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Find out moreFind the latest books for fans of fantasy stories and magical tales! We have extracts to download for most of our books plus expert reviews.
Spies, mermaids, TV celebrities, haunted Scottish castles and hamstars (half hamster, half starfish) meet with explosive results in the fourth book of the hilarious illustrated series from the bestselling author of Witch Wars.
Written to be read aloud, The Ickabog is a fairy tale, set in an imaginary land, and is a complete stand-alone story unrelated to the author’s other work. It will appeal to children between the ages of 7 and 9 but can be enjoyed by the whole family. The story will be translated into a number of other languages, and made available on the website shortly after the English language version appears.
Written by the first Children’s Laureate for Wales, Wilde is a wonderful mix of old legends in a contemporary school setting. The heroine, Wilde, is plagued by strange, supernatural and downright strange events that all seem to gang up and make her stand out from the crowd. Set in Wales, near a waterfall which has a long history of association with witches – founded on a gruesome tale of death caused long ago in the falls – and a set of strange experiences for Wilde as she tries to settle into her new school all combine to create a beautifully written modern witchy story. When a local drama practitioner is brought into class to help facilitate a play about the local legend for the end of term it seems as if something has stirred and the witch is trying to curse and frighten everyone. Can Wilde survive all of this – still be herself and yet manage to fit in to the new school? The book is written with an obvious love of old legends, the sense of place in the book is palpable and Wilde is a delightful lead character – well drawn and thoroughly engaging. This book promises to be equally as feted/praised as Williams previous two novels, Gaslight and Seaglass.
Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is desperate to get back to school and find out why his friends Ron and Hermione have been so secretive all summer. But before he even gets to school, Harry survives a terrifying encounter with two Dementors, attends a court hearing at the Ministry of Magic and is escorted on a night-time broomstick ride to the secret headquarters of a mysterious group called 'The Order of the Phoenix' ...This is a gripping and electrifying novel, full of suspense, secrets, and - of course - magic.
Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is desperate to get back to school and find out why his friends Ron and Hermione have been so secretive all summer. But before he even gets to school, Harry survives a terrifying encounter with two Dementors, attends a court hearing at the Ministry of Magic and is escorted on a night-time broomstick ride to the secret headquarters of a mysterious group called 'The Order of the Phoenix' ...This is a gripping and electrifying novel, full of suspense, secrets, and - of course - magic.
Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is desperate to get back to school and find out why his friends Ron and Hermione have been so secretive all summer. But before he even gets to school, Harry survives a terrifying encounter with two Dementors, attends a court hearing at the Ministry of Magic and is escorted on a night-time broomstick ride to the secret headquarters of a mysterious group called 'The Order of the Phoenix' ...This is a gripping and electrifying novel, full of suspense, secrets, and - of course - magic.
Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is desperate to get back to school and find out why his friends Ron and Hermione have been so secretive all summer. But before he even gets to school, Harry survives a terrifying encounter with two Dementors, attends a court hearing at the Ministry of Magic and is escorted on a night-time broomstick ride to the secret headquarters of a mysterious group called 'The Order of the Phoenix' ...This is a gripping and electrifying novel, full of suspense, secrets, and - of course - magic.
January 2011 Guest Editor Jenny Downham on a classic of apocalyptic science fiction: "Written as a documentary novel, Z for Zachariah explores the nightmare situation faced by two people who believe they are the last humans left on earth. This was the first novel I read as a teenager that utterly transported me. I had never realised books could do that. It literally took me away from home and put me somewhere else. Absolutely haunting and impossible to put down!"
January 2011 Guest Editor Jenny Downham on a classic of apocalyptic science fiction: "Written as a documentary novel, Z for Zachariah explores the nightmare situation faced by two people who believe they are the last humans left on earth. This was the first novel I read as a teenager that utterly transported me. I had never realised books could do that. It literally took me away from home and put me somewhere else. Absolutely haunting and impossible to put down!"
