CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Mapmaking magic, a famous pairing and a werewolf teacher

Enjoy a thrill ride full of out-of-this-world magic, meet two men who helped to transform our understanding of life on Earth, share gothic fun with a teacher who has a dark secret, choose your own adventure in a fantasy gamebook, and sharpen your vampire claws as the ghosts are biting back in a super selection of September children’s books

Age 8 plus
Which Way to Anywhere
Cressida Cowell 

FOR 25 years, former Waterstones Children’s Laureate and bestselling author of the How to Train Your Dragon series, Cressida Cowell, has had a story lying quietly in her shed and waiting patiently for its time to shine. And now it has burst on to our bookshelves in a shower of out-of-this-world magic, marvellous mapmaking, a gallery of Cowell’s amazing, atmospheric artwork, and much-deserved critical acclaim. Featuring a charismatic family with a magical secret and a child with a powerful gift, Which Way to Anywhere is the first book of a fantastic new series and a thrill ride through breathtaking worlds with hundreds of moons, dense jungles, robot assassins, daring, danger and spine-tingling adventures.  

K2 O’Hero is a seemingly ordinary boy... after all, he and his twin sister Izzabird have been sworn to keep their family’s magical history a secret. Not even their infuriating stepsiblings, Theo and Mabel, know that magic exists. They believe K2 to be the most hopeless person they have ever known, but K2 has a secret gift... he draws maps of worlds that are beyond the wildest of imaginations. Worlds with six hundred moons, burning rivers and dark, twisty jungles alive with plants that hunt by the smell of fear. But what K2 doesn’t know is that the maps he draws are real. When their baby sister Annipeck is kidnapped, the warring stepsiblings will have to use K2’s gift to find a crossing point into one of those worlds and embark on a daring rescue mission. With a terrible beast and a petrifying robot assassin in their way, they must learn to work together quickly... because the future of their family is at stake.

Youngsters will be holding their breath as they join the assorted siblings on this first outing for K2 and his family in a story in which fantasy has no bounds. Cowell’s gift for mesmerising world-building and her creation of characters you can see and hear is central to this action-packed story which comes with timely eco messages, her trademark humour, and rich imaginative powers. All maps lead to fun and adventure in this magical masterpiece!
(Hodder Children’s Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 8 plus
Kew: Darwin and Hooker
Alexandra Stewart and Joe Todd-Stanton 

WHEN Charles Darwin’s groundbreaking book, On the Origin of Species, was first published in 1859, it sent shockwaves around the world and became an instant bestseller. Transforming our understanding of life on Earth, Darwin’s theory of how nature had created and shaped every single species cemented him as one of the greatest biologists of all time and turned him into a household name. However, Darwin couldn’t have done it without the support, encouragement and advice from those who believed in him, and none more so than Joseph Hooker, his friend, confidant and fellow collector, who supported and helped Darwin when he didn’t dare ask anyone else.

And their inspirational and heartwarming story of friendship, curiosity, and a discovery that changed the world, is celebrated in this fascinating and revealing book written by journalist and speechwriter Alexandra Stewart, lavishly illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton and published by Bloomsbury in partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. And Hooker, we learn, had his own adventures and made his own discoveries, many of which not only aided Darwin, but went on to change what the world knew about plants. As head of Kew, he came to be one the world’s most influential botanists. Across many years, countless adventures and numerous letters, this captivating and wonderfully illustrated book tells the story of one of greatest friendships in the history of science and shows children how teamwork, curiosity, openness and trust can be the greatest tools a scientist will ever need. Reading their remarkable story might make you a world-changer too!
(Bloomsbury Children’s Books, hardback, £14.99)

Age 3 plus
Convertible Ice Cream Shop: Sit In Ice Cream Shop, Interactive Playmat and Fun Storybook
Rosie Neave and Sophia Touliatou

IS it a story book, is it an activity centre, or is it an ice cream shop? This ingenious, flat-pack invention from Miles Kelly, an independent publisher noted for its inspiring and interactive books, is all three… a convertible story book full of spotting and counting activities that easily unfolds into an interactive playmat and a pop-up shop to let youngsters make their own role play. The Ice Cream Shop is the latest in Miles Kelly’s much-loved Convertibles range and is an exciting new addition to their successful sit-in vehicles which let little ones put their imaginations into gear and pretend to be the driver.

Ideal for children aged over three to play shops with their friends or on their own, and packed with the bright and colourful illustrations of Sophia Touliatou, this fun-filled ice cream parlour is made out of six sturdy card panels and is easy to put up, fold down and play with wherever you want. As well as simple question-based activities based on a key vocabulary of colours, numbers and counting, the outside of the shop shows brightly coloured ice cream tubs and ice cream cones in stands, ready for the slot-together ice cream scoops to be added on top. The inside is set up like a real shop, with tubs of ice cream to serve, bowls of toppings including fruit and sprinkles, and even a till point to complete the sale. Simply use the 15 slot-together ice cream pieces to build all sorts of creations, using ice cream scoops of every flavour, cones, ice lollies and even a cherry for the top. A clever and entertaining tool to encourage learning through play, children can practise social interaction, problem-solving, motor skills, imagination, creative ideas and confidence as they talk about ice creams, ask questions, and put ice creams together. Written by Rosie Neave, an experienced editor and author for young children's books, the Convertible Ice Cream Shop is ideal for toddlers and pre-schoolers, offering offer hours of fun, learning and imaginative play… and handy for parents and carers who can simply fold it away at the end of the day. The perfect gift for all little shopkeepers!
(Miles Kelly Publishing, board book, £12.99)

Age 3 plus
Billy Brute (Whose Teacher Was a Werewolf)
Issy Emeney and Chris Mould 

ANY classroom bad boy out there will never be quite the same when they get their naughty paws on this brilliantly funny and anarchic picture book from full-time folk musician and songwriter, and now exciting debut picture book author, Issy Emeney. In perfect tandem with the gorgeously gallery of gothic illustrations from the talented Chris Mould, Emeney sets free her imagination and wicked sense of humour on a rhyming romp that delivers a decidedly devilish back-to-school message.

