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

PublicationStatus

Brand

Format

AgeRange

Series

Imprint

CategoryLabel

They heard shouting, and cries of fear. Crafty looked down the slope and realised what had happened to cause so much panic. Without warning, the dark wall of the Shole had advanced. 
 
Crafty can't remember a time before the Shole - the terrifying mist that has engulfed most of Britain, leaving those trapped in it to either die or be transformed into horrifying monsters: the aberrations. Crafty has been stuck in his family's cellar for nearly a year, his only companions his restless, whispering dead brothers, and an unusually friendly aberration he names the Bog Queen. 
 
But then Crafty's life abruptly changes. He is ordered to report to the Castle, where he will train as a gate grub - operators of magical portals that allow the mysterious guild of Gatemancers to explore within the Shole. It is a dangerous job, with a very short life expectancy... 
 
To survive, Crafty will have to use every inch of his cunning - whatever the cost.

The Beast Awakens

Crafty halted, his heart lurching with fear, his mouth dry. There were bare footprints in the white snow, and each one was smeared with red, as if the owner of those clawed feet had stepped in a puddle of blood . . . 
 
Crafty and his friends have already faced dozens of horrifying aberrations during their time as Castle Gate Grubs - assistants to the mysterious guild of Gatemancers, who fight against the terrifying Shole. But the real battle is only just beginning. New and even more dangerous aberrations are appearing all the time, and worse yet, it seems someone from within the Castle is helping them attack. And when an old enemy returns to give Crafty a disturbing warning, it seems time might be running out for all of them . . .

The Witch's Warning

Alex Scarrow

Liam O'Connor should have died at sea in 1912. 
Maddy Carter should have died on a plane in 2010. 
Sal Vikram should have died in a fire in 2026. 
But all three have been given a second chance - to work for an agency that no one knows exists. Its purpose: to prevent time travel destroying history . . . 
 
The end is approaching for the TimeRiders. In a final effort to prevent time travel destroying history, Liam and Maddy jump forward to 2070 to confront the enigmatic Waldstein and prove once and for all if he is friend or foe. What they discover is more shocking than anyone could have imagined and soon the TimeRiders are on one final mission - back to Biblical times to save the whole of humanity . . .

TimeRiders: The Infinity Cage (book 9)

Iqbal Hussain

A funny, heartbreaking and uplifting tale about family, bravery and living in the here and now, perfect for fans of Time Travelling With a Hamster and Wonder. 
 
I’m going back in time to save this family. 
 
Eleven-year-old Zubair is a seventh son. This means a LOT of big brothers. But when Zubair’s granny arrives from Pakistan and gives him a mysterious amulet, he discovers it means something else, too: he has inherited a gift. The seventh sons in his family have the ability to time-travel. 
 
With his dad a shadow of his former self since his car accident, and his mum always tired and angry, Zubair has a genius idea. He’ll use time-travel to fix things between them. 
 
But each trip comes at a cost. If he changes something small in the past, it can have a huge effect on his future. And if he gets it wrong, the results could be devastating… 
 
'Spectacular' Sophie Anderson 
 
'Funny, exciting and tense . . . A wonderful, wonderful read' Phil Earle 
 
'Will break your heart and make it soar . . . A triumph' Rashmi Sirdeshpande 
 
'Refreshingly inventive and gorgeously written . . . I could not put it down' Clare Harlow 
 
'Astonishing . . . A beautiful book' Philippa Leathley

The Night I Borrowed Time

Liam O'Connor should have died at sea in 1912. 
Maddy Carter should have died on a plane in 2010. 
Sal Vikram should have died in a fire in 2026. 
But all three have been given a second chance - to work for an agency that no one knows exists. 
Its purpose: to prevent time travel destroying history . . . 
 
A time wave has struck that alters the entire history of the American Civil War. Abraham Lincoln has followed Liam into the present from 1831 - and now the world is in a dangerous state of limbo . . . 
If the TimeRiders can't return Lincoln to the past, the Civil War will never end. Can Maddy persuade two colonels on either side of no man's land to cease fire long enough to save the future?

