(Release date: 15th September)
Hoggle's Toy Factory has been closed for 5 years and is a building that scares everybody in town amid rumours of evil teddy bears; but now, the factory is opening again and Tess and her siblings have got themselves jobs there. On their first day are they about to discover that the rumours are true?
With a cast of wonderfully evil teddy bears, a mysterious (Wonka-esk) factory owner and children who appear braver than they feel, this is a great story; there's just the right amount of tension and creepiness to enthral readers, and adding in mysterious sounds and disappearing siblings, makes this a great read with wonderful illustrations, all wrapped up in Barrington Stoke's wonderfully accessible style.
The Impossible Boy - Ben Brooks
(Release date: 31st October)
Emma and Oleg are best friends who, desperately missing their other friend, Sarah, who moved away, invent a new friend, Sebastian, during a lesson one day. Imagine their surprise when Sebastian actually appears in their den! A real-life, if somewhat unusual boy, he arrived in a spaceship, with a bag that seems to hold anything and everything, and seems to love school!
With Emma's mum working 2 jobs and Oleg's dad constantly asleep after loosing her job, the 3 soon embark upon adventures; however, it quickly becomes apparent that Sebastian is in danger. Can Emma and Oleg save their friend with a little help from their class and a few other interesting chracters?
Full of magic and impossibility, this is a book that will bring joy to children. It's full of wonderfully unusual and imaginative things that will enthral and excite readers, and encourage them to explore their own imaginations.
Sebastian is one of those simply enchanting characters who exudes personality, isn't afraid to be himself and embraces everything.
The book is set at Christmas, with a heart-warming feel that doesn't have Christmas at its central theme which I like as I think this means it has more of an all-year round appeal.
Children and adults will love this book that will leave a warm glow in their heart.
(Release date: 3rd October)
In a future world where London has been flooded and only a wall is protecting the very centre of the city, Kara and Joe live in The Shanties, above the flooding, living from hand-to-mouth. Life is tough, especially when they discover Redeye, one of The Mariners, is after them, and he's not the only one. In a world where Kara and Joe are simply striving for a better future for themselves, they need to work out who they can trust and must decide what is the right thing to do.
An action-packed, fast-paced adventure with plenty of plot twists and strong characters (particularly the female characters which I love to see, especially in an apocalyptic-style book such as this); this is a book of good versus evil that will be perfect for fans of Charlie Higson and Anthony Horowitz.
A Pocketful of Stars - Aisha Bushby
Safiya lives with her dad and sees her mum every Saturday, however they don't always get on. After an argument, Safiya decides not to go to her mum's for the weekly visit ... and then her mum falls ill. During visits to her in hospital, Safiya is transported back to her mum's childhood home in Kuwait and, whilst she can see her mum as a child, her mum can't see her. But Safiya quickly figures out that her visits are just like the computer games she plays and she needs to discover how to play in order to help her mum.
Safiya is shy and uncertain of herself - she's learning that friendships change and evolve as you grow up, and that navigating high-school, and being a teenager can be difficult.
This is a book about family, friendships, growing-up and learning how to deal with the consequences of your actions. It's an emotionally and beautifully written novel that combines modern day gaming with traditional life in Kuwait.
I cried right the way through this book and was an emotional mess at the end! Is it because I'm a mum? Possibly, but I defy anybody not to be touched by this book.
Mabel Mint lives with her mum and sister, Toapz. Her dad left them and she misses him terribly but finds she can't talk to anybody about that. Mabel likes mum's new boyfriend, Gavin (especially as he enjoys astronomy as much as she does), but Topaz really doesn't like him at all and sets out to prove that they'd be better off without him, enlisting Mabel in her quest.
With many funny elements to this book, you'll certainly be laughing - Topaz's ideas and theories about Gavin and how she's going to prove them definitely made us chuckle ... as did Mabel's classmate, Luke.
However, this book also contains many important messages about seeing beyond face value; that people are often hiding how they really feel inside and that people often do what they think is best at the time.
The book made both O and I think about a book I use frequently in school (The Big Bag of Worries) and I desperately wanted to transport myself into the book so I could give the characters a copy!
Lara's books are always well written, a pleasure to read and contain important messages for children about things in life that can be difficult to deal with ... this book is no exception and will certainly be heading to my classroom in September.
The Land of Roar - Jenny McLachlan
Arthur and Rose are twins spending time at their grandfather's house over the summer. Grandad gets them to tidy out the attic so they can create a den and, whilst doing that, memories of an imaginary land begin to resurface in Arthur's mind. Rose, on the other hand, refuses to acknowledge the place, feeling she's now too grown-up for such things.
When Grandad goes to help Arthur, Arthur mentions the land, accessed through a folded-up camp bed. Then Grandad heads through the bed and doesn't return, Arthur heads after him ... and back to the Land of Roar - the imaginary land the twins created, full of mermaids, ninja wizards, dragons and Crowky who has captured Grandad and turned him into a scarecrow - the race is on to save him but can Arthur and is friends from Roar save Grandad? Will Rose realise they are missing?
The Land of Roar is every child's imagination come to life and reminded me a little of Neverland. It's a place where you can journey through imaginary lands, cycle so fast you don't think you'll ever stop and travel through tunnels and over tightropes. It's a book full of quirky characters that will make you smile, fill your heart with joy and even scare you a little! This is a story about embracing your inner child, about siblings, working together, never giving up and, most importantly, will restore your faith in the power of your imagination.
Coral's gran has died, leaving Coral and her family heartbroken, but also leaving Coral wracked with guilt as she feels responsible for her gran's death. So, after the funeral, when Coral meets Lyart a ghost who tells her she can talk to her gran one more time before she crosses to heaven, she agrees. And so begins her journey to stop an evil spirit leaving the graveyard. She has only days in which to succeed and only a worm and a poltergeist to help her as she braves witches, ghosts, cannibals and her neighbour. Can she do it in time?
