Age 9 plus:
Peril en Pointe
Helen Lipscombe
Budding ballerinas will be pirouetting with joy when they
get their hands on Peril en Pointe, a thrilling middle-grade debut novel which
blends dancing and detective work into one big, bold story.
Billed as Murder Most Unladylike meets Ballet Shoes, this
opener to the Swan House Mystery series comes from Welsh-born Helen Lipscombe
who admits that her own ballet career went down a plug-hole when she was only
six.
But fortunately for young readers, she wasn’t prepared to
linger forlornly in the wings and is happy to be taking a grand jeté
into the world of children’s fiction with a mystery adventure series that
promises to be a big hit with budding sleuths, and perfectly in step with all
would-be ballerinas.
Milly Kydd yearns to dance like her famous ballerina mum but
during the biggest performance of her life when she competes for the Scarlet
Slipper Ballet Prize, she messes up and her mum – who was in the audience – disappears.
Eight months later, Milly, who is being looked after by her
eccentric Russian grandmother Bab, receives an unexpected invitation to join
the Swan House School of Ballet. Thrilled, Milly accepts, only to find that
Swan House is no ordinary ballet school… it’s a ballet school for spies.
 |
| BALLET SPIES: Helen Lipscombe |
And when Milly learns that she and her mother are in
terrible danger, can her new skills help her discover the truth about mum’s
vanishing act, and rescue them both?
Fresh, funny, and full of exciting twists and turns, Peril
en Pointe introduces us to the intriguing Swan House, a place where students
learn the disciplined art of ballet alongside the stealth skills of a spy.
And taking centre stage is the resourceful Milly who must
learn ballet’s secret language of moves and signals whilst making new friends,
learning who she can trust… and discovering just who is the enemy.
Classy, clever and full of sautés and skulduggery, this is a
brilliant first act to an enthralling new series…
(Chicken House, paperback, £6.99)
Age 9 plus:
The Bad Luck Lighthouse
Nicki Thornton
A year ago, former independent bookseller and winner of the
2016 Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition, Nicki Thornton, won
hearts and plaudits with her fresh and inventive debut novel, The Last Chance
Hotel.
Blending the detective acumen of Agatha Christie, the
dynamics of a fairy tale, and a big helping of Harry Potter-style of magic,
Thornton’s atmospheric and intriguing murder mystery introduced us to the
irresistible young magician-in-the-making Seth Seppi.
And now Seth is back to cast his spell over young readers
again as he heads off with his trusty black cat companion, Nightshade, for a
thrilling new adventure at a deserted lighthouse where death and danger are
only ever a heartbeat away.
In solving the mystery of the Last Chance Hotel where he
worked as downtrodden kitchen boy to the spiteful Bunn family, Seth Seppi has
discovered a bewildering new world of magic. But the truth about his mother’s
fate and other secrets remain, stolen away with the firefly cage by his
nemesis, the Bunns’ wicked daughter Tiffany.
Determined to chase her down, and prove himself as a
magician, Seth is soon swept up in the new MagiCon case investigating ghostly
goings-on at the deserted Snakesmouth Lighthouse. But when eccentric owner Mina
Mintencress is murdered, Seth realises danger lurks around every corner.
 |
| MAGICAL MYSTERY: Nicki Thornton |
With
the help of his cat, Nightshade, Seth must put his new-found magic to the test.
Can they unlock the key to the hauntings and unmask a sinister sorcerer… before
it’s too late?
Thornton has lost none of her powers to conjure up some
thrilling black magic as we follow Seth and Nightshade on a rollercoaster
magical mystery tour to the creepy Snakesmouth Lighthouse and share an
adventure full of secrets, sorcerers and the strangest characters you could ever
hope to meet.
With its timeless charm, super sleuthing and spine-tingling
atmospherics, The Bad Luck Lighthouse is a brilliant sequel, and brings
together all those much-loved hallmarks of a classic in the making. Not to be
missed!
(Chicken House, paperback, £6.99)
Age 6 plus:
The Loneliest Kitten
Holly Webb and Sophy Williams
Holly Webb is back to enchant her young readers with the
amazing 43rd story adventure in her adorable and hugely popular Animal Stories
series which has sold hundreds of thousands of copies since the first story hit
the shelves in 2006.
Webb, who has a magic touch when it comes to writing for
children, is one of the UK’s best-loved authors and has written over 100 books
for youngsters, including the Animal Stories, My Naughty Little Puppy, and a
sequel to Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic 1911 book, The Secret Garden.
In this enchanting new adventure, we meet Darcy who is
delighted that her lively new tabby kitten, Charlie, is settling in so well… if
only he would just wear a collar! Then Darcy is picked to join her school football
team and suddenly she hardly has any time for entertaining a kitten.
Charlie is bored now Darcy has no time to play with him, so
he ventures over the back wall to explore. There he meets a new friend, a
cat-loving lady who makes lots of fuss over him. But Darcy soon starts to
notice that Charlie keeps disappearing and one night he doesn’t come back at
all. What if he doesn’t want to be her kitten any more?
 |
| MAGIC TOUCH: Holly Webb |
Sophy Williams provides the gorgeous black and white
illustrations for this beautifully created and gentle series which has captured
the hearts of every animal-loving child. And don’t forget to look out for the
free app on App Store and Google Play. It’s jam-packed with exciting activities
from fantastic games and puzzles to creative colouring and sticker fun.
Perfect for children just starting to read alone, youngsters
who love to share a book with mum or dad, and any child who can’t resist the
irresistible allure of animals.
(Stripes, paperback, £5.99)
No comments:
Post a Comment