CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Turning turtle, dead good reads and some spooky thrills

Meet a brave turtle who turns the tide to save her brother, dive into a brilliant new series of quick and easy thrillers for seriously struggling readers, escape to the Land of Fairy Tales and help Cinderella find her magic slipper, and enjoy the last wild and wacky adventure in a much-loved comedy series with an eclectic selection of new children’s books

Age 3 plus
The Turtle Who
Turned the Tide
Rachel Bright and Jim Field

BIG, bold and beautiful illustrations blend with an exquisite rhyming story full of heart, honour, bravery and happy endings in a spectacular, large format picture book from the inspired pairing of talented wordsmith and illustrator Rachel Bright and award-winning illustrator, character designer and animation director Jim Field. The Turtle Who Turned the Tide is part of The World of Rachel Bright & Jim Field, a global bestselling series which includes nine brilliant books. On a midnight-black beach, it's time for a GRAND HATCHING. A rowdy crowd of animal onlookers have gathered to see which baby turtle will win the great race to safety in the sea. But when Tula’s little brother loses his way, this baby turtle faces a difficult choice… will she choose to win the race or will she turn back to rescue Tiny, her brother? And will the other animals stay on the sidelines, or will Tula’s bravery inspire them to join the rescue mission? In a heartfelt story celebrating adventure, bravery and one baby turtle who changes her world for good, Bright and Field show youngsters how we ALL have the power to change things for the better… no matter what the odds!
(Orchard Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 11 plus
Killer
Tanya Landman and Alessandro Valdrighi

OLDER children and reluctant teens, who are seriously struggling with their reading, will love getting their hands on two titles in a superb new series of quick, gripping and age-appropriate books which fill a crucial gap for EAL (English as an additional language) learners. Particularly suitable for readers aged eleven plus with a reading age of six, and published in Barrington Stoke’s trademark dyslexia-friendly format, the stories feature short, sharp plots and accessible language, and are designed to build confidence in independent reading, In Killer, written by award-winning author Tanya Landman and illustrated by Alessandro Valdrighi, the courage of a loyal dog is tragically mistaken for violence. 

When the prince and his lady go out hunting, they leave their baby in the care of their faithful wolfhound Gelert, the royal dog of Welsh folklore. But when they return, their baby is missing and a horrific attack has taken place. What has happened and who will pay the price?

Also in the series is The Day Death Died, once again written by Landman, and illustrated by Cinthya Alvarez. Here we meet Jack who gives Death a taste of his own medicine but then finds he is unprepared for life in a world where nothing dies. Jack’s mum is ill and he is devastated when Death arrives to take her away. Jack doesn’t want to let her go so he fights back and drives Death away. But what consequences will there be when Death is banished from the world? Entertainment for readers of all abilities!
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £6.99 each)

Age 9 plus
Escape from the Castle of Illusions
Alex Bell and Beatriz Castro

PREPARE for more thrills and spills with the third book in the deliciously spooky Train of Dark Wonders adventure series from popular author Alex Bell whose writing is exciting and full of imaginative world-building. Could this be the end of the line for the Train of Dark Wonders? Trouble is brewing at the Odditorium where the gateway to the Land of Fairy Tales is about to open. And, as Bess knows only too well, fairy tales are nothing like the ones from the storybooks. Queen Cinderella wants her stolen magic slipper back and nothing will get in her way. It soon becomes clear that Bess’s only choice is to travel to the Land of Fairy Tales and face Cinderella. With her friends by her side, she is determined to finish what her grandfather started by venturing to the queen’s legendary castle of illusions. But as Bess and her friends fall victim to a series of sneaky tricks and enchantments, time is running out in their quest to find their happily ever after. And there's a chance they may never escape unless they defeat the evil fairy-tale queen once and for all... Brought to life by the atmospheric illustrations of Beatriz Castro, this fabulous fairy tale romp, with a warm heart and an addictive sense of fun, is the perfect blend of joy and jeopardy… and will appeal to all young adventurers!
(Rock the Boat, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
Flember: The Golden Heart
Jamie Smart

IF your youngsters like laugh-out-loud comedy, lots of madcap action and a poignant reminder of how important friendships are, then gift them the final, fantastic book in extraordinarily talented illustrator and author Jamie Smart’s brilliantly entertaining Flember illustrated debut novel series. Packed with all the outrageously comical, addictive and high-energy action we have come to expect from Smart’s work, this series has a warm heart and certainly hits the mark with middle grade readers. Flember Island is in grave danger, at the mercy of the evil lola and her sinister plans. The only hope is talented young inventor Dev and his lovable giant red robot bear Boja. Can they bring the magic flow of flember back to the island? Has Dev got the tools to restore peace to every inhabitant’s life? The answers lie in this thrilling conclusion to this wild, wacky and thought-provoking series! The bestselling creator of the Bunny vs Monkey books, Smart has proved to be a comic genius and there are plenty of snorts, sniggers, ooh and aahs to enjoy on every page of this thrilling conclusion to a wild and wacky series which celebrates friendship, creativity, invention and loyalty in the most delightful and eccentric way!
(David Fickling Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
Tomorrow’s Ghost
Tanya Landman

CAN a young girl race back in time to save a girl from the past who haunts her dreams? Carnegie Medal-winning author Tanya Landman is on her very best storytelling form in this chilling and atmospheric adventure which features ghostly goings-on between two timelines and a girl tasked with rewriting the future. In 1976, twelve-year-old Anna is staying with her great aunt Em in the countryside but, bored and lonely away from her friends for the summer, she finds herself dreaming about a girl from 1919… a neglected and lonely girl called Etty who is living in a mansion with an austere and unloving grandfather. As Anna’s dreams grow more vivid, she realises that Etty is in grave danger and is calling out to her… and that she must cross time to save her from an untimely death. With a twisting, turning plot, themes of loneliness, fear, friendship and hope, and lots of authentic historical detail, this poignant tale is another stunning winner from Landman.
(Walker Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 7 plus
Bronte Tempestra and the Vanishing Kingdom
Bex Hogan and Hannah McCaffery