After Billy Brute burns down his old school – and gets away with it – his parents have to find him a new one. St Lemons say they will take him, but little does Billy know that St Lemons have a secret weapon! Enter Miss Wanda. ‘Her glasses are spectacular. Her dress so prim and neat. But what big eyes, and what big ears… And what big hairy feet!’ Perhaps Billy won’t get away with EVERYTHING after all. With a dark and delicious sting in the tail that will leave youngsters, good and bad, gulping and gaping, Emeney and Mould cannot fail to win hearts (and giggles galore!) as they have lashings of verbal and visual tasty fun with this comical cautionary tale. And the good news is that this all-round laugh-out-loud winner is just the first of a Twisted Tales for Devilish Darlings series. The perfect picture book equivalent of Roald Dahl’s twisted tales!
(Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 7 plus
Charlotte’s Web:
70^th Anniversary Edition
E.B. White and Garth Williams 

THE rare, beautiful and unlikely friendship between a pig, a spider and a little girl springs to glorious life in a stunning new hardback edition to celebrate the late US author E.B. White’s classic book Charlotte’s Web. Written with moving tenderness, and in the most perfect prose, and memorably illustrated throughout by Garth Williams, one of America’s best-loved illustrators who died in 1996, this superb, gift edition book is new to Puffin’s Clothbound Classic series which comes with an eye-catching foiled, clothbound cover and a ribbon marker. When Fern Arable pleads for the life of the runt of a litter of piglets, her father gives her the pig to nurture and she treats him as her pet and names him Wilbur. But soon, Wilbur is no longer small and is sold to Fern’s uncle, and he realises his life is in even more danger. Snubbed by the other animals, Wilbur is befriended by Charlotte A. Cavatica, a beautiful large grey spider whose web overlooks Wilbur’s pen. As the summer passes, Charlotte is determined to keep Wilbur from the chopping block and comes up with an ingenious way to do just that. Still counted as one of the most famous and captivating stories, Charlotte's Web is a poignant, funny and heartwarming tale about the joys of friendship and the uncertainties of life, and a gentle introduction to questions about mortality. Ideal for reading aloud... and the perfect gift for book lovers of any age.
(Puffin Classics, hardback, £12.99)

Age 9 plus
Curse Breaker: Choose your own story
Simon Tudhope and Tom Knight

CHOICES, choices… do you dare to enter a strange and magical world and choose your own danger-packed adventure? Author Simon Tudhope grew up with the fantasy gamebooks of the 1980s and his memories of the dark, enthralling gameworlds, and the chance to set off on an adventure not knowing what dangers lie ahead, inspired him to write his own… and the result is this fabulous Shadow Chaser series. Curse Breaker is the second classic ‘choose your own story’ book in the series and is packed with exciting challenges, choices and decisions which will delight thrill-seeking youngsters who want to put their own skills and imagination into play. Fabulously illustrated by Tom Knight, this atmospheric and engrossing gamebook plunges you into a story with a difference… one where the hero is YOU and you can learn to master the exciting combat system by rolling a dice and testing your puzzle solving skills. As you stare out at the stars from your prison cell window, you’re not feeling very heroic. You, a city guard, have been thrown in jail because someone whispered a word in your ear. Just a single word... Then your cell door creaks open, and you’re let loose on an epic adventure where every choice is yours, and your survival depends upon the decisions you make. Who to fight? Who to trust? In a world that’s unravelling before your eyes, the mystery goes deeper than you could possibly have dreamt. Full of puzzles to solve and choices to make, each one leading to different adventures and endings, Curse Breaker brings together a thrilling story, beautifully illustrated and richly detailed picture puzzles, and a fascinating dice-based combat system. A full-on adventure full of chases, challenges and choices that is guaranteed to keep youngsters gripped from beginning to end!
(Usborne, paperback, £6.99)

Age 12 plus
Stone
Finbar Hawkins

STEEP yourself in the atmospherics and breathtaking beauty of Stone, the second novel from Finbar Hawkins whose outstanding debut novel, Witch, was shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award and nominated for the 2022 Carnegie medal. A story of fathers and sons, and a boy gripped by the spell of myth and old magic to soothe his grief, this superbly written story is guaranteed to pluck at your heart strings. When Sam, who is grieving the death of his father, finds a silver-flecked stone, ice-cold to the touch, strange and eerie things begin to happen. Myth, legend, magic and witchcraft mingle on the ancient hillside where the chalk white horse has galloped for centuries. Ravens wheel, wolves prowl and, as Halloween draws close, witches dance and Odin gathers brave, fallen warriors to his side. Only the mysterious new girl, Oona, can heal Sam’s heart, revealing tarot secrets with her bewitching ways. Using the rich landscape of his Wiltshire home, and Norse mythology as his inspiration, Hawkins explores the anguish of a boy whose soldier father has died on service in Afghanistan, and the unexpected bonds, new and old, forged by dark and benign magic. With Hawkins’ delicate artwork enhancing the pages, this is a moving story with a powerful message.
(Zephyr, hardback, £14.99)

