It has been a while since I wrote about some of the latest middle grade fiction that have appeared recently. There has been a continued interest in all things crime related as well as mythical beasts, alternate worlds and of course witches. In fact we have all been spoilt for choice, with not just some brilliant new books, but also continuing adventures from some of our favourite authors of the moment
Nosy Crow, 9781788000260
“Dragon in the Library” by Louie Stowell, illustrated by David Ortu. Well anything about a library is going to get me interested and this is no exception. When Kit and her friend visit the local library to get hold of a book by his favourite author something strange happens. Kit starts reading an information book and suddenly finds herself transported into the pages of the book; the librarian Faith Braithwaite see all of this and brings Kit back, they then try and find out why this happened. It turns out that Faith is a wizard and the library and some of the books in it act as portals to travel to other magical libraries, but best of all Kit and her friends find out that there is a dragon called Draca sleeping under the building. When an unscrupulous developer Hadrian Salt tries to buy the library they will all have to find some way to thwart his plans and save the library and the dragon. This is a really great story and I hope that there will be more, so that we can follow Kit and her friends as they get more involved with wizards.
Kelpies, 9781782505556
“Guardians of the Wild Unicorns” by Lindsay Littleson is a fantastic story from Scotland and is published by the wonderful Kelpies. Lewis and Rhona are on a school trip staying in the highlands, far away from their homes in Glasgow, when Lewis sees what appear to be unicorns he thinks he is imagining things, but what if they are real? The two friends find themselves trying to save these wild unicorns from people who see them as a way to make money, but they find that the task is not as easy as they hope. The unicorns in this book are not at all like the glittery and colourful ones you find in younger age books; these are wild ones in the same sense that those in Harry Potter are and it brings an added fascination and sense of reality to the theme of the story. Behind all of this we have the stories of two young people who are each coping with major issues at home and are not telling anyone, but by the end of the story they have realized that sharing problems can have a positive effect.
Piccadilly, 9781848127616
“Potkin and Stubbs” by Sophie Green, illustrated by K.J.Mountford, is a crime thriller but with a decided difference. Lil has always wanted to be a reporter and because she lives in a city where schools have been closed and her mother is out at work, she has opportunities to follow her ambitions. One evening she sees a young boy at the bus station cafe and offers to buy him a drink because he looks cold and hungry, however the truth is much stranger than that; Nedly is a ghost and Lil decides to try and discover where he had lived and how he died. The story gets darker and more dangerous as they get closer to the truth and they find that there are citywide crimes that need to be resolved. This is a fantastic story for those who love crime stories, with that little added twist of the supernatural.
Stripes, 9781788950220
“The Star-spun Web” by Sinead O’Hart and illustrated by Sara Mulvanney, is a magical tale of parallel worlds that should not connect, but where someone has created a machine to travel between them. Tessa suddenly arrived on the doorsteps of an orphanage as a baby, but there were some strange circumstances, such as the snow on her blanket, even though it was not winter. The story picks up when she is twelve and is claimed by a man purporting to be a relative. What happens next is strange, as she sees a boy through a mirror in the summerhouse and eventually she is able to transfer to this alternative world. It is still a version of the city of Dublin, but one where there is a war and it seems that someone wants to bring bombers through the gateway in order to conquer her own peaceful version of the city and country. Sinead O’Hart has a wonderful imagination and has created a group of characters full of caring and friendship on the one hand and some dastardly villains on the other hand. It is a story that leaves you with a great big smile at the end.
Scholastic, 9781407191553
“Wildspark” by Vashti Hardy (illustrations by George Ermos and Jamie Gregory) is one of those books that you know will leave an impression and you will probably want to read again. It is set in a world where the spirits of those who have died are able to be transferred into the bodies of animals. It is also a world where robots are used to do a lot of the work and being mechanically talented is a real skill. Prue lives on her parent’s farm and is a great engineer, but she has one ambition and that is to try and find the ghost of her brother and have him brought back to this second life. When she is chosen (or rather her dead brother is) to become an apprentice in the main city of Medlock, she thinks that her opportunity has come. This is a beautifully written story about what it is to be human, the love of family and the way we use technology and I really recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy, steampunk or books of extraordinary imagination.
Quercus, 9781786540782
“A girl called Justice” by Elly Griffiths is definitely one for those who love books by Robin Stevens, Laura Wood, Katherine Woodfine and Fleur Hitchcock among others. After the death of her mother, Justice (because her father is a criminal barrister) is sent to boarding school and soon finds an opportunity to use her super sleuthing skills. One of the school maids has gone missing and Justice suspects foul play. As she gradually settles into the strange world of a girls’ boarding school and makes friends, she also investigates the mysterious goings on and whether they have any links to a death from the past. This was a great read for those who love this mix of school and crime and I can’t wait for further adventures from this absolutely ‘spiffing’ heroine.
