N E W B O O K S 2 019
N E W B O O K S 2019 N E W B O O K S 2019
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JANUARY
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JANUARY
Part ghost story, part Nordic thriller, this is a twisty, tense and spooky YA debut, perfect for fans of Coraline and Michelle Paver
The Twisted Tree RACHEL BURGE Martha can tell things about a person just by touching their clothes, as if their emotions and memories have been absorbed into the material. It started the day she fell from the tree at her grandma’s cabin and became blind in one eye. Determined to understand her strange ability, Martha sets off to visit her grandmother, Mormor – only to discover Mormor is dead, a peculiar boy is in her cabin and a terrifying creature is on the loose. RACHEL BURGE works as a freelance feature writer and has written for a variety of websites, including BBC Worldwide, Cosmo, and MTV. She lives in East Sussex with her partner, son and black Labrador, Biff. She is fascinated by Norse myth and swears she once saw a ghost. She is on Twitter (@RachelABurge), Facebook (RachelBurge), Instagram (rachelburgewriter) and Pinterest (burge0709) Her website is rachelburgewriter.co.uk
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10/01/2019 • 9781471407765 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £7.99
‘The Twisted Tree is a romantic, creepy, hugely atmospheric story. I really enjoyed it.’ L.A. Weatherly
28/09/2018 13:45
‘Holly Black is the Faerie Queen’ Victoria Aveyard
The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2)
HOLLY BLACK ’You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring. The first lesson is to make yourself strong.’ After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. But Cardan does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her, even as his fascination with her remains undiminished. When it becomes clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world. Dramatic and thrilling fantasy blends with contemporary storytelling to create a fully realised world, filled with magic, politics and treachery. Look out for the paperback coming in August! HOLLY BLACK is the author of bestselling contemporary fantasy books for kids and teens. Some of her titles include the Spiderwick Chronicles (with Tony DiTerlizzi), the Magisterium series (with Cassandra Clare), The Darkest Part of the Forest, and her new Folk of the Air series which began with The Cruel Prince in 2018.
HOME: 08/01/2019 • 9781471407352 • £12.99 EXPORT: 08/01/2019 • 9781471408038 • TRADE PAPERBACK • £12.99 B FORMAT PAPERBACK: 22/08/2019 • 9781471407369 • £7.99
She has been a a finalist for an Eisner Award, and the recipient of the Andre Norton Award, the Mythopoeic Award and a Newbery Honor. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret door. Follow Holly at www.blackholly.com or on Twitter: @HollyBlack
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JANUARY
‘Complex, nuanced characters, frank sensuality, and thorn-sharp intricate storytelling all conspire to ensnare’ Guardian ‘Lush, dangerous, a dark jewel of a book.’ Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom
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FEBRUARY
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The Colour of Shadows
FEBRUARY
Seventeen-year-old Saffron discovers a secret in the attic – a secret that changes both the past and the future . . .
PHYLLIDA SHRIMPTON Having believed for ten years that her mother had become ill and subsequently died, Saffron learns that her mother is in fact alive and well. Angry at the years of deceit from her father and stepmother, she goes in search of the truth about her mother – and leaves home. Homeless and alone, Saffron has to deal with the mental turmoil and anger at her father as she processes the lies she has been told. And then Saffron comes face to face with the dangers of being a homeless teenage girl . . . A powerful new novel from the author of Sunflowers in February. PHYLLIDA SHRIMPTON is a full-time mother of a teenage daughter and currently lives in Essex with her husband, their rescued Newfoundland and small badly behaved Jack Russell. She achieved a postgraduate degree in Human Resource Management, but soon jumped ship to work with teenagers, including students with Asperger’s syndrome. She is also an artist. The Colour of Shadows is her second novel, Sunflowers in February being her first.
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07/02/2019 • 9781471407611 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £7.99
28/09/2018 13:45
‘Funny, heartwarming . . . Gracie Dart is the gay successor to Georgia Nicholson we’ve all been waiting for’ Lauren James
To Be Perfectly Honest JESS VALLANCE Uncovering a family secret (that everybody knew except her), Gracie decides she’s had enough of lies. Her new pledge is to be completely honest at all times. Because honesty is the best policy, right? Gracie finds herself in all kinds of unexpected situations: delivering steaks dressed as a cowgirl, catching a bus with a talking mechanical lizard, giving relationship advice to total strangers . . . But how will her friends and family – and her girlfriend – take her new-found brutal honesty? Look out for By Popular Demand, coming in June. JESS VALLANCE works as a freelance writer and has written articles on everything from business accounting to embalming a body. She lives in Brighton. Her YA novels for Hot Key Books are Birdy and The Yellow Room. Follow Jess at www.jessvallance.com or on Twitter: @JessVallance1
‘A screamingly funny YA heroine . . . uptight and awkward, but full of heart, I identified with her woes and wacky adventures in equal measure. A perfect addition to the LGBTQ+ community’ Harriet Reuter Hapgood
TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST: 07/02/2019 • 9781471407673 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99 BY POPULAR DEMAND: 13/06/2019 • 9781471407703 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99
‘Hilarious’ Holly Bourne
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FEBRUARY
Tough enough? Smart enough? Max will require all his skills to become . . . a Special Forces Cadet
Special Forces Cadets 1: Siege CHRIS RYAN A top-secret government programme needs a crack team of undercover military operators. They must have awesome levels of determination, endurance and fitness. They must be able to think on their feet. The recruits undergo the most rigorous and testing selection process the modern military can devise. And in order to operate in circumstances where adult forces would be compromised, the recruits must be under sixteen. Only a few are tough enough and smart enough to make it . . . And once out in the field, they will require all their skills just to stay alive. Which is what happens when Max, Abby, Lukas and Sami are sent into an armed siege in an inner-city school . . . CHRIS RYAN was born in 1961 near Newcastle. At the age of 16 he attached himself unofficially to the territorial regiment based at Prudhoe, in Northumberland. In 1984 he joined 22nd SAS and completed three tours, which took him to many parts of the world on operations and exercises. He also worked extensively in the counter-terrorist field, serving as an assaulter, sniper and finally Sniper Team Commander on the Special Projects team. Chris was part of the SAS eight-man team chosen for the famous Bravo Two Zero mission during the 1991 Gulf War. He was the only member of the unit to escape from Iraq, for which he was awarded the Military Medal. Chris wrote about his experiences in his book The One That Got Away, which became an immediate bestseller. Since then he has written over fifty books and presented a number of very successful TV programmes.
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SIEGE: 07/02/2019 • 9781471407253 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99 MISSING: 02/05/2019 • 9781471407827 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99 JUSTICE: 05/09/2019 • 9781471407840 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99
Look out for Missing, coming in May, and Justice, coming in September.
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MARCH
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MARCH
Newt’s Emerald GARTH NIX After Lady Truthful’s magical Newington Emerald is stolen from her, she devises a simple plan: go to London to recover the missing jewel. She quickly learns, however, that a woman cannot wander the city streets alone without damaging her reputation, so she disguises herself as a moustache-wearing man. During Truthful’s dangerous journey she discovers a crook, an unsuspecting ally and an evil sorceress, but will she find the Emerald? A full-time writer since 2001, GARTH NIX has worked as a literary agent, marketing consultant, book editor, book publicist, book sales representative, bookseller and as a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve. Garth’s books include the award-winning Old Kingdom fantasy novels Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen, Clariel and most recently, Goldenhand. He has also written the science-fiction novels Shade’s Children and A Confusion of Princes. His fantasy novels for younger children include Frogkisser!, the Keys to the Kingdom series; and with Sean Williams two humorous knight and dragon books, Have Sword, Will Travel and Let Sleeping Dragons Lie.
