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FICTION 2016
COLOUR FICTION AND EARLY READERS 3
SERIES FICTION 15
7–9 FICTION 21
ENID BLYTON 108
9–12 FICTION – SERIES 37
9–12 FICTION – STANDALONE 68
TEEN FICTION AND YA 79
CONTENTS
3
COLOUR FICTION ANDEARLY READERS
THE CAT WHO ATE CHRISTMAS by Lil Chase 4
PRINCESS SMARTYPANTS AND THE MISSING PRINCES 5 by Babette Cole
POLLY AND THE PUFFIN 3: THE NEW FRIEND 6by Jenny Colgan
RABBIT AND BEAR 2: THE PEST IN THE NEST 7 by Julian Gough
SANTA CLAUDE by Alex T. Smith 8
ORION EARLY READERS OVERVIEW 9
JENNY THE PONY’S BIG DAY 11 by Liz Kessler and Laura Tonge
MERCY AND THE HIPPO by Lauren St John 12
LOTTIE AND DOTTIE SERIES OVERVIEW by Claire Burgess 13
ORION EARLY READERS NON-FICTION OVERVIEW 14
8 9
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ERS IMPRINT: Hodder Children’s Books
FORMAT: HB
SIZE: 181 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 96pp
WORD COUNT: 2,800
AGE: 5+
PRICE: £8.99
PUB DATE: October 2016
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 9 (with 3
further titles planned)
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Castillian, Catalan,
Chinese (simplified), Czech, Dutch,
French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian,
Italian, Latvian, Slovene, Swedish,
Turkish, US, Welsh
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV
Hachette Children’s Group, TV rights
under option by Sixteen South
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES:
SANTA CLAUDEALEX T. SMITH
ORION EARLY READERS
KEY NOTEThe ninth hilarious story in the bestselling Claude series.
SYNOPSIS It is Christmas Eve and having been left alone (with Sir Bobblysock) in the house reading his new book about cops and robbers, Claude is thrilled to find an opportunity to arrest a real burglar when one comes whooshing down the chimney, all covered in soot.
However, it is only when Claude has clinked on the handcuffs that he realises it isn’t a burglar at all – it’s Father Christmas! And to make things worse, Claude then discovers he has lost the key to the handcuffs and Father Christmas is now unable to deliver all the presents!
It’s up to Claude and Sir Bobblysock to deliver them for him and find a way of releasing Father Christmas before Mr Shinyshoes returns from a Christmas party!
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• The Claude books are being adapted into an animated series for
Disney Junior.
• Claude in the City was shortlisted for the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize 2012 and the Richard and Judy Book Club.
• ‘Illustrated with humour and elegance.’ The Times
AUTHOR BIOGAlex T. Smith graduated from Coventry University in 2006 with a degree in Illustration and won second place in the Macmillan Prize for Children’s Illustration. Claude has been published in sixteen territories around the world.
It’s never too early to share a good story …
Early Readers are stepping stones from picture books to reading books. They are designed to entertain and encourage a love of reading in newly confident readers.
The series is divided into three categories:
• Blue Early Readers Perfect for sharing and reading together
• Red Early Readers The next step on a child’s reading journey
• Green Early Readers Fact-finding non-fiction books
Ranging from princesses and monsters to dinosaurs and dragons to humour and real-life stories, there’s something for everyone in the Early Reader series.
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COLO
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ERS IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 64pp
WORD COUNT: 1,000
AGE: 5+
PRICE: £4.99
PUB DATE: September 2017
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 2
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV
Felicity Bryan Associates
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES:
KEY BACKLIST:
EARLY READER: JENNY THE PONY’S BIG DAYLIZ KESSLER AND LAURA TONGE, ILLUSTRATED BY MIKE PHILLIPS
KEY NOTEJenny the pony is always misbehaving, until she finds James, who is the perfect rider for her.
SYNOPSIS Jenny the pony doesn’t like being brushed or ridden fast or told what to do. She constantly misbehaves and the owner of the barn doesn’t know what to do with her.
But when James, a young boy in a wheelchair, comes to the stables, it turns out he and Jenny are perfect for each other. He’s gentle when he brushes her and doesn’t like going fast either – and he always gives Jenny mints!
Jenny and James want to enter the Spring Gala at the barn and so they practise constantly. On the day of the gala, they win a very special award, showing what teamwork – and a handful of mints – can do.
Liz Kessler and Laura Tonge bring the importance of friendship and kindness to life in this heart-warming animal story, beautifully illustrated by Mike Phillips.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Liz Kessler is a New York Times bestselling author.
• Her books have sold over half a million copies in the UK, and over three million copies in the USA.
• Perfect for pony and animal fans, and for teaching kids about disabilities.
AUTHOR BIOGLiz Kessler studied English at Loughborough University, has worked as a teacher and a journalist, and has an MA in Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University.
Mike Phillips is the illustrator of many books for children, including the Horrible Histories Gruesome Guides and Horrible Geography series.
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LOTTIE AND DOTTIE SERIESCLAIRE BURGESS, ILLUSTRATED BY MARIJKE VAN VELDHOVEN
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 64pp
WORD COUNT: 1,000 -1,500
AGE: 5+
PRICE: £4.99
PUB DATE: Published
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 3
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Hachette Children’s Group
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES:
KEY NOTEA colourful and inspiring series exploring fun things to grow and make at home.
SYNOPSIS Lottie and Dottie are sisters who love gardening. Along with their friend Basil from next door, they are always out in the garden finding lots of fun things to make and do. When they take a trip to Mr McWelly’s Garden Centre they soon discover all the amazing things they can grow themselves ...
They plant carrots and feed rabbits in Lottie and Dottie Sow Carrots.
They enter a competition for the tallest sunflowers in Lottie and Dottie Sow Sunflowers.
They make lots of spooky Halloween surprises in Lottie and Dottie Grow Pumpkins.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Written by Claire Burgess, an expert gardener with over a million hits on her YouTube gardening channel.
• Each book includes an illustrated ‘How To’ guide to growing your own vegetables and plants.
• Fun and accessible stories which will also inspire an interest in gardening in young readers.
AUTHOR BIOGClaire Burgess has been gardening since she was a child and is now one of the UK’s top gardening bloggers with over 4,000 regular subscribers. She has worked with various children’s groups, including gardening clubs and the Matrix theatre company.
Marijke van Veldhoven has illustrated for a variety of projects, including children’s books, magazines, educational material – and even rooms and furniture. She loves to make children laugh with her artwork.
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ERSIMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 64pp
WORD COUNT: 1,000
AGE: 5+
PRICE: £4.99
PUB DATE: June 2017
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Felicity Bryan Associates
KEY BACKLIST:
MERCY AND THE HIPPOLAUREN ST JOHN,ILLUSTRATED BY NILA AYE
KEY NOTEA story of the friendship between an orphaned girl and the hippo who lives next to her village.
SYNOPSIS Mercy and her brother Zane live in a small African village next to a big lake. All of the other villagers use the lake to clean their dishes and wash their clothes, but Mercy and Zane walk miles every day to get their water from a well, because a hippo lives in the lake, and Mercy doesn’t think it’s right to disturb the hippo’s home.
But when disaster strikes and the lake becomes polluted and uninhabitable, Mercy and Zane must find a way to save their hippo friend, even if it means travelling across the African desert in the peak of summer.
Full of delightful illustrations from Nila Aye, Mercy and the Hippo is a touching new Early Reader about the bond that can form when you care for another living creature.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• A heart-warming animal story set in Africa.
• Lauren St John is an award-winning children’s book author who has sold over a million copies.
• Charmingly illustrated in full colour throughout.
AUTHOR BIOGLauren St John was born in Zimbabwe and spent much of her childhood in Africa. She is the author of the award-winning children’s series The White Giraffe and the Blue Peter Book Award-winning Laura Marlin series.
Nila Aye is a London-based illustrator. Her style is loved by adults and children alike and is popular with publishers around the world.
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SERIES FICTION
SECRET PRINCESSES by Rosie Banks 16
SECRET KINGDOM by Rosie Banks 18
HORRID HENRY by Francesca Simon 20
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NON-FICTION EARLY READERS
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 80pp
WORD COUNT: 500 -1,500
AGE: 5+
PRICE: £4.99
PUB DATE: Published / October 2016
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 7
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Chinese (simplified)
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Hachette Children’s Group
KEY BACKLIST:
KEY NOTEIt’s never too early to find out about dinosaurs, the deep dark sea, stars and planets or kings and queens, in these fact-filled non-fiction Early Readers.
SYNOPSIS Did you know that the first castles were called motte and bailey castles? Or that crabs can grow new shells as they get bigger? It’s never too early to find out more in this seven-book Early Reader series.
Topics range from domestic subjects such as the garden to the distant past, dinosaurs and mythical beasts. Each book offers a simple, fact-filled introduction to a new topic, using accessible vocabulary and with full-colour illustrations on every page.
Perfect for building confidence in new readers and budding fact-finders.
The titles included in this series are Space, The Garden, Dinosaurs, Castles and Cannons, Crabs, Dabs and Rockpools, The Deep Dark Sea and Beastly Beasts.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Packed with fun, easy-to-remember facts.
• Short, accessible chapters.
• Suitable for beginner readers or for reading aloud.
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SERIES FICTION
KEY NOTEMaking mischief is what Horrid Henry does best! The bestselling series about a very cheeky boy, from Francesca Simon and illustrated by Tony Ross.
SYNOPSIS Horrid Henry is one of the UK’s top children’s brands. With a range of 24 bestselling story books and Early Reader titles with full-colour illustrations on every page, there’s a Horrid Henry story for every occasion.
Whether it’s tricking the tooth fairy, making a monster movie, coming up with get-rich-quick schemes, or just generally making a mess and causing mayhem wherever he goes, Horrid Henry is everyone’s favourite mischievous kid. No matter how many times his long-suffering parents try to punish him, or tell him to be more like his brother, Perfect Peter, Henry just can’t help being himself, with utterly hilarious consequences.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Over 22 million copies sold in 22 years, and rights sold in 33 languages.
• Hugely successful animated TV series broadcast in 44 countries.
• ‘Henry is a truly great character.’ The Sunday Times
AUTHOR BIOGFrancesca Simon spent her childhood on the beach in California and now lives in London with her family. She has written over 50 books and was the fourth most borrowed author in UK libraries in 2015.
Tony Ross is one of the most popular and successful of all children’s illustrators. He has nearly 50 picture books to his name, which have sold more than half a million copies. Tony has also produced line drawings for many fiction titles.
HORRID HENRYFRANCESCA SIMON, ILLUSTRATED BY TONY ROSS
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: Various
SIZE: Various
EXTENT: Various
WORD COUNT: Early Readers: 1,500 /
story books: 7,500
AGE: 5–7
PRICE: £4.99–£12.99
PUB DATE: Published
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 38 Early
Readers / 24 story books
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Bulgarian, Castillian,
Catalan, Chinese (simplified), Chinese
(complex), Croatian, Czech, Danish,
Dutch, Estonian, Faroese, Finnish,
French, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic,
Italian, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian,
Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (BR),
Romanian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian,
Spanish (Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico),
Thai, Turkish, US, Vietnamese, Welsh
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Novel Entertainment
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES:
7–9 FICTION
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 12: HOW TO FIGHT 22A DRAGON’S FURY by Cressida Cowell
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON by Cressida Cowell 23
EVIE’S MAGIC BRACELET 1: THE SILVER UNICORN 24 by Jessica Ennis-Hill, with Elen Caldecott
KATY’S PONY SUMMER by Victoria Eveleigh 25
KNIGHT IN TRAINING 5: COMBAT AT THE CASTLE 26 by Vivian French
MY FUNNY FAMILY 8: DOWN UNDER by Chris Higgins 27
BADLY DRAWN BETH 3: HAPPY BETHDAY! 28 by Knife & Packer
TALLY AND SQUILL 1: IN A STICKY SITUATION 29 by Abie Longstaff
THE INVINCIBLE TONY SPEARS 1 by Neal Layton 30
BORN FREE SERIES OVERVIEW 31
POCKET PIRATES 4: THE GREAT TREASURE HUNT 32 by Chris Mould
MARIELLA MYSTERY 8: THE MYSTIC MOUSTACHE 33 by Kate Pankhurst
WILF THE MIGHTY WORRIER 4: AND THE ALIEN INVASION 34 by Georgia Pritchett
KING FLASHYPANTS 2: AND THE CREATURE FROM CRONG by Andy Riley 35
BIRD GIRL by Maudie Smith 36
7–9 FICTION
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7–9 FICTION
IMPRINT: Hodder Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 144pp
WORD COUNT: 10,000
AGE: 7–9
PRICE: £5.99
PUB DATE: March 2017
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 7
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Hachette Children’s Group
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 112pp
WORD COUNT: 30,000
AGE: 7–9
PRICE: £5.99
PUB DATE: May 2016
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 5
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: French, Hungarian,
Italian, Swedish
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Hachette Children’s Group
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES:
KATY’S PONY SUMMERVICTORIA EVELEIGH
EVIE’S MAGIC BRACELET 1: THE SILVER UNICORNJESSICA ENNIS-HILL, WITH ELEN CALDECOTT
KEY NOTEIt’s summertime for Katy at Barton Farm in Victoria Eveleigh’s fifth Exmoor pony adventure.