Age 9 plus
Rules for Vampires: Ghosts Bite Back
Alex Foulkes and Sara Ogilvie

STRAIGHTEN your cape and sharpen your claws because the ghosts are biting back! If Lemony Snickett and Skulduggery Pleasant tickle your spook buds then dive into the second wickedly dark and funny tale in Alex Foulkes’s debut series which comes packed with the atmospheric illustrations of the award-winning Sara Ogilvie. Stars of these gorgeously gothic adventures are the hilarious Leo, a vampire girl who finds that being a vampire is harder than it looks (particularly when you have protect the balance between the worlds of the Living and the Undead) and her unlikely friend Minna the ghost. Despite these two factions having despised one another for all eternity, Leo and Minna are battling together side-by-side as sisters-in-arms and best friends. And they will have to team up again to vanquish a new and deadly threat. Summoned to the Ghostly Realm for the murder of the Orphanmaster, Leo must complete three tasks to prove herself worthy of her unlife, each more treacherous than the last. Can Leo convince the Ghostly Realm of her innocence and earn her freedom, or will she be trapped there forever? Spectacularly spooky, hauntingly humorous and ferociously frantic, this is an underworld romp no ghoul fan should miss!
(Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
The Day My Family Disappeared
Jo Simmons and Lee Cosgrove

MEET Bob Bunyon... and prepare to laugh out loud! There is fun on every page of children’s author Jo Simmons’ The Day My Family Disappeared, a madcap adventure full of hilarious misadventures, and billed as Home Alone meets Adrian Mole. Illustrated by picture wizard Lee Cosgrove, and published by Barrington Stoke in their trademark dyslexia-friendly format, youngsters will be giggling all the way to the last page. Bob is fed up. In a family full of artists and performers, he’s the one with no talent, the one bypassed by the creativity gene – and his four siblings just won’t let him forget it. Finally sick of being taunted for being so ‘normal,’ Bob wishes that his family would all just disappear, but he doesn’t really expect his wish to come true. When he wakes the next day to find everyone gone, Bob’s initial delight quickly turns to worry. Does he have supernatural powers? Is he the only survivor of a zombie apocalypse or an alien invasion? Gathering all his courage, and employing survival skills learned from TV endurance shows, Bob sets out to find his missing family. Despite Bob’s misdirected wishes, family really does come first in this riotous romp of search as survival as Bob faces down all-comers in his bid to solve the mystery. Perfectly pitched for reluctant readers!
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £6.99)

Age 9 plus
Always, Clementine
Carlie Sorosiak 

MEET Clementine... she’s a mouse, she’s a genius and she’s on the run! Lab mouse meets cruel (and not so cruel) world in this offbeat tale with a resonant message in its tail from US author and animal lover Carlie Sorosiak. Billed as Letters from a Runaway Mouse, this funny, wise and heartwarming story about a tiny mouse – truly a one-of-a-kind hero – carries big messages about animal testing. ‘I am an optimist. A very difficult thing to be, sometimes, at three inches tall.’ Clementine is a genius. She can calculate pi to 69,689 places, remembers the exact moment she was born, and dreams in Latin. She's also a mouse. And when she escapes from the lab which has bred her, Clementine discovers that it’s not enough to be the smartest mouse in history if she wants to survive in the real world... especially while the scientists who kept her are trying to recover their prize specimen. So, together with her new human friends, Clementine must find a way to earn her freedom... for good. Beautifully written, and with a heartfelt poignancy that brings added sparkle to Clementine’s adventures, this is a story to inspire, move and fill you with wonder.
(Nosy Crow, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8 plus
Gross FACTopia! Follow the Trail of 400 Foul Facts
Paige Towler and Andy Smith

DID you know that sloths poo only once a week, or that poo from crocodiles was sometimes used as make-up in ancient Rome? Gross FACTopia! – a weird wonderland of fantastically foul and perfectly disgusting facts – comes from the fearless boffins at Britannica Books and is the fabulous follow-up to hit books FACTopia! and Return to FACTopia! So hold your nose and prepare to be grossed out as you choose your own path, and tread very, very carefully, through this dazzling maze of mucky, yucky facts. Learn how apes and monkeys sweat from their armpits just like humans do, discover why those ancient Romans sometimes purchased vials of gladiator sweat, laugh at the hippopotamus which spins its tail while it poos, marvel at a farm powered almost entirely by pig and cow poo, and don’t sniff at the revelation that a T.rex could sneeze out enough snot to fill a small fish tank. Every fact in this brilliant book is linked to the next in an ingenious trail of information in which you slither from topic to topic in surprising and stomach-churning ways. Sometimes your path branches, and you can catapult forwards or creep backwards to a totally different (but still connected) part of the book. The hilarious world of four hundred facts, all verified by Encyclopaedia Britannica, have been ferreted out by Paige Towler, an author and former editor for National Geographic Kids Books, and wittily and wonderfully brought to life by photographs and Andy Smith’s brilliant illustrations. So what are you waiting for… follow your curiosity (and your nose) through this ridiculously revolting mountain of facts!
(Britannica Books, hardback, £10.99)

Age 7 plus
No Place for Monsters
Kory Merritt 

WHEN children go missing from a small, suburban town, nobody notices because nobody even remembers them! As Halloween draws near, revel in the spooky vibes of No Place for Monsters, a super fun and spine-tingling graphic novel from US author and illustrator Kory Merritt. Packed with fantastic illustrations, Merritt’s addictive story stars two unlikely friends facing down their worst fears in order to stop their small town – and themselves – from disappearing. Levi and Kat are about to discover a very dark side to their neighbourhood. Nothing ever seems out of place in the safe, suburban town of Cowslip Grove. Lawns are neatly mowed, pavements are tidy, and the sounds of ice cream trucks fill the air. But now, kids are going missing... and no one even realises it because no one remembers them. Not their friends, not their teachers, not even their families. But Levi and Kat do remember, and suddenly only they can see why everyone is in terrible danger when the night air rolls in. Now it’s up to Levi and Kat to fight the hidden evil and save the missing children before it swallows the town whole. Merritt lets his vivid imagination run wild – both verbally and visually – in this page-turning creep fest which comes with some welcome sparks of humour and a friendship that defies all the odds. Mystery, malign forces and bad dreams... this is a middle-grade adventure to savour! 
(Chicken House, paperback, £7.99)

Age 7 plus
Weather, Camera, Action!
A Meteorologist's Guide to the Sky
Liam Dutton and Giordano Poloni

