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ajay and the mumbai sun

Ajay and The Mumbai Sun

Chapter book

A high-stakes adventure story full of heart from debut author Varsha Shah, featuring charming illustrations from Sònia Albert and shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2023.

Abandoned on the Mumbai railways, Ajay has grown up with nothing but a burning wish to be a journalist.

Finding an abandoned printing press, he and his friends Saif, Vinod, Yasmin and Jai create their own newspaper: The Mumbai Sun.

As they hunt down stories for their paper, the children uncover corruption, fight for justice and battle to save their slum from bulldozers.

But against some of the most powerful forces in the city, can Ajay and his friends really succeed in bringing the truth to light? Not to mention win the most important cricket match ever…

A high-stakes adventure story full of heart, written against the backdrop of modern India: Emil and the Detectives meets Slumdog Millionaire.

Winner of the Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition 2020.

Wonderfully illustrated by Sònia Albert and starring a lovable ensemble cast of characters.

Tackles tough topics such as social justice and truth in journalism with a lightness of touch.

future hero race to fire mountain

Future Hero: Race To Fire Mountain

Chapter book

The first book in a major new series: FUTURE HERO – featuring high-octane adventure, perfect for fans of Black Panther!

Destiny is Calling…

When Jarell discovers that the fantasy world he is obsessed with doodling is actually real, he is launched into an incredible adventure.

Ulfrika, the land of his ancestors, is in trouble and he is the hero they need.

With the help of brave and wise-cracking Kimisi, Jarell must stop the evil Ikala. The future of Ulfrika depends on it…

A winning blend of future tech gadgets and a fantasy world inspired by the mythology of Africa and its diaspora.

Jarell, an ordinary boy who loves to draw, is the chosen one to save the world of Ulfrika.

Told in accessible short chapters, filled with action and humour, this is a fun fast-paced adventure – with plenty more books in the series coming soon!

a flash of fireflies

A Flash of Fireflies

Chapter book

A magical middle grade book about family, friendship and finding your place, with a delicate touch of magic. Perfect for 10-12 year olds and fans of Jacqueline Wilson, Michelle Harrison and Kiran Millwood-Hargrave and The Girl Who Speaks Bear.

Hazel’s new life in England should have been the stuff of fairy tales; after all her Great Aunt’s cottage looked just like a gingerbread house, with a magical garden and whispering fireflies promising quests and adventures.

But as Hazel struggles to deal with the challenges of the everyday world –⁠ making friends, missing her family –⁠ she
also learns that every fairy tale has a dark side. And there are terrifying creatures that lurk in the shadows . . .

sade and her shadow beasts

Sade and her Shadow Beasts

Chapter book

For fans of ONWARD and A Monster Calls, this is an unmissable illustrated story about grief and love for young readers 9 and up.

Sadé has always loved escaping to her imaginary, rainbow-bright world. When her mum dies, the colours in her mind fade like old jeans, and her shadow beasts appear: Tiger with black claws, Hen with cracked feathers, Fox with giant hind legs and Lion with piercing blue eyes.

The shadow beasts are trouble. They follow Sadé to school and cause chaos wherever they go. Then Sadé joins a grief support group to work through her emotions, and slowly her beasts retreat.

But just as it’s her turn to perform her poetry at the school talent show, they’re back, larger and stronger than ever … can Sadé find the words to remember her mum in her own unique way, and banish her shadow beasts for good?

kiki kallira conquers a curse

Kiki Kallira Conquers A Curse

Chapter book

Kiki Kallira can bring her drawings to life…but when a mysterious curse threatens her newly-created kingdom and friends, how can she use her powers to save them? A fantasy adventure inspired by Hindu legends about anxiety, creativity and finding your own strengths. For 8+ fans of Abi Elphistone and The Land of Roar.

Fresh from the exciting discovery that the beautiful kingdom and band of rebel kids she drew in her sketchbook exists in another world, Kiki Kallira has an unexpected visitor. One of the rebels has come into the real world to ask for her help – the river Kaveri that is Mysore’s only source of water has suddenly vanished! With no water to drink or grow food, Kiki’s kingdom is doomed.

When drawing a new river doesn’t work, Kiki returns to Mysore and stumbles upon the origin of the Kaveri: a princess from long ago who was transformed into water by a terrible curse! It’s up to Kiki and her friends to restore the river without sacrificing the princess again. With her mounting anxiety, enemies seeking to stop her and a city growing weaker by the minute, Kiki’s confidence falters.

Will she be able to unravel the curse and save her kingdom before it’s too late?

smalls big dream

Small’s Big Dream

Picturebook

A beautifully lyrical and empowering picture book about the importance of dreaming big, from award-winning author Manjeet Mann and the exceptionally talented debut illustrator, Amanda Quartey.

Small lived in a small house.
She had a small room
with a small window
and at night
she slept in a small bed
with a too small blanket.

Despite being small,
Small had BIG dreams.

In Small’s world, everything is small – her shoes, her bed, everything. But her dreams are big. And Small discovers that when you dream big, anything – and everything – can happen.

Small’s Big Dream is the first picture book from Manjeet Mann, with artwork by exciting debut illustrator Amanda Quartey. Manjeet Mann is the author of the Costa Children’s Book Award winning The Crossing and critically acclaimed and Carnegie-shortlisted Run, Rebel.

john agards windrush child

John Agard’s Windrush Child

Picturebook

A BEAUTIFULLY EVOCATIVE STORY OF A CHILD’S JOURNEY TO ENGLAND ON BOARD EMPIRE WINDRUSH, FROM AN INTERNATIONALLY CELEBRATED, MULTI-AWARD-WINNING POET AND AN EXTRAORDINARY DEBUT ILLUSTRATOR.

“you’re stepping into history
bringing your Caribbean eye
to another horizon”

With one last hug, Windrush chid waves goodbye to his Caribbean home and sets sail across the ocean to Britain. In this powerful picture book, full of hope and promise, celebrated poet John Agard and illustrator Sophie Bass movingly evoke the journey made by children and their families as part of the Windrush Generation.

nours secret library

Nour’s Secret Library

Picturebook

Forced to take shelter when their Syrian city is plagued with bombings, young Nour and her cousin begin to bravely build a secret underground library. Based on the author’s own life experience and inspired by a true story, Nour’s Secret Library is about the power of books to heal, transport and create safe spaces during difficult times. Illustrations by Romanian artist Vali Mintzi superimpose the colorful world the children construct over black-and-white charcoal depictions of the battered city.

national monuments of the usa

National Monuments of the USA

Non-fiction

Travel through America’s incredible history and amazing wild places, visiting the National Monuments that celebrate the most iconic and majestic landscapes and locations in the USA.

Packed with maps and fascinating facts about the history, architecture, flora, and fauna in some of the most visited National Monuments in the United States, this gorgeously illustrated book showcases the nation’s most historically important and amazing places.

Marvel at some of the world’s most famous landmarks, such as the Statue of Liberty.
Discover lesser-known but just as breathtaking sites such as the Aniakchak volcano caldera. Read about geological wonders like the John Day Fossil Beds. Learn about places of solemn historical significance, such as the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument.

Divided into eight chapters covering the breadth of the US, pictographic maps locate each of the monuments explored, while double-page, poster-worthy scenes convey the beauty of the areas featured.

up in the canopy

Up In The Canopy

Non-fiction

This exquisite book explores one huge tree in the jungle, from roots to canopy… with a huge fold-out surprise at the end.

Offering a perspective rarely seen, Up in the Canopy explores the rainforest layer by layer, as we climb the incredible Kapok tree – a 100-metre tropical tree in the heart of wildest South America – in search of the elusive Harpy eagle which lives almost exclusively at great heights.

With artwork as rich and dense as the rainforest itself, there is much to explore at every level, and readers can scour the forest floor, understory and canopy for the world’s rarest and most beautiful tropical creatures. Finally reaching the top, they are rewarded with the most magical sight…

As told by James Aldred, author of The Man Who Climbed Trees, and published in conjunction with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

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Stone Girl Bone Girl

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