Coral sees everything in colours (as named on paint charts which adds a quirky touch to the story) that others don't see. She is clearly grieving, feeling terribly guilty and unable to talk to anyone about how she's feeling; however, there's a feistiness to her, driven by her need to speak to her gran - to get closure and, despite her fears, she won't give up on what she believes in.
I also enjoyed Skaw the worm and Moozy the poltergeist, whose friendships with Coral were well developed. Both characters helped to subtly deliver some important messages to the reader.
This is a well-paced , exciting book, with just the right amount of suspense. It's a story full of magic, ghosts, evil spirits and a very interesting neighbour! It's about family and about learning to deal with grief and it will definitely be featuring on the shelves in school at the start of term.
Peril en Pointe - Helen Lipscombe
The Scarlet Slipper is the most prestigious ballet competition there is and, just after Milly messed it up, her mum goes missing. Months later, Milly receives an invite to join Swan House Ballet School; however, all is not what it seems as this is a school for spies! Whilst finding her feet and learning new skills, Milly must rehearse for this year's Scarlet Slipper ... she also soon discovers that she and her mum are in grave danger. Can Milly rescue her mum and save herself?
This is a book that seems to have everything: a boarding school setting, mystery, friendship and feuds, quirky teachers, fiendish villains and plot twists that will keep the reader guessing. This is the first in a new series of books and I'm looking forward to seeing what Milly gets up to next!
Jemima is an incredibly smart young lady who lives with her dad, brother and aunty. She loves learning but doesn't enjoy school where she is bullied because of her weight. This situation is only made worse when the head introduces a healthy eating club that becomes known as fat club. It is this that is holding her back from auditioning for Braniacs a show for intelligent children that she has always loved.
Jemima is wonderful but is swamped by the negative comments she constantly hears; she starts believing them and it effects every part of her life (including her decision not to audition for Braniacs). It's heartbreaking to read the comments she has to endure and I just wanted to hug her and make it all go away for her; however, she is stronger than she thinks and has the help of a wonderful best friend and the new healthy eating club teacher, Gina.
Jemima is an inspiration and role model and was just the most wonderful character to get to know: she's kind, bright, loyal and somebody readers will want to befriend.
This book is full of positive messages on so many levels about so many issues (body image, positivity, perseverance, friendship, believing in yourself, family ... this is definitely a book everybody should read.
The Weird Friends Fan Club - Catherine Wilkins
Erin and Grace both enjoy English and love to write and both share a love of Jane Austin; however, they are complete opposites so when their English teacher tells them they have become part of a 2 person club to prepare for a writing competition, the girls are less than pleased. Can their love of writing and Jane Austin help bring them together or will their differences drive them further apart?
This is a funny look at school life; however, there are many more serious issues which are evident: Erin's insecurities and the way she is often treated at school will resonate with some readers, as will her desire to hide the fact that her family have very little money. Grace's need to engage with social media, to post perfect pictures and to # everything make her appear incredibly confident but there is another side to her hiding underneath.
I enjoyed this book and, although the main characters are teenagers the book is definitely suitable for MG readers.
Cymbeline Igloo and his friends are back for another adventure as their favourite teacher is being bullied by an unknown attacker. Can they find out how to stop them hurting Mrs Martin? Does Veronique's ill grandma have anything to do with this? Either way, Cymbeline has to help them both.
From the start, I loved how Cymbeline showed a lot of responsibility and courage in not stopping in trying to find the truth(s). I loved how he cared about Veronique and tried to help her out every way he could, even while solving another mystery!
This is a beautifully written book, and I can't wait for another!
OTHER:
The Girl in Red - Christina Henry
Things have been different since the Crisis began (a cough that quickly kills all who contract it) and now the US government are rounding up all those who haven't yet been infected to place them in quarantine camps. Red (Cordelia, but known as Red as she's never without her red hoodie) has persuaded her parents and her brother (Adam) that they have to leave their home and head to their grandma's house. Events develop quickly and Red (who clearly knows what she's doing) finds herself journeying alone through the woods with only her backpack and an axe to help her. Whilst she makes her way through the woods, she must defend herself against the wolves (militia groups and the military). But can she reach grandma's house in time?
Red is undoubtedly a strong character but there are definite shades to her: she's defensive and puts up barriers, she's an over-thinker (I liked that you get an insight into her inner thoughts)
and she's an amputee who is determined not to let this make her different.
This post-apocalyptic tale is a gripping, completely original and modern take on the story of Red Riding Hood. It's utterly compelling but did make me realise how scarily easy it could be for this to become reality.
You'll know that I largely read MG fiction and this definitely doesn't fall into that category but I think it would definitely appeal to a YA audience aged 13+ and is now on O's TBR pile.
Five years ago, Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. Everyone knows he was responsible, but Pippa isn't convinced. Soon, she starts discovering secrets somebody wants to stay secret, and if the murderer is still on the loose, what will Pippa have to do to get to the truth?
From the first page, I was hooked on how Andie was murdered and I was sure I knew who it was, but, like any good detective story, I was completely wrong! I loved how Pippa was very stubborn with everything she did, and never let a piece of evidence pass by. This book is really well written and I loved how the plot twists kept me on my toes and not knowing anything for certain! A great YA read!
William Skhakespeare's STAR WARS - Ian Doescher Not by
This is STAR WARS, written in Shakespearian language! I loved how it was written so comically in a way that completely mirrors Shakespeare's style of writing. You don't have to be a huge STAR WARS fan to be appreciative of this book. It is AMAZING!!!
