Enjoy a chill-filled adventure in a snowy land, climb aboard
a train to impossible places, share poems about our beautiful planet, and get
down on the farm with every child’s favourite scarecrow in an amazing autumn
selection of children’s books
Age 9 plus:
Frostheart
Jamie Littler
WRAP UP warm and head off to the coldest place on the planet
for a chilling, thrilling wintertime adventure from multi-talented author and
illustrator Jamie Littler.
Frostheart is the first venture into fiction writing for Littler, whose varied illustration work includes the bestselling Hamish and the Worldstoppers series and Wilf the Mighty Worrier, and it’s a magical, memorable story brimming with all those things that children love best… high-octane adventure, bags of derring-do, brilliant characters, and plenty of giggles.
Frostheart is the first venture into fiction writing for Littler, whose varied illustration work includes the bestselling Hamish and the Worldstoppers series and Wilf the Mighty Worrier, and it’s a magical, memorable story brimming with all those things that children love best… high-octane adventure, bags of derring-do, brilliant characters, and plenty of giggles.
Add on pages packed with Littler’s distinctive, fun-filled
and richly detailed illustrations, and you have reading heaven for all young
adventurers!
 |
| CHILLY THRILLS: Jamie Littler |
Way out in the furthest and coldest part of the known world,
at the edge of the Snow Sea, is the home of The Fira. Their Stronghold is the
safest place for hundreds of miles but no one can ever leave because, under the
snow that surrounds them, lurk terrifying monsters. The Leviathans are lethal… incredibly fast, frighteningly
clever and quick to attack whenever they sense movement on the snow above them.
Only occasionally does a sleigh manage to make it over the Snow Sea, carrying
supplies from far-off Strongholds. But these visits are getting less frequent.
A boy called Ash lives at the Stronghold of The Fira but he
has never fitted in and it has never felt like home. He waits for the return of
his parents, who were Pathfinders and left to try to trace safe passages to
other citadels, but now they are lost and Ash doesn’t know if they are even
alive. Ash sings a forbidden lullaby to remind him of them... and does
his best to avoid his very, VERY grumpy yeti guardian, Tobu.
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But life is about
to get a whole lot more crazy and adventurous for Ash. When a brave rescue
attempt reveals he has amazing magical powers, he is whisked aboard the
Frostheart, a sleigh packed full of daring explorers who could use his help.
But can they help him find his family?
Littler lets his imagination – and pen – take flight in this
rip-roaring trip to a faraway snowy land that is guaranteed to be the number
one destination on dark autumn nights.
(Puffin Books, paperback, £7.99)
Age 9 plus:
The Great Brain Robbery
P.G. Bell and Flavia Sorrentino
CLIMB aboard and hold on tight… the Impossible Postal
Express train is back on track and ready to whisk you away! Adventure, science and full-throttle fun are never far down
the line when the madcap world of magic and mayhem – immaculately created last
year by Welsh author P.G. Bell’s in his Waterstones Children’s Book
Prize-shortlisted debut The Train to Impossible Places – is up and running, and
ready to take youngsters on another thrilling ride.
Bell’s wildly imaginative and entertaining series, richly
illustrated by Flavia Sorrentino, was created from his young son’s demand for a
new, made-up bedtime story from his dad. Having requested a new instalment
every night for a week, the story of science-mad Suzy Smith’s journey on the
Impossible Postal Express train began to evolve and Bell started writing it
down.
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| ADVENTURES: P.G. Bell |
And now it’s time to join Suzy and her adorably bizarre
friends for their second all-action adventure, The Great Brain Robbery, which
delivers the same irresistible blend of amazing people, fantastical places and
steam-loads of laugh-out-loud humour.
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Click here for Lancashire Post review
Eleven-year-old Suzy can’t believe her luck when a secret
invitation magically appears – the Impossible Postal Express is ready to ride
again and she has been invited to the relaunch! Suzy can’t wait to return to the Union of Impossible Places
but when she arrives, she overhears a dastardly plan to destroy Trollville from
a shadowy and unexpected villain. And the celebrations don’t last long when
Trollville is hit by a terrible tremor, putting everyone in danger.
With the city in peril, Suzy and her friends – including a
moody brown bear called Ursel, rail engineer Fletch, and Stonker the driver
with his enormous moustache – must race from magical cloud-worlds to secret
caverns to catch the culprit before Trollville comes crashing down. From Cloud Forge to the Uncanny Valley, this is a mission seemingly
impossible, so will the Impossible Postal Express help Suzy get some answers?