21/03/2019 • 9781471407925 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99
More than five million copies of Garth’s books have been sold around the world, his books have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, Publishers Weekly and the Guardian, and his work has been translated into 40 languages. He lives in Sydney, Australia. Follow Garth on twitter at @garthnix or at www.garthnix.com
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If you knew the truth about the future, would you try to change it?
The Secret Runners of New York MATTHEW REILLY When Skye Rodgers and her brother Red move to Manhattan’s gilded Upper East Side, terrifying rumours of a global apocalypse are building. But even this does not stop the young elite of New York from partying without a care in the world. Initially an outsider, Skye finds herself joining an exclusive clique at school, known as the Secret Runners, only to discover that the clique has found a portal that can transport them into the future. The revelation is horrifying: the rumours are true and the apocalypse is coming. The pressure is on for Skye and Red to work out how to make use of their knowledge and survive the inevitable destruction of the world as they know it . . . The epic, filmic, fast-paced narrative depicts a polarised society where the gap between rich and poor becomes painfully clear when it comes to a race for survival.
26/03/2019 • 9781471407956 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £7.99
MATTHEW REILLY is the internationally bestselling author of many novels, including Contest, Temple, Ice Station, Area 7, Scarecrow, Hover Car Racer, Seven Ancient Wonders, The Six Sacred Stones, The Five Greatest Warriors, Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves, The Great Zoo of China, Troll Mountain and the Sunday Times bestseller The Tournament. Matthew’s books are published in over twenty languages and have sold over 7.5 million copies worldwide. Sony Pictures have optioned the movie rights to his book The Great Zoo of China. Matthew lives in Los Angeles, California. To find out more visit www.matthewreilly.com or follow him on Facebook (@OfficialMatthewReilly), Instagram (@matthewreillyofficial) and Twitter (@matthew_reilly)
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APRIL
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Perfect for fans of Veronica Roth, Suzanne Collins, Amie Kaufman and Lauren Oliver
Phobos 2: Collision VICTOR DIXEN The Genesis Programme has brought twelve young astronauts to Mars to face unprecedented danger and hostility. And the programme is about to come to an end. They are the twelve who’ve been abandoned on Mars. To save their lives, they know they need to lie. They are also party to an outrageous conspiracy. The viewers at home are glued to their screens and the rescue mission, knowing nothing of the threat to Earth. Léonor is ready to die to save the world. With her life at risk she is determined to reveal the truth. Time is running out – but Léonor can never admit defeat. VICTOR DIXEN is the author of three series for children and teenagers: The Strange Case of Jack Spark, Animale and Phobos, and twice the winner of the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, the most prestigious science fiction and fantasy award in France. His father is Danish and his mother is French, and as a child he travelled throughout Europe with them. Today he lives in New York City with his family and his two inquisitive cats.
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18/04/2019 • 9781471407239 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £7.99
‘A new addictive trilogy by a very promising French author’ MetroNews ‘A breathtaking space epic’ Le Quotidien du Luxembourg
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MAY
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Inspired by a true story
The Colours That Blind RUTENDO TAVENGERWEI Thirteen-year-old Tumirai lives with his protective big brother, Mkoma, in Harare, Zimbabwe. He’s the first albino kid ever to have attended his school and constantly feels like an outsider. When his brother is invited to go travelling for work, Tumirai goes to stay with their elderly neighbour, Ambuya Thandie. She is scarred, in more ways than one, but her memory is a treasure trove – and her stories of Zimbabwe’s war for independence are a long, long way from the history Tumirai has heard before. RUTENDO NOMSA TAVENGERWEI lived and studied in Zimbabwe until the age of eighteen, when she moved to South Africa to study Law at the University of the Witwatersrand. She has just completed a Masters at the World Trade Institute, and is working at the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
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16/05/2019 • 9781471408182 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99
28/09/2018 13:46
A powerful feminist retelling of Cinderella, perfect for our times
MAY
Stepsister JENNIFER DONNELLY ’In an ancient city by the sea, three sisters – a maiden, a mother, and a crone – are drawing maps by candlelight . . . they are the three Fates, and every map is a human life . . .’ Stepsister takes up where Cinderella’s tale ends. We meet Isabelle, the younger stepsister of Ella (Cinderella). Ella is considered beautiful; stepsister Isabelle is not. But Isabelle is fearless, brave and strong-willed. She fences better than any boy, and takes her stallion over jumps that grown men fear to attempt. It doesn’t matter though; these qualities are not valued in a girl. Others have determined what is beautiful, and Isabelle does not fit their definition. Isabelle must face down the demons that drove her cruel treatment of Ella, challenge her own fate and maybe even redefine the very notion of beauty . . . Can a mean girl change? Can she find her own happily ever after?
02/05/2019 • 9781471407970 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £7.99
JENNIFER DONNELLY is the author of thirteen novels and a picture book for children. She grew up in New York State and attended the University of Rochester where she majored in English Literature and European History. Jennifer’s novel A Gathering Light, set in the Adirondacks of 1906, against the backdrop of an infamous murder, won the Carnegie Medal, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Borders Original Voices Award and was named a Printz Honor book. In 2014, Jennifer teamed up with Disney to launch the bestselling Waterfire saga, an epic series about six mermaids on a quest to rid the world of an ancient evil. Jennifer lives in New York’s Hudson Valley with her husband, daughter and two rescue dogs.
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Kellen’s journey continues in the page-turning Spellslinger fantasy series, for fans of Guardians of the Galaxy, Terry Pratchett, Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher
Spellslinger 4: Soulbinder SEBASTIEN DE CASTELL Kellen and his murderous squirrel cat, Reichis, are on their own. They’ve heard rumours of a mythical monastery, known as the Ebony Abbey. It’s a place that outsiders can never find, but Kellen is getting desperate. He’s been told that the monks inside the Ebony Abbey know more about the Shadowblack than anyone else and that they even know how to cure it. Then Kellen and Reichis are separated, and for the first time Kellen must face the world alone – and venture deeper into shadow magic than he ever knew he could. SEBASTIEN DE CASTELL had just finished a degree in Archaeology when he started work on his first dig. Four hours later he realised how much he actually hated archaeology and left to pursue a very focused career as a musician, ombudsman, interaction designer, fight choreographer, teacher, project manager, actor and writer. Sebastien lives in Vancouver with his lovely wife and two belligerent cats. Follow Sebastien at www.decastell.com or on Twitter: @ decastell
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02/05/2019 • 9781471406744 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £7.99
‘Gloriously escapist fantasy’ Observer
28/09/2018 13:46
MAY
Spellslinger 5: Queenslayer SEBASTIEN DE CASTELL Kellen and Reichis have just finished fighting a duel in the desert when Kellen inadvertently smears blood on the Daroman flag – an act of treason for which the Marshals have no choice but to arrest him. Just before he’s put before the queen to be executed, Kellen is given a strange piece of advice by one of his fellow prisoners: kill the queen and he’ll be given clemency by those who take power. But when Kellen comes face to face with the eleven-year-old monarch, he realises she’s vastly smarter than he expected – and in a great deal more danger.
