Age 9 plus
A Girl’s Guide to Spying
Holly Webb
FUN, friendship, secrets… and some super-slick espionage! Welcome to the first thrilling mystery of a dazzling new wartime adventure series from Holly Webb, one of Britain’s best-loved children’s authors. The Rose Patrol Mystery series was inspired by Webb’s own lifelong experiences and membership of Girlguiding, and by the amazing true story of how the Girl Guides worked undercover for MI5 during the First World War. Her parents fear that the organisation might be unladylike but when Phyllis (Phyl) Dean is dragged along to the Girl Guides by her keen younger sister Annie, the last thing she expects is the adventure of a lifetime. It’s the summer of 1914 and the start of the war and soon the Guide captain offers Phyl a job as a messenger for MI5.
Phyl is desperate to help the war effort and is thrilled to be working with spies but she can’t seem to do anything right in the eyes of grumpy Major Warren, one of the MI5 officers. Annie, meanwhile, has been making her own investigations into a family she suspects of being German. When Major Warren suddenly disappears, Phyl and Annie think that he may in fact be a double agent. Now the two sisters must solve the mystery of his whereabouts before it’s too late. Fortunately, their friends from the Rose Patrol are ready to help...
Webb, who still volunteers as a Brownie and Guide Leader, certainly puts her heart,
soul and humour into this first mystery romp which has all the classic
ingredients of a spy drama… Morse code, murder, dramatic chases, a charming spy
(of course!) and even a bullish bull terrier called Hector. With real history as the backdrop, an intriguing mystery to
solve, danger always just around the corner, plenty of twists and turns, and
the thrill of joining a group of gutsy Guides with a case to crack, this is the
perfect opener for what promises to be a must-read series!
(Rock the Boat, paperback, £7.99)
Evenfall: The Tempest Stone
Alexander Armstrong and Tom Roberts
ANCIENT magic, soaraway fantasy, epic adventures and deadly danger! If that’s a mix that tickles your reading taste buds, then dive into Evenfall: The Tempest Stone and lap up the second book of a thrilling series that fuels your imagination and pulls at your heartstrings. As the father of four sons, Alexander Armstrong – a familiar face and voice from television and radio – knows that sharing the joys of reading and stories is an important part of growing up. And after a childhood in the north-east of England, with its mystical history of the ancient North, he has finally created a truly magical series which has lived in his head for many years. The Golden Linnet, first book of the dazzling Evenfall series, was the number one bestselling children’s debut and described by one critic as ‘Da Vinci Code for kids.’ Thought-provoking as well utterly enthralling, these wild and wonderful adventures have a moving thread of realism and star a 13-year-old boy who had always believed himself to be ordinary until he discovered his destiny was something far more extraordinary.
Sam is now the Tempest – head of the secret, ancient Order
of the Evening that protects the world from evil. But with great power comes
great responsibility and Sam holds the future of the world in his hands. Sam’s
nemesis is Georgie, a madman with the terrifying power to slice through portals
of time and he is on a mission to destroy the world with a virus so deadly that
it could wipe out the whole human race in a heartbeat. Sam and his friends are
the only ones can who stop him and this deadly game of cat-and-mouse will take
them to the very ends of the Earth. But not everyone will survive… With Tom Roberts’ atmospheric and richly detailed
black-and-white illustrations setting the scene, a hero who everyone is taking
to their hearts, and a stories brimming with magic, intrigue, peril and glory,
this is a stunning series which succeeds in fulfilling every childhood fantasy!
(Farshore, hardback, £14.99)
Escape
Sophie McKenzie and Melania Badosa
WHEN her school trip takes a perilous turn, Bernice must
channel all of her knowledge to survive in this gripping drama from the queen
of teen thrillers, Sophie McKenzie. Perfectly pitched at struggling Key Stage 3
readers aged eleven and over, published in Barrington Stoke’s dyslexia-friendly
format, and with complex and authentic teen relationships at its heart, Escape
will have youngsters hooked from first page to last. Bernice had been looking forward to a dream school trip to a
sea-life sanctuary but the day becomes a nightmare when she finds herself in a
race against the tide. Her friends’ reckless behaviour plunges them all into
the freezing waters of Shark Bay and Bernice has to confront her fears and
summon all her knowledge of marine life to find a way to safety. But in
shark-infested waters, can she act quickly enough to save the day? Overflowing with edge-of-your-seat high-school drama and
fascinating marine life facts, and illustrated throughout by Melania Badosa's atmospheric black-and-white illustrations, Escape is a sure-fire winner for
your tweenies!
