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Monster Hunting For Beginners by Ian Mark ill. Louis Ghibault

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Published in hardback in 2021 and now (2022) in paperback. A new title in the series is scheduled for next year (2023).

Monster Hunting isn’t as easy as it looks. And Jack should know. Because an ogre has just appeared in his garden and tried to EAT HIS AUNT. (She was the winner of the World’s Worst Aunt competition, but that’s Not The Point).

After (sort of accidentally) defeating the ogre, Jack finds himself apprenticed to a grumpy, 200-year-old monster hunter called Stoop and heading off to Cornwall, where more ogres are causing havoc. All he has are his wits, his catapult and a magical – sometimes unreliable – book called Monster Hunting for Beginners. Jack’s a bit worried he might not be the hero everyone’s waiting for. But then again, how many terrifying, bloodthirsty monsters can there really be?

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Where Seagulls Dare: A Diamond Brothers Case – Diamond Brothers by Anthony Horowitz ill. Tony Ross

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With thrills and spills, and jokes on every page, a new Diamond Brothers novel…

Private investigators Tim and Nick Diamond haven’t had a case for three months and are down to their last cornflake. So when a glamorous woman comes into their office offering them a pile of cash to find her missing father, they think Christmas has come – only it turns out they are the turkeys! Before they know it, they are caught up in a case involving bike-riding hitmen, superhackers and a sinister far right organisation, the White Crusaders. The Diamond Brothers are in the soup and in it over their heads.

Race to Fire Mountain – Future Hero 1 by Remi Blackwood

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“Fast-paced and accessible.” Guardian

The first book in a major new series.

When Jarell discovers that the fantasy world he is obsessed with doodling is actually real, he is launched into an incredible adventure. Ulfrika, the land of his ancestors, is in trouble and he is the hero they need. With the help of brave and wise-cracking Kimisi, Jarell must stop the evil Ikala. The future of Ulfrika depends on it…

A winning blend of future tech gadgets and a fantasy world inspired by the mythology of Africa and its diaspora. Jarell, an ordinary boy who loves to draw, is the chosen one to save the world of Ulfrika. Told in accessible short chapters, filled with action and humour.

The Unmorrow Curse by Jasmine Richards

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 [Cover art by Portuguese artist and animator Pypah Santos]

It’s not every day that you find a famous weather woman bound by magic to a tree deep in the woods. Or discover that the weatherwoman is in fact Sunna, the Norse Goddess of the Sun, and one of the seven day guardians who keep time in order. But that’s just what happens to new friends Buzz and Mari—and it’s only the start of their adventure. Now, as humanity are forced into a lockdown called the Unmorrow Curse and are forced to repeat the same Saturday over and over again, Buzz and Mari must journey to collect the Runes of Valhalla and awaken the other day guardians, before vengeful god Loki can get to them first.

Two friends awaken a world of myth and magic in this epic middle grade fantasy perfect for fans of Rick Riordan.

Jasmine Richards is the founder of Storymix, a children’s fiction development studio that creates inclusive stories and nurtures voices from under-represented backgrounds in children’s books.Follow her on Instagram:

Victoria Stitch: Free and Famous (Paperback) Harriet Muncaster

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Victoria Stitch has escaped from the confines of Wiskling Wood and flown into the human world. Here, she breaks the most sacred of all wiskling laws and speaks to a human. Where she is feared and disgraced in Wiskling Wood, she is adored and revered in the human world. But the net is closing in. There are wisklings who would like to end Victoria Stitch’s famous reign in the human world for good. Will her beloved twin, Celestine, be able to warn her in time? And even if she can, will Victoria Stitch listen?

The Offline Diaries by Yomi Adegoke & Elizabeth Uviebinene

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A fresh, funny and contemporary story of friendship, told in the captivating voices of Ade and Shanice — two utterly unforgettable Year 8 girls.

Ade is about to start at a new school. She is NOT happy with her stepdad for making them move here. Shanice has been at the school for a year already. Since her mum died, she’s been living with her dad and annoying older brother, spending most of her time outside school in her dad’s hair salon. When Ade and Shanice meet in the salon, and spot each other’s diaries, an instant friendship is formed, and they start to chat online… but offline is a whole other story!

Follow Yomi Adegoke (a British Vogue and Guardian columnist with a debut novel, The List, publishing next summer) on Instagram:

 

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And also follow co-author, Elizabeth Uviebinene (a Financial Times columnist):

Cat Kid Comic Club 3: On Purpose by Day Pilkey

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 19 Apr 2022

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Third  instalment in the graphic novel adventure series from the creator of  Dog Man and Captain Underpants.

The comic club is going in different directions! Naomi, Melvin, and siblings are each trying to find their purpose. Naomi has an idea to get rich quick that causes a lot of commotion and emotion. And when faced with rejections, the friends try and try again to stay true to their vision. To top it off, a surprise visitor comes to class to stir things up. Will a desire for money and power cloud Naomi’s purpose? Is it quitting time? Will the club ever be the same?

 

Dread Wood by Jennifer Killick

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“An absolute stunner of a scary story; so exhilarating and gripping that I couldn’t put it down…” ReadingZone
“Joyously generic” BfK 5-star review

When classmates (but not mate-mates) Hallie, Angelo, Gustav and Naira are forced to come to school for a detention on a SATURDAY, they think things can’t get much worse. But they’re wrong. Things are about to get seriously scary.

What has dragged their teacher underground? Why do the creepy caretakers keeping humming the tune to Itsy Bitsy Spider? And what horrors lurk in the shadows, getting stronger and meaner every minute…? Cut off from help and in danger each time they touch the ground, the gang’s only hope is to work together. But it’s no coincidence that they’re all there on detention. Someone has been watching and plotting and is out for revenge.

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Swift and Hawk: Cyberspies – Swift and Hawk by Logan Macx

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 30 Mar 2022

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Two teen spies. One explosive mission.
Fist book in a new thriller series, full of chases, gadgets and AI.

When their families mysteriously disappear, Swift and Hawk, teen experts in AI and robotics, are recruited by the top-secret Moebius Programme. Plunged into a life-and-death rescue mission, Swift and Hawk must race from hidden tunnels beneath London to the sinister island of Spokelsoy, straight into the hands of a deadly enemy…

Watch a promotional video from ReadingZone:
https://vimeo.com/685178899

And read an interview with the co-authors on this page.

The Gifts That Bind Us by Caroline O’Donoghue

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Maeve and her friends have revealed their powers and banded together as a coven: Roe can pick locks, Lily sends sparks flying, Maeve can read minds and Fiona can heal any injury. And even better than their newfound talents? Roe and Maeve are officially an item.

But with strange things happening at school, and old enemies appearing in new places, it soon becomes clear their powers are attracting all the wrong attention. It’s not long before Maeve’s gift start to wane, drained by someone – or something – that’s hiding even from her second sight…

A brilliant second installment in the Hidden Gifts series, with further titles to come.