HOME: 02/05/2019 • 9781471405464 • ROYAL HARDBACK • £12.99 EXPORT: 02/05/2019 • 9781471408175 • TRADE PAPERBACK • £10.99 B FORMAT PAPERBACK: 17/10/2019 • 9781471405488 • £7.99
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Bringing the heart-breaking and unforgettable international bestseller to a YA audience
The Tattooist of Auschwitz HEATHER MORRIS Born in New Zealand, HEATHER MORRIS lives and works in Melbourne, Australia. In 2003, she met Lale Sokolov, a meeting that changed both their lives. As their friendship grew, he entrusted her with the task of telling the world the innermost details of his life during the Holocaust.
23/05/2019 • 9781471408496 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £7.99
‘Sincere . . . moving’ SUNDAY TIMES
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MAY
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JUNE
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Perfectly Preventable Deaths
JUNE
A slow-burning lyrical thriller with an intoxicating blend of contemporary and fantasy from award-winning author Deirdre Sullivan
DEIRDRE SULLIVAN Fifteen-year-old twins Madeline and Catlin move to a new life in Ballyfrann, a strange isolated Irish town, a place where the earth is littered with small corpses and unspoken truths. A place where, for the last sixty years, teenage girls have gone missing in the surrounding mountains. As distance grows between the twins – as Catlin falls in love, and Madeline begins to understand her own nascent witchcraft – Madeline discovers that Ballyfrann is a place full of predators. Not only foxes, owls and crows, but also supernatural beings, who for many generations have congregated here to escape persecution. When Catlin falls into the gravest danger of all, Madeline must ask herself who she really is, and who she wants to be – or rather, who she might have to become to save her sister. DEIRDRE SULLIVAN is a writer from Galway. Her books include Prim Improper, Improper Order and Primperfect, which was the first YA novel ever to be shortlisted for the European Prize for Literature. Her 2016 novel Needlework was awarded a White Raven and the CBI Honour Award for fiction. Deirdre’s most recent book, Tangleweed and Brine, a collection of dark fairy-tale retellings, won an Irish Book Award for Best Young Adult Book of the Year 2017. Deirdre loves reading, knitting, bodily autonomy and guinea pigs.
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13/06/2019 • 9781471408236 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £7.99
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JULY
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Written by bookseller Chloe Coles, this is a sparky new series that will make you want to rush out and take shelter in your nearest bookshop
JULY
Bookshop Girl 3: Ooh La La! CHLOE COLES Paige Turner is working at Bennett’s Bookshop when her manager makes an exciting announcement: ‘An amazing opportunity has arisen! Some of you may have heard of the famous Books Are Magic bookshop in Paris.’ OMG yes! Paige knows all about it. Her mind flickers with dreams of those iconic sights, all based on old films, black and white Instagram posts . . . and French GCSE textbooks. There’s just a slight problem: everybody who works in Bennett’s is desperate to be picked, including her best friend, Holly. So just how much is Paige willing to compromise in order to go? Originally from Northampton, CHLOE COLES studied Illustration at Cambridge School of Art before moving to London. Now in her twenties, she has worked in bookselling since the age of sixteen, squeezing it in around school and university and other jobs. She’s previously worked at Waterstones, Blackwells and Heffers and now works as a Children’s Specialist and Assistant Buyer at Foyles Charing Cross. Follow Chloe Coles on Twitter @ChloeColes_
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11/07/2019 • 9781471408410 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99
‘Meet a funny, feisty, feminist heroine with the perfect name for a bookseller’ Sunday Express
28/09/2018 13:46
‘Imminent dystopia’ from the internationally bestselling author of CHERUB
Killer T ROBERT MUCHAMORE Our world is about to change in ways we can barely imagine. Two teenagers will have to be ready for anything in order to survive. Harry and Charlie are dangerously and irresistably drawn together at a time when gene-editing technology is starting to explode. With a lab in the garage anyone can beat cancer, enhance their brain to pass exams, or tweak a few genes for that yearround tan. But in the wrong hands, cheap gene editing is the most deadly weapon in history . . . ROBERT MUCHAMORE’s books have sold over 14 million copies worldwide, have been translated into 24 languages, and have been number-one bestsellers in eight countries including the UK, France, Germany, Australia and New Zealand. Worldwide English language sales exceed 7 million copies, with 2.9 million copies sold in the UK alone. For more information about Robert and his books, go to www.muchamore.com
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11/07/2019 • 9781471407192 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £7.99
‘Muchamore has done something I’d failed to do; he’s turned my son into a reader’ The Times
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JULY
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Friendship, strength, survival
All the Things We Never Said YASMIN RAHMAN 16-year-old Mehreen’s anxiety and depression, or ‘Chaos’, as she calls it, has taken over her life. And she can’t bear it any more. So she joins MementoMori, a website that matches people and allocates them a date and method of death, ‘the pact’, and is paired with Cara and Olivia. As the three girls secretly meet over the coming days, Mehreen develops a strong bond with Cara and Olivia, who both have their own serious issues and who understand what she’s going through. But ironically, the fears that brought them together to commit suicide have also created a mutually supportive friendship that makes them realise that, with the right help, life is worth living. All three want out of the pact. But the website won’t let them stop and an increasingly sinister game begins, with MementoMori playing them off against each other. A pact is a pact, after all. This powerful debut written from three points of view is a moving, poignant novel celebrating life. All the Things We Never Said is about friendship, strength and survival. YASMIN RAHMAN is a British Muslim born and raised in Hertfordshire. All The Things We Never Said is her first novel. She has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Hertfordshire and an MA in Writing for Young People from Bath Spa University. Her short story ‘Fortune Favours the Bold’ was published in Stripes’ anthology A Change is Gonna Come in 2017 with the Bookseller awarding the contributors a YA Book Prize Special Achievement Award 2018 for
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11/07/2019 • 9781471408298 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £7.99
commitment to making YA publishing more inclusive. When she’s not writing, Yasmin makes bookish fan art; her designs are sold worldwide on behalf of John Green.
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AUGUST
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When something is dead, it’s supposed to stay dead, right?
DOGS M.A.BENNETT Greer Macdonald is in her final year at S.T.A.G.S. and after the dramatic events of the previous autumn is trying to concentrate on her A levels. Stuck for a play to direct for her drama exam, she gets help from an unexpected quarter . . . A priceless lost play, buried by time, is pushed under her door. It is Ben Jonson’s The Isle of Dogs, a play considered so dangerous in Elizabethan times that every copy was burned . . . except one. As the students begin to rehearse it, events become increasingly dark and strange, and they lead Greer back to where she thought she would never return – Longcross Hall. There she discovers that not only is the Order of the Stag alive and well, but that a ghost from the past might be too . . . M. A. BENNETT is half Venetian and was born in Manchester, England, and raised in the Yorkshire Dales. She is a history graduate of Oxford University and the University of Venice, where she specialised in the study of Shakespeare’s plays as a historical source. After university she studied art and has since worked as an illustrator, an actress and a film reviewer. She also designed tour visuals for rock bands, including U2 and the Rolling Stones. She was married on the Grand Canal in Venice and lives in north London with her husband, son and daughter. Her YA novels are S.T.A.G.S. (shortlisted for the YA Book Award) and The Island. Follow her at @MABennettAuthor on Twitter and at m.a.bennettauthor on Instagram.