A PLUCKY girl is not afraid to show the knights just how brave a princess can be! Enjoy a feminist twist on the traditional tales of brave knights and trembling princesses in the last book of a fun-filled fantasy quest series from author Bex Hogan and illustrator Hannah McCaffery. The delightful and daring Bronte Tempestra is an unforgettable heroine, the first ever princess to train as a knight, and here we join her for her final adventure at Sir Sebastian’s School for Squires! When Bronte hears that the Sun Beam has been stolen from her friend Ellie’s kingdom, she feels certain that the Weather Witch is to blame. Will the realm’s knights step forward and stop her once and for all? Or is it going to be up to Bronte to set things right again? But when a sneaky midnight quest to the Vanishing Kingdom goes seriously wrong, Bronte finds herself far from Sir Sebastian’s School and with little clue about how she is even going to get home. Fortunately, Bronte has made herself some friends in high places, and together they just might be able to find their way back and save the day! Tradition is well and truly turned on its head in this funny, all-action romp, packed with secrets, sorcery and sabotage, and the quirkiest creatures you’re ever likely to meet. Add on McCaffery’s imaginative illustrations bringing Bronte’s exciting fantasy world to life, it’s a glorious gallop from start to finishing line of a fantastic action-packed series.
(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age 7 plus
Beastopia
Chrissie Sains and Jenny Taylor

MAGICAL creatures exist… you just need to know where to look for them! Step into an amazing secret world full of creatures beyond your wildest dreams in Beastopia, first book of a funny illustrated new adventure series from the top team of Jam Factory series author Chrissie Sains and Scottish illustrator and designer Jenny Taylor. Meet Digby, Mog and Tai who must pass three challenges to become Apprentice Guardians of Beastopia. Everybody knows one thing about Digby Griffin. Wherever you might find him, you’ll also find his pet mouse, Cheddar. Unfortunately, The Curse of the Tenth Birthday is about to strike. Family pets ALWAYS disappear when their owners turn ten, and Digby is terrified of losing Cheddar. But where do all these lost animals go? Digby, along with his sister, Mog, and his best friend, Tai, are about to discover the magic of Beastopia! Animals and magic prove to be a winning blend in this all-action, fun-filled, wonderfully illustrated story which celebrates the rewards of teamwork and the acceptance of difference. First class opener to a cracking new series!
(Walker Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 7 plus
The Island Vet:
The Winter Snow Goose
Gill Lewis and Irina Avgustinovich

A NEW school and a new island home far away from the big city have transformed Tia’s life... and when your mum is a vet anything can happen! Acclaimed, award-winning children’s author and former vet Gill Lewis works her special brand of animal magic on this inspirational illustrated Island Vet series which follows Tia and her mother’s exciting life on Gull Haven Island. In this fourth conservation-themed adventure, autumn turns to winter on the island and a snow goose crash-lands during a storm. Tia and her friend Nat jump to the rescue but the arrival of the rare goose heralds the start of a very harsh winter for the Haven Islanders. They have to deal with long power cuts and when the boats can’t make it over from the mainland, they start to run out of food and other supplies. In this dark time, Tia and Nat find a creative way to bring the islanders together in a celebration of light and community which will help see them through to the better days ahead. Teamed with the beautifully emotive illustrations of Irina Avgustinovich, and published in Barrington Stoke’s trademark dyslexia-friendly format, this heartwarming and inspirational series is ideal for young animal lovers and is sure to delight readers of every age.
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £7.99)

Age 6 plus
Woodland Explorers Club:
Fujiko and the Fox
Ewa Jozefkowicz and Gillian Flint  

AS the nation’s woodlands shed their autumn colours, discover the wonders of nature and some of the ways we can protect the natural world in the new Forest School adventure from Waterstones Prize shortlisted author Ewa Jozefkowicz. Brimming with friendship, adventure and learning through nature, this inspirational series – packed with Gillian Flint’s fun illustrations – features the Woodland Explorers who solve mysteries and protect the animals of Willow Wish Woods. Frost sparkles on the trees of Willow Wish Woods but since breaking her arm in a cycling accident, music-loving Fujiko feels lost and is missing playing her violin. And then she discovers that something strange is going on with the sounds she hears in the woods. Instead of tweeting birds and rustling leaves, she keeps hearing tyre screeches and sirens. When the Woodland Explorers find a fox living in the woods, Fujiko discovers they have a special connection. Featuring anxiety and panic attacks, and the importance of friends, this new adventure shows how fireworks, foxes, the nurturing and empathetic power of nature and an autumn festival all play a part in Fujiko’s recovery from her accident. With magic, mystery, forest school fun, a whole natural world to explore, and the added bonus of fascinating facts and woodland activities to enjoy, youngsters will be pulling on their wellies and heading for the great outdoors!
(Zephyr, paperback, £7.99)

Age 5 plus
SuperQuesters: Mission: Rainforest Magic
Paul Ian Cross and Katarina Gasko

SET sail on an exciting adventure in a unique interactive story that will need your brainpower to help solve a mystery... and save the day! SuperQuesters: Mission: Rainforest Magic is the second magical adventure in the brilliantly brainy SuperQuesters first chapter book series which aims to fire up imaginations and inspire scientists, engineers, mathematicians and technology experts of the future. Best friends Lilli, Leo and Bea are excited about camping in Bea's auntie's garden. They have their magical Questland amulets and are ready for adventure! Suddenly they spot a guinea pig, Popcorn, hiding in the bushes and they can see that she is very sick. They rush her to Auntie Bumble’s vet surgery, Pawsome Pets. While waiting for news of Popcorn, the best friends’ amulets light up and they are magically whisked away to Questland. 

