CHILDREN'S BOOKS: A rogue robot, the origin of words, and puppet boy Pinocchio

Meet the perfect best friend who doesn’t argue and tidies your room, discover a whole world of amazing words, get hands-on with the magical marionette Pinocchio, and share laughs with a hair-raising dad in an eclectic selection of new children’s books

Age 9 plus:

TrooFriend

Kirsty Applebaum

IMAGINE having a perfect best friend who tidies your room, never argues with you… and even keeps your parents quiet!

If that sounds too good to be true, you would be right, as powerfully illustrated in a timely and resonant new middle-grade novel from Kirsty Applebaum whose extraordinary debut thriller, The Middler, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2020. TrooFriend, a clever and compelling story narrated by a robot called Ivy, asks readers to consider that contemporary conundrum – Artificial Intelligence – and whether it should ever take the place of human friendship.

HUMOUR AND DRAMA: Kirsty Applebaum

Sarah is far from pleased when her busy parents give her a brand new Jenson & Jenson TrooFriend Mark IV. She wants a dog not an android, but soon Sarah realises that a TrooFriend doesn’t bully, doesn’t lie, steal or envy, and can be used to show off with on Bring Your Own Tech To School Day. Why should it matter that Ivy isn’t human? A real best friend isn’t that useful after all.

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But if Ivy isn’t human, how can she be scared of the dark? Why does she covet Sarah’s things so much? It’s just her programming… right? Or is it something else entirely? As robot buddy Ivy starts developing human characteristics and feelings, trouble begins to brew as well, and now she has plans to run away with her human…

There is a thrilling sci-fi edginess to this topical and sinister story which blends humour and drama with serious ethical questions about the use of artificial intelligence and its effects on human behaviour. With all the action taking place through the prism of Ivy’s computerised brain, we can witness the subtle changes in her perception and absorption of human emotions, her increasingly independent thoughts, and the tensions that bubble to the surface in her relationship with Sarah.

Full of gripping drama, playful dialogue and intriguing concepts, TrooFriend is a thrill read for youngsters, and the ideal book for class discussions on the role of artificial intelligence in the modern world.

(Nosy Crow, paperback, £6.99)

Age 6 plus:

Literally: Amazing Words and Where they Come From

Patrick Skipworth and 

Nicholas Stevenson

SOMETIMES one word can tell a story… but did you know that every word also has a hidden story of its own? In their stunning new book, author Patrick Skipworth and illustrator Nicholas Stevenson combine knowledge and illustrative design to deliver a whole world of amazing words which reveal the rich history and cultural diversity of the English language.

Did you know that English words come from all over the world and that their meanings have changed along their journey? Our word ‘zero’ comes from the Arabic word for empty space and ‘companion’ is from the Latin for with bread. From France to Japan, India to Brazil, East Africa to Hawaii, English words are rich with global connections. And though many of the words we use each day have journeyed far in time and space, they still carry within them the stories of their beginnings.

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Among the intriguing word origins explored are karaoke (Japanese), guru (Sanskrit), ukulele (Hawaiian), jaguar (Tupi); royalty (Norman French), kookaburra (Wradjuri); worm (Old English), mummy (Persian), caribou (Algonquin) and safari (Swahili).

This wonderfully entertaining and informative book comes from What on Earth Books which aims to publish non-fiction books to engage children’s natural curiosity and passion for learning by offering readers diverse perspectives on the world. Filled with Stevenson’s ingenious, painterly artwork, which adds a delightful twist to the story behind each word, Skipworth’s exploration of language reveals the diverse origins of English words and their layered meanings.

With simple descriptions and dazzling, evocative and witty illustrations, Literally connects the English language to indigenous languages and cultures across the globe, and highlights the interconnected nature of all people. A fascinating introduction to the rich history and cultural diversity of our language…

(What on Earth Books, hardback, £11.99)

Age 5 plus:

The Adventures of Pinocchio

Written by Carlo Collodi and 

illustrated by MinaLima

JOIN the mischievous marionette Pinocchio as he sets out on a perilous journey to find his father… and experience life as a ‘real boy.’ The enduring tale of wooden puppet boy Pinocchio is one of the world’s best known children’s stories and has been a favourite classic since it was first published in 1883.

Written by Italian political satirist Carlo Collodi, The Adventures of Pinocchio have captured the hearts and imaginations of youngsters through every generation, and now the memorable cautionary tale gets a spectacular retelling in a fantastic interactive book by Harper Design. This stunning interactive deluxe gift edition is packed with beautiful, full-colour artwork and seven hands-on features created by MinaLima, the award-winning design studio behind the graphics for the Harry Potter film franchise.

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The story features Geppetto, a poor puppeteer who uses an enchanted piece of wood to carve a marionette boy he calls Pinocchio. The impish Pinocchio does not want to be a puppet… instead, he yearns to become a real boy. Soon, his curiosity, mischievousness, and naivety lead him away from his father’s shop and into a series of dangerous encounters with vicious puppet masters, cunning animals, and other magical characters. Along this action-packed journey, the magical puppet learns how much turmoil, heart, and hard work it takes to become a real boy.