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08/08/2019 • 9781471407994 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £7.99
‘This is a darkly compelling examination of the allure of privilege, and the unscrupulous means by which it preserves itself.’ GUARDIAN
28/09/2018 13:47
AUGUST
The thrilling sequel to the much-loved STAGS
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SEPTEMBER
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One Grey Glove
SEPTEMBER
A powerful journey of bravery, trust and forgiveness in post-WW2 England
LUCY ADLINGTON Brigid is one of a group of child refugees being escorted to England by the Red Cross in October 1946. She is a serious, silent figure, with worn clothes and shoes and a small cardboard suitcase containing all her belongings. On arrival at Waterloo Station however, Brigid breaks from the group and runs . . . Brigid has a secret which she has buried deep inside her. She also has an ulterior motive: she needs to get to a place called Summerlands Hall where she hopes she will find the one person left alive who is deeply important to her . . . An extraordinary tale, with some events inspired by history, that encompasses truth, tolerance, racism and forgiveness. LUCY ADLINGTON is a writer, actress and costume historian. Her novels for teenagers, including The Diary of Pelly-D, Burning Mountain, The Red Ribbon and One Grey Glove (coming in 2019) have been nominated and shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, the Manchester Book Prize, the Leeds Book Prize and the Rotherham Book Award. She also writes non-fiction for adults about the history of clothes, including Great War Fashion and Stitches in Time: The Story of the Clothes We Wear.
05/09/2019 • 9781471408274 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £7.99
Follow Lucy at www.historywardrobe.com or on Twitter: @historywardrobe
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‘It isn’t easy to change the world but you’ve got to keep trying . . .’ A bold and arresting YA novel from multi-million-copy-selling Robert Muchamore
Arctic Zoo ROBERT MUCHAMORE From London . . . Georgia gets straight As at school, writes essays for fun, has been placed first in twenty-six drone races and has a serious addiction to buying Japanese stationery. She plans to follow her older sister Sophie and become a doctor, but her world view is shattered when Sophie commits suicide. To Lagos . . . Julius lives in Ondo, a Nigerian state where half the population lives on less than a dollar a day. But he isn’t one of them. His uncle has been governor of Ondo for more than a decade and his mother is the power behind that throne. He finds refuge in a derelict zoo with best friend Duke, but as the two of them grow close, the world outside becomes more and more hostile. Following two teenagers living very different lives, Arctic Zoo is a startling contemporary novel about protest, sexuality, mental heath and flawed leadership, from the bestselling author of CHERUB.
HOME: 05/09/2019 • 9781471407642 B FORMAT HARDBACK • £12.99 EXPORT: 05/09/2019 • 9781471408328 TRADE PAPERBACK • £10.99
ROBERT MUCHAMORE‘s books have sold over 14 million copies worldwide, have been translated into 24 languages, and have been number-one bestsellers in eight countries including the UK, France, Germany, Australia and New Zealand. Worldwide English language sales exceed 7 million copies, with 3 million copies sold in the UK alone. For more information about Robert and his books, go to www.muchamore.com.
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SEPTEMBER
The Wind in the Wall SALLY GARDNER ’I have no idea how long I have been incarcerated within these ancient walls. Occasionally, when the stones and mortar are battered by violent winds or beaten by rain, I wake up, conscious of my plight. But it is the tapping that has woken me. Tap-tap-tap. Let me explain how I find myself in this predicament . . .’ A gloriously illustrated gift book with a stunning text by Sally Gardner, with echoes of fairy tale and myth and a deliciously dark twist. SALLY GARDNER is a multi-award-winning novelist whose work has been translated into more than twenty-two languages. Her novel Maggot Moon (Hot Key Books) won both the Costa Children’s Book Prize and the Carnegie Medal 2013, and was followed by The Door That Led to Where. Sally’s genre-defying novel The Double Shadow (Orion) received great critical acclaim and was also longlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2013. The Red Necklace (shortlisted for 2007 Guardian Book Prize) and The Silver Blade, the film rights for which have been purchased by Dominic West, are set during the French Revolution. Sally also won the 2005 Nestle Children’s Book Prize for her debut novel, I, Coriander. She is also author of the popular Wings and Co Fairy Detective Agency series and Tinder, illustrated by David Roberts (Orion). Her novel An Almond for a Parrot is adult fiction. Her YA novel My Side of the Diamond was published in 2017. Follow Sally at www.sallygardner.net or on Twitter: @TheSallyGardner
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19/09/2019 • 9781471404986 • 170MM X 240MM HARDBACK • £10.99
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OCTOBER
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Into the Crooked Place
OCTOBER
The first in a darkly romantic fantasy duology, for fans of Leigh Bardugo
ALEXANDRA CHRISTO Magic rules the city of Creije Capital and Tavia Syn knows just how many tricks she needs up her sleeve to survive. Selling dark magic on the streets for her kingpin, she keeps clear of other crooks, counting the days until her debt is paid and she can flee her criminal life. But then, one day, with her freedom in sight, Tavia makes a crucial mistake: she delivers a vial of dark magic – a weapon she didn’t know she had – to someone she cares about. And in doing so, she sparks the greatest conflict the world has seen in decades. ALEXANDRA CHRISTO has a BA in Creative Writing and works as a copywriter in London, both of which make her sound more grown-up than she feels. When she’s not busy making up stories, she can be found buying far too many cushions and organising food crawls all over the city.
01/10/2019 • 9781471408441 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £7.99
Alexandra currently lives in Hertfordshire with an abundance of cacti (because they’re the only plants she can keep alive).
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The Handmaid’s Tale meets Thelma and Louise, in a richly drawn fantasy setting
The Good Luck Girls CHARLOTTE DAVIS Cleome is a sundown girl, just like her sister, Astar, at the Green Creek welcome house run by Mother Fleur. As Cleome’s sixteenth birthday approaches, so does her Lucky Night. And everyone knows what that means. Astar told her what to expect, so it should have been the simplest thing in the world. All she had to do was to make him feel welcome. She never intended for anyone to die . . . ‘I didn’t want to tell a story about racism, necessarily – there’s plenty of that on the news – but a story about a black girl and her sister finding freedom? Young women of all types getting into good trouble? Underdogs coming together to stand up against the rich and powerful? That sounded like exactly what the doctor ordered.’
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CHARLOTTE DAVIS is a recent graduate of The New School’s Writing for Children MFA program and is currently working as an editorial assistant at Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books. She grew up in Kansas City, which was once the Wild West but today is mostly just fro-yo shops. She now lives in a little apartment in Brooklyn. 01/10/2019 • 9781471408250 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £7.99
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OCTOBER
True Love LAURA DOCKRILL One Day for teenagers An unabashedly romantic, witty and funny new novel about first love, from the unique voice of Laura Dockrill. As twenty-nine fourteen-year-olds gather on the common, a blur of baggy jeans and beaten-up trainers, a boy and a girl meet. She has arms stuffed with browning friendship bracelets and chipped blue nail varnish. He is small with rosy cheeks and one seriously bobbly inside-out sock. Set in the heart of South London, this cinematic romantic tale follows Seb and Harvey as their shy start develops into a deep friendship. Unlike the rest of their group, they talk secretly on the phone. They secretly write letters to each other. They secretly meet up. But they are just friends. That’s all it is. Just friends. OK?
