Enjoy the first story of a simply spooktacular new adventure series, meet a boy whose ambitions reach to the moon and back, learn all about the science behind plants, head off to Paris for daring escapades and immerse yourself in a wonderfully murky, carnivalesque world of magic and mystery in a summer holiday selection of children’s books
Dead Good Detectives
Jenny McLachlan and Chloe Dominique
BRACE yourself for magic, danger, pirates, giggles, and ghosts galore, as Jenny McLachlan – author of the critically accalimed Land of Roar series – returns with a simply spooktacular new adventure series. Epic, exciting, and extraordinarily funny, Dead Good Detectives – brimming with the fabulous black and white illustrations of Chloe Dominique – was inspired by the author’s visit to an alleged ‘pirate graveyard’ in Dorset where headstones had engravings of skulls and crossbones.
It was just ‘the bones’ needed to set McLachlan’s prodigious
imagination whirring and the result is a gorgeously ghostly tale that delivers
the perfect balance of comedy, capers, thrills, spills and some fascinating
nuggets of history.
Twelve-year-old Sid Jones loves hanging out in the graveyard
with her best friend Zen – they are desperate to see a real-life ghost! But
when Sid accidentally summons a 300-year-old pirate from the dead (AND his
shouty parrot!), it opens the door to the Halfway House, a magical inn full of
lost souls from across the ages, all trapped there by a sinister landlord.
There are more ghosts than Sid could ever have imagined… and they’re all sure
Sid is there to save them! (Sid’s equally sure there’s been some kind of
mistake.) But someone else is watching, and they are not happy about Sid
helping the ghosts. Tick, tock… time is running out!
With magical mysteries to solve, a story full of spooks and
spine-tingling fun, a cast of adorable characters you’ll love to meet again,
and a gentle reminder that being one of life’s worriers can have unexpected
advantages, Dead Good Detectives is more than just a dead good read… it’s a
gripping, rip-roaring, unmissable adventure!
(Farshore, paperback, £7.99)
I Want the Moon
Frann Preston-Gannon
‘Working late at his desk in his office one night, the man
raised his head as the space filled with light. Moonbeams and memories flooded
the room as did his longing of owning the moon…’
MEET a boy whose ambitions reach to the moon and back in a stunning, rhyming picture book from award-winning author and illustrator Frann Preston-Gannon. An over-indulged little boy grows into a very wealthy man who has everything he could possibly want on Earth. There is only one thing left that he MUST have… the moon he coveted as a child. Plans are drawn, machines built and factories sent spluttering into the air. Giant towers grow up and up and up. Soon the moon is nearly within the man’s grasp… but someone else wants it too. Their tug-of-war ends in disaster when the moon shatters into a thousand pieces and now it’s up to the children to come to the rescue...
I Want the Moon is a richly-detailed and mesmerising story,
written with lyrical beauty, and with an important message about greed,
happiness, and where NOT to look for it. Filled with Preston-Gannon’s trademark textured
illustrations, with their eye-catching use of colour and bold, distinctive
design, and beautifully capturing the retro atmospherics of the past and the
contrasting, diverse nature of the contemporary world, this wise and cautionary
tale speaks loudly to readers both young and old.
(Templar Publishing, paperback, £7.99)
Ada Twist, Scientist: The Why Files:
All About Plants!
Andrea Beaty, Dr Theanne Griffith
and David Roberts
HOW do plants grow? It’s a mystery, it’s a riddle, a puzzle, a quest! Learn all about the science behind plants with the second book in the fantastic Ada Twist, Scientist: The Why Files series, a welcome full-colour, non-fiction early reader addition to the bestselling Questioneers series and the new Netflix show. A scientist to her very core, Ada Twist asks why again and again, and her questions always lead youngsters on a fascinating journey of discovery in Andrea Beaty and David Roberts’ brilliant The Questioneers books.
Here the author and illustrator team join forces with brain
scientist Dr Theanne Griffith to guide youngsters through the wonderful world
of plants. What do plants eat, why do some plants have flowers and others don’t,
and what’s the tallest plant out there? Discover how plants use their roots to
soak up water and nutrients, learn about their stems which hold leaves up to
the sun, and be amazed at how a plant dust called pollen helps to make more
plants. Filled with fun, facts and fabulous illustrations, Ada
Twist, Scientist: The Why Files is the perfect non-fiction resource for all children
who love asking question, and enjoy learning along with Ada. Designed in a scrapbook format, these books combine art from
the show, illustrations and photography to bring simple science concepts to
life. And with two experiments to do at home, All About Plants! is the ideal
book to entertain, educate and empower the scientists of tomorrow.
