Mysterious and utterly mesmerizing, this graphic-novel-within-a-novel pairs the extraordinary prose of David Almond with the visual genius of Dave McKean. Blue Baker is writing a story — not all that stuff about wizards and fairies and happily ever after — a real story, about blood and guts and adventures, because that’s what life’s really like. At least it is for Blue, since his dad died and Hopper, the town bully, started knocking him and the other kids around. But Blue’s story has a life of its own — weird and wild and magic and dark — and when the savage pays a nighttime visit to Hopper, Blue starts to wonder where he ends and his creation begins.
England (UK)
A Cat Royal Adventure: Cat O’nine Tails
Cat is finally living a life of luxury–and so bored she’s going out of her mind. But then she and her friends are kidnapped and forced to work on a ship bound for the New World. With a mystery to solve and survival at stake, Cat must use her wits to save herself and her friends.
The Subtle Knife, Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition (His Dark Materials, Book 2)
PUBLISHED IN 40 COUNTRIES, with over 5 million copies in print in North America alone, Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy –The
Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass – has graced the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Book Sense, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. For these deluxe editions, Philip Pullman has created new material: papers of Colonel John Parry for the 10-year anniversary of The Subtle Knife (15 new pages), and letters of Mary Malone from secret Magisterium files for The Amber Spyglass (10 new pages). In each book, the new material has been illustrated and handlettered by renowned artist Ian Beck and will be included in the backmatter.
Each deluxe edition also features a ribbon bookmark, rough-edged pages, and Pullman’s own chapter-opening spot art. These two volumes join the 2006 deluxe edition of The Golden Compass to form a gorgeous collectible set of the trilogy – a perfect gift for loyal Pullman readers and new fans alike. The Golden Compass debuts as a New Line major motion picture starring Nicole Kidman in December 2007.
Raiders’ Ransom
In 22nd-century Great Britain, where climate change has caused vast flooding, the piratical Reavers kidnap the Prime Minister’s daughter and thirteen-year-old Lilly Melkun, an English fisher-girl, takes her seacat on a daring rescue attempt, with a mysterious talking jewel from a past computer age tucked in her belt as ransom.
The Brothers Story
Teenage twins Kit and Christy have grown up amid grinding poverty in their Essex village. As Christy has been “simple” from birth, Kit is literally his brother’s keeper. But the latest hardships visited upon their country home by the Great Frost of 1683–84 bring Kit to frustration and despair, and he abandons Christy to make his way to London, seeking to better himself. There he finds work as an apprentice to a struggling artist and tries to take his mind off what he has left behind. But the time comes when he can no longer ignore the problem of his brother. A fascinating portrait of a young person struggling to balance family and freedom, The Brothers Story is also a frank depiction of Restoration London in its bawdy, raucous glory.
Malice
Fans Luke, Seth, and Kady have read all about the sinister world in which the villainous Tall Jake resides, but they learn more about it than they ever wanted when they are suddenly pulled into the pages of their comic book.
Here Be Monsters! (The Ratbridge Chronicles)
Welcome to Ratbridge. But beware — for there is skulduggery afoot. Young Arthur has fallen foul of the appalling outlaw, Snatcher, and is trapped alone in the town with every way home sealed. Meanwhile Snatcher and his men are working tirelessly in secret on a fiendish and dastardly plan to take over — and destroy — the entire town. With the help of Willbury Nibble, QC; some friendly boxtrolls and cabbageheads; Marjorie the frustrated inventor; and the rats and pirates from the Ratbridge Nautical Laundry, can Arthur thwart Snatcher’s evil plans — and find his way home?
In Control, Ms. Wiz?
It all seemed so simple. To stop the local library from being closed down, Ms. Wiz sprinkles her special powder over a few books to bring them to life. But soon the greediest man in the world, some Flopsy Bunnies, and a very royal couple are on the loose. Jack and Podge are worried–this time, is Ms. Wiz really in control?
The Ruby In The Smoke: A Sally Lockhart Mystery (Sally Lockhart)
“BEWARE THE SEVEN blessings . . . ” When she first utters these words, 16-year-old Sally Lockhart doesn’t know their meaning. But when an employee of her late father hears them, he dies of fear. Thus begins Sally’s terrifying journey into the seamy underworld of Victorian London, in search of clues to her father’s mysterious death.
Face Value
Two lifetimes. Two rising stars. One common danger. As a daughter starts her rise in the glamorous London fashion scene, she begins to uncover secrets and clues about the mother she never knew — a beautiful teenage model who became a victim in the high stakes, high pressure world where international fashionistas and mobsters intersect. The fast cars, flashy parties, and easy money can be so enticing. But in a world where everybody is taken at face value, there is always a high price to pay for such fleeting fame.