LAURA DOCKRILL is a performance poet and novelist whose wonderfully inventive and vibrant approach to life is reflected in the rich and vividly imagined worlds she creates. She grew up in Brixton and attended the Brit School. Laura has always had a vivacious spark, finding creativity in words – from poetry to novels and scripts to song lyrics. She is author of the Carnegie Medalnominated YA novel Lorali, as well as the Darcy Burdock series (Random House) for younger readers, which was also nominated for the Carnegie Medal and shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in 2014. Other books include Echoes (Harper Collins), a collection of poems and short stories. Laura has appeared on Blue Peter and CBeebies and is a frequent poet performer at festivals including Glastonbury, Hay, Edinburgh, London Literary Festival and Latitude. Children’s books are at the heart of her work. She curated The Wondercrump World of Roald Dahl exhibition at the Southbank Centre and loves to visit schools and festivals and meet young readers who are as spirited as her. Laura lives in London and is currently working on her new teen novel, a play and a poetry collection. You can follow her on Twitter @LauraDockrill. 03/10/2019 • 9781471408014 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99
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Anyone who has the patience to fold one thousand paper cranes will achieve their heart’s desire
The Last Paper Crane KERRY DREWERY When Mizuki persuades her grandfather to tell her what is increasingly upsetting him, the reader is taken with visceral clarity to 1945, Hiroshima, and Mizuki’s grandfather as a teenage boy chatting at home with his friend, Hiro. Moments later the horrific nuclear bomb is dropped on Hiroshima. The two teenage boys search for and find Hiro’s sister Keiko in the devastated and blasted landscape. But then Keiko is lost. Despite desperate attempts to find her in the aftermath of the bomb, where he leaves origami folded paper cranes for Keiko with his address on everywhere a survivor could be, he cannot find her. The loss of Keiko and his broken promise is haunting the old man. Mizuki is determined to help him. After all, her grandfather only has one more origami crane to fold and, as Japanese legend goes, if you have the patience to fold 1000 paper cranes, you will find your heart’s desire.
17/10/2019 • 9781471408472 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £7.99
Narrated in a compelling mix of narrative, free verse and haiku poems, this haunting story will resonate long after the last page is turned. KERRY DREWERY is the author of the Cell 7 trilogy, the first of which was shortlisted for the Lancashire Libraries Book of the Year 2018 and has been translated into more than a dozen languages, as well as two highly acclaimed, more literary YA novels: A Brighter Fear, 2012 (which was Love Reading 4 Kids Book of the Month and shortlisted for the Leeds Book Award) and A Dream of Lights, 2013 (which was nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, awarded Highly Commended at the North East Teen Book Awards and shortlisted for the Hampshire Independent Schools Book Awards).
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OCTOBER
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The third book in the thrilling Supersaurs series. The adventure continues in America’s Wild West . . .
Supersaurs 3: Clash of the Tyrants JAY JAY BURRIDGE Imagine a world where dinosaurs survived . . . Bea and Carter Kingsley have been struggling to fit in at school in England after their adventures and the tragic loss of their grandmother, Bunty. Despite his misgivings about further travel, their godfather Theodore decides to take them to America, to visit their Uncle Cash Kingsley’s ranch in California. Unexpectedly reunited with Viscount Lambert Von Knutr, and introduced to his wife, Anya Sitz, Bea and Carter find themselves temporarily separated when Bea accompanies the glamorous Viscount’s wife to San Francisco. Theodore, still determined to unlock the mysteries of the journals the children’s father left behind, takes off on a quest of his own. Will the growing rifts be healed – or widen? The adventure concludes in Wild West style with a dramatic showdown at the rodeo . . . In a world where dinosaurs have survived and evolved alongside humans, Bea and Carter Kingsley are searching for answers to the disappearance of their parents. But the answers our heroes seek are surrounded in mystery. What is the secret of the Saurmen? And who else is interested in discovering it – can everyone they meet be trusted?
21/02/2019 • 9781786968197 • 200MM X 150MM PAPERBACK • £5.99
‘A great adventure story’ MARIELLA FROSTRUP, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
The world of SUPERSAURS is wonderfully realised, grounded in historical events and a classic storytelling adventure and is beautifully illustrated throughout.
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Supersaurs 4: Temple of the Saurs
FEBRUARY
Indiana Jones meets Young Bond in Jurassic Park. Imagine a world where dinosaurs survived . . .
JAY JAY BURRIDGE Trouble has followed Bea and Carter Kingsley to South America. On the trail of a lost city in the heart of the rainforest, the children and their godfather Theodore are determined to discover the secrets of the ancient Saurman empire. But an out-ofcontrol teenage brachio and a tame tyrant soon attract the wrong kind of attention from enemies both old and new, and before long they are caught up in illegal deforestation operations, a rebel uprising and the Viscount’s dastardly plans . . . JAY JAY BURRIDGE studied Fine Art Sculpture at Saint Martin’s College, London presented the children’s TV art show SMart for the BBC, and has worked for brands such as Sony, Adidas and Levi’s. With his friend Jamie Oliver he is the co-creator of the Dinersaur Diner in Piccadilly Circus, London. He lives in Oxfordshire with his family and is absolutely passionate about all things Supersaurs. Jay Jay Burridge is the author and illustrator of the Supersaurs series, his beautifully detailed artwork bringing to life the fully realised world of his imagination.
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21/02/2019 • 9781786968043 • 200MM X 150MM HARDBACK • £10.99 19/09/19 • 9781786968166 • 200MM X 150MM PAPERBACK • £5.99
‘Fantastic!’ THE WEEK JUNIOR
28/09/2018 13:47
Immerse yourself in the world of Supersaurs on another thrilling global adventure
Supersaurs 5: The Seventh Spinosauri JAY JAY BURRIDGE Seeking answers to the mysteries of the ancient Saurman Empire, Bea and Carter Kingsley return to the place the adventure began: the islands of Aru – Carter’s birthplace and the final resting place of the children’s parents. But their quest to unlock the mysteries of the powerful keystones soon takes them to Japan, where clues hint at a secret in the mountains. Pulling the strings from the headquarters of his organisation in Hong Kong, the Viscount is tracking their every move. His henchmen are set on a collision course with Carter Kingsley . . .
19/09/2019 • 9781786968050 • 200MM X 150MM HARDBACK • £10.99
JAY JAY BURRIDGE studied Fine Art Sculpture at Saint Martin’s College, London presented the children’s TV art show SMart for the BBC, and has worked for brands such as Sony, Adidas and Levi’s. With his friend Jamie Oliver he is the co-creator of the Dinersaur Diner in Piccadilly Circus, London. He lives in Oxfordshire with his family and is absolutely passionate about all things Supersaurs. Jay Jay Burridge is the author and illustrator of the Supersaurs series, his beautifully detailed artwork bringing to life the fully realised world of his imagination.
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SEPTEMBER
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JANUARY
Inspirational illustrated stories from Bear Grylls, teaching teamwork, survival skills and how to have fun in the great outdoors
A Bear Grylls Adventure 11: The Arctic Challenge BEAR GRYLLS Joe gets on well with everyone and is always up for a challenge. But he has a big problem with remembering directions and following instructions. It’s just so confusing! Then he gets a mysterious compass from a friend and is off on an amazing journey with inspirational adventurer Bear Grylls through the freezing cold Arctic tundra, where knowing where you’re going is crucial to survive. What can the wilderness teach Joe about finding his own direction in life? BEAR GRYLLS is a global household name for adventure, challenge and survival. He is Chief Scout to the UK Scouting Association, honorary Colonel to the Royal Marine Commandos and has shared his survival skills with people all over the world – including President Barack Obama. He and his wife Shara live with their three sons on a barge on the River Thames in London and on a small island off the coast of Wales. www.beargrylls.com EMMA McCANN studied illustration at Kingston University and has since illustrated many titles for a wide variety of publishers. Her first children’s book was longlisted for the Kate Greenaway award. www.emmamccann.co.uk
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24/01/2019 • 9781786960818 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £4.99
‘Life is an adventure that is best lived boldly’ BEAR GRYLLS
28/09/2018 13:47
FEBRUARY
In the wild, you’re stronger together
A Bear Grylls Adventure 12: The Sailing Challenge BEAR GRYLLS Mia loves to take charge and be a leader and throws herself into every experience. But she’s terrible at taking a back seat and letting others have their say. A mysterious compass takes her on an unexpected adventure with Bear Grylls sailing the high seas. A ship can be a dangerous place for a crew who don’t pull together when storms hit . . . Can Mia learn when to take control and when to work together in the great wide ocean?
