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Sabotage on the Solar Express – Adventures on Trains by M.G. Leonard & Sam Sedgman ill. Elisa Paganelli

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Ride into danger with Hal and Uncle Nat on the fifth breathtaking Adventures on Trains Mystery, Sabotage on the Solar Express, from bestselling award-winners M. G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman. Perfect for readers of 8 to 12 and brilliantly illustrated in black and white throughout by Elisa Paganelli.

Billionaire train enthusiast August Reza has invited Harrison Beck and Uncle Nat on the maiden voyage of the Solar Express – the winning design of his Reza’s Rocket competition. But during the journey, they discover the train has been sabotaged, hurtling passengers into a heart-stopping, action-packed, thrill ride across the Australian Outback. Can Hal find the saboteur and stop the runaway train before disaster strikes?

Somebody Crunched Colin by Sarah Roberts ill. Hannah Jayne Lewin

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Colin is no ordinary flower. Colin smells appealing – just like the other flowers around him. The only trouble is, he crackles and crunches and flutters in the wind. He can’t seem to find where he belongs, but he smells so delicious that all the animals want to eat him… But Colin is a crisp packet!

A beautifully illustrated picture book with a powerful message about plastic pollution and the benefits of recycling from environmental expert Sarah Roberts. The perfect gift to introduce children to recycling. Brilliant for teachers to read to children in class when introducing them to plastic pollution and recycling.

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Elisabeth and the Box of Colours by Katherine Woodfine ill. Rebecca Cobb

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Times Children’s Book of the Week 12 Feb 2022

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“A small elegant triumph.” The Times

Elisabeth loves to paint, just like her papa. She spends hours making her own pictures of everything she sees – and the more colourful, the better!

But when she goes away to school, she finds herself in a world of grey: grey buildings, grey uniforms, grey rooms. She misses Papa and all the colours of home. And one winter morning, she gets some terrible news that makes her days darker than ever before. Will Elisabeth be able to find the colour and joy in her life again?

A touching tale about friendship, family and finding joy in the darkest of times. Inspired by the childhood of French portrait artist Elisabeth Louise Vigee Le Brun.

Kemosha of the Caribbean by Alex Wheatle

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Times Children’s Book of the Week 15 Jan 2022

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“Wheatle has a big heart, an easy style and natural empathy and doesn’t compromise on the grim details as he introduces us to a little taught period of history through a girl with many of the same dreams as today’s teenagers.” The Times

Kemosha and her brother have lived their whole lives in slavery. Sold away to work in lawless Port Royal, Kemosha takes her chance to escape brutal treatment. With fortune on her side, Kemosha befriends Ravenhide, a man with a mysterious past who teaches her the art of swordfighting, and introduces her to the beautiful runaway Isabella. Yet Kemosha’s greatest test yet is upon the deck of the Satisfaction: the notorious Captain Morgan’s ship. The Captain’s next adventure on the high seas could be the making of Kemosha – and her one chance to earn enough pieces of eight to buy the freedom of her brother…

Read this Books for Keeps interview with the author.

Viking Boy: the Real Story: Everything you need to know about the Vikings by Tony Bradman ill. Thomas Sperling

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Take a real-life tour of the everyday world of Gunnar, a teenage Viking boy: find out how the Vikings lived, what they believed, how they travelled and fought, and gained their legendary reputation as warriors. Gunnar tells us the real story of growing up as a Viking in an exciting first-hand account, introducing us to family and friends, famous warriors, sea-raiders and even a Norse god!
Packed with historical facts, figures and anecdotes, with illustrated information panels on topics from Viking poetry to battle and bloodlust, this is a brilliant new read for Viking fanatics, both at home and in the classroom.

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Mike Falls Up by Candy Gourlay ill Carles Ballestros

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Mike and his dog Bowow are relaxing in the Chocolate Hills when the ground starts to tremble and the next moment a gaping hole appears. Before Mike can stop him, Bowow jumps into the hole. Then a note floats up…
Party.
Come now.
Just fall up.
There’s no time to wonder what it means – Mike jumps in and falls into the most topsy-turvy of adventures.
A joyous story celebrating the power of unexpected friendships by award-winning author Candy Gourlay, beautifully brought to life with stunning illustrations by Carles Ballesteros.

An Odd Dog Christmas by Rob Biddulph

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Come join the Odd Dog on a festive journey to find the perfect present, and perhaps save Christmas along the way… a brand-new, PAW-some story from Rob Biddulph – the genius behind the #DrawWithRob phenomenon and the bestselling and award-winning Blown Away!

It’s Christmas, and this Odd Dog is running out of time to find the perfect present for her pal…

But when she meets a new friend who needs helps, she realises that gifts might not be the most important thing about Christmas after all.

A gloriously festive illustrated story about the real meaning of Christmas, from the bestselling and award-winning Rob Biddulph, the creative star behind the viral and phenomenal #DrawWithRob and author of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize-winning Blown Away!

This is the perfect story for children aged 4+, dog-lovers everywhere and anyone who loves Christmas! Share it with your family and friends, and enjoy Rob Biddulph’s trademark warm-hearted humour.

Moose’s Book Bus by Inga Moor

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Sunday Times Children’s Book of the Week 10 Oct 2021

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Moose is the most fantastic storyteller. Every night, he sits with his family around the fire and tells an enchanting story. But, one evening, Moose can’t think of a single tale he hasn’t told before! What he needs is a book of stories. What he needs is a library… With help from his family and friends in the woods, Moose recycles an abandoned bus from the junkyard into a book bus for his entire community to enjoy.

In this heart-warming companion title to A House in the Woods, beloved picture book maker Inga Moore tells a story that celebrates the joy of reading aloud and sharing stories, and the power that libraries have to bring communities together.

A Dublin Christmas by Nicola Colton

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To Orla, Christmas means Gran, so when it looks like Gran won’t make it this year, everything feels a lot less festive. And with Christmas spirit everywhere at an all-time low, the whole of Dublin is in darkness. But then the fairy lights on Orla’s Christmas tree come to life and take her on an enchanting adventure to the National Library, Grafton Street, Stephen’s Green and the GPO. Together, Orla and her new friends attempt to restore the meaning of Christmas and holiday cheer…
A heart-warming festive story that brings Dublin at Christmas to life.

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Nature’s Treasures: Tales Of More Than 100 Extraordinary Objects From Nature by Ben Hoare

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Dive into this collection of more than 100 intriguing items from the natural world and discover the stories behind them. Learn how bristly mouths help huge whales capture tiny animals, how minute scales make butterflies shine in the sunlight, and how studying a leaf skeleton can tell us how it transports food. A bird egg, a lump of coal, a cacao pod, a mermaid’s purse, a fossil, a pine cone, an owl pellet, and a chrysalis – all tell a story.

Arranged into four chapters – Animals; Plants, fungi, and algae; Minerals and rocks, and Made by Nature, objects are shown with truly stunning photography and colourful illustrations to help explain the science behind them. The lively descriptions by best-selling nature writer Ben Hoare explore the remarkable tales of each item and all are packed with fascinating information.

Nature’s Treasures takes you on a tour of our planet through commonplace-but-incredible objects made by nature itself. This book is for every inquisitive child who loves to spot things when exploring outside and wants to know more about the wonderful and mysterious natural world.