Nightshade
Anthony Horowitz
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd
What is this about?
Alex Rider is back in this new adventure from Anthony Horowitz. Having just returned to school and enjoying his normal life, after being informed he will no longer be used for secret missions, Alex finds himself agreeing to take on one more mission for Mrs Jones, Chief Executive of MI6 Special Operations.
All Alex has to go on is the name 'Nightshade' (an organisation which turns out to be as shady and deadly as its botanical namesake) and the knowledge that London is the under threat of attack.
To find out more, he must take on the identity of a previous adversary, Julius Grief, who was an identical clone of Alex and the only person he has shot. But Alex will have to go gadget 'cold turkey' for this mission and he will only have his previous training and wits to get him through the mission.
The occupants of a super high security prison in Gibraltar are unaware that their former inmate and prison escapee Julius is dead, and Alex must infiltrate the prison with his new identity and befriend the only member of Nightshade the Secret Service know about - Freddy Grey, then find out about Nightshade and get out before his real identity is discovered.
This should be a straight forward task and he should be back in London in time for half term. But events don't go to plan,
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Robin Hood: Hacking, Heists & Flaming Arrows
Robert Muchamore
Publisher: Hot Key Books
What is this about?
You can't go far without a quick brain and some rule-bending in a place like Locksley. After its vast car plants shut down, the prosperous town has become a wasteland of empty homes, toxic land and families on the brink. And it doesn't help that the authorities are in the clutches of profit-obsessed Sheriff of Nottingham, in cahoots with underworld boss Guy Gisborne.
When his dad is framed for a robbery, Robin and his brother Little John are hounded out of Locksley and must learn to survive in the Sherwood forest, stretching three hundred kilometres and sheltering the free spirits and outlaws. But Robin is determined to do more than survive.
Small, fast and deadly with a bow, he hatches a plan to join forces with Marion Maid, harness his inimitable tech skills and strike a blow against Gisborne and the Sheriff.
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Hideous Beauty
William Hussey
Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd
What is this about?
Dylan is forced to come out after his secret relationship with Ellis is exposed on social media, but to his surprise, everyone is really supportive - or appears to be.
But Dylan's and El's happiness is short-lived, and following a tragic accident, Dylan begins to realize how little he knows about the boy he loves or those closest to him.
A dark young adult thriller, for readers aged 15+.
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What Momma Left Me
Ms Renee Watson
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
What is this about?
Serenity knows she is good at keeping secrets, and she's got a whole lifetime's worth of them. Her mother is dead, her father is gone, and she and her brother have to start over again by moving in with their grandparents.
At first, things seem like they could be good: a new friend, a new church, a new school. But when her brother seems to be going down the wrong path, the old fears set in. Will he end up like their dad? Will she end up like their mum?
In this exquisite coming of age story, Serenity discovers it is the power of love that keeps you sure of who you are, and who you will become.
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The Crossover: Graphic Novel
Kwame Alexander
Publisher: Andersen Press Ltd
What is this about?
'With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . . The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. 'Cuz tonight I'm delivering,' raps twelve-year-old Josh Bell. Thanks to their dad, he and his twin brother, Jordan, are kings on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood – he's got mad beats, too, which help him find his rhythm when it's all on the line.
See the Bell family in a whole new light through Dawud Anyabwile's dynamic illustrations as the brothers' winning season unfolds, and the world as they know it begins to change.
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The Enigma Game
Elizabeth Wein
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens Books
What is this about?
Louisa Adair, newly orphaned and shunned for her mixed-race heritage, has come here to the edge of the world to look after an old lady with a dark past. Jamie Beaufort-Stuart is a flight lieutenant whose squadron is posted to the airfield over winter. Ellen McEwan is a young woman held hostage by the German pilot who lands at Windyedge one wild stormy night carrying a terrible secret.
Three young people desperate to make a difference in a war that has decimated their families, friends and country. When the means to change the course of history falls into their hands, how will they use it? And when the enemy comes looking for them, who will have the courage to strike back?
A thrilling story of wartime secrets, international intrigue and wild courage from the award-winning author of Code Name Verity, with three young heroes you'll never forget.
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Viper's Daughter
Michelle Paver
Publisher: Head of Zeus
What is this about?
For two summers Torak and Renn have been living in the Forest with their faithful pack-brother, Wolf. But their happiness is shattered when Renn realizes Torak is in danger and she's the threat.
When she mysteriously disappears, Torak and Wolf brave the Far North to find her. At the mercy of the Sea Mother and haunted by ravenous ice bears, their quest leads them to the Edge of the World. There they must face an enemy more evil than any they've encountered.
Viper's Daughter plunges you back into the Stone-Age world of Torak, Renn and Wolf: a world of demons, Hidden People and exhilarating adventure which has entranced millions of readers.
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Storm
Nicola Skinner
Publisher: HarperCollins
What is this about?
Frances's parents were not prepared for her birth: they had a blanket and an easel and some paint, but not anything useful, like a car or a phone. So it's no wonder Frankie has always had a temper. She was born on a BEACH, in a STORM.
What Frances was not prepared for was dying in a freak natural disaster that wiped out her whole town.
Waking up 100 years later, Frances finds a whole load of new things to be angry about. And that's before the visitors start turning up, treating her home like it's a tourist attraction. Which it is.
Only there are worse people out there than tourists...and they're coming for Frankie.