Bell’s imagination takes full flight again for this second
helping of extraordinary, exhilarating and inventive adventures which prove
that science is never boring, steam trains are a true transport of delight, and
magic is never far away when you believe in achieving the impossible!
(Usborne, hardback, £12.99)
Age 7 plus:
Incredible Jobs You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of
Natalie Labarre
IF your little ones think the grown-up world of work is
boring, then introduce them to some weird and wonderful jobs that make the
nine-to-five look like child’s play! Many children start to meditate from an early age on the old
conundrum of what they want to do when they grow up. Could they yearn to do
something creative, perhaps, or maybe a job that is mysterious and dangerous?
Let them discover all kinds of weird and wonderful jobs they
never knew existed in this incredible, large-format picture book, brimming with
wit and wow-factor, and the work of exciting new Franco-American
author-illustrator Natalie Labarre.
Watch your children’s eyes light up as they discover jobs
that doesn’t seem like a job at all… a waterslide tester, someone employed to
push people on to crowded trains or simply stand in a queue, and how about
being a mattress jumper?
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Click here for Lancashire Post review
And if your youngsters like animals, they could work as a
babysitter for sloths or become a tortoise walker on the streets of New York.
Being a farmer of real corpses used in crime scene recreations might not appeal
to everyone but there would probably be a lot of interested applicants to be
someone who gets paid to actually sleep on the job for scientific research!
From taste testers to dinosaur dusters, some of these jobs
sound simply too strange to be true but they actually do exist. Children (and
adults!) will be astonished to learn about all the crazy jobs out there and it
might even inspire young readers to think outside the box when it comes to
their own dreams and ambitions.
The detailed, exuberant and fun-filled illustrations provide
hours of exploration in this gloriously unique and entertaining gift book which
will encourage the younger generation to look beyond traditional working
roles... and maybe aim for a job that nobody has even heard of!
(Nosy Crow, hardback, £14.99)
Age 8 plus:
Alien Superstar
Lin Oliver and Henry Winkler
GET ready for out-of-this world fun in a super-silly new
sci-fi series from Lin Oliver and Henry Winkler, the bestselling team behind
the popular Hank Zipzer and Here’s Hank series. Emmy Award-winning actor Winkler, better known to those with
long memories as the Fonz in American Seventies and Eighties TV sitcom Happy
Days, and writer and TV and film producer Oliver reach for the (Hollywood)
stars in a this crazy, cosmic caper perfectly created for middle-grade readers.
When Buddy Berger needs to escape his alien planet after all
art and culture is outlawed, he ends up in an even crazier place… Hollywood,
California. You’d think an alien spacecraft crashing into the middle of
Hollywood would cause a stir but people think Buddy just has a really amazing
alien costume and no one is shocked by the six-eyed alien strolling around the
Universal back lot.
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Click here for Lancashire Post review
The tourists just think he’s part of the show. And it
doesn’t take long for Buddy to land a role on a popular TV show, playing (of
course) an alien. Soon he is an overnight heart-throb and is suddenly faced
with legions of adoring fans, rides in glamorous limos, and appearances at ‘all-the-shrimp-you-can-eat’
red carpet parties. But can Buddy keep his secret identity while in the
spotlight?
There’s laughter all the way as Buddy bamboozles the
glamorous Hollywood set with his interstellar antics on set, all imaginatively
brought to life with Ethan Nicolle’s suitably anarchic and action-packed
illustrations. Cosmic comedy with light years of laughs!
(Amulet Books, hardback, £10.99)
Age 8 plus:
The Great Clown Conundrum
Alexander McCall Smith and Sam Usher
ROLL UP, roll up for a dazzling new ‘stars and sawdust’
adventure series from the dream team pairing of Alexander McCall Smith and Sam
Usher. The Great Clown Conundrum is the second exciting book in the
Big-Top Mysteries series from multi-award-winning author McCall Smith, one of
the world’s most prolific and popular writers, and star illustrator Usher who
has won accolades for his technical drawing skill and prowess with watercolour.
The quirky stars of this funny, high-energy series are the
Shortbread family and their spectacular circus as they travel the country
performing tricks while still finding time to solve intriguing mysteries. Billy, Fern and Joe Shortbread are the stars of their family
circus, but they also have another talent ... they are experts at solving
mysteries.
And now a new season is about to begin at the Shortbread
family’s circus. The big-top is ready and everyone is excited to get started.
But the show’s chief clown, Mr Birdcage, is in a bit of a pickle… none of his
hilarious props seem to be working! When budding detectives Billy, Fern and Joe get on the case
to investigate, they soon discover that the props have been tampered with. But
who would want to sabotage Mr Birdcage… and why?
