The remarkable story of a group of Preston girls who made footballing history reaches the final chapter, a pizza delivery boy heads off for a slice of sleuthing action in Japan, meet some unlikely heroes in the ancient Norse world, and discover the wonders of nature at night in an exciting selection of new children’s books
Age 9 plus
Dick, Kerr Girls:
All Together Now
Eve Ainsworth
WELCOME back into the lives of the team of ordinary working girls from Preston who made footballing history. The remarkable munitions workers from the Dick, Kerr factory in Strand Road – whose first match was played before an astonishing 10,000 spectators at Deepdale on Christmas Day in 1917 – take centre stage again in the final book of a thrilling Dick, Kerr Girls trilogy from Carnegie-nominated author Eve Ainsworth.
All Together Now – which follows on from Kicking Off! and
The Perfect Shot – continues the feminist coming-of-age re-telling of events
leading up to the formation of the famous Preston football team, which emerged
at a time when women weren’t allowed to play professional football, but whose
plucky members went on to play in front of crowds the size of today’s men’s
Premier League teams.
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It’s 1920, and the team have a new member training with them.
Martha – little sister to Hettie and Freddie – has finally been given her
chance to swap street kickabouts with the local lads for the chance to play
alongside the world’s best female footballers. But Martha has more to worry
about than keeping up with the older girls. She’s dealing with new and
confusing feelings. Things at home are hard and the future of women’s football
in general is under threat. Are Martha’s dreams – both on and off the pitch –
too far out of reach?
Meticulously researched and brimming with the excitement and
determination of those footballing legends, this powerful and inspirational
series has been a reminder of the obstacles these young women faced, and the
release that sport offered them from the grind of their daily lives. From making new friendships and making history, Ainsworth’s
storytelling celebration of a group of unforgettable women resonates loudly
with today’s generation of aspiring female footballers.
(UCLan Publishing, paperback, £7.99)
Age 9 plus
Mark Anchovy: Pizza Power
William Goldsmith
NO youngster will want to miss a slice of the action when
they get their hands on the third tasty tale of an adventure-loving pizza
delivery boy who serves up a big portion of danger in his dual role as a
private detective. Mark Anchovy is a brilliant middle-grade series from
talented writer and illustrator William Goldsmith and it comes packed with
comedy, capers, tall orders, mouth-watering mysteries… and food glorious food!
Pizza delivery boy Colin Kingsley, aka Mark Anchovy, is on a new case for the
Golden Spatula League, the greatest of all detective agencies and it only
recruits children. He’s got a lot on his plate this time and it’s not just
fishy pizza. He’s in Japan and his mission is to track down Lord Bobo, an
English game show host who is missing. Worryingly, a bloodthirsty butler is
after him and, more worryingly, he has a new apprentice to train… his sister,
Alicia. Has the world’s busiest pizza detective bitten off more than he can
chew? Goldsmith’s fully illustrated adventure dishes up madcap action, super
sleuthing, a Japanese shower of laughs, 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 is a delicious
favourite on the middle-grade reading menu.
(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £6.99)
Age 9 plus
Vi Spy: Never Say Whatever Again
Maz Evans
I SPY with my little eye… a daring (but D-minus!) girl
tasked with saving the world! Welcome back to the fertile imagination of Maz
Evans, author of the bestselling Who Let the Gods Out? books, and her hilarious
super-sleuthing adventure series which stars a pint-sized super spy and a
supporting cast of characters who cannot fail to win the hearts of readers
young and old. Valentine (Vi) Day’s mum, Easter Day, is an ex- spy and is
divorcing her dad, Robert Ford, who has now retired as one of the world’s most
evil men. Divorce is tough for any kid but with her parents distracted, the
real super-villains are having a field day. To save her family – and the planet
– from evil domination, Vi has turned spy. But Vi is failing at top spy school
Rimmington Hall even though the school motto is ‘Failure is Not an Option.’ To
make matters worse, nearly-stepbrother Russell Sprout is an A* student. And worst
of all, Vi’s shadowy nemesis Umbra is still at large. Can Vi unveil the arch-villain
before she gets expelled and her parents ground her for ever? She’ll need the
help of old friends and new, including nine-year-old super-hacker Missy Fit,
and BFF Tamina who aims to save the world in a different way. Expect giggles
and gasps galore as youngsters take a running jump into this full-on,
comedy-laden story which includes memorable moments and gripping twists whilst
gently tackling emotive issues like parental divorce and friendship problems.
