I grew up in a quiet corner of Welsh suburbia where nothing ever seemed to happen, so I quickly fell in love with stories that transported me to other places–worlds full of magic, mystery, and excitement. Now, I write my own stories, and those ingredients are still my favorites. I love exploring them in my writing and in the stories of others.
I wanted madcap, impossible worlds, and this book is packed with them. It was great fun to see my home country of Wales become a gateway to an interdimensional river, leading to a host of imaginative and compelling new planets.
This is pacey, funny, and action-packed, with some wonderfully quirky characters, including a sentient houseplant that communicates through Morse code.
Tapper Watson is just an ordinary Erisean boy who loves adventure stories. But when one of his sixty-seven cousins sends him away on a smugglers' submarine through the River Lethe to other worlds, he just wants to go home again. On an unscheduled visit to Earth he meets Fern Shakespeare, and a talking plant called Morse, and their adventures begin. And when he finds himself being chased through worlds by a pair of trigger-happy lobster mobsters in search of the mysterious Nemo Machine, Tapper begins to realise that he might not be so ordinary after all...
I absolutely fell in love with this book when I read it to my kids as a bedtime story. The plot is smart and pacey, and the writing jumps off the page.
Andy Jones strikes a fantastic balance between laugh-out-loud comedy and creepy, child-friendly horror in this time-hopping adventure, which is anchored by a trio of really likeable characters.
INTRODUCING BOB, ACCIDENTAL TIME TRAVELLER! THE HILARIOUS, ACTION-PACKED SERIES FOR AGES 8+
"Brilliantly bonkers" Maz Evans, author of Who Let the Gods Out? "Bold, clever and funny" P.G. Bell, author of The Train to Impossible Places
When Bob accidentally time travels and comes face to face with his future self in the middle of a disastrous alternative reality, he knows has to do . . . something. An evil genius has created a smile-operated camera that turns people into zombies!
Now it's up to Bob to fix the present, to change the future, and save the whole world! If only…
I’m a sucker for in-depth worldbuilding, and this book really delivers. Jess French cooks up a host of contrasting human cultures and throws them together in an unforgiving wilderness populated with fantastical creatures.
And thanks to her zoological background, the creatures have as much depth as the human characters. I’m already looking forward to the sequel.
A FANTASTICAL MIDDLE GRADE ADVENTURE FROM DR JESS FRENCH: TV PRESENTER, VET, CREATURE EXPERT AND CHILDREN'S AUTHOR!
"I absolutely loved this book! It's perfect for fans of Skandar and Fireborn, with brilliant world-building, great characterisation, and heaps of peril." - Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear
BEFORE THERE WERE PEOPLE, THERE WERE BEASTS . . .
The island of Ramoa was once luscious and populated with mighty beasts. Now though, it is home to barren and tamed cities, where nature is locked out and trouble is brewing.
When Kayla's beloved animal companion, a rare winged pangron, is stolen, she's…
I thought Hogwarts was special until I discovered the magical city of Nevermoor–a whole society filled with intrigue, surprises, and whimsical twists. (Giant talking cats, anyone?)
The central mystery is also gripping stuff, as cursed child Morrigan grapples with her powers and the dark presence of a powerful evil lurking just out of sight.
A breathtaking, enchanting new series by debut author Jessica Townsend, about a cursed girl who escapes death and finds herself in a magical world--but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination.
Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she's blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks--and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday.
But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters…
This book is set in my home country of Wales and draws deeply on Welsh folklore and mythology in a way I’ve not seen in many other Middle-Grade books.
Fisher establishes a dark and spooky tone for her mystery, which involves malignant fairies, a sinister old mansion and the titular crow–a living animatronic with some dangerous secrets.
A magical story of snow and stars by Catherine Fisher. The Clockwork Crow is a mysterious gothic Christmas tale set in a frost-bound Victorian country mansion. When orphaned Seren Rees is given a mysterious package by a strange and frightened man on her way to her new home, she reluctantly takes it with her. But what is in the parcel? Who are the Family who must not be spoken of, and can the Crow help Seren find Tom, before the owner of the parcel finds her? The Clockwork Crow is a gripping Christmas tale of families and belonging set in…
Trainee meadow witch Anwen is having a bad day–which gets much worse when a dead giant falls from the sky and destroys her village. But when she examines the body, she discovers something interesting. This giant was murdered, which means a killer is on the loose!
Tasked with sending a message to the giant kingdom via beanstalk, Anwen and her nemesis, trainee sorceress Cerys, accidentally find themselves whipped up into the sky and deposited in the giants' royal palace–where the king is missing. Using their perfect spy-size and witchy skills, the girls must track down his killer. But how can you investigate a murder mystery when you risk being stepped on by your suspects?
Serendipity is a magical story told by a grandmother to a granddaughter, introducing us to the traditional way of living of the Scottish Travellers and their Cant language.
A fantasy tale for children of 8 years old and older inspired by three real places in Scotland. Serendipity takes us to Helge's Hole in Forres, the Hermitage Forest in Dunkeld, and Glen Lyon in Perth on a quest for Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. It's a story of a grandmother's greater love for a granddaughter, a mother for a daughter, and the boundless bounty of the natural realm for each one of…
Not so long ago, nomadic communities in Scotland told stories around camp fires and slept in bow tents made of hazel and canvas. In this book, their culture is introduced through Cant's vocabulary, a dialect spoken by Scottish travellers. Following them, Serendipity takes you to Helge's Hole in Forres, Hermitage Forest in Dunkeld, and Glen Lyon in Perth, meandering through the valleys and cragged peaks of the Scottish Highlands, in a quest for Truth, Beauty and Goodness.
Dive into Scottish culture as the old grandmother, Julia, recounts to her granddaughter Gaia the tale of a little girl of pure heart.…