GRAB your coat, sunglasses, umbrella and snow boots for an action-packed adventure through every kind of weather! Channel 4 News weather presenter, author and meteorologist Liam Dutton has had nearly two decades of experience in explaining the weather and proves the perfect guide through some of the planet’s wildest weather in this big, colourful and fascinating book. Lavishly illustrated throughout by Giordano Poloni, an award-winning freelance illustrator based in Milan and known for his cinematic vistas, Weather, Camera, Action! is globetrotting heaven for all young weather watchers. Discover whirling planetary jet streams, catastrophic hurricanes, torrential monsoons, blinding dust storms, volcanic lightning and other amazing phenomena all through the lens of Dutton’s knowledge and experience. From super-rare iridescent clouds to rainbows created by the smallest raindrops, this adventure through the atmosphere shows off the splendour of our skies in their most fierce and dramatic states and uncovers the science behind weather events. With important reminders about the impact of climate change and extreme weather, this fact-filled book proves that what’s going on around us has never been more important to understand. Sky high lessons for budding meteorologists!
(Templar Publishing, hardback, £16.99)

Age 7 plus
Sherlock Bones and the Curse of the Pharaoh’s Mask    
Tim Collins and John Bigwood

IT might all be elementary for super-sleuth Sherlock Bones but he is still going to need some help to crack his latest mind-bending case! Put on your thinking caps and sharpen your pencils for the second book in a fantastically fun interactive fiction series starring two crime-fighting (animal!) heroes. This thrilling Sherlock Bones adventure series is the work of award-winning children’s author Tim Collins and illustrator and graphic designer John Bigwood. Each one comes loaded with puzzle games, including logic conundrums, number puzzles, search-and-find challenges, spot-the-difference and shadow matching, all cleverly woven into the action so that readers feel part of the exciting detective plot starring Sherlock Bones and his trusty sidekick Dr Catson. In this second sleuthing case, featuring Bigwood’s brilliant artwork, the dynamic duo are on holiday and visiting the tombs of the ancient feline kings in Egypt when they discover that a precious mask has been stolen. They have to interview tourists from around the world – including a cowardly lion, a spoiled hippo and two secretive pandas – to discover who is guilty. But the mystery is not as straightforward as it first seems. It will take the pair on a thrilling adventure deep inside the Egyptian tombs and require all of Bones and Catson’s skills to solve the crime and catch the thief. Hours of fun for budding young sleuths!
(Buster Books, paperback, £6.99)

Age 5 plus
Where in the World Are You?
Marie G. Rohde

FORGET the yellow brick road and follow the little black cat! Discover your place in the world in an ingenious new title from those clever book creators at What on Earth Publishing as we travel the world from our own cosy homes all the way to the infinite universe. Where in the World Are You?, written and colourfully illustrated by Swedish-born Marie G. Rohde, was inspired by the strict Covid-19 lockdown when many were trapped inside and prohibited from connection with the outside world, and also her own young son’s contribution to a group storytelling activity. So where are you in the world, and can you imagine what your home would look like if you saw it from above and zoomed out further, and further, and further? Children will love joining the mischievous pet cat on a journey of discovery that encourages them to think about their place in the world. With a simple, charming and beautiful story that moves from cat’s blue rug at home, beyond its front door and on to the house, a street, the park and a crowded city, and then onward to a big country, a vast continent, planet Earth, the sun and the universe, this entertaining picture book reminds us that even when we are apart, we are all connected. The world keeps turning, a cat keeps purring and children will find their happy place in the world. Inspiring and inclusive, warm and wonderful, Where in the World Are You? opens up a big, wide world in which everyone can find their place!
(What on Earth Books, hardback, £11.99)

Age 3 plus
Nibbles: The Bedtime Book
Emma Yarlett

HE'S back and he’s chomping his way through other people’s stories! Nibbles, the adorable yellow monster who has stolen hearts both young and old with his munching madness, is on the run at bedtime in a feast of flaps, mishaps and fairy tale fun. Multi-talented author and illustrator Emma Yarlett touches the funny bone of readers aged from nought to ninety as she rolls out her irresistible, bestselling brand of clever, conceptual art and design work, and magical, laughter-packed storytelling with her mischievous little book monster. Nibbles: The Bedtime Book is the fourth Nibbles adventure and Yarlett delivers the same captivating mix of imaginative storytelling, innovative flaps to lift, and intriguing cut-out holes to peep through as youngsters embark on a journey of fun, mixed-up fairy tales, comedy and crazy capers. It’s bedtime, but where’s Nibbles? Instead of counting sheep, Nibbles is munching through bedtime stories. He’s making a splash in The Ugly Duckling and stealing the spotlight from Cinderella. Come back Nibbles! It’s time all little monsters were tucked up snug in bed. Innovative, cleverly interactive, brimming with the kind of bright, lively illustrations that children love, and with lots of intriguing story-within-a-story flaps to lift and a hilarious mish-mash of familiar tales to enjoy, this is another joyful, exuberant Nibbles adventure that entertains from first page to last.
(Little Tiger Press, hardback, £12.99)

Age 3 plus
Mazy the Movie Star
Isla Fisher and Paula Bowles

FROM pampered pooch to street dog, Mazy’s lazy, hazy days of movie stardom appear to be a thing of the past. Comic actress and bestselling author Isla Fisher sweeps youngsters away to Hollywoof (a comical canine version of Hollywood populated entirely by dogs!) in a gorgeous picture book pitched perfectly for little ones who love celebrity, adventures... and dogs. Mazy the Movie Star is based on Fisher’s own glamorous pooch and is filled with the adorably characterful illustrations of Paula Bowles. Mazy is a famous film star who has her fur fluffed twice a day. While other dogs chase sticks at the park, Mazy chases her acting dreams. Then one morning Mazy’s agent delivers bad news. Hollywoof has changed, the movie makers only want street dogs now and there are no jobs for Mazy any more. Can Mazy hit the streets and embrace what it is that makes her special... and can she find her perfect role? There’s fun and giggles on every page as Mazy gets down with the street dog gang and discovers that her new friendships have brought her a new and more successful career. With its reassuring vibes about gaining the confidence to be yourself and reaping the rewards, this is a captivating story that educates as well as entertains!
(Welbeck Flame, hardback, £12.99)

One Of Our Ministers Is Missing

Alan Johnson 

WHEN a government minister vanishes whilst on a solo trek in the mountains near his holiday home in Crete, it opens up a mystery stretching all the way back to London.