TimeRiders: The Eternal War (Book 4)

Liam O'Connor should have died at sea in 1912. 
Maddy Carter should have died on a plane in 2010. 
Sal Vikram should have died in a fire in 2026. 
 
But all three have been given a second chance - to work for an agency that no one knows exists. 
Its purpose: to prevent time travel destroying history . . . 
 
Project Exodus - a mission to transport 300 Americans from 2070 to 54AD to overthrow the Roman Empire - has gone catastrophically wrong. Half have arrived seventeen years earlier, during the reign of Caligula. 
 
Liam goes to investigate, but when Maddy and Sal attempt to flee a kill-squad sent to hunt down their field office, all of the TimeRiders become trapped in the Roman past. 
 
Armed with knowledge of the future, Caligula is now more powerful than ever. But with the office unmanned - and under threat - how will the TimeRiders make it back to 2001 and put history right? 
 
** Book five in the bestselling TimeRiders series by Alex Scarrow. 
** Ancient Rome gets a time-travel makeover! 
** TimeRiders (Book 1) won the Red House Book Award older readers category, and was Penguin UK's first ever number one on the iBookstore. 
** www.time-riders.co.uk

TimeRiders: Gates of Rome (Book 5)

Liam O'Connor should have died at sea in 1912. 
Maddy Carter should have died on a plane in 2010. 
Sal Vikram should have died in a fire in 2026. 
But all three have been given a second chance - to work for an agency that no one knows exists. Its purpose: to prevent time travel destroying history . . . 
 
When Maddy finally unlocks fragments of the secret that Becks has been holding on to, the TimeRiders start to piece together their true purpose. Racing through time to connect the clues, the team discover a Mayan tribe and an ancient relic provides a vital link to the past . . . and future. 
 
But not all the TimeRiders can cope with the discovery, and one threatens to bring them all down if they can act out their revenge . . .

TimeRiders: The Mayan Prophecy (Book 8)

Liam O'Connor should have died at sea in 1912. 
Maddy Carter should have died on a plane in 2010. 
Sal Vikram should have died in a fire in 2029. 
Yet moments before death, someone mysteriously appeared and said, 'Take my hand . . .' 
 
But Liam, Maddy and Sal aren't rescued. They are recruited by an agency that no one knows exists, with only one purpose - to fix broken history. Because time travel is here, and there are those who would go back in time and change the past. 
 
That's why the TimeRiders exist: to protect us. To stop time travel from destroying the world . . .

TimeRiders (Book 1)

Liam O'Connor should have died at sea in 1912. 
Maddy Carter should have died on a plane in 2010. 
Sal Vikram should have died in a fire in 2026. 
 
But all three have been given a second chance - to work for an agency that no one knows exists. 
Its purpose: to prevent time travel destroying history . . . 
 
In 1993 British computer hacker Adam Lewis finds his name in a coded manuscript that is almost one thousand years old. How did Adam's name get in there . . . and why? 
 
Confronted by Adam in 2001, the TimeRiders travel back to Sherwood Forest in 1193 to discover the origins of the ancient message. But when a strange hooded man appears interested in the same thing, they begin to wonder what terrible threat this cryptic link from the past holds for the future . . .

TimeRiders: The Doomsday Code (Book 3)

Liam O'Connor should have died at sea in 1912. 
Maddy Carter should have died on a plane in 2010. 
Sal Vikram should have died in a fire in 2026. 
 
But all three have been given a second chance - to work for an agency that no one knows exists. Its purpose: to prevent time travel destroying history . . . 
 
Hunted by cyborg assassins from the future, the TimeRiders must abandon New York and go on the run. They escape to Victorian London and the streets where Jack the Ripper roams. But, before they can establish their new base, they make their most shattering discovery yet - and it will change everything . . . 
 