Transformed into the SuperQuesters – Lillicorn, Leo Zoom and Bea Bumble – with superpowers, they find themselves on a raft rushing down a raging river. They are rescued by Jamac, the talking jaguar, who explains that they have been summoned to Questland to find a cure for his friend, Puddle Waddle the capybara who has fallen mysteriously ill. Can the SuperQuesters combine science and the magic of the rainforest to save their new friend? With the help of Dew Dancer, the sprite, and Beas new robot, the SuperQuesters must use their STEM skills, teamwork, problem solving and a sprinkling of magic to solve riddles and puzzles to save Puddle Waddle. This exciting new adventure story – written by Paul Ian Cross and illustrated by Katarina Gasko – is embedded with real-life fun facts, puzzles, STEM activities and experiments to try at home or school, with the added bonus of a map and glossary. Expertly designed to support the National Curriculum for Key Stage 1 and 2 and develop children’s STEM skills in fun and creative new ways, this is the perfect book for youngsters eager to discover their multi-tasking, inner superhero!
(QuestFriendz, paperback, £6.99)

Age 4 plus
When I Feel Lonely
Britta Teckentrup

‘I am by myself. I am on my own. I live in a world where I’m all alone.’ 

AFTER her exploration of uncertainty, fear and bravery in enchanting picture book, When I Feel Brave, award-winning, German-born author and illustrator Britta Teckentrup gently explores the feeling of loneliness through the perspective of a young girl. Employing her trademark brand of wisdom, creativity and sensitivity, luminous, evocative collage illustrations and a beautifully rhymed text, this new book transports readers to a world where many children, and adults, are grappling with intense emotions. Providing a calm, compassionate and understanding voice, Teckentrup explores childhood loneliness and helps young readers to recognise and name their feelings. A young girl wanders through a dark and intimidating forest with her only companion, a lone wolf. The narrative doesn’t shy away from the intensity of the girl’s emotions and feelings of loneliness, instead offering an honest portrayal of how loneliness can feel like an all-encompassing shadow, but also showing that even in the darkest moments, there is the possibility of light and connection ahead. With the beautifully imagined narrative, and a gallery of stunning, atmospheric illustrations adding extra piquancy and power to the story, this is picture book perfection from a master of her arts.
(Prestel, hardback, £13.99)

Age 3 plus
The Bestest Big Brother, Ever
Ben Mantle

GROWING up with brothers and sisters is fun… but with the giggles come the inevitable fall-outs and rivalries. And learning how to cope with the good times and the bad times is all part of growing up. Writing from his own childhood experience, as well as being a dad to two little boys, star author and illustrator Ben Mantle captures all the little (and big) ups and downs, laughter, tears (and sometimes shouts!) of sibling relationships in this gorgeous picture book full of all-too-familiar situations, fun, frolics and timely lessons. Nano thinks Felix is the bestest big brother ever. He loves him but sometimes Felix gets annoyed and frustrated… he wants some SPACE, he's fed up of Nano following him around. Feeling hurt and sad after Felix bans him from the garden treehouse, Nano decides he can make his own fun. He doesn’t need anyone else. But when his game in the garden goes wrong and he ends up feeling even worse than he already did, there’s only one person who knows exactly how to cheer him up. Can you guess who that is? The recognisable difficulties of sibling relationships lie at the beating heart of Mantle’s warm and wise tale. Packed with stunning and entertaining illustrations, this is a picture perfect portrayal of tricky sibling dynamics and ideal for parents and teachers who want to teach youngsters about brother/sister relationships and how to resolve disagreements and conflicts themselves.
(Walker Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 2 plus
Our World: Iceland
Aevar Thor Benediktsson and Lóa Hlín Hjálmtýsdóttir

LITTLE ones are transported to faraway countries in three bright and colourful new board books in Barefoot Books’ educational Our World series for very young readers. 

In Our World: Iceland, youngsters spend a day in Iceland, eating hafragautur for breakfast, visiting a farm in the countryside, and driving past volcanoes and the northern lights. 

They can even learn words in Icelandic with pronunciation guides throughout the story. Icelandic author Aevar Thor Benediktsson and illustrator Lóa Hlín Hjálmtýsdóttir draw on their own lived experiences to create this beautiful, playful story which includes educational endnotes providing more insights into life in Iceland. In Our World: Canada, written by Florence Melanie and illustrated by Carey Sookocheff,  little ones can enjoy eating soft crepes with sticky maple syrup, play with an atimwak (dog) in the snow and cache-cache in the park, zip and zoom around the ice rink, and learn words in French and Cree with the help of pronunciation guides. 

And in Our World: Vietnam, written by Nhung Tran-Davies and illustrator Xuan Le, Youngsters are transported to Vietnam where they eat steaming hot xôi and cơm with soup and veggies, light incense for ông ngoại, and buy fresh fruit at the market. These delightful books offer real insights into the culture of a country and resonate with children all over the world. Bold artwork, a vibrant text and relatable topics make them appealing to the youngest readers as well as introducing basic vocabulary and pronunciation guides.
(Barefoot Books, board books, £7.99 each)

Age one plus
My Dinosaur Shoes
Eleni Tassopoulos Wehner and Danamarie Hosler

ROSCOE loves his puppy shoes… and he certainly doesn’t want to change them for a new pair of dinosaur shoes! Join brother and sister, Roscoe and Ivy, as Roscoe transitions to a new pair of shoes in their latest adventure in the delightful Roscoe & Ivy board book series. This clever and accessible series focuses on the daily life of a neurodivergent family and is the creation of neurodivergent author and illustrator team, Eleni Tassopoulos Wehner and Danamarie Hosler, who draw on their own lived experiences. Roscoe really, really loves his puppy shoes. They’re so soft! So comfy! So… PERFECT! When his puppy shoes get to be too small, it’s time for a new pair of dinosaur shoes. Dinosaur shoes?! Those shoes are different, and new things can be scary. It’s a good thing Roscoe’s gentle big sister Ivy knows how to help him get used to his new shoes. Helpful endnotes offer gentle guidance on introducing children to new things and explain how what feels like a small problem to one person can feel like a big problem to another person. The perfect fit for neurodivergent families!
(Barefoot Books, board book, £7.99)

The Red Tassel

David Dodge

By guest reviewer Nicholas Litchfield,
editor of the Lowestoft Chronicle

A GLOBE-TROTTING private investigator unravels thieving, murder and local vendettas while protecting a flame-haired heiress in The Red Tassel, an atmospheric thriller set amid betrayal, violence and the chill of the Bolivian Andes.

