Vega Jane and the Secrets of Sorcery
David Baldacci
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
What is this about?
Full of monsters, magic, danger and mystery, Vega Jane and the Secrets of Sorcery (previously published as The Finisher) is the first title in the thrilling Vega Jane fantasy adventure series by bestselling master storyteller David Baldacci. Illustrated throughout by Tomislav Tomic.
Vega Jane is fourteen when she is secretly given a map that reveals a mysterious world and dangerous creatures beyond the walls of Wormwood, a place no one has ever left – or wanted to. Until now. The map makes her question everything she has ever been told about the place she calls home. Her friend Delph and her dog, Harry Two, are the only ones Vega trusts. Trapped by secrets and lies, they want freedom and truth.
But she will have to fight for freedom. And the truth may cost Vega her life.
Continue the adventure series with Vega Jane and the Maze of Monsters.
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Rat
Patrice Lawrence
Publisher: Oxford University Press
What is this about?
When his mum is sent back to prison, Al knows exactly who's to blame. Mr Brayker, who lives downstairs, has been making trouble for Al's mum ever since they moved in, and Al's determined to get his revenge.
Ignoring advice from his gran and sister, Plum, Al takes things into his own hands with a plan that involves the only two creatures he can rely on: his pet rats, Venom and Vulture. But things don't turn out exactly as he'd imagined...
Written by award-winning author, Patrice Lawrence, this is a moving story of community, loneliness, and how you never quite know what's going on in someone else's life.
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Tiny Pretty Things
Dhonielle Clayton
Publisher: HarperCollins
What is this about?
Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars in this book set in an elite New York ballet school. Now a major Netflix series. Being a dancer at New York's most elite ballet school isn't easy. Everyone wants to be the prima ballerina, and sometimes you have to play dirty.
With the competition growing fiercer with every performance and harmless pranks growing ever darker, Bette, June and Gigi find themselves battling it out to stay at the top. And it's only a matter of time before one small spark ignites... and even the best get burned... Ages 14+.
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Darwin's Dragons
Lindsay Galvin
Publisher: Chicken House Ltd
What is this about?
How to Train Your Dragon meets Robinson Crusoe in this high-flying dragon adventure from Lindsay Galvin! Syms Covington has landed the job of a lifetime - cabin boy and fiddler on Charles Darwin's Beagle. But when he is separated from the crew during a storm, his life takes a truly extraordinary turn. Shipwrecked on a Galapagos island, he makes a discovery that could change the world - and make his fortune. But should he share his find, or will it lead to the extinction of a legendary species? There's one person who could help, but he's busy writing a book ...
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The Valley of Lost Secrets
Lesley Parr
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens Books
What is this about?
September 1939.
When Jimmy is evacuated to a small village in Wales, it couldn't be more different from London. Green, quiet and full of strangers, he instantly feels out of place.
But then he finds a skull hidden in a tree, and suddenly the valley is more frightening than the war. Who can Jimmy trust? His brother is too little; his best friend has changed.
Finding an ally in someone he never expects, they set out together to uncover the secrets that lie with the skull. What they discover will change Jimmy - and the village - forever.
A mesmerising mystery about bravery and brotherhood from an outstanding new voice.
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Robin Hood 2: Piracy, Paintballs & Zebras
Robert Muchamore
Publisher: Hot Key Books
What is this about?
Robin and Marion are back! Second in the brand-new, action-packed series from international bestseller Robert Muchamore, following Hacking, Heists & Flaming Arrows.
Robin Hood lives... When Clare Gisborne and Little John return to school after the Locksley Riot, there's rebellion in the air and Robin Hood's name graffitied on every wall. Power dynamics are shifting - now, instead of being a feared bully, the daughter of Locksley's most hated criminal finds herself shunned by classmates and pelted with yoghurt and rotting fruit.
Meanwhile at Sherwood Designer Outlets, Robin has plans of his own. He is determined to hack Sheriff Marjorie's office so that the rebels know her every move - and to work with animal rights activists to end a cruel trophy hunt inside the grounds of Sherwood Castle...
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Love is for Losers
Wibke Brueggemann
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
What is this about?
'What a stupid expression that is in the first place: To fall in love.
Like you fall into a ditch or something.
Maybe people need to look where they're going.'
As far as Phoebe Davis is concerned, love is to be avoided at all costs. Why would you spend your life worrying about something that turns you into a complete moron? If her best friend Polly is anything to go by, the first sniff of a relationship makes you forget about your friends (like, hello?), get completely obsessed with sex (yawn) and bang on constantly about a person who definitely isn't as great as you think they are.
So Phoebe isn't going to fall in love, ever.
But then she meets Emma . . .
Love is for Losers by Wibke Brueggemann is a hilarious, life-affirming novel about all the big stuff: love, sex, death, family, heartbreak, kittens . . . and kisses that turn the whole world upside down. Ages 14+.
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The Boy I Am
K. L. Kettle
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
What is this about?
They say we're dangerous. But we're not that different.
Jude is running out of time. Once a year, lucky young men in the House of Boys are auctioned to the female elite. But if Jude fails to be selected before he turns 17, a future deep underground in the mines awaits.