A former cabinet minister himself, Labour stalwart Alan Johnson (pictured below) has found a new career as an author with the publication of his sharp and insightful memoir trilogy, fast-paced espionage thriller The Late Train to Gipsy Hill, and now an intriguing and compulsive crime drama with a dark political edge.

With a career that included a spell as Home Secretary, Johnson has insider knowledge of the workings of Whitehall and in One Of Our Ministers Is Missing, we are thrust into the shadowy life, career and loves of a politician with a ministerial bag full of secrets and scandals. It’s a story steeped in not just the dark arts of politicking but other topical themes like sleazy tabloid journalism, corruption, policing, assassins, larger-than-life characters and the beautiful landscape of Crete, a place that Johnson knows well.

Foreign Office minister Lord (Edward) Bellingham has a cushy number. As one of the youngest members of the House of Lords, he can take a government role without all the inconvenience of having to win a parliamentary seat. His fortune was made in property development but his passion has always been politics, and he loves good living. To that end, Bellingham has a luxury holiday home in Crete where his lawyer wife, Miranda, their four-year-old twins, and live-in nanny Sharron Fuller spend most of their time between April and September.

But on a short holiday to the island, Bellingham mysteriously disappears on a solo trek into the famous White Mountains. Despite a vast search-and-rescue operation, the Greek police have no leads, except for a mobile phone discarded on a cliff edge.

Back in London, 46-year-old Assistant Commissioner Louise Mangan of the Met Police is sent out to Crete to assist in the investigation. It’s a job she relishes because, despite her stellar rise through the ranks, she is at heart a police officer ‘more inclined towards overworking than overseeing.’

But Mangan soon discovers that there are more layers to this case than the local police – led by the deeply suspicious and decidedly unhelpful Captain Petros Diamantapoulis – realise. Meanwhile, Lady Bellingham is less than forthcoming, the family nanny seems to be hiding something, and a scandal is brewing back in London that could destroy the minister’s

Titans of War

Wilbur Smith
with Mark Chadbourn

FOR fifty years, the bloodthirsty Hyksos barbarians have brought endless war, devastation and death to the lands of Ancient Egypt. They are tribe that shows no mercy to anyone they encounter on their brutal march but just as desperation starts to set in, the Pharaoh’s all-powerful slave, Taita, sends out his most trusted spy on a mission that seems impossible… to journey through enemy territory and find allies to help defend Egypt.  

When Wilbur Smith (below, left), the undisputed Master of Adventure, died last year at the age of 88, he left behind an incredible raft of thrilling action novels written over a span of fifty-five years and selling over 130 million copies worldwide. But with the help of some talented co-writers, Smith’s golden legacy lives on and taking up the mantle for a new sequence based on the bestselling Ancient Egyptian series is screenwriter and bestselling historical novelist Mark Chadbourn (below, right), best known for his own adventures featuring the Anglo-Saxon warrior Hereward published under the pseudonym James Wilde. Titans of War is the second book in this epic sequence which began last year with The New Kingdom and delivers bone-crunching, jaw-dropping, heart-pounding adventure with all the style, exuberance and finesse that we have come to expect from the Wilbur Smith stable.

With the rampant Hyksos barbarians from the distant east continuing to advance, crushing armies in their wake and seeming to be unstoppable, times are desperate in Egypt but, throughout the conflict, a brave resistance fights on under the great Taita, a slave who has risen far beyond his ranks to become the Pharaoh’s powerful mage and counsellor.

Time and again Taita has sent out his agents to seek out valuable information that would turn the tide of battle but every time his spies have failed. But now Piay, entrusted into Taita’s care by his parents at the age of just five, has been trained to become a great spy, unmatched by any other, and he is determined to prove his worth.

Convinced that this is his moment, and that glory awaits him, Piay is accompanied by his own slave and former soldier Hannu whose principal job seems to be stopping his master’s over-confidence letting his head swell to bursting point.

Together, Piay, Hannu and their soldiers embark on a dangerous mission to the north – to Mycenae and through the heart of Hyksos land and across the great sea to find allies – and along the way discover the unexpected warrior skills of beautiful Nubian slave girl Myssa who would ‘rather die than be cowed.’ As the situation becomes increasingly precarious, and the fate of the kingdom is hanging in the balance, can Piay succeed in his quest, or will this mean the end of the glory that is Egypt once and for all?

Gritty, gripping, and with a rich vein of dark humour – thanks in no small part to the cynical worldliness of fearless warrior Hannu and the defiant and irrepressible Myssa – Titans of War is a

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Dazzling poems, epic trees and essential words

Discover poems to inspire, delight and empower in an inspiring anthology of female verse, immerse yourself in a brilliant story in which all power emanates from trees, get ready for school with one thousand essential words and take a journey through the exciting world of mathematics in a super September collection of children’s books

Age 6 plus
And Everything Will Be Glad to See You
Poems by Women and Girls
Ella Risbridger and
Anna Shepeta

‘Poetry is art’ and ‘art shows us what it is to be a person; it explains feelings and ideas you never knew there were words for.’

