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Topic: Books of the Month - Favourite Books of 2018

Chapter book

A gorgeously dreamy coming-of-age romance set against a stunning Gatsby-esque backdrop. Growing up in her sleepy Cornish village dreaming of being a writer, sixteen-year-old Lou has always wondered about the grand Cardew house which has stood empty for years.

And when the owners arrive for the summer – a handsome, dashing brother and sister – Lou is quite swept off her feet and into a world of moonlit cocktail parties and glamour beyond her wildest dreams.

But, as she grows closer to the Cardews, is she abandoning her own ambitions… and is there something darker lurking at the heart of the Cardew family?

This sweeping and evocative romance is perfect for fans of I Capture the Castle and Eva Ibbotson and its stunning foiled cover perfectly captures the deco time.

Chapter book

The dreadful strangers moved in on a wild and windy Thursday. ‘Fudgenuts,’ cursed Picklewitch, adjusting her cracked binoculars to get a better view of the comings-and-goings. ‘This won’t do at all. I bet they haven’t even bought me any cake.’

Picklewitch is, quite literally, out of her tree. She has a nose for naughtiness, a taste for trouble and a weakness for cake. And unluckily for brainbox Jack – winner of the ‘Most Sensible Boy in School’ for the third year running – she’s about to choose him as her new best friend…

Chapter book

The Nowhere Emporium has been stolen.

The shop from nowhere has vanished without a trace. Will it ever reappear?

As they search for the lost Emporium, Daniel and Ellie encounter magical bookshops, deserted islands, and an array of magicians (both dead and alive). Meanwhile a dangerous force is attacking the Emporium from the inside, waiting for a chance to break free.

In this highly anticipated sequel to the award-winning The Nowhere Emporium, readers will once again be transported into a magical realm where imagination is power and anything is possible. Loyal fans will be astonished by the new wonders beyond the Emporium’s doors as the gripping mystery unfolds.

Chapter book

In this compilation of four separately published books, Pakistani American second grader Yasmin learns to cope with the small problems of school and home, while gaining confidence in her own skills and creative abilities.

Chapter book

Emmeline Widget has never left Widget Manor – and that’s the way she likes it. But when her scientist parents mysteriously disappear, she finds herself being packed off on a ship to France, heading for a safe house in Paris. Onboard she is befriended by an urchin stowaway called Thing. But before she can reach her destination she is kidnapped by the sinister Dr Siegfried Bauer.

Dr Bauer is bound for the ice fields of Greenland to summon a legendary monster from the deep. And he isn’t the only one determined to unleash the creature. The Northwitch has laid claim to the beast, too.

Can Emmeline and Thing stop their fiendish plans and save the world?

A dazzling fantasy adventure, perfect for fans of ROOFTOPPERS , THE UNCOMMONERS and A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS.

Chapter book

From multi-award-winning Irish author Celine Kiernan comes a dark fantasy adventure about witches.

A middle-grade fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Frances Hardinge, Katherine Rundell and Sally Gardner. On the night that Aunty dies the Raggedy Witches come for Mup’s mam. Pale, cold, relentless, they will do anything to coax Mam back to Witches Borough. When they kidnap Mup’s dad, Mup and her mam must leave the mundane world to rescue him. But Mam is strange on this side of the border – striding, powerful, and distant. Even if they can save Dad, Mup is not sure anything will ever be the same again…

Chapter book

Austria 1945. After losing his family, Jakob shelters with Spanish Riding School groom Herr Engel at a remote country stables where they are hiding the precious Lipizzaner stallions the Nazis wants to steal. When a German officer comes looking for Jakob and finds the horses, Jakob and his guardian know they must get the stallions to safety, but the only way is straight through enemy territory. Joined by Kizzy, an orphan Roma girl, the three must guide the horses across the perilous Austrian mountains. Will they reach safety, and what will be waiting for them on the other side?

Chapter book

Follow-up to the New York Times Bestselling Raymie Nightingale , from an internationally revered author, twice winner of the Newbery Medal.

When Louisiana Elefante’s granny wakes her up in the middle of the night to tell her that the day of reckoning has arrived and they have to leave home immediately , Louisiana isn’t overly worried. After all, Granny has many middle-of-the-night ideas. But this time, things are different. This time, Granny intends for them never to return. Separated from best friends Raymie and Beverly, Louisiana struggles to oppose the winds of fate (and Granny) and find a way home. But as Louisiana’s life becomes entwined with the lives of the people of the small Georgia town in which they find themselves – including a surly motel owner, a walrus-like minister and a mysterious boy with a crow on his shoulder – she starts to worry that she is destined only for goodbyes. (Which could be due to the curse on Louisiana’s and Granny’s heads. But that is a story for another time.)

Chapter book

When a young boy visits his grandfather, their lack of a common language leads to confusion, frustration, and silence. But as they sit down to draw together, something magical happens – with a shared love of art and storytelling, the two form a bond that goes beyond words.

Chapter book

In a world of dragons, song-spells, pipers and battles…

Patch Brightwater is in disgrace. Thrown in jail for playing a forbidden spell, he is no one’s idea of a hero. But then he discovers a deadly truth – the evil Piper of Hamelyn is on the loose. With the help of Wren, a girl cursed to live as a rat, and Barver, a fire-breathing dracogriff, Patch must stop the Piper sparking the biggest battle of them all.

Three accidental heroes versus one legendary villain…an epic adventure is born.

A perfectly pitched fantasy adventure for readers aged 9+ and for fans of The Hobbit and How to Train Your Dragon. It was a Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month in 2018.

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