Age 9 plus
The Worlds We Leave Behind
A.F. Harrold and Levi Pinfold
WHEN English author and poet A.F. Harrold was asked by a schoolchild in 2018 if he and illustrator team-mate Levi Pinfold had any plans to follow up on the outstanding success of their award-winning novel, The Song from Somewhere Else, he said that couldn’t promise anything. So it is doubly good news for readers that not only has this duo teamed up again for another book, but that their new collaboration has created The Worlds We Leave Behind, a beautiful, haunting tale of friendship, betrayal, retribution and redemption starring the younger brother of a girl called Frank who played the lead role in The Song from Somewhere Else. And this thrilling new story – once again filled with the extraordinary and stunningly atmospheric illustrations of CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal-winning artist Pinfold – conjures up the same alluring magic of fairy tale darkness and verbal lyricism that has become the hallmark of Harrold’s writing.
Hector, or Hex as he likes to be known, never meant for the girl to follow him and his best friend Tommo into the woods. He never meant for her to fall off the rope swing and break her arm. And when the finger of blame is pointed at him, Hex runs deep into the woods and his fierce sense of injustice leads him to a strange clearing where he has never been before. There he finds an old lady in a cottage and she offers him a deal… she will rid the world of those who wronged him. All he has to do is accept and they will be forgotten, forever. But what Hex doesn’t know is that someone else has been offered the same deal.
When his friend Tommo wakes up the next day, something feels
wrong. Half-whispered memories tug at his brain, making him think that
something, or someone, is missing from his life. Can Tommo put the world back
the way it was, or can he find a way to make a new world that could be better
for them all? The worlds of reality and fantasy collide with power and
thought-provoking poignancy in this unforgettable story which springs surprises
and works its wonders as readers explore how we can learn to find the strength
to face down monsters… in the darkness, in our friends, and in ourselves. Full of mystery, soaring imagination, and Pinfold’s lush and
lovely black-and-white illustration, this is a book to enjoy and treasure, and
pass on down to the next generation.
(Bloomsbury Children’s Books, hardback, £12.99)
Age 9 plus
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Joan Aiken
IF that sounds like the dream scenario for a children’s
story, then be assured that it is… and can be found in the pages of Joan
Aiken’s wild, evocative and timeless fantasy novel which is being republished
in a beautiful new paperback to celebrate its 60th anniversary. Featuring a delightful and moving new Afterword by Lizza
Aiken, Aiken’s daughter, revealing the inspiration behind the story and how it
came to be written, this new edition also includes fascinating material from
the author’s own archive. Written in the style of a fast-paced Dickensian adventure
and set in an alternative 19th century England where good King James
III is on the throne, we find a country ravaged by wolves which have migrated
through the newly-opened Channel Tunnel. Meanwhile, the wicked wolves and a grim governess threaten
Bonnie and her cousin Sylvia when Bonnie’s parents leave Willoughby Chase for a
sea voyage. Left in the care of the cruel Miss Slighcarp, the girls can hardly
believe what is happening to their once happy home. The servants are dismissed, the furniture is sold, and
Bonnie and Sylvia are sent to a prison-like orphan school. It seems as if the
endless hours of drudgery will never cease. With the help of Simon the goose boy
and his flock, they escape. But how will they ever get Willoughby Chase free
from the clutches of the evil Miss Slighcarp? With the atmospheric illustrations of Pat Marriott, and
filled with brilliantly drawn Dickensian characters, The Wolves of Willoughby
Chase is an excellent choice for pre-teens who like their stories to be dark,
gripping, atmospheric, but with the added sparkle of wit and a lively serving
of eccentricity. Aiken’s storytelling is genuinely addictive and this classic
tale of good and evil, cruelty and bravery cannot fail to win the hearts of a
new generation of readers.