SYNOPSIS Katy is looking forward to a carefree summer of beach barbecues, camping trips and time with her ponies. But all that changes when she rescues injured foal Simba. With his leg badly damaged after getting caught in a wire fence, Simba is so stressed and unsettled that Katy wonders whether she did the right thing in saving him at all; would it have been kinder to have put him to sleep?
Luckily Katy has some great friends on hand to help. What with loyal Alice, Adam the vet and her ever-knowledgeable grandfather, there are plenty of people to make sure Simba makes a full recovery and that the poachers responsible are brought to justice.
Fresh and authentic, Katy’s Pony Summer is a mystery adventure with an animal story at its heart.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Warm, accessible pony stories that can be enjoyed by both boys
and girls.
• Victoria Eveleigh’s books have sold over 28,000 copies in the UK.
• Victoria writes about what she knows best – she has her own herd of Exmoor ponies and a wealth of experience in handling and taming them.
AUTHOR BIOGVictoria Eveleigh lives with her husband Chris on an Exmoor hill farm near Lynmouth, on the UK’s North Devon coast.
KEY NOTEA magical, exciting new series by Olympic gold medallist and mum, Jessica Ennis-Hill.
SYNOPSIS Jessica Ennis-Hill has worked alongside experienced author Elen Caldecott to create this sparkling seven-book series.
Evie lives in Sheffield with her mum, dad and sister – plus their chocolate Labrador Myla and their cat Luna.
One morning she gets a special parcel in the post from her grandma Iris. Inside layers of tissue and colourful ribbons is a beautiful bracelet!
And the bracelet isn’t just beautiful … it shows Evie that there’s magic everywhere, if she can just find out how to use it.
With a bit of determination and some help from her friends, Evie’s ready to have some magical adventures.
In the first book, Evie settles in to her new school and discovers that the bracelet lets her talk to animals – saving her new friends from an angry unicorn!
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Main character Evie shares Jessica’s determination and drive, an inspiration for kids everywhere.
• There are seven books in this illustrated series, with plenty of sports, activity and fitness throughout.
AUTHOR BIOGJessica Ennis-Hill grew up in Sheffield with her parents and younger sister. She was introduced to athletics by her parents and turned pro in 2005. She has been World and European champion and won heptathlon gold at the London 2012 Olympics. She continues to train in Sheffield and reads stories to her son every night.
Elen Caldecott lives in Bristol with her husband and her dog, Biff. She has written several warm, funny books about ordinary children doing extraordinary things.
7–9 FICTION
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7–9 FICTION
THE INVINCIBLE TONY SPEARSNEAL LAYTON
IMPRINT: Hodder Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 225pp
WORD COUNT: 8,000
AGE: 7–9
PRICE: £7.99
PUB DATE: July 2016
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 4
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Korean
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Hachette Children’s Group
KEY BACKLIST:
KEY NOTEThe first in a hilarious new series from a prize-winning author/illustrator.
SYNOPSIS Making new friends is never easy, but it seems impossible when Tony moves to a new town and school mid-term. But then he finds a round red button hidden in a cupboard, and all his worries are forgotten. The button transforms his kitchen into a spaceship, called The Invincible.
Tony is teleported to planet Xo49p, the only other planet besides Earth capable of supporting human life. Planet Xo49p is full of strange creatures like Squggles and Gatorillas. And – even more amazingly – the whole place smells of bubblegum.
But when Tony comes back down to earth, the mess he leaves his mum’s kitchen in is the least of his worries . . . somehow, a Gatorilla has found its way back with him, and it ends up hiding in the caretaker’s cupboard at school. Luckily Tony saves his school in time for him to be awarded the prize for making the most progress. Perhaps life at a new school isn’t so bad after all.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• A hilarious, illustrated space adventure, perfect for the early
reader.
• Created by the award-winning Neal Layton, whose bestselling books include Stanley’s Stick, That Rabbit belongs to Emily Brown, The Mammoth Academy, The Story of Stars and many more.
• Neal’s bestselling Oscar and Arabella won him the Smarties Prize.
AUTHOR BIOGNeal Layton has illustrated more than sixty books to date, working with authors such as Michael Rosen and Cressida Cowell, and has won several prizes. His books are currently in print in more than sixteen languages worldwide.
BORN FREE SERIES INTRODUCTIONS BY VIRGINIA MCKENNA
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 80-112pp
WORD COUNT: 10,000
AGE: 7–9
PRICE: £5.99
PUB DATE: 5 books published / 3 books
September 2017
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 8
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Japan, US
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
MBA Literary Agents
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES INCLUDE:
KEY NOTEDiscover heart-warming animal rescue stories from around the world, undertaken by the international charity Born Free.
SYNOPSIS Keep wildlife in the wild! And learn why all animals that are born free should live free. Every year Born Free helps hundreds of animals around the world. These are the stories of their incredible rescues.
Tiger cub Roque was taken from his mother at three days old and immediately sold into the illegal pet trade. Lioness Bella was used as a photographer’s prop. Dolphins Misha and Tom were kept in a tiny crumbling swimming pool. Leopard twins Rhea and Roxanni were raised in small city zoo.
These books tell the stories of how Born Free came to the rescue of these wild animals, saving them from unhappiness and captivity. Born Free provided these animals with new lives – lives where they could be free.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Exciting real-life animal rescue stories with a positive message about conservation and preservation of animal species and habitats.
• Interspersed with facts about how these animals should live in the wild.
• The Born Free Foundation is a dynamic, international wildlife charity with sponsors including global companies such as Thomson Airways, Kenyan Airways and Land Rover.
7–9 FICTION
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7–9 FICTION
IMPRINT: Hodder Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 144pp
WORD COUNT: 9,000
AGE: 7–9
PRICE: £5.99
PUB DATE: November 2016
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 4
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: German, Romanian, US
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Hachette Children’s Group
POCKET PIRATES 4: THE GREAT TREASURE HUNTCHRIS MOULD
KEY NOTEAn irresistible series about tiny pirates on BIG adventures, from well-loved author-illustrator Chris Mould.
SYNOPSIS In the junk shop at the end of the street sits a dusty old ship in a bottle. And when the world isn’t watching, a tiny pirate crew comes out of the ship to explore. The pirates are smaller than a teacup, but they have a HUGE appetite for adventure!
The Pocket Pirates have left the safety of their shelf to search for GOLD … but dangers await them. The skirting-board mice are on the prowl, and the shopkeeper is about to start spring-cleaning. Treasure hunting is a risky business!
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Simple, strong concept, with four titles in the series, and fully
illustrated throughout with detailed black-and-white artwork.
• From an award-winning author and illustrator, whose Pirates ‘n’ Pistols was shortlisted for the Greenaway Award.
• Chris’s previous series, Something Wickedly Weird, sold in twelve territories.
AUTHOR BIOGChris Mould has worked for newspapers, theatres and the BBC, as well as for Aardman Animations, where he did character and environment development. He is married with two children and lives in Yorkshire.
OTHER TITLES IN THIS SERIES:
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 176pp
WORD COUNT: 21,000
AGE: 7–9
PRICE: £5.99
PUB DATE: April 2016
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 8
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Castillian, Czech, Danish,
German, Hungarian, Norwegian, US
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Hachette Children’s Group
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES:
MARIELLA MYSTERY 8: THE MYSTIC MOUSTACHEKATE PANKHURST
KEY NOTEMariella Mystery is a totally amazing girl detective aged nine (and a bit), who is able to solve the most mysterious mysteries and perplexing problems, even before breakfast.
SYNOPSIS Mariella and her detective friends, Poppy and Violet, aka the Mystery Girls, solve a variety of weird and wonderful crimes in their local town of Puddleford. Written with accessible humour and integrated with lively illustrations throughout, Mariella Mystery Investigates is a diary format series full of adventure, mystery and friendship, perfect for fans of Dork Diaries, Clarice Bean and Tom Gates.
In the eighth and final book in the series, there are strange goings-on at the Young Super Sleuth convention. Could it be something to do with the mysterious Mystic Moustache? Mariella and the Mystery Girls are determined to find out.
Other titles in the series include: The Ghostly Guinea Pig, A Cupcake Conundrum, The Huge Hair Scare, The Curse of the Pampered Poodle, The Spaghetti Yeti, A Kitty Calamity and The Disappearing Dinner Lady.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Rights sold in seven territories.
• Kate has illustrated for high-profile authors such as Judy Blume, Anne Fine, Holly Webb and Ian Whybrow.
• Over 22,000 copies have been sold in the UK.
AUTHOR BIOGSince graduating from the University of Central Lancashire, Kate Pankhurst has worked as an illustrator. She won the Macmillan Prize for Picture Book Illustration in 2002. Kate lives and works in Leeds.
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IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 192pp
WORD COUNT: 35,000
AGE: 7-9
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: March 2017
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Jo Unwin Literary Agency
KEY BACKLIST:
BIRD GIRL MAUDIE SMITH
KEY NOTEA story full of magic, courage, fantasy and friendship – and most importantly, following your dreams.
SYNOPSIS Pink-haired Finch Field has always felt different. She dreams of flying – not in a plane, but soaring through the sky like a bird. Her classmates laugh, and call her Dream Bird, so Finch is looking forward to going to stay with her beloved Granny Field in Sunview-on-Sea for the summer. But when she arrives, things are less than sunny: there’s an odd new boy called Tomas hanging round, and more worryingly, there’s a strange grey cloud hovering above the town that seems to be stealing people’s dreams.
The cloud is the home of Maverick, a vengeful sky-spirit. Half-man, half-bird, he is intent on stealing every happy, hopeful dream from Sunview-on-Sea – unless Finch can stop him first. Determined to stop Maverick’s plans, Finch knows it will mean believing that she can truly fly. With Tomas’s encouragement, Finch launches herself into the sky, defeating Maverick – and in the process discovers that with a little bit of belief, dreams really can come true.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• A magical standalone, combining positive themes of friendship, family and bravery.
• Perfect for fans of Holly Webb and readers of younger Jacqueline Wilson stories.
• ‘Joyously original ... endlessly inventive’ Piers Torday (author of The Last Wild) on The Cake, the Wolf and the Witch.
AUTHOR BIOGMaudie Smith started work as an actress, before moving to Bath with her TV screenwriter husband. She has an MA in Writing for Young People from the prestigious Bath Spa University. She is the author of the Opal Moonbaby series and The Cake, the Wolf and the Witch.
