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Following hot on the heels of Resurrection, this eleventh instalment of Skulduggery Pleasant’s incomparable exploits offers everything devoted fans have come to expect - all-out action, astonishing twists, riotously witty repartee – and more, for this latest epic ramps up the stakes on the emotional front. Intrepid, intelligent, endlessly entertaining Valkyrie Cain is no stranger to fighting to keep her friends and family from harm, but this gripping story sees her having to face her biggest battle yet when a cruel killer captures her little sister, Alice. Worse still, she has just twelve hours to track her down. The sense of urgency and anxiety is heart-poundingly evoked, and I thoroughly enjoyed discovering more about Omen.
Best-selling duo Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks’ new picture book is a charming adventure full of magic and friendship. When Josephine buys a new pair of running shoes she is told that they are magic. And it is lucky that they are! While Josephine loves the pit-a-pat sound her new shoes make as she hurries down the road from the shop she is very frightened by the Bear with a rucksack who is following her. Helped by her magic talking shoes which very splendidly adapt to any situation including climbing up a mountain and ski-ing down it, squelching through mud and swimming a river, Josephine keeps just ahead. And when the pair finally do meet up, Josephine discovers that she had never had anything to fear after all! Wonderful glittery and embossed illustrations add extra magic to the story.
It’s over forty years since publication of Jill Murphy’s first Worst Witch story but you’d never know it from reading the books; certainly this new story is as fresh and sparky as anything around and magical reading for youngsters. Neatly observed friendships and classroom rivalries plus Mildred’s accidental mishaps are the basis of the stories, all cleverly mixed up of course with magic. Mildred’s broomstick handling improved considerably when she found little dog Star, with him perched behind her she’s much better at flying and when his real owners arrive to claim him, she is heartbroken. But, as headmistress Miss Cackle points out, Mildred has an extraordinary knack for sorting things out – can she find a way to keep Star, and frustrate arch enemy Ethel in the process? The plot zooms along as smoothly as a broomstick at top speed, realism, fantasy and humour in perfect balance. It’s an absolute treat for young readers, spellbinding early reading.
Exciting, touching and with a real sense of magic, Pog is exactly the kind of story readers love. David and Penny move into a new home in an ancient forest after their mother’s death. Unbeknownst to them, the grief they are feeling makes them prey to dark forces from a different world and they are in real danger. Fortunately they have a protector in the small, hairy figure of Pog, last of the Fairy Folk, who is assigned to guard the door between this world and the dark, other one. But the threat is greater than any of them realise, and the adventure that develops is full of tension and drama as well as moments that are deeply moving. There are shades of classic magical stories – Narnia even – though this feels completely original, and it touches sensitively on issues of loss. Highly recommended.
This is a charming little story with beautiful illustrations of the chubby, lovable looking Dorps (think friendly abominable snowmen, with the head shape of The Grinch). Dongle return to Dorpington to find the place destroyed, with only one Dorp left - Doodle. The quest begins to find the townspeople and save the day. I really enjoyed this story and the accompanying illustrations perfect for younger children to enjoy as the story is told. The world created is magical - the ethereal Dingle, to the very scary looking Trungle (a snake-like creature with enormous teeth and hundreds of legs!). The plot moves at a fast pace, which I think will be great for keeping younger readers engaged, and includes clear descriptions of the more magical aspects of the story, allowing the reader to walk alongside Dongle and Doodle as they go looking for the other Dorps. I particularly enjoyed the prowess of the Dorp's snowball throwing and how this replaces weapons during the rescue, it's a really innovative idea. I found Dongle teaching Doodle how to throw a snowball particularly funny. There is a flow created by the alliteration used throughout - the repeated use of the 'D' sound in particular- I feel like this could become a tongue twister for any parent reading it out loud. (I would suggest, if in future books there is a focus on more than two Dorps, it could be a bit difficult to keep track of who's who - it might be a nice idea to have a little bit of a 'cast list' bit at the beginning, with an image, the name and perhaps a little description, so children can look through and get better acquainted with the characters.) It is a brilliant adventure to read with your child, or perhaps for independent readers. I wouldn't want to suggest a particular age range as I think the story itself would suit younger readers however, the amount of text would suit the 7+ age range better (perhaps a 5+/7+ age recommendation?).