** Book six in the bestselling TimeRiders series by Alex Scarrow. 
** Victorian London's Jack the Ripper get a time-travel makeover! 
** Perfect for fans of Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes. 
** TimeRiders (Book 1) won the Red House Book Award older readers category, and was Penguin UK's first ever number one on the iBookstore. 
** www.time-riders.co.uk

TimeRiders: City of Shadows (Book 6)

Rick Riordan

Ana Dakkar is studying at Harding-Pencroft Academy, a school renowned for training the best marine scientists, naval warriors and underwater explorers in the world. But, unlike the other students, the water is personal for Ana. After losing both of her parents on a scientific expedition, her older brother Dev is now the only family she has. 
 
 Ready to prove herself, Ana and her class are off to a top-secret weekend trial at sea. But, on the bus ride to the ship, tragedy strikes and Ana and her classmates are plunged into a deadly battle that will change the trajectory of their lives forever. 
 
As secrets about her past surface, it's up to Ana to lead her classmates out of danger.

Daughter of the Deep

Jason Bradbury

Evil Yakusa gangsters, lethal martial arts, and awesome fighting robots - Jackson Farley is back in the latest techno blockbuster in the hugely popular Dot Robot techno-thriller series. 
 
Set against the glittering neon backdrop of Tokyo and in the dark and eerie forests of the Sea of Trees, digital genius Jackson and robotics expert Brooke English are hot on the trail of their missing friends, Japan's most famous professional gamers, the Kojima Twins. The twins have joined hundreds of kidnapped gamers as part of a secret Gold Farming ring, forced to play for virtual items such as spells and weapons, sold for huge profits. 
 
Jackson and Brooke must find their friends and fast. But when the world they've been kidnapped into isn't real, where do they even begin?

Dot Robot: Cyber Gold

Alison Uttley

A series of children's modern classic novels by renowned 20th century children's writers. All the titles in this series have the A Puffin Book logo, contemporary-style covers, and child-friendly endnotes.

Penelope lives in the 20th Century, and it is only when she visits Thackers, a remote, ancient farmhouse, that she finds herself travelling back in time to join the lives of the Babington family, and watching helplessly as tragic events bring danger to her friends and the downfall of their heroine Mary, Queen of Scots, whom they are seeking to rescue.

A Traveller in Time

Relocated to Victorian London, the TimeRiders joy-ride back to 1666 to witness the Great Fire of London. In the ensuing chaos, Liam and their newest recruit, Rashim, find themselves trapped between the fire and the Thames. They escape onboard a river boat, only to be confronted by an unscrupulous captain with his heart set on treasures of the high seas . . . 
 
Back in 1888, Maddy and the rest of the team are frantically trying to track them down. But with limited resources at their new base, can Liam and Rashim survive the bloodthirsty and barbaric age of piracy long enough to be rescued?

TimeRiders: The Pirate Kings (Book 7)

Catherine MacPhail

Kevin is determined that he'll never join a gang but his path crosses the Tribe's when he saves one of them from a rival gang. Invited to take their initiation test, Kevin plans to break the oath of secrecy and tell everyone. But he falls under the spell of the gang leader, Salom, and becomes a member. Kevin then discovers how hard it is to break away from the Tribe's rules and Salom's power, for when he's challenged Salom always makes you sorry. In this case he fastens on to Kevin's little sister, Glory, and Kevin is forced to take the initiation test again as his sister freezes with horror crossing a beam high above a ruined building.

Tribes

Chris Grabenstein

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets A Night in the Museum in this the action-packed New York Times bestseller from Chris Grabenstein, coauthor of I Funny and other bestselling series with James Patterson! 
 
Kyle Keeley is a huge fan of all games - board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most famous and creative gamemaker in the world, is the genius behind the town's new library that is as much a home for tech and trickery as it is for stories. Kyle wins a spot at a puzzle-packed lock-in on the library's opening night. But when morning comes, the doors stay locked. Kyle and the other kids must solve every clue and figure out every secret riddle to find the hidden escape route . . . !