9–12 FICTION: SERIESFALCON CHRONICLES 4: SHARK SEAS by Steve Backshall 38
CHASE by Linwood Barclay 39
ROSE RAVENTHORPE INVESTIGATES 1: BUTLERS AND BLACK CATS 40by Janine Beacham
SPY MASTER 1: FIRST BLOOD by Jan Burchett and Sara Vogler 41
RIVER OF INK 3: MORTAL by Helen Dennis 42
ERTH DRAGONS 2: DARK WYNG by Chris D’Lacey 43
THE WAR NEXT DOOR by Phil Earle 44
THE CONNIE CAREW MYSTERIES 2: THE SHIP OF SPECTRES 45 by Patricia Elliot
EMILY SPARKES 4: AND THE BACKSTAGE BLUNDER by Ruth Fitzgerald 46
THE FAIRY DETECTIVE AGENCY SERIES by Sally Gardner 47
OUTCASTS 2: THUNDERBOLT by David Grimstone 48
FELIX FROST TIME DETECTIVE 2: GHOST PLANE by Eleanor Hawken 49
TALES OF SCHWARTZGARTEN 4: MARIUS AND THE BAND OF BLOOD 50 by Christopher William Hill
BLEAKLEY BROTHERS MYSTERIES 1: WHAT MANOR OF MURDER? 51by Christopher William Hill
MYTH RAIDERS 3: THE MONKEY KING’S PRIZE by A.J. Hunter 52
THE TAIL OF EMILY WINDSNAP by Liz Kessler 53
LUPO 4: AND THE LOST PIRATE OF KENSINGTON PALACE by Aby King 54
ROMAN QUESTS 2: ARCHERS OF ISCA by Caroline Lawrence 55
ROMAN MYSTERIES 1: THIEVES OF OSTIA by Caroline Lawrence 56
THE WORLD OF NORM 11: MAY BE RECYCLED by Jonathan Meres 57
MILLIE VS THE WORLD by Kiera O’Brien 58
PEGASUS AND THE FLAME Kate O’Hearn 59
VALYKYRIE 3: WAR OF THE REALMS by Kate O’Hearn 60
DOLPHIN ISLAND SERIES by Jenny Oldfield 61
ELF GIRL AND RAVEN BOY SERIES by Marcus Sedgwick 62
THE WHITE GIRAFFE by Lauren St John 63
OPERATION RHINO by Lauren St John 64
THE MAPMAKER CHRONICLES SERIES by A.L. Tait 65
SCHOOL FOR STARS: 8: BEST FRIENDS FOREVER 66 by Holly and Kelly Willoughby
THE GIRL OF GLASS by Holly Webb 67
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IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 272pp
WORD COUNT: 60,000
AGE: 9-12
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: October 2016
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 4
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
LAW Agency
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES:
FALCON CHRONICLES 4: SHARK SEASSTEVE BACKSHALL
KEY NOTESaker and Sinter continue their quest to save the world’s endangered animals in the fourth thrilling adventure from TV presenter Steve Backshall.
SYNOPSIS Saker and Sinter have worked together to save tigers, wolves and orangutans. Now, Saker wants to take down the biggest enemy of all – the Clan. The Clan are a group of boys, trained from birth to be thieves, fighters and assassins. Saker once was one of them, until he met Sinter, and realised that the Clan was working for evil, rather than good.
Sinter wants nothing to do with the Clan. On the other side of the world from Saker, she is trying to forget her own painful past. Travelling on a ship called the Shark Saviour, her new purpose is to try and protect the creatures of the sea from huge fishing boats devastating the ocean.
But Saker needs Sinter to defeat the Clan, and so the two young eco-warriors will come together one more time. Using cunning, cutting-edge technology and pure daring, they will defeat their enemy – once and for all.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Steve Backshall is a BAFTA award-winning author, presenter of the TV series Deadly 60 and Live and Deadly.
• The Falcon Chronicles series has sold over 40,000 copies.
• ‘Rip-roaring, boy’s own adventure.’ Sunday Express
AUTHOR BIOGSteve Backshall is a TV presenter, wildlife enthusiast and explorer. He travels the world to learn about the most inspiring animals and regularly writes articles for newspapers and magazines including National Geographic Traveller and BBC Wildlife.
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IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 192pp
WORD COUNT: 50,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 2
PUB DATE: July 2017
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World ex Canada
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Helen Heller Agency
CHASELINWOOD BARCLAY
KEY NOTEGet ready to run … An edge-of-your-seat thriller with bite from international bestseller Linwood Barclay in his first novel for children.
SYNOPSIS Chipper is a very special dog. As part of a top-secret experiment, Chipper’s life has been spent within the walls of a secret organisation known only as The Institute. Chipper is supposed to be more machine than mutt, but something’s wrong. He escapes – just as he was about to be terminated.
Across the state, twelve-year-old orphan Jeff Conway is working all hours at his aunt Flo’s lakeside cabin business. His only friend is Harry, a sympathetic cabin guest.
When Chipper and Jeff unexpectedly cross paths, Jeff finds himself part of the chase. The Institute’s most ruthless agent is hot on their tail, and he wants Chipper dead … at any cost.
Jeff and Chipper successfully elude capture right until they make one fatal error: trusting Harry, who has been working undercover for The Institute all along. Chipper manages to communicate life-changing information to Jeff – his parents didn’t die in a plane crash but instead, were killed by The Institute for questioning their latest project.
And so, the scene is set for the second book …
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Linwood Barclay is an international bestselling author with over seventeen published novels and UK sales of 2.1 million copies.
• Chipper was the name of Linwood’s own childhood dog, and much of Chase’s setting is taken from Linwood’s teen years spent at his parents’ cabin resort.
• ‘Where has Linwood Barclay been all my life? His is the best thriller I’ve read in five years. I literally couldn’t put it down.’ Stephen King on Never Look Away
AUTHOR BIOGLinwood Barclay is the international bestselling author of many critically acclaimed adult crime thrillers, including the number one bestseller, No Time for Goodbye. Chase is his first book for children.
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IMPRINT: Little, Brown Books for
Younger Readers
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 256pp
WORD COUNT: 45,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: April 2017
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 3
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World excluding
USA and Canada
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Greenhouse Literary Agency, Ltd
ROSE RAVENTHORPE INVESTIGATES 1: BUTLERS AND BLACK CATS JANINE BEACHAM
KEY NOTECan Rose and her league of sword-wielding butlers solve the mystery of Argyle’s death? Knives aren’t just for cutting cucumber sandwiches, you know ... For fans of Murder Most Unladylike and The Clockwork Sparrow.
SYNOPSIS Rose Raventhorpe loves nothing more than wandering around Yorke with her beloved butler, Argyle, listening to the stories he tells her about the city’s rich history. So when Argyle is murdered – the third butler to be stabbed in a week – Rose knows she must investigate. The only clue she has to go on is the black glove that Argyle clutched in his hand as he died. There’s another unsolved crime in the city too – some of the statues of black cats, which are said to protect Yorke, are missing. Are the two connected?
As Rose investigates, she discovers that Yorke’s butlers belong to a secret society, sworn to protect the city. Eventually Rose discovers that Argyle was murdered by another butler who wanted Argyle’s job, in order to be close enough to Lord Raventhorpe to assassinate him. The other butlers were murdered because they knew too much, and the cat statues were stolen to create confusion. Rose confronts the murderer and after a final dramatic battle with the sword-wielding butlers, he is arrested and peace is restored.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Janine was inspired to write Butlers and Black Cats after a childhood experience when she won a competition to have a butler. Her mum told her there was no place for butlers on their farm, and from that moment on Janine was determined to have a butler in her life ... one day.
• Debut author longlisted for the 2015 Bath Children’s Novel Award.
• Two more books to come in this debut mystery series.
AUTHOR BIOGA former journalist, Janine Beacham has written all her life. Janine lives on the Gold Coast in Australia.
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IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 176pp / 400pp for bind-ups
WORD COUNT: 45,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99 / £7.99
PUB DATE: Books 1 & 2 published /
Books 3 & 4 January 2017 / Books 5 &
6 January 2018
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 6
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: German
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Hachette Children’s Group
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES:
SPY MASTER 1: FIRST BLOODJAN BURCHETT AND SARA VOGLER
KEY NOTEAn exciting spy series set in Tudor England, amid the intrigue and danger of Henry VIII’s royal court.
SYNOPSIS When young Jack Briars becomes an apprentice to King Henry VIII’s spy master, Thomas Cromwell, he is disappointed to be given the boring duties of a clerk. But the King’s enemies are everywhere. Soon Jack is secretly recruited as a member of Cromwell’s spy task-force and facing more adventure and intrigue than he bargained for.
Along with new friend Cat Thimblebee, Jack finds himself caught up in dangerous and dark plots. If he wants to stay alive and in favour, he will need to learn the arts of stealth, disguise and deception – and fast!
A rip-roaring spy adventure series that brings history to life!
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• An exciting and action-packed series set in the Tudor court of King Henry VIII, featuring real historical figures, including Thomas Cromwell, Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII.
• Appeals to boys and girls, plus fans of history and adventure alike.
• Jan and Sara have contributed to the bestselling Beast Quest series, and together have written over 170 books for children.
AUTHOR BIOGJan and Sara were already friends when one day they decided they wanted to write children’s stories and it would be more fun to write them together. That was twenty years ago. Since then they’ve written over 170 stories – including some about ghosts, football, ghosts playing football and naughty gargoylz.
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Imprint: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 224pp
WORD COUNT: 35,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: October 2016
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
United Agents
THE WAR NEXT DOOR PHIL EARLE, ILLUSTRATED BY SARA OGILVIE
KEY NOTE
The town bully meets his match in this warm, funny middle-grade story, about the characters living on Storey Street.
SYNOPSIS Masher Milner is a bully and he’s proud of it. He mashes anyone who gets in his way (and anyone who’s not even in his way, for that matter). The only bully bigger than Masher is his dad. Together they have a plan: they’re going to take over Storey Street, house by house. No one on Storey Street dares to stand up to them, until Jemima and her family move in next door. Jemima is astonishing, talented, clever, brilliant – and she’s not afraid of Masher. In fact, she’s actually nice to him.
Masher and his dad aren’t about to let Jemima and her family ruin their plans for street domination, and that means one thing: war. But as Masher’s dad’s tactics get more and more extreme, Jemima and her family stand strong. What good is Masher’s mashing if Jemima’s not scared of him? And what’s the feeling bubbling inside him every time she responds with kindness?
It seems that Masher’s met his match, and his mashing days are numbered.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS
• Warm, funny, middle-grade fiction perfect for even the most reluctant reader.
• ‘Phil “BOOKCRUSHER” Earle has written one funny, fabulous, pile driving BLAST of a book. (Read it in Lycra for full wrestling experience.)’ Liz Pichon, author of Tom Gates, on Demolition Dad
AUTHOR BIOGPhil Earle has had jobs as a care worker in a residential kids’ home and a bookseller, and now works as the sales and marketing director for David Fickling Books. He lives in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire with his wife and three children.
Sara Ogilvie is a Waterstones Children’s Book Prize shortlisted illustrator.
IMPRINT: Hodder Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 304pp
WORD COUNT: 54,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: November 2016
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 2
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: French, Turkish
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Hachette Children’s Group
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES:
THE CONNIE CAREW MYSTERIES 2: THE SHIP OF SPECTRESPATRICIA ELLIOT
KEY NOTEThe second Edwardian mystery for twelve-year-old Connie Carew, for fans of Robin Stevens and Katherine Woodfine.
SYNOPSIS Connie Carew wants to be an anthropologist when she grows up, but in the meantime she studies the people around her.
Connie is travelling by ship to New York with her cousin, Ida, and Ida’s fiancé. Before they even set sail, panic breaks out when one of the passengers, Mrs Muriel Pope, finds her life jacket covered in a substance which looks like blood but turns out to be oil. It seems someone is trying to unsettle the passengers so that they will be reluctant to travel on the ship again. Who could have a grudge against Connie’s friend and the ship’s owner, the cheerful Mr Bamberger?
The culprit, Connie discovers, is Mrs Pope, who is in disguise as an elderly woman. Connie finally establishes Mrs Pope’s motive and prevents her from acting on it, but only after investigating several other passengers on board – including a journalist, a financier and an actress. Along the way, Connie is helped by a cabin boy and the son of a fellow passenger whom she befriends.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Book two features an engaging, feisty heroine, and is set in 1909
– a time of great change in society which led to new freedoms for women.
• Downton Abbey meets Nancy Drew in a book with plenty of satisfying twists and turns, and humour.
• Historical mysteries for middle-grade readers are popular, thanks to Robin Stevens and Katherine Woodfine.
AUTHOR BIOGPatricia Elliott won the Fidler Award for new writers and was shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award. Since then, she has published nine books with Hodder.
