Books of the Month 2022
Books of the Month 2022
Embedded Files
There are so many great books published that it's easy to lose track through the year.
Each month we'll be choosing some of our favourite new book releases for y7/8 and highlighting books to look forward to in the coming year.
Keep checking back!
November
November
The Vanishing of Aveline Jones
Phil Hickes
The Vanishing of Aveline Jones
Phil Hickes
Turn on your torches and join Aveline Jones! Aveline is determined to discover the truth behind her uncle's mysterious disappearance when she travels to his home with Mum and Aunt Lilian. After years of hoping Aveline's uncle would return, they have finally decided to sell his house - but Aveline and Harold have other plans. Sneaking into her uncle's study, Aveline discovers he had been researching possible supernatural activity around an ancient burial mound - and linked this with the unexplained disappearances of other local villagers. Dark, magical forces are at work, and they'll do anything to remain hidden, as Aveline and Harold soon learn...
Another spine-tinglingly creepy mystery in the addictive Aveline Jones series. Essential reading for horror fans!
The Ripper of Whitechapel
Yvette Fielding
The Ripper of Whitechapel
Yvette Fielding
When the ghosts of two young children start to haunt a local school, trainee ghost hunters Eve, Clovis and Tom are invited to help investigate the case. But before long they realise there is more to this haunting than they first realised. Could it be that the ghost children are victims of Jack the Ripper? And is the evil Ripper of Whitechapel about to unleash a new campaign of terror from beyond the grave?
Eery, atmospheric adventure perfect for spooky season.
The Haunting of Tyrese Walker
J P Rose
The Haunting of Tyrese Walker
J P Rose
After a shocking event leaves Tyrese struggling with grief, he's taken to visit family in Jamaica. From the first night, strange things start happening: impossible visions, blackouts, swarms of insects, and the discovery of a grave hidden deep in the forest... Tyrese can't explain what's going on and he's scared that he's losing his grip on reality. Then Tyrese is warned he's being hunted by the mysterious Shadow Man. Under threat, Tyrese and his friends set out on a terrifying journey across the island to try and uncover the Shadow Man's sinister history. Who can Tyrese trust when his own mind is falling apart and there's nowhere left to hide?
Darkly creepy psychological horror, only for the very brave...
October
October
The Tale of Truthwater Lake
Emma Carroll
The Tale of Truthwater Lake
Emma Carroll
It's the near-future and Britain is having yet another heatwave. Of course, the government have put in the normal curfews for this kind of weather, and shops are forced to shut again. For Polly, it's the sort of heat that makes her do wild, out-of-character things just to cool down. Like face her fear of deepwater. Essential when she and her brother have been sent to their aunt's eco lake-side house for the summer.
But Truthwater Lake is beginning to dry up. As the water level diminishes, a lost village emerges. Swimming over the rooftops at midnight, Polly dives down and is suddenly able to breathe, to hear church bells and bird song... Polly has discovered an underwater gateway... to the past!
A deliciously unsettling timeslip story of a curious girl, a lost kingdom and a ghostly village. Just brilliant - you'll read it in one sitting. Perfect to cosy up with on winter nights!
September
September
Dogs of the Deadlands
Anthony McGowan
Dogs of the Deadlands
Anthony McGowan
Chernobyl, 1986. The world is coming to an end.
Dragged from her bed in the middle of the night and forced to leave her beloved dog behind, Natasha has no idea if she'll ever return home.
Growing up in the shadow of the ruined nuclear power plant, puppies Misha and Bratan need to learn how to survive - and fast. Creatures with sharp teeth, scythe-like claws and yellow eyes lurk in the overgrown woods. And they're watching the young pups...
But will the dogs survive without humans? And can humans live without them?
A powerful but heartbreaking story of loss, survival and, ultimately, hope. Completely addictive reading which you won't forget easily.
August
August
Resist
Tom Palmer
Resist
Tom Palmer
As the brutal Second World War stretches on with no end in sight, life for ordinary Dutch people in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands is perilous and full of hardship. There is very little to eat and they face the constant threat of arrest and enslavement.
After the murder of her beloved uncle and the capture of her brother by the Germans, Edda is determined to do anything she can to help the resistance fight back. But how much risk is one teenage girl willing to take?
An incredible re-imagining of the real life war experience of Audrey Hepburn which shows the importance of courage and the power of ordinary people fighting back. We think it's Tom's best, and most memorable, war story yet.
Read the first chapter here and see what we mean.
The Accidental Stowaway
Judith Eagle
The Accidental Stowaway
Judith Eagle
Liverpool, 1910.
When Patch runs up the gangway of steamship, RMS Glorious, she isn't planning to hang around. But if she leaves her hiding place the constable might catch her: sitting tight is worth the risk. Too late, she realises the ship is setting sail! Patch has become an accidental stowaway.
