With no idea who to trust, Alex finds himself dragged into a nightmare world – where nothing is real but the game could kill you.
The clock is ticking and Nightshade is closing in…'
Alex is back in his fourteenth adventure and I think it's quite possibly his best, most gripping adventure yet. Alex is doing his best to get through his CGSE mocks when Tom is abducted by Nightshade and only Alex stands any chance of saving him. His only hope is to help Freddy Grey (Number Nine) escape from prison and return him to Nightshade. What follows is a rollercoaster adventure that readers will find hard to put down. With loyalties tested and questions raised about who can be trusted, I promise that the end will leave you breathless.
The Stars Did Wander Darkling - Colin Meloy
'Maybe Archie Coomes has been watching too many horror movies.
All of a sudden, the most ordinary things have taken on a sinister edge: a penny on a doormat. A man in a brown suit under a streetlamp. The persistent sound of an axe chopping in the middle of the night.
He keeps telling himself that this is Seaham, a sleepy seaside town where nothing ever happens. Or at least nothing did, until his dad’s construction company opened up the cliff beneath the old – some say cursed – Langdon place.
Soon, though, he and his friends can’t deny it: more and more of the adults in town are acting strangely. An ancient, long-buried evil has been unleashed upon the community, and it’s up to the kids to stop it before it’s too late . . .'
This is definitely a summer that nobody in Seaham, Oregon will forget. Set in 1987, the book follows friends Archie, Athena, Oliver and Chris as strange things start happening in their town. For readers of a certain age (namely me!), the book is full of nostalgic references: cue music references; Betamax videos and heading off on a bike to go camping with friends; teenagers solving a mystery... For everybody else, this is a gripping mystery that combines an eerie undertone that has definite Stranger Things vibes. The atmosphere builds from the beginning and there's a tension built around the unknown. It's a dark and creepy horror read for upper KS2 and lower KS3 that kept me up way past my bedtime!
Sona and her friends are excited to learn their beloved teacher, Miss Rao, is getting married - but then they panic that she might leave their school for ever after her wedding! They try all kinds of tactics, like wishing on a peacock feather and even starting a petition to keep Miss Rao. But Miss Rao's beautiful Indian wedding has a surprise in store for the girls.'
I love this series so was thrilled when a new book arrived for me. This time, Sona is worried that her teacher's wedding will mean that she will be leaving school. Full of warmth and with family at its heart, as ever, the book is full of tradition and culture which I always enjoy reading about - this time it's a wedding ceremony. With positive messages and lessons to be learned, all enhanced by wonderful illustrations, I know that this book will go down well in school.