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IMPRINT: Little, Brown Books for Young
Readers
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 288pp
WORD COUNT: 32,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: May 2016
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 4
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Lithuanian, Norwegian,
Turkish
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
The Bent Agency
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES:
EMILY SPARKES 4: AND THE BACKSTAGE BLUNDER RUTH FITZGERALD
KEY NOTEJoin Emily Sparkes for laugh-out-loud observations about life, parents and how to handle the grossest boys in the universe!
SYNOPSIS
Emily Sparkes has landed herself the most humiliating role in her school play – ‘Rock Number Two’. Her class will be competing against Mag Hall, Chloe’s old school. Emily and her friends must come up with a plan to make their play the best, or face embarrassment in front of a huge audience!
Meanwhile, the girls from Mag Hall accuse Chloe of being a bully – but Emily finds out that in fact they were the ones bullying Chloe.
Disaster follows disaster, and Emily manages to cause complete chaos when she brings a live goat onstage. But all’s well that ends well, and Emily’s extra special ‘creativityness’ saves the day.
The fourth instalment in this clean-tween series follows on from Emily’s other disasters, which include her best friend moving away, accidentally entering her allotment-loving mum into a national competition, and saving her school disco from her dad’s dire DJ-ing!
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Emily Sparkes and the Friendship Fiasco was shortlisted for the
Scholastic Laugh Out Loud Award 2016.
• ‘I have read the first Emily Sparkes book and really LOVE it … it’s lots of fun and a really cool read!’ Cathy Cassidy, bestselling author of The Chocolate Box Girls series.
• ‘Utterly hilarious and utterly relatable, Ruth Fitzgerald just gets all of the awful problems associated with being eleven years old.’ Robin Stevens, author of Murder Most Unladylike
AUTHOR BIOGRuth Fitzgerald lives near Ipswich with her family, a tiny dog and five chickens. Emily Sparkes is her debut series.
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 192pp
WORD COUNT: 20,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: Books 1-4 Published / Book
5 April 2017
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 5
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Bulgarian, Castillian,
Czech, Danish, French, Romanian,
Spanish, US
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Felicity Bryan Ltd
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES INCLUDE:
THE FAIRY DETECTIVE AGENCY SERIESSALLY GARDNER,ILLUSTRATED BY DAVID ROBERTS
KEY NOTE‘Agatha Christie for kids’ – a detective series brimming with mystery and magic from Carnegie Award-winning author Sally Gardner, with illustrations from David Roberts.
SYNOPSIS Join Emily, Buster and Fidget – the detectives with a difference. But be careful. Magic has a mind of its own . . .
In Operation Bunny, Emily Vole is on a mission to find out why everyone keeps turning into bunny rabbits.
In The Three Pickled Herrings, Emily and friends solve the mystery of who is stealing people’s luck.
In The Rollercoaster Case, Billy Buckle the giant has vanished and it’s up to Emily to track him down.
In The Matchbox Mysteries, cars are shrinking to the size of matchboxes and a purple bunny is running riot.
And in The Flying Carpet Thief, carpets are flying all over the place, as if by magic, and Fidget the cat rushes off to rescue the Fairy Queen.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Carnegie and Costa-winning author who combines the charm of traditional fairy tales with unconventional fairies and a lively modern heroine.
• Sally Gardner’s UK sales exceed 1.6 million copies.
• Rights to the series have sold in seven territories.
AUTHOR BIOGSally Gardner is an award-winning novelist whose books have been translated into 22 languages. Sally is an avid spokesperson for dyslexia awareness, working to change the way it is perceived by society.
David Roberts is a hugely successful illustrator who has illustrated books by Philip Ardagh, Julia Donaldson, Jacqueline Wilson, Julian Clary and Chris Priestley. He’s also the creator of Dirty Bertie.
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IMPRINT: Little, Brown Books for Young
Readers
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 192pp
AGE: 9–12
WORD COUNT: 15,000
PRICE: £5.99
PUB DATE: February 2017
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 4
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Hachette Children’s Group
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES INCLUDE:
MYTH RAIDERS 3: THE MONKEY KING’S PRIZE A.J. HUNTER, ILLUSTRATED BY JAMES DE LA RUE
KEY NOTEThe third Myth Raiders title – a perfect adventure series for boy and girl readers who are mad about myths!
SYNOPSIS Sam and Trey need to find the third part of the Warrior’s Shield, in order to save the world from destruction. This time they are sent to ancient China where they meet the Monkey King, an unreliable mischief-maker who can shapeshift into many different forms. The Monkey King agrees to help them find the third piece of the shield only if they help him recover a stolen treasure from the malicious Lord Liu. On the way to Lord Liu’s palace, Sam and Trey are challenged by enchanted wind, water and rock, but they survive the elements.
At Lord Liu’s palace, they see the third part of the shield but Liu realises that they are in league with the Monkey King and locks them in a dungeon. The Monkey King transforms into a dragon and blasts the cell door open. Sam and Trey have to fight Liu’s warriors with their magical weapons, but they manage to escape with the third piece of the Warrior’s Shield. They return home safely, wondering what their next adventure will be.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• A collectable series, perfect for readers graduating from Beast Quest or Dino Cove.
• Features stunning black and white artwork by James de la Rue.
• Includes fun non-fiction sections at the end of each book that will provide fascinating facts about each mythical creature and the part of the world explored.
AUTHOR BIOGA.J. Hunter is the pen name for two authors, Allan and James, who bonded over their shared love of mythological creatures. After they had spent hours poring over their history books and trawling through the Internet, Myth Raiders was born!
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 240pp
WORD COUNT: 41,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: Published
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 6
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Arabic, Chinese
(simplified), French, German, Greek,
Italian, Portuguese (BR), US
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Felicity Bryan Associates
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES INCLUDE:
THE TAIL OF EMILY WINDSNAPLIZ KESSLER
KEY NOTEGirl next door. Best friend. Mermaid. This is the first adventure in the New York Times bestselling series, packed with magic and friendship.
SYNOPSIS Emily Windsnap lives on a boat, but her mother has always been oddly anxious to keep her out of the water. It is only when Emily has her first school swimming lesson that she discovers why: as soon as she gets into the water, she grows a tail!
Soon Emily discovers a glorious underwater world of fishes, coral, shipwrecks and mermaids. And, best of all, she finds a best friend. With mermaid Shona Silkfin by her side, Emily uncovers a surprising family secret and embarks on a quest to reunite her mum and dad.
This enchanting fantasy deals with universal themes of family, friendship, love and justice – all handled with the lightness of touch for which Liz Kessler is so well known.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• This bestselling series has sold over a million copies.
• Liz Kessler is a New York Times million-copy-selling author.
• Her books have sold over 573,000 copies in the UK, and over three million copies in the USA.
AUTHOR BIOGLiz Kessler studied English at Loughborough University, has worked as a teacher and a journalist, and has an MA in Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University. Liz lives in Cornwall.
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IMPRINT: Hodder Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 240pp
AGE: 9–12
WORD COUNT: 39,000
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: June 2016
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 4
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: German
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Sheil Land Associates
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES:
LUPO 4: AND THE LOST PIRATE OF KENSINGTON PALACE ABY KING,ILLUSTRATED BY SAM USHER
KEY NOTEA charming illustrated series about Lupo the dog, the royal family’s favourite palace pet – for fans of Murder Most Unladylike and Animal Ark.
SYNOPSIS While Lupo loves to spend his days playing with Prince George and baby Princess Charlotte, he’s also an adventurer and solver of mysteries.
Now Lupo is determined to help the wretched ghost of Sir Francis Drake and sets out to find his beloved missing dog. Whisper was guarding Sir Francis’ Tudor ship, filled to bursting with Spanish gold, when it disappeared during a violent storm. With the help of Mice Intelligence 5’s Herbert, and Kitty the palace cat, Lupo embarks on a dangerous journey.
Hidden in a mysterious cave, Lupo finds both the ghost of Whisper and the treasure, but only minutes later the wicked cat Ebony arrives. In a dangerous and dramatic finale Lupo defeats Ebony and secures the treasure before the cave collapses.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Royal fever never abates – the Lupo series will always be relevant to readers.
• Film rights have been optioned to a major UK film company.
• Beautiful black and white line illustrations by Sam Usher, who was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the Red House Children’s Book Prize.
AUTHOR BIOGAby King has held a variety of jobs including actress, model, TV presenter and businesswoman, and produced and directed A Simple Girl for the BBC Short Film Festival. She came up with the idea for the Lupo series whilst walking her dog Lilly around Kensington Palace.
Sam Usher’s first picture book was shortlisted for two major awards. When he is not illustrating, he is a keen pianist.
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 240pp
WORD COUNT: 50,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: October 2016
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 4
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World excluding
USA and Canada
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Eddison Pearson Limited
KEY BACKLIST:
ROMAN QUESTS 2: ARCHERS OF ISCA CAROLINE LAWRENCE
KEY NOTEThe second book in a new historical action-adventure series from million-copy-selling Caroline Lawrence, set in Roman Britain during the reign of the evil Emperor Domitian.
SYNOPSIS The Roman Quests series begins in Rome, AD 94. The Emperor Domitian is seizing property from wealthy Romans, and siblings Fronto, Juba and Ursula must flee their family home at night. They find safety in Britannia, where they make friends with a mysterious captain called Castor and a young British girl named Bouda, who claims to be descended from Queen Boudica.
In this second quest, fifteen-year-old Fronto is desperate to be brave. Unlike his younger sister, Ursula, Fronto is easily scared and prefers routine over adventure. So when he meets some Roman soldiers, he realises that the army can provide the answer to everything he is looking for – structure, security and a chance to prove his courage.
But his new-found bravery is put to the test when Ursula is captured by a Druid. Fronto must make an impossible decision: remain in the army, or abandon his comrades and rescue his sister? He decides his sister comes first, and in rescuing her discovers what true courage really is.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Caroline Lawrence’s Roman Mysteries series has sold over 1.5 million copies in the UK.
• The Roman Quests series has a diverse cast of characters: Bouda is British and Juba, Ursula and Fronto are of mixed Italian and African descent.
• Relevant themes for today’s readers: trust, friendship, duty, anxiety and fleeing a homeland to settle in a strange country.
AUTHOR BIOGCaroline Lawrence is American. She lives with her husband by the river in South London and is active as a speaker in schools and at book festivals. In addition to the seventeen novels in The Roman Mysteries sequence, Caroline Lawrence has written five spin-off titles.
ENID
BLYTON
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IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 208pp
AGE: 9–12
WORD COUNT: 50,000
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: Published
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 17
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World excluding
USA and Canada
RIGHTS SOLD: Spanish, US
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Teresa Chris Literary Agency
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES INCLUDE:
ROMAN MYSTERIES 1: THIEVES OF OSTIA CAROLINE LAWRENCE
KEY NOTEThe first in Caroline Lawrence’s Roman Mysteries series, following the action-packed adventures of four young detectives in Ancient Rome and across the world.
SYNOPSIS Flavia Gemina, the daughter of a Roman sea captain, is a natural at solving mysteries. Together with her three friends, Jonathan, a Jewish boy who is secretly a Christian, Nubia, an African slave girl, and Lupus, a mute beggar boy, she chases clues that lead her throughout Rome, Pompeii, Greece and across the Roman Empire.
The seventeen-book series begins with The Thieves of Ostia, in which Flavia Gemina and her friends must discover who is beheading the watchdogs that guard people’s homes, and why.
A talented storyteller, Caroline Lawrence has created a delightfully readable and accessible series with trans-century appeal and rich historical settings.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• The series has sold over 1.5 million copies in the UK.
• Extremely well researched, and packed with accurate historical detail that educates and entertains.
• Inspired the primetime BBC TV series of the same name in the UK, which has sold around the world to Australia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden and the USA.
AUTHOR BIOGCaroline Lawrence is American. She lives with her husband by the river in South London and is active as a speaker in schools and at book festivals. In addition to the seventeen novels in the Roman Mysteries sequence, Caroline Lawrence has written five spin-off titles.
