HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SEASON

Bloomsbury The Comic Strip History of the World Turner, T; Kindberg, S, illus October, £6.99, 9780747594314 An irreverant comic-strip look at the history of the world. Witty, humorous, this will appeal to a wide range of readers. For seven to nine years.

Bloomsbury

Faber & Faber Children’s The Mum Shop Jenkinson, Ceci July, pbk original, £4.99, 9780571239504 Oli, a 10-year-old boy, takes his mum to shop to swap her for one who will let him do all the things he wants to do. He soon finds that things don’t quite go to plan in this highly amusing debut novel. Major PR and online campaigns and competitions. For seven to nine years.

HarperCollins Children’s Kaspar Morpurgo, Michael; Foreman, Michael, illus September, £12.99, 9780007266999 A beautifully written story about Kaspar the Savoy Hotel cat and the humans he interacts with on a journey that sees him survive the sinking of the Titanic. Foreman’s illustrations complement the richness of the story, perfectly capturing the sense of place and time. For seven to nine years.

Hodder Children’s Books Dust ‘n’ Bones Mould, Chris October, pbk, £5.99, 9780340950708 A book of 10 ghost stories designed to send shivers down your spine. Contains five classic tales made accessible for younger readers plus five original stories. Illustrations enhance the mood of the stories. For seven to nine years.

Random House Children’s Books The Bare Bum Gang Battles the Dogsnatchers McGowan, Anthony August, pbk, £4.99, 9781862303874 A second hilarious novel about the antics of the Bare Bum Gang as they battle to outwit the evil dogsnatchers. For seven to nine years.

Tweens and teens fiction

Catnip Sunny Side Up Roberts, Marion July, pbk, £5.99, 9781846470547 Eleven-year-old Sunny is an only child, lateral thinker, dog lover and part owner of Pizza-A-Go-Girl and happy with things the way they are. Suddenly, everything in her life begins to change and the way she deals with this provides a warm, funny, quirky debut novel. For nine to 12 years.

Egmont UK

Orchard Books The Haunting of Nathaniel Wolfe Keaney, Brian August, pbk, £5.99, 9781846165207 Nathaniel’s father is a fake medium, offering the bereaved access to their loved ones through his spiritualist meetings. However, when the real spirit world reaches out to Nate he finds himself in a race against time. For nine to 12 years.

Puffin

Scholastic Children’s Books 39 Clues 1: The Maze of Bones Riordan, Rick September, £6.99, 9780545060394 A million dollars or a clue? That’s the choice faced by Dan and Amy and other members of the Cahill family. Their decision sends them on a quest to find 39 clues and the source of their family power. The first in a 10-book multi-author series publishing over two years, integrating books, game and website, this has big potential. For nine to 12 years.

Bloomsbury The Traitor Game Collins, B R August, £10.99, 9780747594383 A stunning debut novel set partly in a boys’ boarding school and partly in a fantasy world. It’s a cleverly plotted novel and I found it an utterly compelling read. For 12 to 16 years.

HarperCollins Children’s

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Catnip

Egmont UK The Robber Baron’s Daughter Gavin, Jamila August, pbk, £7.99, 9781405242936 Nettie lives a privileged life, the adored daughter of wealthy parents. Her world starts to disintegrate when her beloved tutor disappears and in unravelling the mystery she discovers the secrets behind her father’s business. Superbly written, the plot twists and turns. For nine to 12 years.

Orchard Books

Puffin Diary of a Wimpy Kid Kinney, Jeff July, pbk, £4.99, 9780141324906 Part novel, part comic strip, this started life as a daily online journal of a school loser on www.funbrain.com. It’s a hilarious account of the life and adventures of Greg and his geeky best friend Rowley. Children will relate to so many elements of this. For nine to 12 years.

Bloomsbury

Hodder Children’s Books Jackdaw Summer Almond, David November, £10.99, 9780340881989

The Bookseller Children’s Buyer’s Guide: Autumn Books | July 2008
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SEASON

One hot summer’s day a jackdaw leads two boys into an old farmhouse where they discover an abandoned baby. Tautly and skilfully written, this explores the themes of friendship, loyalty, savagery and goodness. For 12 to 16 years.

