Kirjahaku

It sounded like a respectable and worthy enough death for an explorer - tumbling from an ice bridge to be impaled upon a mammoth tusk - but Stella really, really didn't want that to happen, just the same.Join Stella Starflake Pearl and her three fellow explorers as they trek across the snowy Icelands and come face-to-face with frost fairies, snow queens, outlaw hideouts, unicorns, pygmy dinosaurs and carnivorous cabbages . . . When Stella and three other junior explorers get separated from their expedition can they cross the frozen wilderness and live to tell the tale?A gorgeously imaginative middle grade fantasy adventure combining the best of Peter Pan, Lemony Snicket, Northern Lights and Alice in Wonderland.'A magical adventure of friendship, bravery and derring-do in a richly imagined world.' The Bookseller'A fantastic frosty adventure.' Sunday Express'Wintry, atmospheric, highly imaginative fantasy.' Metro'The most huggable book of the year . . . An (iced) gem.' SFX

The second title in this gorgeously imaginative middle grade fantasy adventure series combining the best of Peter Pan, Lemony Snicket, Northern Lights and Alice in Wonderland.Stella Starflake Pearl is eagerly anticipating her next expedition. Suddenly disaster strikes when Stella's father, Felix, is snatched by a fearsome witch. Stella must bring her magic ice princess tiara to Witch Mountain or she will never see Felix again! But no one ever returns from Witch Mountain . . .Stella, Ethan, Shay, Beanie and reluctant Jungle Cat explorer, Gideon, set off into the unknown. They will face chomping pumpkin patches, vampire trolls, poisonous rabbits, outraged vultures and deranged broomsticks in their quest to rescue Felix.Praise for the series:'A magical adventure of friendship, bravery and derring-do in a richly imagined world.' The Bookseller'A fantastic frosty adventure.' Sunday Express'Wintry, atmospheric, highly imaginative fantasy.' Metro'The most huggable book of the year . . . An (iced) gem.' SFX

In the third magical Stella Starflake adventure the explorers meet gargoyles, sea-gremlins, mermaids, red devil squids - even a Gentleman Flamingo! Ice princess Stella Starflake and her father Felix are in trouble: President Fogg has expelled them from the Polar Bear Explorers' Club, and banned them from going on any further expeditions. Stella's not going to be put off by rules and regulations though. She knows her friend Shay is in danger of turning into a witch wolf himself, since receiving a deadly bite on their last adventure. It's vital that Stella and her friends set out to find the spellbook that could save his life, even if it means travelling over the cursed Black Ice Bridge. It's a formidable and dangerous task, and their journey takes them on a breathtaking, page-turning adventure! Praise for the series: 'A magical adventure of friendship, bravery and derring-do in a richly imagined world.' The Bookseller 'A fantastic frosty adventure.' Sunday Express 'Wintry, atmospheric, highly imaginative fantasy.' Metro 'The most huggable book of the year . . . An (iced) gem.' SFX

In this fourth explorers adventure we meet Ursula, a part mermaid girl who is determined to follow in Stella's footsteps and help her to defeat the Collector!Ursula knew the submarine wasn't designed to go this deep, but what choice did they have? No one wanted to get swallowed up by a colossal sneezing jellyfish!In a distant watery corner of the Explorers Kingdom, a submarine engineer, Ursula, is determined to become an explorer. Unfortunately, she hides an extraordinary secret, which makes her the sworn enemy of the Ocean Squid Explorers' Club were they ever to find out . . . But when The Collector threatens the Club, Ursula throws caution to the wind and leads an expedition through treacherous waters, filled with gremlins, aboard the Blowfish submarine - and joined by her friends Max, Genie and Jai - and even her idol Stella!Thrilling, heart-pounding adventure with exquisite detail throughout. Alex Bell's world-building is second to none. Praise for the series:'A magical adventure of friendship, bravery and derring-do in a richly imagined world.' The Bookseller'A fantastic frosty adventure.' Sunday Express'Wintry, atmospheric, highly imaginative fantasy.' Metro'The most huggable book of the year . . . An (iced) gem.' SFX