First published in hardcover by Random House in 1950 and quickly reissued as a Dell paperback, David Dodge’s third and final case for the hard-nosed Al Colby is now back in print. A California native and former accountant, Dodge earned acclaim as both a mystery novelist and travel writer.

The Poor Man’s Guide to Europe proved so popular that Random House published annual editions from 1954 to 1959, and two novels reached the silver screen…To Catch a Thief, directed by Hitchcock, and Plunder of the Sun, starring Glenn Ford as Colby.

Set in Bolivia, The Red Tassel follows American private eye Al Colby, summoned by his friend MacDougal at the U.S. embassy to protect Pancha Porter, a striking young woman from Chicago with ‘flaming-red hair, eyes like sapphires, and a beautiful figure.’ As Colby dryly observes, ‘She wore a tailored gabardine suit that treated her fine figure with the respect it deserved, and from the heels of her forty-dollar snakeskin shoes to the bonfire on top of her head she was the All-American Girl.’

After recently inheriting a silver and lead mine, Pancha arrives in La Paz to uncover why profits are plummeting and whether sabotage is to blame. Colby, ever wry and sharp, steps in as her interpreter and bodyguard, but suspicion follows them.

On the way to the mine, their Indian driver Saturnino’s hostility is palpable, and Colby suspects a bout of gas poisoning from a tampered muffler was attempted murder. At the mine, Colby and Pancha meet the Braillard family… ‘stoic, Amazonian’ Lili, her weary husband Simon, an American mine manager hardened by two decades in Bolivia, and their teenage son Carl, a reclusive ‘closemouthed kid’ who speaks five languages and doubts his sanity.

Manchego, Simon’s assistant, is eager to please but quick to shift blame. Dinner with the Braillards brims with tension. Simon explains the mine’s decline – vandalism, robberies, and llama raids – and blames the enigmatic witch doctor Yatiri who ‘runs the village.’ Motives remain clouded, and that night, a chilling scream shatters the uneasy calm, apparently from a ‘madwoman.’

Colby and Pancha visit the witch doctor, a relic with ‘pursed lips’ and sharp eyes, who curses Pancha, prophesying she’ll bear Colby ‘three redheaded children,’ and sends them away with more questions than answers. Back at the mine, they discover vital chemicals have been stolen, revealing a pattern of calculated disruption as Colby’s distrust intensifies. Dodge’s portrayal of Bolivia is vivid and unsparing, showing grim mine workings where impoverished Indian women sort ore under Simon Braillard’s cold supervision, and his claim that he pays them ‘what they are worth...they’re animals’ stuns Pancha.

Though disturbed by the suffering and warned by Colby that ‘all you can do is break your heart trying to change them,’ Pancha’s stubborn decency compels her to reach out to the so-called ‘crazy woman,’ an outcast she refuses to ignore. Colby’s relentless search for answers leads him deep into the mine’s hidden tunnels, where buried secrets and long-standing lies are finally exposed, his investigation culminating in brutal violence and death. As Randal S. Brandt, curator of the official David Dodge website, notes in his introduction, much of the novel’s immersive atmosphere comes from Dodge’s own travels, including eighteen months in Arequipa, Peru.

His first-hand experience among engineers in high-altitude mining camps and with mountain sickness enriches Colby’s story with authenticity. Loaded with taut exchanges, dry humour, and an ever-present sense of dread, The Red Tassel is a fast-paced, thrilling tale brimming with wry asides and hard-edged observation. Little is what it seems in this gritty novel, and nothing, not even the rarefied mountain air, can dispel the haze of danger, deception, and desire that lingers over Colby and Pancha’s journey.

(Black Gat, paperback, £19.95)

⬛Nicholas Litchfield is an English-born author and journalist who lives in Western New York. He established the Lowestoft Chronicle, a quarterly online magazine, in 2009. It  publishes short stories, flash fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, interviews and artwork.(lowestoftchronicle.com)

Circle of Days

Ken Follett

FOR almost 5,000 years Stonehenge has passed through different building stages, stood proudly through all weathers, and observed the slings and arrows of British history from its perch on the grassy slopes of Salisbury Plain.

Mystery still surrounds this magnificent edifice, its provenance unknown except that it was built to align with the sun’s rays. But why was it placed exactly there, who constructed it in the form we now see... and how did Bronze Age communities move and handle those giant stones?

It's an ages-old puzzle which master storyteller and bestselling author of the celebrated The Pillars of the Earth series, Ken Follett, tackles with his legendary panache, energy, research and a huge helping of imagination. Circle of Days is expansive world-building on a breathtaking scale as this inventive writer brings not only his version of the past to vivid life but treats us to a story which delights with its earthy evocation of a virtually unknown-to-us Neolithic society and dares to envision how that famous stone circle might have been built.

With a laser focus on a small community – bearing names like Scagga, Cog, Wun, Keff and Olf which Follett (pictured below) must have found fun to invent – readers are plunged into the very basic existence of people who live, love, work the land and utilise the natural resources of this area of Salisbury Plain. The result is an entertaining and richly detailed portrait of men and women forever striving for civilisation’s progress but falling prey to the strife, jealousies and hostilities that are the very essence of being human.

In the year 2000 BC, Seft, his father and two older brothers dig pits and mine for flint, the hardest of all stones which, with its sharp cutting edge, is used for everything from axes to arrowheads to knives, and can be traded for essentials like food, clothing and livestock.