(Amulet Books, hardback, £9.99)
Age 9 plus
The Unexpected Tale of the Bad Brothers
Clare Povey
(Usborne Publishing, paperback, £7.99)
Age 9 plus
The Extraordinary Voyage of Katy Willacott
Sharon Gosling
Carnival of the Hunted
Kieran Larwood and Sam Usher
TAKE one of most exciting, contemporary children’s authors
and a multi-talented illustrator, and what do you get? A middle-grade series
from superstars Kieran Larwood and Sam Usher that is so steeped in the
atmospherics of a steampunk Victorian London that you can almost touch the
grime and grit, smell the muck, and feel the miasma of choking smog! Carnival
of the Hunted – the follow-up to the fantastic Carnival of the Lost – sweeps us
back into the wonderfully murky, carnivalesque world of intrigue, friendships,
magic and mysteries that has won an army of young fans. Stars of the carnival
show are an unusual troupe of performers that includes Sheba the wolf girl,
Pyewacket, a witch’s imp, and Sister Moon, a knife thrower. And in this new
adventure, something sinister is going on in the stinking slums of London.
Sideshow acts are going missing, and men wearing animal masks and eye goggles
are hunting them down and killing them for sport. But who are this fiendish
Hunters’ Club and what is the reason for their cruel game? Sheba and Pyewacket
know all about life in a sideshow but now they are the Carnival, private
investigators working to help unusual people like them. Teaming up with new
recruits half-cat Inji, her extraordinary brother, the armadillo-like Sil, and
Glyph the psychic, it’s a race against time to track down the mask-wearing
villains, before anyone else comes to harm! There is so much for youngsters to
love and enjoy in this full-on, immersive adventure… humour, originality,
page-turning thrills, danger and daring, and all brought to life by Usher’s
gorgeously gothic and characterful illustrations. Middle-grade writing and
illustrating at its best!
(Faber& Faber, paperback, £7.99)
Bodies, Brains and Bogies
Paul Ian Cross and Steve Brown
BEWARE… this book may contain a bathtub of saliva, a farting
rhinoceros, an eardrum-bursting volcano and a pile of bacteria even bigger than
you! Enjoy learning all you need to know about the gross but glorious human
body in a brilliant and fascinating, revolting and remarkable book from Paul
Ian Cross, a microbiologist who loves introducing children to the wonders of
science. Bodies, Brains and Bogies takes readers on a whirlwind tour of
everything that is disgusting, unusual and amazing about the human body. Find
out everything about poo, pus and bogies, discover how many creepy creatures
live on your skin, and why you make seven litres of mucus every week, while
learning a whole lot about how our bodies work hard in hundreds of ways to keep
us alive. With tons of Steve Brown’s hilarious and informative illustrations
which bring medical science to life, the book features Cross’s trademark
laugh-out-loud humour, in-depth knowledge and infectious optimism. The perfect
funny and accessible way to discover everything you’ve ever wanted to know
about the human body, but were too afraid to ask!
(Welbeck, paperback, £5.99)
Cursed Tales:
The Pharaoh of Asco Express
Jake R. Wilson and Sian James
HISTORY, mystery, chills and thrills! Archaeologist Jake R. Wilson
– who is currently leading excavations across the south-east of England –
harnesses his own considerable knowledge for a rip-roaring adventure set in
Ancient Egypt for the first book in Cursed Tales, an exciting new illustrated
series which brings to life scary stories from the ancient world. Whatever
happens, no matter what, do not step into Asco Express because you might just
end up leaving with more than you bargained for! When eleven-year-old Wesley
stops by at a mysterious local shop to buy a drink, he doesn’t realise the
trouble he is getting himself into. Cursed by the fiendish Pharaoh Akahten IX,
Wesley and his friends, Marishana and Aiden, must solve the evil spell quickly
or be trapped for all eternity! Expect
zany zombies, fiendish pharaohs and monstrous mummies as Wilson and his
partner-in-past-crimes, aka illustrator Sian James, work their ancient magic on
this funny, and yet fascinatingly informative, Cursed Tale. With fun, facts and
foul deeds on every page, young readers will love having their spines tingled
and their detection skills tested as they head for the pyramids and dig up the
past!
(New Frontier Publishing, paperback, £8.99)
Too Heavy, Elephant!
Hop on Top, Mouse!
Tony Neal
GETING the hang of the weighty subject of maths isn’t always easy for pre-schoolers. So let them enjoy the highs and lows of learning the mathematical concepts of weight and height with two fabulously fun and cunningly clever books from author and illustrator Tony Neal. In Too Heavy, Elephant!, Elephant is too heavy to play with Mouse on the seesaw. Their friends can help, but will it be enough to get Elephant’s feet off the ground? A great deal (of Elephant) hangs in the balance in this hilarious introduction to weight.
