Otto lives in a village beyond which lies only darkness. Rarely does anyone brave the treacherous trail that leads there. However, one day Otto is awakened by the rumble of vast beasts drawing wagons belonging to the Circus of Dreams. Boasting performances to delight and thrill, the circus’s crowning glory promises to unveil a Monster of Dreams. Intrigued, everyone rushes to see it.
It’s a challenge to tackle childhood distress and the dangers of a disenfranchised populace through humorous fantasy, Irish folklore, and wrestling references, but Dave Rudden manages to pull it off with sensitivity and panache.
Everyone talks differently. And everyone who does, wants to be understood. But in the loud chatter created by social media and strident news, it is easy to believe that it is only the person who shouts the loudest who stands a chance of being heard. What we know of course, is that in a room full of loud voices, nobody can be heard. Meaningful dialogue gets lost and feelings can get hurt.
The second novel in the Clem Fatale series opens with Clem and her friend Gilbert walking along on a summer’s day. Laden down with ice cream cones, talking about their favourite singing act who they are going to see in the London Palladium, when they are suddenly kidnapped off the street the action of this 1950s London adventure begins!
Lucas DuBois, a teenage orphan living in the Chantilly region of Nazi-occupied France, is tired of being called Petit Éclair and mocked for being sensitive and cowardly. But bullying is a way of life in this society of suspicion and secrets, where people will do anything to survive.
The sudden death of twelve-year-old Lila’s estranged grandfather Clem means the family must relocate to Ohio to sort out his affairs. Spending the summer away from her school friends feels like the end of the world for Lila, until she realises it is exactly what she needed. Tired of being told she has a flair for the dramatics, Lila tries to reinvent herself as being cool, calm and collected like a block of ice as she says herself. However, the appearance of ghosts and spirits makes her plan to be less dramatic quite difficult with amusing results.
Anya and the Light Above the Ocean is a fast moving and, at times, bewildering rollercoaster of a tale. Part fantasy, part science fiction, it’s a modern adventure that raises many issues around trust, truth and power.
In their most ambitious project yet, Rebel Girls delivers Girls Like Me, a vibrant, cross-continental journey that amplifies the voices of over 70 young girls from 46 different nations. The collection utilises first-person interviews to offer an authentic glimpse into the daily lives, cherished traditions, and unique hobbies of girls worldwide.
With its cameras, curfews, DNA testing and elite police force, the town of Moonhaven is supposed to be werewolf-proof – so where did that howl come from on the last full moon?
A chill blast opens this book, as we enter a world that has only known winter for twelve years, and where no child has been born in this time. There is a sense of desperation around a ceremony of fire lighting created to restore the usual cycles of nature. The villagers are looking for hope wherever they can find it, but quiet and cautious Quill is probably the last person they would expect to discover it in.