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £7.99)
Nova
Chris Bradford and Charlotte Grange
WHEN a space-travelling boy’s life-craft is pulled into a
wormhole, he’s going to need a whole galaxy of luck to return to safety!
Star-struck young readers will be over the moon when they get their hands on
the final book of a heart-thumping, outer-space trilogy from top-selling
children’s author, Chris Bradford, and illustrator Charlotte Grange which has
included Lunar and Stellar. Max Nova is heading to Mercury with his father, a
space trucker, when their ship is suddenly diverted. They have a new urgent
mission. An abnormal gravity reading has been detected near the Sun. There are
fears that this could signal the start of a supernova! But what Max and his
father discover is much more dangerous – and far stranger – than any supernova.
Flung to the outer reaches of the universe, Max must navigate some perilous
dangers to find his way home before time runs out! Bradford, creator of the
hugely popular Young Samurai and Bodyguard series, is a master of authentic and
thrilling adventures and Nova delivers not just his familiar nail-biting action
drama but a standalone story threaded through with fascinating facts about
space travel. Brought to life by Grange’s atmospheric black-and-white
illustrations, and published in Barrington Stoke’s trademark dyslexia-friendly
format, this final space-bending survival thriller is a mission you won’t want
to miss!
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £7.99)
The Impossible Gladiator
M.G. Leonard and Manuel Sumberac
TAKE your seat on the chariot, hold on to the reins, and brave the dangers of Ancient Rome’s towering Colosseum in the third thrilling time-travelling adventure of bestselling author M.G. Leonard’s epic Time Keys series in which music is used to open doors into the past. Loved and admired for her prodigious imagination which has created stories about fantastical beetles, beautiful birds and thrilling train rides, Leonard was inspired to write this breathtaking series from her own lifelong passion for music and she certainly hits all the right notes with these all-action mysteries, brought to vibrant life by Croatian artist Manuel Sumberac’s richly detailed and atmospheric illustrations.
So buckle up and enjoy an utterly spellbinding journey back
in time with Sim, his cousin Jeopardy and friend Nelson, a band of young
musicians who discovered they have the ‘keys’ to open time doors and travel through
epochs and age in a bid to search for treasure and solve mysteries. Here we
find the trio enjoying an amazing holiday in Rome until they are swept up in
the mysterious disappearance of world-famous illusionist Kinetic. He vanished
during a live broadcast from the Colosseum but never reappeared. When Kinetic’s
sister finds a strange description in a history book of a gladiator who sounds
uncannily like her brother, the friends are determined to help. They travel
through secret time doors to the spectacular – and deadly – Colosseum, but can
the brave trio survive long enough to find Kinetic and bring him home? Gladiator meets the time-travelling wonders of Doctor Who in
this terrific adventure which harnesses the thrills and spills of Ancient Rome
with the fun of witnessing history in the raw. Ideal as a standalone novel, or
enjoyed as part of the Time Keys series, The Impossible Gladiator is simply
past perfect!
(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)
The Galaxy World Cup
Alan Joyce
AS the 2026 FIFA World Cup draws enticingly closer, give
your youngsters an early warm-up with this brilliant tale of intergalactic soccer
shenanigans from debut author (and football fanatic!) Alan Joyce. Billed as Space
Jam with football, The Galaxy World Cup is a fun-filled feast of slapstick
comedy and features everything from wormholes to bouncy pitches as exciting
South Tyneside writer Joyce rolls out his perfect underdog story. When aliens mistake schoolboy Nick Wilson and his fellow
misfits for the world’s greatest football players, they are whisked across the
Milky Way to compete in an intergalactic football tournament against real
aliens. The only problem is they are NOT the greatest football players on Earth…
in fact, they’re the WORST! But if they want to go home, they’ll have to lace
up their boots and try to actually score a goal. Joyce plays a blinder with his wacky and wonderfully
original intergalactic adventure which hits home with its eternally popular and
relatable themes of friendship and team spirit, and is right on goal when it
comes to drawing in reluctant readers. The perfect World Cup warm-up!