05/02/2019 • 9781848126916 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £4.99
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N E W B O O K S 2 019
N E W B O O K S 2019 N E W B O O K S 2019
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26/09/2018 11:25
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JANUARY
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JANUARY
Young Bond meets Alex Rider and CHERUB in this brilliantly written, fast-paced spy action thriller. All credibly delivered from somebody who knows all about counter-intelligence . . .
AWOL 3: Last Boy Standing ANDREW LANE Special Agent Bex arranges to meet teenage Kieron in a cafe to tell him that she can’t risk his life any more. She parks her car and seconds later it blows up, scattering flaming wreckage everywhere. Bex needs to grab Kieron and get him out of harm’s way – but his friend Sam is also in the cafe. He had followed Kieron to find out what secrets he was keeping from him. Bex has to take Sam and Kieron back to her flat, but just as they get there it too explodes. Someone is trying to kill them. But how were the explosions managed? And who wants them dead? High-octane action and fast-paced adventure – guaranteed. Also available: AWOL: Agent Without Licence and AWOL 2: Last Safe Moment ANDREW LANE is a much-loved writer for teens and young adults. He is the author of the Young Sherlock Holmes series, which has been published in forty-four countries. He has also worked extensively in the extended universe of BBC TV’s Doctor Who, and has written three adult crime novels under a pseudonym.
10/01/2019 • 9781848126671 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99
‘A brilliant spy thriller that introduces a younger audience to the joys of modern espionage’ UNSEEN LIBRARY
Before becoming a writer, Andrew spent twentyseven years working for the Ministry of Defence on the fringes of the Intelligence and Counterterrorism communities. He has been inside several classified intelligence headquarters in the UK and US (and not as a tourist).
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Dragons, mischief and mayhem abound in this wonderful third story in THE BOY WHO GREW DRAGONS series
The Boy Who Flew with Dragons ANDY SHEPHERD illustrated by SARA OGILVIE Tomas can’t imagine life without his little dragon Flicker. He’s become more than a pet – he’s a friend like no other. And growing dragons on the dragonfruit tree in the garden with his friends Ted, Kat and Kai is the most amazing thing ever. But Tomas has promised Grandad something – that he and his friends will let their dragons go back to where they belong. The only problem is – that isn’t such an easy thing to do. Not when they are still having so much fun with dragons Flicker, Sunny, Crystal and Dodger. Not when they still have to work out where the dragons’ home is, and how to get the dragons to leave. And not when Tomas is so close to uncovering the true story of the mysterious dragonfruit tree . . . ANDY SHEPHERD is a children’s writer working on middle-grade fiction and picture books. She lives near Cambridge with her husband, two sons and their border collie. She spends her spare time trying to figure out how to move this beautiful city closer to the sea.
10/01/2019 • 9781848127357 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £5.99
SARA OGILVIE is an award-winning illustrator. She was born in Edinburgh in 1971 and now lives in Newcastle upon Tyne. Sara’s many picture books include The Detective Dog by Julia Donaldson, The Worst Princess by Anna Kemp and Izzy Gizmo by Pip Jones. Her middle-grade fiction includes Phil Earle’s Demolition Dad (and others in the Storey Street series). www.saraogilvie.com
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JANUARY
‘Lovely, expressive, characterful’ SUNDAY TIMES
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A set of beautifully illustrated editions to complement the film release
The House with a Clock in Its Walls JOHN BELLAIRS illustrated by NATHAN COLLINS Now a major motion picture from Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, starring Cate Blanchett, Jack Black and Kyle MacLachlan When Lewis Barnavelt, an orphan, comes to stay with his uncle Jonathan he is surprised to discover that Uncle Jonathan and his next-door neighbour, Mrs Zimmermann, are both witches! Lewis experiments with magic himself and unknowingly resurrects the former owner of the house: a woman named Selenna Izard. It seems that evil Selenna and her husband built a clock into the walls that can obliterate humankind. As the clock can be heard ticking away in the house, it is up to the Barnavelts to find where it is hidden in the walls – and stop it. A true race against time . . . With stunning cover and inside illustrations by Nathan Collins JOHN BELLAIRS (1938-1991) was an award-winning American author of many gothic mystery novels for children and young adults, including The House with a Clock in Its Walls, which received both the New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year Award and the American Library Association Children’s Books of International Interest Award, The Lamp from the Warlock’s Tomb, which won the Edgar Award, and The Specter from the Magician’s Museum, which won the New York Public Library ‘Best Books for the Teen Age’ Award.
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10/01/2019 • 9781848127722 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99
A further six backlist House with a Clock in Its Walls titles will be published throughout the year.
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JANUARY
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FEBRUARY
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An enchanting four-book series in two colour, featuring the adventures of Anna and her array of animal friends
Hotel Flamingo ALEX MILWAY When young Anna inherits a dilapidated oncegrand hotel from her Great-Aunt Mathilde, she’s determined to restore it to its former glory. But this is no ordinary hotel – all of her staff and guests are animals! Anna soon rises to the challenge. Whether it’s a flamingo, a penguin or a hippo knocking at the door, Anna is ready to welcome them all – with the help of her trusty sidekicks T. Bear the doorman, Squeak the friendly mouse elevator, and Lemmy the lemur receptionist . . . As she soon finds out, though, running an animal hotel is no easy task. Can Anna make Hotel Flamingo a success once more? ALEX MILWAY is a full-time children’s books author–illustrator and screenwriter. His most recent book series Pigsticks and Harold (Walker Books) was optioned by Jam Media, and presented at the 2014 Cartoon Forum. He is the founder of the This Book Is Funny! children’s book scheme, working with schools and libraries and has huge experience running children’s workshops around the UK and in China and the USA.
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07/02/2019 • 9781848127753 • 180MM X 127MM PAPERBACK • £6.99
Look out for Book 2 in June and Book 3 in October!
