Books of the Month - Children's
The Forgotten Magic
L.D. Lapinski
Prepare for the magical adventure of your dreams, in the first in a brand-new series by L.D. Lapinski, author of Strangeworlds Travel Agency.
For the last 400 years, magic has been fading...
Edward Crane has always feared he won't have any magic at all. Sure, he's part of a powerful magic Artezan family, but he's adopted. His twin sister, Elodie, isn't so worried, but then everything always seems to work out perfectly for her.
So when Ed discovers he does have an Artezan power after all, he's relieved. And it's more than he ever could have imagined - in fact, it's a dream come true.
But the problem with dreams is that sometimes they twist themselves into nightmares.
February
The O.D.D. Squad: Rise of Invisidog
Stuart Heritage
Do you want to laugh your pants off? Of course you do. In which case - come on into the world of the O.D.D. Squad - a team of (sort of) heroic animal crime-fighters you'll never forget. Though maybe not for the right reasons. .
January
The Swifts
Beth Lincoln
A hilarious mystery adventure perfect for fans of Robin Stevens and Lemony Snicket.
On the day they are born, each Swift is brought before the sacred Family Dictionary. They are given a name and a definition, and it is assumed they will grow up to match. Unfortunately, Shenanigan Swift has other ideas.
So what if her relatives all think she's destined to turn out as a troublemaker, just because of her name? Shenanigan knows she can be whatever she wants - pirate, explorer or even detective.
Which is lucky, really, because when one of the Family tries to murder Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude, someone has to work out whodunit.
With the help of her sisters and cousin, Shenanigan grudgingly takes on the case, but more murders, a hidden treasure and an awful lot of suspects make thing seriously complicated.
Can Shenanigan catch the killer before the whole household is picked off? And in a Family where definitions are so important, can she learn to define herself?
December
Once There Was
Kiyash Monsef
Discover a world of extraordinary beasts and unexpected heroes in the dazzling debut from Kiyash Monsef. Perfect for readers aged 9+ and fans of Philip Pullman, Neil Gaiman, J.K. Rowling and A.F. Steadman.
Once was, once wasn’t. .
November
Bunny Vs Monkey 01
Jamie Smart
Welcome to the woods. It's chaos in there! Bunny and his friends Weenie the Squirrel, Pig (the pig), Action Beaver and Skunky the Inventor lived a peaceful life in the forest - until Monkey's rocket crash-landed and he decided to take over! Now Monkey is causing mayhem, Bunny is determined to put a stop to it, and... what's that? It's an out of control shark tank, ruining a lovely picnic!
October
The Broken Rainbow
Tasma Walton & Samantha Campbell
“Nerra, you are the next Deep Time Traveller, as your great-grandmother was before you.” When Nerra’s great-grandmother passes away, she leaves a box of artefacts to Nerra. Nerra is drawn to the clapsticks which glow red hot, and when she picks them up, she is transported back in time. Dreaming is out of balance and a hero needs to help. Bineal and Pirnbial, husband and wife of the rainbow, have been split apart and captured by the evil Devour’ena. With the help of the Keeper of Clean Sand and Clear Water and the cleverman, Bobbinary, can Nerra reunite the rainbow and bring Dreaming back into balance?.
September
A Dennith Grange Misadventure: This Camp Is Doomed
Anna Zobel
The wry humour and mystery-solving of Friday Barnes meets the magic of TikTok sensation The House in the Cerulean Sea in this spooky, madcap, hilarious school camp adventure!
A run-down camp in the woods.
No phone reception.
Ten students with untested powers. . .
Celine is seeing conspiracies everywhere. Fionn has a bad premonition about the colour blue. Mr Berg is horrified at the camp's questionable safety standards.
August
The Perilous Promotion Of Trilby Moffat
Kate Temple
With the past safely restored to the past, Trilby Moffat is looking forward to sitting down to a big slice of cake and a good crossword puzzle. But she's about to find out that the job of Time Keeper is never done and the future has other plans for her. . . extremely perilous plans.
'This looks dangerous,' said Trilby, who was tied to an antique parlour chair teetering on the edge of a rocky cliff.
The man in the top hat arched one prickly eyebrow.
July
Ember And The Island Of Lost Creatures
Jason Pamment
From Treasure in the Lake's Jason Pamment comes a graphic novel of friendship and self-discovery in a gorgeously illustrated world, perfect for fans of Amulet and Lightfall.
'A charming story of unexpected friendships and endless wonder.' TIM PROBERT, creator of Lightfall
Fitting in can be hard, especially when you're as small as Ember. He's hoping his luck changes when Lua, a kindly sea turtle, escorts him across the ocean to a school for little creatures on a wondrous island. There, Ember learns that first days can also be hard - especially when they involve fantastical cave-dwellers, ferocious storms and classmates that aren't interested in making friends.
As he struggles to adapt to his school, Ember finds himself at the heart of an otherworldly mystery, facing a strange monster from the deep. And though Ember's classmates may seem of little help, any good student knows appearances can be deceiving - and friendship can come from the most unexpected of places.
Praise for Treasure in the Lake
'A beautifully drawn coming-of-age adventure story.' Kazu Kibuishi, creator of Amulet
'A charming tale of mystery and friendship, and an inspiring introduction for young comics creators.' Shaun Tan, creator of Tales from Outer Suburbia and The Arrival
'Treasure in the Lake is a visual treat, and a heartfelt, rollicking adventure.' Remy Lai, creator of Pie in the Sky and Pawcasso
'An enchanting tale full of mystery and wonder and secrets. Once I stepped into Jason Pamment's beautifully drawn world, I didn't want to leave.' Craig Phillips, creator of Giants, Trolls, Witches, Beasts
June
Monster Island
George Ivanoff
Jurassic Park meets Stranger Things in a story where the creatures are out of this world!
After following his mum to her top-secret new job, Bernie finds himself on a mysterious remote island inside the Bass Strait Triangle. The scientists working there call it Monster Island, and Bernie soon discovers why. . .
Here, extinct and mythical creatures are alive! But that's not the only mystery. Why are there so many mushrooms? Where have the hostile black drones come from? Who controls them? And why are they spying on the creatures on the island?
Bernie and his new friend Ivy are determined to find out.
An action-packed adventure where dinosaurs roam, secrets are dangerous and drop bears really do exist!.
May
The Art Of Getting Noticed
Chelsea M Campbell & Laura Knetzger
Meet Bigfoot and Nessie! Yes, that Bigfoot and Nessie. Only ... Well, things are a little complicated right now. Bigfoot is having trouble fitting in with his family. He can never quite manage to get himself into the picture, much to the disappointment of his mum, dad, and sister, who always want to be in the spotlight.
April
Villains Academy 01
Ryan Hammond
Being BAD has never felt so GOOD! The first in a villainously funny, highly illustrated young middle-grade series from author-illustrator Ryan Hammond. For fans of Amelia Fang, Dog Man and Grimwood.
‘A charmingly villainous adventure about friendship, school and unspeakable evil. Hammond is an exciting new author-illustrator double threat.’ Louie Stowell, author of Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good
Welcome to Villains Academy – the most prestigious villain school in the ENTIRE land. You will either leave here as a fully-formed villain. . .