CHILDREN’S BOOKS
I am Dog by Peter Bently
Pan Macmillan £6.99
A hilarious picture book following a day in the life of a dog – from the dog’s point of view! From Peter Bently, a rising star in rhyming picture books, with exuberant illustrations by Chris Chatterton, illustrator of best-selling This is Gus.
‘I am Dog. Dog is me. I like walkies. I like tree. I like rolls in foxy pong. Foxy pong is nice and strong!’ Genuinely laugh-out-loud funny, if you have ever wondered what goes on in your dog’s head … now you can find out!

YA Novel – Thanks to our guest Reviewer Ellie Aungier aged 12 for this one!

Teeny Weeny Genie by Julia Donaldson
Pan Macmillan £6.99
Julia Donaldson’s gently funny farmyard story comes out in paperback on August 5th. Old Macdonald is cleaning out his farmhouse kitchen when he comes across a dusty old teapot. And no one could be more surprised when a wish-granting genie pops out of the spout. Old Macdonald wishes for a wife, who wishes for a baby. A baby who wishes for a dog, who wishes for a cat, who wishes for some mice! It doesn’t take long before the farmyard starts getting very busy, and VERY noisy! Will the genie ever get a break from granting wishes, and find some peace? If only there was someone who could grant him a wish.
This picture book features delightful illustrations by Anna Currey, who captures the gleeful expressions of the farmyard animals perfectly! Anna and Julia’s previous books were One Ted Falls Out of Bed and Rosie’s Hat.

The Last Girl by Goldy Moldavsky
Harper Collins paperback £7.99
When horror seeps into real life and fear haunts you from the past, the only thing you can do is redirect that fear and inflict the horror on someone else...
Rachel, a lonely teen who is alienated by the bored rich kids at her exclusive New York private school, finds horror movies her perfect escape from past trauma. When she is invited to join the mysterious Mary Shelley club, a group of thriller-loving misfits, she finds the excitement and adrenaline that she has been craving. But are the club’s disturbing ‘fear tests’ just harmless pranks, or is something more sinister at stake?
Thrilling and evocative, The Last Girl is full of twists and turns that make you hold on to every word. The engaging plot, complex characters and playful horror references, topped off with a heartbreaking ending make this book unforgettable.

Adam 2 by Alastair Chisholm.
Nosy Crow books £7.99 paperback.
One of the best middle-grade fiction novels I have read this year! An exciting science fiction thriller for ages 9+.
In a bleak future world, torn apart by a civil war between humans and advanced A I robots, some scavenging children come across a cute little robot, locked in a basement. Adam 2 has been locked away for 200 years, and knows nothing of the war between robots and humankind. He has been programmed to faithfully serve humans, and quickly bonds with the children. Soon, by virtue of his human loyalty, he is accepted into the human camp.
Adam’s unique position – trusted by the humans, yet essentially an A I, earns him friends & enemies in both camps, and it becomes clear that he holds the key to the war, and the power to end it - to destroy one side and save the other. But which side is right? Adam must decide who - and what - he really is.
A really thrilling story, full of thought-provoking issues, and Adam 2 is a truly unforgettable and adorable character. Will appeal to fans of Philip Reeve.

ADULTS BOOKS
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Pan Macmillan paperback £8.99
At last, this brilliant novel is out in paperback, with a stunning cover design!
An entrancing and beautifully-written novel by an author who has hitherto written for teenagers.
‘The Mercies’ is based on the real-life drama of a storm near the fishing village of Vardo in Northern Norway in 1617, which wiped out the male population of the small village, leaving the heart-broken women to fend for themselves, which they do, quite ably, until a Scottish religious Commissioner is sent North to tame their unseemly ways.
The growing friendship between the Commissioner’s young wife, Ursa, and Maren, a feisty village woman, forms the centre-piece of the novel, which gathers pace as the full horror of the Commissioner’s mission becomes clear. An incredible glimpse into the havoc wreaked in a God-fearing fishing village by superstition and prejudice at the time of the Witch Trials.

The Search Party by Simon Lelic
Penguin £7.99 paperback
An addictive and unpredictable thriller that is a perfect beach read, from Brighton author Simon Lelic.
 A huge police manhunt is under way in a sleepy coastal town, for 16 year-old Sadie Saunders, who has been missing for 6 days. Sadie’s friendship group (her boyfriend, his best friend, her 2 BFFs and her twin brother) are convinced the police are looking in the wrong place, and form their own search party into the woods, where they suspect Sadie was abducted. 2 days later, the police receive a frantic phone call… one of the teenage search party is dead. Local DI Robin Fleet must try to unravel the truth from the teenagers’ stories.
The narrative takes shape through DI Fleet’s interviews with the teens interwoven with chapters from Fleet’s perspective - he has his own demons and is under immense pressure to solve the case, as speculation mounts amongst the locals and emotion run high. As the stories unfold, undercurrents of jealousy & tension emerge from within the friendship group... what are the friends hiding?
The final twist is a belter – completely unexpected and will have you turning back to the beginning to comb for clues you missed! 0
A fresh, easy-to-read page turner.


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