28/09/2018 13:46
FEBRUARY
‘A marvellous menagerie . . . Funny, heartwarming and uplifting’ PHILIP ARDAGH, BESTSELLING AUTHOR
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Another fabulous illustrated cycling story for young readers from Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy in a dyslexic-friendly font
Flying Fergus 10: The Photo Finish CHRIS HOY illustrated by CLARE ELSOM It’s competition time! The Hercules Hopefuls are at the International Championships at last – but how will Fergus cope with the competition pressures now that his best friend Daisy has moved away? Mum and Jambo are distracted by their upcoming wedding, Grandpa and Choppy Wallace are having problems with the team’s sponsor, who is demanding ludicrous things like banning the team from eating bananas and making them scoff biscuits instead. Manchester is starting to feel a long way from home. But when Fergus escapes to Nevermore to see some friendly faces, it’s no better there – Princess Lily is cross with her brother, and there’s a bet on which cycling team will win that could see King Woebegot lose his kingdom . . . SIR CHRIS HOY MBE became Great Britain’s most successful Olympic athlete of all time in 2012 at his home games in London, with six Olympic gold medals and one silver in cycling. BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2008 and knighted in 2009, Chris retired from competitive racing in 2013 but is passionate about promoting teamwork, perseverance and the power of positive thinking to young people in particular. He lives in Manchester with his family. www.chrishoy.com JOANNA NADIN is a proud member of Team Flying Fergus and the author of more than 70 books for children and young people. She has been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and is a former broadcast journalist and Special Adviser to the Prime Minister. www.joannanadin.com
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07/02/2019 • 9781848126428 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £4.99
CLARE ELSOM is an author, illustrator, tap dancer and doodler based in Exeter and London. She loves to bring to life the wonderful world of Fergus and his friends. www.elsomillustration.co.uk
‘I want to inspire children to get out on their bikes, use their imaginations and have their own adventures with friends’ SIR CHRIS HOY, MBE ‘Children’s books with a cycling theme . . . bursting with fun and imagination’ SUN
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FEBRUARY
‘Champion cyclist Chris Hoy breathes his passion for cycling into this entertaining and imaginative adventure about an ordinary boy and his big cycling dreams’ GUARDIAN
28/09/2018 13:46
For fans of Wonder. Inspired by the real-life whale 52-Hertz whale, also dubbed The Loneliest Whale in the World, which led to coverage by Slate, Wired, the BBC, Discovery News, Huffington Post, the New York Times
Song for a Whale LYNNE KELLY Iris was born deaf, but she’s never let that define her; after all, it’s the only life she’s ever known. And until recently she wasn’t even very lonely, because her grandparents are both deaf too. But Grandpa has just died and Grandma’s not the same without him. The only place Iris really feels at home any more is in her electronics workshop, where she loves taking apart antique radios. Then, during a science lesson about sound waves, Iris finds out about a whale who is unable to communicate with other whales. The lonely whale awakens something in Iris. She’s determined to show him that someone in the world knows he’s there. One stolen credit card, two cruise-ship tickets, and the adventure of a lifetime later, Iris and the whale each break through isolation to help one another be truly heard in ways that neither had ever expected. KELLY LYNNE has spent 25 years as a signlanguage interpreter, enabling her to write Iris’s story with acute insight, awareness and sensitivity. Her first novel, the award-winning Chained (FSG, 2012), won the SCBWI’s Crystal Kite award, and sold 15,000 copies in hardcover. Lynne lives in Houston, Texas.
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05/02/2019 • 9781848126916 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99
28/09/2018 13:46
MARCH
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Astonishing debut writer bursts onto the scene
Potkin and Stubbs SOPHIE GREEN illustrated by KARL MOUNTFORD Lil Potkin lives in bleak Peligan City. Her mum works hard, so aspiring journalist Lil has all the time she needs to explore the city in her bright yellow raincoat, investigating unsolved stories. One rainy evening Lil meets a sad-looking boy sitting by himself in the bus station and buys him a hot chocolate. When he finally remembers his name (Nedly . . . possibly) he explains that he needs Lil’s help to find out what happened to him after he disappeared from his orphanage a year ago. Together they work out that Nedly is in fact . . . a ghost. So Lil and Nedly – aka Potkin and Stubbs – team up to solve the mystery . . . Funny, atmospheric, spooky – the perfect detective story for young readers with stunning cover and inside illustrations by Karl Mountford. SOPHIE GREEN writes children’s fiction and short stories. She has a degree in zoology and an interest in folklore. She was born and still lives in Suffolk and works as a children’s librarian in the public library service. Her first novel, unpublished, The Last Giant, was shortlisted for the Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition in 2011. Her short stories have been highly commended for the Bridport Prize 2012, longlisted for BBC Opening Lines in 2013 and 2015 and won second prize in Words with Jam in 2014. Before publication, Potkin and Stubbs was shortlisted for the Bath Children’s Novel Award for emerging novelists.
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07/03/2019 • 9781848127616 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99
KARL JAMES MOUNTFORD is an illustrator who works in both traditional and digital media. Karl specialises in book cover design and chapter illustrations but also works on picture books. Karl currently lives and works in Wales, where his sketch books rarely get a day off.
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MARCH
Perfect reads for boys and girls, with striking illustration by Japanese sisters Kanako and Yuzuru to complement the text
The Stig and the Silver Ghost JON CLAYDON AND TIM LAWLER Bunsfold, Surrey, and the nights are drawing in. A thick fog descends on the town and refuses to disperse. Is a malign spectre really afoot? The junior Top Gear Gang – Sam, Buster, Cabriola and Ford – have a theory. Four hundred years ago to the week, the villagers of Bunsfolde burnt a sinister crone who lived deep in the woods – and she appears to be making a return. But are the sightings simply publicity ruses engineered by Cruiser Corps? Or has the ghost of the old crone risen to seek revenge on the descendants of her village persecutors? The junior Top Gear Gang investigate – with the help of one very special white-suited chap stepping in just when he is needed – to race, and to save humanity . . . JON CLAYDON wrote sell-out shows at Edinburgh while at university before plumping for a career in advertising and technology investment that has seen him become a fixture on the Sunday Times ‘Britain’s 500 Most Influential People’ list. One day, while attending to one of many sidelines – as a columnist for Top Gear magazine – Jon had a moment. Alone in a lift, he met The Stig, who non-verbally communicated that it was high time someone wrote a book for his many younger fans. Jon called Tim, they fired up their flux capacitor and returned, sliding-doors-style, to the career they’d always thought they should have had in the first place.
21/03/2019 • 9781848126718 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £5.99
Look out for Book 4 coming in June!
TIM LAWLER wrote sell-out Edinburgh shows at university before spending many years in ventures such as building and filling a fringe theatre, performing stand-up poetry, living in various parts of the globe and working as an advertising brand planner.
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APRIL
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Beatrix the Bold and the Curse of the Wobblers
APRIL
Perfect for fans of Mr Gum, Hamish and the Worldstoppers, Fizzlebert Stump, King Flashypants and any funny 7–9 fiction – Illustrated throughout with black and white illustrations by Cherie Zamazing
SIMON MOCKLER Ten-year-old Beatrix is very good at telling jokes, dancing and throwing knives. She also happens to be a queen of a distant land – though she doesn’t know that yet. She also happens to be the queen who is quite possibly destined to lead the Wobblers to bold victory over the Evil Army – though she doesn’t know that yet either. Beatrix lives in an enormous golden palace with Aunt Esmerelda the Terrible and Uncle Ivan the Vicious, but as she’s only been allowed to see one new room per birthday, she’s only ever been inside ten rooms of the palace. Her aunt and uncle have always told her that if she goes beyond the woods outside the palace she’ll fall off the edge of the world. And the Dark, Dark Woods and all that lies beyond must be avoided at all costs – what if the dreaded Wobblers were to get her? But, finally, the veil Beatrix has been living under is starting to slip. Beatrix knows she needs to be bold. Beatrix knows she needs to look for answers. And she’s about to get them. SIMON MOCKLER studied art at Camberwell Art College and Modern Languages at Cambridge. He has worked as an artist, musician, teacher and civil servant and now works as a consumer law and advertising specialist. He lives in South London with his wife and two children, who keep asking him what he wants to be when he grows up. Beatrix the Bold is his debut novel.
