Age 9 plus
Beastlands: Race to Frostfall Mountain
Jess French
LET your imagination run wild because the Beastlands are calling! A magical world awaits young adventurers as zoologist, vet, author and BBC Children’s TV presenter Jess French brings us the first instalment of an epic new fantasy series featuring weird and wonderful creatures inspired by her experiences with animals. Tingling with magic, danger and mystery, and with a timely environmental twist, Beastlands is both a thrilling journey into a forbidding other-world and a celebration of conservationism and the idea that adventure and exploration together provide a form of subtle education.
Before there were people, there were beasts... The island of
Ramoa was once luscious and populated with mighty beasts. Now it is home to
barren cities, where nature is locked out and the realms have never been more
divided. Kayla is a Sky Cadet with an attitude and no friends so when her
beloved and rare winged pangron is stolen, all she wants is to get him back. But
to do so, she will have to leave her city and journey into the wild and
forbidden Beastlands. There she meets Rustus, the son of an elite warrior,
burdened with the responsibility of protecting his city... until he fails his
initiation and is exiled to the Beastlands by his family.
Meanwhile, Alethea is a young healer determined to put an
end to the mysterious disease sweeping across the realms but the search for a
cure to the Scourge isn’t straightforward. As their quests unite them, they
will adventure across the forbidden Beastlands that they know so little about,
leading them to discoveries both great and terrifying... not least that the
beasts they have always been taught to fear might not be so terrifying after
all. But will they make it out alive? Alethea, Rustus and Kayla are the perfect young heroes for a
fantastical stage set that cannot help but remind readers of our threatened
planet. Their courage and their heart-poundings adventures amongst the most
amazing creatures display the depth and vision of French’s knowledge and
imagination. With intrigue at every turn, compulsive storytelling, and
lots of twists and turns along the way, this is a truly magical storytelling
journey and one that will have youngsters counting down to the next Beastlands
adventure which will launch next year.
(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £7.99)
Pablo and Splash
Sheena Dempsey
MEET two hilarious, time-travelling penguins who are the
very best of friends... but most definitely polar opposites! Sheena Dempsey, Irish illustrator of the much-loved Dave
Pigeon books, works both her artistic and authorial skills on a brand new
children’s graphic novel series that will have youngsters giggling, gasping and
guffawing from first page to last. Pablo and Splash – who unexpectedly travel back to the time
of the dinosaurs in their first brilliantly funny full-colour adventure – grew
out of a web-comic Dempsey created during the pandemic lockdowns featuring herself
and her husband as penguins. The result is a charming and seductive package with an
easy-to-read story, a sparkling cast of characters, and brimming with mischief,
mishaps, and Dempsey’s impish sense of humour. Antarctic penguins Pablo and Splash are polar opposites but besties
for life. Pablo is a home-bird and a careful planner while Splash is easily
bored and hungry for adventure. Sick to her flippers of the harsh, freezing
weather, Splash persuades Pablo to go on a holiday with her. But far from the
luxury beach destination that Splash has in mind, the pair end up in a
time-travel machine that takes them back to the age of the dinosaurs. Suddenly
their icy homeland doesn’t seem so dull! Ideal for reluctant readers and budding graphic novelists,
this daffy comic duo are guaranteed to
win the hearts of all young readers whilst teaching subtle lessons about
teamwork and working together... whatever your differences.
(Bloomsbury Children’s Books, paperback, £8.99)
The Troublemakers
Tamzin Merchant and Paola Escobar
IF magic, maps and marvellous adventures are your route to
reading heaven then climb aboard and return to the spellbinding world of Cordelia
Hatmaker, the inspirational star of actress, and now exceptional new
storyteller, Tamzin Merchant’s dazzling new novel The Troublemakers. This swashbuckling third book in the series follows on from The
Hatmakers and The Mapmakers, and once again sweeps us away on a wild and
imaginative wave of danger, discovery and soaraway fantasy. In charge of the action is Cordelia who comes from a long
line of magical milliners and has finally united the Maker families and
restored the kingdom’s trust in Maker magic. But mysterious outbreaks of
chaotic magic are beginning to happen across London. And then the unthinkable
happens... Cordelia is accused of treason. As the guards close in, she must
flee London at once. With her father, Prospero, and friends, Sam and Goose,
Cordelia sets sail on her family's ship, Little Bear, for the adventure of a lifetime.