In their fifth thrilling adventure, the explorers journey deep into the Bubble Ocean on their quest to stop the evil Collector, but time is running out . . .The Poison Tentacle Sea was home to the powerful Bone Current. As they had feared, it gave a sudden surge and pulled them in.Half-mermaid Ursula Jellyfin has always longed for adventure, and this time the stakes are higher than ever. The Collector is holding a group of children prisoner on Pirate Island, and it's up to Ursula and her friends Jai, Max and Genie to set them free. Armed with a magical mermaid trident, and with new recruit Zara the pirate fairy on board, their mission is filled with danger. The explorers must face zombie skeletons, make a daring rescue from a whirlpool and travel through a dinosaur graveyard. But even if they do make it to Pirate Island, can they fool the Collector and get in to an impenetrable fort?Fast-paced, magical storytelling in a breathtaking underwater world. Alex Bell's inventiveness and attention to detail is a joy to read.Praise for the series:'A magical adventure of friendship, bravery and derring-do in a richly imagined world.' The Bookseller'A fantastic frosty adventure.' Sunday Express'Wintry, atmospheric, highly imaginative fantasy.' Metro'The most huggable book of the year . . . An (iced) gem.' SFX

Directly below was a sight none of them had ever seen before - a kind of spiral, with glowing ruby-red lights that curved outwards like tentacles.In the middle was a dark circle, inky black.

'A daring adventure . . . will engage even the most reluctant readers.' Kirkus'Absolutely spellbinding.' Books for Topics'A feast for every imagination and an unputdownable adventure.' Armadillo Magazine'Full of magic.' Erika, Aged 12, Books up North'A glorious adventure!' Books for Keeps'A must-read.' The BookbagAn out of this world magical adventure with talking animals, risk-taking and friendship aplenty! A new standalone magical story from the best-selling author of the Explorers' Club series.Twelve-year-old Eli is an apprentice librarian at the largest library in the world. But when his grandmother falls ill, he enters the Glorious Race of Magical Beasts to raise money for her treatment.This annual race is always held in the most perilous places and is full of spiky dangers. Most participants seek out unicorns and dragons to help them on their conquest. But not Eli. He embarks on this journey with his trusted pet and friend, Humphrey, his moon tortoise. Moon tortoises aren't suited to racing and Eli is no natural adventurer. But he soon finds himself in an unlikely partnership with Raven, a rule-breaker and skilled archer, and her ice hare - one of the fastest animals in the world.If the two children put aside their differences and work together, they might just reach the finish line!

A quirky and original comic fantasy from talented Gollancz author Alex BellLaw student Lex Trent's world is inhabited by fearsome magicians, ageing crones and a menagerie of Gods and Goddesses. And while Lex is seemingly dedicated to his legal studies he's always enjoyed a challenge - which is why he leads a double life as the notorious cat burglar 'The Shadowman' who has been (luckily) evading capture for years. But Lex's luck is about to run out because the Goddess of Fortune has selected him to be her player in the highly dangerous Games. Losing is not an option for Lex (particularly as it so often involves dying) but can he really win each of the perilous rounds? Given that the reward for doing so is money, fame and glory - all things that Lex is quite keen on - he's going to do whatever it takes to make sure he will... and he's certainly got good experience of cheating.

Lex Trent is reigning champion of The Games contested between fickle Gods using human playing pieces.He has it all: Fame. Glory. Wealth. An enormous ego. But The Games are about to begin again and the Goddess of Luck wants Lex to defend their title. A challenge he can't resist, despite the risk of death, because the final round will take place in the Wild West, giving Lex the chance to claim the legendary Sword of Life (who wouldn't want that?). With Lex's mix of skill, quick wittedness and no small amount of outright cheating, he can't lose! Can he?Luck may usually be a lady to Lex...but in the Wild West they play by their own rules...and Lex has never been that good with rules.