Luckily, Patch's unconventional past has made her pretty fearless when it comes to fending for herself, and besides there are friends in high and low places to be made onboard. But hiding away becomes less and less easy: her new friends urgently need her help and there's a mystery that needs solving, all before they reach New York . . .
An exciting historical mystery which will keep you on the edge of your seat.
July
July
Cuckoo Summer
Jonathan Tulloch
Cuckoo Summer
Jonathan Tulloch
Summer 1940. As the cuckoo sings out across the Lake District, life is about to change for ever for local boy Tommy and his friend Sally, the mysterious evacuee girl who lives on the neighbouring farm. When they find a wounded Nazi airman in the woods, Sally persuades Tommy not to report it but to keep the German hidden. This starts a chain of events that leads to the uncovering of secrets about Sally’s past and a summer of adventure that neither child will ever forget.
A brilliant new take on the wartime story set in the North East and Cumbria.
June
June
While the Storm Rages
Phil Earle
While the Storm Rages
Phil Earle
September 1939. The world is on the brink of war. As his dad marches off to fight, Noah makes him a promise, to keep their beloved family dog safe. When the government advises people to have their pets put down in readiness for the chaos of war, hundreds of thousands of people do as they are told. But not Noah. He's not that sort of boy. With his two friends in tow, he goes on the run, to save his dog and as many animals as he can. No matter what.
Another exceptional wartime adventure which shows why doing the right thing matters. Packs a huge emotional punch but full of heart, humour and characters to really care about too. Unforgettable!
Escape to the River Sea
Emma Carroll
Escape to the River Sea
Emma Carroll
In 1946, Rosa Sweetman, a young Kindertransport girl, is longing for her family to claim her. The war in Europe is over and she is the only child left at Westwood, a rambling country estate in the north of England, where she'd taken refuge seven years earlier.
The arrival of a friend of the family, Yara Fielding, starts an adventure that will take Rosa deep into the lush beauty of the Amazon rainforest in search of jaguars, ancient giant sloths and somewhere to belong. What she finds is Yara’s lively, welcoming family on the banks of the river and, together, they face a danger greater than she could ever have imagined.
An exciting new historical adventure in the original River Sea world. Just magical.
The Consequence Girl
Alastair Chisholm
The Consequence Girl
Alastair Chisholm
The world of Colony is in ruins. No one knows what caused society to begin tearing itself apart - but the secret may lie with Cora, a girl living on the mountainside far away from others. Cora possesses an extraordinary gift: the power to see back in time, from an event back to its causes. Even more incredibly, sometimes she can change events. But the present is looking for Cora, and she is forced on the run - and must decide who she is, what she can do ... and how to fix the future.
A brilliantly imaginative, make-you-stop-and-think
sci-fi adventure about how to fix the future.
My Friend the Octopus
Lindsay Galvin
My Friend the Octopus
Lindsay Galvin
England, 1893, and aquarium fever is at its height.
Twelve-year-old Vinnie Fyfe works in the tea-shop at Brighton aquarium, and waits for her milliner mother to return from Paris.
The arrival of a giant octopus changes her life for ever. Discovering a talent for art, Vinnie begins to draw the extraordinary beast.
She soon realises she can communicate with the octopus through colour and – as a gripping mystery begins to unfold – discovers what true courage really means ...
A high-stakes Victorian adventure with an
underwater twist.
May
May
Our Sister, Again
Sophie Cameron
Our Sister, Again
Sophie Cameron
On a small island off the Scottish coast, Isla and her family are grieving the loss of her older sister Flora, who died three years ago. Then they're offered the chance to be part of a top-secret trial, which revives loved ones as fully lifelike AI robots using their digital footprint.
Isla has her doubts about Second Chances, but they evaporate the moment the 'new' Flora arrives. This girl is not some uncanny close likeness; she is Flora - a perfect replica. But not everyone on their island feels the same. And as the threats to Flora mount, she grows distant and more secretive. Will Isla be able to protect the new Flora and bring the community back together?
A superb sci-fi mystery about what it means to be human. A little bit sad, very hopeful and full of heart.
The Colour of Hope
Ross MacKenzie
The Colour of Hope
Ross MacKenzie
Years ago, the Emperor used dark magic to steal all the colour from the world. Now he keeps it for himself, enjoying its life-giving power while everyone else must exist in cold shades of grey. That is, until a miracle baby is born – everything she touches turns to colour. But the child’s life is in danger from her very first breath. Can the girl and her adopted father survive in the forest – and what will it take to return colour and hope to the world?
A genuinely magical story to make you see the world through new eyes and realise just how much you take for granted.
