Shortlisted for Foyles Book of the Year 2024
Take flight on this beautifully-written, epic and soaring new adventure, perfect for fans of Abi Elphinstone, Aisling Fowler, A. F. Steadman and Pari Thompson.
Astrid has lived in the rhubarb shed her whole life. The outside world is dangerous, Mama explains; she will understand when she’s older, but she cannot set foot beyond the door. Astrid longs to see the world; to meet other children; to live in the farmhouse with Mama. But what she longs for most of all is to see the stars.
Then one night, a stranger unlocks the shed: a stranger with wings. She has come to take Astrid to a secret city in the sky called London Overhead, far above the highest peak of the Shard. For Astrid, like her, is a Librae – and will soon grow wings of her own . . .
Astrid is swept into a breathtaking and magical world of new friendships, sweeping adventures and unimaginable discoveries at the ancient, beautiful school for Librae students: Starminster. But quickly she learns that all is not well in the glimmering city. And when rumours abound of missing children in London Underfoot, she begins to realise that Mama may have been right about the dangers waiting for Astrid all along . . .
Book one in a quirky, funny new witchy trilogy for beginning readers. Meet Witch Wendy. She's pretty much a disaster, as witches go. She muddles up her magic. She keeps crashing her broomstick. She doesn't even Smell as nasty as the other witches. Luckily, her cat Snowflake is a very smart kitty - and is always there to help her out of trouble...Witch Wendy needs a new hat. Hers is all floppy and keeps falling in front of her eyes, making her crash her broomstick. Then, one dark night, she lands by a pothole and finds a fantastic array of tall, pointy hats with bobbles on top. It's love at first sight - Wendy must have one! But these witches' hats aren't quite what they seem...
On his ninth birthday Gwyn is given some strange gifts by his grandmother. They lead him to the snow spider and a series of encounters with strange other worlds of snow and silver, finally revealing the fate of his lost elder sister.
NORBERT RIDDLE lives in the United State of Earth, where normal means following the rules, never standing out, and being exactly the same as everyone else. He's been normal his whole life - until a moment of temporary hilarity when he does a funny impression of the country's dictator ... and gets caught!
Now Norbert's been banished to the Astronuts Camp on planet Zorquat 3, where kids who defy the rules are exiled forever. He's been taught his whole life that different is wrong, but everyone at Astronuts seems crazy creative ... or are they just plain crazy?
The Blythes are a big, warm, rambunctious family who live on a small farm and sometimes foster children. Now Prez has come to live with them. But, though he seems cheerful and helpful, he never says a word.
Then one day Prez answers the door to someone claiming to be his relative. This small, loud stranger carries a backpack, walks with a swagger and goes by the name of Sputnik.
As Prez dithers on the doorstep, Sputnik strolls right past him and introduces himself to everyone in the household. Prez is amazed at the response. The family pat Sputnik on the head, call him a good boy and drop food into his mouth. It seems they all think Sputnik is a dog. It's only Prez who thinks otherwise.
But Prez soon finds himself having to defend the family from the chaos and danger unleashed by Sputnik, as household items come to life - like a TV remote that fast-forwards people: 'Anyone can do it, it's just that people don't read the instructions properly'; and a toy lightsaber that entertains guests at a children's party, until one of them is nearly decapitated by it – and Prez is going to have to use his voice to explain himself.
It turns out that Sputnik is writing a guidebook to Earth called Ten Things Worth Doing on Earth, and he takes Prez on a journey to discover just those ten things. Each adventure seems to take Prez nearer to the heart of the family he is being fostered by. But they also take him closer to the day that he is due to leave them forever . . .
George and his best friend, Annie have been selected as junior astronauts - part of a programme that trains up young people for a trip to Mars in the future. This is everything they've ever wanted - they get to be a part of up-to-the minute space discoveries and meet a bunch of new friends who are as fascinated by the universe as they are.
But when they arrive at space camp, George and Annie quickly learn that strange things are happening - on Earth as well as up in our skies. Mysterious space missions are happening in secret, and the astronaut training they're undertaking gets scarier and scarier . . .
The fifth adventure in this series by Lucy and Stephen Hawking - also containing up-to-the-minute scientific facts and information by the world's leading scientists.
An pulse-pounding, underwater adventure from the bestselling
author of Darwin's Dragons!
'Real science is used to create mind-blowing magic, in an
underwater world that will take your breath away –
and give you gills instead.' LAUREN JAMES
'A simultaneously magical and visceral experience
which kept me gripped until the last page.' DAVID
OWEN
'A unique, thrilling read with twists that will keep you gripped
until the very last page.' SARAH J. HARRIS
'Galvin is a thrilling storyteller, untangling a dense plot
in brief, suspenseful chapters, her prose almost trance-like' TELEGRAPH
When Aster wakes alone on a tropical island, she has no idea what
has happened, why she is there, or where to find her younger
sister, Poppy.
Meanwhile Sam, who once met the sisters on a plane, makes links
between the mystery of their disappearance and suspicious happenings
in his own life.
In a stunning dual narrative, the truth unravels with devastating
effect – and the answer lies in the secret underwater world
surrounding the desert island, populated by the beautiful and
the impossible ...
An excitingly original thriller for young teens by Lindsay
Galvin, bestselling author of Darwin's Dragons.
Pulse-pounding and mysterious, with the action split
between the wilds of New Zealand and a remote tropical
island.
Fantastic plotting is enhanced by gorgeous, visual writing,
vividly conjuring a tropical underwater world.
Themes of bereavement, ecology, science and family.
A highly illustrated fiction series about young inventor
Harley Hitch, from award-winning author Vashti Hardy.
Join Harley, her robot dog Sprocket
and best friend Cosmo for problem-solving
adventures and mysteries in Inventia, a world
where science rules and technology grows
in the forest; and where exploding science projects,
giant slugs and runaway robots are all part of a normal school
day.
The Iron Forest near Harley’s home is unlike any other –
plants and trees grow cogs and hinges and other mechanical
parts – and all of Inventia depends on it. So when a strange
fungus is discovered, there’s a race to
find a solution. Without essential parts for inventions, the town
is quickly falling apart…
But just who or what is behind the mysterious infestation?
Harley decides it’s up to her to save the day –
with chaotic results!