Brimming with McCall Smith’s trademark wit, wisdom and
larger-than-life characters, this is an exhilarating and clever story for
youngsters as well as a fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse into the
realities of being part of a circus family… living in a caravan, travelling
around the country, putting up a giant tent in every town, and rehearsing all
the amazing acts. Throw in a few hilarious clowns, some gravity-defying
tricks, all the thrills and spills of performing for an audience, and a
baffling mystery, and you have the perfect big-top adventure story.
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £6.99)
Age 7 plus:
Humanimal
Christopher Lloyd and Mark Ruffle
IF YOU thought humans are completely different to animals,
then take a look inside this brilliant book and prepare to be amazed.
Christopher Lloyd, author of the critically acclaimed and award-winning Absolutely Everything!, encourages us all to think again about humankind being extra special as he delivers Humanimal, a fascinating new book uncovering the curious connections between humans and other animals.
Christopher Lloyd, author of the critically acclaimed and award-winning Absolutely Everything!, encourages us all to think again about humankind being extra special as he delivers Humanimal, a fascinating new book uncovering the curious connections between humans and other animals.
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| ENERGY: Christopher Lloyd |
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Discover how slime moulds can solve how to navigate through
a maze, how whales communicate with each other, how rats tickle and laugh out
loud, how damselfish run their own farms, how elephants have funerals for their
lost loved ones, how bees vote in elections to decide where to locate their
nests, how crows use cars to crack nuts, how bonobos share food with the hungry
and a whole lot more!
The super-sized, richly illustrated book reveals the complex
patterns of behaviour that humans share with a variety of different animals, and
demonstrates the inextricable interconnections of the human and animal worlds
in ways you could never have imagined. Brimming with Lloyd’s energy and enthusiasm, and with fun
and learning on every page, this is a glorious celebration of our enduring
relationship with all creatures great and small.
(What on Earth Publishing, hardback, £12.99)
Age 8 plus:
Worzel Gummidge
Barbara Euphan Todd and Peter Cottrill
WORZEL Gummidge, the turnip-headed scarecrow beloved by
generations of children, is making a comeback… both in print and on our
television screens. Just in time for a new adaptation of Barbara Euphan Todd’s classic
books – which will be shown in two hour-long films over the Christmas period on
BBC1 and star The Detectorists‘ Mackenzie Crook – Oxford University Press have
given the magical, talking, walking scarecrow a brand new lease of life in a
super, new-look illustrated book.
Todd was born in Yorkshire and began to write from an early
age. Worzel Gummidge made his first appearance in 1936 and Todd went on to
write many more Worzel stories which have been published in many editions and
adapted several times for both radio and TV.
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Click here for Lancashire Post review
In this first book, John and Susan see the scarecrow
standing in the middle of Ten-acre field in the pouring rain at Scatterbrook
Farm and he doesn’t look at all remarkable… just like any other scarecrow in
fact. But when he turns up at the cottage to warm himself by the fire, the
shocked youngsters realise that this actually is a very special scarecrow. His
name is Worzel and he’s about to fill the children’s world with fun, adventures
galore and magic.
This new edition features a colourful, contemporary cover and
Liverpool-born Peter Cottrill provides a gallery of high-energy, black and
white illustrations to bring all Worzel’s madcap escapades to life.
(Oxford University Press, paperback, £6.99)
Age 8 plus:
Trailblazers: Harriet Tubman
Sandra A. Agard
Illustrated by Luisa Uribe, George Urmos and Manhar Chauban
IN 1849, a brave runaway woman travelled through woodland in
search of freedom and a better life for America’s slaves. Discover the story of Harriet Tubman, amazing abolitionist
and inspirational activist, and find out how she overcame every obstacle in the
fight for freedom.
Written by Sandra A. Agard, a storyteller, writer, literary
consultant and cultural historian, Trailblazers: Harriet Tubman is the new
title in a fun and factual biography series inspired by the lives of pioneers
past and present. Packed with little-known trivia, fascinating facts and
lively illustrations, these books celebrate the lives of forerunners in every
sphere, from science and sport and business to activism, politics and the arts.
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Click here for Lancashire Post review
So how did Harriet Tubman help hundreds of enslaved people
reach freedom? Born into slavery on a Maryland plantation in America’s Deep
South, Harriet’s life was full of hardship. In 1849, she took a huge risk and made
the brave decision to run away, journeying north into the free states on the
Underground Railroad. Despite the dangers, she returned to the South again and
again, leading many others to safety.
With a gallery of interactive illustrations and a compelling
text full of facts, real history, and the bravery of one remarkable woman, this
is the perfect book to make learning both fascinating and inspirational.
