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Rules for Vampires by Alex Foulkes ill. Sara Ogilvie

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 20 Sep 2021

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There are highs and lows to being a vampire. On one claw, you get cool powers like beastly strength and hypnotism and the ability to Grimwalk. On the other claw, however, vampires are bound by the Vampiric Laws: rules to protect the balance between the worlds of the Living and the Undead. And unfortunately, 11-year-old Leo has just forgotten rule number one . . . The Rules for Vampires don’t tell you what to do when you make a ghostly enemy, or accidentally restart an ancient war. But Leo and her very unusual family are more than up to the job.

A monstrously funny and devilishly dark new adventure from debut talent Alex Foulkes, illustrated throughout by the award-winning Sara Ogilvie.

The publisher, Simon & Schuster, acquired this debut and a second book in the sequence, as reported by The Bookseller last year.

Follow the author on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foulkeswrites/

Shadowghast – An Eerie-on-Sea Mystery by Thomas Taylor

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The third book in this MG mystery series.

A creepy magician with a shadowy act. A legend that goes back to the dawn of time. Eerie-on-Sea just got stranger. And darker…

A mysterious stage magician has set up in the theatre at the end of the pier, with an act so hypnotic and strange that Herbie Lemon and his friend Violet Parma suspect dark forces are at work. Meanwhile, folk are disappearing from Eerie-on-Sea, and no one knows why. There is an Eerie legend that goes back to the dawn of time, about a creature made of darkness that devours the shadows of the living. But could the Shadowghast really have returned?

The Peculiar Tale of the Tentacle Boy by Richard Pickard

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Times Children’s Book of the Week 31 Jul 2021

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“Reminded me of Tim Burton’s films in which the ordinary people out-odd the oddballs, but the outsider always retains the moral high ground.” Alex O’Connell, The Times

This is the debut novel by a fresh new voice in children’s fiction and the winner of the Times/Chicken House Chairman’s Choice Award 2019. Pickard has written funny, dark, middle-grade story touching on themes of lies, storytelling, secrets, acceptance and, of course, fish!

When Marina discovers a boy with a head of tentacles and crab claws for hands, she resolves to help him unravel the mystery of his past…

Marina lives in Merlington, a fish-obsessed seaside town. Unfortunately, she doesn’t care for fish; she loves telling stories. Marina finds her best story yet when she explores the ruined, haunted pier: a boy called William with a head of tentacles and crab claws for hands. He has lived on the pier all his life, cared for by a fisherman who has since disappeared and who warned him always to remain hidden. Together, the pair resolve to unravel the mystery of his past – but danger isn’t far away…

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Aarti & the Blue Gods by Jasbinder Bilan

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A mesmerising third novel from one of the most exciting writers of middle-grade fiction with themes of identity, faith and belonging with a stunning twist in an evocative and remote Scottish island setting.

Aarti has lived on the island with Aunt for as long as she can remember. Like the weather, Aunt rules her world with rare warmth. Aarti’s only comforts are a book of Indian myths full of blue gods, a fox’s friendship, and a toy rabbit she finds in a locked room. Then, she learns Aunt has been feeding her lies. Fate intervenes when a half-drowned boy washes up on the beach. With his help, Aarti hopes to remember who she really is … and perhaps find a way home.

 

Nightfall in New York – Taylor and Rose Secret Agents by Katherine Woodfine ill. Karl James Mountford

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The fourth and final adventure in the action-packed Taylor & Rose series by bestselling author, Katherine Woodfine.

Top secret agents, Sophie Taylor and Lil Rose have set sail to New York City on an elegant ocean liner, ready to face their enemies and settle old scores. These two brave friends will need all of their detective skills, courage and derring-do as they race against time to rescue a beloved friend …

Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas

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“Featuring snappy dialogue from earnest tween voices, skillful prose guides this engrossing story from start to finish. The themes and social commentary found here are gentle and organic—never heavy-handed—and the plot’s antagonists are far from two-dimensional, expertly reflecting real-life human complexity for a middle-grade audience… Tenderhearted and bold.” KIRKUS

A moving middle-grade debut for anyone who’s ever felt like they don’t belong.

Brian has always been anxious, whether at home, or in class, or on the basketball court. His dad tries to get him to stand up for himself and his mom helps as much as she can, but after he and his brother are placed in foster care, Brian starts having panic attacks. And he doesn’t know if things will ever be “normal” again . . . Ezra’s always been popular. He’s friends with most of the kids on his basketball team–even Brian, who usually keeps to himself. But now, some of his friends have been acting differently, and Brian seems to be pulling away. Ezra wants to help, but he worries if he’s too nice to Brian, his friends will realize that he has a crush on him . . .
But when Brian and his brother run away, Ezra has no choice but to take the leap and reach out. Both boys have to decide if they’re willing to risk sharing parts of themselves they’d rather hide. But if they can be brave, they might just find the best in themselves–and each other.

Follow the author on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chadgalucas/

A response from a young reviewer (contains detailed plot information)

Saint Ivy: Kind at All Costs by Laurie Morrison

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“Feelings, life, and people are allowed to be complicated in beautiful ways in this page-turner.” KIRKUS

Thirteen-year-old Ivy Campbell has always been a good kid: She supports her soccer-star brother, bakes with her nana, and puts her friends’ needs before her own. So of course, Ivy is 100 percent supportive when her mom decides to be a gestational surrogate, carrying and giving birth to her friends’ baby. But when Ivy finds out the surrogacy treatment worked and her mom is pregnant-and has been for weeks-she’s shocked that she’s jealous and worried about what others will think. And most of all, she’s ashamed that she isn’t reacting to this news in the right way. The Ivy way. Ivy is determined to prove to herself that she’s just as unselfish as she’s always believed, and she gets the chance to do that when she receives an anonymous email from someone who needs her help. But the more Ivy dives into helping this anonymous person, the further she gets from the people she loves-and from the person who she wants to be.

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Rule Of Threes by Marcy Campbell

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An interior design enthusiast, twelve-year-old Maggie Owens is accustomed to living her life according to her own precise plans. But when she learns about Tony, a mysterious half-brother her own age who needs a place to stay, any semblance of a plan is shattered. Tony’s mom struggles with an addiction to opioids, and now she’s called upon Maggie’s dad-who is also Tony’s dad-to take him in. On top of everything, Maggie must also come to terms with the Alzheimer’s afflicting her beloved grandmother.

While Maggie can strive for-and even succeed in-a picture perfect design, when it comes to family, there is no such thing as perfection. To work through the sudden struggles rocking her world, Maggie must learn the importance of having an open heart.

Bigfoot Mountain by Roderick O’Grady

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Minnie is alone, high up in her favourite tree, looking out over a distant forest fire. She and her stepfather Dan are stuck with each other, living in their small cabin at the foot of the mountain after Minnie’s mother died. When Minnie and her friend Billy discover four giant footprints on a mountain trail, Dan puts it down to hoaxers. But Minnie knows better. Kaayii is sitting at the top a tree watching the smoke from a raging forest fire that has forced him and his clan to move to this side of the mountain. He’s not sure about the humans living down by the sea below. Gradually their parallel worlds entwine in a moving tale of grief and healing in a remote mountain landscape.
Follow the author on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roddyogrady/

Darwin’s Dragons by Lindsay Galvin

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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.