(Puffin, paperback, £7.99)
10 Cats
Emily Gravett
BLACK cats, cats with stripes, cats with patches and cats
with blotches! Revel in the colourful and endearing delights of a spectacular
new picture book from artistic genius and twice CILIP Kate Greenaway award-winning
artist Emily Gravett. With its simple but educational text, and a stunning
gallery of cats that will have all the family purring with joy, 10 Cats is a
feast of counting, colour and cute kittens. When a family of kittens discover
three cans of paint, it’s not long before blotches, splotches, spots and splats
are going everywhere! Gravett’s funny and entertaining exploration of colour
and numbers invites little ones to count along with the story whilst enjoying
the antics of a cast of adorable kittens. Each picture spread in the book
attains more and more colour until the final pages explode into an eye-catching
rainbow of vivid colour. Ideal for reading aloud, and with beautiful, artistic
detail on the end pages of this sumptuously produced hardback book, this is the
perfect gift for your own little kittens!
(Two Hoots, hardback, £12.99)
Who’s Tickling Tilly?
Rob Jones
TO what lengths will your toddlers go to discover who’s
tickling Tilly the dinosaur? There are over two metres of fold-out fun in
author and illustrator Rob Jones’ ingeniously created board book which combines
the joy of search-and-find with the slow reveal of a story springing to life
through twelve colourful, concertina pages. Who’s Tickling Tilly? is the
follow-up to Jones’ gloriously funny Where’s Brian’s Bottom and stars dinosaur
Tilly who can’t stop laughing because someone is tickling her! Can you work out
who it is? Search through different prehistoric landscapes and ask Tilly’s dinosaur
friends some questions to see if you can work out just who is tickling her. There
a host of hilarious creatures (both big and small!) to meet along the way, and
you can explore the exciting natural landscapes, see what you can spot as you
unfold the book, and enjoy different scenes on the back and front of the
concertina pages. As well as being entertaining, the book teaches youngsters
all about different animals, and helps to develop their dexterity and sense of
curiosity. Visually exciting, wonderfully interactive… and destined to tickle
your little’s ones funny bone for a very, very, very long time!
(Pavilion Children’s Books, board book, £6.99)
Age 9 plus
Vi Spy: The Girl with the Golden Gran
Maz Evans
(Chicken House, paperback, £7.99)
Age 8 plus
The Cartoons That Saved the World
Tom Ellen and Phil Corbett
(Chicken House, paperback, £7.99)
Diary of an Accidental Witch: Ghostly Getaway
Honor and Perdita Cargill, and Katie Saunders
BEA-AWARE of the new witch in town because she’s casting a
spell over readers young and old! Magic is in the air from the moment you open
the pages of this brilliantly funny and enchanting adventure series which comes
straight out of the bewitching minds of daughter and mother partnership, Honor
and Perdita Cargill. Illustrated throughout by skilful artist Katie Saunders,
these gorgeous books are billed as The Worst Witch meets Tom Gates, and time
spent with trainee witch Bea Black certainly delivers a perfect potion of magic,
mayhem and mischief. In her second adventure, Bea Black is in her second term
at witch school and she can’t wait for the Year Seven residential trip to the
haunted Cadabra Castle. The students are excited to fly around the famous GO
pitch, explore the ancient turrets and have a magical time, but first they need
to stop arguing! Ms Sparks, however, has other plans… this isn’t a holiday,
it’s a team-building exercise for a class who desperately need to learn to work
together. And with rumours of a ghost terrorising the castle, Bea has a lot
more to contend with than scavenger hunts and hikes, not least being paired up
with Blair Smith-Smythe, her ultimate frenemy! Will the class learn anything
from their time at Cadabra and, more importantly, will Bea and Blair manage to
avoid hexing each other for long enough to solve the spooky mystery? The
Cargills make a truly wizard writing team as Bea’s exceedingly different (and
hilarious!) life at witch school comes with a cauldron full of comedy, a warm-hearted
look at friendship issues, and moving moments of marvellous magic. Totally
spellbinding!
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £6.99)
Bad Panda: The Cake Escape
Swapna Haddow and Sheena Dempsey
PANDAS are all cute, aren’t they? Well, maybe not all
pandas… Youngsters will be chewing
through bamboo leaves to get their hands on the new adventure starring
precocious panda Lin who is sick of being labelled cute and tired of being
cuddled and hugged. Guaranteed to make readers of every age laugh themselves
black, white and red, this hilarious Bad Panda series comes from the outrageous
queens of comedy, Swapna Haddow and Sheena Dempsey. And Haddow and her
illustrator team-mate Dempsey have certainly conjured up another laugh-out-loud
winner in the shape of a panda who so hates being cute that she’s on an
unstoppable mission to change that image forever (although it as to be said
that by being extra bad Lin has made herself one of the zoo’s best-loved
animals!)! And now she is on another mission… to find her best friend, Fu. He
seems to have disappeared from the zoo. Has he been stolen by the Horrid Human?
