ReadItDaddy's Chapter Book Roundup - April 2020

Welcome, welcome to this month's fabulous Chapter Book Roundup where we once again dip deep into our book bag to come up with a truly stunning range of middle grade and YA fiction to tempt you with.

We're kicking off with something magical, mysterious and darkly tinged in the fabulous "The Vanishing Trick" by Jenni Spangler, with art by Chris Mould.

Madame Augustina Pinchbeck is a medium, and travels the country conjuring up the long-dead spirits of dearly departed loved ones. Madame Pinchbeck may seem more like a trickster and an illusionist, but there are genuine dark magical powers at her disposal, and sometimes her abilities surprise even her.

Sometimes she preys on children, convincing them to part with precious objects, but instead binding them to her as her dark slaves, locked in magical and enchanted cabinets which she can use for her own nefarious means.

But Pinchbeck's comeuppance may be at hand, in the form of three children determined to break her dark magic spells before it's too late, and they're lost for good.

Breathtakingly original, chock full of atmosphere, and perfect for kids who like dark and spooky stuff, this is stunning and Jenni's writing just completely draws you in. Chris's illustrations are also as fab as ever.

"The Vanishing Trick" by Jenni Spangler and Chris Mould is out today, published by Simon and Schuster. 

Hotly anticipated stuff next, with a return to the fabulous book world of "Wolf Brother" and the seventh (!) book in this amazing series.

"Viper's Daughter" by Michelle Paver begins with Torak and Renn who live in the forest with their pack-brother Wolf.

But danger is afoot, as Renn realises that Torak is in danger, his life is threatened and she may unwittingly have been the cause.

When Renn mysteriously disappears, Torak and Wolf brave the Far North to find her.

At the mercy of the Sea Mother and haunted by ravenous ice bears, their quest leads them to the Edge of the World. There they must face an enemy more evil than any they've ever encountered before, calling on all their resilience and determination to beat a seemingly indestructible foe.

Wholly original, with a truly amazing prehistoric setting, but with a very human and identifiable story , it's gripping from start to finish, and can be read as a standalone story or as part of the fabulous Wolf Brother series.

"Viper's Daughter" by Michelle Paver is out now, published by Zephyr. 

Time for a brilliant update to a classic literary hero, in a story that's fast-paced, action packed, hugely cinematic and completely contemporary.

But wait, does the cover not say "Robin Hood" on it? Robert Muchamore's "Robin Hood: Hacking, Heists and Flaming Arrows" is a truly amazing spectacle, successfully bringing Robin of Locksley into a near-future world that still has a ring of familiarity about it if you love the original characters and don't mind a bit of tinkering.

Locksley was once a prosperous town based around the motor industry, but as the vast factories close, and demand completely drops, many find themselves on the breadline. The local 'law' - the Sherrif of Nottingham - is in cahoots with Guy Gisborne, the evil underworld crime boss.

When Robin's dad is framed for a robbery, he and his brother Little John are hounded out of Locksley and must learn to survive in Sherwood forest, stretching three hundred kilometres and sheltering the free spirits and outlaws who have also fled from the urban confines of nearby towns.

But Robin is determined to do more than survive. Small, fast and deadly with a bow, he hatches a plan to join forces with Marion Maid, harness his inimitable tech skills and strike a blow against Gisborne and the Sheriff, bringing their vice-like reign to an end.

Those familiar with Muchamore's writing will know what to expect. Gritty, dark and superfast-paced action that doesn't let up for a second, and a cast of characters that brings the band of merry men bang up to date in a truly interesting way.

"Robin Hood: Hacking, Heists and Flaming Arrows" by Robert Muchamore is out now, published by Hot Key Books. 

A change of gears now, and a book with a whopping great big beating heart, and an inspirational and life-affirming story.

"Fig Swims the World" by Lou Abercrombie is the tale of Fig Fitzherbert, a girl who excels at a great many things. She is brilliant at the piano, is a whizz at advanced mathematics but always feels under pressure from her mother, who pushes her daughter to the edge of her abilities and quite often beyond.

Each New Year's Day, Fig's mum sets her an impossible resolution, but one year Fig sets herself a challenge - a seemingly impossible one.

Fig is going to swim around the world.

But ah, there is a slight issue. Fig can't swim - at all, let alone around the world - so she sets out on her task with one aim - to show her Mum that she has her own drive and determination.

C really loved this, as a girl who knows her own mind and likes to prove her worth (she never needs to prove anything to us, we know she's amazing). It's just that kind of story though, one that will have you cheering Fig on with every success and defeat. Absolutely wonderful.