IMPRINT: Orchard Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 288pp
WORD COUNT: 25,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: October 2016
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 12
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Castillian, Catalan,
Chinese (simplified), Czech, French,
German, Hebrew, Italian, Korean,
Latvian, Lithuanian, Portuguese (BR),
Portuguese (PT), Russian, Turkish
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Hachette Children’s Group
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES INCLUDE:
THE WORLD OF NORM 11: MAY BE RECYCLED JONATHAN MERES
KEY NOTEWelcome to the World of Norm! The bestselling series about a twelve-year-old boy whose life is just so unfair.
SYNOPSIS Norm knew it was going to be one of those days when he woke up and nothing happened. Zilch. Nada. Nothing whatso-flipping-ever. He just opened his eyes and, well … that was it really. Norm was simply lying in bed, scratching his bum. Not that his bum actually needed scratching. He just felt like scratching it. So he did.
So begins another day in the world of Norm. Although, before long, it becomes clear that his day is about to go from full of nothing, to full of irritations and chores. Irritation Number One? His ‘perfect cousins’. After Norm is sent to his room for being rude, he decides to visit Grandpa at the allotment. Grandpa comes up with a plan to get the cousins – and their prized home-grown lettuce – back, but not before Norm’s mum decides that the whole family should become vegetarians. Flipping typical!
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• The World of Norm has sold over 750,000 copies in the UK and rights have sold in fifteen languages.
• Fully illustrated throughout with hilarious black-and-white artwork.
• Bonus short story also available – published as part of the UK’s World Book Day initiative in 2016.
AUTHOR BIOGJonathan Meres used to be a stand-up comedian. He now writes full-time and lives with his family in Edinburgh, Scotland.
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IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 192pp
WORD COUNT: 20,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: Published
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 6
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Danish, Japanese,
Turkish
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Hachette Children’s Group
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES:
ELF GIRL AND RAVEN BOY SERIESMARCUS SEDGWICK, ILLUSTRATED BY PETE WILLIAMSON
KEY NOTEA six-book series about Elf Girl and Raven Boy’s humorous and spooky adventures as they battle to save the world from the Goblin King.
SYNOPSIS Raven Boy has short black spiky hair, amazing night vision and can talk to animals. Elf Girl is light of foot, sharp of mind and carries a magical bow. She hadn’t expected to meet Raven Boy; it’s not that often someone falls out of the trees and squashes your home flat like Raven Boy did. Before they know it they are plunged into some very strange, creepy, altogether spooky and hilarious adventures as they encounter trolls, ogres, witches and things that slither and slide.
They travel across all kinds of treacherous landscapes from Fright Forest to Creepy Caves, where they finally confront the evil Goblin King.
And as they journey back to their forest home, Elf Girl and Raven Boy realise that not only have they saved the world, but they have also made wonderful friends along the way.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Zany humour, magical characters and fully integrated black and white illustrations.
• Rights for Marcus Sedgwick’s books have been sold in 30 territories worldwide.
• Total Marcus Sedgwick UK sales exceed three quarters of a million copies.
AUTHOR BIOGMarcus Sedgwick’s first book, Floodland, won the Branford Boase Award in 2000. Since then he has won the 2014 Printz Award for Midwinterblood, and his books have been shortlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, the Blue Peter Book Award, the Costa Book Award, the Carnegie Medal and the Edgar Allan Poe Award.
Pete Williamson is an artist, illustrator and animation designer.
9–12 FICTION
: SERIES
9–12 FICTION
: SERIES
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 208pp
WORD COUNT: 40,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: Published
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 5
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Arabic, Bulgarian,
German, Japanese, US, Vietnamese
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Felicity Bryan Associates
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES:
THE WHITE GIRAFFE LAUREN ST JOHN, ILLUSTRATED BY DAVID DEAN
KEY NOTEThe first of Lauren’s heartwarming White Giraffe series, featuring the adventures of a young orphan girl and a magical white giraffe in exotic Africa.
SYNOPSIS When she is eleven years old, Martine is orphaned and sent to live with her grandmother on Sawubona game reserve in South Africa. But her grandmother seems strangely unwelcoming, and in her new school Martine feels like an outsider.
Luckily, she has an ally in Tendai, one of the keepers on the reserve, from whom she learns the lore and survival techniques of the bush – and in Grace, who instantly senses there is something special about Martine. There are secrets about Sawubona just waiting to be revealed, and rumours about a fabled white giraffe, a trophy for hunters everywhere.
One night Martine, lonely and feeling slightly rebellious, looks out of her window and sees a young albino giraffe – silver and tinged with cinnamon in the moonlight. This is the beginning of her magical adventures – her discovery that she has a gift for healing, and the uncovering of a secret valley where she and the giraffe, Jemmi, find clues about her past and her future.
The White Giraffe is a heart-warming story, full of charm and atmosphere.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Over 125,000 copies of The White Giraffe have been sold.
• Having grown up in Africa, Lauren St John writes with great authenticity about the continent and its animals.
AUTHOR BIOGLauren was born in Zimbabwe and now lives in London. She is the author of several award-winning children’s series: The White Giraffe, the One Dollar Horse series and the Laura Marlin Mysteries.
6564
9–12 FICTION
: SERIES
9–12 FICTION
: SERIES
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 320pp
WORD COUNT: 40,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: Published
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 5
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Arabic, Bulgarian,
Chinese (simplified), German, US,
Vietnamese
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Felicity Bryan Associates
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES:
OPERATION RHINOLAUREN ST JOHN, ILLUSTRATED BY DAVID DEAN
KEY NOTEThe fifth of Lauren’s White Giraffe series, featuring the adventures of a young orphan girl, a beautiful white giraffe and a baby rhino, set in Africa.
SYNOPSIS When Martine’s parents are killed in a tragic fire, she thinks she’ll never be happy again. Being sent to South Africa to live with her grandmother isn’t easy at first, but slowly Martine comes to love her new home, and especially the white giraffe who lives on her grandmother’s game reserve, with whom Martine has a special bond.
But not everyone loves the animals at the reserve as much as Martine does. When the white rhinos at the game reserve are attacked, the poachers leave behind a terrified baby rhino. Determined to help him, Martine and her friend Ben take the rhino baby to a sanctuary near the Golden Gate Highlands National Park.
In the sanctuary is a secret – a fully grown rhino is being hidden there from the poachers, poachers who would do anything to get a hold of the rhino’s horn. When the secret gets out, Martine and Ben find themselves in the fight of their lives to save one of the rarest animals on earth.
A heartwarming adventure about saving endangered species.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Lauren St John’s UK sales now exceed a million copies.
• Rights for Lauren’s books have sold in 23 languages.
AUTHOR BIOGLauren was born in Zimbabwe and now lives in London. She is the author of several award-winning children’s series: The White Giraffe, the One Dollar Horse series and the Laura Marlin Mysteries.
IMPRINT: Hachette Australia
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: B+ Format
EXTENT: 256pp
WORD COUNT: 50,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: AUS $14.99
PUB DATE: Published / Book 4 April
2017
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 4
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Lithuanian, Turkish, US
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
The Cameron Cresswell Agency
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES INCLUDE:
THE MAPMAKER CHRONICLES SERIESA.L. TAIT
KEY NOTEAdventure and danger lie just off the edge of the map in this swashbuckling new action-packed series.
SYNOPSIS Race to the End of the World: The King is determined to discover what lies beyond the known world, and has promised a handsome prize to the ship’s captain who can bring him a map of the whole globe. To do that, they’ll need mapmakers – and fourteen-year-old Quinn is shocked to be chosen. He packs his bags and joins the mismatched crew. The other competitors will do anything to win, and there is a strange sea monster hot on their tail.
Prisoner of the Black Hawk: Mapmaker Quinn is far from home in an exotic land filled with dangerous creatures and ruthless enemies. He is betrayed by someone close to him, comes close to bloodthirsty pirates and is taken prisoner by a ruthless enemy.
Breath of the Dragon: Quinn and the crew of the Libertas are racing against the clock to get back to Verdania before the King’s deadline and the prize is almost within reach, but their enemies are determined to stop them and sometimes the greatest danger lies closest to home.
In the final book, the King’s sworn enemies have learnt of Quinn’s great mapmaking abilities and wish to kidnap him. He is sent on a new journey, attempting to map the great southern land that rumours suggest exists beyond the known world, but unknown to him, he is travelling with the very treacherous Lord Thornton, and the journey won’t run smoothly.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Rights in the series sold in three territories.
• Race to the End of the World was a CBCA 2015 Notable Book, one of Bookworld’s Top 10 books of 2014 and shortlisted for the inaugural Readings Children’s Book Prize.
• ‘Not since Emily Rodda’s Deltora Quest series has there been such an exciting adventure tale.’ Readings
AUTHOR BIOGA.L. Tait lives in rural New South Wales with a family, a garden and four goldfish.
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9–12 FICTION
: SERIES
9–12 FICTION
: SERIES
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 192pp
WORD COUNT: 30,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £5.99
PUB DATE: November 2016
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 8
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Castillian, Korean,
Turkish
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Furniss Lawton
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES INCLUDE:
SCHOOL FOR STARS 8: BEST FRIENDS FOREVER HOLLY WILLOUGHBY AND KELLY WILLOUGHBY
KEY NOTE‘Performing arts meets Enid Blyton’ in this starry school series about dance, drama, friendship and mysteries.
SYNOPSIS Best Friends Forever is the final story in the eight-book series, School for Stars.
Twin sisters Molly and Maria Fitzfoster and their best friends Pippa and Sally are students at L’Etoile, a performing arts boarding school. But they’re also first class detectives with a flair for uncovering trouble. In their final adventure, they find themselves stepping outside of their comfort zone to take part in an outdoor survival expedition in France. It’s not their favourite way to spend time, but they are determined to give it their best shot.
But just as the expedition is beginning, an unexpected foe re-emerges – Lucinda, the old school bully from their past. Things have changed and Lucinda is now in desperate need of a friend. Luckily the girls soon realise that everyone deserves a second chance and that the most unlikely people can surprise us.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Perfect for every girl who has ever sung into her hairbrush and dreamed of being a star.
• Series sales of over 142,000 copies.
• First Term At L’Etoile was the UK’s highest selling children’s debut of 2013.
AUTHOR BIOGHolly and Kelly Willoughby are sisters who write the School for Stars series together. Holly is a well-known television presenter in the UK, with almost seven million Twitter followers. They live in London and Middlesex with their families.
IMPRINT: Orchard Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 256pp
WORD COUNT: 40,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: March 2017
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 4
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: French, Polish
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Hachette Children’s Group
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES:
THE GIRL OF GLASS HOLLY WEBB
KEY NOTEMagic, adventure and friendship combine in the latest novel from million-selling author Holly Webb
SYNOPSIS The fourth and final novel in Holly Webb’s Magical Venice series – set in an alternate nineteenth-century Italy, where magic is real.
Mariana lives with her family on the Venetian island of Murano – famed for its artists who create masterpieces from glass. But when Mariana’s little sister, Eliza, dies of consumption and her mother’s heart seems as though it will never heal from the pain, Mariana’s father decides to use his glassmaking skill – and a dash of magic – to create a girl of glass in Eliza’s image.
The remarkable glass doll, who sings, dances and talks, draws attention wherever she goes, and soon Mariana is famous for having the magical glass sister. But as the glass girl takes on more and more of Eliza’s personality, Mariana begins to suspect that there is more than just magic at play. She is forced to confront the difference between illusion and reality and bring harmony to her family, without the girl of glass.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Magic, adventure, princesses and animals combine in this perfect series for girls.
• Holly Webb has sold over two million books worldwide!
• Holly’s Rose series has sold in eleven languages.
AUTHOR BIOGHolly Webb has written over 100 books for children. She lives with her husband and three sons in Reading, England.
9–12 FICTION: STANDALONE
RUNNING ON THE ROOF OF THE WORLD 70 by Jess Butterworth
ILLEGAL by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin 71
WE ARE GIANTS by Amber Lee Dodd 72
OUT OF THE CLOUDS by Diana Hendry 73
FISH by L.S. Matthews 74
A VERY GOOD CHANCE by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald 75
THE INCREDIBLE BILLY WILD by Joanna Nadin 76
MIRACULOUS MIRANDA by Siobhán Parkinson 77
STORMWALKER by Mike Revell 78
THE SECRET LIFE OF DAISY FITZJOHN by Tania Unsworth 79
69
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 208pp
WORD COUNT: 35,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: June 2017
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Mulcahy Associates
RUNNING ON THE ROOF OF THE WORLD JESS BUTTERWORTH
KEY NOTEA vivid, atmospheric debut about adventure, survival and hope, set in Tibet, India and the Himalayan Mountains.
