Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd

The Neverland Thieves

Chapter book

FLY BACK TO NEVERLAND IN A DAZZLING ORIGINAL ADVENTURE OF FRIENDSHIP, BELIEF AND MAGIC, FROM AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS KATIE AND KEVIN TSANG, FOR A WHOLE NEW GENERATION OF READERS.

Royalties from the sale of The Neverland Thieves support Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity. GOSH Charity funds groundbreaking research into children’s health, cutting-edge medical equipment, child-centred medical facilities and support services for seriously ill children and their families.

Tom is a patient at Great Ormond Street Hospital. When his best friend, Felix, comes to visit, exciting and mysterious things start to happen. Gold dust appears, music plays and the stone creatures in the chapel magically come to life. Soon Tom, Felix and their new friend Daisy are flown to the magical world of Neverland. Adventures lie ahead with mermaids, pirates and the Lost Boys and Girls. But trouble is afoot in this magical place and soon the three friends find themselves blamed for a series of thefts. To clear their names, they’re going to have to take on the villainous Beekeeper or be branded as the Neverland Thieves forever . . .

IT’S TIME TO TAKE BACK THE MAGIC!

The Neverland Thieves celebrates the magic of JM Barrie’s Peter Pan, one of the world’s most treasured story-book worlds. Perfect for fans of Impossible Creatures, Greenwild and Studio Ghibli.

A donation will be given by Simon & Schuster (UK) Limited to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (Registered charity no. 1160024) in connection to the publication of this book.

Pudding Now Please

Lauren Child

Picturebook

First in an absolutely new and original series from Charlie and Lola creator Lauren Child, starring Lola and her friend Lotta.

Meet Lotta and Lola! They are small and very chattery. TODAY, they are chattering about kindness and how to have goodish manners…

There’s ‘hello’ and also ‘thank you’. There’s ‘please’ and also ‘you’re welcome’.

And why isn’t it goodish manners to say: ‘Pudding now please!’?

Well, maybe Lotta and Lola can help with that…

First in a new and original series from award-winning author-illustrator Lauren Child
A funny, delightful, distinctive picture book that explores the question of manners with humour and imagination.
The perfect way to start a conversation with young readers, the books in this new series celebrate the power of communication.

Stableheart: Helping Hero

Nicci Johnson

Chapter book

The first book in a brand NEW horse series full of heart, set in an inner city riding stables. Perfect for fans of Heartland and Tracy Beaker.

Eleven-year-old Pres can barely remember her mum. Now, she’s leaving behind her foster parents to go and live in the city with her eccentric Aunty Janelle.

Here she discovers Stableheart, a riding stables in the heart of the city, and meets Hero, a bay pony who has his own secrets.

Hero won’t let anyone touch him, let alone ride him. But Pres knows all about difficult pasts and together they’ll learn that sometimes to make a place a home, you have to let the past catch up with you . .

A contemporary horse series with a diverse cast of characters, for children who love horses!

Class Pets

Beach

Graphic novel

When the kids are away, the pets will play! A side-splittingly hilarious graphic novel for fans of The Secret Life of Pets and Bunny vs Monkey.

A new animal is arriving at St Bernard’s Academy, and the current class pets could not be more excited. That’s until who they find out their new friend is actually a terrifying, and very hungry, snake! He’s already eaten the headteacher and has his eye on some more furry snacks.

It’s up to the class pets to join forces and save the day, but everything they know will be tested in an epic fight to survive. Can Goldie the fish find a use for school cafeteria food? Will Mrs Sprinkles the Guinea pig discover if there’s ever a wrong time for glitter glue? Can Ken the stick insect survive being cut in half?

These questions and MORE answered in a the first of a riotous new young fiction series from best-selling picture book superstar Beach.

Things to Teach Your Grown-up

Colette Hiller & Corrie Gorman

Picturebook

This is an entertaining and interesting book – the content is as much for adults as for children. The rhythm and rhyme gives it the flavour of a Dr Seuss book and the message is in fact very worldly-wise!

Although the pattern and ‘sing-song’ verse gives it an early years simplicity, the sophisticated vocabulary and the message itself directs the book towards slightly older children – Years 1 to 3 in school. The book could work as a ‘spot the details’ page turner; inspiring conversations about fun and games, being ‘in the moment’ and the tantalising, minute details that young children notice all around, when so often as adults we miss the magic!

In a nutshell, it is about adults having the head space to pause and play with their little ones, and about children choosing the right moment to educate their grown-ups in the wonder of it all!

