been protected from being discovered for thousands of years; now, terrifyingly, the protection has worn thin, and creatures are breaking through.
Then a girl, Mal, appears in Christopher's world. She is in possession of a flying coat, is being pursued by a killer and is herself in pursuit of a baby griffin. Mal, Christopher and the griffin embark on an urgent quest across the wild splendour of the Archipelago, where sphinxes hold secrets and centaurs do murder, to find the truth - with unimaginable consequences for both their worlds.
Together the two must face the problem of power, and of knowledge, and of what love demands of us. 'A marvellous, imaginative fantasy told with great style and sparkle - a book to race through in a day and keep for a lifetime' - Jacqueline Wilson
Paperback available from end August 2024, pre-order for collection!
Incredible Inventions, Adam Kay ( hardback October 2023)
£14.99
Do you ever wonder where the stuff around you all came from? No, not from the shops. I mean, who had the amazing idea of making video games or the annoying idea of building a school?In the latest laugh-out-loud book from the record-breaking and extremely handsome Adam Kay and Henry Paker, you'll learn about everything ever invented, from the daft to the disgusting to the downright dangerous. You'll discover all about:- The queen who pooed on the first ever toilet- How velcro was invented by a dog- Why the Ancient Greeks wiped their bums on dinner platesAs well as 48,762,851,208 other facts.(Approximately.)Praise for Kay's Anatomy:'An enjoyably gross look at the human body. Hours of gruesome fun guaranteed' i'Like listening to a teacher who makes pupils fall about' Sunday Times'Totally brilliant!' Jacqueline Wilson'Fun and informative' Malorie Blackman'Very funny - this exciting book is bound to inspire the next generation of medics' Sunday ExpressPraise for Kay's Marvellous Medicine:'A ridiculously funny read that will delight, gross out and educate all at the same time' Independent'Educational and entertaining. It should be on the national curriculum!' Harry Hill'Completely marvellous and very funny' BookTrust
Like A Curse, Elle McNicoll ( paperback Feb 2023)
£7.99
Stuck in Loch Ness while Edinburgh falls under the control of a terrifyingly powerful Siren, Ramya Knox is frustrated. She's supposed to be learning magic from her Aunt Opal, but that isn't going as smoothly as she'd hoped. As she pushes to rescue her Hidden Folk friends in the city, long-buried secrets come to light and legends come to life.
Ramya knows she's different; she knows she's a witch. But now she must learn the true meaning of her powers... before all she loves is lost.
Like a Charm Series : Book 2
See below for Book 1 ( Like A Charm)
Lost Whale, Hannah Gold ( paperback Feb 2023)
£7.99
The enchanting second novel from the author of The Last Bear: the bestselling debut hardback of 2021.
Rio has been sent to live with a grandmother he barely knows in California, while his mum is in hospital. All Rio wants is for Mum to get better so he can return home. But everything changes when he joins a whale-watching trip and meets White Beak, a gentle giant of the sea.
Rio forms an instant bond with the whale, and for the first time in ages he feels a spark of hope. Then White Beak goes missing and Rio may be the only person who can help. Can Rio draw on their special connection to somehow find and save his whale .
For readers 8 +
Lottie Brook's Essential Guide to Life, by Katie Kirby ( paperback Oct 24)
£7.99
From hilarious MEGA-bestselling author, Katie Kirby, comes a brand-new Lottie Brooks book with a twist! Hi, Lottie Brooks here! I’ve just found out that you’ve all been reading about my most EMBARRASSING moments for years . . .
it’s meant to be my TOTALLY SECRET PRIVATE DIARY!!Seems like it’s only fair then that it’s YOUR TURN! Lottie has been sharing her most cringe-inducing moments for years, and this book sums up all of Lottie’s knowledge and wisdom for a totally ESSENTIAL guide to life. Lottie and her friends are here to help you through those tweenage years with their best advice on school, friendship, crushes and, most importantly, SNACKS. Filled with BRAND-NEW stories and Lottie inspired activities, plus space for you to write and draw as well, grab a pen (and maybe a KitKat Chunky, for energy) and get ready to learn from Lottie!What will you find inside:Tips and advice from LottieHilarious activities including Would you Rather, design your Drink of Dreams, list your top snacks, quizzes and more!Space to write and illustrate your very own diaryTakeovers from Jess and AmberMum’s guidance on the ‘Amazing Journey to Womanhood’ (hmm, actually you might want to skip that page)
MagicBorn, Peter Bunzl ( paperback, May 2022)
£7.99
First in a new trilogy from Peter Bunzl ( Cogheart, Moonlocket)
The Curse is changed. You'll never know. The truth is lost.