April
April
Truth or Dare
Sophie McKenzie
Truth or Dare
Sophie McKenzie
Fourteen-year-old Maya cannot believe she has to spend the summer with her grandmother, helping out at the family cosmetics firm. But things get much more exciting when she meets a community of activists who are campaigning against the dumping of chemical waste. Getting closer to one boy in particular, Bear, Maya is dared into joining one of their protest missions, but doesn't know that her grandmother's business is the target. Someone has been lying about their environmentally-friendly products, and as danger threatens, Maya must uncover the truth or betray her family forever.
Nobody does thrillers like Sophie McKenzie and this edge-of-your-seat eco-drama, exploring the fine line between truth and lies, is one of her best yet!
March
March
Furthermoor
Darren Simpson
Furthermoor
Darren Simpson
The real world is a hostile place for twelve-year-old Bren, his schooldays stalked by vicious bully, Shaun, and his family life fractured at home. Ever since his sister Evie died in an accident, Bren's only safe space is Furthermoor, an imagined world of mechanised trees and clockwork animals, where Evie is still alive. In Furthermoor, no one can hurt Bren... until the mysterious Featherly arrives.
Now Bren is forced to confront his deepest fears and decide if his place in the real world is worth fighting for.
An unforgettable and imaginative story about courage, friendship and finding your voice.
The Secret of the Treasure Keepers
A M Howell
The Secret of the Treasure Keepers
A M Howell
February 1948. Ruth has been whisked off to the lonely Rook Farm to investigate the discovery of long-buried treasure with her mother. But at the farmhouse, she finds secrets lurk around every corner. Joe, the farmer's son, is hiding something about the treasure, while land girl Audrey watches their every move. But before Ruth can find out more, the treasure is stolen...
With a storm coming, Ruth must race to uncover the secrets of the treasure keepers before all of their lives are changed forever.
A gripping historical mystery of stolen treasure, bravery and friendship set at the end of the Second World War.
February
February
Nisha's War
Dan Smith
Nisha's War
Dan Smith
Nisha’s Malayan home is destroyed by war and she and her mother, Amma, flee to her father’s ancestral house in England, perched on a cliff top on the cold Northern coast.
When Amma falls gravely ill, Nisha is left to face her formidable grandmother alone, forbidden to do almost everything, even climb the old tree. But when a ghost child beckons Nisha to sit under its branches, and promises her Amma’s life in return for three truths, its pull proves irresistible ...
Part wartime adventure, part historical ghost story, part family drama, Nisha's War is a real pageturner; Dan's best book yet!
Spark
Mitch Johnson
Spark
Mitch Johnson
The world is unbearably hot, water is drying up, and life is hard. After a vicious thunderstorm, Ash wakes to find that the village's water has completely run out, and all the other villagers have mysteriously disappeared.
Ash must set off on a quest to find water, the rumoured flourishing land to the north and what happened to his father...
An epic dystopian adventure about saving our struggling world.
The Bird Singers
Eve Wersocki Morris
The Bird Singers
Eve Wersocki Morris
A rain-soaked cottage far from anywhere, a peculiar whispering at night, a handful of unusual feathers appearing on the doorstep, whispers of a shadowed woman in the forest, her mother behaving oddly...
As their holiday takes a dark twist, Layah wonders if the Polish myths her grandmother told might just be real...
A thrilling mystery full of dark magic and killer twists.
January
January
A new year means new books - and this month not one but three of our favourite NE Book Award authors EVER have books published.
There's no better way to spend those Christmas book vouchers!
The Horror of Dunwick Farm
Dan Smith
The Horror of Dunwick Farm
Dan Smith
Animals behaving oddly, people falling suddenly ill – what’s creeping around down at the farm? Crooked Oak’s mystery-solving team return with another spine-tingling adventure.
Are you brave enough???
Into the Sideways World
Ross Welford
Into the Sideways World
Ross Welford
A mysterious animal, an alternate ideal reality, a looming global war, an impossible decision and a nail-biting race against time.
If you found a perfect world, could you leave it behind?
The most exciting adventure you'll read this year!
When the War Came Home
Lesley Parr
When the War Came Home
Lesley Parr
The First World War has ended, but it hasn't gone away. Many still battle the after effects of war.
As Natty tries to keep a secret and unravel a mystery, she finds her own way to fight for what she believes in - and learns that some things should never be forgotten .
A superbly told story about the impact of war on ordinary people. You'll not forget this one in a hurry.
The Rollercoaster Boy
Lisa Thompson
The Rollercoaster Boy
Lisa Thompson
A spur of the moment holiday, a rundown seaside hotel, a famous novelist who has vanished, a locked room and some cryptic clues to be solved....this is one trip Todd won't forget in a hurry.
Part mystery, part insight into caring for a parent with bipolar, this is an exciting page turner about life's ups and downs, being kind and the importance of asking for help when you need it.
"The Grand Budapest Hotel meets Paddington 2" in book form.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse