Age 8 plus
Fritz and Kurt
Jeremy Dronfield and
David Ziggy Greene
THE moving story of the all-consuming love between a father, a son and a brother is explored in this retelling of one of the most inspirational accounts to come out of the Holocaust. Jeremy Dronfield’s bestselling publishing phenomenon, The Boy Who Followed his Father into Auschwitz, was first published to great acclaim in 2019 and acted a reminder of both the best and the worst of humanity, the strength of family ties, and the power of the human spirit. And now Dronfield has adapted for younger readers his almost unbelievable true story of Austrian Jew Fritz Kleinmann who volunteered to follow his father, Gustav, into Auschwitz in 1938 rather than be separated from him.
When everything is taken away from you, love and courage are
all you have left. In 1938, the Nazis come to Vienna. They hate anyone who is
different, especially Jewish people. Brothers Fritz and Kurt’s family are
Jewish, and that puts them in terrible danger. Fritz, along with his father, is
taken to a Nazi prison camp, a terrible place, full of fear. When his father is
sent to a certain death in Auschwitz, Fritz can’t face losing his beloved Papa
and chooses to go with him and fight for survival. Meanwhile, Kurt must go on a
frightening journey, all alone, to seek safety on the far side of the world.
Fritz and Kurt face unimaginable hardships, and the two brothers wonder if they
will ever return home...
Dronfield’s heart-rending and eloquent account of the Kleinmann
family’s horrific ordeal – a truly extraordinary story illustrated throughout
by David Ziggy Greene – is handled with immense sensitivity without losing
sight of the importance of truth and factual honesty. Fritz and Kurt is a tragic and shocking story, with the
Kleinmanns’ experiences of the cruelty suffered by Jews in the concentration
camps acting as a powerful reminder of the evils of the Nazis, but it is also
an enduring and resonant tribute to the unbreakable bonds of family love.
(Puffin, paperback, £8.99)
The Storm Swimmer
Clare Weze
DIVE into this glorious middle grade novel from Clare Weze and you won’t want to surface again until the last page – and the tide – has turned! Weze, whose debut children’s book The Lightning Catcher was longlisted for the 2022 CILIP Carnegie Medal, sweeps away her young readers on an unforgettable adventure that travels across the land and under the sea, and has a life-changing friendship at its warm and beating heart. Summer was supposed to be Ginika’s time for fun, friends and fairs, but instead she has been sent to live at the dead-end seaside boarding house which her grandparents run. Even though her parents – who have hit hard times – say it’s just for a little while, she can’t help feeling abandoned and heartbroken to be missing out on everything she loves back home. And then she meets Peri. He leaps and dives through the water like a dolphin and he talks like a burst of bubbles. He’s not exactly a mermaid, but he is certainly a sea dweller and definitely something Ginika has never seen before.
His family is far away too but unlike Ginika, he loves his independence. As Ginika shows Peri her world of life living on the land rather than in the sea, she starts to feel free as well. They don’t need anyone else when they’ve got each other. But then the lights and noise of the human world start to change Peri. And when things spin out of control, Ginika must be the bravest she has ever been to face her fears and make the hardest decision of her life. Join Ginika and Peri as they dive beneath the waves and walk the lands that will take them into each other’s worlds on an adventure they will never forget and a life-changing friendship.
There may be an ocean of difference in the worlds of Ginika
and Peri but Weze’s atmospheric and exquisitely created story fills that gap
with an inspirational friendship which has no boundaries when it comes to care,
empathy and shared affection. Throw in some very real issues around the angst and
uncertainty that comes from financial hardship, and the loan sharks who feed on
those who are vulnerable, and you have an original, exciting and magical
adventure with some important life lessons swimming very close to the surface. A master storyteller at work!
(Bloomsbury Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)
The Wildstorm Curse
Eve Wersocki Morris
CAN a girl with dyslexia find the words that will save her friends? Despite struggling with her reading and spelling as a child, and fearing that she would never be able to read to even a basic standard, Eve Wersocki Morris has never let her dyslexia diagnosis stand in the way of her gift for storytelling. And the proof is in her growing reputation as an exciting author of thrilling, chilling mystery novels full of myths, legends, folklore and fantasy. So experience all that irresistible black magic in The Wildstorm Curse, a dark and dazzling adventure that serves up the same spine-tingling brand of spooky supernatural which won hearts and minds in her critically acclaimed debut novel, The Bird Singers.
A fabled witch, a powerful curse, a monster out for
revenge... thirteen-year-old Kallie Tamm can’t wait to spend a week of her
summer holidays at the Wildstorm Theatre Camp, and she is determined not to let
her dyslexia hold her back from achieving her dream of becoming a playwright.
The finale of the whole week is a performance in the local village theatre. But
as soon as she arrives, Kallie discovers that the cast will be performing a
play written by a 17th century witch, Ellsabet Graveheart, and strange, scary
things start happening. Unbeknown to Kallie, a dark shadow is stirring in the
woodland near Wildstorm... an ancient and dangerous creature has awoken from a
centuries-old slumber, and it is out for revenge, putting Kallie and all of her
new friends in grave danger. Can an unlikely hero find the words to save her
friends? This is adventure with a capital A, a suspenseful tale about
unlikely heroes and the power of storytelling which comes steeped in 17th
century witchlore and darkly dangerous demon myths. With its reassuring message
that even the best spellers are always the best storytellers, and that ‘true
heroes aren’t always the strongest or the most powerful,’ The Wildstorm Curse
is empowering, bewitching and page-turningly good!
(Hodder Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)
Alice Éclair Spy Extraordinaire:
A Spoonful of Spying
Sarah Todd Taylor
THE heat is on as French baker-cum-spy extraordinaire Alice
Éclair embarks on a high-flying mission to stop a dastardly plane plot in the
second book of a brilliant mystery series cooked up by Sarah Todd Taylor. Star of the show is Alice Éclair who leads an exciting
double life as a baker by day at her mother’s patisserie in Paris and a rather
unusual spy by night. And after the breathless adventures on Alice's first
mission, A Recipe for Trouble, she is ready to whisk young readers away on a
fabulous journey full of daring action and delicious cakes. Inventors and artists from all nations have gathered in
Paris for the World Fair. All eyes are on the aeroplane exhibition... these
incredible machines will take humanity to new heights! Alice suspects that some
of these inventors are in terrible danger but no one believes her until
France’s top aeroplane engineer mysteriously disappears. Surrounded by enemy
spies, Alice will need to use every trick in the recipe book if she is to keep
her friends safe and stop France’s greatest invention from falling into the
wrong hands. With a half-baked plan, a dash of daring, and the help of her new
espionage partner Claude, Alice must foil the enemy’s devious plot before the
whole thing boils over... Ideal as a stand-alone novel, or enjoyed as part of the
series, A Spoonful of Spying dishes up the same delicious mix of mouth-watering
mystery, super-sleuthing, cakes baked to
perfection, and fast-paced fun and action. Roll on the third course!
(Nosy Crow, paperback, £7.99)
Albi the Glowing Cow Boy
Georgia Byng and Angela Cogo
CAN a special relationship between a boy and a calf help to
give them both a better future? Vegan and animal lover Georgia Byng explores
the world of animal agriculture and its impact on the planet in a moving and
original novel aimed at encouraging empathy and opening questioning young minds.
On a quiet farm in a frosty England, under the glowing light of a magical milk
moon, an albino boy calf is born. His name is Albi, and he has no idea how
extraordinary he is going to be. Several miles away lives a human boy called
Rufus Chumley whose father owns the abbatoir. Rufus is extraordinary in his own
way – he has a condition that has made him grow way beyond the size of other
children of his age – but he has no friends and no one to love him, not even
his parents. Rufus seeks the family he never had and he’ll go to any lengths to
find it. Albi and Rufus must each embark on a journey that will take them
across continents, showing them things they never believed could be true. But
why are they so deeply connected? And will each extraordinary ‘boy’ find what
they are searching for? Told through the alternating narratives of Albi and
Rufus, Byng’s beautifully atmospheric story – complete with the stunning
illustrations of Angela Cogo – is filled with both ethereal beauty, harsh
realities... and plenty of food for thought.
(UCLan Publishing, paperback, £7.99)
The Mapmakers
Tamzin Merchant
IF magic, maps and marvellous adventures are your route to
reading heaven then journey back to the spellbinding world of Cordelia Hatmaker,
the inspirational star of actress and now exceptional new storyteller Tamzin
Merchant’s stunning novel The Hatmakers. This stunning sequel once again sweeps
us away on another wild and imaginative wave of danger, discovery and soaraway
fantasy in which Cordelia must try to save the very essence of magic itself. Ever
since Cordelia – who comes from a long line of magical milliners – discovered
the hidden map in her father Prospero’s precious telescope, she has been
searching the streets of London by starlight, trying to uncover its secrets.
She’s sure that her missing father is out there somewhere, and that if she
follows his map, she will finally discover the truth about his disappearance. What
she doesn’t expect is to stumble upon a secret society of Mapmakers... or to
learn that magic isn’t limited to the few Maker families, but instead is all
around if you just know where to look. Now danger is lurking around every
corner and Cordelia must convince the rival Maker families to work together for
once... not only to bring her father home, but to save a whole world of magic.