(Stripes, paperback, £6.99)
Age one plus:
Little Explorers: Goodnight Forest and Goodnight Ocean
Becky Davies and Carmen Saldaña
WATCH your little ones’ eyes start to close as creatures of
land and sea settle down for their night-time slumbers. Sleepy babies and toddlers can’t help but pick up on the
gentle rhythms of two gorgeous new board books which combine facts, fun and a
beautiful verse with cut-out, peep-through pages… perfect to share at bedtime
wind-down.
Explore the forest as you peek through the pages to watch
sleepy animals settle down to bed or dive into the depths of the ocean and see
sleepy sea creatures take a well-earned rest. Little ones will love learning
about animal habitats in the forest as they explore burrows, tiptoe along
riverbanks and climb to treetops, and they can observe sleeping sea creatures
as they swim over carpets of coral in the depths of the ocean.
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Click here for Lancashire Post review
Produced in a chunky format, these beautiful books have extra
facts on every page about animal and ocean habitats, and end with a twinkling
and foiled, double-page spread. An interactive lullaby of soothing words and pictures…
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £7.99 each)
Age 7 plus:
Darwin’s Voyage of Discovery
Written and illustrated by Jake Williams
SET sail with Charles Darwin on his famous ship, The Beagle,
and watch as he makes discoveries that changed the world! Darwin’s Voyage of Discovery is a wonderful visual and
verbal celebration of one of history’s most remarkable journeys, published to
celebrate 160 years of Darwin’s ground-breaking text on the theory of
evolution, On The Origin of Species.
The book is the work of Jake Williams, an exciting Plymouth-based
illustrator, designer, and occasional animator. He creates shape-based vector
(graphic) illustrations with bold and vibrant colours and was awarded BDC’s New
Designer of The Year 2017. Youngsters will love following the remarkable journey from
England to Cape Verde, Brazil to the Galapagos, Tahiti to Australia, and to
join Darwin as he makes the discoveries which laid a platform for our knowledge
of the natural world.
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Click here for Lancashire Post review
Marvel at the wildlife Darwin encounters as he does
scientific research… giant sloths, platypus, tarantulas, fireflies and swallow-tailed
hummingbirds. As well as gorgeous artwork and fascinating information on the remarkable
voyage itself, this book also looks at the crew and the equipment, and includes
cross-sections of the famed ship.
Full of fascinating and accessible facts, beautiful
illustrations and created in an imaginative format, this is the perfect gift
book for all young adventurers and explorers!
(Pavilion Children’s Books, hardback, £12.99)
Age 9 plus:
Poems from a Green
and Blue Planet
Edited by Sabrina Mahfouz
and illustrated by Aaron Cushley
AS our beautiful planet becomes more endangered with each
passing year, take a poetic world tour to celebrate its beauty and its endless
wonders. Sabrina Mahfouz, a British Egyptian poet, playwright,
performer and writer from London, has combed through a wide range of verse to
deliver a moving and memorable collection of classic poems from around the
world to highlight the diversity of life on our green and blue planet… and the
dangers it now faces.
Ideal for sharing with all the family, this stunning
anthology includes new poems from Raymond Antrobus, Mona Arshi, Kate Tempest,
Hollie McNish, Dean Atta and Mahfouz herself.
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These thoughtful and compelling poems explore all the worlds
that make up our world, and hear the voices, past and present, that sing out
from it. From haikus to sonnets, from rap to the Romantics, this joyous
collection visits life in all corners of our beautiful planet.
With much-loved, classic poets like William Wordsworth,
Robert Louis Stevenson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Christina Rossetti, William
Shakespeare and W.B. Yeats sitting comfortably alongside representatives from
many cultures and languages, this is truly an international anthology.
Endorsed by Amnesty International because the poems express
‘with great power and beauty why we all need a clean, healthy and sustainable
planet,’ and with atmospheric, black and white illustrations by Aaron Cushley, Poems
from a Green and Blue Planet is beautiful to look at and inspiring to read.
(Hodder Children’s Books, hardback, £14.99)
Age 7 plus:
Invasion of the Living Ted
Barry Hutchison and Lee Cosgrove
A King-Kong-sized teddy bear, a dastardly plot, and lots of
furry foes… it can only mean one thing! Comedy king Barry Hutchison and Lee Cosgrove, his
illustrator partner in not-so-cuddly crime, are back with another rip-roaring
romp starring Grizz, the world’s most evil teddy bear, who will stop at nothing
to take his revenge.