(Chicken House, paperback, £6.99)
How to Be a Hero: A Gathering of Giants
Cat Weldon and Katie Kear
(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £6.99)
Age 5 plus
Above and Below: Dusk till Dawn
Harriet Evans and Nie Jones
(360 Degrees, hardback, £12.99)
Age 5 plus
Two Terrible Vikings and Grunt the Berserker
Francesca Simon and Steve May
(Faber & Faber, paperback, £6.99)
Age 5 plus
Mike Falls Up
Candy Gourlay and Carles Ballesteros
WHEN picture books are too babyish and middle grade books
too hard, just what can a young in-betweenie read? The answer is a highly
illustrated, full-colour fiction range from the creative book boffins at Little
Tiger Press. With their enchanting stories and highly illustrated glossy pages,
these books are ideal for bridging the gap between picture books and chapter
books for newly independent young readers. In Mike Falls Up, we meet Mike and
his dog Bowow as they enjoy a lazy, hot afternoon in the Chocolate Hills when
the ground beneath them cracks open… and Bowow jumps into the hole! Then a note
flows up… ‘Birthday. Come now. Just fall up.’ With no time to wonder what it
means, Mike jumps in and falls into some most topsy-turvy adventures!
Shortlisted Carnegie Medal author Candy Gourlay delivers a joyous story
celebrating the power of the unexpected, all brought to vivid life by Spanish
illustrator Carles Ballesteros’ gallery of vibrant, colourful and action-filled
illustrations. A fun book to read alone or to share with the family.
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £5.99)
Age 3 plus
Octopants: The Missing Pirate Pants
Suzy Senior and Claire Powell
EVERYTHING seems to be going swimmingly for a little octopus
until he tries to find a pair of underpants for his pal! Youngsters will be
laughing all the way from the deep end as they dive into the long-awaited
second book in the best-selling Octopants series from rhyming queen Suzy Senior
and illustrator extraordinaire Claire Powell. This inspired pairing are back to
win more hearts as we join Octopants, Pufferfish and their underwater pals on a
pant-tastic adventure filled with pirates, parties and plenty of pants. Pufferfish
has lost his pants. Where could those undies be? Ahoy there, Pirate! Step
aboard – let’s join the search and see! Senior has a wonderful way with words
and her funny, exuberant and clever rhyming romp leaps into glorious life
alongside Powell’s vibrant, vivid and superbly colourful illustrations. Add on
an eye-catching, shiny purple cover and lots of laughs with the joyful adventures
and misadventures of a mixed-up, muddled-up mollusc, and this is underwater
heaven for fun-loving youngsters.
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £6.99)
Age one plus
Hello, Frog
Isabel Otter and Sophie Ledesma
LEAP across lily pads with a bouncy fog in this joyful and
colourful journey through nature! Hello, Frog – a beautifully produced touch,
feel and reveal board book – features tactile textures, exciting flaps and
peek-through holes to encourage little learners to interact with the pages. So
join Frog on his jungle journey, and say hello to lots of friendly creatures
along the way, as he explores all kinds of wildlife, from a hummingbird and a
snake to a monkey and a moth. The bold and bright illustrations of Sophie
Ledesma bring the natural world to life while Isabel Otter’s simple but
informative text, and the intriguing flaps, allow little learners to recognise
other animals and plants too. The ideal fun and stimulating book to share with
your toddlers.
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £7.99)
From birth
Dear Zoo
Rod Campbell
‘I WROTE to the zoo to send me a pet…’ Over the last 40
years, millions of copies of Rod Campbell’s much-loved, lift-the-flap book,
Dear Zoo, have been sold worldwide and it is still as popular today as it was
when it was introduced to families in 1982. And to celebrate Dear Zoo’s special
40th anniversary, let your little ones dive into this imaginative gold-foiled
board book which brings all those favourite zoo animals to spectacular life. Tots
will love to open up the pages, lift the flaps and meet all the animals one by
one, from the large grey elephant and the stripy zebra to the bouncy kangaroo
and a big friendly hippo. But will they ever manage to send the perfect pet? This
robust and hard-wearing board book contains a colourful menagerie of popular
zoo animals and little ones can learn their names and then discover their
different shapes and sizes as they turn the chunky pages and see what’s hiding
under the sturdy flaps. Ingeniously simple, gorgeously illustrated and yet
wonderfully clever, Dear Zoo is perfect for small hands and the ideal way to
introduce children to the wonder and variety of wild animals.
(Macmillan, board book, £6.99)
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