A forgotten classic brought back into print for the first time in decades - the missing literary sister to Anne of Green Gables and Tracy Beaker, a tough and spirited girl's adventures growing up in a northern post-war mining town.
‘I told our Lucy I’m going to be a writer when I grow up and she said, ‘You should be a good one then. You tell enough lies.’
Psst! We know you shouldn’t really read something labelled ‘private’ but this book is special. It’s written by young girl growing up in a mining town in 1948 who is practising to become a writer when she grows up…possibly. It’s hard work being a writer. There’s no privacy in a house with six kids and there’s no time, especially if you have to go to school and to dancing class (and wear frilly knickers) and Sunday school (and sing about being a sunbeam). You’re supposed to write about what you know, which means this book is about annoying sisters with no sense of humour and brothers who think they know everything, and bullies and chicken spots and being run over. Sometimes you can write about good things that happen, like going to the seaside or Christmas Eve, but mostly the stories end with being sent to bed early in disgrace. But when the writer is a tough, spiky and funny as this one, her adventures will always be worth reading.
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 . . .
Special Agent Bex arranges to meet teenage Kieron in a café 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. She needs to get Kieron out of danger's way - but just as they get to the flat, it too explodes.
Bex is forced to face the possibility that someone wants to kill her team, but whoever it is doesn't know about Kieron. That may be their only saving grace. But how were the explosions managed? And who wants them dead?
High-octane action and fast-paced adventure - guaranteed.
Awarded Highly Commended in the Selfies Children's Book Awards, 2023 and a Wishing Shelf Book Award finalist, 2022.
Theo Duncan is just an ordinary student. Except he also happens to be the son of the Prime Minister, Will Duncan.
When the parliamentary mace is stolen from inside the Houses of Parliament, Theo is determined to help his dad get it back. But he can't do it alone. And when help is offered, there's a problem. It comes from the new girl at school, Sammy Jhor, who's a supporter of the opposition party.
Theo and Sammy form an unlikely team to spy on government officials, sneak through the corridors of Downing Street and pursue the thief through the Palace of Westminster.
But when the evidence points to suspects at the highest levels of government, finding the thief could threaten Will Duncan's leadership.
Can Theo and Sammy put aside their differences to find the mace - and the thief - before the government is brought to its knees?
This book is recommended for readers aged 10 years plus. Perfect for fans of Murder Most Unladylike and Adventures on Trains who are looking for their next mystery series.
Nick Brooks's Promise Boys is a trailblazing, dark YA mystery about three teen boys of colour who must investigate their principal’s murder to clear their own names. For fans of Angie Thomas, Jason Reynolds, and Karen McManus.
'Thrilling . . . Promise Boys will stay with you long after the last page' – Karen M. McManus, author of One of Us Is Lying
The Urban Promise Prep School vows to turn boys into men. As students, J.B., Ramón, and Trey are forced to follow the prestigious ""program's"" strict rules. Extreme discipline, they’ve been told, is what it takes to be college bound, to avoid the fates of many men in their neighborhoods. This, the Principal Moore Method, supposedly saves lives.
But when Moore ends up murdered and the cops come sniffing around, the trio emerges as the case's prime suspects. With all three maintaining their innocence, they must band together to track down the real killer before they are arrested.
But is the true culprit hiding among them?
This gripping thriller shines a glaring light on how the system too often condemns Black and Latinx teen boys to failure before they’ve even had a chance at success.
'A brilliant pulls-no-punches mystery with bruised hearts at its core' – Adam Silvera, author of One of Us Is Lying
The border's closed . . .
No one can get into Scotland, just like no one can cross the channel . . .
England is under the control of an authoritarian regime. Chips implanted in citizens' skin at birth mean anyone can be tracked, anywhere. But Jake, who breaks out of the Academy dorm he's been housed in, has decided to escape. To go off-grid. To join a small group of independent spirits determined to keep away from the government's prying eyes. The Outwalkers. Only with them will Jake have a chance to reach Scotland - and safety.
'Dark, enthralling feminist fantasy ... deft characterisation, intricate world-building and serpentine twists will appeal to fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J Maas' Guardian
'Intelligent, heartbreaking and fiercely feminist' Katharine Corr, co-author of Daughter of Darkness
Exile. Rebel. Healer. Three underestimated women, destined to be brought together by revenge in this dark and thrilling new YA fantasy.
Marzal - an exiled daughter with a plan for her return.
Rayn - a rebel blacksmith with a blade of blood.
Elena - a gentle midwife with a fiercely protected secret.
Each young woman wants peace for their country, but in times of war, not everyone fights by the same rules. As their countries burn around them, and the stakes of victory rise, each woman will have to decide how far she is willing to go for peace.
But the desire for revenge also burns deep...
A dark and thrilling new fantasy from the author of The Isles of Storm and Sorrow trilogy.
'Heart-stopping and addictive' - Maria Kuzinar, author of The Ship of Shadows
''Dark, enthralling feminist fantasy ... deft characterisation, intricate world-building and serpentine twists will appeal to fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J Maas.' - Guardian
'As beautiful as it is brutal, Black Heat is a seething ball of feminist rage and I loved it' - Anna Waterworth, author of The Girl Who Grew Wings
A timeless story of football, friendship and determination
from acclaimed author Rebecca Stevens – perfect for budding
Lionesses!
'Girls will be galvanized to follow their dreams, break boundaries
and play football!' SOUTH WALES EVENING POST
'... perfectly captured story of football and girls set during
WW1. A historical novel not just for football fans.' ANGELS
AND URCHINS
It’s 1917. Lily spends her days working in a munitions factory,
her nights picking metal out of her hair, and her lunchtimes
kicking a ball with her workmates.
Together they form a football team, the Rockets, and a league
soon follows. But when the war ends, the girls lose both their jobs
and their football.
Not Lily. If her only chance of being a goalie is to play with
the men, then that’s what she’ll do ...
The perfect read for aspiring young footballers –
and to cheer on England in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
Based on the true story of the original Arsenal Ladies'
team, one of several female-only teams which formed during WW1,
only to be met with a ban once the war ended
Rebecca’s novels have been shortlisted for the
Historical Association Young Quills Award and the Branford Boase
Award
On her first day in Grave's Pass, Raven McKay spotted a pooka horses chasing goblins in a vacant lot, three banshees on a bus, a zombie in ripped jeans staring in the window of a phone shop, a bogeyman walking a labradoodle, a ghost on a ladder cleaning windows, a ghoul sipping coffee at an outdoor cafe. This is Dead Town- this is Raven's new home. But will Raven find her parents who have mysteriously disappeared? And who in Dead Town Can she trust? All her parents have left her is a suit case with a black butterfly and a cryptic note.
A WORLD BOOK DAY TITLE FOR 2018.
Jemma knows who did the murder. She knows because he told her. And she can't tell anyone.
Fourteen-year-old Jemma has severe cerebral palsy. Unable to communicate or move, she relies on her family and carer for everything. She has a sharp brain and inquisitive nature, and knows all sorts of things about everyone. But when she is confronted with this terrible secret, she is utterly powerless to do anything. Though that might be about to change…
A page-turning thriller seen through the eyes of a unique narrator, this is a truly original, heart-rending and compulsive book for young adult readers. Perfect for fans of Wonder, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and Looking for JJ.
Penny Joelson began working with disabled people when she was a teenager, which gave her the inspiration and insight for this book. She teaches creative writing and lives in London with her family. Find Penny on Twitter: @pennyjoelson