SYNOPSIS Twelve-year-old Tash and her best friend Sam live in Tibet. But when a man sets himself on fire and soldiers snatch Tash’s parents, she must abandon her home and run.
Tash is convinced that the only person who can free her parents is the Dalai Lama. So, with the help of Sam, two yaks and a backpack of her father’s mysterious papers, Tash embarks on a brave mission to cross the Himalayas and seek his help in India.
While journeying through the mountains, they stumble across a group of nomads, who examine their backpack and papers. The nomad leader, Dawa, informs them that the mysterious letter they were carrying was an important coded message from Tash’s father to the resistance. Thanks to Tash and Sam, Dawa is able to pass it on.
They make it to India despite impossible odds and finally meet the Dalai Lama. He cannot intervene, but his words spark a connection for Tash and she solves the coded message. It tells of a date on which the prisoners, including her parents, will escape. Dawa rushes to find them in the mountains and brings them to safety. At last they reunite with Tash and Sam – without whom they never would have found freedom.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Gorgeous package to reflect the rich setting.
• Powerful sense of place – in the vein of Lauren St John’s White Giraffe series or Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner.
• Classic children’s adventure with a political backdrop that encourages readers to reflect on their world.
AUTHOR BIOGJess Butterworth grew up between the UK and India, where she listened to her grandmother’s fascinating stories and explored the Himalayas, looking for adventure. Jess studied writing for young people at Bath Spa University, and as part of her research for Running on the Roof of the World she spent time living in India, and even met with the Dalai Lama.
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9–12 FICTION
: STANDALO
NE
70
9–12 FICTION
: STANDALO
NES
IMPRINT: Hodder Children’s Books
FORMAT: HB
SIZE: 260 x 170 mm
EXTENT: 144pp
WORD COUNT: 3,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £14.99
PUB DATE: October 2017
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Sophie Hicks Agency
ILLEGAL EOIN COLFER AND ANDREW DONKIN,ILLUSTRATED BY GIOVANNI RIGANO
KEY NOTEA powerful and timely graphic novel about refugees from Eoin Colfer, the Irish Children’s Laureate, and the team behind his successful Artemis Fowl graphic novels.
SYNOPSIS This is a graphic novel for all children, stunningly told with glorious colour artwork throughout.
Illegal introduces us to brothers Ebo and Kwame, and their journey as they flee from Ghana, across Africa and over the Mediterranean Sea to find a safe haven in Europe. It shows us Ebo’s unquenchable hope for a new life and for a reunion with his sister.
After a long and dangerous journey across the desert, Ebo’s brother Kwame drowns, along with hundreds of other refugees, when their boat sinks. But Ebo crosses safely and as the book ends, he finally finds his sister.
Told with humour, compassion and respect, this is a story for every child to get lost in.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• The book is based on the authors’ extensive research and includes some of their original interviews with survivors at the end.
• Artist Giovanni Rigano has won many awards for his illustrations and is a regular at comic festivals across Europe.
AUTHOR BIOGEoin Colfer is the writer of the bestselling, award-winning Artemis Fowl series, and has sold over twenty million books worldwide. Andrew Donkin has written over sixty books and graphic novels, including Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight for DC Comics.
74 75
9–12 FICTION
: STANDALO
NES
9–12 FICTION
: STANDALO
NE
IMPRINT: Hodder Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 192pp
WORD COUNT: 33,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: Published
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Farsi, Korean, Turkish, US
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Hachette Children’s Group
KEY BACKLIST:
FISHL.S. MATTHEWS
KEY NOTEWinner of the Fidler Award, this is a compelling novel touching on the hardships that refugees face, and a globally successful book about compassion and hope.
SYNOPSIS ‘My story starts the day that my parents told me we must leave our adopted home for ever.’
War and drought have come to Tiger’s country. Just before Tiger’s family leaves, Tiger finds a fish struggling for life in a drying-up puddle – and rescues it.
And so they set off on a dangerous journey across the mountains, with only what they can carry on their backs – the fish’s precarious grip on survival mirroring their own.
Critically acclaimed for its subtlety and simplicity, this is a universal fable where the specifics of geography, conflict and even the gender of the narrator are not given. Any reader can identify with Tiger’s desire to make a difference to the world, and keep hope alive.
A truly memorable celebration of the human spirit, Fish is a story that will teach readers to believe that, even when hope is almost extinguished, miracles can happen.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• This award-winning title has been brought back to prominence by
the sad plight of refugees worldwide.
• Sold in twelve languages in its original edition, this timeless story is of the moment in 2016.
• ‘Matthews allows just enough detail – and heart – to make miracles feel possible.’ Book of the Week, Publishers Weekly
AUTHOR BIOGLaura Matthews has worked in publishing and education, and is also an award-winning artist and musician.
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 240pp
WORD COUNT: 40,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: September 2016
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Castillian, Galician,
Dutch, German
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Jo Unwin Literary Agency
KEY BACKLIST:
A VERY GOOD CHANCE SARAH MOORE FITZGERALD
KEY NOTESet in Dublin and Siena, with its dizzying, dare-devil Palio horse race, Sarah Moore Fitzgerald’s third novel is about unlikely friendship, taking chances and learning how to see the world in your own way.
SYNOPSIS Some people step through a wardrobe to find adventure, but Minty follows the twisting trees into Nettlebog, where she meets Ned Buckley – the moody, mysterious boy who never talks at school.
Her parents may not approve of her new friendship, but they don’t realise that there’s more to Ned than first appears: he’s able to ride wild horses – majestic animals that trust and respect him. And both he and his grandmother know things about resilience and belief that Minty desperately needs to hear.
Outside of Nettlebog, Minty’s life is disintegrating. Her parents’ marriage is falling apart, and her mum is doing everything she can to pretend things are okay. And Ned has a secret too – he is unable to read, but too ashamed to admit it, even to Minty.
As Ned and Minty learn to trust one another, their story takes them from Dublin to Siena, where horses race around the streets of the medieval city and Minty can all kinds of possibilities.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Rights to Sarah’s books have been sold in fourteen territories.
• Sarah’s first novel, Back to Blackbrick, was a Dubrays number one bestseller in Ireland.
• Sarah’s second novel, The Apple Tart of Hope, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Prize, the IBW Book Award and the CBI Book of the Year Award.
AUTHOR BIOGSarah was born in New York but grew up in County Dublin. She is a professor of psychology and effective pedagogy and runs regular writers’ retreats for academics and students.
78 79
9–12 FICTION
: STANDALO
NE
9–12 FICTION
: STANDALO
NE
IMPRINT: Quercus Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 320pp
WORD COUNT: 75,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: May 2016
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
The Bent Agency
KEY BACKLIST:
STORMWALKER MIKE REVELL
KEY NOTEA story of love and loss told through the eyes of a boy about to embark on his greatest adventure yet.
SYNOPSIS Owen lost his mother a year ago. Since that terrible day, his writer father has retreated into his own world, and Owen is running out of ideas about how to reach him.
Until one day, Owen discovers a leaflet about counselling through art, and encourages his dad to go. But when his father starts writing again, Owen’s life changes in an unbelievable way – he finds himself inside his dad’s story. He is Jack, the hero of a world where an evil force called the Darkness threatens to destroy everything, unless the Stormwalkers can stop it.
And Owen realises the impossible truth: he must fight the Darkness, and help his dad bring his story to an end. But if he loses himself in the other world, will Owen ever find his way back?
Ultimately, Owen conquers the Darkness in his dad’s story and brings the adventure to a thrilling end. Back in the real world, he and his dad find a way to move forward with their shared grief, and the novel ends with hope for their future together.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Cleverly combines a sensitive story of loss with a page-turning
all-action narrative.
• Mike Revell’s debut Stonebird received rave reviews from booksellers and child readers alike.
• ‘A really special debut, full of heart, hope and the power of storytelling.’ The Bookseller on Stonebird
AUTHOR BIOGMike Revell studied Creative Writing at the University of Essex, followed by Journalism. When not writing for children he is a freelance sports reporter. He lives in Wales with his wife.
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 256pp
WORD COUNT: 45,000
AGE: 9–12
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: March 2016
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World excluding USA
and Canada
RIGHTS SOLD: Romanian
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Janklow and Nesbit, UK
THE SECRET LIFE OF DAISY FITZJOHN TANIA UNSWORTH
KEY NOTEEleven-year-old Daisy has never stepped outside the grounds of the crumbling mansion where she lives with her mum, but when a mysterious visitor arrives she must use her wits to survive.
SYNOPSIS Daisy Fitzjohn lives with her mum in the once-grand mansion of Brightwood Hall. Daisy’s an expert at navigating the mansion, with its mazes of stores and towers of memory boxes. But when her mum goes shopping and doesn’t come back, Daisy is left completely alone with only her pet rat, Tar, for company, plus the imagined friends she has conjured from a life lived away from the outside world – including the impossibly fearless adventurer’s assistant, Frank.
As Daisy’s fears for her mum’s whereabouts increase, a stranger arrives at the house claiming to be a distant cousin, James Gritting. When he makes it clear that he wants Brightwood Hall for himself, Daisy pieces together the clues to reveal the sinister truth behind her mother’s disappearance. Caught in a terrifying game of cat and mouse, Daisy needs all her wits – and extraordinary imagination – to survive. With the help of Tar, Frank and her knowledge of the house, Daisy finally manages to trap Gritting and escape, braving the outside world for the very first time to find her mother and raise the alarm.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Beautiful, distinctive writing, combined with a gripping, fast-paced
plot: a wholly original voice.
• Clever and emotionally engaging.
• Standalone middle grade fiction at its best.
AUTHOR BIOGTania Unsworth is the author of three previous adult novels and one YA title, The One Safe Place. She lives in Boston, USA, with her husband, two sons, a dog called Plum and a pair of cats.
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TEEN FICTION AND YA
GENESIS by Bernard Beckett 82
BOYWATCHING 3: SEASON THREE by Chloe Bennet 83
DEMON HUNTERS 1: TRINITY by Olivia Chase 84
MOVIE NIGHT by Lucy Courtenay 85
LOVE AND OTHER MAN-MADE DISASTERS by Nicola Doherty 86
GIRL OFFLINE by Nicola Doherty 87
TINDER by Sally Gardner 88
THE TRAP by Alan Gibbons 89
BLUE by Lisa Glass 90
NOTES ON BEING TEENAGE by Rosalind Jana 91
HAUNT ME by Liz Kessler 92
READ ME LIKE A BOOK by Liz Kessler 93
THE CREEPER MAN by Dawn Kurtagich 94
THE DEAD HOUSE by Dawn Kurtagich 95
ORANGEBOY by Patrice Lawrence 96
ARIADNIS by Josh Martin 97
ROCK WAR 3: GONE WILD by Robert Muchamore 98
CHERUB 1: THE RECRUIT by Robert Muchamore 99
CHERUB 17: NEW GUARD by Robert Muchamore 100
SAINT DEATH by Marcus Sedgwick 101
THE GHOSTS OF HEAVEN by Marcus Sedgwick 102
SURVIVORS OF THE HOLOCAUST by Kath Shackleton 103
THE GLORY by Lauren St John 104
THE ONE DOLLAR HORSE by Lauren St John 105
DARK MATTER 1: CONTAGION by Teri Terry 106
SLATED TRILOGY by Teri Terry 107
BOOK OF LIES by Teri Terry 108
MIND GAMES by Teri Terry 109
TEEN FICTIO
N/YA
8786
TEEN FICTIO
N/YA
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 320pp
WORD COUNT: 50,000
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: June 2016
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: German
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Furniss Lawton
LOVE AND OTHER MAN-MADE DISASTERS NICOLA DOHERTY
KEY NOTEA contemporary YA holiday romance by Irish author Nicola Doherty, about facing your fears and falling in love.