The lie will grow. The year is 1726 and the Royal Sorcerer of England is on the hunt for those who are Magicborn. When Tempest is captured, she is taken to Kensington Palace alongside a boy like her, Thomas.
Trapped, Tempest and Thomas find their magic flickering to life and, with it, long-buried memories. For they are the lost prince and princess of Fairyland, bound by a deadly curse. But now the fairies are coming to get them, and with the truth revealed...can they both survive? The first in a sumptuous and enthralling new historical-fantasy adventure series from the bestselling author of The Cogheart Adventures.
Monstrous Devices, Damien Love ( April 2021, paperback)
£7.99
'I enjoyed everything about Damien Love's debut.' Anthony Horowitz, bestselling author of the Alex Rider series
'This grandad and grandson adventure has all the hallmarks of a whopping kids' thriller.' The Big Issue, Kids' Books of the year
When twelve-year-old Alex receives an old tin robot in the post, the note from his grandfather simply reads: 'This one is special'.
But as strange events start occurring around him, it doesn't take Alex long to suspect that the small toy is more than special; it might also be deadly. Just as things are getting out of hand, Alex's grandfather arrives, whisking him away from his otherwise humdrum life and into a world of strange, macabre magic. From Paris to Prague, they flee across snowy Europe in a quest to unravel the riddle of the little robot, and outwit relentless assassins of the human and mechanical kind.
How does Alex's grandfather know them? And can Alex safely harness the robot's power, or will it fall into the wrong, wicked hands?
Mother Tongue. Patricia Forde ( paperback 2019)
£7.99
The new dictator of Ark wants to silence speech for ever.
But Letta is the wordsmith, tasked with keeping words alive. Out in the woods, she and the rebels secretly teach children language, music and art. Now there are rumours that babies are going missing.
When Letta makes a horrifying discovery, she has to find a way to save the children of Ark – even if it is at the cost of her own life.
“For Letta is one of the best heroines… Steadfast, strong and unwaveringly resilient, she is the driving force behind why this series is becoming so revered.” — Scott Evans, The Reader Teacher “Mother Tongue, and predecessor The Wordsmith, are both brilliantly devised stories.” — Caroline Fielding, The Teen Librarian “This vivid world and courageous heroine will enthral readers and is ideal for book clubs.” This gripping story has the dark atmosphere of books such as the Hunger Games series’
Nisha’s War, Dan Smith ( paperback Feb 2022)
£7.99
From acclaimed author Dan Smith comes a page-turning, atmospheric ghost story packed full of adventure and heart ... 'What a story ... absolutely gripping' EMMA CARROLL
Nisha's home is destroyed by war and she and her mother, Amma, flee to her father's ancestral house in England, perched on a cliff top on the cold Northern coast. When Amma falls gravely ill, Nisha is left to face her formidable grandmother alone. Grandmother's rules are countless, and her Anglo-Indian granddaughter is even forbidden from climbing the old weeping tree.
But when a ghost child beckons Nisha to sit under its boughs, and promises her Amma's life in return for three truths, its pull proves irresistible ... A thrilling historical ghost story; full of adventure, grief, guilt, forgiveness and belonging A fresh angle on a wartime story: the prejudice Nisha faces as a refugee feels particularly relevant today
No Worries! Mindful Kids : An activity book for children who sometimes feel anxious or stressed, by Lily Murray (paperback)
£9.99
No Worries! is an interactive self-care activity book for children aged 6+ to colour and doodle their way to happiness, calm and confidence. The encouraging and simple activities and exercises tackle anxiety, sadness and stress; children will enjoy using their creativity to combat negative feelings, work out why they feel worried and how to put stress back in its place through writing, colouring, doodling and drawing. Featuring the charming and quirky illustrations of Katie Abey, a UK-based illustrator.Her quirky pictures will keep the reader entertained and focused as they work through the book, or simply dip into the pages for ten minutes of calm colouring. Part of Mindful Kids a thoughtful new range of activity books for children from Studio Press.