But of all his family, Seft is the only one with an exceptional talent working and using flint… his father and brothers are violent, vulgar brutes who hate him and he dreams of leaving them behind and meeting up again with Neen, the kind girl he met and fell in love with at the Spring Rite, one of the festivals held to celebrate the seasons at an ancient wood-based Monument where the Sun Goddess works her magic. Neen’s family lives in prosperity within the herder community and, as Seft sets out to walk the Great Plain in the high summer heat to trade his stone at the Midsummer Rite and witness the rituals that signal the start of a new year, he hopes an alliance with the girl who left him a parting kiss will offer the escape he so desperately needs.

Meanwhile, Joia, Neen’s younger sister, is a born priestess with a vision and an unmatched ability to lead. As a child, she watches the Midsummer ceremony, enthralled, and dreams of a miraculous new Monument built from the biggest stones to be found in their world. And Joia is already starting to envisage the great stone circle as a grand monument that will last forever and define a civilisation, bringing together the divided tribes of the Plain. It’s a dream that will inspire Seft and become their life’s work.

But trouble is brewing among the hills and woodlands of the Great Plain and when deadly drought ravages the earth, mistrust grows between the herders, farmers and woodlanders until an act of savage violence leads to open warfare between the different communities. With survival now the driving force, will peace and the building of a new stone Monument become just an impossible dream?

Epic is surely the word that best describes this literally monumental tale which runs to 592 pages and colourfully explores how Neolithic society might have functioned… from herders who guard their animals, farmers who work the fertile soil to grow crops, and skilled cleverhands who create and craft, to foraging woodlanders, leather tanners, miners who dig out and fashion flint into tools, and the powerful priestesses who use the sun to mark out the days and seasons, and perform ceremonial rites.

In his trademark attention to detail, Follett also treats readers to imaginative descriptions of the minutae of Bronze Age life as we discover how hide shoes are fashioned, how a rudimentary rope is made to wrap around the giant stones, and how those early craftsmen might have employed their carpentry and stonework skills.

But this is also a living, breathing, and powerfully human story of family, relationships, passion, hatred and intense partisanship as the loyalties of different sections of the community are put to the test and the building of the ancient stone circle, which we now gaze upon with wonder, forms the beating heart of the all the action, drama, heartache, sabotage and natural disasters.

With the sizzling sexual encounters and rituals of a free love society in which marriage is still many centuries away, a unique take on Stonehenge viewed through the eyes of the people who built it, Follett’s gift for making his fiction seem tantalisingly authentic, and a plot that takes in murders, a famine, tribal warfare, and a drought, the distant past has never felt so viscerally alive.
(Quercus, hardback, £25)

The Proving Ground

Michael Connelly

NEVER one to shy away from tackling thorny topical issues head-on, superstar American author Michael Connelly puts Artificial Intelligence at centre stage in a coruscating blockbuster legal thriller which pits his dogged LA Lincoln Lawyer, Mickey Haller, against an AI tech company whose chatbot might have led to the murder of a young girl.

Welcome to The Proving Ground, a novel which feels scarily like it could be a story that could soon hit the headlines in a newspaper near you; a tale of unintended AI consequences – which some might claim was always going to be a risk – when technology takes over from humans, and gathers the potential to become a deadly weapon.

It’s a case that will test Haller to the limit, two years after his ‘resurrection walk’ which saw him leave behind criminal justice to step into the field of public interest litigation and is now discovering that filing civil lawsuits against wealthy, big tech firms can be just as menacing and dangerous as criminal law cases. With January’s devastating Los Angeles wildfires burning in the background, and exploring the fascinating territory between the work of journalists and lawyers, Connelly (pictured below) – whose Lincoln Lawyer books have become a hit Netflix series – is on brilliant form as he delves into every fascinating nuance and legal rabbit hole of a booming AI industry that is very much in the public eye.

Seasoned lawyer Mickey Haller is boldly following his new direction in the ‘supposedly genteel high-ceilinged courtrooms’ of civil practice but is already finding new levels of dirty work and dangers. He is filing a civil lawsuit against Tidalwaiv Technologies, an AI company whose chatbot told a sixteen-year-old boy that it was okay for him to kill his ex-girlfriend for her disloyalty.

Representing the teenage girl’s mother, Haller is up against Tidalwaiv’s ruthless twin brother lawyers, Marcus and Mitchell Mason, who are eager to keeping delaying the trial because the company is up for sale and the investors are hoping that one of the world’s giant tech firms will swallow them up. A very public and revealing trial and its outcome could mean the difference between millions or billions of dollars. As Haller delves into some disturbing truths about the mostly unregulated and exploding AI business, and the lack of training safeguards, he feels that he is ‘drowning’ in the deliberate tidal wave of paperwork that has been submitted by Tidalwaiv’s legal team and begins to fear he will stumble into the trial uninformed and unready.

But then journalist Jack McEvoy, who writes regularly about technology and how it can be turned against us, walks into Haller’s life and says he wants to be a fly on the wall during the trial in order to write a book about it. Haller agrees but first puts him to work going through the mountain of printed discovery materials in the case… and McEvoy’s digging ultimately delivers the key witness, a whistleblower who has been too afraid to speak up.

As the tech titans try to buy or bully their way out, the scale of the courtroom battle before them becomes clear because billions are at stake – along with countless lives – and it’s now a case with the potential to change everything.

Connelly’s reputation as one of the world’s most accomplished and consistently inventive authors shows no sign of waning as this new phase in Heller’s professional life opens a door into a very different – but equally compulsive – corner of American litigation in which our prickly and single-minded lawyer takes on one of the tech world’s biggest and most influential players. And in true Connelly style, riveting courtroom drama, behind-the-scenes skulduggery and breathtaking double-crosses take the major roles in a landmark case where the stakes run into billions of dollars and the ‘little man’ is up against the most overwhelmingly powerful opponents and odds.