Only Lin’s badness can help her find him… Luckily this panda is as fearless as
she is fluffy. Just don't call her ‘cute’! If slapstick fun, outrageously bad
behaviour and panda poo makes you giggle and guffaw, then Bad Panda is your
perfect go-to comedy read. Packed with Haddow’s warmth and wicked,
laugh-out-loud wit, and Dempsey’s irresistibly funny black, white and red
illustrations, this super-silly series from one of the most inspired
partnerships in children’s comedy fiction is simply irresistible!
(Faber & Faber, paperback, £6.99)
Mega Robo Bros: Meltdown
Neill Cameron
ALEX Rider meets Ready Player One in these high-octane
adventures with heart and humour. These comics were previously published in
Mega Robo Revenge, and also contain character profiles, how-to-draw pages and
more! A sensational new addition to the adored Mega Robo Bros series. Brace yourself for another rocket-powered graphic novel
adventure courtesy of David Fickling Books’ highly popular The Phoenix Presents
series… and comic books creator Neill Cameron. Part of an amazing all-colour
story strip series, Meltdown is a republished version of Mega Robo Bros, but
now fully remastered and adapted into a new chunkier and more dynamic format
with lots of extra bonus content like character profiles and how-to-draw pages.
Packed with action, fun and comedy, these supercharged tales of two robot
brothers facing Machiavellian rogue robots will delight young readers and help
to encourage a love of books and good storytelling. London in the future… Alex
and Freddy are just like any other brothers. They squabble and drive their
parents mad. But they are also the most powerful robots on Earth! And now the
Mega Robo Bros face their most dangerous threat yet… the evil robot Wolfram is
trying to bring about the end of the world by melting all the ice in the
Arctic. Only Alex and Freddy can stop him, but they will have to use all their
powers and, crucially, work together to stop Wolfram’s apocalyptic plans. High
stakes and high emotion are in store! With huge explosions, family dramas, epic
action, electrifying stakes, and two madcap brothers saving the day, these
superhero thrillers are ideal for your own young techno wizards.
(David Fickling Books, paperback, £9.99)
The Story Shop: Anchors Away!
Tracey Corderoy and Tony Neal
YOUNG adventurers eager for some thrills, chills – and easy
reading – need look no further than the Story Shop! This fresh and funny series
from Shifty McGifty author Tracey Corderoy and children’s illustrator Tony Neal
is bursting with adventures and comedy, and just the job for new and emerging
readers. Looking for adventure and want to be a hero? Step inside the Story
Shop! It is packed full of plots, costumes and characters galore, and
shopkeepers Wilbur and Fred are ready and waiting to find every customer their
perfect adventure! When famous explorer Pearl stumbles into the shop, she’s
certain she’s done everything and been everywhere… until Wilbur and Fred
suggest a swashbuckling pirate adventure! Join Captain Pearl as she embarks on
a sneaky mission to steal the priceless Black Pearl, stirs up trouble in a treasure
race, and has a ‘wail’ of a time on the hunt for a mysterious pirate ghost. With
an action-packed story to enjoy, and Neal’s vibrant illustrations bringing all
the fun to life, the Story Shop is guaranteed to be on every youngster’s
shopping list!
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £5.99)
Age 3 plus
Pick a Story: A Pirate Alien Jungle Adventure
Sarah Coyle and Adam Walker-Parker
(Farshore, paperback, £7.99)
I’m the Train Driver
I’m the Bin Lorry Driver
Illustrated by David Semple
LET'S imagine! Encourage children to engage in creative play with two super books in an empowering series from Oxford University Press which puts your little ones firmly in the driving seat. Designed to build self-confidence and gently teach the concept of following instructions, problem solving, and teamwork, I’m the Train Driver and I’m the Bin Lorry Driver offer a child’s eye insight into driving vehicles.
(Oxford University Press, paperback, £6.99 each)
No comments:
Post a Comment