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Topic: Reading for Pleasure

Chapter book

It’s the end of chocolate – forever! At least, until Jelly can solve the mystery of the great chocoplot…

Jelly and her family live in Chompton-on-de-Lyte, where everyone loves a Chocablocka bar or two – so when the end of chocolate is announced, she can’t believe it.

Determined to investigate, Jelly and her gran follow a trail of clues to a posh chocolate shop and its owner, the pompous Garibaldi Chocolati. Gari’s suspiciously smug, despite his failing business and yucky chocolate.

Is it really the chocopocalypse, or is there a chocoplot afoot?

An exciting, laugh-out-loud funny adventure featuring a truly ghastly villain – think evil mastermind meets Willy Wonka! – and a down-to-earth heroine with a sidekick grandma.

Non-fiction

Discover the insects of the world!

Earth’s creepy crawlies may be small but they are far from boring! Learn how they contribute to life on the planet, where they live, what they eat, how their bodies work, and what makes them so special.

This beautifully illustrated bug book for kids for ages 7-9 years old is packed with:

– Fascinating information about bugs that supports and goes beyond the curriculum
– Stories and facts to convey the amazing world of creepy-crawlies
– Factual and informative, with detailed illustrations and photographs of insects, spiders, molluscs, and more
– Compelling text written by insect expert, author, and television presenter, Jess French
– Stunning photographs of individual creatures, from beetles to butterflies

Take a magical journey through the forest floor, down into the deepest caves, and even across the open ocean. The Book of Brilliant Bugs , written by insect expert Jess French takes children on an expedition into the bug kingdom. The insect book is filled with fascinating facts about these little animals, how bugs pass on messages, compete for food, seek true love, and fill the air with buzzing wings. It also shows us how bugs help look after our planet and how we can help them.

Young animal enthusiasts can spot and learn all the main bug groups. From worms, snails, millipedes and centipedes, spiders and scorpions, woodlice, bees, and even bugs that glow! This educational natural science book will encourage children to love and appreciate science and nature.

Chapter book

One puzzling mystery. Several slippery suspects. Endless possibilities!
Welcome to Haventry, a town where the ordinary and extraordinary collide! With ghosts, werewolves and zombies living side by side, trouble is always brewing. And when a fiendish crime is committed, YOU are the detective in charge of the case.
Dr Franklefink’s precious Monster Maker has gone missing and there are lots of suspects! Along with your yeti partner, it’s up to YOU to find the culprit. Should you trail Bramwell Stoker, the terrifying vampire, or Grundle and Grinola, the mischievous goblin twins? Should you follow up a lead about the cunning witches? Or will investigating the doctor’s monstrous son Monty lead you to the thief? YOU decide!
With hundreds of paths to choose from and no dead ends, you’ll solve the mystery every time!
A fantastically imaginative detective story for readers looking for an interactive adventure.

Chapter book

Harrison Beck and his Uncle Nat are enjoying the final journey of the Highland Falcon, Britain’s most famous steam train. But when a precious jewel goes missing, Harrison and his new friend Lenny find themselves at the centre of the investigation. Can they solve the mystery and catch the culprit before they reach the end of the line?

Hear whispers in the dining car, find notes in the library and unknown passengers among the luggage, as you help Harrison solve the mystery aboard one of the world’s grandest trains.

The Highland Falcon Thief can be read as a stand-alone novel, or enjoyed as part of the Adventures on Trains series.

Chapter book

Laugh your head off with this fully-illustrated new series from award-winning Nadia Shireen. Perfect for readers age 7 to 107, fans of Dog Man, Roald Dahl, Mr Gum and David Walliams, and anyone who loves to laugh.

Fox cub siblings Ted and Nancy are on the run from Princess Buttons , the scariest street cat in the Big City. They flee for Grimwood, expecting to find refuge in the peaceful countryside. Instead, they are met with thieving eagles, dramatic ducks, riotous rabbits and a whole host of unusual characters. Grimwood is . . . weird. But when Princess Buttons tracks them down, Nancy and Ted and the animals of Grimwood must unite in a mind-bending race against time . . .

This memorable, distinctive and warm-hearted comedy series will have kids begging to read more.

Chapter book

From the bestselling queen of heart and humour, JENNY PEARSON, comes a great big soaring adventure about family and finding happiness.

When Frank John Davenport inherits piles of money from a grandma he didn’t know he had, things take an unexpected turn… Because the money comes with STRICT instructions…and a NEW grandpa.

Frank quickly compiles a list of all the ways he can spend the money and look after his grumpy grandpa. Money may buy hot-air balloon rides, monster-truck lessons and epic parkour experiences, but can Frank discover that happiness is, in fact, priceless?

Chapter book

Superstar, author and illustrator Rob Biddulph dazzles in Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City , the first title in an adventure series for boys and girls of 8+. This exciting, funny, middle-grade debut is from the bestselling creative genius behind #DrawWithRob and is illustrated in black and white throughout.

Some legends are born, some are drawn . . .

Drawing feels like magic to Peanut Jones. But art can’t fix her problems. Her dad has gone missing, and she’s stuck in a boring new school. Until the day she finds a unique pencil turbo-charged with special powers. Suddenly she’s pulled into a world packed with more colour, creativity, excitement and danger than she could ever have imagined. And maybe, just maybe, she might find out what happened to her dad.

Chapter book

This brilliantly illustrated, laugh-out-loud, wacky adventure through time by Pooja Puri is the perfect blend of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Jurassic Park.

Before you start reading, there are a few things you should know:
1. I, Esha Verma, am a genius inventor extraordinaire.
2. There is nothing I cannot invent. This includes words.
3. I did not mean to send my sister back to the Age of the Dinosaurs. That was HER OWN FAULT (Mum and Dad, if you’re reading this, please take note).

Esha Verma, her snotty apprentice Broccoli and his cunning pet tortoise have a dream. They are going to win the legendary Brain Trophy – the ultimate inventing prize. This year’s entry: A TIME MACHINE.

But the day before the competition, Esha’s IGNORAMUS big sister hijacks the time machine and is lost in the Cretaceous age.

With help from a new recruit for The Office of Time, Esha and Broccoli will have to face hungry dinosaurs, mysterious black holes and malfunctioning inventions to get them back in time.

Non-fiction

A stunning new and fully illustrated colour hardback edition of the timely and inspiring Earth Heroes – the ultimate gift for any aspiring climate activist.

When faced with climate change, the biggest threat that our planet has ever confronted, it’s easy to feel as if nothing you do can really make a difference… but this book proves that individual people can change the world. With twenty inspirational stories celebrating the pioneering work of a selection of Earth Heroes from all around the globe, from Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough to Yin Yuzhen and Isatou Ceesay, each tale is a beacon of hope in the fight for the future of our planet, proving that one person, no matter how small, can make a difference.

Beautifully illustrated by Amy Blackwell, this updated new gift edition features amazing additions Felix Finkbeiner and Charles and Perrine Herve-Gruyer, as well as Amelia Telford, Andrew Turton and Pete Ceglinski, Bittu Sahgal, Chewang Norphel, David Attenborough, Doug Smith, Greta Thunberg, Isabel Soares, Isatou Ceesay, Marina Silva, Melati and Isabel Wijsen, Mohammed Rezwan, Renee King-Sonnen, Rok Rozman, Sheila Watt-Cloutier, William Kamkwamba, Yin Yuzhen and Yvon Chouinard.

Chapter book

Staying with her grandparents in the Scottish Highlands, Lara is fascinated by the rare white snowy owl her grandad has spotted flying nearby. And when she follows the beautiful bird into the woods, it leads her on a magical adventure…

Transported a century back in time, Lara befriends Amelia, who confides in Lara about her cruel cousin, who she’s sure is trying to hurt the baby owls nesting in the woods. When Lara discovers the hatchlings belong to her owl, Sky, she’s determined to help. But how can she protect them when she needs to return to her own time?
An enchanting and magical time-slip adventure from best-selling animal story author Holly Webb.

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