Joseph Delaney used to be an English teacher, before becoming the best-selling author of the Spook's series, which has been published in 30 countries and sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide. The first book, The Spook's Apprentice, was adapted into a major motion picture starring Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore.

Joseph Delaney

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Sandi Toksvig

Because of the potato me and my family left our home and travelled 6,000 miles to find a new life . . . 
 
Slim Hannigan and her family are poor but happy. Theirs is a life filled with love and laughter - and a pet pig called Hamlet. 
 
But things change overnight, and suddenly they find themselves facing hunger and danger like they have never known . . . So they leave their village in Ireland to journey to America where, they hope, family and fortune await them. 
 
Slim soon finds herself living a life that feels just like one of those far-fetched stories her Da has always told. Can one brave girl keep her family together no matter what is thrown at them . . . ?

A Slice of the Moon

Damian Dibben

When shocking news reaches the History Keepers’ headquarters, Jake Djones is sent head-first into a new adventure. The time-travelling agents voyage from Shakespeare’s England to Imperial China in pursuit of their most villainous foe yet, Xi Xiang, whose aim is to destroy trade links between east and west and throw the world into war. 
 
Jake, Nathan and Topaz must join forces with international agents in a race against the clock to stop him. And at the heart of the battle lies the key to a long-lost family member – will Jake find his brother after all this time? 
 
The past is in danger – only Jake Djones can save it!

The History Keepers: Nightship to China

Theresa Breslin

During the 1930s Depression in Scotland, Kezzie and her young sister Lucy are luckier than most. Following their father's death, they manage to stay together and live on the little work Kezzie and Grandad are able to find. But life turns sour when Lucy goes missing. Without hesitation, Kezzie sets off alone to find her sister, a difficult journey which takes her over the Atlantic to Canada . . . 
 
In the second story, Kezzie and Lucy are reunited with Grandad in Clydebank. The Second World War breaks out, and the family spirit is put to the test. Kezzie's strength is needed by so many - she must save an Italian family from the racial hatred they encounter, and rescue her old school friend Peg. As Clydebank is bombed and becomes a burning inferno, will Kezzie be strong enough to turn a tragedy into a triumph?

Kezzie at War

Craig Simpson

Norway, September 1943 
 
For brothers Marek and Olaf, a hunting trip out on the frozen Hardanger plateau offers a brief chance to escape the German occupation. But returning home they witness the horror of their father's arrest by the Gestapo and the start of a brutal regime under the evil Lieutenant Wold. When their daring plan for revenge goes horribly wrong, they are forced to seek refuge in the vast and unforgiving Norwegian wilderness. 
 
Saved from an icy grave by Resistance freedom-fighters, fourteen-year-old Marek is captivated by their courage and determination. He may not be a crack shot like his brother, but he is quick-thinking, resourceful and a talented mechanic. With youth on his side, the Germans probably won't suspect him - perfect for a part in the ambitious sabotage attack planned by the group. But can he keep his nerve, especially when the final assault throws his friends and family into the path of the enemy?

Resistance

James Heneghan

SOMETHING IN THE BLACK PIT WAS CALLING AND REACHING OUT TO ME, PULLING ME... 
 
Tom stumbles into a pit in an excavated schoolyard and finds himself mysteriously transported back to rural Ireland in the grip of the potato famine of the 1840s. A foster child with no family in his 'real' life in 1970s Liverpool, in Ireland he finds himself taken in by a generous, though desperately poor, family whose eldest son is Tom's spitting image. 
 
Tom's intriguing life develops in parallel in both settings, creating an engrossing and affecting story for readers of 11+.

The Grave

Robert Swindells

It's the height of World War Two. Britain is being ravaged by bombs and most young men are off fighting. Gordon wishes he was too. Maybe then he wouldn't get bullied for having a cowardly family . . . Gordon's dad didn't serve in World War One, and now his older brother Raymond isn't serving in World War Two - he's gone missing. When Gordon finds a revolver hidden in his house, he tracks Raymond down, but ends up involved in more than he'd bargined for. Raymond enlists Gordon's help to deliver and collect some 'packages'. But is the work actually for the government? And will it have terrible consequences?

Shrapnel

Kiersten White

Empires will topple, thrones will be won . . . and souls will be lost. The mind-blowing sequel to AND I DARKEN, described by Buzzfeed as ‘A dark, gritty, and seriously badass epic’ is a sweeping Ottoman-inspired historical adventure. Starring the inimitable anti-princess Lada, the dagger-wielding drama of her story is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Victoria Aveyard. 
 