With a nose that grows larger with each lie he tells, Pinocchio has become an enduring icon in children’s literature, and his tumultuous story is brilliantly reimagined here with specially commissioned artwork and exclusive interactive features, including a Pinocchio puppet with clothing, additional finger puppets, a small theatre for a puppet show, a court deck with Pinocchio behind sliding bars, and a fold-out shark revealing Pinocchio and Geppetto inside.

This keepsake illustrated edition is a wonderful addition to Harper Design’s imaginative series of illustrated children’s classics and is guaranteed to be treasured by families for years to come.

(Harper Design, hardback, £25)

Age 5 plus:

Every Second

Bruno Gibert

EVERY second on our planet, something happens… It might be one aeroplane taking off and another landing, four babies being born, 8,000 scoops of ice cream being enjoyed… or it might even be cows burping three million litres of gas!

Every Second, an imaginative, inventive and illustrated book from French author and illustrator Bruno Gibert – reveals remarkable things about our world through numbers, facts, and some rather strange surprises.

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This striking portrait, brimming with Gibert’s bold, distinctive and colourful artwork, makes statistics fun and accessible to both children and adults. Every second, somewhere across the globe, one wedding is celebrated, two people die, 15,000 plastic bottles are produced and 1,600 are recycled, 200,000 text messages are sent, 500 pairs of shoes are sold and 2,050 chickens hatch from their eggs.

Illustrated with clear and memorable infographics, and blending wry humour with fascinating facts, Every Second reveals the incredible things that happen each and every second in our world and offers schools and parents the perfect launch pad for discussion about a wide range of issues, from conservation to science. Unique, entertaining and informative, this clever book is ideal as a gift book or as an invaluable teaching tool.

(What on Earth Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 2 plus:

My Daddy is Hilarious!

Gavin Puckett and Chris Jevons

THE lockdown means that many of us are having bad hair days… but one little boy’s dad is making everyone’s hair stand on end! Enjoy laughs on every page in a madcap picture book full of romping rhymes and brilliant Barnets from author Gavin Puckett, winner of the Greenhouse Funny Prize, and Harrogate-based illustrator Chris Jevons.

Dad is always much smarter than the rest… his clothes are immaculate and his hair is shiny, wavy and sleek. But after a long session in the bathroom, Dad has got a Mohawk and it’s so tall that it’s scraping on the ceiling. Perhaps Gran will know what to do, or perhaps Mum can sort things out before things get really hair-raising!

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Endearingly funny, clever and playful – and with Jevons’ gloriously multi-coloured illustrations adding to the party atmosphere – My Daddy is Hilarious! celebrates families and parental relationships with wit and warmth, and is the perfect gift for Father’s Day.

(Faber & Faber, paperback, £6.99)

Greek Island Escape

Patricia Wilson 

A DARK corner in the history of modern Greece – both during and after the Second World War – takes centre stage in a moving, time-slip tale from a writer who has made this stunning part of the world her home.

Patricia Wilson, who spent many years on Crete but now lives on the Greek island of Rhodes, is the author of a series of sun-drenched novels – including Islands of Secrets, Villa of Secrets and Secrets of Santorini – and has used the rich history and culture of her adopted country for her captivating storytelling.

The tragic and turbulent events in Greek Island Escape were inspired by the death and suffering of many in the closing campaigns of the war, and the brutalities perpetrated during a series of far-right military juntas which ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974. At its heart are several generations of a family, separated by time, war and domestic strife, but each searching for missing loved ones, and each desperate for a resolution to secrets and events in the past, and anguish in the present.

CAPTIVATING STORYTELLING: Patricia Wilson

‘I am Sofia. I am searching for my daughter, born in Korydallos prison, Athens, 1st November 1972. Can you help me?’

On the beautiful beaches of Crete, an old woman is handing out scraps of paper. Sofia Bambaki, who is eighty-five years old and unable to speak, has travelled by ferry from her home in Athens and is desperate to find the daughter she has never known.

After a tragic childhood marred by civil war, and a soaring career as a singer, the brutal treatment of her beloved husband Markos by a tyrannical regime forced her to give up her daughter just days after her birth, but now she yearns to be reunited with her child before it’s too late.

Meanwhile in London, high-flying lawyer Zoë Johnson is searching too. In the months since her 17-year-old daughter, Megan, ran away from home, Zoë’s life has fallen apart. Her husband, Frank, an ambitious MP, has left her, their 14-year-old son Josh feels forgotten, and every day is a struggle. But Zoë is desperate to track down her daughter, even if she doesn’t want to be found.

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In Manchester, Megan is living rough on the streets and making money by using her gift for performing arts. There’s a terrible secret which is stopping her going back home and she is determined to get to Crete to see her granny Anna. As the lives of three women converge, we discover just how far a mother will go to find her daughter…

If a holiday in the sun sounds like a distant dream at the moment, then Greek Island Escape could be just what you need. Wilson’s love of all things Greek – the food, the fascinating people

Wedding Bells for Woolworths

Elaine Everest

RING out the bells, dig out your glad rags, and get ready to dance to the music of time as the Woolworths girls say goodbye to wartime… and hello to a brave new world. Welcome back to a brand new post-war chapter in the entertaining fortunes and misfortunes of Elaine Everest’s ‘family’ of devoted and dedicated store staff who have become like friends to an army of readers.