Deep Dark: A Cassia Thorne Mystery

Zohra Nabi

Chapter book

The dark was deep; it opened like a cavernous mouth and swallowed the boy whole.

Cassia Thorne leads a double life. By day, she sells ballads at Bartholomew Fair. By night she spends her evenings locked up in Fleet Prison. Cassia has plans of escaping both of these lives. But this year there are rumours of children being snatched off of the streets of London and no one willing to help.

So Cassia decides to take matters into her own hands; with the help of a young pickpocket, Teo and her friend Felix, Cassia starts to investigate the disappearances. She soon discovers a sinister conspiracy at the heart of the city – mysterious men in blue coats and whispers of a beast that lives in the deep dark tunnels below the city. Can Cassia get to the bottom of the mystery and rescue the missing children before it’s too late?

Join Cassia and her friends on a spine-tingling supernatural adventure through the streets of London!

This is a breathtaking new direction from a rising star and the author of The Kingdom Over the Sea, a Waterstone’s Children’s Book of month.

Operation: Evil Genius

Danny Wallace & Gemma Correll

Chapter book

We absolutely love Danny Wallace’s books for their signature dry humour and Operation Evil Genius is another brilliantly funny addition to the library.

Wallace has a wonderful knack for capturing the real-world niggles and grumbles that drive human behaviour, offering a witty take on the everyday frustrations that children will find honest and instantly recognisable, knowing that things go awry when retaliating to those niggles is left uncapped. This time, that trademark wit follows a protagonist whose elaborate plans to get back at a former best friend backfire hilariously at every turn.

A high illustration-to-text ratio makes this incredibly readable, ramping up the comedy while keeping the pages turning quickly for reluctant readers. Beneath the laugh-out-loud moments, the story cleverly tackles shifting friendships, handling envy and navigating grief. A fantastic, high-energy pick for KS2 bookshelves.

The Wonder

Tom Percival

Chapter book

This is a sweet story about finding wonder all around. It follows Daniel on a grey, rainy day where everything feels flat and dull, until he starts noticing the flashes of joy, beauty and wonder in the world around him.

The use of colour is what makes this story special. The illustrations start in muted greys to mirror Daniel’s mood, and, beautifully, as he shifts his perspective, brilliant bursts of colour begin to drop onto the page.

This is a moving and powerful story with lots to notice and discuss, and a reminder to seek out the magic in the everyday.

Wild Magic: Escape of the Sea Turtles

Abiola Bello & Emma McCann

Chapter book

Wild Magic: Escape of the Sea Turtles, returns readers to the magical world of twins Misha and Ziggy in their third adventure of the Wild Magic book series.

This time, the story takes them to Mexico, where they work together to help sea turtles. The story will appeal to readers who enjoy stories about animals, magic and adventure. The choice of language used throughout make it accessible to all and easy to follow. A wonderful story which is sure to encourage readers to want to read the other books in the series.

One of the strongest parts of the story is the way it highlights the problem of plastic pollution in our oceans and the real-life impact this is having on animals; readers will be inspired by the twins’ determination to help the turtles. Their courage and kindness make them easy characters to care about, and their mission gives the story a clear sense of purpose. The magical abilities of the twins add extra excitement also. Misha can talk to animals, while Ziggy can shape-shift into them, which makes the adventure even more imaginative and fun to read, as well as likely making the reader wish for their own magical animal power too!

There are interesting facts at the end of the book all about sea turtles and Mexico that add educational value. Some of these facts are trickled into the actual story itself. These extra details will interest readers who enjoy learning about different animals and geography.

This was a great read that would perfect as a class read or beginning chapter book for an independent reader.

Basil Dreams Big

Lu Fraser & Sarah Warburton

Picturebook

We love Lu Fraser’s animal stories. In this one, poor Basil is convinced he’s the only fruit bat who can’t fly. Despite Moth’s best efforts, Basil just can’t get off the ground. A sudden storm puts his friends in danger and Basil finds that he is able to use his wings after all.

Told in a bouncy rhyme that’s so much fun to read aloud, this is a top pick for KS1. Children of this age absolutely love a peek into the nocturnal world of bats and moths, but also delight in following the story that presents a relatable problem about self-belief (children who have recently learned to swim or ride a bike will relate to Basil’s journey). The story makes an ideal springboard for discussions about growth mindset and perseverance.

Totally ‘batty’ and oodles of fun!

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Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd

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