Books we have Enjoyed

They call me Yanka the Bear. Not because of where I was found - only a few people know about that. They call me Yanka the Bear because I am so big and strong.

When the tyrannical family patriarch Sir Ignatious Gristle is murdered on his 90th birthday at his country estate, every one of his gathered family members is a suspect. Trapped by a snowstorm with no way to contact the police, it's up to his mettlesome granddaughter, Edna, and her trusted tortoise, Charles Darwin, to determine whodunnit!

Full of head-scratching clues, page-turning twists and a lot people acting suspiciously, this is the first in a spoofy middle-grade murder mystery series. Outrageously funny and lavishly illustrated – a verbal and visual treat!

Some legends are born, some are drawn . . .

Drawing feels like magic to Peanut Jones. But art can't fix her problems. Her dad has gone missing, and she's stuck in a boring new school. Until the day she finds a unique pencil turbo-charged with special powers. Suddenly she's pulled into a world packed with more colour, creativity, excitement and danger than she could ever have imagined. And maybe, just maybe, she might find out what happened to her dad. 

After one trick too many, Loki is banished to live on Earth as a "normal" school boy. Forbidden from using his AWESOME godly powers, Loki must show moral improvement. As he records his deeds in his magical (judgemental) diary, it becomes clear Loki hasn’t a clue how to tell good from evil, trust from tricks, or friends from enemies.

‘I've been getting into trouble for as long I can remember. Usually I don't mind - some of my best, most brilliant ideas have come from sitting in detention. But recently it feels like no one believes me about anything - even when I'm telling the truth! Everyone thinks I'm just a bully. They don't believe I could be a hero. But I'm going to prove them all wrong...' 

Christmas books for this special event:

• The Christmas Department Store by Maudie Powell-Tuck and Hoang Giang
• Kid Christmas of the Claus Brothers Toy Shop by David Litchfield
• Dasher by Matt Tavares
• Through the North Pole Snow by Polly Faber and Richard Jones 
• The Winter Wish by Helen Mortimer and Rachael Dean
• The Christmas Eve Tree by Delia Huddy and Emily Sutton
• Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht and Jarvis

In the snowy kingdom of Erkenwald, whales glide between icebergs, wolves hunt on the tundra and polar bears roam the glaciers. But the people of this land aren’t so easy to find - because Erkenwald is ruled by an evil Ice Queen and the tribes must stay hidden or risk becoming her prisoners at Winterfang Palace.

Darkus can’t believe his eyes when a huge insect drops out of the trouser leg of his horrible new neighbour. It’s a giant beetle – and it seems to want to communicate.

But how can a boy be friends with a beetle?

And what does a beetle have to do with the sudden disappearance of his dad and the arrival of Lucretia Cutter, with her taste for creepy jewellery?

Twins Arthur and Maudie Brightstorm receive word in Lontown that their famous explorer father has died in a failed attempt to reach the southernmost point in the world. 

The twins don't believe the news, and they answer an ad to join a new attempt to reach South Polaris. It's their only hope of learning the truth ... 

As the winged airship Aurora sets sail, the twins must keep their wits about them and prove themselves worthy to the rest of the crew.

But will Arthur and Maudie find the answers they seek?

Razi, a local fisherboy, is watching turtle eggs hatch when he sees a boat bobbing in to view. With a chill, he notices a small, still hand hanging over the side…inside is Zheng, who’s escaped a shipwreck and is full of tales of sea monsters and missing treasure. But the villains who are after Zheng are soon after Razi and his sister, Shifa, too. And so begins an exhilarating escapade in the shadow of the biggest sea monster of them all.