(Oxford University Press, paperback, £6.99)
The Elephant Detectives
Ged Adamson
LIVERPOOL-BORN Ged Adamson has lots of over-sized fun with a
lost elephant in a charming and heartwarming picture book that will have tiny
tots doing their own detection work! This talented and inventive author and
illustrator certainly lets his imagination take flight as we meet Alan who is
having the perfect kind of day… until his elephant goes missing! Luckily for Alan,
Edie is an Elephant Detective and she knows exactly where to look. Together
they examine doughnut shops, investigate dinosaur bones, visit the cinema and even
search the skies from a cable car, but they can’t find him anywhere! Will Alan
EVER find his elephant? And might he find a new friend along the way? Adamson
puts heart, humour and a few fascinating elephant facts into his deliciously funny
story brought to life by a gallery of gorgeous illustrations. With a ton-weight
of appeal for both girls and boys, a free ‘Stories Aloud’ audio recording when
you scan the QR code, and the fun of joining Edie and Alan as they search on
every spread for their missing elephant (who is always closer than they
think!), this is destined to be a family favourite!
(Nosy Crow, paperback, £6.99)
Solo
Adam Beer
WHEN you’re a dog called Solo and used to having the place to yourself, can you ever be part of a pack? Adam Beer – illustrator of picture book Mammoth, written by Anna Kemp – goes solo himself in his warm, wise and beautifully illustrated author/illustrator debut featuring a dog learning that sharing is much more fun than going it alone. So meet Solo the dog and his island… he will happily tell you how busy he is scratching, sniffing and snoozing, and show you his things and his humans. So when a group of other dogs turns up with their island tourist humans, Solo doesn’t like it, not one bit, and he tells them so quite firmly. He doesn’t want to share his things and he thinks they are running out of control (although he has to admit that it does look quite fun). So much so that, once the others have gone, Solo finds that he misses his new friends and races to get them back. Will Solo come to see that no dog is an island, and that some things are just better with friends? The joys of sharing and making new friends are celebrated in style with a wise and playful story, and a fabulous gallery of charismatic canine stars. Perfectly created for little ones and dog lovers of any age, this irresistible picture book is fun to read and a delight to behold!
(Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, paperback, £6.99)
Queen of the Classroom
Derrick Barnes and
Vanessa Brantley-Newton
STARTING pre-school is a big milestone… but one excited
little girl is ready to become queen of the classroom! The exuberance of early
childhood shines through in this life-affirming, warm and wonderful picture
book which is the work of talented American author and illustrator duo Derrick
Barnes and Vanessa Brantley-Newton, and the companion book to King of the
Classroom. Here we meet a confident little girl called MJ who can’t wait for
her first day at kindergarten. With her hair freshly braided and her mum’s
special sparkly tiara on her head, she knows she’s going to love the day ahead.
But the tiara isn’t just for show… it also reminds her of all the good things
she can bring to the class, like her kindness, friendliness, sharing, her
ability to brighten up a room and, last but not least, her impressive soccer
skills! Newbery Honour-winning author Barnes’ empowering and inspirational
story is full of lyrical beauty and resonance, and will give children new to
nursery or pre-school a reassuring confidence boost and a gentle lesson in how
being kind to others and joining in all the activities makes everyone feel
good. Brantley-Newton’s endearing, multi-coloured illustrations bring the story
to vivid life and perfectly portray all the natural enthusiasm and optimism of
youth and new beginnings. The perfect book for any child getting ready to start
school and set out on the journey of life!
(Scallywag Press, paperback, £7.99)
Wooolf!
Stephanie Blake
A TWIST on the classic cry wolf story has naughty schoolboy
rabbit Simon running for cover in a tale full of knockabout fun from Stephanie
Blake. Wooolf! is the hilarious new escapade starring Simon the cheeky rabbit…
the cuddly creature who won everyone’s heart in Poo Bum, first book in Blake’s best-selling
picture book series which has proved a big hit all over the world. US-born
author Blake, who now lives in France, is the author and illustrator of dozens
of highly successfully children’s books. In Blake’s new rabbit adventure, translated
by Linda Burgess, cheeky little rabbit Simon only does what he wants. When his
mother asked him to tidy his room, he cried ‘Wooolf! The wolf is coming!’ and,
when she ran away because she is frightened of wolves, he did whatever he
wanted. One day he does a wee where he wants, and the wolf comes to get him. ‘Wooolf!’
he cries, but his mother doesn’t fall for that and the wolf gets him! Fortunately,
it’s just Simon’s dad in a wolf mask and Simon promises never to cry wolf
again. But when his mother opens the cupboard in the morning, a (suspiciously
small!) wolf cries ‘Awwoooo!’ Blake’s instantly recognisable bold and
expressive illustrations will delight young readers and the funny, charming story,
with its gentle warnings about crying wolf, is guaranteed to strike a chord (and
raise a smile or two!) with both children and parents alike.
(Gecko Press, paperback, £7.99)
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