October, October by Katya Balen ( PB, Sept 2021)
£7.99
Katya Balen's October, October is a very special new addition to the shelf and deserves classic status - The Times Children's Book of the Week
A classic in the making for anyone who ever longed to be WILD. October and her dad live in the woods. They know the trees and the rocks and the lake and stars like best friends.
They live in the woods and they are wild. And that's the way it is. Until the year October turns eleven.
That's the year October rescues a baby owl. It's the year Dad falls out of the biggest tree in their woods. The year the woman who calls herself October's mother comes back.
The year everything changes. Written in Katya Balen's heart-stoppingly beautiful style, this book is a feast for the senses, filled with the woodsmoke smell of crisp autumn mornings and the sound of wellies squelching in river mud. And, as October fights to find the space to be wild in the whirling chaos of the world beyond the woods, it is also a feast for the soul.
Pages & Co: Tilly and the Map of Stories; Anna James ( paperback, Apr 2021)
£7.99
Third in the modern-classic and bestselling bookwandering series that celebrates all that is best in life: books, adventure, friendship - and cake. Strange things are happening. A man comes into Pages & Co looking for a book...
then suddenly can't remember it. Tilly and her family feel like the world is changing - but can't quite put their finger on why. Meanwhile, the Underwoods are expanding their control over bookwandering - and they still have their sights set on Tilly.
Leaving the safety of the bookshop, Tilly heads to America to find the legendary Archivists and save bookwandering... ... or at least, that's the plan.
Wandering in layers of story, Tilly and her friend Oskar come up against dangers they could never have expected, team up with an unexpectedly familiar face, and ultimately find themselves taking on the biggest threat to stories there has ever been - with only their courage and ingenuity to help them. As well as some of their dearest fictional friends...
Now up to 6 in the series
Tilly and the Bookwanderers 1
Tilly and the Lost Fairy Tales 2
Tilly and the Map of Stories : 3
The Book Smugglers : 4
The Treehouse Library : 5
The Last Bookwanderer : 6 (published Sept 2023)
Paper Dragons, Siobhan McDermott ( paperback Feb 2024)
£7.99
. Twelve-year-old Zhi Ging has always been an outcast.Until she receives an invitation to Hok Woh, an underwater school that offers her the chance to become immortal, and to finally belong. There, she battles in hair-raising boat races, meets ageshifting tutors and competes in thrilling trials. But there are rumours of a growing dark force .
. . and students who fail the trials are disappearing.
Can Zhi Ging uncover the truth before it's too late?The first in the unmissable magical fantasy series of 2024, set to take the world by storm. Perfect for fans of Nevermoor and Dragon Mountain.
Percy Jackson and The Chalice of the Gods, Rick Riordan ( hardback Sept 23)
£16.99
The original hero. A brand-new adventure. Percy Jackson has saved the world multiple times - battling monsters, Titans, even giants - but these days the modern-day son of Poseidon is hoping for a regular final year at school.Too bad the Greek gods have other plans, and three new quests for Percy to complete. First up: the cupbearer of the gods, Ganymede, is missing his golden chalice. Not only is this embarrassing (why do the gods keep losing their magical items?), it's also potentially disastrous.
One sip from the cup will turn any mortal into a powerful god. And the old gods do not take kindly to newbies. Can Percy and his friends Annabeth and Grover find the chalice before it falls into the wrong hands? And even if they do, will they be able to resist its awesome power.
. .?Readers new to the Percy Jackson universe and long-time fans will love this epic adventure - full of legendary heroes, mythical creatures, ancient Greek gods and enduring friendship - from the global bestseller Rick Riordan.
Rapunzella, Or, Don't Touch My Hair, Ella McLeod (paperback July 2022)
£8.99
A genre-bending YA that weaves together inner-city life and a wildly dangerous fairytale universe. Rapunzella is imprisoned in an enchanted forest made of her own Afro and the might of the evil King Charming seems unstoppable. But is it? Can Rapunzella use her power to change the future? You're fifteen, you spend your time at school and at Val's hair salon with Baker, Val's son, who has eyes that are like falling off a cliff into space.The salon is a space of safety, but also of possibility and dreams... Dreams of hair so rich and alive that it grow upwards and outwards into a wild landscape, becomes trees and leaves, and houses birds and butterflies and all the secret creatures that belong in such a forest. Is there a future where such possibility and power is more than just a dream? Ella McLeod's debut merges poetry and prose in a stunningly lyrical, heart-piercingly honest exploration of a teenager coming into her power as a young woman.
