From gripping mysteries to laugh-out-loud summer adventures, these books are perfect for keeping children entertained this summer! Whether it’s for enjoying on a long car journey or reading on the beach, we’ve got you covered…
The House on the Edge
9-12
A tense thriller that’s impossible to put down – perfect for fans of Emma Carroll and Fleur Hitchcock.
Where has Faith’s dad gone? Why has he left his family living in an old house perched on a crumbling cliff top? A crack has appeared in the cliff and Faith watches anxiously as it gets bigger and bigger each day… Her brother is obsessed with the sea ghosts he claims live in the basement, and when he disappears as well, Faith starts to believe in the ghosts too. Can she find her brother and bring her father back before everything she cares about falls into the pitiless sea below?
The Secret Detectives
9-12
A gripping historical mystery, inspired by The Secret Garden and the golden age of crime writing.
When Isobel Petty is orphaned, she finds herself being taken away from her home in India and sent to live with a distant uncle in England. On board the S.S. Marianna, she witnesses a shocking act – somebody being thrown overboard in the middle in the night. But when the ship’s captain insists that nobody is missing, Isobel and her two new reluctant friends must solve two mysteries – the identities of both the murderer and the victim – before they reach England and the culprit has the chance to escape.
We Made A Movie
9-12
A laugh-out-loud story of family, fun and summery adventure from the author of We Won an Island, one of The Telegraph’s best books of 2019.
When Luna’s family won an island, their dreams came true – Luna opened a donkey sanctuary, her sister flew a plane, and her brother won a sheep pageant. But Luna’s new donkey has a mortal fear of beaches, her mum’s goat-yoga business is on the rocks, and her brother is weirder than ever! Luna’s got a brilliant plan to solve her family’s problems – it’s time to enter the movie-making business…
Waiting for Murder
9-12
Hugely gripping, with buried secrets and incredible twists, this is the perfect thriller to get lost in this summer.
It’s a long, hot summer. As the water drains away from the reservoir, a car emerges. And there seems to be a body in it, a body that then disappears… Daniel and Florence start to investigate and uncover a long-ago robbery, missing gold and murder. When the drought breaks, everything is swept downstream and the truth is revealed.
The Life and Time of Lonny Quicke
9-12
What if, with just the touch of your hand, you could save lives? You’d do it wouldn’t you? But what if it meant you got older each time… Older and older, until there’s no time left.
Lonny is a lifeling. He has the power to heal any living creature and bring it back from the dead. But he pays a price for this gift – by lengthening the creature’s life, he shortens his own. So Lonny has to be careful, has to stay hidden in the forest. Because if people knew what he could do, Lonny would be left with no life at all…
A brilliant novel of secrets and terrible power from the acclaimed author of The Middler and TrooFriend, Kirsty Applebaum.
Otherland
9-12
Are you ready to step into Otherland? A darkly funny, action-packed fantasy adventure , perfect for fans of The Land of Roar, Malamander, and the Dragon In the Library series.
When life-long friends Myra and Rohan discover that Rohan’s baby sister Shilpa has been stolen and taken to Otherland, the only way to rescue her is by taking part in a deadly game – three impossible challenges set by the Fairy Queen of Otherland. Win the game, and Rohan and Myra can go home with Shilpa – but lose, and they’ll be trapped in Otherland forever…