Firstly, the cover for Asha and the Spirit Bird is absolutely stunning! If there's ever been a time to judge a book by its cover then this is it. Winner of the 2017 Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition, Jasbinder Bila has written a gorgeously original magical-realist Indian adventure.
Asha lives on the family farm with her mother in rural India. Her father is away working in the city, and when the money he sends stops suddenly, a wicked aunt arrives. She’s determined to seize the property – and the treasure rumoured to be hidden on the land. Guided by a majestic bird which Asha believes to be the spirit of her grandmother, she and her best friend Jeevan embark on a journey to the city, across the Himalayas, to find her father and save her home …
Pre-order Asha and the Spirit Bird from Amazon here.
The praise I've heard for Michelle Harrison's A Pinch of Magic has made me desperate to get my hands of this book for a while now. Described by Fiona Noble as a 'mesmerising magical quest with freedom and sisterly love at its heart,' A Pinch of Magic tells the story of the cursed Widdershins sisters and some strange magical objects that could change the fate or the sisters forever.
Three sisters trapped by an ancient curse.
Three magical objects with the power to change their fate.
Will they be enough to break the curse?
Or will they lead the sisters even deeper into danger? ...
Pre-order A Pinch of Magic via Amazon here.
When Big Ben sounds the stroke of midnight, Emily’s parents vanish. As an adventurous eleven year old, Emily packs her sandwiches and her hedgehog, Hoggin, and heads into the Midnight Hour. A Victorian London frozen in time, the Midnight Hour is a magical place of sanctuary and of peril dreamt up by children – and inhabited by monsters of legend, creatures of the imagination, and a Postal Service determined to save the day (and night!). To save her mum and dad, Emily must be brave enough to embrace her own inner magic …
Compared to the likes of Jessica Townsend's Nevermoor, The Midnight Hour sounds like a thrillingly quirky debut. And not to mention, another stunning cover by Chicken House!
Pre-order The Midnight Hour via Amazon here.
The fourth and (sadly) final book in the hilarious Who Let the Gods Out series by one of the funniest voices in children's literature is nearly out!
Elliot and the Gods are back in Against All Gods, and Elliot is about to face his darkest period yet. As well as facing up to his fears, he realises that the future of mankind - and the survival of everything he holds dear - is at stake. But can a bunch of misfit gods, a lost constellation and a mortal boy stand up to the daemon hordes?
By far one of my favourite middle grade series out there, but I'm super excited to see Maz Evans is going to come up with next.
Pre-order Against all Gods via Amazon here.
Two girls, a century apart. Together they'll find freedom.
The Closest Thing to Flying tells the tale of two girls, 100 years apart. When young refugee Semira finds a diary written in 1891 she learns about the story of Hen and a world of animal rights, votes for women, and riding bicycles! Both girls who long for freedom, Semira finds herself a friend she's desperately been seeking and in turn finds the inspiration to be brave, to fight for her place in the world, and maybe even to uncover the secrets of her own past.
Encompassing women's suffrage, the origins of RSPB and the plight of refugees, Gill Lewis has written a remarkably unforgettable tale of friendship, hope, and finding the courage to fight for what you believe in.
Pre-order The Closest Thing to Flying via Amazon here.
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