"Fig Swims the World" by Lou Abercrombie is out now, published by Stripes Publishing. 

Past, present and future collide in the next book to fall under our steely gaze. The stunning "Girl 38: Finding a Friend" by Ewa Jozefkowicz is based on a real-life story of enduring friendship set against the backdrop of World War 2 and also bang up to date in contemporary times too.

Kat loves working on her favourite obsession, her superhero comic - but sometimes she suffers from impostor syndrome. She's not mighty, brave or heroic and needs a little inspiration.

At school, Gem is no longer her 'best friend'. And at home Kat is lonely while her parents are busy working long hours.

She's even a bit afraid of her elderly neighbour, Ania. But when Ania has an accident Kat surprises herself by rushing to the rescue – just like Girl 38, her comic creation.

Ania becomes key to Kat's search for her own inner strength and their unlikely friendship blossoms. With it Kat's determination grows, as Ania reveals the haunting story behind the portrait of a girl she's left unfinished.

Inspired by Ania – her daring leap to freedom and her search for her lost friend, Mila, who was taken away by soldiers to a 'walled village' at the outbreak of WWII – Kat unravels the mystery of the girl in the painting.

Amazing, again a story with so many intricate moments of brilliance and originality, filled with breathtaking moments as Ania begins to detail her past life, and Kat deals with her own tween issues. Again C absolutely loved this one.

"Girl 38: Finding a Friend" by Ewa Josefkowicz is out now, published by Zephyr. 

Time for a grand adventure next, in a book that feels like an instant future classic, and perfect for kids who love stuff like The Famous Five and The Secret Seven.

"Orla and the Serpent's Curse" by C.J. Haslam takes Cornwall as a backdrop, a brilliant place to base an amazing and exciting adventure story.

Orla is on holiday with her family, but while exploring she finds. mysterious glowing necklace in the woods - and with it, an ancient curse.

Soon it becomes apparent that there's more to the strange village of Poldevel than meets the eye, as Orla meets a weird coven of old ladies who may know more about the mysterious artifact than they're letting on.

Along with Dave the Dog, Orla begins a grand adventure to unlock the secrets of the necklace, and of the magical landscape she finds herself in.

We love Cornwall and this story feels brilliantly interwoven with a place that we love spending summers in, and Orla's curiosity and encounters with magic are thrilling to read about.

"Orla and the Serpent's Curse" by C.J. Haslam is out now, published by Walker Books. 


Next, a scintillating follow-up to one of our favourite books of last year, following the fortunes of young Willow Moss.

"Starfell: Willow Moss and the Forgotten Tale" catches up with Willow after her last adventure, saving the world and finding her own inner confidence in her witchy powers growing.

Poor Willow finds that no one actually remembers her amazing feat, and what's worse - her newly-found powers seem to be on the wane.

Sometimes has discovered how to see ten minutes into the future. Unfortunately that’s only enough time to find out that his kidnappers are on their way! His only hope is to write an urgent letter to Willow, asking if she wouldn’t mind trying to find him.

As Willow and her friends piece together what has happened to Sometimes, their adventure takes them from an enchanted tower to the magical forest of Wisperia and into dangerous new realms… Can Willow save Sometimes when her own powers are out of control?

Brilliant fantasy adventuring for middle graders, who are spoilt for choice for amazing stories at the moment, and this is a corker.

"Starfell: Willow Moss and the Forgotten Tale" by Dominique Valente is out now, published by HarperCollins Children's Books.

Finally another follow-up to a book that also rocked our world when the series first appeared. We loved "Tilly and the Bookwanderers" and now it's time for "Pages and Co Book 2: Tilly and the Lost Fairy Tales" by Anna James.

Tilly Pages is a bookwanderer; she can travel inside books, and even talk to the characters she meets there.

 But Tilly’s powers are put to the test when fairytales start leaking book magic and causing havoc!

On a wintery visit to Paris, Tilly and her best friend Oskar bravely bookwander into the land of fairytales to find that characters are getting lost, stories are all mixed-up, and mysterious plot holes are opening without warning.

Can Tilly work out who, or what, is behind the chaos so everyone gets their happily-ever-after?

As we've said before, this is an intoxicating core idea that is deftly and beautifully written, with tons of charm and so many moments that book lovers will crack a wry smile about as Anna delves into the realm of fairy tales and the rich story threads for Tilly to pluck on there.

"Pages & Co: Tilly and the Lost Fairy Tales" by Anna James is out now, published by HarperCollins Children's Books. 

(all books kindly supplied for review).