Everest’s wonderfully nostalgic Woolies series, which has brought new life and love for the famous stores that once graced almost every high street in the country, has taken us through the trials, tribulations and triumphs of a group of hard-working women and their boss Betty Billington during the turbulent war years.

When the long years of conflict finally ended in Everest’s fourth book, A Gift from Woolworths, her plan was to make it the girls’ last chapter but she was so inundated by readers begging to find out what happened next for her Woolies girls that she happily returned to familiar territory. Set once again in Everest’s home town of Erith in Kent, where she briefly worked as a Woolworths girl herself, the fifth book in a series which has stolen the hearts of thousands of saga fans with its rich period detail and charismatic cast, moves to 1947 as the nation tentatively stepped forward into a new era of change and second chances.

WELCOME RETURN: Elaine Everest

It’s summertime and Britain is still gripped by rationing and the harsh legacies of war, even as the excitement of young Princess Elizabeth’s engagement to the handsome Philip Mountbatten sweeps the nation.

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In the Woolworths’ canteen, 26-year-old Freda Smith is still dreaming of meeting her own Prince Charming. So far Freda, who escaped to the Kentish town in 1938 after an unhappy childhood, has been unlucky in love. Buoyed by the close friendships she has now formed, biker-mad Freda helps out at the motor business of Alan Gilbert, a former RAF pilot and husband of her best friend Sarah, in between her shifts at Woolies.

But when she has an accident on one of Alan’s motorbikes and knocks a man off his bicycle, it seems bad luck is still following her around. Anthony Forsythe is not only a trainee manager at her Woolworths but was hoping to take part in next year’s London Olympics. Will his injured leg heal in time for him to compete, and can he ever forgive Freda?

Meanwhile, mother-of-two Sarah’s idyllic family life is under threat with worries about husband Alan. Why does his business have so few customers now, why are they so short of money, and does he still love her? The friends must rally round to face some of the toughest challenges of

The Book of Longings

Sue Monk Kidd

IT'S a place that has always been risky terrain for novelists... so imagining Jesus taking a wife (and the sister of Judas, no less) was certain to be a big gamble for Sue Monk Kidd.

In his phenomenal global bestseller, The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown reworked the old trope that Jesus married Mary Magdalen, but The Book of Longings is a completely different kettle of fish, approaching the exquisitely sensitive topic of the Christian Messiah’s marital status with a fascinating, fictional wife, and far more reverential empathy and historical insight.

Grounded in meticulous research, and evoking the political and cultural landscape of ancient Galilee with extraordinary authenticity, Kidd’s remarkable novel is an audacious feminist take on the story of the New Testament, and a highly ambitious undertaking from the author whose 2002 debut, The Secret Life of Bees, spent more than one hundred weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.

Fully aware from the start that her project would be controversial in some quarters, Kidd is unapologetic about her portrayal of the central figure of Christianity, claiming that ‘the aim of the novelist is not to hold up a mirror to the world but to imagine what’s possible.’ And it is in that ‘lost’ area of Jesus’s life, between adolescence and the age of thirty when his ministry began, that Kidd portrays Jesus not as ‘God the Son’ but as a ‘fully human’ man who – in an age when the Jewish religion dictated that a man could ‘not abstain from having a wife’ – falls in love with Ana, daughter of the head scribe to Galilee’s ruler, Herod Antipas.

AUDACIOUS CONCEPT: Sue Monk Kidd

Twelve-year-old Ana is a rebellious and educated young woman, a gifted writer with a questioning and brilliant mind, who writes secret narratives about the matriarchs of the Scriptures and is determined to be ‘a chronicler’ of their lost stories.

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Raised in a wealthy family in Galilee where he father Matthias is chief scribe to the tetrarch Herod Antipas, she is sheltered from the brutality of Rome’s occupation of Israel, but her adopted brother, Judas, consorts with the dangerous radicals who agitate against their rulers.

When she comes of age, Ana who now believes that ‘the entire world was a cage,’ is forced into a betrothal to elderly widower Nathaniel to further her father’s ambitions and it’s a prospect that horrifies her. But then a chance encounter with eighteen-year-old Jesus in the marketplace changes everything… his ideas, the ‘tiny fire’ in his remarkable eyes, and his passion are intoxicating. When Nathaniel dies before the wedding, Ana instead marries Jesus, a union which evolves with love and conflict, humour and pathos in Nazareth, where Ana makes a home with

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Boys on a mission, a space odyssey and witty wordplay

Enjoy a rollercoaster journey with some anarchic school friends, head to Rome with a pizza delivery boy, marvel at a real-life, drama-packed space mission, and laugh at the antics of a wizard of wordplay in some super springtime children’s books

Age 9 plus:

The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates

Jenny Pearson and Rob Biddulph

IF your children are longing for a holiday that might not happen this year, pack them off on a madcap jaunt to the wilds of Wales with the fantastic Freddie Yates and his pals!

There are adventures galore on this laughter-filled trip of a lifetime, but also some warm and wise lessons about the importance of families (in whatever shape or form they might be) and the power of friendship and kindness.