Escape from Mr Lemoncello's Library

Jeremy Strong

Sigurd, the Viking from the tenth century, is still stuck in the twentieth century. He lives with his friends the Ellis family in a seaside hotel and constantly causes chaos. When Tim and Zoe Ellis take him to school with them a series of seriously funny disasters results.

Viking at School

Lisette Auton

In the future, the most underestimated person on the planet may be the only one who can save it. 
 
The year is 3897, and life on Earth is a neon dream, all flashing lights and buzzy noise – and no one remembers that behind the illuminated shell above them there's a night sky filled with stars. 
 
As she turns 11, neurodivergent, freckled Astrifer Nova is nothing like her sporty, high-achieving twin brother, Blaze. And on the day of her Work Path Allocation ceremony which determines the course of her life, she is crushed when she gets assigned to something as boring as the sock factory. 
 
But all is not as it seems, and as she uncovers layers of hidden truths all around her, Astrifer discovers that the world is bigger than she ever imagined – and that it’s up to her and a motley crew of new friends (including one from very far away) to challenge the status quo. Turns out, their differences may be exactly what the planet needs…

The Starlight Rebel

Eoin Colfer

You can't outrun your own history . . . 
 
Still trapped in Victorian London, FBI agent Chevie Savano is determined to help her friend Riley find his long-lost brother. But the WARP wormhole has other ideas . . . 
 
Pulled two centuries into the past, Chevie and Riley find themselves in the village of Mandrake. Under siege from prowling monsters that have escaped from the wormhole, the village's only protector is the sinister Witchfinder - a man with a hidden past and deadly powers. 
 
With Chevie branded a witch and sentenced to be burned at the stake, can Riley thwart the Witchfinder's plans before he destroys them all?

The Forever Man (W.A.R.P. Book 3)

Charlie Higson

The sickness struck everyone over fourteen. First it twisted their minds, next it ravaged their bodies, now they roam the streets - crazed and hungry. A jaw-dropping zombie horror series for teens.

They'll chase you. They'll rip you open. They'll feed on you . . . 
 
The Enemy (Book 1) 
 
When the sickness came, every parent, police officer, politician - every adult - fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry. 
 
 Only children under fourteen remain, and they're fighting to survive. 
 
 A gang of children begin their quest across London, where all through the city - down alleyways, in deserted houses, underground - the grown-ups lie in wait. 
 
The Dead (Book 2) 
 
Jack and Ed are best friends, but their battle to stay alive tests their friendship to the limit as they go on the run with a mismatched group of other kids. And one adult. Greg, a butcher, who claims he's immune to the disease. 
 
 As a fresh disaster threatens to overwhelm London, they realize they won't all survive... 
 
The Fear (Book 3) 
 
DogNut and the rest of his crew want to find their lost friends, and set off on a deadly mission from the Tower of London to Buckingham Palace and beyond, as the sickos lie in wait. But who are their friends and who is the enemy in this changed world?

The Enemy Series, Books 1-3

Nathan Bryon

A brand new audio bundle following Rocket on her adventures! Including the stories, Look Up!, Clean Up!, and Speak Up! 
 
LOOK UP! Meet hilarious, science-mad chatterbox, Rocket - she's going to be the greatest astronaut, star-catcher, space-traveller that has ever lived! But... can she convince her big brother to stop looking down at his phone and start LOOKING UP at the stars? 
 
CLEAN UP! Join Rocket as she sets off on a mission to save a Caribbean island from plastic pollution! When Rocket goes for a holiday to visit her grandparents, she's shocked by the pollution that is spoiling their island home and putting the local sea life at risk. Can she think of a way to save the day? 
 
SPEAK UP! Join Rocket as she organises a peaceful protest to save her local library! Bookworm Rocket loves to collect new books on her weekly visit to the library, and to read all about inspirational figures like Rosa Parks. She is heartbroken when she discovers the library will be closing down! Can she use what she's learnt from Rosa and speak up to save the day?

Listen Up!

A Rocket Audio Collection

Rob worries about everything - being bitten by snakes to dinosaurs waiting round the corner. So when the Vorks move in across the road, he is convinced that they're aliens and that he must save the world!