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| VERSATILE: Barry Hutchison |
It’s been three days since Grizz almost took over the world…again.
Lisa Marie and her step-brother Vernon have been interrogated by the police,
and Bearvis and the Duds have been taken away to be studied. But things are far
from over. Grizz has found a way to infiltrate the wireless networks and he’s
planning his revenge. As all teddy bears come to life, Lisa Marie and Vernon
must battle a King-Kong-sized teddy bear with a mind for evil. It looks like
they’re going to need their furry friends back!
The versatile Hutchison is ably aided and abetted on his
mission to make kids giggle by the wonderfully zany illustrations of Cosgrove
as together they pack their outrageous teddy drama with an exhilarating brand
of visual and verbal virtuosity. Fun and fur all the way…
(Stripes, paperback, £5.99)
Age 7 plus:
Level Up: Block and Roll
Tom Nicoll and Anjan Sarkar
IMAGINE being trapped inside your favourite video game! Popular children’s author Tom Nicoll returns with his
brilliant high-octane adventure series, Level Up, which delivers an exciting
technological twist with every action-packed story.
Young gamers are downing their consoles to follow the
escapades of daredevil video-game obsessed Flo who has discovered that virtual
reality isn’t as much fun when it’s not so virtual.
And this time, Flo and her
best friend, Max get more than they bargained for when they find themselves
INSIDE their favourite games!
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| GAME ON: Tom Nicoll |
Having successfully battled spaceships, Max and Flo are
excited to return home. But when they wake up, they’re in Max’s favourite game,
Blocktopia. The friends are accepted into a city, where they are protected from
the dangerous monsters that attack daily.
Max is in his element – creating increasingly elaborate buildings – but Flo just wants to go home. Then she uncovers a secret. A secret which might just be the key to escaping the game… There are laughs, mishaps and all-out action on every page of this exhilarating story which has all the much-loved hallmarks of Nicoll’s eye for comedy and energetic storytelling.
Anjan Sarkar brings to life fearless Flo and long-suffering Max, her partner in virtual adventure, and all the weird and wonderful characters they meet along the way. The perfect book to get reluctant readers on game with the joys of real-time reading!
Max is in his element – creating increasingly elaborate buildings – but Flo just wants to go home. Then she uncovers a secret. A secret which might just be the key to escaping the game… There are laughs, mishaps and all-out action on every page of this exhilarating story which has all the much-loved hallmarks of Nicoll’s eye for comedy and energetic storytelling.
Anjan Sarkar brings to life fearless Flo and long-suffering Max, her partner in virtual adventure, and all the weird and wonderful characters they meet along the way. The perfect book to get reluctant readers on game with the joys of real-time reading!
(Stripes, paperback, £5.99)
Age 5 plus:
Jasper and Scruff:
Hunt for the Golden Bone
Nicola Colton
YOU'D have to be barking mad to miss the antics of Jasper
and Scruff, a cat and dog double act full of magic, mayhem and muck! This purrfectly delightful puss and puppy partnership –
featuring cool, smart cat Jasper and endlessly enthusiastic but muddy mutt
Scruff – comes to young readers courtesy of talented Irish author and
illustrator Nicola Colton.
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| MAYHEM: Nicola Colton |
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Illustrated throughout with Colton’s stylish and fun
illustrations in an eye-catching two-tone palette, the crazy adventures and
misadventures of Jasper and Scruff are ideal for youngsters bridging the gap
between picture books and reading books. With mischief on every page, a colourful cast of animal
characters and an easy-to-read, madcap story which explores what friendship
really means, this doggedly delightful cat-and-dog comedy duo are guaranteed to
win the hearts of all young readers.
(Stripes, paperback, £5.99)
Age 3 plus:
Itchy, Scritchy, Scratchy Pants
Steve Smallman and Elina Ellis
COLD bottoms, blue bottoms, frozen bottoms and stinky
bottoms… Picture book comedy duo Steve Smallman and Elina Ellis go
bottoms up in this raucous, rhyming romp starring a bunch of Vikings struggling
to find some warm undies in the bitter chill of a snow storm.
 |
| BOTTOM LINE: Steve Smallman |
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In their mission to turn
their cold bottoms into toasty warm behinds, they brave the Forest of Despair
and the Sea of Death to collect the fur off a yeti’s back… what they hadn’t
reckoned on was yeti fleas! Little ones will be itching to get their hands on this
madcap, all-action adventure full of mishaps, giggles and the brilliantly
detailed, laugh-out-loud illustrations of the talented Ellis. Irresistibly
funny… and that’s the bottom line!
(Little Tiger Books, paperback, £6.99)
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