WARM AND WISE LESSONS:
Jenny Pearson

The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates is the brilliant debut novel of Jenny Pearson, a primary school teacher in the North East who reveals that Freddie Yates and his friends are a wonderful mix of all the children she has ever taught.

They reflect, she says, the close friendships that form between groups of children as they make each other laugh, get into mischief and always support each other when the chips are down, and this wonderful story about blended families comes full of heart and humour.

Freddie Yates likes facts – you can rely on facts, facts don’t let you down. But the fact staring him in the face right now is that his super-sneaky secret plan is not, after all, a secret. Because Freddie’s journey to the wilds of Wales to find the dad he has never met wasn’t meant to involve Big Trev and the onion-eating competition or the loo-exploding pear-and-potato turnovers. And Freddie definitely didn’t expect to end up, with his two best friends Ben and Charlie, without enough pants packed and on national television in a supergirl costume. But journeys never take you where you think they will. And for Freddie, that fact might just have to be enough...

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This hilarious, heart-warming adventure – with the super black and white illustrations of Rob Biddulph – stars three determined, loyal and funny boys and a summer holiday like no other, with a bit of sleuthing and a few miracles along the way. With subtle explorations of love and grief, plus a supporting cast of dads, stepdads and great grans, this is an all-action adventure perfectly tailored for your own young mischief-makers!

(Usborne, paperback, £6.99)

Age 9 plus:

Mark Anchovy: Pizza Detective

William Goldsmith

NO youngster will want to miss a slice of the action when they get their hands on this tasty tale of a pizza delivery boy with designs on being a top detective. Mark Anchovy: Pizza Detective is the first book in a brilliant middle-grade trilogy from talented writer and illustrator William Goldsmith and it comes packed with comedy, codes, amazing artwork, mouth-watering mystery… and platefuls of delicious pizzas!

Colin Kingsley is a pizza delivery boy but what he really wants to be is a private detective. He’s desperate for an interesting case to solve, so his luck is in when the Golden Spatula League come calling, the greatest of all detective agencies. They only recruit children and have been hugely impressed by Colin’s amazing memory skills. To join their ranks, Colin – codenamed Mark Anchovy – must fly to Rome to track the movements of known art forger Mr Big Al Fresco who is suspected of stealing the valuable painting, Girl with a Squirrel by Leonardo da Quincy, worth something in the region of 20 million dollars.

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Using only his wits and memory while working undercover at Mr Fresco’s favourite pizzeria, Il Casa Bianca, Mark Anchovy must crack the code and solve the greatest mystery the Golden Spatula League has ever encountered. And all while escaping the beady eye of his crusty history teacher, Mr Hogstein…

Goldsmith’s fully illustrated Roman odyssey dishes up humour, madcap action, super sleuthing, a plethora of pizzas, and more puns than a school text book on English grammar! Ideal for pizza and adrenalin addicts, and anybody aiming to follow in the footsteps of Agatha Christie, Mark Anchovy looks set to be a firm fishy favourite on the middle-grade reading menu.

(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £6.99)

Age 8 plus:

Survival in Space: The Apollo 13 Mission

David Long and Stefano Tambellini

FIFTY years ago, the Apollo 13 spaceship prepared to make the third manned mission to the Moon… but its fateful launch has become one of the most famous and dramatic stories in space travel history.

Award-winning children’s non-fiction writer David Long, an expert on NASA and space travel, takes children on an out-of-this-world journey in this gripping, illustrated re-telling of the astonishing thirteenth mission.

In April 1970, Apollo 13 was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It should have been the third manned Apollo mission to land on the Moon but when an explosion on board damaged the spacecraft, it became a perilous and near-impossible fight for survival. The crew on board ended up travelling further into space than any other humans before them...

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Published in super-readable book form by innovative publisher Barrington Stoke, the amazing Apollo 13 journey, this brilliantly accessible story of an era-defining space mission is a thrilling read for space fanatics and reluctant readers, and is brought to life by the fantastic black and white illustrations of Stefano Tambellini.

Long, who has shaken hands with two of the men who walked on the Moon, has re-imagined the legend of Apollo 13 for a new generation and shows how courage, determination and teamwork succeeded in beating all odds to bring the spacecraft back home. Ideal for young space fans, and especially suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers.

(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £6.99)

Age 6 plus:

Sticker Dollies: Unicorn Rescue

Zanna Davidson and Heather Burns

INSPIRED by Fiona Watts’ multi-million copy selling Sticker Dolly Dressing books comes a sparkling new series full of magic, adventure… and amazing clothes! Ideal for independent new readers, these beautifully produced and creative stories are fully illustrated throughout and include a page of colourful sticker clothes to dress the Magic Dolls who care for the Magical Creatures of the Enchanted Isle.

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In this first super adventure, we meet a frightened unicorn who is rampaging through the Spellwood and it’s up to the three Magic Dolls – Grace, Holly and Lily – to help. Because she is so scared, the weather unicorn has whipped up a terrible storm, terrifying the fairy creatures of the wood. Can the Magic Dolls help before it’s too late?