I'm Telling You, They're Aliens!

Humza Arshad

Henry White

They've faced deadly alien slugs, killer aunties and double maths. Now, Humza Kahn (and his friend Umer, I guess) face something even scarier - Humza's dad! And he's fed up with the boys acting up all the time. So he's sending them away to a special summer school in Pakistan. 
 
But here the two friends are about to learn that something very weird indeed is going on - someone has been messing with time! 
 
The world may just need saving again . . .

Little Badman and the Time-travelling Teacher of Doom

Mary Pope Osborne

Jenny Laird

Kelly Matthews

Nichole Matthews

Magic. Mystery. Time-travel. Monkeys!! 
 
Get lost in time with Jack and Annie in this full-colour graphic novel adaptation of a children’s classic, perfect for readers aged 5–7. 
 
Be careful what you wish for in the magic tree house – it might just come true! This time, Jack and Annie have been whisked away to the Amazon rainforest . . . Watch out for that crocodile! 
 
Jack and Annie are in for a wild ride as they continues their quest to save their friend, Morgan le Fay. From killer ants to vampire bats, the siblings never know what they'll run into next! Of course, it's not long before they’re hopelessly lost – and a monkey seems to be stalking them . . . what's that about?? Can they find their way through the rainforest before it gets dark? 
 
This adventure-filled series of graphic novel adaptations teaches kids about the past and helps them develop reading confidence, all while solving exciting magical mysteries alongside Jack and Annie. Perfect for young readers aged 5–7.

Magic Tree House: Afternoon on the Amazon

(A Graphic Novel)

Jacqueline Wilson

'I seemed to be seeing double. I saw two Edies instead of one - but they weren't the same.' 
 
Edie is fascinated by Victorian times, and she's just desperate to be cast in the lead role of her drama club production of Oliver. When she's given a real Victorian notebook she's determined to write the best story ever, all about a girl in a workhouse. But when she starts writing, something strange happens. 
 
Edie finds herself in Victorian London. She feels the same, but everything around her is completely different to what she knows. Soon, she realises she's living the life of another Edie Trimmer - and is in danger of being sent to a real workhouse! 
 
Will she forget everything she knows about her other life - and will she ever be able to make it back to her family? 
 
A heart-warming time slip adventure about family and friendship from the much-loved, bestselling Jacqueline Wilson.

The Other Edie Trimmer

Alexander Slater

In the kingdom of Galaxandria, Princess Celeste Starwing is in BIG trouble. After one bratty incident too many, her father decides she needs to learn a lesson – and so she’s packed off to the Intergalactic Post Office, and given a mission to whip it into shape. Otherwise it’s goodbye to being a princess forever – gulp! 
 
But Celeste and her new assistant, Podge, soon find they’re up against a more than just towering piles of unsent letters. Mysterious portal magic known as wurms are putting them out of business – and it looks like the wurms are more sinister than anyone could know. In fact, they might have something to do with Celeste’s mother, who she’s never known . . . 
 
Now it’s up to Celeste and Podge – and their adorable collection of Stardust Bunnies – to stop the wurms, uncover what happened to Celeste’s mother – and maybe save the galaxy while they’re at it. 
 
This out-of-this world story is stuffed full of incredible adventure, brilliant intergalactic worlds, and amazing cartoon-style artwork – perfect for fans of Amelia Fang, Peanut Jones and Super Mario Brothers.

Celeste Express

The War of The Wurms

They'll chase you. They'll rip you open. They'll feed on you . . . 
 
The Sacrifice (Book 4) 
 
 Small Sam and his unlikely ally, The Kid, have survived. They're safe with Ed and his friends at the Tower of London, but Sam is desperate to find his sister. 
 
 Their search for Ella means Sam and The Kid must cross the forbidden zone. And what awaits them there is more terrifying than any of the horror they've suffered so far . . . 
 
The Fallen (Book 5) 
 
The Holloway crew are survivors. They've fought their way across London and made it to the Natural History Museum alive - just. But the fight will never end while the Enemy lives . . . 
 