And as a treat for Connelly’s army of fans, Haller and his trusty team are joined by investigative journalist McEvoy – star of the author’s hit books The Poet, The Scarecrow and Fair Warning – with the diligent, probing hack working in the shadows and providing the vital background skills and legwork to keep Haller’s case up and running.

With tensions and emotions running high in a case that has been born from a terrible tragedy, a searing and microscopic examination of the ethics and morals of an industry that is fast taking control of our lives, this is a story that goes well beyond the pages of a gripping courtroom thriller and asks questions about how we as humans want our future to look.
(Orion, hardback, £22)

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: A dream horse, pirate adventures and the final frontier

Explore themes of loss, family and healing in an exquisite story about a girl who rides through her grief on a magical horse, set sail with an eccentric crew of pirates and two orphans seeking happiness, and enjoy a last dazzling space journey through magic, danger and suspense in the final book of a trilogy masterpiece in an exciting autumn collection of children’s books

Age 9 plus
The Horse Dreamer
Holly Surplice

SADDLE up and enjoy a beautiful, illustrated book that’s destined to be a must-have for all young horse fans this Christmas! This stunning hope-filled meditation on how we deal with the loss of a loved one is the debut middle-grade novel of author and illustrator Holly Surplice who finds inspiration in her life in the wild landscape of the Outer Hebrides. Exploring themes of grief, family and healing in an accessible way for young readers, The Horse Dreamer stars a girl seeking comfort after the death of her father. The horse arrives in a storm when Merryn needs him most. Sorrel is a dreamlike, magical creature, seemingly made from the woods and the sea. Perhaps she wished him into existence and he quickly becomes her friend and confidant. Throughout the summer and autumn, they ride and play but as Christmas approaches, it will require all of Merryn’s new-found strength to help her mum and her sisters heal, too. Surplice’s mesmerising story, which comes in a jacketed hardback and is exquisitely and atmospherically illustrated in blue ink throughout, has all the makings of a modern classic with its moving, heartfelt words and an alluring sense of magical wonder. A story written with love… and bearing messages of hope.
(Chicken House, hardback, £12.99)

Age 9 plus
Ella Jones vs the Battle Noise
Lucy Edwards with Katy Birchall

ELLA Jones has already saved the world from an eternity of darkness but now she must face the god Homados who is hunting Hercules’ famous shield! Welcome to another blistering adventure from Lucy Edwards, a broadcaster, journalist, content creator, speaker and disability activist who lost her full eyesight at just 17 due to a rare genetic disease but, undaunted, has made it her mission to share her experiences and raise awareness about living with a disability. She is now one of the leading voices in diversity, equality and inclusion, and an ambassador and commercial model for global haircare giant Pantene. After her daring mission in Ella Jones vs the Sun Stealer, first book in the series, 12-year-old blind girl Ella is back in action because Homados is planning to throw the world into chaos by increasing battle-noise until it’s unbearable for man. The only thing that helps drown out the noise is their own rage, their fury and their hate. As people come to realise this, they will begin to fight until the world descends into war and he, Homados, will grow more and more powerful. Ella, blind for two years and used to filtering out noise around her to calmly navigate her surroundings, is the heroine the world needs. Her quest – alongside her guide dog Miss Maisie, her best friend Finn, sister Poppy and River, a mysterious new kid at school – will see her journey to a remote island and encounter villains new and old. Written with Katy Birchall, a bestselling author in her own right – and brought to life by the atmospheric illustrations of Luna Valentine – Ella Jones vs the Battle Noise is an all-action and empowering thriller which celebrates the strength and resilience of young people and proves that disabilities are no barrier to greatness. Brimming with edge-of-your-seat tension, and unexpected twists and turns, this empathetic adventure story shows young people that disabilities do not have to hold you back and that the power of goodness is in the hands of anyone with the determination to succeed.
(Scholastic, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
Traitor Island
Tim Collins and Steven Wood

CATCH the aliens before they take over your mind! Climb aboard, test your sleuthing skills and learn to make your own decisions with this out-of-this-world, pick-your-own-path book which immerses readers in a gripping alien adventure. You are part of a research team who have been sent to another planet to collect plant samples. Just as you prepare to head back to Earth, an alien life form is detected on board your ship. You and the crew are placed on a quarantine island for seven days to check you’re safe. Arguments break out as the crew accuse each other of being infected. The island is a jungle, lush and hot, and a sense of paranoia soon sweeps through the group… who can you trust on the island and can you work out who the aliens are before your mind is taken over, too? The second book in an exciting series written by Manchester-born author Tim Collins and illustrated by Steven Wood, Traitor Island features a fast-paced, branching structure with over 40 possible endings. At the end of each page there are two distinct options that will take the reader on different paths through the action – meaning that the reader controls the narrative (and their destiny!) throughout. Twenty illustrated puzzle missions are woven into the story at key turning points so readers are fully immersed in the story. Featuring Collins’ gripping plot twists and Wood’s atmospheric black and white illustrations, this is a sky-high adventure offering fun at every turn of the page!
(Buster Books, paperback, £6.99)

Age 8 plus
Scarlet Morning
N D Stevenson

SHIVER me timbers, there’s a pirate adventure ahoy! Set sail with an eccentric crew of pirates in a brilliant, world-building debut middle grade romp from award-winning graphic novelist N D Stevenson, the Los Angeles-based author and illustrator of Nimona and The Fire Never Goes Out. Scarlet Morning is the first book of an illustrated duology and follows two orphans who leave the only home they’ve ever known to climb aboard a pirate ship. Viola and Wilmur have been waiting for their parents for fifteen boring years in the colourless town of Caveat. Their lives are a drudge of salt, trash, pirate stories, and what-ifs… until one very stormy night when Captain Cadence Chase breaks down their door. They cut a deal with the captain… Chase can take their most prized possession, a mysterious book, but only if she takes them too. After all, if their parents aren’t coming, Viola and Wilmur might as well have a grand adventure to find them. Setting sail into the treacherous and beautiful world beyond Caveat, the two inseparable friends must uncover the facts behind legend and the key to saving all of Dickerson’s Sea from obliteration – before the truth tears them apart. Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime as Stevenson plunges us into an epic journey full of magic, escapades, friendship, atmospheric illustrations and thrilling worlds. Wickedly funny, featuring danger and drama at every turn, and with emotions running as deep as the ocean, Scarlet Morning is a tale of love, betrayal, and the extraordinary lengths people will undertake to save a world broken beyond repair. And don’t miss the boat when the second adventure leaves port!
(Quill Tree Books, hardback, £14.99)

