Welcome, welcome to our May Chapter Book Roundup where we're once again bringing you a gorgeous selection of chapter books to keep things ticking over while you're in lockdown. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and there's no better time to tuck yourself into your favourite book nook in the garden and enjoy some sunshine and stunning kidlit.

We're kicking off with the fabulous "Roxy and Jones: The Great Fairytale Cover Up" by Angela Woolfe.

Deftly splicing together the contemporary tale of two kick-ass gals with a world where fairytales are real, and characters we know and love are woven into this fab mix of adventure and excitement bringing together the familiar and unfamiliar!

Roxy Humberdinck is half sister to Hansel and Gretel (yes, THOSE kids who are expert at defeating nasty old witches) and Jones (who is more better known by her other monicker, Cinderella). Both girls have a natural curiosity and want to find out more about their world and their weird families, and the tales told to them in childhood which are now becoming all too real.
A superb mix of classic fairy tales and brilliant bang-up-to-date mighty girl stuff which we absolutely loved!

"Roxy and Jones" by Angela Woolfe is out now, published by Walker Books. 

Sticking with Fairy Tales for a moment for a whole new version of a well loved classic, a superb gift edition of Pinocchio...
Originally published in 1883, The Adventures of Pinocchio is one of the best known and beloved children s classics. Written by Italian political satirist Carlo Collodi, it is the story of Geppetto, a poor puppeteer who uses an enchanted piece of wood to carve a marionette boy he calls Pinocchio.

The impish Pinocchio does not want to be a puppet; he yearns to become a real boy. Soon, his curiosity, mischievousness, and naivete lead him away from his father s shop and into a series of perilous encounters with vicious puppet masters, cunning animals, and other magical characters. Along this perilous journey, the magical puppet learns how much turmoil, heart, and hard work it takes to become a real boy. With a nose that grows larger with each lie he tells, Pinocchio has become an enduring icon in children s literature, and now his story is brilliantly reimagined in this stunning gift edition.
What exactly IS the currency of cool? Steven Camden has a theory in his new book, "My Big Mouth" with illustrations from Scott Garrett.
Normally we're used to reading stories about sibling rivalry but in the fabulous "The Key To Finding Jack" by Ewa Jozefkowicz, Flick actually loves her older brother loads - and loves solving puzzles with him.

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).

Welcome, welcome to our Chapter Book roundup for March. We have a huge selection of books to get our teeth into this month (hooray) so let's get going straight away with a piece of code-crackingly brilliant genius.

"Mickey and the Animal Spies" by dream team Anne Miller and Becka Moor introduces Mickey, a girl who loves nothing better than puzzling over secret codes and ciphers.

When she spots a strange code on a poster while on the way home from school, Mickey's curiosity is piqued. What can the poster mean? Can she unscramble the letters to spell out the intended message?

Soon she's hot on the trail of diamond thieves, dognappers and makes a whole crew of new allies - a bunch of wisecracking code-cracking animal spies to help her in her strange case.

Built around real codes for kids to solve, this is a captivating book idea that goes beyond most middle grade 'tec novels, delving into the intriguing and interesting world of spying, codes and riddles.

"Mickey and the Animal Spies" by Anne Miller and Becka Moor is out now, published by OUP / Oxford Children's Books. 


Something slick, stylish and fast-paced next with the third book in Sophie Green and Karl James Mountford's awesome "Potkin and Stubbs" series.

"Ghostcatcher" picks up after Nedly and Lil successfully defeated evil ghost Mr Grip. Now they're on their next case, and a particularly disturbing haunting. But Peligan City has had enough of ghosts and has hired ghost catchers - and Nedly finds himself being hunted!

Luckily, he has Lil on his side. Now an apprentice reporter for the Klaxon, Lil manages to talk her way into a job shadowing intrepid journalist Marsha Quake, who is writing a feature on Ghostcatcher Inc.

So with Lil's help, Nedly is able to stay one step ahead, but can Lil keep Nedly safe for long?

As Nedly develops his own inimitable and slightly haphazard haunting style, hoping to become a hero of Peligan City by protecting the weak and thwarting the powerful, Lil finds herself clashing with her mum, a journalist committed to uncovering the truth at all costs. Lil must protect Nedly by covering his tracks or risk losing him forever. Can she find a way?

The characters and settings for this ghoulish novel are pitch perfect, pairing a ghost who wants to be a  good spirit with a naturally curious girl who wants to protect her new found friend.

"Potkin and Stubbs: Ghostcatcher" by Sophie Green and Karl James Mountford is out now, published by Piccadilly Press. 

A real treat for us next, and a book series from an immensely talented young lady.

"Amelia Fang and the Naughty Caticorns" by Laura Ellen Anderson is the latest adventure for her awesome half fairy half vampire mighty girl.