Nosy Crow, 9781788004503
“No Ballet Shoes in Syria” by Catherine Bruton. This is an amazing, heart breaking and yet very hopeful story of Aya, a young refugee from Syria and her mother and young brother. The main part of the story deals with their struggle to be allowed to remain in the UK and the hope that one day they will find Aya’s father, who was feared drowned as the crossed from Turkey to Greece. The other part of the story is about her love of ballet and the people she meets in a ballet class at the centre where they go to meet the case worker helping them. We are given parallels between Aya and the ballet teacher Miss Helena, who had come to England on one of the last Kinder transport trains and there is a lesson to be learnt about honouring those we have lost by achieving the potential that they believed we have. There is so much hope in this book but it is laced with much sorrow and I really suggest you have a box of tissues at the ready; also don’t read it on the bus or train!
Macmillan, 9781509874217
“Kat Wolfe takes the Case” by Lauren St John, illustrate by Daniel Deamo is the second story about young Kat and her friend Harper as they are caught up in more adventures on the Jurassic coast where they live. When a dinosaur is found by Harper’s father and his team (they are paleontologists), it leads to theft and possible smuggling by a gang trying to find “Dragons’ teeth” which are supposed to cure those suffering from incurable diseases. Once again Kat needs the help of her grandfather (the Minister of Defence) and begins to know him better as a person. This is a great story that mixes geology, animals, mystery and also friendship and family. It is an ideal story for some adventure and crime fighting.
“Malamander” by Thomas Taylor is a tale of mystery and monsters set in a world similar to ours, but with some major differences. Young Herbert Lemon works at the Grand Nautilus Hotel as a ‘Lost and Founder’, but he did not expect that he would be asked to find two people who had disappeared 12 years before. Their daughter, Violet Parma thinks that it is linked to a monster called the Malamander that is said to inhabit the wreck of an old vessel in the bay. This is a fabulously creepy yet funny book with amazing characters (and that is just their names) and a bookshop that every town should want. I look forward to further adventures from this intrepid pair of children.
Simon & Schuster, 9781471178733
“Sea-ing is Believing” by Steven Butler and Steve Lenton, is the next episode in the goings on at yet another weird and wonderful seaside hotel; only this time the hotel is for non-human guests and I don’t mean it is a pet hotel. This hotel caters for yetis, mermaids, and other such unusual clients. In this adventure Frankie’s great grandfather reappears as a ghost during the celebration of his 175th birthday. However something is not quite right and it is up to Frankie and a cast of incredible friends to save the hotel and all of those in it. As always these two Steves have produced a hilarious and very quirky story that will have everyone in stitches and longing for more of the same
OUP, 9780192771605
“The last spell-breather” by Julie Pike takes us to a place where magic still happens and spells are created and then breathed over the recipient. Rayne is the daughter of a spell breather, who protects their village from an undefined plague that has ravaged the country. When her mother disappears it is up to Rayne to keep everyone safe, but unfortunately she is not very good at spells and the results leave her running for her life. Her aim is to go to the city where her mother trained as a spell breather in the hope that she will find her mother and reverse the problems that she has created. Along the way she meets several new friends, but not all of them are what they seem and there is also a dark and sinister villain who brought the original disaster to the country. This is a beautifully conceived story with a frustrating young heroine who battles to do the best for everyone, but because she doesn’t always know the full facts, she gets things wrong. It really is a lesson in communication, listening, trusting people and the importance of family and friends.
Barrington Stoke, 9781781128558
“The Disconnect” by Keren David is a new story from Barrington Stoke and is aimed squarely at the young teen reader, especially those who are attached to their smart phones. Esther’s year group at school have been asked to do without their phones for six weeks and the winners will each get £1000 and the opportunity to be on a panel looking at the use of social media. Many of the young people decide not to take part, many fall at some point during the trial but Esther and her friends are determined to win. This is a fascinating look at how people depend on social media and what it means to be cut off from it. It is also about fake news and making sure that we understand the consequences of believing anything we read without checking. This is altogether a very timely book from one of our top authors for young adults.
Andersen Press, 9781781783448043
“The Bolds go Wild” by Julian Clary and David Roberts. Once again we join our wonderful family of urban hyenas in Surbiton; however this time they get a surprise visit from Fred’s mother Imamu and she is very definitely a WILD hyena. Whilst the children, Bobby and Betty are delighted by the visit they nearly give away the family secret when they are seen by their headmistress, with their tails showing below their clothes. However all is not lost, as Mrs Dobson, the head, has her own secret; she has a son who wants to become a chimpanzee. So the next thing is for the Bolds to help him achieve his ambition and then get him and Imamu back to Africa. You can always guarantee that there will be zany goings on with this family, but beneath it all there is a real sense of caring about letting people and creatures find their own place in the world.
