Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books

How to Steal the Future

Chapter book

The Traitors meets the Spider-Verse in this fast-paced, action-packed adventure with mind-bending twists by the bestselling author of Escape Room, Christopher Edge. Perfect for readers of 10+.

‘A writer of genuine originality’ The Guardian

The maze is a dangerous place. The maze is ever-changing. The maze has never been solved.

How to Steal the Future follows twelve-year-old Drew Blake, who faces the ultimate challenge. At the heart of a heavily guarded maze lies a secret – known only as the Avenir – which has the power to unlock the future. Many have tried to steal the Avenir, but no one has ever succeeded. Drew is the latest to try, just like his sister Evie did before him. But Drew has his own secret: he doesn’t care about the Avenir; he must find his sister.

Facing dead ends, traps and double-crosses Drew realizes that the maze holds secrets more dangerous than he ever imagined. Can he find the Avenir and save Evie before it’s too late? His future depends on it . . .

The 13-Storey Treehouse: Colour Edition

Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton

Chapter book

The 13-Storey Treehouse – in colour! The first bestselling book in Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton’s wacky treehouse adventures, packed full of comic book style illustrations! Perfect for fans of Dog Man and Bunny vs. Monkey, this book will make you laugh-out-loud on every page.

Andy and Terry live in the WORLD’S BEST treehouse! It’s got a giant catapult, a secret underground laboratory, a tank of man-eating sharks and a marshmallow machine that follows you around and shoots marshmallows into your mouth whenever you’re hungry! Just watch out for the sea monkeys, and the monkeys pretending to be sea monkeys, and the giant mutant mermaid sea monster . . . Oh, and, whatever you do, don’t get trapped in a burp-gas-filled bubble . . . !

Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up!

Climb more fun-filled levels by collecting all thirteen books in the seven million-copy-selling series – the perfect chapter books for reluctant readers. And dive into even more fun adventures in the brilliant You and Me series.

The Common Criminals Club: Death Before Detention

Alison Weatherby

Chapter book

Welcome to the Common Criminals’ Club, a new cosy murder mystery series for middle-grade and teen readers, full of doodles, danger and devious criminals – if you love Robin Stevens, Katie Kirby, Derry Girls, or The Mysterious Benedict Society, step right up: here’s your next reading obsession!

This is the story of how we . . .
– Discovered a dead body
– Launched an investigation
– Battled mean girls, feral bats, and nearly destroyed our three-year friendship all in the noble pursuit of solving a complex murder

Mae Flynn is used to the chaos of her rural Irish Catholic boarding school, but she isn’t expecting to discover a dead body in the school kitchen. To make matters worse, the hapless victim, Conor Haddock, was the previous owner of the school building and had recently been talking about selling up, alongside getting on the bad side of seemingly every adult Mae knows. In other words: the suspects are endless.

Along with her best friends, the self-named Common Criminals’ Club, Mae is determined to solve the murder. But the more she uncovers, the more she begins to suspect that everyone around her is hiding something. Soon it’s not only her lessons and friendships at stake, but her very life . . .

Wiggling Words

Kate Rolfe

Picturebook

From the creator of the Waterstones Prize-shortlisted Wolf and Bear, an inspiring story about a child lost in a forest of letters. The perfect book to share with children with dyslexia and other neurodivergence to encourage problem-solving and build confidence.

Verbs, also known as action words, can be pesky things to master and nobody understands the struggle better than the young child in Wiggling Words. Skip, trip, fumble and fall with them as they discover that even though words can be tricky, they can be fun too!

Written and illustrated by Kate Rolfe, winner of the prestigious V&A Student Illustrator of the Year and Macmillan Prize for Illustration runner-up.

The Great Green Island

Becky Colvin

Picturebook

Meet adventurous Ali, a nature-loving girl with a mystery to solve on an island that is much more than it seems. Because this small island holds a big secret. A magical secret in the shape of a Great Green Crocodile . . .

Ali lives with her Dad on a beautiful island with a busy fishing village. So busy in fact that, no matter how hard she tries, Ali can never persuade anyone to stop what they are doing and come exploring with her. That is until the morning everyone wakes to find ALL the fish have disappeared. Every. Last. One.

Who – or what – could have taken them?

The Great Green Island weaves mystery and adventure with the wonders of nature, reminding us all to stop and experience the world around us – and to do it together! Inspiring and imaginative, this is a tale that will make you see magic.

Shortlisted for two children’s book awards, this is a stunning first picture book from Becky Colvin, winner of the Macmillan Prize for Illustration 2023.

The Impossible Gladiator

M.G. Leonard & Manuel Sumberac

Chapter book

The action adventure of Gladiator meets the time travel of Doctor Who in the third title of this epic series by bestselling award-winner M. G. Leonard. Perfect for 8 to 12-year-old fans of Adventures on Trains. Supports the curriculum. Illustrated throughout in black and white by Manuel Šumberac.

