Kirjahaku

A thrilling and tempestuous novel of love and danger from the author of KOOK.

Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Prize 2020. 'A thrilling and a magical book' Sally Gardner. Storm, shipwreck, survival. Chris Vick's novel delves deep into the might and majesty of the unpredictable ocean, the strength of an unlikely friendship between a British boy and a Berber girl and their will to survive against all the odds. A British boy narrowly survives the sinking of his yacht in a huge storm off the coast of Morocco. After days alone at sea in a tiny rowing boat Bill rescues a girl clinging for her life to a barrel. Aya, from the nomadic Berber tribe, was escaping to Europe when her migrant ship was destroyed in the same storm. Through endless days and star-spangled nights, they drift – mere specks on the vast, empty ocean – weakened by fear, hunger, and burned by the unforgiving sun. Aya tells Bill about The Arabian Nights, and Shahrazad, who told 1001 stories to save her life. As hope of rescue begins to fade, they find strength in these tales of magic, brave heroes, wily thieves, greedy sultans, and courageous girls. When they land on a desert island, they're surprised to be confronted by a stranger who is not what he seems... and back out on the waves once more in the dark deep, a shadow follows... 'Perfect for your 14-year-old, taking them on a sea voyage that transports them to a world of near death and the discovery of an unlikely friendship' Jasbinder Bilan, author of Asha and the Spirit Bird.

From killers to conservationists, the story of three generations of the Kristensen family, their history as whale hunters and later their mission to save the great whales and our planet.

From killers to conservationists, the story of three generations of the Kristensen family, their history as whale hunters and later their mission to save the great whales and our planet.

The Spectator BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKS 2024Historical Association Young Quills Shortlist 2025Tove was 12 and Liva 9, when the Germans occupied Norway. They remember everything as if it happened yesterday. A middle grade story of bravery, resilience, rivalries and shadow creatures in the night.Mose and her daughter Agna are incomers in the village, treated with suspicion. But young Liva, left out of the secrets her sister Tove and brother Hakken share, idolises Agna and follows her everywhere. Unwittingly, they lead the German soldiers to a perfect island. Once a haven for picnics and story-telling under the midnight sun, it is transformed into a grim POW camp. This is an unlikely place to find buried treasure, but it's there. Friendships are made and broken, family trust is turned upside down and lives change forever as Tove and Liva recall their childhood experiences of living through WW2 in a story that moves from light to darkness to light again.

A new 11+ story of dangerous enchantment and sorcery set in the 1950s and contemporary times, from Carnegie-shortlisted Chris Vick.When Isla was a girl in Cornwall, she lived in the old cliff top lighthouse. She slept where the lamp once shone over the dark sea. In her dreams she flew; over cliffs and steeples, fields and towns and along the shoreline, up to the stars, down to the inky sea. And Caleb and Ari were always there to help her.Farmers, fishermen and village folk saw... a witch. An angel. A ghost. A mermaid. Then Isla’s dreams stopped. Many years later, Hilly Seaborne (14) moves to the same Cornish village. She’s a dreamer, a skilled acrobat and an outcast. Visiting the old deserted lighthouse she uncovers tales of strange sightings and unnerving events. And she is fascinated by them. Clues lead her to an eccentric old woman living in a remote cottage. And a story of deadly magic unfolds.