In a nutshell: Iconic | Outspoken | Big Issues | Difficult Truths A powerful post-apocalyptic novel in which nuclear war has devastated America. Z FOR ZACHARIAH by Robert C. O'Brien is one of The Originals from Penguin - iconic, outspoken, first. The Originals are the pioneers of fiction for young adults. From political awakening, war and unrequited love to addiction, teenage pregnancy and nuclear holocaust, The Originals confront big issues and articulate difficult truths. The collection includes: The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton, I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith, Postcards from No Man's Land - Aidan Chambers, After the First Death - Robert Cormier, Dear Nobody - Berlie Doherty, The Endless Steppe - Esther Hautzig, Buddy - Nigel Hinton, Across the Barricades - Joan Lingard, The Twelfth Day of July - Joan Lingard, No Turning Back - Beverley Naidoo, Z for Zachariah - Richard C. O'Brien, The Wave - Morton Rhue, The Red Pony - John Steinbeck, The Pearl - John Steinbeck, Stone Cold - Robert Swindells
In a nutshell: Iconic | Outspoken | Big Issues | Difficult Truths A powerful post-apocalyptic novel in which nuclear war has devastated America. Z FOR ZACHARIAH by Robert C. O'Brien is one of The Originals from Penguin - iconic, outspoken, first. The Originals are the pioneers of fiction for young adults. From political awakening, war and unrequited love to addiction, teenage pregnancy and nuclear holocaust, The Originals confront big issues and articulate difficult truths. The collection includes: The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton, I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith, Postcards from No Man's Land - Aidan Chambers, After the First Death - Robert Cormier, Dear Nobody - Berlie Doherty, The Endless Steppe - Esther Hautzig, Buddy - Nigel Hinton, Across the Barricades - Joan Lingard, The Twelfth Day of July - Joan Lingard, No Turning Back - Beverley Naidoo, Z for Zachariah - Richard C. O'Brien, The Wave - Morton Rhue, The Red Pony - John Steinbeck, The Pearl - John Steinbeck, Stone Cold - Robert Swindells
Best-selling Julia Golding launches a thrilling new adventure as the the Young Knights of the Round Table return for a second adventure. Although once trained to think of humans as the enemy the Young Knights now know better and their task is nothing less than saving the human world. To stop King Oberon making all humans prisoners, Rick and Rocky need the help of King Arthur Pendragon, the only person who can possibly stop king Oberon. But King Arthur Pendragon, now living a quiet life with a puffin for a pet, seems to have lost his appetite for the fight. In a world filled with dragons, how will the Young Knights succeed?
April 2013 Book of the Month Best-selling Julia Golding tells a fast paced, time-travelling fantasy adventure based on the legends of King Arthur that cleverly provokes thought about contemporary life too. Stolen away by the Fey in infancy, Rick has been taught to believe that humans are his enemy. All his training in magical Avalon, has been designed to make him a warrior fit to fight humans and the evil they represent. But, when Rick slips through time and finds himself as a human teenager, nothing has prepared him what it will really be like. In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion for Young Knights of the Round Table a small number of children were lucky enough to be invited to review this title. Here's a taster....'I really like this book because it’s full of adventure and the author describes the characters and settings in such detail which make them really easy to picture'. Scroll down to read more reviews...
Two books in one in this bumper book about a magical creature and the unusual things that happen when it is around. In The Great Expanding Guinea Pig Ruby Morgan introduces Thing, her special and very unusual friend who can do magic and often does so with very unpredictable results! Thing is also at the heart of Beware of the Snow Blobs. In both, Ruby’s chirpy first person storytelling brings both the everyday and the unexpectedly vividly to life. ~ Julia Eccleshare
October 2018 Book of the Month | | The Nothing to See Here Hotel offers a 5 star reading experience for youngsters, hilarious but still exciting adventures, a fabulous setting and a cast of totally eccentric but utterly lovable characters. The hotel you see is not for humans, but magical creatures – a scenario offering all sorts of possibilities, exploited brilliantly by writer Steven Butler and illustrator Steven Lenton. In this second book, preparations for the annual Trogmanay celebrations are threatened, first by the arrival of a family of yetis (in magical snowstorm), then by something that seems a lot less friendly. Can Frankie, son of the owners and our hero, sort things out before the Trollidays are ruined? No matter how much snow and ice the yetis bring, reading this provides a real sense of warmth, and everyone will want to be part of the hotel’s community.
The story of Darkmouth, seaside town and gateway to other nastier worlds, continues! Twelve year old Finn is one of the last of the Legend Hunters, but not a particularly lucky one. His father is missing, trapped on the Infested Side, and when Finn finally finds a way in to rescue him it’s with an officious, impractically dressed administrator from the Council of Twelve, no Desiccator and a half-working radio - things don’t look good. This new helping of Darkmouth adventures is even more fun than the first: the monsters are scarier, the gadgets are gadgetier, the jokes are smoother and Finn’s relationship with friend and helper Emmie is nicely established. An inventive, entertaining page-turner. ~ Andrea Reece
Told in fun, jaunty rhyme and accompanied by bright and cheerful illustrations reminiscent of Meg and Mog, children will fall in love with the accident prone wizard and his stoic pink sidekick. Perfect for emerging readers starting to read for themselves, or lovely to read aloud, this series is a must-have addition to every family’s bookshelf.
August 2016 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: ways to change the world Joseph is not classic super-hero material: he’s asthmatic and rubbish at sports, bullied regularly and nicknamed Wilco because he always complies when someone demands he does their homework. Imagine his surprise and excitement therefore when he develops special powers including telekinesis. Could this be his chance to get his own back on the bullies, impress the gorgeous Indira and even join super-heroes unlimited the Vigils? Well, yes and no. The story that follows is a sharply-observed comedy of teen life, with a serious undertone. Amongst the comic-book action Burstein shows what heroism - the kind that calls for real courage – really is, and reminds readers that heroes and villains too are often those we least expect them to be. ~ Andrea Reece
A howlingly hairy summer adventure - picture a boy, his eccentric grandparents and a pet dog that is a kind of special werewolf in reverse, all living on the edge of a strange and eerie wood. Now imagine that this strange dog is being hunted by the scientific institute from where it escaped. Fast and funny, it’s sure to wow readers of 8 or 9+ and with its fantastic lenticular cover not much is left to the imagination as you see Woody the dog change from wolf to boy. Brilliant. A message from the publisher, Barry Cunningham: Bite me! No, not really! But that’s what you might think your doggy best friend would do if he turned rather strange at full moon. Dark, thrilling and funny, this is the book you’ve been dying to read. Click here to see all the Wolven books.
Another exciting adventurous read, jammed full of fabled beasts and some pretty perilous moments. This is the second in the Fabled Beast Chronicles, it would be best to read First Aid for Fairies first, to learn how Helen meets and becomes friends with creatures of legend and fairy tales. True faeries (note the spelling, it’s important) are attempting to return and take over the woodland of the wolf people. Faeries can deceive, faeries can be vicious, faeries can ensnare you! Although the courageous main character is a girl, there are plenty of boys (they just aren't human) who get in on the action too, so this really is a series for everyone. ~ Liz Robinson Some of our readers were lucky enough to review the first of the Fabled Beast Chronicles, First Aid for Fairies and Other Fabled Beasts....here's a taster of what they thought...'A great fantasy story full of mythical creatures and legends. This is book one of four and I can't wait to read the other three books.' and 'Wonderful story for children, a gripping fairytale that will keep you reading past your bedtime.' Read more reviews here!
Rich in detail which brings the past to life and makes the forest background vivid to all readers, Wolf Brother tells how orphaned Torak must set out on a terrible mission. Tricked, trapped and betrayed at almost every turn, it’s a lonely quest but Torak finds comfort in the support of a wolf cub. Relying on their quick wits, the two journey through danger until Torak must make the final sacrifice. Titles in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series: 1. Wolf Brother 2. Spirit Walker 3. Soul-eater 4. Outcast 5. Oathbreaker 6. Ghost Hunter
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