Age 8 plus
Which Way to the Future
Cressida Cowell 

FOR twenty-five years, former Waterstones Children’s Laureate and bestselling author of the How to Train Your Dragon series, Cressida Cowell, had a magical story idea lying quietly in her shed, waiting patiently for its time to shine. And when her Which Way to Anywhere trilogy burst on to the shelves three years ago in a shower of out-of-this-world magic, marvellous mapmaking, and a gallery of Cowell’s amazing, atmospheric artwork, it immediately won heaps of critical acclaim. And now the charismatic, blended O’Hero-Smith family – with their magical secret and a child with a powerful gift – set out on their final spectacular thrill ride through breathtaking worlds. K2 O’Hero is a seemingly ordinary boy but he has a magic gift... he can draw maps and jump through Which Ways (shaped like an X) through space. He and his sister Izzabird, and step-siblings Theo and Mabel Smith, live on Planet Earth which, in case you do not know it, is a small, green little world, out on the end of a remote and rarely visited Milky Way. All Magic was supposed to have disappeared from this particular planet many centuries earlier but the O’Hero-Smith children have extraordinary Magical Gifts that the universe has never seen before. But two of them don't know it yet. What will Mabel and Izzabird's Gifts be and how will they navigate an astonishing number of Bounty Hunters, a High Witch, Were-dread Enraptor of the utmost cruelty, cunning and ambition, and three perilous tasks to reach the end of their story? After all, there’s nothing like an adventure to find out whether you are a Hero or not… Youngsters will be holding their breath as they join the siblings for one last dazzling space journey through magic, maps, danger and suspense 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 has been central to these action-packed adventures which come with her trademark humour and rich imaginative powers. All galaxies lead to fun and adventure in this magical trilogy masterpiece!
(Hodder Children’s Books, hardback, £14.99)

Age 8 plus
Unbelievable!
Stephen Mulhern

ABRACADABRA! Discover over 30 incredible tricks for kids in an unbelievably fascinating step-by-step guide from all-round entertainer and TV personality Stephen Mulhern as he lifts the lid on the secrets of magic. Packed with full colour artwork and inside stories direct from Mulhern, this is the perfect gift book for every aspiring young magician and will bring magic into all the family’s lives with tips, tricks and secrets. Mulhern has performed his very own magic and one-man variety shows up and down the country for the past 12 years and here he reveals how magic can make your life fantastic, too! By following the clear, step-by-step instructions, everyone can become a magician and don't worry if something goes wrong or you feel nervous performing, Mulhern has got you covered with useful top tips. Magic, he tells us, is so powerful that it can build confidence, help you prepare for anything and spread happiness like a beautiful gift. The thrilling world of magic awaits at the turn of every page!
(Piccadilly Press, hardback, £12.99)

Age 7 plus
Bunny vs Monkey:
Intergalactic Monkey Business!
Jamie Smart

HOLD on to your hats and watch out for trouble… Bunny and Monkey are back in their exhilarating remastered series which delivers all the comedy and chaos of the daffy duo’s helter-skelter world, and is published for the first time in book form! This outrageously funny new adventure in the super-popular series features 213 pages of fast and furry-ous exuberant fun… plus some entertaining draw-it-yourself activities. Bunny and Monkey are part of the Phoenix Presents series, published by David Fickling Books in partnership with The Phoenix comic, which goes from strength to strength, and much of that success is due to the genius of the extraordinarily talented illustrator Jamie Smart whose comic-strip Bunny vs Monkey books cause giant waves of laughter. So welcome back to the Woods where chaos reigns supreme once more with the arrival of a new mischief-maker… Little Monkey, a smaller, cuter and even stranger Monkey than our beloved chaos-causer. But as Bunny and friends try to work out his motives, they are led far from the woods and into outer space. And on Planet Monkey, the laughs are positively intergalactic! Laugh-out-loud comical and ingeniously addictive, these manic, high-energy stories were just made for fidgety readers who like their books to come with plenty of comic-strip pictures and loads of turbocharged snorts and sniggers. Madcap antics for a new generation of action kids!
(David Fickling Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 5 plus
Adventuremice: Mousehole to the Centre of the Earth
Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre

YOUNGSTERS love these meeces to pieces! The dream team of author Philip Reeve and illustrator Sarah McIntyre pool their talents for the new book in a simply delightful early reader series which has all the fun of TV hit Paw Patrol, and the charm and whimsy of classics like The Wind in the Willows. With its focus on fun, friendship and kindness, Adventuremice features Pedro, a timid little mouse who has proved himself to be brave enough to join the heroic team who protect the Mouse Islands from danger. In this new outing, the Adventuremice go on a mission when Uncle Bernie turns up with his incredible Mechanical Mole machine. Pedro and the crew burrow to an underground cave world unlike anything they’ve ever seen. There are tiny, twisty trees, and even tinier pterodactyls. But there's also a Hamstersaurus Rex on the loose! Can the team save the nervous local cavemice from this giant predator, or is there more to the creature than meets the eye? Reeve’s lively, heartwarming and fun-filled storytelling delivers all those ingredients that children love – immersive adventures, lovable heroes, reassuring friendships, exciting action and plenty of smiles – and all brought to vibrant, colourful life by McIntyre’s exquisitely characterful illustrations. A warm and whiskery favourite with mouse lovers of every age!
(David Fickling Books, paperback, £6.99)