These exciting Sticker Dollies stories feature enchanting, accessible chapter books which are ideal for youngsters eager to start reading on their own, and with stickers to inspire their imaginations, this series is set to be a hands-on winner! The second book in the series, Sticker Dollies: Fairy Picnic will be published in July.

(Usborne Publishing, paperback, £5.99 each)

Age 3 plus:

The Diddle That Dummed

Kes Gray and Fred Blunt

WHY does the diddle keep going dum? Enjoy a laugh-out-loud picture book from the irrepressible wizard of wordplay, Kes Gray, and his top notch illustration team mate Fred Blunt as they serve up a veritable musical extravaganza of silliness that is guaranteed to have little ones giggling all the way from first note to last.

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Flinty Bo Diddle is writing a tune for his fiddle. All his diddles have lined up nicely… except for one who keeps going Dum, right in the middle. No matter what he tries, he just can’t get this diddle to diddle like it’s supposed to. But just when he thinks he might have solved the problem, all his best hopes for musical perfection end with a plop!

Gray, author of the bestselling Oi Frog!, is on his best comedy form in a joyful, playful and delightfully mischievous story about daring to be different and standing out from the crowd which gets added ‘rhythm and loos’ from Blunt’s bold and imaginative illustrations. With Gray’s trademark word wonders and Blunt’s artful artwork, this irreverent picture book is destined to become a firm family favourite!

(Orchard Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 3 plus:

My Pet T-Rex

Fabi Santiago

EVERY child wants a pet, but has one little girl taken on more than she can handle when she adopts… a T-Rex! Brazilian-born author and illustrator Fabi Santiago – whose Tiger in a Tutu was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize ­– has fun with a dippy dinosaur and its harassed new owner in her bright, colourful and fun-filled new picture book. My Pet T-Rex is an anarchic guide to looking after a pet… no matter what the species, and how big it is!

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Congratulations! Kiki is now the proud owner of a pet dinosaur called Petunia. But having a new pet isn’t all fun and games. Your new pet will need lots of love. She will also need training, exercise, (very) regular feeding... and, of course, the poop! It’s hard work … especially when your pet is an untrained T-Rex!

Santiago’s madcap dinosaur adventure celebrates the joys and also the responsibilities of having a pet in a clever, cautionary tale packed with her fabulous screen-printed illustrations which feature movement, expression and bold colours. Animal magic with a big dollop of reality!

(Orchard Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 3 plus:

The Little Mermaid

Geraldine McCaughrean
and Laura Barrett 

ENJOY all the magic of Hans Christian Andersen’s entrancing, bittersweet fairy tale of The Little Mermaid in a beautiful new picture book. Retold by renowned storyteller and Carnegie Medal-winning author, Geraldine McCaughrean, and with stunning, silhouette-style, two-tone illustrations by artist Laura Barrett, this beautiful book is the perfect introduction to one of the best-loved classic stories.

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When she falls in love with a handsome, human prince, the little mermaid Delphine persuades a powerful sea witch to use her magic to replace her tail with legs so she can live on land. But the price demanded by the wicked sea witch is great… the mermaid's beautiful voice. With its sparkling foiled cover and fantastically intricate and delicate illustrations, this is a must-have addition to any child’s bookshelf.

(Orchard Books, paperback, £6.99)

Out of Touch

Haleh Agar

TWO siblings, who became estranged after their fractured childhood, are forced to confront long-buried tensions when a letter arrives from their dying father. But can the brother and sister ever truly resolve the conflicts and traumas of the past… and rediscover the powerful bonds that traditionally hold families together?

In a clever and compelling debut novel that impresses with its quiet power and elegant, sensitive storytelling, Canadian-born Haleh Agar brings us a penetrating exploration of a dysfunctional family, and the secrets, betrayals, insecurities and feelings of guilt that have torn them apart for twenty years.

Out of Touch stars two troubled siblings who must tread through a minefield of emotions, hidden complexes, and painful memories when their long-absent father reveals he is terminally ill and pleads with them both to get in touch. The re-awakening of their early years – and the new imperative to find the strength to look back and the capacity to forgive – lies at the heart of this deeply personal and resonant tale which shines a piercing light on the often turbulent dynamics of contemporary family life.

IMPRESSIVE DEBUT NOVEL: Haleh Agar

When their newspaper editor father, Lee Bridges, was forced to leave their home in London and quit the country after a scandal twenty years ago, the lives of teenagers Michael and Ava changed forever.

The two young people coped with their parents’ broken relationship in different ways. Michael forged a fresh start and career for himself as a university lecturer in New York, while Ava was left behind to look after her demanding mother Elena who moved them to a new home in rural Derbyshire.

Elena died five months ago but Ava is still stuck in a rut, living in her mother’s dreary bungalow and working in a local department store. But everything changes the day Ava receives a letter from her long-lost father informing her that he is dying and wants to make contact with her again. That same night, a man accidentally hits Ava with his car just a few miles from her home and she suffers a broken pelvis and leg. Distressed at what has happened, Sam Ghadimi, whose parents are Iranian, brings her flowers in hospital, the letter she dropped that night on the road, and maybe ‘the prospect of a happy future awaiting her.’