With illustrations by Paola Escobar adding extra vibrancy and life to Merchant’s
story, and plenty of intriguing twists and turns along the way, The Mapmakers
explores the bonds of friendship and family with warmth, insight and an
irresistible sense of fun. Magic, charm, heart and humour... perfect middle
grade reading for all young adventurers!
(Puffin, paperback, £7.99)
The Terror of Hilltop House
Dan Smith and Chris King
THERE'S something seriously scary going on at creepy Hilltop
House… and three daring children are determined to discover exactly what it is!
Get ready to have your spine well and truly tingled in a terrifying Day of the
Triffids-inspired thriller from the pen of Newcastle-based Dan Smith, the
award-winning and imaginative author of the exciting Crooked Oak Mysteries
series. When Pete, Krish and Nancy read a story in the local paper about weird
gunk being found in a field where sheep have gone missing next to Hilltop
House, they’re sure there’s a mystery to be investigated. The new research farm
at Hilltop is working on the creation of bio-fuels, but when a storm knocks out
the power in the local area and something escapes from the farm, it’s clear
that the research has gone horribly wrong. Will anyone believe our three smart
and intrepid detectives from Crooked Oak Academy, and can the brave trio save
the village in their most terrifying adventure yet? Featuring the wonderfully atmospheric
black and white illustrations of Chris King, and published in Barrington
Stoke’s trademark dyslexia-friendly format, this terrific, fast-paced tale of
three youngsters caught up in a secretive plot is packed full of twists and
turns, monstrous apparitions and dangerous genetic experiments. Expect thrills,
chills and spills… but best read in daylight hours!
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £7.99)
Lizzie and Lucky: The Mystery
of the Disappearing Rabbit
Megan Rix and Tim Budgen
ABRACADABRA! Enjoy lots of fun and frolics with young
detective Lizzie and her adorable puppy Lucky as they work hard to track down a
missing rabbit in their third mystery-solving adventure. Author Megan Rix and illustrator
Tim Budgen work their special magic on this enchanting new chapter for a little
girl growing up with hearing loss. Drawing on her own experiences of living
with partial deafness, Rix blends gentle adventures with fun activities and the
basics of sign language to add extra sparkle to her story. Lizzie and Lucky are
off to a magic show. But during the performance, a very large and world-famous
rabbit called Rudy disappears... and it was not on purpose! Can Lizzie and
Lucky find Rudy, get to the bottom of who stole him, and why? Featuring short
chapters ideal for new readers, packed with Budgen’s charming and heartwarming
illustrations, an adorable Dalmatian pup as a detective sidekick, and some
useful tips on caring for pet rabbits, this magical adventure is a dream read
for young animal lovers.
(Puffin, paperback, £7.99)
Dig, Dig Digger
Morag Hood
WHEN you’re fed up of digging down, the only way is up! The
highs and lows of being a digger machine are explored with the trademark wit
and creative genius of award-winning author and illustrator Morag Hood in her
new brilliantly funny picture book. It’s a day like any other at the roadworks
when Digger decides she no longer likes digging down into mud, dark and worms.
Instead, she wants to dig UP and find sky, stars and adventure! Although up is
quite tricky to get to, with some ingenuity and the help of balloons, Digger flies
off on a journey of discovery. But what she does find is that adventures aren’t
so much fun without friends... so Digger must dig her way home! The earth
certainly moves for our daring little digger in this brilliantly funny picture
book from an ever-inventive author and illustrator who leaves no stone unturned
when it comes to comical and creative thinking. Packed with eye-catching
artwork, the clever playfulness and endearing mischievousness that we have come
to expect from Hood, and a finger trail spread to follow Digger’s journey, this
is story that celebrates the fun and joy of friendship... and is destined to be
a favourite with all the family!
(Two Hoots, hardback, £12.99)
That’s Not My T. Rex...
Fiona Watt and Rachel Wells
MEET five friendly T. Rex as they stomp and snort through
the pages of an exciting and especially sparkle-edged new book in Usborne’s
award-winning That’s Not My... series, a much-loved favourite with both parents
and children. The bestselling touchy-feely series has over 70 titles and has
sold over 20 million books worldwide. The simple text, bold, colourful
illustrations and tactile patches are irresistible to babies and toddlers who
love turning the pages and touching the fun and ‘feely’ patches. Written by
Fiona Watt and illustrated by Rachel Wells, this new title features different textured
patches on every spread as we discover a colourful array of furry and fuzzy
dinosaurs. These board books allow the youngest family members to have a hand
in all the fun of reading as they touch the textured patches, follow the story
and look for the little white mouse on every page. Specially designed to
develop sensory and language awareness, the distinctive That’s Not My… board
books really are a vividly visual and hands-on treat for inquisitive babies and
toddlers. Touchy-feely genius at a stroke!
(Usborne, board book, £6.99)
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