Yet ever since the death of his best friend at the hands of the all-powerful Chancellor, Jude has been desperate to escape the path set out for him. Finding himself entangled in a plot to assassinate the Chancellor, he finally has a chance to avenge his friend and win his freedom. But at what price?
A speculative YA thriller, tackling themes of traditional gender roles and power dynamics, for fans of Malorie Blackman, Louise O'Neill and THE POWER.
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The Humiliations of Welton Blake
Alex Wheatle
Publisher: Barrington Stoke Ltd
What is this about?
Welton Blake has done it! He's asked out Carmella McKenzie - the best-looking girl in school - and she's only gone and said yes! But just as he thinks his luck is starting to change, Welton's phone breaks, kick-starting a series of unfortunate and humiliating events.
With bullies to avoid, girls ready to knock him out and all the drama with his mum and dad, life for Welton is about to go very, very wrong ...
Hilarity follows disaster in this sharp-witted tale of the trials of teen life from award-winning author Alex Wheatle.
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Shades of Scarlet
Anne Fine
Publisher: David Fickling Books
What is this about?
When Mum gives her the notebook, Scarlet should be happy. It's beautiful, with its shiny scarlet cover and its blank pages full of promise.
But Scarlet is absolutely not in the mood for a peace offering. Does Mum really think she can tear their family apart and expect Scarlet to be happy about it? And it's Dad's fault too. Why didn't he fight to keep them all together?
Now Scarlet has to start a new life, and none of it was her choice. Scarlet decides there's only one thing she can write in the notebook. The truth, about everything...
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First Day of My Life
Lisa Williamson
Publisher: David Fickling Books
What is this about?
There are three sides to every story... It's GCSE results day. Frankie's best friend, Jojo, is missing. A baby has been stolen. And more than one person has been lying.
Frankie's determined to find out the truth and her ex-boyfriend Ram is the only person who can help her. But they're both in for a shock...
EVERYTHING is about to change.
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The Silent Stars Go By
Sally Nicholls
Publisher: Andersen Press Ltd
What is this about?
Seventeen-year-old Margot Allan was a respectable vicar's daughter and madly in love with her fiance, Harry. But when Harry was reported Missing in Action from the Western Front, and Margot realised she was expecting his child, there was only one solution she and her family could think of in order to keep that respectability. She gave up James, her baby son, to be adopted by her parents and brought up as her younger brother.
Now two years later the whole family is gathering at the vicarage for Christmas. It's heartbreaking for Margot being so close to James but unable to tell him who he really is. But on top of that, Harry is also back in the village. Released from captivity in Germany and recuperated from illness, he's come home and wants answers.
Why has Margot seemingly broken off their engagement and not replied to his letters? Margot knows she owes him an explanation. But can she really tell him the truth about James?
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Another Twist in the Tale
Catherine Bruton
Publisher: Nosy Crow Ltd
What is this about?
You have heard, no doubt, the tale of Master Oliver Twist - that rags-to-riches boy; the parish orphan who became heir to the Brownlow fortune. But what few know is that there was a second Twist - a girl, brought into this world moments ahead of her brother.
This is the story of Twill Twist - and her journey through the gambling dens and workhouses of London, as she attempts to make a life for herself, rescue her friends, and uncover the mystery of her past - while meeting some familiar faces along the way...
Re-discover the Artful Dodger, Fagin, and Oliver Twist himself, along with a host of fantastic new heroes and villains, in this brilliantly-imagined, rip-roaring sequel to Dickens' much-loved classic.
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Number 10
CJ Daugherty
Publisher: Moonflower Publishing
What is this about?
Eight months ago, Gray Langtry’s mother became prime minister… now someone wants her dead
Gray’s life has been in turmoil ever since her mother was chosen to lead the country. First, they had to leave their home and move into the prime minister’s official residence at Number 10 Downing Street. Now, everywhere she goes, she must be accompanied by bodyguards. Worst of all, the media won’t leave her alone — she’s in every tabloid, and her behaviour, her appearance, the length of her skirts… everything is judged. The scars from her parents’ divorce and her mother’s abrupt remarriage are still raw. She doesn’t like her stepfather. She doesn’t like this life.
When she’s photographed drunk outside a London nightclub, it makes headlines. Gray is grounded and given new bodyguards – younger, cooler, and harder to fool than the last batch. It’s Julia, the new bodyguard, who tells her that a new terrorist organisation issued a threat, and the threat is credible. They say they’re going to kill her mother and Gray. When Gray tries to find out more though, no one will tell her. One of the few people who understands what’s happening is Jake McIntyre — the son of her mother’s political enemy. But can she trust him?
Late one night, while sneaking through dark government halls, she overhears a terrifying conversation. The situation is much worse than even her mother’s security team suspects. But will anyone believe the prime minister’s wild child daughter? Afraid for herself, her mother, and her country, Gray is determined to find proof. But she must move fast.
The clock is ticking.
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Viper's Daughter
Michelle Paver
Publisher: Head of Zeus
What is this about?
Million-copy-selling author, Michelle Paver immerses you in ice-cold magic and non-stop adventure, as Torak, Renn and Wolf battle for their lives and use all their skills and knowledge of nature to survive.
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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