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04/04/2019 • 9781848127654 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £5.99
Look out for book 2 in September!
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From the million-copy-selling author of the Roman Mysteries comes a nail-biting adventure in Roman London – where past meets present
Time Travel Diaries: The Girl with the Ivory Knife CAROLINE LAWRENCE Billionaire Solomon Daisy is obsessed with the skeleton of a blue-eyed girl from Roman London and recruits twelve-year-old Alexis Papas to help find her. Alexis’s mission is to go back in time through a portal in London’s Mithraeum and find out all he can about the blue-eyed girl. There are just three rules: 1. Naked you go and naked you must return. 2. Drink, don’t eat. 3. As little interaction as possible. But time travel is no picnic – and Roman London is far more dangerous than anyone could have known.
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CAROLINE’s Roman Mysteries books were first published in 2001 and have since sold over a million copies in the UK alone, and been translated into fourteen languages. The series was televised by the BBC in 2007 and 2008 with ten half-hour episodes. Filmed in Tunisia, Bulgaria and Malta, it was the most expensive BBC children’s TV series to date. Visit Caroline’s website: www.carolinelawrence.com 04/04/2019 • 9781848128002 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99
28/09/2018 13:46
MAY
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For fans of Roddy Doyle, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Morris Gleitzman and Louis Sachar
The Fearless Five BANNIE McPARTLIN We didn’t know what we were doing. We had no idea what we were up against. And we made a really big mess . . . And it was the saddest, scariest, weirdest, time in my life but it was also the best fun I ever had. And it started here . . . Jeremy, Jonny, Walker, Sumo and Charlie are about to have the summer of their lives. They’ve all just finished primary school and are looking forward to weeks of holiday freedom before they head off to their new schools. But they soon realise it’s not all going to be riding their bikes, making rope swings in the woods and climbing trees. Jonny’s mum is ill, really ill – and Jeremy decides there is only one way to save her. A way that might just involve a robbery . . . And by the end of it all – or perhaps somewhere in the middle – they will be The Fearless Five. And this will be a summer they will never, ever forget . . . BANNIE McPARTLIN lives in an ancient city once inhabited by Vikings and now Dublin people. She’s married to Donal, a drummer, guitar and piano player. He’s a man of many noises. Together they have four dogs: Trudy, Bonzo, Misty and Doris. Bannie has written fiction for adults for over ten years under the name Anna, but the kids she loves in her life call her Bannie so the name change is for them.
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16/05/2019 • 9781848128033 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99
28/09/2018 13:46
AUGUST
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The first in a brilliantly funny new series written by BBC Blue Peter’s Konnie Huq, featuring loads of madcap science projects!
Cookie KONNIE HUQ AND JAMES KAY Cookie loves science and can’t wait to get her hands dirty doing lots of great science projects! And when she gets to go on a science quiz on TV she is sure she will know all the answers and be top of the science class! Sadly things don’t go quite the way they should, but Cookie still manages to have fun! As the longest-serving female Blue Peter presenter, from 1997 to 2008, KONNIE HUQ is no stranger to the middle-grade market. She is currently an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust and the British Asian Trust. This is her first foray into children’s books and Cookie herself is inspired by Konnie’s own London Bangladeshi background and her love of science and being a bit nerdy.
08/08/2019 • 9781848128095 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99
MESSAGE FROM KONNIE: ‘These books are about a character who gets herself into all sorts of hilariously tight scrapes – mostly based on true-life experiences, as this is always happening to me!’
Co-author JAMES KAY is a writer and full-time human who lives in London. His hobbies include eating and breathing. At school he was voted least likely to become Prime Minister’ and he’s on course for this to be the case.
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Fairy tales vibrantly updated for the 21st century
AUGUST
Fierce Fairy Tales KONNIE HUQ AND JAMES KAY An anarchic, politically aware collection of fairy tales, completely updated for the 21st century. Meet Trumplestiltskin, Sleeping Brainy and the the Gingerbread Kid, among others. The vibrant, fresh voice of Blue Peter’s Konnie Huq, writing with James Kay, is going to shake up those fairy tales and give them some bite!
03/10/2019 • 9781848128118 • ROYAL HARDBACK • £12.99
Illustrated throughout and in a generous hardback format, this will make the perfect gift for young readers anywhere.
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28/09/2018 13:46
Stories are incredibly powerful, so if you become a writer, be careful. Your book could change the world.
How to Write a Great Story CAROLINE LAWRENCE Million-copy-selling author Caroline Lawrence shares her best tips. Featuring examples from all kinds of stories, including Black Panther, Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter, The Incredibles and Star Wars, Caroline explores every aspect of writing – from brainstorming a setting, to creating an opponent and finding your hero’s Achilles heel.
22/08/2019 • 9781848128149 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99
For nearly twenty years Caroline Lawrence has been going into schools to talk about her books and how she writes. She calls her presentation ‘How to Write a Great Story’ and explains how she comes up with the idea for her first main character, how she learned to write plot and how she adapted archetypal characters to be her hero’s friends. But over the past twenty years she hasn’t just been teaching, She has also been learning. She reads books on writing. She listens to interviews with writers, screenwriters and directors. She watches almost every new movie that comes out with a view to seeing what works and what doesn’t. And now, for the first time, she is publishing her secrets . . . CAROLINE’s Roman Mysteries books were first published in 2001 and have since sold over a million copies in the UK alone, and been translated into fourteen languages. The series was televised by the BBC in 2007 and 2008 with ten half-hour episodes. Filmed in Tunisia, Bulgaria and Malta, it was the most expensive BBC children’s TV series to date.
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OCTOBER
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A powerful, contemporary novel for readers of 9+ about slavery, friendship and standing up for what is right
The Invisible Boy ALYSSA HOLLINGSWORTH Twelve-year-old Nadia has discovered a new and dangerous secret: she is lonely. Then two things happen that change everything. She meets Eli, a boy around her age, and she finds a strange rock under some dried juniper branches. Flat and smooth, it has the letter X written across the top. Next day Nadia gathers her courage to take the rock to Eli. But something about Eli’s family is very strange. Why doesn’t he let her step close to the house? And are her new friends hiding their own secrets?
ALYSSA was born in small-town Milton, Florida. Wanderlust is in her blood, and she’s always waiting for the wind to change. Stories remain her constant. She has a BA in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from Berry College and an MA with honours in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University. Visit her website: alyssahollingsworth.com 03/10/2019 • 9781848127999 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99
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OCTOBER
A funny, adventurous and poignant standalone set in a world ruled by robots
The Last Human LEE BACON Humans went extinct thirty years ago. Now the world is ruled by machines. And twelve-year-old robot XR_935 is just fine with that. Without humans around, there is no war, no pollution, no crime. Every member of society has a purpose. Everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Until the day XR discovers something impossible. Until the day XR discovers a twelve-year-old human.
LEE BACON is the author of the Joshua Dread and Legendtopia series. His books have been published in Germany, France, Spain, Brazil, Latin America, China, Australia, New Zealand and Israel. Film and TV rights to Joshua Dread were recently optioned by Paul Weitz. Lee grew up in Texas and now lives in New Jersey. Visit his website at www.leebaconbooks.com. 03/10/2019 • 9781848128248 • B FORMAT PAPERBACK • £6.99
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