(Chicken House, paperback, £7.99)
Toby and the Pixies: How to be Cool!
James Turner and Andreas Schuster
BUCKLE up and get ready to laugh out loud as illustrator,
cartoonist and comic writer James Turner teams up with German-born cartoonist
Andreas Schuster for another unstoppable ride into side-splitting silliness! How
to be Cool! is fourth of their hilarious Toby and the Pixies graphic comic book
series which is brimming with chaotic energy and pixie mayhem, and was
originally published in the hugely popular The Phoenix comic. So head off to an ordinary town and meet shy and anxious
Toby Cauldwell who thought he was an ordinary schoolboy until a magical kingdom
full of pixies in his garden named him their king! Now, the pixies are always
on hand to assist their leader but end up causing complete and utter chaos in
the process. Toby is currently trying his best to reinvent himself as ‘T-train,’
the coolest boy in school, and the pixies are keen to help… but every time they
do, things go very wrong. From giving Toby a ‘fresh start’ at school by erasing
everyone’s memories – including his Dad’s and his best friend Mo’s – to mixing
up their magical size-changing powder on Toby’s spot causing it to grow
GIGANTIC, the pixies seem to wreak havoc wherever they go! Brimming with all the zany slapstick fun that young readers
expect from their comic book anti-heroes, this anarchic series delivers
unlikely friendships, madcap antics and pixie-themed magic. And for readers who
love to draw and want to create awesome characters just like Toby and the
Pixies, the back of the book has a section of how-to-draw tutorials from illustrator
Schuster plus links to The Phoenix comic club website where you can find
draw-along videos, free printable material and top tips from lots of creators. Everything
you could wish for when two superstar comedy creators let their imaginations
run wild!
(David Fickling Books, paperback, £9.99)
Lift and Learn: Our Weather
Isabel Otter and Hannah Tolson
FROM sunshine to snow and ice, weather happens all around us…
but have you ever wondered how it works? How does the wind blow, what are
hailstones, and how do we feel heat? Discover the answers to these questions
and more by delving into five amazing weather systems in this beautifully
created and educational book written by Isabel Otter and cleverly illustrated
by Ilkley-based artist Hannah Tolson. Join in the lift-the-flap fun and get
ready to come across fascinating facts about everything from rain, thunder and
lightning to sunshine, wind and snow. Combining learning with an engaging text
and colourful illustrations, this sturdy, cased board book guide to the weather
not only provides valuable geographical knowledge but also inspires youngsters
to get outside and explore nature. Perfect for nature lovers and budding
geologists!
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £12.99)
Watts & Whiskerton: The Great Glacier Hotel Heist
Meg McLaren
AN adorable cat-and-dog detective duo have a case to crack
as well as the ice in the third adventure of a mystery and mischief-filled
series from Waterstones Children’s Book Prize-shortlisted author and illustrator
Meg McLaren. Highly illustrated throughout in child-friendly, two-tone colours,
the adventures of Watts & Whiskerton are doggedly delightful and purr-fectly
fun for emerging young readers. In this new wintertime caper outing, budding
detective Watts and his friend Pearl Whiskerton, a curious cat with a nose for
mysteries, are looking forward to a holiday at the Great Glacier Hotel and Ski
Resort. But when they arrive, their quiet vacation soon turns into another
high-stakes investigation. The priceless Ice Crystal has been stolen from the
hotel safe, and Watts’ parents are the prime suspects! Will Watts and Pearl be
able to clear Mr and Mrs Watts’ names, and will they be able to catch the real
jewel thief? With McLaren’s comic-style illustrations and a locked room mystery
bursting with sleuthing, heavy snow, and suspicious staff, Watts and Whiskerton’s
ice-packed new adventure is guaranteed to melt every reader’s heart!
