England (UK)

Muddle Earth

Joe Jefferson is an ordinary schoolboy from ordinary Earth. At least, he was. But something strange happened when he was walking his dog, and now he’s Joe the Barbarian—fearless warrior-hero, summoned by Muddle Earth’s leading wizard to slay ogres, wrestle dragons, and bravely confront villains. Joe doesn’t feel much like a warrior-hero. But evil is stirring in the heart of Elfwood, and the people of Muddle Earth need help (although most of them don’t know it yet). Perhaps Joe Jefferson really is a hero after all. Actually, Muddle Earth’s only wizard. And he’s not very good. He doesn’t really look much like one either.

The Heir of Mistmantle

King Crispin and Queen Cedar have just had a baby daughter–Princess Catkin–and everyone on Mistmantle Island gathers for the joyful celebration of the Naming Ceremony.  But the day after, the princess suddenly disappears.  Urchin and all the brave captains are dispatched to bring back the princess, but come back empty-handed.  All clues point to Linty, an older squirrel who had gone mad with grief when two of her children had been culled during evil Husk’s reign.  The islanders fall further into crisis as a mysterious illness takes hold and begins to spread.

The Hollow People

On an island that houses the asylum where lawbreakers are imprisoned, two teenagers rebel against a rigidly controlled society where dreams are considered antisocial and all citizens over the age of fourteen take a drug to control their behavior.

The Secret History of Tom Trueheart

Tom’s six older brothers are adventurers who go on dangerous quests in the Land of Stories. Tom stays home with his mother. Tom’s brothers are famous for the exciting endings they discover for the tales the Story Bureau assigns to them. Tom worries he will never have a story of his own. But when his brothers fail to return from their adventures in time to celebrate Tom’s twelfth birthday, a letter from the Story Bureau arrives … addressed to Tom. It is up to him to find out why his brothers haven’t completed their missions. Tom packs his bags and kisses his mother good-bye. It turns out that he has his own story after all.

Singing to the Sun

Thorfinn’s father is obsessed with power while his mother cares only for wealth. When it is time to choose a bride, Thorfinn decides he must listen to his own heart. He seeks the wisdom and experience of his friends, the court jester and the old tabby cat. In which direction will they lead him? Will he chose the princess who promises him wealth, the princess who promises power, or the princess who is full of love and happiness? And, just as important, will that princess chose Thorfinn in return?

The Magician’s Apprentice

It’s summertime 1874 and Jago Stonecipher is tired of being pushed around. The penniless apprentice of a mean-spirited magican, Jago dreams of a better life. It seems his wish is granted when he finds a mysterious message in a watch, which unexpectedly sets off a dangerous chain of events.

Frozen Fire

A paranormal thriller from Carnegie Medal–winner Tim Bowler! It starts with a phone call. “I’m dying,” a voice tells Dusty. Who is he and how has he gotten her cell number? Dusty wants no part of this strange boy . . . until he begins saying things that only someone who knows her intimately could say—things that lead her to think he knows the whereabouts of her brother, who disappeared over a year ago. Suddenly drawn in, Dusty very much wants to save this boy. Trouble is, she cannot find him. Part human, part spirit, he won’t let himself be found. He is too dangerous, he says. There are mobs of people who agree and who want to see this boy dead . . . and who will hurt anyone who stands in their way. A gripping, hair-raising mystery about a boy not of this world, and a girl determined to protect him.

The Absentminded Fellow

Leaping into a shirt and thrusting his arms into his pant legs, the Absentminded Fellow dashes out into the London streets, frantically hails a cab, rushes through the train station and right into an abandoned car. Three days later, to his surprise, he’s still in London…This droll character portrait will quickly have listeners chiming in on the chorus.

William Blake: The Gates Of Paradise

Journey back to the 1700s to meet one of the most fascinating people in history. Dreamer, craftsman, poet, madman, and genius — William Blake. Born in 1757 in London, as a boy he apprenticed as an engraver and began a career that would include masterpieces of art.Blake lived during times of incredible change and upheaval, including the Gordon Riots and the French Revolution. Spiritualism and the allure of magic were being replaced by a belief in rationalism. Blake celebrated the beauty of small things. His work showed, “…a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower….” [William Blake] Yet, with the noise and dirt of mills (factories), the Industrial Revolution was drowning out a quiet, rural way of life. The value of things made carefully by hand was being lost.At the same time, the printing press was making it possible for more and more people to read. The rise of printed books and book illustration was revolutionary and Blake was part of it.On the 250th anniversary of Blake’s birth, master storyteller Michael Bedard brings this Renaissance man and his times to vivid life in this biography that is lavishly illustrated with Blake’s work.