Lada Dracul has no allies and no throne. After failing to seize the crown she believes is hers, Lada is out to punish anyone who dares to cross her. Filled with a white-hot rage, she storms the countryside terrorizing the land. But brute force isn’t getting her what she wants. And thinking of Mehmed, the sultan she might have been in love with, brings little comfort to her thorny heart. She left him before he could leave her. 
 
Lada needs her brother Radu’s subtlety and skill. But Mehmed has sent him to Constantinople as his reluctant spy. Radu longs for his sister’s fierce confidence but for the first time in his life, he rejects her unexpected plea for help. Torn between loyalties to faith, to the Ottomans, and to Mehmed, he knows he owes Lada nothing. If she dies, he could never forgive himself, but if he fails in Constantinople, will Mehmed ever forgive him?

Now I Rise

Chris Priestley

The year is 1584 and fourteen-year-old Kit is living by his wits as a thief on the streets of Elizabethan London - a far-cry from his early childhood, when he lived a privileged life with his rich Catholic parents, who died when he was very small. The memory of his parents haunts Kit: his father was executed for plotting to kill the Queen but went to his death proclaiming his innocence. When Kit meets John White, a mapmaker and associate of Walter Raleigh, on the streets and White offers him a place in his household, Kit accepts. 
 
Soon Kit finds himself with White on board The Tiger, bound for the New World as part of a voyage to found a new colony in Virginia. After surviving the many weeks at sea, a great storm and contact with the Spanish along the American coast, The Tiger finally reaches Virginia and the settlers establish a colony at Roanoake. 
 
Life in the colony is hard, the relationship with the Indian tribes made precarious by the aggression of some of the English colonists. As trading with the tribes break down and winter sets in, food becomes scarce and the colonists struggle to survive. And Kit's past comes back to haunt him when an enemy suddenly reveals himself . . .

New World

Victoria Lamb

Meg Lytton has always known of her dark and powerful gift. Raised a student of the old magick by her Aunt Jane, casting the circle to see visions of the future and concocting spells from herbs and bones has always been as natural to Meg as breathing. But there has never been a more dangerous time to practise the craft, for it is 1554, and the sentence for any woman branded a witch is hanging, or burning at the stake. 
 
Sent to the ruined, isolated palace of Woodstock to serve the disgraced Elizabeth, daughter of Henry VIII and half-sister of Queen Mary, Meg discovers her skills are of interest to the outcast princess, who is desperate to know if she will ever claim the throne. But Meg's existence becomes more dangerous every day, with the constant threat of exposure by the ruthless witchfinder Marcus Dent, and the arrival of a young Spanish priest, Alejandro de Castillo, to whom Meg is irresistibly drawn - despite their very different attitudes to her secret. 
 
Thrilling and fast-paced, this is the first unputdownable story in a bewitching new series.

Witchstruck

Theresa Tomlinson

Theresa Tomlinson has established herself as a talented writer of historical fiction, particularly when pinpointing her home territory on the NE coast of England. Here in one volume are three of her most gripping novels in which she describes the courage and humour with which the fishing families face up to the hard conditions of their lives. 
 
THE FLITHER PICKERS of Sandwick Bay spend their days gathering shellfish on the shore - limpets and mussels - and baiting the lines for the fishermen . The story centres on young Liza Welford whose mother is haunted by an accident in the past. 
 
In THE HERRING GIRLS, when tragedy strikes the Lythe family, 13-year-old Dory joins the tough world of the Scotch herring girls in Whitby in order to earn money and save her brothers and sisters from the workhouse. 
 
Family life is destroyed for Ann and Polly Lancroft in BENEATH BURNING MOUNTAIN when the violent and merciless press-gangs invade the cliffs where men and women create alum crystals for a livelihood - and their home is wiped out by a sudden landslide. 
 
Skilfully blending fiction with reality, Theresa Tomlinson has written three moving and absorbing stories of close-knit communities of fisher-folk a hundred years ago whose whole existence is governed by the sea.

Against The Tide

Fifteen-year-old Tom lives in the murky, sooty city of London, where he helps his father to run a print shop. Among the customers is wise old Dr Harker, a retired physician and seafarer, whose patient demeanour and fascinating tales endear him to Tom. When Tom and Harker hear a newspaper seller announce a most curious murder in the city, with the victim pierced by an arrow and left holding an illustrated card of 'Death and the Arrow', they are both intrigued by the mystery. As subsequent 'Death and the Arrow' victims are discovered, the mystery closes ever more tightly round the city and intrudes even into Tom's own life. From then onwards, he can't rest till he has discovered the truth behind the murders... A really atmospheric venture into the eighteenth-century, combined with a gripping mystery plot, will fascinate and engage readers of ten and upwards.