THESE thought-provoking words, from author Ella Risbridger, speak loudly and powerfully in a beautiful, bumper poetry book from Nosy Crow, part of their dazzling Poetry Collections series which has included I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree and Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright. Lovingly curated by Risbridger, and spectacularly illustrated throughout by artist and ceramicist Anna Shepeta, this thoughtful and inspiring anthology features over one hundred resonant, passionate and uplifting poems by women and girls. In her introduction to the book, Risbridger explains to young readers why she chose to collect together only the poems of women and girls, citing the long and unfair history of anthologies that included only men’s poetry and the lack of opportunities over the centuries for women to turn their thoughts ‘into something beautiful.’

She also points out that, historically, many poems were written by authors who simply called themselves Anonymous… and that was usually because the writers were women. And so, in the interests of fairness, this sumptuously produced gift book – with its cloth binding, stunning colour illustrations, textured paper jacket, ribbon marker, and head and tail bands – is packed full of the work of women and girls, including some as young as six and seven. From well-loved poets like Maya Angelou, Wendy Cope, Lucille Clifton and Christina Rossetti, to newer voices such as Amanda Gorman, Yrsa Daley-Ward and Ada Limón, this outstanding collection has poems for every mood and every moment.

Bursting with colour, imaginative power, and inspirational words and ideas, these carefully chosen poems are fully accessible for all age groups and guaranteed to inspire, delight and empower. And as Risbridger reminds us in her Introduction to the book, when you read a poem, ‘you get to see the world like someone else sees it. You get to see what they see and feel what they feel.’ And simply knowing that your feelings are shared is a magical experience. A treasury of verse to love and share…
(Nosy Crow, hardback, £20)

Age 9 plus
The Treekeepers
Kieran Larwood and Chris Wormell

IF a story about a world under threat, and the power that emanates from trees, seems to echo the climate change problems that beset our own planet then readers both young and old will be transfixed by award-winning author Kieran Larwood’s brilliant new fantasy novel. The Treekeepers – an epic and magically inventive tale with all the vibes of a good versus evil classic – is the first of what promises to be one of the most exciting and richly imagined middle-grade children series currently on the market. Larwood, author of the bestselling Five Realms series and a Blue Peter Award winner, creates a thrilling other-world filled with light and darkness, friends and foes, and marvels and menace as we follow the adventures of a shapeshifting warrior girl on an extraordinary journey to save a magical tree and the amazing Lands of Skyra. Shapeshifter Liska is training as a warrior and lives in Arborven, a city that is under constant threat. Ringed by mountains, the city is held within an enormous Tree that gives all those living there special powers. In amongst the branches shine strings of lanterns, street lamps and flickering torches. And Arborven is home to thousands of people. 

When Liska discovers that the Tree is under threat from a plan to take over the city, it is her duty to act… but she can’t convince anyone to listen to her. So with Lug, whose power over earthworms is dismissed as useless, and a ghost-girl, Elowen, and an extraordinary kittimew, she goes on an epic journey to defeat the worst threat their world has ever known. Brought to vivid life by the atmospheric illustrations of Chris Wormell, Larwood’s brilliant novel is a thrill from start to finish. Complex world-building within a gripping story that explores the affinity between humans and nature, and delivers contemporary messages about the threats to our world’s future make this a standout read for any age group. Storytelling at its very best…
(Faber & Faber, hardback, £12.99)

Age 3 plus
Britannica’s Ready-for-School Words: 1,000 Words for Big Kids
Hannah Campbell and Sara Rhys

AS schools and nurseries get back into the swing of a new term, it can be a daunting time for those for whom school is a virtually unknown prospect. So whilst little ones might have their pencils, rucksacks and lunchboxes all sorted, what about that other essential… words! There could be no better time to enter the world of Britannica’s Ready-for-School Words and discover all the people, places and things in your new community and beyond. Featuring all the words a child should know before they start school, this charming, big and busy book takes children from home all the way to outer space with objects clearly labelled and simplified definitions.

It has been over 50 years since Richard Scarry’s Best Word Book Ever was released, selling over five million copies worldwide, and now global education leader Britannica Books’ Ready-for-School Words provides a modern update to the classic word book by featuring high-tech words, modern illustrations, and a diverse cast of human characters of all races, ages, abilities, gender expressions and religions. The book also features simplified definitions, including common words that are difficult to illustrate (such as creativity, pretend and allergy) with visual context clues. The narrative also focuses on family and community so that in addition to learning new words, readers can follow characters throughout the book as they go about their daily routines. With multiple characters included in each spread as families mix and mingle over the course of one day, youngsters are able to start school with confidence… and a brand-new vocabulary!
(Britannica Books, hardback, £10.99)

Age 10 plus
Mathematics for Beginners
Sarah Hull, Tom Mumbray and Paul Boston

INVENTIVE and innovative children’s publisher Usborne has joined the mission to convince youngsters that maths isn’t boring… it’s actually very exciting! Mathematics for Beginners – a cleverly conceived and fascinating illustrated journey through the world of mathematics – is guaranteed to make youngsters look afresh at just how amazing the subject can be. Written by Sarah Hull and Tom Mumbray in consultation with Dr Audrey Curnock, director of a leading UK maths education consultancy, this fun and fully accessible book – brimming with the lively illustrations of Paul Boston – conveys the joy and wonder of maths as well as its many, and often unexpected, practical uses. So forget about testing your mental maths or learning the countless ways to find 𝑥 and instead discover how mathematics can be exciting and why it’s well worth studying. Can maths make people rich on the stock market, can formulas predict which sports teams will win more games and can equations explain the mysteries of the universe? The short answer to all these turns out to be yes. This book explores and explains the ways that the tools of mathematics help people to make sense of the world around them, to predict the future and, just maybe, how to make life itself better. Discover answers to questions like how big is infinity, can computers think, can statistics help you spot fake news, and intriguing questions like can maths help you make friends, can maths help me win, how can you measure the world, how many dimensions can I visualise, and why are so many things symmetrical. With its engaging illustrations, fun and entertaining facts, and Usborne Quicklinks to find out more, this stylish book an inspirational and perfectly created introduction to the exciting world of mathematics.
(Usborne Publishing, hardback, £9.99)