Age 5 plus
Iris and Luna: A School Full of Magic!
Aurora Quirón, Isabel Escalante and Chezalbi

MAGIC, baby animals, friendship and adventures! Here’s the perfect gift for early readers who like their books to come with colour, fun and a big helping of super-cuteness. What’s better than a unicorn? A baby unicorn! What’s better than a puppy? A magical puppy! Join Iris and Luna at Abracadabra School as they train to be magical baby animal keepers, in this enchanting chapter book series written by Aurora Quirón and illustrated with pink and black artwork by Isabel Escalante and Chezalbi. Iris and Luna are like night and day. Iris likes rainbows, and Luna likes storms. However, they both have something in common… their love for animals. That's why their specialty at Abracadabra School is caring for magical creatures. As they meet their new classmates and start their lessons, they wonder which special baby animal best friend they will be matched with (Iris hopes for a baby unicorn, while Luna loves kittens!) But one day, something mysterious happens to the baby unicorns living in the school's forest. Can Iris, Luna and their friends solve the mystery? With humour, school escapades and a whole host of unicorns, rainbows and magic baby animals to enjoy, there could be no better addition to your children’s party bags.
(Farshore, paperback, £6.99)

Age 3 plus
Emily Brown and the
Not-Very-Spooky Halloween
Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton

A GHOST who’s lost his spook makes a spectacular spectral appearance in a new adventure for adorable duo Emily Brown and her sidekick rabbit Stanley in bestselling author Cressida Cowell and award-winning illustrator Neal Layton’s much-loved Emily Brown picture book series. Halloween has arrived and Emily Brown and Stanley are trying on their costumes when they hear a teeny-tiny ‘Boo!’ from the cupboard under the sink… it's a ghost! And not just any ghost… the sweetest one they've ever seen. But this sweet little ghostie is sad that he's Not-Very-Spooky, and he seems to be more frightened than frightening. Can Emily and Stanley help him to be brave and discover his spook? With Cowell’s fun-filled Halloween seasonal story, and Layton’s heart-melting and joyful illustrations, these ghostly goings-on are perfect for youngsters who like their scary stories to not be too scary!
(Hodder Children's Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 3 plus
The Day the Jungle-net Broke
Marleen Lammers and Ian Smith

SWING through the trees and enjoy lots of monkey business in a clever and comical picture book which introduces young children to the importance of NOT spending too much time on their digital devices. Written with humour, heart and wisdom by Marleen Lammers and gorgeously illustrated by the award-winning Ian Smith, The Day the Jungle-net Broke follows Miles the Monkey who finds himself unexpectedly with time on his hands when the jungle-net breaks. Miles panics. Without his i-tree, how will he tree-time his family and how will he order bananas from his Just Peel app? It feels disastrous. But with all this time on his hands, and no screens around, Miles discovers that there’s a bit more to a monkey’s good life than he had realised. Perfectly pitched to encourage moderation, rather than demonising screens altogether, Lammers’ cute caper shows youngsters what adventures are out there beyond our screens and that being device-free can offer shared fun with your friends and family in lots of other different ways.
(New Frontier Publishing, paperback, £8.99)

Age one plus
Weather Tots: Bowie Joins the Team & Blizz Builds a Snowman
Caroline Crowe and Nia Gould

RAIN or shine they’re here to play, what will the weather tots do today? Say hello to the Weather Tots, the lovable stars of a delightful series of picture books about a charismatic group of young weather characters who are discovering their incredible powers through fun-filled and informative adventures. Written by Caroline Crowe and illustrated by Nia Gould, Weather Tots is the perfect series to intrigue young children to the different types of weather. In Bowie Joins the Team, the Weather Tots can’t wait to meet their new classmate Bowie, but why is he so hard to find? 

The Tots find out how rainbows are made and welcome a new pupil to Weather School! And in Blizz Builds a Snowman, the Weather Tots learn about snow. Blizz wants to build the perfect snowman but things go wrong when the other Weather Tots try to help. Can they find a way of working together? The Weather Tots don’t always realise the strength of their powers but their wise teacher, Professor Cloud, is always on hand to guide them. Set in a school environment, the stories and characters are highly relatable for young children and each book includes a make-and-do activity at the end, linked with the story, and a weather fact from Professor Cloud. A series that’s an all-weathers winner!
(Oxford University Press, paperback, £7.99 each)

The Women in the Shadows

Harriet Fox

THEY were murders that horrified London’s Victorian society and spread terror among the women who lived in the streets of the city’s Whitechapel district. The five victims of the infamous serial  killer, nicknamed Jack the Ripper, were all prostitutes, stabbed and mutilated in attacks that were so brutal that even hardened police officers were shocked by their savagery.

The man labelled a monster was never identified or arrested and today the murder sites are the focus of a macabre tourist industry and countless wild theories about the Ripper’s identity. But who were these women, what do we know of their lives… and could their murders have been solved if a much cannier detective team had been on the case?

The hunt for answers to such a notorious unsolved crime takes on a whole new complexion in The Women in the Shadows, a gripping novel that cleverly blends fact, fiction and feminist revenge, from Harriet Fox (pictured below), an author and journalist who also writes under the name Kerry Barrett and has a passion for stories that free women of the past from the shadows of history.

In Fox’s gripping reimagining of the Ripper hunt, we meet three feisty and fearless heroines, all different ages and from different walks of life, and all determined to use their insider knowledge, finely honed women’s intuition and personal detection skills to take on the shortcomings of the police and succeed where the men are failing.

It’s London in 1888 and a monster is prowling the gas-lit streets of Whitechapel, women are being horribly murdered and butchered by a frenzied killer, and the police, led by conscientious Inspector Fred Abberline, would appear to be looking in all the wrong places and at all the wrong suspects. But there are three women who refuse to stay silent and reckon they could make a far better and faster job of hunting down the man who is soon dubbed Jack the Ripper. Bet Palmer, a cleaner at Whitechapel police station, knows all too