The magical must-read middle-grade novel from the bestselling author of THE POLAR BEAR EXPLORERS’ CLUB and FROZEN CHARLOTTE. Bess has always loved her grandfather’s collection of curiosities. So she’s delighted when she’s handed the keys to his Odditorium. But unless she finds a way to draw in the crowds, she’ll have to close its doors for good. When a mysterious train pulls into town, bound for The Land of Halloween Sweets, Bess hatches a plan and sneaks onboard. She is soon discovered by Beau the puppeteer, Louie the violinist and Maria the fire witch. Eager to join their adventure, Bess sets out to search for the rarest sweet of all – the ghostly gobstopper. But the land is ruled by the fearsome Candymaker. And beneath the sugary surface, things are more dangerous than they first appear...

Jump aboard for a journey to strange and spectacular lands... The magical must-read middle-grade novel from the bestselling author of THE POLAR BEAR EXPLORERS' CLUB and FROZEN CHARLOTTE. Bess has always loved her grandfather's collection of curiosities. So she's delighted when she's handed the keys to his Odditorium. But unless she finds a way to draw in the crowds, she'll have to close its doors for good. When a mysterious train pulls into town, bound for The Land of Halloween Sweets, Bess hatches a plan and sneaks onboard. She is soon discovered by Beau the puppeteer, Louie the violinist and Maria the fire witch. Eager to join their adventure, Bess sets out to search for the rarest sweet of all - the ghostly gobstopper. But the land is ruled by the fearsome Candymaker. And beneath the sugary surface, things are more dangerous than they first appear...

All aboard for The Train of Dark Wonders! The second book in the magical must-read middle-grade series. Bess can’t wait to see her friends from the Train of Dark Wonders and head off on another adventure together. But she has her duties as owner of the Odditorium to think about. Most importantly, the gateway to other worlds needs a new animal guard and it’s her job to find one. When the train stops by on route to The Land of Cursed Creatures, Bess hops on board. Here, she encounters zombie ducks, haunted lobsters and poisonous swans. She also hears tales of the most mysterious and secretive creature of all – the cursed unicorn. As creatures begin to go missing, Bess and the gang set out on a daring rescue mission, venturing deep into a land of living nightmares…

All aboard for The Train of Dark Wonders The second book in the magical must-read middle-grade series. Bess can't wait to see her friends from the Train of Dark Wonders and head off on another adventure together. But she has her duties as owner of the Odditorium to think about. Most importantly, the gateway to other worlds needs a new animal guard and it's her job to find one. When the train stops by on route to The Land of Cursed Creatures, Bess hops on board. Here, she encounters zombie ducks, haunted lobsters and poisonous swans. She also hears tales of the most mysterious and secretive creature of all - the cursed unicorn. As creatures begin to go missing, Bess and the gang set out on a daring rescue mission, venturing deep into a land of living nightmares...

Trouble is brewing for Bess at the Odditorium, where the secret door to the dark and dangerous Land of Fairytales is about to open… Can she finish what her grandfather started and bring down the Evil Queen Cinderella once and for all?

This is The Bourne Identity . . . as if Neil Gaiman had written it . . .A man comes round on the floor of a shabby flat in the middle of Budapest. His head is glued to the floorboards with his own blood. There's a fortune in cash on the kitchen table. And he has no idea where, or who, he is.He can do extraordinary things - speak any number of languages fluently, go three days without food or sleep, and fight with extraordinary prowess. But without a name, without a past, he's isolated from the rest of the world; a stranger to everyone, including himself - until a chance encounter with a young scholar leads to his first friendship, and his first hint that someone out there knows more about him than he does.Someone is sending him clues about his past. Photographs hidden in books and crates of wine. Cryptic clues pointing towards a murdered woman. And clear warnings against Stephomi, his only friend. But that's not all; Gabriel Antaeus is seeing strange, impossible things: a burning man is stalking his dreams and haunting his mirrors, his dreams are filled with violence from the past, and his pregnant young neighbour is surrounded by an extraordinary golden aura.Something dark and violent in Gabriel's past is trying to resurface. And as he pieces the clues together, everything points towards an astounding war between angels and demons . . . and a battle not just for the future of the world, but for the minds and souls of everyone in it.

