England (UK)

Dolphin Luck

“Some dolphin luck would be very useful,” said Beany. It’s a wet, cold, and miserable Christmas. Mrs. Robinson is ill and so is Old Blanket, the Robinsons’ beloved dog. Following the doctor’s orders, Mr. Robinson takes Mrs. Robinson off to recuperate in a warmer climate, leaving Beany and Sun Dance, their two younger children, in the capable care of Mrs. Brogan, who with her son, Robin, lives in the other half of Porridge Hall, an old seaside mansion. The twins, Ant and Perry, are shipped off to Great Aunt Mabel. To Beany and Sun Dance, it seems as though things can’t get any worse. Sun Dance settles down to capture any burglar who may attempt to rob their house, and Beany determines to find an ancient sword, with a hilt in the shape of a dolphin, that is supposed to bring luck and grant wishes. Meanwhile, Ant and Perry find their old aunt not quite what they expected. She eats porridge and nothing else and lives with two large dogs, four cats, and a parrot. Before the Robinson family is reunited, each one of them has had extraordinary, sometimes scary, frequently harrowing adventures that make for touching, often hilarious, utterly absorbing reading. This companion to Hilary McKay’s earlier Dog Friday and The Amber Cat, with its rich characterization and great originality, is an outstanding achievement.

Nightrise

The world is in great danger—and only five kids can save it. But to do that, they must face off against some of the most powerful people in the world. Two of the five, Scott and Jamie, have always known they were different. Twins whose birth is shrouded in mystery, they’ve always been able to communicate with each other telepathically. Their supernatural talent has landed them no farther than a gig in a Z-grade sideshow in Reno, Nevada…until they garner the attention of a very scary clientele. Soon their lives are in jeopardy, with one of them trapped and one of them on the run. In Nightrise, Anthony Horowitz ups the stakes in his most thrilling, intense novel yet.

Farmer Joe And The Music Show

“Down on the farm of Poor Old Joe, the hens won’t lay and the crops won’t grow.” With the help of his instrument playing friends, Farmer Joe soon has the hens clucking, the pigs hoofing, and the cows mooing to a hillbilly music show. And now, “…down on the farm of Clever Old Joe, the hens all lay and the crops all grow.”  

The Odd Egg

Each of the birds has an egg except for Duck. So when Duck finds a beautiful egg of his own he’s delighted — even though the other birds make fun of it. But everyone’s in for a BIG surprise when his egg finally hatches!

The Amber Cat

While two friends convalesce from chicken pox, one boy’s mother tells them of a summer, long ago, when she was eleven–just their age–offering a story about a girl named Harriet who would mysteriously come and go at the beach. Who was Harriet? An underlying poignancy adds depth to this winning story with its surprise ending.

Heroes of the Valley

Halli Sveinsson has grown up in the House of Svein, listening to the legends of the heroes as all his forefathers did. His is a peaceful society where the violence of the past has been outlawed and disputes are settled by the Council. But young Halli has never quite seemed to fit in with the others. For starters, he was not at all handsome or tall, like his attractive blond siblings. He’s stumpy and swarthy, with a quick mind and aptitude for getting in trouble. Bored with the everyday chores and sheep herding, he can’t help himself from playing practical jokes on everyone, from Eyjolf the old servant, to his brother and sister. But when he plays a trick on Ragnor of the House of Hakonsson, he goes too far, setting in motion a chain of events that will forever alter his destiny. Because of it, Halli will have to leave home and go on a hero’s quest. Along the way, he will encounter highway robbers, terrifying monsters, and a girl who may finally be his match. In the end, he will discover the truth about the legends, his family, and himself. Jonathan Stroud’s new novel is a hero’s saga and coming-of-age–as well as a surprising look at what bravery really means.

Necropolis

As the fourth novel in the spellbinding Gatekeepers series begins, the world is under the greatest threat it’s ever known. The evil corporation Nightrise has amassed an immense amount of power . . . and the devastating force of the Old Ones is about to be unleashed around the globe. To stop this from happening, Matt and three of the Gatekeepers head to Hong Kong–not just the modern city of skyscrapers and wealth, but the secretive underworld beneath. In Hong Kong they will meet the final Gatekeeper, a girl named Scarlet, whose fate is inextricably joined to their own….