Frankie is about to discover that there are things more important than herself - and that anger has its uses. Because when you have a storm inside you - sometimes the only thing to do is let it out...
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That Time I Got Kidnapped
Tom Mitchell
Publisher: HarperCollins
What is this about?
Fourteen-year-old Jacob is thrilled when he wins the chance to feature in the next Marvel movie, shooting in Hollywood. But after missing his connecting flight in Chicago, he tries to complete the journey by Greyhound bus - and there he meets Jennifer.
Jennifer is an American teenager on the run with a mysterious package she's guarding with her life – and an enigmatic figure known only as 'the Cowboy' is hot on her heels...
Jacob soon finds himself on the road-trip of a lifetime as Jennifer's unwitting partner in crime. Will he make it to LA in time - and in one piece?
A funny, filmic, page-turning adventure.
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Fig Swims the World
Lou Abercrombie
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
What is this about?
Fig Fitzsherbert is good at a lot of things: making lists, playing the piano, advanced mathematics. But it's never quite enough for her high-flying mother, who every New Year's Day sets Fig an impossible resolution.
So one year, Fig decides to set her own challenge instead: she's going to swim her way round the world. There's just one tiny problem ... Fig can't swim.
Taking it one length at a time, Fig embarks on the adventure of a lifetime. But with her mother closing in, will she be able to keep her head above water and complete her challenge?
A quirky coming-of-age story, perfect for fans of Katy Birchall, GEEK GIRL and SUPER AWKWARD.
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Thorn
Intisar Khanani
Publisher: Hot Key Books
What is this about?
Princess Alyrra has never enjoyed the security or power of her rank. Between her family's cruelty and the court's contempt, she has spent her life in the shadows. Forced to marry a powerful foreign prince, Alyrra embarks on a journey to meet her betrothed with little hope for a better future. But powerful men have powerful enemies - and now so does Alyrra.
Betrayed during a magical attack, her identity is switched with another woman's, giving Alyrra the first choice she's ever had: to start a new life for herself or fight for a prince she's never met...
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The Pieces of Ourselves
Maggie Harcourt
Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd
What is this about?
Flora "doesn't do people", not since the Incident that led to her leaving school midway through her GCSEs. The Incident that led to her being diagnosed with bipolar II. The Incident that left her in pieces.
Until Hal arrives. He's researching a story about a missing World War I soldier, and he wants Flora's help. Flora used to love history before the Incident, but spending so much time with Hal is her worst nightmare.
Yet as they begin to piece together the life of the missing soldier, a life of lost love, secrets and lies, Flora finds a piece of herself falling for Hal.
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Here be Wizards: The Snowdonia Chronicles: Book Three
Sarah Mussi
Publisher: Shrine Bell
What is this about?
Ellie s dreams of being with Henry, her ONE TRUE LOVE, are not going to happen. Not while Henry is trapped under a mountain BATTLING with his arch-enemy, the EVIL WHITE DRAGON.
But when FLAMES from the FAE LANDS of Annwyn incinerate Snowdon, Ellie needs Henry to stop the fire spreading and that means defeating the White Dragon ONCE AND FOR ALL.
With best friends, dependable George and embarrassing/brave Rhi, Ellie sets out to locate a MAGICAL SWORD, find a WIZARD that can slay a dragon and finally FREE Henry.
As WILD FIRE sweeps through the mountains, Ellie and her friends have little time to journey into the LETHAL REALM of the Fae Lands and SAVE their beloved SNOWDONIA.
Here be Wizards, the tremendous climax to the Snowdonia Chronicles trilogy by award-winning author Sarah Mussi.
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The Austen Girls
Lucy Worsley
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens Books
What is this about?
Would she ever find a real-life husband? Would she even find a partner to dance with at tonight's ball? She just didn't know.
Anna Austen has always been told she must marry rich. Her future depends upon it. While her dear cousin Fanny has a little more choice, she too is under pressure to find a suitor.
But how can either girl know what she wants? Is finding love even an option? The only person who seems to have answers is their Aunt Jane. She has never married. In fact, she's perfectly happy, so surely being single can't be such a bad thing?
The time will come for each of the Austen girls to become the heroines of their own stories. Will they follow in Jane's footsteps?
In this witty, sparkling novel of choices, popular historian LUCY WORSLEY brings alive the delightful life of Jane Austen as you've never seen it before.
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Song Beneath the Tides
Beverley Birch
Publisher: Guppy Publishing Ltd
What is this about?
Ally arrives from England with her brothers to stay for a month in Africa - weeks of running wild on an unspoiled, untamed coast amid mangrove creeks, vast white sandy beaches, coral reefs and warm seas. But on their first walk through the forest to the beach, Ally is swamped by a sense of an unseen presence close to her - of being spoken to. The feeling increases as a local teenager, Leli enthusiastically sweeps her into the world of his village and their offshore island (Kisiri - the place of secrets). It's the beginning of a friendship that swiftly becomes an intense, overwhelming bond between them.
Kisiri is a place of local legend, protected and feared: village youngsters dare each other to go there. Village elders forbid it. Ally and Leli feel drawn to it, and land on its shores. At once Ally feels again that invisible presence, a whispered voice.
But fear can change things, divide people. The bond between Ally and Leli feels unbreakable. But suddenly everything, everyone, conspires to drive a wedge between them. She is, after all, an outsider - a visitor, no more. Only weeks away, she will leave for England, simply walk away, never to return, how can she possibly share, or help?
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