But Amelia might not be the only fairy vamp on the block soon, as her mum has a little vampish sibling on the way and Amelia couldn't be more excited - though soon she begins to think that everyone's so wrapped up in new baby news that they haven't got time for her! Oh dear.

Luckily, Amelia is asked to practice her babysitting skills with three very mischievous Caticorns (half cat, half unicorn, what could possibly go wrong? Gerard, Butler and Mo might look sweet and cuddly, but they're very good at getting into mischief, and super-expert at getting poor Amelia into trouble too! Suddenly Amelia finds she's once more the focus of attention but not in a good way!

These books are so much fun, perfect for emergent solo readers who love illustrations, awesome characters and great little stories. We adore Laura's sense of humour and her knack for making us giggle loads.

"Amelia Fang and the Naughty Caticorns" by Laura Ellen Anderson is out now, published by Egmont UK. 

Something super-weird is on its way, in fact in "A Super Wrird Mystery: Danger at the Donut Diner" - the new fantastically funny series from Jim Smith, expect the unexpectedly strange!

When Melvin moves from the city to Donut (a perfectly round island with a hole in the middle), he thinks it's the most rubbish place ever.

Then he meets Rhubarb. Rhubarb is OBSESSED with mysteries and has her own school newspaper to investigate the strange goings on in Donut. (Unfortunately nothing ever happens in Donut so she's never had anything to write about.)

But then Melvin notices that the kids at school are acting very strangely. Could it be something to do with the Donut Hole Monsters that everyone is collecting?

Soon Melvin and Rhubarb are on the trail of a mystery – one that is going to lead them right into the centre of the donut hole… And Rhubarb might actually have something to write about in her newspaper, if they make it out alive.

Will they get to the bottom of the Donut Hole Monster mystery before it’s too late and the whole town is brainwashed?

From the demented genius mind of one of the funniest authors on the planet, this is cool and crazy, chaotic and frenetic storytelling.

"A Super Weird Mystery: Danger at the Donut Diner" by Jim Smith is out now, published by Egmont

Truly inspirational stuff next in the sparklingly brilliant and thoroughly original "Martin McLean Middle School Queen" by Alyssa Zaczek.

Martin McLean has always been surrounded by people who can express themselves. His mother is an artist, his colourful uncle Billy works in theatre and his best friends Carmen and Pickle are outgoing and don t care what other people think.
When 8-year-old Agnes is signed up for SPEARS (the Society for the Protection of Endangered and Awesomely Rare Species), she has no idea of the adventures that lie ahead with her elephant-shrew mentor Attie (short for "Attenborough" - great name!)

February is fab-uary for children's middle grade and YA books, with a whole truckload of amazing releases hitting our letterbox this month and next. So let's dig in and take a closer look.

We're kicking off this month's roundup with the sequel to one of our fave middle grade books of last year.

"Planet Omar: Unexpected Super Spy" by Zanib Mian and Nasaya Mafaridik picks up from "Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet" and we're also very pleased to hear that a third book is on the way. YAY!

This time Omar and his pals are all of a tizzy, thinking up crazy and bizarre ways to scrape together enough pocket money to be able to afford a whole mess of Nerf Blasters for a truly epic battle.
Somewhere in the deep and frozen north is a mysterious island surrounded entirely by ice.
Beatrix the Bold is a queen. A very bold queen. And she's also only ten years old. But that's never stopped her from doing anything before, and it's not going to stop her now.
Once again chaos seems to centre around Kit so she sets off with her two best friends - and the local librarian - to get to the bottom of the weird phenomenon that keep kicking off in her local otherwise sleepy town.

Wow, I can't quite believe we're here in the year 2020! Still missing our robot servants, flying cars and food in pill form but thankfully books are still around - amazing chapter books, and so it's our solemn duty to once again bring you the brightest and best chapter books month after month, starting with January's amazing selection.

"Little Bird Lands" by Karen McCombie is the first book we're delving into today, a truly amazing slice of adventure for folk who love the spirit of the wild, wild west and the pioneering families who settled in a new land and made their lives there.

After "Little Bird Flies" we pick up the story as Little Bird arrives from her native Scotland in America for the first time.

Assuming that her family are now free from danger (which we can't talk about too much, but definitely read the first book to get the whole story, it's well worth it!) Little Bird soon discovers that even the new world holds new perils, and soon she's on the run again.
Demelza is your ordinary everyday girl who truly loves science. She stays up late into the night to conduct experiments and research, totally obsessed with figuring out what makes the world tick. However Demelza seems to have also inherited her grandmother's distinctly unscientific gift for detecting spooks, ghouls and ghosts!

Hear whispers in the dining car, find notes in the library, and unknown passengers among the luggage as you help Harrison to solve the mystery aboard one of the world's grandest trains.
Smart speakers are undoubtedly the new craze in town. Everyone wants one, everyone buys them, and soon they're commonplace everywhere in Tyler's home town.