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books Stories from the Billabong Marshall, James; Firebrace, Francis, illus July, £14.99, 9781845077044 An excellent collection featuring 10 Aboriginal legends authentically retold and beautifully illustrated. Ideal for reading aloud For six to 11 years.

Non-fiction

Scholastic Children’s Books Horrible Science: Angry Animals Shuffle Puzzle Book Arnold, N; De Saulles, T, illus October, board, £12.99, 9781407104379 An innovative and exciting full-colour shuffle puzzle book. Features five shuffle puzzles which move to reveal freaky facts about some of the world’s most dangerous animals. For five to 11 years

Little Tiger Press The Lost Treasure of the Dragon’s Cave Taylor, M; Smith, D, illus August, £8.99, 9781845067441 A rhyming quest to find the gold hidden in the dragon’s cave takes the reader through encounters with various scary creatures who pop out of the pages. Great fun. From birth to five years.

Little Tiger Press

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Macmillan Children’s Books How Loud Can You Burp? Murphy, Glenn July, pbk, £4.99, 9780330454094 Answers a range of questions that children usually ask, such as, “How loud can you burp?” and, “Why do we have eyelids?” Funny, informative and accessible. For five to 11 years.

Hodder Children’s Books

Oxford University Press Bloodchild Bowler, Tim September, £12.99, 9780192719805 Following an accident, Will has total memory loss. He is struggling to understand what the sense of evil is that he feels, why he seems to have so many enemies and how he can find the answers without coming to harm. This is another powerful thriller from this award-winning writer. For 12 to 16 years.

Scholastic Children’s Books

Hodder Children’s Books Bras, Boys and Bad Hair Days Naik, Anita July, pbk, £5.99, 9780340970577 Written by the agony aunt for teen magazine B, this is full of the tips that every teenage girl needs to know to help her live with style. For 12 to 16 years.

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books We Are All Born Free International, Amnesty October, £12.99, 9781845076504 Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, this fantastic book offers a simplified text written especially to make it accessible for children. To add to its appeal, each declaration is illustrated by an internationally renowned artist or illustrator. All royalties are donated to Amnesty International. One of my favourites of the season. For ages five to 11.

Macmillan Children’s Books

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books ABC UK Dunn, James; Bate, Helen, illus July, £11.99, 9781845076962 An interesting and original illustrated alphabet book exploring the diversity of British culture. From King Arthur to the Beatles, carnival to vindaloo, the unique cultural identity of the UK is celebrated. For five to 11 years.

Oxford University Press

Random House Children’s Books The Stuff Of Nightmares Blackman, Malorie July, pbk, £6.99, 9780552554633 When the train his class is travelling on crashes, Kyle finds himself being stalked by Death. A fast-paced, chilling tale. For 12 to 16 years.

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Midnight Feast Magic Peters, R; Pankhurst, K, illus October, pbk, £9.99, 9781845077839 A fun guide to planning and holding the perfect sleepover written by a 13-year-old girl. Contains photographs and stepby-step instructions for games, activities and easy-to-make recipes. This will be a real hit. For five to 11 years.

Random House Children’s Books A Really Short History of Nearly Everything Bryson, Bill October, £14.99, 9780385614801 Adapted to make it accessible for children. Full colour illustrations and photographs plus Bryson’s storytelling skills make this particularly appealing. For five to 11 years.

The Time Traveller’s Journal Hermes, Prospero November, £16.99, 9780091799045 Notes, diagrams, interactive popups, pull-out booklets, taking the reader on a journey through the past and a glimpse of the future. For five to 11 years

Usborne Christmas Fun Watt, Fiona; Lovell, Katie, illus August, spiral, £6.99, 9780746097670 A simple range of Christmas activities using everyday craft materials for parents and preschool children to do together. For two to five years.

The Bookseller Children’s Buyer’s Guide: Autumn Books | July 2008 9