Age 9 plus
The Lucky Bottle
Chris Wormell

AHOY me hearties, here’s a super swashbuckling tale of pirates and witchcraft that is sure to cast a magic spell! Chris Wormell, one of Britain’s most celebrated author-illustrators, sweeps young readers across the ocean to a little desert island for a rip-roaring adventure with a young Robinson Crusoe-esque castaway called Jack Bobbins. Ten-year-old Jack is stranded on a desert island with no way to get home. He’s been very lucky… he has survived a terrible storm and the mysterious island he has found himself on has a kindly (if unusual) inhabitant, fresh water and plenty of food. But Jack needs to find his way home and as he uncovers incredible hidden treasures on the little island, he starts to formulate a plan… a plan that will involve witchcraft, terrifying sea monsters and pirates! But if Jack is going to succeed he will need to be very, very lucky. Packed with Wormell’s evocative and atmospheric illustrations, The Lucky Bottle is a thrilling visual and verbal adventure, full of exhilarating escapades, unexpected friendships, danger, daring and a big dollop of magic. Storytelling and illustration in perfect harmony!
(David Fickling Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 9 plus
Into Goblyn Wood
Anna Kemp and David Wyatt

THERE'S something stirring in Goblyn Wood… and you’re about to discover just what dark magic awaits there! Into Goblyn Wood – the first book in a fantastic new fantasy series from Waterstones prize-shortlisted Anna Kemp – is guaranteed to sweep you away on a tide of danger, adventure, brave heroes and powerful fairies. Hazel has always known she was different, but she doesn’t know where she came from. When her best friend Pete is kidnapped by strange creatures, she must gather her courage and enter Goblyn Wood, a forest inhabited by fairies. But their magic is being drained away, and Hazel soon realises that her own power is the key to saving both Pete and her new friends. Embarking on an epic journey of discovery, can Hazel restore the balance of the fairy realm? With David Wyatt’s beautifully atmospheric illustrations bringing all the action and drama to life, Hazel’s journey to discover her true identity is a thrill ride from start to finish and one that no daring young adventurer should miss!
(Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8 plus
The Spell Tailors
James Nicol

JAMES Nicol, the master magician behind the much-loved Apprentice Witch series, dons a shiny new mantle for a spellbinding middle-grade fantasy which gently highlights the darker side of fast fashion. The magic of clothes, and the human price some must pay for making them, is the cautionary wraparound for a story threaded through with warmth, friendship and family. In Sparrow Down, Hen Danelli, whose family roots lie in the faraway Scillian Islands, dreams of becoming a spell tailor, stitching magic into clothing like his beloved Nana. But thanks to new factories, spell tailors are now struggling to survive. His Uncle Bertie’s fancy shop has shut down, and when he, Aunt Lucia and stuck-up cousin Connie move in, it’s a disaster for all the family. Then Hen stumbles upon a new kind of stitch… one which causes Nana and Bertie to ban him from sewing. What is the power of the stitch that can sew memories into clothes… and could it be the very thing to save them all? Nicol always packs a cosy charm into his thrilling stories and The Spell Tailors delivers a wonderfully rich and detailed world full of fantasy, mystery, magic and memorable characters. Tingling with excitement and exiting plot twists, but still bearing Nicol’s trademark warmth and humanity, this is an adventure simply irresistible to young readers.
(Chicken House, paperback, £7.99)

Age 5 plus
A Wild Child’s Book of Birds
Dara McAnulty and Barry Falls

BIRDS are everywhere… in our gardens, parks, school grounds, at the bus stop, in car parks, by the sea and high up in the mountains! So dig out your hat and scarf, pull on your walking boots and take a wild, wandering and fascinating journey through a year in the life of birds. With award-winning young Northern Irish author, activist and conservationist Dara McAnulty as your guide, this wonderful nature gift book – brimming with amazing facts and the fabulously rich, detailed and atmospheric illustrations of artist Barry Falls – is the perfect companion to the amazing birds you will find on your walks in both town and the countryside. Proving to readers young and old that wildlife and birds have so much to teach us, McAnulty’s beautiful book – filled with his poetic prose and lots of interesting facts – explores the life of the birds you will find in Britain and Ireland, and is divided into four seasonal sections. Find out what birds do in each season, learn about birdsong, beaks, nests and eggs, the science of flight, migration, what to grow to attract different birds to your garden and what foods to put out on your bird table. Youngsters can also learn about different ways of recording what they see and about birds in literature and there are sections on birds of prey and corvids as well. The perfect gift book to inspire young nature lovers and to let children experience for themselves the joy of connecting with birds and the natural world, and to do their bit to help save our planet.
(Macmillan Children’s Books, hardback, £14.99)

Age 5 plus
Woodland Magic: Deer in Danger
Julie Sykes and Katy Riddell

MEET the tiny little people on a big mission to keep the countryside safe! Deer in Danger is the second story in a magical and timely illustrated adventure series from Julie Sykes, bestselling author of the Unicorn Academy series, and talented young illustrator Katy Riddell. Brimming with drama and with a powerful environmental message, the stories focus on The Keepers, a secretive tribe of little people who live in the middle of Whispering Woods. Their task is to care for the countryside and rewild it when humans (or Ruffins as they know them) are careless with it. Young Keepers Cora and Jax are trainees who need to prove themselves or risk being sent back to school. Intent on their task of building a hedgehog highway by making holes at the bottom of fences on a new housing estate, they find a deer trapped in the foundations of a building site. Their woodland magic isn’t strong enough to help the deer escape, but they will not be able to complete their task if they try to get help for the deer. With its alluring mix of magic, animal rescue, nature conservation and adventure, this series is a must for all young and enthusiastic eco-warriors.
(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £5.99)