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Meanwhile, in New York, Ava’s brother Michael receives the same letter. Michael has made a new life for himself with his high-flying Lebanese wife Layla and their two-year-old son Jacob. But true happiness has eluded Michael who is dogged by self-doubt and haunted by feelings of anxiety and guilt over his wife’s curtailed career ambitions, their vulnerable son, and the sister he left behind. When he is thrown into the path of Sarah Addams, a sculptor from London who is living in

The Secret Seaside Escape

Heidi Swain

AS high-flying PR executive Tess Tyler heads for mental and physical meltdown, there is just one place she wants to escape to… the small seaside town which was her childhood sanctuary.

If you are eager to make your own escape from the lockdown blues, recharge your feelgood batteries with a simply sensational summer sparkler from Heidi Swain who has won thousands of hearts with her enchanting books set in Wynbridge, the fictional Fenland town where love blossoms whatever the season.

Swain, who lives with her family in beautiful south Norfolk, has a well-earned reputation for heartwarming and entertaining stories which showcase her talent for blending escapist romance, culinary delights, and a perfectly imagined cast of characters with some real-life challenges in the modern world. In The Secret Seaside Escape, we move out of bustling Wynbridge to discover the Norfolk coastal delights of Wynmouth, a summer sunshine haven of sandy beaches, glittering rock pools, warm friendships, the green shoots of new love… and some unexpected surprises!

READING FEAST: Heidi Swain

Tess Tyler is the senior project manager in Tyler PR, the family firm, but the almost daily rigours of her high-flying job are taking her close to ‘burn-out.’ Weighed down by the pressures of her work and her demanding father, she has left little time to take care of herself.

And when her biggest ever project goes belly-up just a week before launch day, she knows she has to get away. It’s less than two years since the death of her mother and Tess has never mourned her properly, believing that ‘marching on’ was the best way of coping with her grief.

Her mental turmoil takes a further downward spiral when she makes a shocking discovery in her mother’s recently rediscovered diaries and she flees to Wynmouth, the charming seaside town she fell in love with as a child on annual summer holidays but hasn’t visited since she was a teenager.

With its beautiful beaches, fresh salty air, wheeling seagulls and welcoming locals, Tess soon settles into her rented Crow’s Nest Cottage and feels like she can finally breathe again. And as she grows ever closer to Sam, the cottage’s owner and landlord of the next door pub, she dares to dream that she might never return to her real life. But when a familiar face returns to town, Tess realises that there are secrets in Wynmouth, too, and that her own past may be about to catch up with her…

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Brimming with mysteries, simmering romance, laughter, tears and friendship, and guaranteed to leave readers with a much-need sense of optimism, this twisting, turning tale is the ideal substitute summer holiday getaway. Swain has a strong sense of community and a keen eye for

Dark Corners

Darren O’Sullivan

NEVE Chambers’ best friend went missing when they were both 16-year-old schoolgirls and twenty years later, she is still haunted by the events surrounding her disappearance.

But now, another of her childhood friends has vanished without a trace and hidden truths from the past are about to rise to the surface in the most unexpected – and deadly – of ways.

Darren O’Sullivan, who trained as both an actor and stage director, turned to writing five years ago and has already garnered an army of fans with his dark, brooding thrillers which pack a powerful psychological punch and are guaranteed to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Alternating between two timelines, Dark Corners is a gripping, twisting, turning tale which dishes up an intensely claustrophobic mystery, full of revealing flashbacks and disturbing secrets, as well as the fascinating dynamics of a Nineties coming-of-age friendship group. Neve Chambers’ best friend Chloe Lambert went missing without a trace in 1998 when they were both sixteen years old. They were part of a gang of pals in a former mining village where tales of a ghostly man called The Drifter, who hangs around outside people’s homes, had been circulating for years.

ON TOP FORM: Darren O’Sullivan

Unable to face up to what had happened, Neve left the home she shared with her father shortly afterwards and has never returned, but over the last twenty years she has fallen apart both mentally and physically. She shares ownership of a café in London with an old university friend but she drinks to excess and her fiancé has recently walked out on her.

Still haunted and insecure, Neve promised herself that she would never go back to the place where she grew up but when she learns that her first boyfriend, Jamie Hardman, has gone missing in a disappearance that echoes the events of all those years ago, she feels forced to finally return. But even before Neve left London, she felt that somebody was watching and shadowing her… somebody who will stop at nothing until the truth about what took place one summer night is finally revealed.

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O’Sullivan is on top form as tensions rise in the present, and events from 1998 slowly unspool backwards from three weeks after Chloe’s disappearance to the unsettling six weeks leading up to that fateful day in July when a young girl vanished and the lives of a group of teenagers changed forever.

Against the atmospheric backdrop of a decaying pit village, still stalked by shadows from its industrial past, an intriguing mystery plays out with a deadly secret at its heart and some personal demons waiting to be vanquished. Loaded with menace, chills, thrills and suspense, and with a jaw-dropping twist in its tail, Dark Corners will keep you guessing right up to the final, fiendishly clever finale.