I do hope that you will find something here that you will enjoy. We really are so lucky that there are some splendid books being published for this middle grade range and many of them deal with some quite serious subjects but in a very understated way, so that the reader is carried by the story line, rather than feeling they are being lectured. This is just the start of a much bigger selection that I hope to bring to you in the next month or so. Happy reading!
several years ago in a picture book, but now he is appearing in a work for ‘middle grade’ readers. Hubert Horatio is a very serious and extremely intelligent little boy; unfortunately he has two very frivolous and spendthrift parents, so it is lucky that they are millionaires and they have their son to keep them out of trouble. This book is published on 18th October, so I look forward to reading it and then talking about it; it sounds as if it is going to be great fun. The evening was finished off with a launch party at Waterstones, where it was lovely to meet up with friends and authors.
wowing the audience with the “Adventures of Kevin”, the story of a custard cream loving flying pony. The duo are famous for their songs about the characters in their books and this was no exception. we all came away with the ear-worm chorus going around our brains – “He’s the one, the one and only, roly poly flying pony”
200 pupils were absolutely fascinated by her pictures of beetles and understanding the importance of these creatures to our world. Whilst I am not sure I will ever want to get ‘up close and personal’ with beetles, I do have a greater understanding of their importance. However the most important thing about these books is that they are really great adventures with a truly evil villain and some fantastic heroes, both human and animal, so I thoroughly recommend them for KS2 pupils and beyond.
series of books by this French Canadian author and which was first published in 1994. It is a short and very witty story about what happens when Miss Charlotte arrives to teach a class of young children who do not enjoy school. Her somewhat eccentric methods eventually make her very popular, but the children find that they have to fight to keep the teacher they have come to love and admire. As a follow on, you might like to read “The Mysterious Librarian” which sees Miss Charlotte take on the challenge of encouraging children to enjoy reading.
“The Spooky School” by Tracey Corderoy and Steve Lenton is another set of short stories about the cake-baking, crime-fighting duo of Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam. They originally started their adventures in picture book format but have now branched out for the next age group. In this book they save jewels, fight ghosts and meet a fiendish new villain; a Red Panda called ‘Red Rocket’. It is great fun.
in the “Tanglewood Animal Park” series which follows the adventures of young Zoe, whose parents have bought Tanglewood Manor and turned it into an Animal Park. This story revolves around Tindu the male Tiger and the attempts to help him settle down in the park, before the arrival of his new mate. It is a charming story with a lot of information and a cast of characters that you can’t help but like. This is a super series, especially if you are an animal lover.
adventures of young Lady Miranda and her dog called Pug as they visit the local boating lake. However when things get out of control and Pug finds himself in the sea and being rescued by another young girl life becomes quite adventurous. This is the first in a series of adventures for the pampered pooch and joins the list of books written about the breed.
Pug related story only this time the hero is called Pugly and he is trying to bake a cake for his owner. Unfortunately his efforts seem to be being sabotaged by Clementine (Clem) the family cat. Most families with a mix of pets will understand the frictions between the main characters and the very funny scrapes that they get themselves in to.
“Marge and the Pirate baby” by Isla Fisher is the second book featuring Marge, a truly unique babysitter. This time she is looking after Jemima and Jake as usual, but finds herself having to look after their demon of a baby cousin called Zara. There are three short stories in this offering and I think that the author is really starting to be comfortable with her characters, which means that we become more involved with the stories. This is a funny and quirky book for both boys and girls.
where he is from. That is the situation that D.J and Gina find themselves in and they then have to try and find a way of sending him back home. This book is the first in a series of comic style books being published by Puffin. It is bright , well illustrated and full of humour; in other words it is great for boys in particular, although the strong female character makes it fun for everyone.
another one of their fantastically funny collaborations. Set in Funfair Moon it is full of zany aliens, dastardly villains and a clever heroine called Emily. As you would expect this will take you on a ‘roller coaster ride’ of excitement. The illustrations are full of the energy and humour that we have come to expect. It is a great book to read alone or to a class.
Teddington, disguised as humans. This book sees them and their friends going to Cornwall on their summer holidays. As usual there are lots of ‘groan worthy’ jokes as well as puns, both written and visual. I love the way that the author’s voice comes across so easily and the illustrator’s ability to translate all of this visually. A really great read for all ages.
on his nose as they are leaving his cave; that is when he finds that all his food is missing. He goes outside and discovers the wonder of the snow. Rabbit offers him a moldy old carrot to eat, which he is very grateful for. However he does not know that it is Rabbit who has stolen his food. When a wolf comes looking for some food the two friends have to work together and Rabbit in particular learns a few things about friendship. What a funny story with some gross elements such as Rabbit eating his own poo (yuck!)
Toad frozen solid in the ice house, little did they guess that it was the (in)famous Toad that they had heard stories of from their grandparents. Toad of course is just as excitable as in the past and when he finds that the weasels have taken over Toad Hall and want to knock it down for a housing estate, he is determined to get it back. With the help of his new young friends he finds a way to challenge the weasels. This is a great story full of charm and humour that really retains the spirit of the original and this is captured by the super illustrations by Holly Swain.