Sim, Jeopardy and Nelson are enjoying an amazing holiday in Rome, until they they are swept up in the mysterious disappearance of world-famous illusionist Kinetic. He vanished during a live broadcast from the Colosseum, but he never reappeared. When Kinetic’s sister finds a strange description in a history book of a gladiator who sounds uncannily like her brother, the friends are determined to help.

They travel through secret time doors to the spectacular — and deadly — Colosseum in Ancient Rome, but can the brave trio survive long enough to find Kinetic and bring him home?

The Impossible Gladiator can be read as a stand-alone novel, or enjoyed as part of the thrilling Time Keys series written by M. G. Leonard. Follow Sim, Jeopardy and Nelson’s adventures in Ancient Egypt, Hunt for the Golden Scarab, and Viking Norway in The Legend of Viking Thunder.

Alex Abbott is [Un]Dead

Louise Austin

Chapter book

Wednesday meets Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good in the first book in an hilarious new adventure series about ordinary kid and reluctant vampire Alex Abbott by debut author Louise Austin. Perfect for readers of 8 to 12.

I’m Alex Abbott. I was a completely ordinary kid until I accidentally got turned into a vampire. I have cool powers, but they’re seriously not worth it, because I have to:

1. Keep the powers secret, even from my best friends (nightmare)
2. Still go to school every day (thanks, Mum and Dad)
3. Never eat chips or ice-cream ever again (the WORST)

Actually, that’s not the worst. Trying to find a cure, I blundered into the supernatural world, broke an ancient pact and extinguished 32 tiny fire sprites (my bad). Now I’m on an epic quest to right those wrongs and make a deal with an ancient Sicilian fire demon to get my life back. What could possibly go wrong…?

InvestiGators: Case Files

John Patrick Green

Graphic novel

Laugh yourself silly with the latest hilarious adventure in the InvestiGators series! InvestiGators: Case Files is a special solve-along edition of the full colour comic book series by John Patrick Green. Find clues, spot suspects and crack six new cases alongside the InvestiGators! Perfect for fans of Dog Man and Bunny vs Monkey.

Immersive mystery-solving fun – the perfect book for holidays, car journeys and rainy days!

Mango and Brash are back, and this time they’re asking you to help them crack the case! The InvestiGators have been given the G.R.I.D., a brand-new tool to help gather evidence and clues. Using the prompts in each chapter, readers can make their own deductions alongside the Gators and solve the case! Featuring plenty of familiar faces from investigations past, and packed full of hilarious hijinks, join Mango and Brash as they get to the bottom of cases big and small!

Collect all the books in the InvestiGators series by John Patrick Green: InvestiGators, Take the Plunge, Off the Hook and tons more. Don’t miss Agents of S.U.I.T., the spin-off series featuring Mango and Brash’s colourful coworkers.

The Gruffalo Pop-Up

Axel Scheffler & Julia Donaldson

Picturebook

Bring the deep dark wood to life with this amazing pop-up gift edition of the bestselling picture book, The Gruffalo, perfect for gifting this Christmas.

Read the classic story and discover what happens when a quick-witted mouse comes face to face with an owl, a snake . . . and a hungry gruffalo! The story is brought to life by incredible pop-up scenes and characters, including a huge 3D Gruffalo.

The Gruffalo Pop-Up is a stunning hardback gift edition of the classic story and is sure to delight parents and children alike.

Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s The Gruffalo is an undisputed modern classic and has become a bestselling phenomenon across the world with over 18 million copies sold. This award-winning rhyming story of a mouse and a monster has found its way into the hearts and bedtimes of an entire generation of children and will undoubtedly continue to enchant children for years and years to come.

Ten Christmas Bottoms

Barry Timms & Mike Byrne

Picturebook

Count down from 10 with Santa’s cheeky little reindeer! Ten Christmas Bottoms is a laugh-out-loud rhyming story for preschoolers – a festive twist on the nursery rhyme Ten Green Bottles.

At the North Pole, a gang of mischievous little reindeer sneak out of their stalls, fly off with Santa’s sleigh and munch their way through far too many sprouts! With hilarious rhymes, busy scenes full of surprises, and a special fold-out ending, this book is perfect for festive bedtime giggles and storytime fun.

Learn & play!
• A number line to count up to 10 and back down again
• A page of simple adding up
• Bold, playful illustrations to keep little readers engaged

Written by Barry Timms and illustrated by Mike Byrne, Ten Christmas Bottoms is a must-have for toddlers and preschoolers who love silly stories and counting fun!

For more Sums with Bums check out Ten Green Bottoms and Ten Red Bottoms!

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