"Aliens, AI bots and an unforgettable heroine — this Middle Grade debut dances with far-out intergalactic adventure and quirky comedy."
January 2025 Debut of the Month
Fast-paced and outrageously funny, James Davis’ Scarlet debut sees its eponymous heroine embark on a madcap intergalactic adventure that fizzes with energy and visual verve.
After amusing preamble around whether the reader might be “fantasising about bamboo” and “huge and cute and cuddly-looking” (in which case, they’re directed to “put this book down, because you are a panda, and this is not a book for pandas”), nine-year-old Scarlet’s story kicks off with a tap-tap-tap at her window. When she goes to investigate, she’s met by the strange sight of a floating boy. And all this the day after she’d responded to an ad in the Beano for a Defender of the Universe.
Turns out, the floating figure is a boy by the name of Jasper, who’s as “silly as a badger in the fridge”, and the current Defender of the Universe, no less. As his co Defender of the Universe has turned twelve, she’d had to relinquish the role, hence Jasper’s ad for a new comrade. Cue Scarlet stepping into the role and embracing a wacky adventure across the cosmos with Jasper, Pop-Pom the alien, and a super-smart AI robot.
Packed with brain-boggling digressions, Scarlet boasts an amusing narrative voice that feels alive, as if you’re being read to. As such, it’s sure to please readers who demand non-stop entertainment. Mention must also be made of Dotty Sutton’s delightful illustrations, which pepper the story with perfectly-pitched pandemonium.

The funniest book of the year from an incredibly exciting new voice in children's fiction!
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The funniest book of the year from an incredibly exciting new voice in children's fiction! Are you sitting comfortably?
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Scarlet and determined it is suitable for children aged 7-10 years old
Scarlet features in the following genres: Featured Books for 7+ readers, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Debuts of the Month, Recommendations, Adventure Stories, Fantasy / Magical, Funny, Romance / Relationship Stories, Science Fiction, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Comic (humorous) fantasy, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Friendship stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
Scarlet was written by James Davis and published by HarperCollins Children's Books an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Scarlet has 268 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.