They are determined to solve the mystery of a missing girl, and to clear
Cordelia’s name once and for all. But soon they are in the dangerous territory
of a band of legendary pirates... the Troublemakers. Is Cordelia a match for
the fierce and unstoppable pirate queen? 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 Troublemakers 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, hardback, £12.99)
Dread Wood: Fright Bite
Jennifer Killick
IMAGINE a book that serves up those super-spooky vibes that
kids love... horrors galore, a delicious dollop of black comedy and a bunch of
spiky classmates with a murky, rat-infested mystery to solve. If that menu
tickles your taste buds, then you’ll be dining out on queen of
chills-and-thrills Jennifer Killick’s fifth brilliant adventure in a series
which delivers horror and humour in perfect harmony. Perfectly pitched for
middle grade readers, Dread Wood: Fright Bite stars Hallie, Angelo, Gus,
Colette and Naira, and here we find it’s Colette’s eleventh birthday and the
friends known as Club Loser are spending an evening at Neon Perch, an epic
entertainment spot where they can eat pizza, enjoy go-karting, play mini golf
and – best of all – take part in Project Z, an epic new escape room experience.
It’s going to be the best night ever! Or is it? Somehow, the escape room
somehow seems to know each player’s greatest fears. And worst of all, there are
zombie creatures on the loose and locked up with them. Vicious creatures straight
from their darkest nightmares... giant, poisonous rats! Killick is a slick and
sassy storyteller… she knows just how far to take her heart-stopping tales of
cool comedy and scary horror as she pumps up the action and lets loose her rich
imagination. Just be prepared to read this gorgeous, gigglesome
chiller-thriller in one sitting!
(Farshore, paperback, £7.99)
The War of the Heavenly Horses
Roland Chambers
TRAVEL back through time with a shape-shifting boy as he
sets out on a mission to (slightly!) change the course of history. The War of
the Heavenly Horses is the second thrilling book in author and illustrator Roland
Chambers’ Adventures of Billy Shaman series. With their feel-good, exciting and accessible adventures,
these stories revolve around pivotal moments of exploration and discovery
through the ages, bringing the past to life with a generous helping of fantasy,
humour, history and delightful black and white illustrations. This new mission for Billy – a Shaman by name and shaman by
nature – was inspired by the real-life Han-Dayuan War, a military conflict
fought in China in 104 BC and 102 BC, and sees Billy still searching for his magic
but learning fast with the help of a 200-year-old talking tortoise, called
Charles Darwin, who guides him on journeys through the ages to return artefacts
to their original home. No one is more surprised than Billy when he wakes up on a
Chinese battlefield having been scooped from the jaws of death by a boy called
Han. But Billy is far from rescued and after taking refuge in the royal
stables, the boys are soon held hostage by the Emperor Wudi. He’s at war with
the Horse King whose powerful and magical herd of horses, the heavenly horses
of Ferghana, he wants for his own. It takes all Billy’s skills, and a very special
spirit horse, to get Han to safety and Billy back to his friend Charles Darwin. With beautiful, atmospheric illustrations on every page, and
a perfect blend of history and full-on exciting adventures to enjoy, the Billy
Shaman Adventures offer time-travel with an entertaining twist!
(Zephyr, paperback, £7.99)
The Dog Squad: The Race
Clara Vulliamy
THE Dog Squad are back and they’ve got a nose for trouble!
You’d be barking mad to miss the second adventure in a charming illustrated
series from Clara Vulliamy, author of the much-loved Marshmallow Pie and Dotty
Detective books. Three best friends – all budding journalists at the Newshound
newspaper – are the stars of these delightful stories featuring family,
friends... and dogs. Eva, who has always wanted to be a journalist, is eager to
help her new dog, Wafer, make friends so, along with her best friends at the
Newshound, Simone and Ash, she takes him to the local whippet races. But they
soon suspect some underhand competitive cheating. Eva and the Dog Squad might
just have found their next story. Can Eva get to the bottom of it... with a
little help from a furry friend? Vulliamy is the daughter of the late and
much-loved author and illustrator Shirley Hughes and her work contains the same
warmth and vitality. With new mysteries to solve in each adventure, and the
cutest canines at every turn of the page, this is perfect reading for all dog
lovers.
(HarperCollinsChildren’s Books, paperback, £6.99)
Age 7 plus
Orangutan Can’t Draw Comics, But You Can!
Sarah Walden, Luke Newell and Mr Griff
(Noodle Juice, paperback, £9.99)
The O.D.D. Squad: Rise of Invisidog
Stuart Heritage and Vincent Batignole
DO you want to laugh your pants off? Of course you do, so
come on into the world of the O.D.D. Squad... a team of (sort of) heroic and
unforgettable animal crime-fighters! Graphic novels are ideal for reluctant readers who like
their stories to come with bundles of fun, easy reading, and lots of verbal and
visual action, and this brilliant pairing of feature writer, columnist and
author Stuart Heritage, and French illustrator and comic artist Vincent
Batignole hits the spot perfectly. Welcome to Justice City... rain soaks its streets and crime
soaks it more. The fate of the entire city has been left in the hands (well,
paws) of one brave superhero. That’s right – dun dun dunnnnnn –Invisidog!