Age 3 plus
One Little Bug
Becky Davies and Jacob Souva

THERE'S a whole world of bugs and insects outside… and they’re just waiting for you to discover them! Lift the flaps in this fact-packed book and find out what makes each insect unique in a wonderful world of minibeasts. Written by Becky Davies and illustrated by Jacob Souva, One Little Bug is the second super book in Little Tiger Press’s Exploring Nature for Curious Kids non-fiction series which began with One Little Seed and is a visual and verbal call to action, encouraging youngsters to head out into nature and explore. Each title empowers little ones to interact with the world around them, no matter where they live or what their circumstances are. Learn where to find insects, peep inside an anthill, journey beneath the soil, discover what snacks to feed hungry butterflies, share top tips for building a wormery, and learn how to make a bug hotel of your very own. Packed with simple and accessible bite-size facts, fun activities, prompts and intriguing flaps to lift, this is the perfect book to inspire a love of nature in your children. So what are you waiting for… take a walk on the wild side and enjoy the incredible sights, sounds and smells of nature!
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £6.99)

Age 3 plus
Watch Out, Wolf! There’s a Baddie in Your Book
Jude Evans and Lucy Semple

WHAT'S the point of being bad if there’s someone even badder? Little ones will be cheering on the big, bad Wolf in this fabulous fairy tale with a fun twist from the top team of author Jude Evans and illustrator Lucy Semple. With peep-through holes and an array of intriguing, interactive flaps to lift, there is so much to enjoy as we join a raucous woodland romp. Wolf (as we would all expect!) is a lean, mean, scaring machine and he is definitely the only baddie in this book. Or is he? Someone has been setting fire to bushes, scorching Granny’s vegetable patch and burning down Troll’s bridge. Could there be a bigger, badder beastie in this book? And, more importantly, can Wolf catch the imposter and become the hero of his story? This ingenious twist on classic fairy tales will have little ones hooting with laughter as they spot familiar fairy tale characters and watch their favourite baddie try out being a goodie for a change. Packed full of hidden details and Semple’s bold and colourful illustrations to bring the action to life, Evans’ clever story challenges stereotypes and encourages children to think about what makes us all good and bad. The perfect, fun-filled adventure to inspire a lifetime love of reading.
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age 2 plus
Winnie and Wilbur: The Festival of Witches
Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul

THE adventures of Winnie the Witch and her black cat have provided spellbinding, bite-size stories for 35 years and the two madcap stars take centre stage in this super gift edition picture book. Written by the ever-inventive Valerie Thomas and brilliantly illustrated in Korky Paul’s distinctive and charismatic style, Winnie and Wilbur’s escapades are always mad, bad and dangerously hilarious, and in their latest colourful adventure there are laughs galore and a magical celebration of community, diversity and friendship. Winnie and Wilbur are on their annual visit to the Worldwide Witches’ Festival, meeting witches (and their cats!) from all over the globe. They have a wonderful time partying, dancing and learning new spells. When the festival is over, Winnie and Wilbur hop on their broomstick and zoom off on a magical mystery tour to visit their new friends in a tropical treehouse, a castle by the sea and a house on top of a mountain. When they eventually arrive back home, it seems much too quiet… but then there’s a knock at the door! Thomas’s joyful, exuberant and warm-hearted story is a true celebration of all that is good in a world where community and friendship come first while Paul’s richly detailed and playful artwork is full of fun, mischief and mayhem. A cracking chaotic caper that’s guaranteed to cast a spell!
(OUP, hardback, £12.99)

Age 2 plus
The Lights that Dance in the Night
Yuval Zommer 

AS Christmas slowly starts to appear on the horizon, author and illustrator Yuval Zommer spreads his own special glow over the festive season with a bright and beautiful picture book celebrating the wonder of the Northern Lights. The Lights that Dance in the Night – with its sparkling cover, beautiful rhyming text and atmospheric illustrations – is a gentle and colourful reminder of the threats to our fragile planet. During long, dark winters, the Northern Lights dazzle in Arctic skies and here Zommer imagines their fleeting journey from space to Earth and how they weave a welcome magic for the animals and people living in the frozen lands below. With an ethereal beauty to both the words and the illustrations, heartfelt messages about the peace that comes from togetherness, and the dangers of global warming radiating subtly from the pages, Zommer puts the living world at the heart of his powerful storytelling, bringing the very youngest children a lyrically written, resonant and utterly charming story. A verbal and visual treat to treasure.
(Oxford University Press, paperback, £6.99)

Age 2 plus
The Smile
Marie Voigt

THERE are smiles all round in a beautiful and thoughtful picture book from talented author and illustrator Marie Voigt. Celebrating the connection between different people around the world, The Smile explores how a simple smile and a little kindness can spread joy and help to heal divisions in society. When a baby smiles at her brother, the happiness he feels is so powerful that it sets in motion a chain of kindness that ripples out to families and strangers far away, and back again. Differences are forgotten and people come together as Voigt uses her warm and wise narrative voice, and a gallery of star-dusted, inclusive illustrations, to convey resonant messages about the positive effects of caring, kindness… and smiles!
(Oxford University Press, paperback, £6.99)

Age from birth
Animals
OKIDOKID and Liuna Virardi

OPPOSITES are part of everyday life and it’s a concept that children are never too young to learn. So here’s an inventive board book series that teaches little ones first opposites in the most delightful and entertaining way. Third in the series – which was created by OKIDOKID, an agency founded by Justine de Lagausie who now works hand-in-hand with children’s author Raphaël Martin – is Animals which lets little ones discover a world of opposites with a menagerie of adorable animals. From the tallest giraffe to the smallest mouse, little hands will love lifting the flaps of this bright and chunky board book. Featuring the bright, stylish and quirky illustrations of Liuna Virardi and simple, accessible pairings ideal for language development, the book’s fold-out flaps transform the pictured scenes to make the opposite come to life. Simply lift, learn and explore, and look out for Vehicles and People, the two earlier books in this inventive opposites series.
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £6.99)