England (UK)

Believing Is Seeing: Seven Stories

Here are seven tales — seven doorways to bizarre, yet strangely familiar worlds — to transport one and all. In these worlds are a child born to an ordered society but preordained to spread Dissolution; a girl who so loves the sun that she renounces her humanity for eternity; a cat and a boy, held captive by an evil magician until they can find a bigger magic of their own; a woman imprisoned in a strange country dominated by three ravenous wolves; and many other characters and stories just as exceptional.

Darkside (Book 1) (Darkside)

Jonathan Starling’s home has been attacked, his dad is in an asylum, he’s running for his life, and there’s nowhere to hide. Jonathan has stumbled upon London’s greatest secret: Darkside. Incredibly dangerous and unimaginably exciting, Darkside is the creepiest place Jonathan has ever seen. It’s a world of nightmares and secrets, where fear and evil rule, and Jonathan has to find a way out…. Since Tom Becker learned to hold a pen, he wanted to become a writer. In fact, when he was five years old, he wrote in a notebook that it was his dream was to be an author. Tom studied History at Oxford University and was inspired by the otherworldly atmosphere of this academic institution. He used to spend long days studying and reading in the University library, but now he spends long days writing.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Fourteen-year-old Harry Potter joins the Weasleys at the Quidditch World Cup, then enters his fourth year at Hogwarts Academy where he is mysteriously entered in an unusual contest that challenges his wizarding skills, friendships and character, amid signs that an old enemy is growing stronger.

Mines of the Minotaur

When an unknown entity forces Connie to create destructive storms, the head of the Chartmouth Chapter for the Society for the Protection of Mythical Creatures rescinds Connie’s membership, leaving her on her own to discover what is happening.

Double or Die: A James Bond Adventure

James Bond is no ordinary boy. In a north London cemetery, a professor is kidnapped at gunpoint. Then, a suspicious letter crammed with cryptic clues arrives at Eton. To decipher the deadly mystery, James Bond must take a series of dangerous gambles. Once the code is cracked he has just forty-eight hours to save the professor from the dark forces that threaten to destroy them both. And if they can’t escape, it’s not only their future under threat.

I Completely Know about Guinea Pigs

Lola gets to bring the class guinea pig, Bert, home over school vacation! She takes good care of Bert, but when she and Charlie build him a guinea pig run, he escapes. They hunt all over, and when they find him, they also discover a big surprise—lots of absolutely very adorable baby Berts! This new Charlie and Lola adventure will have readers giggling and wishing for a pet guinea pig of their very own.

The Eyes of a King

Fifteen-year-old Leo North’s prospects in life are limited. He attends military school, lives with his fearful grandmother, and looks after his brother Stirling. He resists his innate powers, because those who demonstrate any sort of magical ability are considered enemies of the state. But when he finds a blank book in the snow, his typical indifference melts away. From the first moment he touches the book, he senses its strange power. Passages start to appear on the pages—revealing family secrets, telling the history of Malonia, and uncovering the story of Ryan and Anna, two teens from a parallel universe. When Leo’s seemingly narrow path takes an unexpected tragic turn, he finds himself on a journey from which he can never really return. And, as he slowly begins to lose touch with reality, Ryan and Anna’s story comes to the forefront. Their idyllic summer romance—seemingly worlds away from Leo—has everything to do with Malonia.

Wormwood

Panic fills the streets of London on a night in 1756 when the earth suddenly lurches forward and starts spinning out of control. Within moments, eleven days and nights flash through the sky, finally leaving the city in total darkness. Is the end of the world at hand? Agetta Lamian fears so. She’s the young housemaid of Dr. Sabian Blake, a scientist who has recently acquired the Nemorensis, the legendary book said to unlock the secrets of the universe. And what he sees through his telescope confirms what he has read: This disaster is only a sign of things to come. Agetta overhears Dr. Blake’s prophecy that a star called Wormwood is headed toward London, where it will fall from the sky and strike a fatal blow. Dr. Blake believes the comet will either end the world as he knows it or hearken a new age of scientific and spiritual enlightenment. Soon even Agetta seems to have been seduced by the book, and whom she ultimately delivers it to will determine much more than just her fate.

Once Upon an Ordinary School Day

A celebration of extraordinary teachers! The boy’s breakfast is ordinary, his walk to school is ordinary, even his thoughts are ordinary. But when he goes to his classroom and sits down at his desk, his day begins to change – a new teacher, Mr. Gee, bursts into the classroom with an extraordinary idea that challenges all the children to use their imagination. Suddenly an ordinary day is turned topsy-turvy, and the boy is inspired in a way that will change him forever. The rollicking words and pictures celebrate the unexpected in this tribute to great teachers and students everywhere.