Death And The Arrow

A thrilling, poignant story of hope and loss set during World War 1, from Carnegie Medal-winning author Theresa Breslin. 
 
Nobody believes in ghosts until they see one . . . 
 
The war has changed everything for Rob and Millie. Their father is missing in action and they are terrified they’ll never see him again. 
 
Then one night, deep in the woods, Rob and Millie see an eerie figure in the window of an abandoned house. 
 
But there’s no such thing as ghosts, is there?

Ghost Soldier

WW1 story

Paul Stewart

Chris Riddell

Barnaby Grimes is a tick-tock lad, running errands in his city, day and night, and high-stacking around the rooftops in search of new mysteries to solve. A fantastic romp through a Dickensian-style city, with a wonderful new hero in the guise of Barnaby. 
 
After collecting a strange parcel from a deserted ship in the fog of the docks, and delivering it to the local schoolmaster, Barnaby thinks he's earned a moment to sit on the rooftops and eat his favourite pasty. But soon he realises that all is not well at the school - but is the problem quite as he expects it? A gruesome tale of a school overrun by a terrible curse - who will survive?

Barnaby Grimes: Return of the Emerald Skull

Tom and Dr Harker are back and this time their adventure takes them outside London. They visit a friend in Norfolk, Mr Gibbs, who has recently unearthed fabulous Anglo-Saxon treasures from an archaeological excavation. They are believed to have belonged to the East Anglian king, Redwulf. Local legend tells of a ghostly guardian of the king's tomb and a curse against anyone who threatens it. 
 
When not one but two murders occur in the household, it is hard to dismiss the legend. As everyone feels threatened and the atmosphere of hostility increases, Tom and Harker investigate. Discovering in fact that Gibbs' wife is behind the attacks seems to explain what's been happening. But then Tom sees an unidentifiable figure in the mist . . . 
 
An exciting and atmospheric story set in the eighteenth-century and delving into our Anglo-Saxon past.

Redwulf's Curse

Lauren Wolk

'Harper Lee has a worthy successor. Wolk is a big new talent' - The Times 
 
Crow has lived her whole life on a tiny, starkly beautiful island. Her only companions are Osh, the man who rescued her from a washed-up skiff as a baby and raised her, and Miss Maggie, their neighbour across the sandbar. But it is only when a mysterious fire appears across the water that an unspoken question of her own history forms in Crow's heart, and an unstoppable chain of events is triggered. Crow sets out to find her lost identity - and, ultimately, to learn what it means to be a family. 
 
Vivid and heartfelt, Beyond the Bright Sea is a gorgeously crafted, gripping tale of buried treasure and belonging.

Beyond the Bright Sea

Barnaby Grimes is a tick-tock lad, running errands in his city, day and night, and 'high-stacking' around the rooftops in search of new mysteries to solve. In this first adventure, Barnaby is attacked one night by an enormous dog. He kills it - but that's not the end of this particular mystery . . . as Barnaby finds himself swept up in a world of crooked doctors, poor and ill-advised patients, strange tonics and very expensive furs... Could there be more to the seemingly respectable Dr Cadwallader and the tonics he doles out to the poor? Is there a link between the tonic and the huge dogs - or possibly wolves - that are roaming the city at night? When Barnaby's old acquaintance Benjamin goes missing, Barnaby fears the worst for him, and decides to dig deeper... 
 
A fantastic romp through a Dickensian-style city, with a wonderful new hero in the guise of Barnaby. This new series from the bestselling dream team of Stewart and Riddell is a must for all fans of the Edge Chronicles - but also for fans of Horowitz and Shan, as they move into new territory and deliver a brilliantly exciting thriller-horror for boys.

Barnaby Grimes: Curse of the Night Wolf

The second instalment of the internationally acclaimed series which follows the adventures of Jake Djones and the extraordinary secret service that protects the true course of history . . . 
 
It's their deadliest mission yet: track down Agata Zeldt, the most evil woman in history, as she plots to topple the empire of ancient Rome and throw the world into turmoil. Jake and his friends are forced to travel further back into history than ever before to save the day. Well, all of the days actually. 
 
In this exciting sequel, the History Keepers embark upon another rollercoaster adventure, taking them from the snowy wilds of Sweden to the streets of Rome at the height of its glory. Their search leads them to Circus Maximus, the colossal stadium at the heart of the ancient world. It will be the race of their lives . . .

The History Keepers: Circus Maximus

A gloriously rich and authentic story of the Renaissance, The Medici Seal is perfect for fans of The Da Vinci Code, The Borgias or Netflix hit Medici: Masters of Florence! 
 
Romagna, Italy 1502. 
 
On the run and fleeing for his life, a young boy - Matteo - is saved from drowning by mysterious men, who turn out to be companions of Leonardo da Vinci. From this moment on, Matteo's life is changed forever, and he thrills at working alongside Da Vinci as he carries out his incredible work. 
 
But Da Vinci's cruel and ruthless employer, Cesare Borgia, seems set to ruin Matteo's happines, and as Da Vinci and Matteo travel across Italy on the Borgia's business, murder, deceit and revenge follow in their trail. 
 
For Matteo carries with him a secret - a life-changing secret that both the Borgia and Medici families would kill to obtain. A secret that must, finally, come to light for all to see . . .

The Medici Seal

Two children cross an ocean, two hundred years apart. One is Sam Robbins, a powder monkey aboard HMS Victory, the ship in which Lord Nelson will die a hero's death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The other is Molly Jennings, a present-day English girl transplanted from London to America, fighting a battle of her own against loss and loneliness. 
 
This extraordinary time-shifting adventure tells the interwoven stories of Sam and Molly, linked by a mystery. Sam is a farm boy, press ganged to serve in the Royal Navy. In the dangerous world of a warship enduring the Napoleonic Wars, he meets both cruelty and kindness, and survives a fearsome battle whose echoes reach through the years to involve Molly as well. Like him, she has lost her childhood but will find her future, with help from a very unexpected source. Two lives joined forever by the touch of Nelson, the greatest sailor of all time.

Victory

Zarita, only daughter of the town magistrate, lives a life of wealth and privilege. Indulged by her parents, she is free to spend her days as she pleases, enjoying herself in the company of an eligible young nobleman, horse riding, or leisurely studying the arts. 
 
Saulo, son of a family reduced by circumstances to begging, witnesses his father wrongfully arrested and dealt with in the most horrifying way. Hauled off to be a slave at sea and pursued by pirates he encounters the ambitious mariner explorer, Christopher Columbus. Throughout his hardships Saulo is determined to survive - for he has sworn vengeance on the magistrate and his family. 
 
As Zarita's life also undergoes harsh changes the formidable and frightening Inquisition arrives in the area, bringing menacing shadows of suspicion with acts of cruel brutality - and ultimately, amid the intrigues of the court of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand in the splendid Moorish city of Grenada, betrayal and revenge . . .

Prisoner of the Inquisition

Eleanor Updale

Johnny Swanson is in shock. His friend Doctor Langdon and his wife have disappeared without a trace. And that's not all . . . it appears they have been murdered. 
 
But things are about to become much, much worse. A suspect has been arrested . . . and it's Johnny's mother. Johnny knows she didn't do it. And now, he needs to prove it - fast. 
 
Join brave, determined, ingenious Johnny as he embarks on a fast-paced hunt for the true killer - and exposes a deadly, dangerous secret along the way.

Johnny Swanson

John Boyne

The day the First World War broke out, Alfie Summerfield's father promised he wouldn't go away to fight - but he broke that promise the following day. 
 
Four years later, Alfie doesn't know where his father might be, other than that he's away on a special, secret mission. 
 
Then, while shining shoes at King's Cross Station, Alfie unexpectedly sees his father's name - on a sheaf of papers belonging to a military doctor. Bewildered and confused, Alfie realises his father is in a hospital close by - a hospital treating soldiers with an unusual condition. 
 
Alfie is determined to rescue his father from this strange, unnerving place . . .

Stay Where You Are And Then Leave

Jacqueline Wilson

Nick Sharratt

Hetty Feather was left at a foundling hospital when she was a tiny baby. Having grown up in a loving foster family until she was five, and then finding herself returned to the hospital, she begins to question who her actual family are, and is determined to stop at nothing to find out where she came from. Jacqueline Wilson’s acclaimed series follows Hetty and her friend Diamond as they work their way up from their lowly backgrounds to become stars, overcoming loss, unkind bosses and flirtatious boys.

Hetty Feather has begun a new chapter in her life story. Escaping from Tanglefield’s Travelling Circus with her dearest friend Diamond, Hetty is determined to find them positions as glamorous music hall artistes. 
 
Hetty and Diamond quickly become the Little Stars of Mrs Ruby’s show, alongside many colourful acts – including an old friend from Hetty’s past, Flirty Bertie. But the Cavalcade proves a dangerous place, and Hetty must fight to protect her darling Diamond, who longs for a normal childhood. Meanwhile, Hetty struggles to understand her feelings for Bertie – and for Jem, whom she has never forgotten. 
 