(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £6.99)
Bear’s Perfect Dance
Rachel Tilda Wolf
DANCING to the music in your heart is the quick step to
happiness in this warm and joyful picture book from author and illustrator
Rachel Tilda Wolf whose passion is creating and developing empowering stories
for children. So meet Bear who loves to dance… he practises all day long and
spends hours perfecting his moves. But one thing bothers Bear… he’s always
dancing by himself, and some dances are better with two. Will he ever be able
to find an equally perfect dance partner? Bear’s discovery of a new dance
partner is brought to vibrant life by an array of colourful illustrations
featuring a forest full of fun and friendly animals. With her trademark warmth
and humour, Wolf explores the importance of connection and friendship, the
rewards of self-discovery and embracing imperfection, and how being open to new
ideas and compromise brings companionship and happiness. It really DOES take
two to tango!
(Scallywag Press, hardback, £12.99)
Owl and Moon
Kate Rolfe
ALSO dancing to the music of time is a little Owl who can’t
help but feel sad at the darkness left behind by the waning Moon. If your
little ones have their own fears about the darkness of night time, bring a
touch of comfort and magic to their bedtime wind-down with this beautifully
soothing and comforting picture book from award-winning author and illustrator Kate
Rolfe. When Moon shines down, Owl's toes feel tingly and her wings feel
fluttery, and she can't help but dance in the moonlight. But what happens when
Moon begins to wane and Owl is left in the darkness? Will she find the inner
strength to venture out beyond her treetop home and dance anyway? With its
gentle and joyful themes of friendship, kindness, finding your own path, and shining
your light even in the deepest dark, and gorgeous illustrations in the alluring
light and dark shades of night time, this is the perfect antidote to those
bedtime blues!
(Two Hoots, hardback, £12.99)
Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert is Scared of Frogs
Chris Naylor-Ballesteros
RRIIBBIITT! With a good friend beside you, even scary
moments can have a happy ending! Author and illustrator Chris
Naylor-Ballesteros steals our hearts again with another emotionally powerful
and fun-filled picture book featuring Frank and Bert, his stellar fox and bear
double act. And this time, the dynamic duo are heading into the great outdoors
to contemplate on facing up to your fears, and to celebrate the joys and
rewards of a true friendship. Frank the fox and Bert the bear are the best of
friends, and they love to sail Bert’s toy boat on the little pond. But – oh no!
– there’s a FROG in the pond today and Bert is scared of frogs. Poor Bert!
Frank wants to help his best friend… but is he just a little bit frightened,
too? With its warm and wise heart, and infectious sense of fun, this enchanting
story – brought to vibrant life by Naylor-Ballesteros’ stunning illustrations,
with their eye-catching use of colour, expression and visual humour – proves
that conquering your fears and making new friends is all part of a life
well-lived. And with giggles guaranteed right through to the last page, and a
free Stories Aloud QR code audio recording to enjoy, this is plain sailing for
all little fun-lovers!
(Nosy Crow, paperback, £7.99)
Age 3 plus
Mrs Owl’s Forest School: The Treasure Hunt
Ruth Symons, Seb Braun and Lizzie Noble
(Templar Publishing, paperback, £7.99)
Baby, You're Our Sunshine
Sophie Beer
BABIES can be loud like thunder, roly-poly like the clouds,
and even jiggly like a raindrop! But all babies bring light and joy into our
lives… just like sunshine. This joyful board book from award-winning Australian
author and illustrator Sophie Beer captures all the delights of life with a
baby, the wonder of the natural world and the love between parent and child.
Baby, You're Our Sunshine is the perfect celebration of beautiful babies with a
simple, gentle text and Beer’s bright, bold and affectionate illustrations.
Featuring chunky pages and vibrant art, the book is an ideal gift for new
parents, and a lovely and loving reminder to carers to slow down and enjoy the
precious moments with little ones.
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £7.99)
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