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Children's reading lists

24 must-read books for 9-12-year-olds

An image of the book cover of Momo Arashima on an illustrated background of water and mountains

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Extracts

Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind by Misa Sugiura

Momo Arashima Breaks the Mirror of the Sun

Discover the second book in a thrilling new fantasy series for readers aged 9+ - perfect for fans of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, Dragon Mountain and Mia and the Lightcasters! 
 
Momo Arashima just wants an ordinary life. But she's about to become legendary . . . 
 
After vanquishing a demon king, saving her mum, and reconnecting with her friend Danny, Momo ought to be living the life she's always wanted. But lately Danny has been ditching her to hang out with mean-girl Ryleigh - and groups of children have begun vanishing without a trace. So when a whole group from Ryleigh's exclusive birthday party becomes the latest to disappear, Momo and her friends (including Niko the fox) are left to fight a dangerous new enemy from Shinto legend. 
 
This time they are up against Tamamo-no-mae - beautiful, bloodthirsty and manipulative, she's the ultimate mean girl of the Kami-verse. To defeat her, Momo must travel to the Sky Kingdom and steal the legendary Mirror of the Sun. But if she's going to survive monster ambushes, escape giant snakes, and pull off the heist of the millennium, Momo will have to find a way to work with her team (even Ryleigh), and grapple with the growing power that connects her with her storm god grandfather and her greatest foe - Izanami the Destroyer . . . 
 
See what readers are saying about Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind: 
 
'If you love books with action, adventure and a heartwarming spirit, as well as many twists and turns as a bowl of ramen, this book is absolutely perfect for you' - Amaya, aged 10, LoveReading4Kids reviewer 
 
'I loved this funny, complex and exciting story! The action never stops as the author brilliantly blends adventure with Japanese folklore to deliver a barnstorming novel, with themes of adventure, family and identity' - School librarian, Reading Zone reviewer 
 
'Misa Sugiura's Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind has all the hallmarks of a fantasy classic . . . edge-of-your-seat energetic, with comic moments and emotional depth' - LoveReading4Kids reviewer

Misa Sugiura's ancestors include a poet, a priestess, a samurai, and a stowaway. She writes contemporary young-adult and middle-grade fiction, and lives under a giant oak tree with her husband, two sons, two cats, and a grey-banded king snake. You can find her online at MisaSugiura.com

Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind

Read the first book in a thrilling new fantasy series for readers aged 9+ - perfect for fans of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, Dragon Mountain and Mia and the Lightcasters! 
 
Momo Arashima just wants an ordinary life. But she's about to become legendary . . . 
 
At home, Momo cares for her mother; while at school, her classmates tease her for mixing up reality with the magical stories her mother used to tell her. 
 
But when a terrifying death hag attacks Momo, she realizes the stories are true - Momo's mum is a Shinto goddess who used to protect the gate to Yomi, the land of the dead. Now that passageway is under attack, and countless evil spirits threaten to escape and destroy humanity. Momo - joined by a talking fox called Niko, and her former best friend, Danny - is the only one who can stop them. 
 
Can Momo embrace her identity as half-human, half-goddess to unlock her powers, force the demons back to Yomi - and save the world? 
 
See what readers are saying about Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind: 
 
'If you love books with action, adventure and a heartwarming spirit, as well as many twists and turns as a bowl of ramen, this book is absolutely perfect for you' - Amaya, aged 10, LoveReading4Kids reviewer 
 
'I loved this funny, complex and exciting story! The action never stops as the author brilliantly blends adventure with Japanese folklore to deliver a barnstorming novel, with themes of adventure, family and identity' - School librarian, Reading Zone reviewer 
 
'Misa Sugiura's Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind has all the hallmarks of a fantasy classic . . . edge-of-your-seat energetic, with comic moments and emotional depth' - LoveReading4Kids reviewer

Misa Sugiura's ancestors include a poet, a priestess, a samurai, and a stowaway. She writes contemporary young adult and middle grade fiction, and lives under a giant oak tree with her husband, two sons, two cats, and a gray-banded king snake. You can find her online at MisaSugiura.com

Read the first book in a thrilling new fantasy series for readers aged 9+ - perfect for fans of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, Dragon Mountain and Mia and the Lightcasters! 
 
Momo Arashima just wants an ordinary life. But she's about to become legendary . . . 
 
At home, Momo cares for her mother; while at school, her classmates tease her for mixing up reality with the magical stories her mother used to tell her. 
 
But when a terrifying death hag attacks Momo, she realizes the stories are true - Momo's mum is a Shinto goddess who used to protect the gate to Yomi, the land of the dead. Now that passageway is under attack, and countless evil spirits threaten to escape and destroy humanity. Momo - joined by a talking fox called Niko, and her former best friend, Danny - is the only one who can stop them. 
 
Can Momo embrace her identity as half-human, half-goddess to unlock her powers, force the demons back to Yomi - and save the world? 
 
 
See what readers are saying about Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind: 
 
'If you love books with action, adventure and a heartwarming spirit, as well as many twists and turns as a bowl of ramen, this book is absolutely perfect for you' - Amaya, aged 10, LoveReading4Kids reviewer 
 
'I loved this funny, complex and exciting story! The action never stops as the author brilliantly blends adventure with Japanese folklore to deliver a barnstorming novel, with themes of adventure, family and identity' - School librarian, Reading Zone reviewer 
 
'Misa Sugiura's Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind has all the hallmarks of a fantasy classic . . . edge-of-your-seat energetic, with comic moments and emotional depth' - LoveReading4Kids reviewer

Misa Sugiura

In the thrilling finale to the epic fantasy series filled with gods and monsters of Shinto mythology, a twelve-year-old girl with divine heritage risks everything to save her family – and the world – from the vengeful goddess of the underworld. 
 
Momo Arashima just wants an ordinary life. But she's about to become legendary . . . 
 
Momo Arashima is half goddess and half human – torn between two worlds. But with her friends Danny, Ryleigh, Jin and Niko by her side, she’s finally starting to find a place where she belongs. Too bad none of that matters when Izanami, the treacherous goddess of death, threatens the life of someone Momo loves and forces her into a terrible bargain. 
 
Izanami is after the Jewel of the Heart, an artefact that will help her finally escape the land of the dead . . . and she wants Momo to get it for her. Along with her friends, Momo must face fire demons, fanged mermaids,and spiders as big as horses. But even if they succeed, what will Momo do? Sacrifice the person most precious to her, or hand over the Jewel and unleash Izanami on the world? 
 
See what readers are saying about Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind: 
 
'If you love books with action, adventure and a heartwarming spirit, as well as many twists and turns as a bowl of ramen, this book is absolutely perfect for you' - Amaya, aged 10, LoveReading4Kids reviewer 
 
'I loved this funny, complex and exciting story! The action never stops as the author brilliantly blends adventure with Japanese folklore to deliver a barnstorming novel, with themes of adventure, family and identity' - School librarian, Reading Zone reviewer 
 
'Misa Sugiura's Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind has all the hallmarks of a fantasy classic . . . edge-of-your-seat energetic, with comic moments and emotional depth' - LoveReading4Kids reviewer

Momo Arashima Duels the Queen of Death

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24 must-read books for 9-12-year-olds

Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind by Misa Sugiura

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