A hilarious short story from Rick Riordan, that unites Percy Jackson with the god Apollo - this edition exclusively for World Book Day 2019 When the god Apollo asks for a favour, it's never going to be straightforward. Percy Jackson is celebrating a friend's birthday when Apollo turns up. The god is supposed to perform on Mount Olympus, but one of his four beautiful singers is missing. So Percy sets off to bring her back - but one of the singers is after a shot at a solo career, and is holding up New York! With the bright lights of Broadway in the background, can Percy find the rogue performer, and return her to Apollo - in time for his big number on Mount Olympus?
Once every one hundred years, the mermaids of the Hidden Lagoon and the witches of Sinkville get together for a party! The Top Witch greets the Mermaid Queen, who is wheeled through the streets of Sinkville in a bathtub. Mermaids Beattie, Mimi and Zelda can't wait to meet a real witch, but when Tiga is unexpectedly sucked down the plughole into the Hidden Lagoon before the celebrations even start, things start to go magically, marvellously, megalodon-sharkally WRONG. Sibeal Pounder brings together the characters from her brilliant, bonkers, bestselling Bad Mermaids and Witch Wars series for a once-in-a-lifetime World Book Day adventure.
It is midnight in Crackledawn – a midnight full of magic. Sea dragons stir in the depths of the ocean, silver whales surface beneath the moon and sand goblins line the shores. Everyone is waiting for the phoenix, the guardian of the kingdom’s magic, to rise up from the forests of Everdark.But there is no sign of the phoenix tonight. Something else surges up out of Everdark instead: a harpy bent on stealing Crackledawn’s magic.It is up to an eleven-year-old girl called Smudge and an eccentric monkey called Bartholomew to set sail beyond the legendary Northswirl and stop the harpy before it’s too late.So, grab your compass and roll down your sail – the first adventure in THE UNMAPPED CHRONICLES is about to begin...
When the bungling Norman accidentally blows himself up, along with his pet cat Morph, they awake to find themselves in a new and mysterious world. Greeted by the bubbly Sir Poop, the pair are invited to join an elite, highly-trained team of Ghosteleers. Their mission is to protect very special humans from harm by using their amazing telekinetic powers. Unfortunately for Norman, he quickly discovers his smug cat is the one with the ability... and brains. The most important fight in the history of the planet is about to take place, one that could change the future forever. The duo must act quickly, use their new-found ghostly skills, and save the day! Thankfully, Norman's cat is going to be there.
This is a special large print edition of J.K. Rowling's gloriously inventive The Tales of Beedle the Bard, an essential classic for all Harry Potter fans. Full of magic and trickery, these classic tales both entertain and instruct, and remain as captivating to young wizards today as they were when Beedle first put quill to parchment in the fifteenth century.
February 2019 Book of the Month | This is book ten in this excellent series which recounts – via email exchanges – the escapades of young Eddie Smith-Pickle and his eccentric Uncle Morton, dragon aficionado and explorer. In this episode, Eddie’s first email to his long-suffering mother is entitled Confession and gets straight to the point: he’s not in Glasgow as mum believes, but 4,329 miles further away. Uncle Morton has persuaded his nephew to accompany him to Mongolia to witness the legendary Great Dragon Battle Ceremony. The trip turns out to be every bit as exciting as you’d expect, and it’s only the arrival of Uncle Morton’s own dragons, Ziggy and Arthur, that prevents Eddie ending up as a dragon’s dinner. The email format ensures the stories are told with the utmost economy, but they’re also full of humour and wit. This is sophisticated storytelling in a really accessible format, no wonder the series has now reached number ten.
This large print, dyslexia-friendly edition of the most famous sports book in the wizarding world pairs J.K. Rowling's original text with gorgeous jacket art by Jonny Duddle and line illustrations throughout by Tomislav Tomic.
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