Invisidog hunts for danger wherever he finds it. There is no job too big, and
no criminal too tough, for the mighty Invisidog. He is the shadows!! And
actually, that’s kind of the problem because Invisidog’s amazing superpowers
are kind of rubbish. Turns out that being invisible isn’t all that helpful when
you’re trying to rid a city of terrible criminals. They tend to have a habit of
ignoring you for one thing so Invisidog’s going to have to think BIG. Can he
convince the most amazing superheroes of all time – adorable-but-mighty Quack
Attack, and the world’s greatest thinker, Detective Octopus – to join forces? And
more importantly, what does O.D.D. Squad stand for? The only solution is to read
the book and find out! With Heritage’s lively, comedy-soaked story and Batignole’s
gallery of eye-catching, bold and colourful gallery of pictures, this new high-octane
graphic series will tickle every young reader’s funny bone.
(Puffin, paperback, £8.99)
What is Science?
Sarah Walden and Katie Rewse
IF you want to encourage your little ones to start engaging
with big ideas, this perfectly pitched Little Book, Big Idea series has some
resonant questions and answers. Helping to build foundations for life-long
learning by explaining big ideas to little people, the carefully created,
illustrated series uses simple language to explain complicated ideas, with each
book taking the core questions that relate to each subject and providing
answers that make sense to young children. The latest book in the series, What
is Science? – written by Sarah Walden and illustrated by Katie Rewse – asks questions
such as how can science help us, why is science important and what can you do
with science, and provides the answers in a simple and clear way. Each
double-page spread in these creative books explores one question and various
answers, and each page is filled with Rewse’s imaginative illustrations which
inspire positive thinking and make each exploration fresh, engaging and
different. And with a glossary of important words at the back of each book, they
are perfectly created for sharing with any inquisitive child.
(Noodle Juice, hardback, £9.99)
Runaway Cone
Morag Hood
WHEN a traffic cone goes missing, the only way is up.... or
maybe even down? The highs and lows of a digger machine called Digger (what
else would a digger be called?) and her road friends are explored with the
trademark wit and creative genius of award-winning author and illustrator Morag
Hood in her brilliantly funny picture book sequel to Dig, Dig, Digger. Digger,
Traffic Light and the cones are all ready to start the roadworks one morning
when they notice that something’s wrong... Gary the traffic cone is missing.
And it’s a disaster! They search left and right, high and low, but it’s no use.
Can they find Gary all by themselves, or do they need to ask for help? And what’s
going to happen when they find him? The antics of our resourceful little digger
and the comical cones as they set out to find Gary in this brilliantly funny
picture book will leave all the family laughing as the ever-inventive Hood
leaves no stone unturned when it comes to humour and creative thinking. Packed
with eye-catching artwork, the clever playfulness and endearing mischievousness
that we have come to expect from Hood, and with a seductive twist at the end,
this is story that celebrates the fun, joy and shared ingenuity of
friendship... and is destined to be a favourite with all the family!
This book is published on January 25.
(Two Hoots, hardback, £12.99)
Gigantosaurus – I Love Giganto
Cyber Group Studios
WHAT are the best ways to show someone kindness? All is
revealed in a heartwarming and roaringly good fun lift-the-flap adventure
packed with dinosaur love! Gigantosaurus – I Love Giganto is a new story based
on the Gigantosaurus TV series which is developed by Paris-based Cyber Group
Studios from characters created by Scottish-born author and illustrator Jonny
Duddle. Early one morning in Cretacia, four dino friends, Bill, Rocky, Tiny and
Mazu, are waiting excitedly for the dino babies to arrive. Mazu has got a VERY
busy day planned for them. From painting pictures to giving BIG hugs, the dino
babies learn the most important lesson of all... how to be the kindest dinos!
But uh oh, who’s that stomping grumpily towards them? Will the dino babies
remember all the ways they can show their love to help Giganto before it’s too
late? It’s no surprise that Duddle’s award-winning picture book Gigantosaurus
has been a global hit with the TV series launching in America on Disney Junior
in 2019 and in the UK in 2020 on Tiny POP. Join Bill, Rocky, Tiny, Mazu and the
dino babies in this adorable and joyful adventure. With large, sturdy flaps for
little fingers to lift, this is the perfect hands-on gift for all Gigantosaurus
fans.
(Templar Publishing, board book, £6.99)
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