One day, without warning, Jasmyn's husband died.Since then, everything has been different.Wrapped up in her grief, Jasmyn is trapped in a world without colour, without flavour - without Liam. But even through the haze of misery she begins to notice unusual events, as sense of being watched, a strange man visiting her home and asking pointed questions about her dead husband. Her world has been turned upside down, but even so, things are not as they should be.Eventually Jasmyn begins to explore the discrepancies that have sprung up after his death - the plane tickets to places Liam claimed he'd never visited, details of the meetings he was never supposed to have - and to follow their trail back into the events of his life.But the mysteries are deeper than she expected, and are leading her in surprising directions: into fairytales filled with swans, castles and bones; into a tale of a murder committed by a lake and a vicious battle between brothers; into legends of a lost past, and a story of stolen love.

A precocious young girl is determined to prove herself as an explorer in the first novel in the whimsical Polar Bear Explorers' Club series. Stella Starflake Pearl knows, without a doubt, that she was born to be an adventurer. It's too bad girls are forbidden from becoming explorers. But Stella's father has never been one to play by the rules. Leaving behind her pet polar bear, Gruff, and beloved unicorn, Magic, Stella and Felix set off on an expedition to the snowy Icelands. There, Stella plans to prove herself as a junior explorer, worthy of membership in the Polar Bear Explorers' Club. So when Stella and three other junior explorers are separated from the rest of their expedition, she has the perfect opportunity. Can they explore the frozen wilderness and live to tell the tale? The first in Alex Bell's imaginative new series, The Polar Bear Explorers' Club is a fun and daring adventure filled with magic, outlaws, and fantastic faraway lands.

In the final book of the whimsical Polar Bear Explorers' Club series, Stella and the gang go on their most perilous adventure yet to find a cure for their cursed friend. Stella Starflake Pearl has been expelled from the Polar Bear Explorers' Club. But that's not going to stop her and the rest of the junior explorers from embarking on another exceptionally perilous expedition. It hasn't been long since Shay was bitten by a witch wolf, but he's in danger of turning into one himself. Only an ice queen's long-lost spell book and Stella's ice princess magic has the power to break the curse. The one thing standing in their way is a treacherous monolith no explorer has ever returned from...the Black Ice Bridge. In this final, daring installment of the Polar Bear Explorers' Club series, Stella and the rest of the gang embark on their most fearsome quest yet, plagued by distrustful mermaids, screeching red devil squids, irksome trolls, and a centuries-old curse.

In the final book of the whimsical Polar Bear Explorers' Club series, Stella and the gang go on their most perilous adventure yet to find a cure for their cursed friend. Stella Starflake Pearl has been expelled from the Polar Bear Explorers' Club. But that's not going to stop her and the rest of the junior explorers from embarking on another exceptionally perilous expedition. It hasn't been long since Shay was bitten by a witch wolf, but he's in danger of turning into one himself. Only an ice queen's long-lost spell book and Stella's ice princess magic has the power to break the curse. The one thing standing in their way is a treacherous monolith no explorer has ever returned from...the Black Ice Bridge. Can Stella and the rest of the gang overcome their most fearsome quest yet? Or will distrustful mermaids, screeching red devil squids, irksome trolls, and a centuries-old curse stop them in their tracks?

Bestselling author Alex Bell serves up mystery and dark humour aplenty in this Willy Wonka-esque middle-grade tale of toys brought to life. Shadows of teddy bears flit across windows. Dolls whisper behind closed doors. Something has gone very wrong at Hoggle's Happy Toys. But five years after shutting its doors, the toy factory is opening again, and Tess Pipps has found herself a job there. As she and her siblings start their first day of work, they are about to discover what dark secrets are lurking inside the factory's walls … Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.