Hetty dreams of a glittering future for herself and Diamond. The bright lights of the London theatre world beckon – will Hetty become a true star? 
 
Starring a cast of wonderful characters, both old favourites and new, this is the fifth fabulous Hetty Feather story.

Little Stars

Martin Booth

When 12-year-old Daniel appears at Dark Creek ranch, the owner, Matt, takes him in. But this is Texas, 1861, the Civil War is raging and soon Matt leaves to join up. Accompanied by an elderly Mexican cowhand, No-head Nolan, an eccentric vaquero, Beto and Matt's daughter, Daniel is left to drive the cattle along the Shawnee Trail 680 miles to Kansas. It is a hazardous journey, across flooded rivers, through dangerous Indian territory, and facing ruthless banditos - this is the story of that incredible trip. A vividly drawn, historical adventure from this Booker shortlisted author.

Coyote Moon

From the beloved children’s author of Hetty Feather, Tracy Beaker and Rose Rivers. 
 
Opal Plumstead might be plain, but she has always been fiercely intelligent. 
 
Yet her scholarship and dreams of university are snatched away when her father is sent to prison, and fourteen-year-old Opal must start work at the Fairy Glen sweet factory to support her family. 
 
She struggles to get along with her other workers, who think she’s snobby and stuck up. 
 
But Opal idolises Mrs Roberts, the factory’s beautiful, dignified owner. The best thing about Mrs Roberts? 
 
She’s a suffragette! 
 
Opal’s world is opened to Mrs Pankhurst, and the fight to give women the right to vote. 
 
And when Opal meets Morgan, Mrs Roberts’ handsome son , and heir to Fairy Glen- she believes she’s found her soulmate. 
 
But the First World War is about to begin, and will change Opal's life for ever. 
 
A brilliantly gripping wartime story from the bestselling, award-winning Jacqueline Wilson.

Opal Plumstead

Anne Fine

Told who to cheer for, who to believe in, Yuri grows up in a country where no freedom of thought is encouraged - where even one's neighbours are encouraged to report any dissension to the authorities. But it is still a shock when a few careless words lead him to a virtual death-sentence - sent on a nightmare journey up north to a camp amidst the frozen wastes. What, or who, can he possibly believe in now? Can he even survive? And is escape possible . . . ?

The Road of Bones

Are you longing for Christmas? Can’t wait to warm yourself by the fireplace, drinking hot cocoa and toasting marshmallows? 
 
Hetty Feather’s festive story is bound to get you in the Christmassy mood! 
 
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An unexpected gift leads to trouble for Hetty on Christmas Day at the Foundling Hospital, and the dreaded Matron Bottomly is delighted to have an excuse to exclude Hetty from the festive celebrations. 
 
Poor Hetty is distraught – but just when it seems that all is lost, a dear friend arrives to whisk her away for a Christmas unlike any other . . .

Hetty Feather's Christmas

Cwen, a poor weaver struggling to make a living at Whitby Abbey, is accused of possessing a valuable necklace; if found guilty she could be hanged. Wulfrun, Cwen's daughter, sets out to prove her mother's innocence. 
 
Set in turbulent Anglo-Saxon times, this is the story of a resourceful, dauntless heroine, determined and clever as the wolf that she is named for. 
 
In WOLF GIRL, Theresa Tomlinson links her enthusiasm for creating strong, adventurous heroines with her interest in history and mythology of the North East Coast of England.

Wolf Girl

When Pierrot becomes an orphan, he must leave his home in Paris for a new life with his Aunt Beatrix, a servant in a wealthy household at the top of the German mountains. But this is no ordinary time, for it is 1935 and the Second World War is fast approaching; and this is no ordinary house, for this is the Berghof, the home of Adolf Hitler. 
 
Quickly, Pierrot is taken under Hitler's wing, and is thrown into an increasingly dangerous new world: a world of terror, secrets and betrayal, from which he may never be able to escape.

The Boy at the Top of the Mountain

London, 1716. The streets are full of spies and buzzing with intrigue. Jacobite rebels are being rounded up and hanged at Tower Hill, and on the outskirts of London the roads are haunted by a mysterious Highwayman known only as The White Rider; a robber so fierce that he kills his victims simply by pointing at them! Tom Marlowe, caught in the fascinating heart of events, is resolved to get to the bottom of them. With the help of his mentor, Dr Harker, Tom is determined to discover who is behind the White Rider's gruesome mask. But Dr Harker seems to be keeping secrets of his own. Who is the mysterious stranger with the Scottish accent seen at Harker's house, and why does the Doctor lie when questioned about him? Highly atmospheric, with a gripping plot this historical adventure will fascinate and engage readers.

The White Rider

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