(HQ, paperback, £7.99)

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Keeping calm, messages of love, and a secret book

Take a helping hand to get youngsters through the coronavirus crisis, enjoy an all-action medieval romp, savour a slice of fairy tale fantasy, and meet a green-fingered girl called Pea in a bright and colourful selection of new books for children

Age 7 plus:

Dream Team: Attack of the Heebie Jeebies

Tom Percival 

MEET the Dream Team… and turn nightmares into incredible adventures! Children can suffer from anxiety in the best of times but in the coronavirus crisis, stress levels have the potential to soar. So perfect timing for author and illustrator Tom Percival’s new Dream Team adventure series which offers a fun and engaging way to reassure youngsters and help them cope with their anxieties.

REASSURANCE:
Tom Percival

Brimming with action, adventures, subtle lessons offering advice and information, plus Percival’s high-octane, two-tone illustrations, this series is the perfect way to explore anxiety and behavioural issues, and to learn how to conquer them through rip-roaring adventure stories.

Erika has had a bad day but going to sleep when she is upset means bad dreams. She finds herself stranded in the Dreamscape along with a mob of hungry Heebie Jeebies… and to make matters worse, she is being hunted by a terrifying Angermare!  Enter the Dream Team. Can they help Erika overcome her worries and get home, or will she be trapped forever?

Ideal for sharing at home to help children through periods of anxiety, or for reading in schools as guidance with behavioural problems and anger management, this exciting new series could turn youthful nightmares into the sweetest dreams.

(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £6.99)

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Age 3 plus:

The Longest, Strongest Thread

Inbal Leitner

AS the nation’s lockdown continues, here’s a gentle and reassuring picture book for children who have been separated from their much-loved grandparents and other family members. The Longest, Strongest Thread comes from talented author and illustrator Inbal Leitner and is based on the real-life experiences of her grandmother who had to leave behind her parents in Nazi Germany.

Leitner’s message of love despite separation is comforting for all those grandchildren and grandparents who are now in self-isolation or social distancing because of the coronavirus. The tale of a child who is moving with her parents to a faraway country helps soothe anxiety caused by lockdown and school closure, and shows how it is still possible to communicate with each other.

A little girl is moving with her parents to a new, colder country where the lake freezes in winter. She loves visiting her Grandma’s sewing studio and watching her make things, helping her choose fabrics and finding the right thread. Now she is worried about leaving her behind. Grandma is also worried about her granddaughter and is making her a warm coat to envelop her like a big hug. Fortunately, Grandma and her little granddaughter have the longest, strongest thread in the world to keep them bound together.

Leitner’s simple, emotive and lyrical story about moving away from home is a loving celebration of a child’s special relationship with their grandparent even in the toughest times, while delicate, uncluttered artwork, full of clever imagery and in glowing shades of yellow and green, adds warmth to the minimal but beautifully expressive illustrations.

Free resources for this enchanting book are available on the Scallywag Press website at: https://www.scallywagpress.com/resources.html

(Scallywag Press, hardback, £12.99)

Age 9 plus:

The Book of Secrets

Philip Caveney

A MISSING book that could change the world, an orphan boy on a mission, and a feisty girl with designs on acting fame are the shining stars of a madcap medieval adventure that puts fun into history!

Philip Caveney, whose first novel for younger readers, Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools, was published around the world in 2007, returns to make youngsters laugh and gasp with a rollicking, all-action romp featuring a cast of charismatic characters.  

Orphaned stable lad Boy – not the now almost forgotten name he was given at birth by his long-lost parents – is riding across the desert on a ‘borrowed’ horse after fleeing a cruel master in his home town of Serafin. His destination is the famous Moon of Elnis festival at Ravalan and he carries with him the Book of Secrets, which contains his late father’s brilliant inventions, one of which could change the world forever. But Boy falls in with some scheming brigands who rob him and leave him for dead in the harsh desert sands.

Then along comes Lexi with her group of eccentric travelling players… and it just so happens they are looking for a new leading man. Can he help them out by starring in their latest show, and can they help him out by tracking down the all-important Book of Secrets? As danger lurks around every corner, Boy will need to keep his wits about him…

Brimming with action, mystery, laughs galore and the delightful Lexi’s quirky band of travelling players, The Book of Secrets is a standalone thrill for all young adventurers!

(UCLan Publishing, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus:

The Cut-Throat Cafe

Nicki Thornton

TAKE an Agatha Christie conundrum, a slice of fairy tale fantasy, and a big helping of Harry Potter-style magic and you have the third enthralling book in Nicki Thornton’s sparkling Seth Seppi series.

Thornton, a former independent bookseller and winner of the 2016 Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition, delivers another stunning sleuthing adventure in her deliciously atmospheric and wickedly funny series which blends a classic whodunit with her own special brand of comedy and magical mystery. Following on from The Last Chance Hotel and The Bad Luck Lighthouse, we are plunged back into a wild and wonderfully imaginative world of sinister sorcerers, dark magic, and cunning clues as former kitchen boy turned apprentice magician Seth sets out to solve another murder mystery.

Seth and his talking cat Nightshade arrive in the mysterious town of Gramichee – one of the few towns where a cluster of magic folk live – to gain an apprenticeship. He is finally ready to qualify as a magician, and maybe one day, a sorcerer. But he soon discovers that the existing apprentices are under attack at the town’s Scrumdiddlyumptious Cafe which is far more deadly than it is delightful. Seth – whose attempts to get a spell under control seem to go spectacularly wrong every single time – has got his hands full, as usual. Can he pass his exams, discover who is murdering the apprentices, and stop them before they strike again?

