THE HAUNTED HILLS SPEAK

When Carl heads to the Derbyshire Peak District with his parents to recover from the fallout of a dreadful accident and the loss of his best friend Jack, he becomes caught up in a mystery centred on the tale of the Lost Lad. Carl can't decide if the hills around them are haunted, or if these happenings are figments of his imagination and he's being chased by his own demons. Carnegie-Medal winner Berlie Doherty has included a Derbyshire myth rooted in real events within a deeply moving story about the process of coming to terms with grief.

7+ by Alex Milway PICCADILLY PRESS, £6.99

The third story in Alex Milway's Big Sky Mountain series sees Rosa and her Grandma Nan head o to ToeDipper Bay to find out who has sent up a distress flare. They arrive to find the beach covered in plastic rubbish and a family of beach otters doing their best to clean up. Someone needs to head out to sea and investigate, but it's going to take the animals' assistance. With industrious otters, savvy hermit crabs and hungry pu ns, this is an adventure for younger readers with a great cast and a satisfying resolution.