SYNOPSIS Juno is scared of a lot of things in life: climate change, urban foxes, being accidentally strangled by her own hair – the usual. So when she goes on holiday with her mum’s adrenaline-mad husband and his tearaway twins, she doesn’t hold much hope of surviving. Until she meets ski-instructor Boy; gruff, mysterious and just a bit hairy, he’s everything Juno knows she doesn’t like. Or is he?
Surrounded by cool, confident coaches and chalet hosts who all seem at home in the beautiful Austrian resort, Juno wonders how she’ll ever fit in, but she soon finds her feet, or rather, her skis, and discovers there’s really nothing more scary than falling in love.
A contemporary romance with humour and heart, perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Holly Smale and Stephanie Perkins.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Light and romantic YA debut – this is perfect holiday reading.
• Fresh and funny clean-teen story with an authentic voice.
• Nicola has previously written three adult novels, also published by Hachette, which have been sold in six territories.
AUTHOR BIOGNicola worked in publishing for several years before becoming a writer. This is her first YA novel. She lives in Highbury, north London, with her husband.
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 192pp
WORD COUNT: 40,000
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: August 2017
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Furniss Lawton Ltd
GIRL OFFLINE NICOLA DOHERTY
KEY NOTEA teen romantic comedy set in Paris about being yourself (both on and offline) and forgiving your own mistakes.
SYNOPSIS Delilah Hoover has gone dark.
She’s left school, changed her name and moved to Paris. It’s not what she planned but there’s no other choice, because she made a stupid joke. Something nobody will forget. It made her trend on Twitter, and it’s the first thing that comes up when you google her. Everyone thinks she is racist – and she can’t bear the accusations any longer.
Paris is a new start, with new friends – like sweet but in-your-face Fletcher, quiet and awkward Ben, and the touchy but attractive Tariq. But can she tell any of them who she is and what she did? And what happens if they find out first?
But Delilah is stronger than she knows and the new friendships she makes may just surprise her. Fletcher becomes a loyal ally, Tariq admits the feelings he has for her and after a disastrous first date, Ben proves that friendship can be every bit as exciting as romance.
Most importantly of all, the three of them stand by Delilah’s side as she gears up to tell the whole school the truth about her past – and that one misinterpreted Twitter joke that went viral.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Heartland teen romantic comedy – for fans of Geek Girl and Finding Audrey.
• Fresh, funny and feel-good, with an authentic teen voice.
• Nicola’s previous books have been sold in France, Germany, Poland, Turkey and Italy.
AUTHOR BIOGNicola grew up in Dublin before moving to London after university. She worked in publishing for several years before writing her first book, The Out of Office Girl, which was shortlisted for the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year 2013. Since then she has written two further books for adults and two teen romantic comedies.
TEEN FICTIO
N/YA
8988
TEEN FICTIO
N/YA
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 153 mm
EXTENT: 192pp
WORD COUNT: 20,000
PRICE: £7.99
PUB DATE: Published
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Bulgarian, Danish,
Faroese, Italian, Japanese, Korean
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Felicity Bryan Ltd
TINDER SALLY GARDNER,
ILLUSTRATED BY DAVID ROBERTS
KEY NOTEA young soldier, a captive princess, witches, wolves and Death walk hand in hand in Sally Gardner’s exquisite novel inspired by the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale ‘The Tinderbox’.
SYNOPSIS Fairy tales are often the cruellest stories of all. Sally Gardner writes about great love and great loss against a backdrop of war and intrigue.
Otto Hundebiss is a soldier in the Thirty Years War but when he defies Death he walks a dangerous path. A half-beast, half-man gives him dice that tell him which direction to travel. He meets a beautiful young princess called Safire who is hiding out in the woods. When she is captured and returned to her castle, he vows to find her again, and on his way shelters in a wooden castle, where he completes a task for the witch who lives there and comes away with a tinderbox.
But like all great gifts the tinderbox comes at a price and Otto will soon learn that no amount of riches can bring him the thing he most desires. On the eve of his marriage to Safire, Otto throws the tinderbox into the flames and thinks he has destroyed it. However, it appears again on their wedding night – and Otto sees Death – who has found him at last.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• A modern retelling of a classic fairy tale.
• Sally Gardner’s UK sales exceed 1.6 million copies.
• Sally Gardner is the winner of the Carnegie Medal, Nestle Children’s Prize and the Costa Book Award.
AUTHOR BIOGSally Gardner is an award-winning novelist from London. Her books have been translated into 22 languages. Sally is an avid spokesperson for dyslexia awareness. She has been awarded the Carnegie Medal and the Costa Book Award.
David Roberts is a hugely successful illustrator who has illustrated books by Philip Ardagh, Julia Donaldson, Jacqueline Wilson, Julian Clary and Chris Priestley. He’s also the creator of Dirty Bertie. David lives in London.
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: TPB
SIZE: 216 x 135 mm
EXTENT: 256pp
WORD COUNT: 40,000
PRICE: £9.99
PUB DATE: JULY 2016
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Hachette Children’s Group
KEY BACKLIST:
THE TRAPALAN GIBBONS
KEY NOTEA London terrorist cell is plotting an attack on the anniversary of 7/7 and MI5 need help to stop them.
SYNOPSIS Majid, ISIS fighter turned British spy, is desperate to do the right thing.
On the anniversary of the 7th July terrorist bombing in which extremists targeted London transport, an ISIS cell is plotting to attack. The situation seems desperate, until MI5 agent, Kate, receives a tip-off about an asset who seems too good to be true: Majid is a UK-born medical student and reformed ISIS soldier returning from Syria. Kate knows that he could be the key to preventing a tragedy.
Meanwhile, racism is on the march in London, and Majid’s family struggles while grieving for the son and brother they assume to be dead, not understanding how he could have left them for such a hollow cause.
In constant danger of being exposed as a spy, Majid feigns allegiance to the terrorists while feeding information back to Kate. After a hair-raising race against the clock, the terror plot is successfully foiled and Majid saves his estranged family from being targeted. But with his dark past forever hanging over him, it seems this won’t be his last dangerous mission for MI5.
Spanning Iraq, Syria and England, Alan Gibbon’s latest novel tackles a timely and provocative issue – young people across Europe are becoming victims of radicalisation and are being swayed by the promises of Syria and ISIS. The Trap grapples with one of the greatest challenges of our time.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Alan’s books have sold more than 1.3 million copies in the UK.
• His real-life thrillers tackle issues in an engaging manner.
• Alan’s books are frequently nominated for awards, including the Carnegie Medal.
AUTHOR BIOGAlan Gibbons is a full-time writer and a visiting speaker and lecturer at schools, colleges and literary events. He lives in Liverpool with his wife and four children. Alan is an honorary CILIP member.
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IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 400pp
WORD COUNT: 83,000
PRICE: £7.99
PUB DATE: October 2016
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: US
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Felicity Bryan Associates
HAUNT MELIZ KESSLER
KEY NOTEA romantic and haunting novel about how love can overcome the ultimate divide – from Liz Kessler, the bestselling author of the Emily Windsnap series and Read Me Like a Book.
SYNOPSIS Joe wakes up from a deep sleep to see his family leave in a removal van. Where they’ve gone, he has no idea. Erin moves house and instantly feels at home in her new room, even though it appears she isn’t the only one living in it. Bit by bit, Erin and Joe discover that they have somehow found a way across the ultimate divide – life and death. Bound by their past hurts and a love of poetry, they are determined to find a way to be together. Their love for each other makes them both feel more alive than ever before.
Joe’s brother, Olly, never cared much for poetry. He was always too busy being king of the football field – but that all changed when Joe died. And when an encounter at school brings him face to face with Erin, he realises how different things really are – including the kind of girl he wants to be with.
Two brothers. Two choices. Erin must literally choose between life and death. But it’s not until that choice is made all too real that both Olly and Erin rease saying goodbye to Joe is the only way to move on and live their lives – letting Joe find peace, and them find happiness with each other.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• This is Liz’s second teen novel, following the Carnegie-nominated
Read Me Like a Book which was released in 2015.
• Her books have sold over 573,000 copies in the UK, and over three million copies in the USA.
• Rights in her books have sold in 24 territories to date.
AUTHOR BIOGLiz Kessler studied English at Loughborough University, has worked as a teacher and a journalist and has an MA in Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University. Liz now lives in Cornwall.
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 304pp
WORD COUNT: 70,000
PRICE: £7.99
PUB DATE: May 2015
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: French, Spanish (Latin
America), US
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/
TV: Felicity Bryan Ltd
KEY BACKLIST:
READ ME LIKE A BOOK LIZ KESSLER
KEY NOTEA compelling coming-of-age story about one girl’s exploration of love, identity and sexuality.
SYNOPSIS Seventeen-year-old Ashleigh Walker is in love. But it’s not her new boyfriend that’s making her feel this way; it’s Miss Murray, her English teacher. Ash has never considered she might be more interested in girls than in boys, but she can’t ignore her growing feelings – feelings that are about to change her life.
As Ash attempts to navigate her sexuality, the rest of her life is in chaos. Her parents are on the brink of divorce, she’s struggling to concentrate on her studies, and she’s fallen out with her best friend Cat. The only person there for her through it all is kind, funny and supportive Miss Murray. All Ash wants is to win her approval. But Ash’s feelings for her teacher can only ever be a crush. Left with unanswered questions about who she is, and who she wants to be, Ash acknowledges that her life is changing: leaving college, making new friends and even the possibility of finding new love.
Brave, honest and captivating, Read Me Like a Book is a thought-provoking coming-out story from a highly skilled author.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• ‘An important contribution to the YA literary canon and a welcome reminder that love is love, no matter what.’ Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author.
• Liz Kessler is a New York Times bestselling author, selling half a million copies in the UK, and over 3 million in the USA.
• Her books have sold in 24 territories.
AUTHOR BIOGLiz Kessler studied English at Loughborough University, has worked as a teacher and a journalist and has an MA in Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University. She now lives in Cornwall, UK.
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IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 400pp
WORD COUNT: 66,000
PRICE: £7.99
PUB DATE: July 2016
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World excluding
USA and Canada
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/
TV: The Greenhouse Literary Agency
THE CREEPER MAN DAWN KURTAGICH
KEY NOTEA spine-chilling psychological thriller from YA talent and author of The Dead House, Dawn Kurtagich.
SYNOPSIS When Silla and her little sister Nori escape London and their abusive father, Aunt Cath’s country mansion La Baume feels like a safe haven. Leaving the smog and fear behind, the girls have the love and security they never had in their violent home.
But slowly, ever so slowly, things begin to unravel.
Aunt Cath locks herself in the attic and spends day and night pacing the creaking floorboards. The land dies and food is almost impossible to find. Mould grows everywhere, even on the girls’ clothes. Every day the surrounding trees inch slowly towards the house. A mysterious boy appears from the enclosing wood offering friendship. And there’s a man who watches them from the dark forest. A man with no eyes: the creeper man. Silla had wanted to believe he was just a fairy tale made up by Aunt Cath, but now she knows he’s real.
La Baume is cursed, and the trees are getting closer and closer, which means the creeper man is drawing nearer, too.
Psychologically sinister and creepily atmospheric, The Creeper Man is a gripping YA thriller.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• A chilling, atmospheric read – ideal for fans of YA horror thrillers.
• In a crowded YA market, The Creeper Man stands out as something entirely different and new.
• When Dawn sent the script for her first novel, The Dead House, out to agents, 22 offered to represent her.
AUTHOR BIOGDawn Kurtagich writes psychologically sinister fiction. She lives in Wales, but grew up all over the world, predominantly in Africa. Dawn writes and blogs for YA Scream Queens and is a member of the YA League.
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 448pp
WORD COUNT: 85,000
PRICE: £7.99
PUB DATE: August 2015
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: German
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/
TV: The Greenhouse Literary Agency
THE DEAD HOUSE DAWN KURTAGICH
KEY NOTECarly gets the day. Kaitlin has the night. But who gets the truth? A stunning psychological YA thriller that will have readers on the edge of their seats.
SYNOPSIS Twenty-five years ago, Elmbridge High School burned down. The blaze killed three and injured twenty, and one pupil, Carly Johnson, disappeared. For two decades, little was revealed about what became known as the Johnson Incident. Until now.
Suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder, Carly and Kaitlyn are two personalities within one body. Carly gets the day, but her alter – Kaitlyn – gets the night. Splitting her time between a psychiatric treatment centre and a boarding school after a car accident killed her parents, Carly tells only her closest friends about Kaitlyn’s existence. But there’s a traitor in their midst, and when Carly goes missing it’s up to Kaitlyn to bring her back. As students begin to die in violent and mysterious circumstances on campus, Kaitlyn delves deeper into Carly’s disappearance and her involvement with dark witchcraft, learning a painful truth that has explosive repercussions – possessed by an evil spirit, she’s been the killer all along. Believing the only way to kill the demon is to kill herself, Kaitlyn commits suicide, setting fire to the school in the process. But twenty-five years later, her body has never been found ...
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• ‘It’s a mystery inside a mystery – and the shocks keep coming. Scary stuff! ’ – R.L. Stine, bestselling author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series
• Dawn wrote The Dead House after suffering ‘inversion syndrome’– a condition wherein sufferers sleep during the day but are awake at night.
• Chilling, creepy and compelling, perfect for fans of YA psychological thrillers, urban legends and ghost stories.
AUTHOR BIOGDawn Kurtagich writes psychologically sinister fiction. She lives in Wales, but grew up all over the world, predominantly in Africa.
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IMPRINT: Hodder Children’s Books
FORMAT: HB
SIZE: 216 x 135 mm
EXTENT: 320pp
WORD COUNT: 63,000
PRICE: £12.99
PUB DATE: June 2016
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 17
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Danish, French, German,
Portuguese (PT), Turkish
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Eddison Pearson
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES INCLUDE:
CHERUB 17: NEW GUARDROBERT MUCHAMORE
KEY NOTECHERUB: the spy series that kids believe is true!
SYNOPSIS The last ever title in this hugely popular series, eagerly anticipated by fans: compelling, fast-paced action for kids who wish they could join CHERUB, too!
Ryan Sharma is a CHERUB agent. Working undercover, he can slip under adult radar and get information that sends criminals and terrorists to jail. Now he’s investigating a double kidnapping, working with mission controller James Adams. In the mission to end all missions, Ryan and James must assemble a team of legendary CHERUB agents to find the hostages and bring them home.
For official purposes, these children do not exist.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Strong characters root this seventeen-book series firmly in the real
world.
• Robert Muchamore books have sold in 28 territories.
• Global online community for fans to join.
AUTHOR BIOGRobert spent thirteen years working as a private investigator before becoming a full-time writer. He is constantly in touch with his fans via social media, and also does regular author tours all over the world.
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: HB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 272pp
WORD COUNT: 50,000
PRICE: £10.99
PUB DATE: October 2016
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: US
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Hachette Children’s Group
KEY BACKLIST:
SAINT DEATH MARCUS SEDGWICK
KEY NOTEA potent, powerful and timely thriller about migrants, drug lords and gang warfare set on the US/Mexican border by award-winning novelist, Marcus Sedgwick.
SYNOPSIS Anapra is one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the Mexican city of Juarez. Twenty metres outside town lies a fence, and beyond it, America – the dangerous goal of many. Faustino is one such trying to escape from the gang he’s been working for. He’s dipped into a pile of dollars he was supposed to be hiding and now he’s on the run. He and his friend, Arturo, have only a day to replace the missing money, or they’re as good as dead.
Arturo agrees to help Faustino win the money he needs by entering a card game. At first, luck seems to be on his side. Arturo wins, amassing enough money to pay back Faustino’s debt and more – but then suddenly his luck changes. Unable to stop playing, Arturo falls into debt – to the very same person that Faustino stole his money from.
Arturo approaches everyone he can think of to help him, but no one has the kind of money Arturo needs to pay back his and Faustino’s debt. With all his options exhausted, Arturo must accept the inevitability of death, and look to the coming of Saint Death, the holy patron of rich and poor.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• A beautifully written and complex thriller that deals with the timely themes of immigration, drug lords and gangs.
• Marcus Sedgwick’s books have been published in 30 territories worldwide.
• Total Marcus Sedgwick UK sales exceed three quarters of a million copies.
AUTHOR BIOGMarcus Sedgwick is a full-time author. His books have been shortlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, the Blue Peter Book Award, the Costa Book Award, the Carnegie Medal and the Edgar Allan Poe Award.
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IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 224pp
WORD COUNT: 75,000
PRICE: £7.99
PUB DATE: October 2014
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: German, US
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Author holds rights
KEY BACKLIST:
THE GHOSTS OF HEAVEN MARCUS SEDGWICK
KEY NOTEA beautiful, genre-bending journey through time and space, imaginatively exploring life, death, science and nature, and the eternal human quest to understand it all, from award-winning author, Marcus Sedgwick.
SYNOPSIS She stands and stares,Trying to understand it;the turning circle,the circling linethat never meets its end
Deep in the Palaeolithic era, a young girl finds strange curving marks on the dark of a cave wall.
Thousands of years later in the superstitious hysteria of the 1600s, village woman Anna Tunstall is accused of witchcraft and watches as the loop of the hangman’s noose brings death.
In 1920s New York state, an asylum houses a mad poet whose fear of spirals becomes an obsession for a widowed young doctor.
And far in the future, a young man named Keir Bowman spins through galaxies on the Song of Destiny, a vessel bound for New Earth.
Linked through the ages by the never-ending symbol of the spiral, this set of four ambitious and imaginative stories pulls together historical fiction, sci-fi, fantasy and philosophy on a journey of creation and sur-vival. Haunting and thought-provoking, each story can be read in 24 different combinations, all highlighting the infinite presence of one of the oldest known symbols of humanity.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• ‘A triumph – set to wonder and beguile its readers.’ Guardian
• Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2016, the 2014 Costa Book Award and the YA Book Prize 2014.
AUTHOR BIOGMarcus Sedgwick’s first novel, Floodland, won the Branford Boase Award. He lives in the French Alps.
IMPRINT: Franklin Watts
FORMAT: HB
SIZE: 282 x 200 mm
EXTENT: 96pp
WORD COUNT: 12,000
PRICE: £12.99
PUB DATE: May 2016
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Dutch, French, Italian
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Not Available
SURVIVORS OF THE HOLOCAUSTKATH SHACKLETON
KEY NOTEAn extraordinary, beautifully illustrated graphic novel that looks at the horrors of the Holocaust through the eyes of children and young people who lived through it.
SYNOPSIS The book follows the stories of six children from their escapes from persecution to their lives after the war. It includes a timeline of the rise of the Nazi Party and the Second World War.
Heinz’s father was sent to Dachau concentration camp. Heinz and his family escaped to Britain, but even there they were not welcome. When the Germans invaded Czechoslovakia, Trude’s parents sent her to Britain. But life there was hard – she was lonely and didn’t speak English. Tragically both her parents were killed in concentration camps. When the Nazis came, Ruth’s mother tried to find an embassy that would help them escape. Eventually, the whole family were reunited in Britain.
Martin was a Polish boy living in Germany. One morning, Nazi soldiers forced his family on to a train filled with other Polish Jews. Martin and his sister ended up on the Kindertransport and travelled to Britain.
Suzanne was living in Paris when the German occupation began. Her parents were arrested but she was saved by a neighbour. Sadly, she never saw her parents again. Arek’s Polish family was forced on to a crowded train wagon to Auschwitz. Arek was made to work in the camp. He lived in cramped and dirty conditions and was starving, but survived.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Based on a series of a BAFTA-nominated animated documentaries, these stories have been expertly distilled to capture a sense of what these individuals experienced.
• The illustrations are dazzling and incredibly powerful.
• Every word rings with truth, whether it describes the bleak fear of arriving at Auschwitz or the sheer terror of the Nazi soldiers.
AUTHOR BIOGProducer and animator Kath Shackleton is part of the award-winning team behind Fettle Animation.
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IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 320pp
WORD COUNT: 80,000
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: Published
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Arabic, Czech, Danish,
Dutch, French, German, Hungarian
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Felicity Bryan Associates
KEY BACKLIST:
THE GLORY LAUREN ST JOHN
KEY NOTEA sensational, standalone equestrian thriller and romance about a girl on the run from the law, and a boy on a mission to save a life.
SYNOPSIS From the bestselling author of the One Dollar Horse trilogy, this is a standalone equestrian thriller and romance story about a gruelling endurance horse race across the American west, from Colorado to Oregon, and the two teenagers who are risking everything to win it.
Alexandra Blakewood has everything any teenager could wish for, apart from the horse she’d love, but she won’t stop getting in trouble. Sent to a US boot camp, she dreams of escaping. It seems impossible until she’s told about a 1,200 mile horse race across the American West.
Will Greyton was the star student at his Tennessee high school until his father was laid off. Now Will works at a burger joint. When his dad falls ill, it seems things can’t get any worse. An operation will save him, but there’s no way to pay for it. Then Will hears about the Glory, a deadly endurance race with a $250,000 purse, open to any rider daring enough to attempt it. Over days of brutal weather and intense racing, Alex and Will slowly grow closer. Though neither of them wins the race, they find themselves and each other, which may have been just what they needed all along.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS• Lauren’s total UK sales exceed a million copies.
• Thoroughly researched and accurate. Lauren is an experienced horsewoman.
• Film rights optioned by Canyon Creek Films.
AUTHOR BIOGLauren was born in Zimbabwe and now lives in Cornwall.
IMPRINT: Orion Children’s Books
FORMAT: PB
SIZE: 198 x 130 mm
EXTENT: 336pp
WORD COUNT: 40,000
PRICE: £6.99
PUB DATE: Published
NUMBER OF TITLES IN SERIES: 3
RIGHTS AVAILABLE: World
RIGHTS SOLD: Arabic, Czech, Dutch,
Finnish, French, German, Hungarian,
Italian, Polish
LICENSING/MERCHANDISING/FILM/TV:
Felicity Bryan Associates
OTHER TITLES IN SERIES:
THE ONE DOLLAR HORSE LAUREN ST JOHN
KEY NOTEAn exciting trilogy set in the equestrian world about a girl who will try to make the impossible possible by reaching the top on her one dollar horse.
SYNOPSIS Fifteen-year-old Casey Blue lives in East London’s grimmest tower block and volunteers at a local riding school, but her dream is to be the world’s greatest horsewoman.
When she buys a starving, half-wild horse for one dollar, she’s convinced that the impossible can be made possible. After saving the horse, who she names Storm Warning, from near-death, a bond is formed between horse and girl that nothing can break. But Casey hasn’t reckoned without the consequences of her father’s criminal record or the distraction of a boy with melty, dark eyes, with whom she refuses to fall in love.
Nevertheless, Casey trains fiercely, knowing that her bond with Storm Warning is the only thing she has to make her stronger than her competitors. Their dedication will take them to the Badminton Horse trials, the Kentucky Three Day Event and the Burghley Horse Trials. Casey and Storm Warning will shock and amaze the other competitors and the world by winning all three events, proving that it’s not how much money you have, but how much heart, that really matters.
KEY SALES POINTS AND REVIEWS
• Rights to Lauren St John books have sold in 23 languages.
• ‘Clear, warm-hearted storytelling.’ The Times
AUTHOR BIOGLauren is the author of several award-winning children’s series: The White Giraffe, the One Dollar Horse series and the Laura Marlin Mysteries.
ENID BLYTON
THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE SERIES 113
THE FARAWAY TREE COLOUR SHORT STORIES 114
THE FAMOUS FIVE SERIES 115
THE FAMOUS FIVE COLOUR SHORT STORIES 116
THE SECRET SEVEN SERIES 117
THE SECRET SEVEN COLOUR SHORT STORIES 118
THE SECRET STORIES SERIES 119
THE FIND-OUTERS SERIES 120
MALORY TOWERS SERIES 121
ST CLARE’S SERIES 122
THE NAUGHTIEST GIRL SERIES 123
THE DIARY OF THE NAUGHTIEST GIRL 124
MR GALLIANO’S CIRCUS STORY COLLECTION 125
BRER RABBIT STORY COLLECTION 126
THE LAND OF FAR BEYOND 127
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS AND OTHER BIBLE STORIES 128
ENID BLYTON’S HOLIDAY STORIES 129
ENID BLYTON’S SUMMER STORIES 130
ENID BLYTON’S CHRISTMAS TALES 131
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