Thornton excels at building a rich and exciting world full of bizarre and extraordinary characters, but with the authentic atmosphere of a timeless and classic mystery tale, and a trail of intriguing clues that will keep young readers guessing right through to the last pages.

With its tantalising tangle of magic, mayhem, murder and mystery, this is a tasty dish for young readers who like to indulge in their own detective work, and a thrilling read for daring adventurers unafraid to step inside an amazing world of danger and deception.

(Chicken House, paperback, £6.99)

Age 7 plus:

Milton the Megastar

Emma Read

WHEN you are a teeny, tiny spider, superstardom can seem like a very BIG deal… But fame has its price as Milton (a truly harmless and completely unscreamworthy false widow spider) discovers in the fabulously funny second book of a laugh-out-loud and entertaining series from former biologist Emma Read.

Read, who is on a mission to turn spider worriers into spider warriors, has even won the hearts of young arachnophobes with her itsy bitsy superhero Milton who is on the web, always ready to swing into action, and has the heart of a lion! And in this super hilarious sequel to Milton the Mighty, our eight-legged legend goes international despite his claims that superstardom is stressing him out. The events, the glamour, the adoring fans are getting too much for our exhausted hero but, secretly, his owner Zoe, and BFFs, big hairy Ralph and spindly daddy-long-legs Audrey, think he’s turned into... well, a bit of a diva.

So when Dad and Greta plan a trip to Hawaii, Zoe knows she has to take her best spider pals along for the ride… they all need a break. But with a live volcano, an endangered spider species, an unscrupulous entrepreneur and Milton’s ego to contend with, this is hardly a holiday!

Read does another fine job of debunking some of the myths around creepy crawlies as we discover fascinating science and conservation facts, and meet some amazing new spider characters like the Hawaiian happy-face spider and the more familiar money spider. Milton’s frantic antics – the perfect antidote to arachnophobia – are brought to life by the comical illustrations of Alex G. Griffiths and Lisa Reed, and there are wise lessons about the sometimes harmful cult of celebrity, and the importance of being yourself. Who knew spiders could be such a scream!

(Chicken House, paperback, £6.99)

Age 3:

Number 7 Evergreen Street

Julia Patton

A LITTLE girl called Pea certainly isn’t green when it comes to saving her precious home! Enjoy a delicious picture book treat from much-loved author and illustrator Julia Patton as she introduces us to a horticultural heroine who comes up with a green-fingered solution to stop the demolition of her much-loved tower block home.

Penelope Petersham (better known as Pea because she is tiny and loves wearing green) lives in a flat at Number 7 Evergreen Street. It’s a grey building in a grey street, in a grey city. Inside the building, however, it’s not grey at all. Pea and her parents have lots of amazing, colourful neighbours. But there are ‘big plans’ for Evergreen Street and one day, an army of construction workers turn up and start putting up brand new buildings. When it looks like Number 7 Evergreen Street is going to be demolished, Pea has to think quickly to save her home.

Patton’s big, beautiful picture book is overflowing with her colourful and intricately detailed illustrations which bring to vibrant life a very special story celebrating the rich rewards of a diverse community, and the value of the natural world even in the seemingly most monochrome of landscapes. From the smallest plans grow the biggest schemes!

(Templar Publishing, paperback, £6.99)

Age 3 plus:

Mabel: A Mermaid Fable

Rowboat Watkins 

WRY humour and warm messages about how special we all are – with or without a moustache! – combine to create a delightful picture book from the talented Rowboat Watkins.

Watkins, the award-winning author of Rude Cakes and Most Marshmallows, makes everyone laugh out loud in an inspirational and warm-hearted tale about two quirky pals discovering that being true to yourself is what really matters.

Unlike the rest of her family, Mabel the mermaid doesn’t have a moustache, and Lucky, with his seven legs, isn’t like the other octopuses… but when they find each other, they discover that true friendship isn’t about how you look, and that sometimes what we are searching for is right under our noses.

Watkins’ stylish, distinctive artwork is the perfect match for an uplifting story about friendship, self-acceptance, individuality… and the rare and exotic treasures that can be found beneath our oceans.

Ideal for reading aloud, and with warm messages for the very youngest children, this is a fun-filled treat for all the family to enjoy!

(Chronicle Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 3 plus:

ABC of Kindness

Patricia Hegarty and Summer Macon

IIT'S never too early to learn about the importance of being kind…

Learning the alphabet while learning about compassion is as easy as A-B-C with this beautiful, illustrated board book full of cute animal characters and a gentle, rhyming text.

A is for all of us – be everyone's friend, B is for believing – things will turn out well in the end, C is for being caring in everything you do, D is for dear ones – who mean the world to you!

The ABC of Kindness is a delightful alphabetical journey through the many ways we can be kinder to ourselves and others, be they friends, family or strangers. Add on Summer Macon’s pastel palette of adorable illustrations and you have the perfect teaching tool for home or nursery.

(Caterpillar Books, board book, £6.99)