Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly

Piccadilly Press​ ISBN 9781848129153 £6.99 Based on Filipino folklore, this is a powerful and challenging book for experienced readers. The author has previously won the Newbery Medal and certainly the quality of her writing shines through in this gripping tale. It is set on the fictional island of Sanalgita where life is treacherous, the future…

The Mask of Aribella, by Anna Hoghton

Chicken House Books ISBN 9781912626106 £6.99 This is a fantasy story set in a real place – Venice. You won’t learn very much about Venice, other than gondolas and canals; but you will read a cracking good story that gallops along, almost leaving you breathless. Aribella is just turned thirteen, daughter of a penniless lace-maker,…

Elsetime by Eve McDonnell

Everything with Words ISBN: 9781911427179 £8.99 This is all about two twelve year olds, Gloria and Needle, who live 50 years apart, yet meet up and share lots of adventures. Gloria, an orphan, lives with her 16 year old sister and they both need to work to pay the rent. Gloria aspires to be a…

The Impossible Boy by Ben Brooks

Quercus Children’s Books ISBN 9781540997 £9.99 A delightful story that will entertain and engage readers. Two best friends, Oleg and Emma, are bored in class so invent a boy called Sebastian Cole who arrives along with a host of mysterious happenings. Brooks has created a fun story with some nicely observed characters and lively realistic…