England (UK)

The Fire Within

When David moves in with Liz and Lucy, he discovers a collection of hand crafted, clay dragons that comes to life and has magical powers. David’s personalized dragon, Gadzooks, can forecast the future, and inspires him to write a story which reveals the truth behind an unsolved mystery close to home. The story has an unhappy ending, and when David realizes the consequences of it he is angry. Then David finds Gadzooks crying and near death, and he discovers that these special dragons die when they are not loved. Soon David is forced to save his friend and unlock the powers of the fire within.

Eye of the Crow: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His First Case

Sherlock Holmes, just thirteen, is a misfit. His highborn mother is the daughter of an aristocratic family, his father a poor Jew. Their marriage flouts tradition and makes them social pariahs in the London of the 1860s; and their son, Sherlock, bears the burden of their rebellion. Friendless, bullied at school, he belongs nowhere and has only his wits to help him make his way.But what wits they are! His keen powers of observation are already apparent, though he is still a boy. He loves to amuse himself by constructing histories from the smallest detail for everyone he meets. Partly for fun, he focuses his attention on a sensational murder to see if he can solve it. But his game turns deadly serious when he finds himself the accused — and in London, they hang boys of thirteen. Shane Peacock has created a boy who bears all the seeds of the character who has mesmerized millions: the relentless eye, the sense of justice, and the complex ego. The boy Sherlock Holmes is a fascinating character who is sure to become a fast favorite with young readers everywhere.

Triskellion

In an unwelcoming English village, two young outsiders are swept up in an archaeological mystery that ends in a startling paranormal twist.A sense of foreboding sets in the moment fourteen-year-old twins Rachel and Adam arrive from New York to visit their English grandmother. The station is empty, village streets are deserted, locals are hostile, and even their frail Granny Root is oddly distant. And what about the bees that appear to follow a mysterious force? It all seems tied up with the Triskellion — an intertwining symbol etched in chalk on the moors. With a growing sense of danger and white-knuckle suspense, the twins are compelled to unearth a secret that has protected the village for centuries, one that reveals a shocking truth about their ancestors — and themselves.

Hob and the Peddler

Hob, an invisible house spirit who works hard for his family, even though they don’t know he is there. “Hob’s work is putting little things right, like folding away trampled thoughts, mending arguments, drying up spilt tears, unkicking bruises, or unscorching the milk pan.” In this second adventure, a peddler sells Hob to a new-and seemingly perfect-family. But Hob soon discovers a huge, horrible secret living in their pond. Accustomed to smaller, domestic problems, Bog must use every ounce of his power and wit to prevent the giant catastrophe looming ahead.

Canned

Fergal Bamfield doesn’t collect stamps like normal kids. He’s an oddball (his mother prefers to call him “clever”), and his collection is as strange as everything else about him. Fergal Bamfield collects tin cans. Then one day he finds a can without a label. What could be in it? Peaches, soup, perhaps revolting spam? But instead it’s something gruesome: a human finger. Then Fergal finds another can, this time containing a one-word message, HELP! Now Fergal and his friend Charlotte are knee-deep in an adventure, and they’re about to learn something horrible: Everybody has an expiration date.

John Patrick Norman Mchennessy: The Boy Who Was Always Late

Every day John Patrick Norman McHennessy sets off along the road to learn, and every day strange and improbable happenings make him late. To make things worse, his teacher, Sir, never believes his stories.  One day, John Patrick Norman McHennessy is able to make it on time and finds that an improbable and strange thing has happened to Sir. Just how the tables are turned provides a twist every child will relish.

What Pet to Get?

Jack’s mother says he can choose a pet but what pet to get? An elephant? (So difficult to take on vacation.) A polar bear? (It wouldn’t like the central heating.) What about a Tyrannosaurus Rex? (Unfortunately, it’s been extinct for 65 million years.) The gatefold on the last page reveals Jack’s final choice, and a big surprise.

The Science of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials

Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy is renowned for its mystery and magic. What’s the truth behind it all? Is the golden compass actually based in science? How does the subtle knife cut through anything? Could there be a bomb like the one made with Lyra’s hair? How do the Gallivespians’ lodestone resonators really work? And, of course, what are the Dark Materials? Drawing on string theory and spacetime, quantum physics and chaos theory, award-winning science writers Mary and John Gribbin reveal the real science behind Philip Pullman’s bestselling fantasy trilogy in entertaining and crystal-clear prose.