The kids at the museum are looking for a cure. All they need are medical supplies. To get them means a journey down unknown roads. Suddenly it's not so clear who - or what - they're fighting. 
 
The Hunted (Book 6) 
 
The others had promised that the countryside would be safer than the city. They were wrong. Now Ella's all-alone except for her silent rescuer, Scarface - and she's not even sure if he's a kid or a grown-up. 
 
 Back in London, Ed's determined to find her. But getting out of town's never been more dangerous- because coming in the other direction is every SICKO in the country.

The Enemy Series, Books 4-6

Fourteen-year-old Cosmo Hill longs to escape from the Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys. When a rare chance to get away comes, he grabs it, but the attempt goes fatally wrong. He can feel his life force ebbing away, sucked out of him by a strange blue Parasite ... until a wisecracking gang of kids burst in, blast the creature and save him. They are the Supernaturalists, dedicated to ridding the world of these life-sucking blue parasites. When they realise that Cosmo has the ability to see these blue creatures too, they enlist him as one of them. Their mission leads Cosmo into a world of high-level corruption, James Bond type technology, thrilling adventure and finally back to a place that Cosmo ever thought he'd have to return...the dreaded Clarissa Frayne.

The Supernaturalist

Rachel Morrisroe

A brand new adventure in the hilarious series for 7+ readers from bestselling author Rachel Morrisroe, packed with laughs, heart and superhero pets! 
 
When a spaceship crash-lands outside of Rebecca Refractor’s school full of aliens who look just like adorable hamsters, she knows there is only one kid and Superpet that can help . . . Jack and Hercules the hamster, the superstrength Superpet! 
 
The alien-hamsters can control minds and are determined to turn everyone on Earth into cracker-hunting zombies! But why are the aliens so cracker obsessed? And who (or what) is The Big Cheese – the villain boss the aliens serve? 
 
Full of friendship, fun and silly superhero antics, this is the perfect series for fans of The Naughtiest Unicorn, Wigglesbottom Primary and The Secret Life of Pets!

The Fantastic Intergalactic Hamster!

Roald Dahl

Quentin Blake

WHOOSH! 
Inside the Great Glass Elevator, Willy Wonka, Charlie Bucket and his family are cruising a thousand feet above the chocolate factory. 
 
 They can see the whole world below them, but they're not alone. The American Space Hotel has also just launched. Lurking inside are the Vermicious Knids - the most brutal beasts in the universe! 
Can Charlie and Willy Wonka stop them from destroying everything?

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

biblio.categories.code

biblio.publicationStatus

biblio.brand

biblio.workEditions.format

biblio.ageRange

biblio.series.seriesName

biblio.imprint.description

biblio.type

About us

About Us (Header 4)

Best-Jane-Austen-quotes_Online-Desktop_Penguin

James-Baldwin

Marian-Keyes

haruki-murakami-320×320-1

Richard-Osman

Malorie Blackman

Lisa-Jewell

Charlie-Mackesy

Authors (Header 3)

Children&#039;s

Company

Discover

Fiction

Non-fiction

Penguin Classics

Penguin Shop (Header 5)

Useful links

Work with us

Search Results

The Fall of the West

Hunt the Villain

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Fight or Flight (Book 21)

The Mortons

Watch a trailer for The Spook's Blood

A photograph of Ben Barnes in character for Shadow and Bone Netflix series.

Interviews

Shadow and Bone’s Ben Barnes on tear-jerking books and what he’s reading

An image showing a selection of adventure stories for 9-12 year olds on a bright yellow background with orange doodles that include a hashtag, flag, danger sign and speech bubble

Children's reading lists

16 books for 9 to 12-year-olds that love adventures

An image of a selection of books for 9-12s on a blue background with a large splodge and striped print

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

A picture of several different children's books on a pink to blue ombre background; each book has a bright yellow shadow

Showing results for: ‘joseph delaney’

Filters

Category

Age

Publication Date

Format

Series

Imprint

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter