What to do in a half term during lockdown? Get reading! Zephyr has put together a selection of books for you and your little, or not so little, ones to enjoy. There is something for all ages.
The Tindims and the Turtle Tangle, Sally Gardner and Lydia Corry (PB) February 2021 6 +
Starting off with some VERY small people, the tiny Tindims are back for their second adventure! The Tindims are like the Borrowers-on-sea, turning our everyday rubbish into treasure. This fun, empowering series for 6+ readers inspires conservation and inventive ways to recycle. The Tindims are ready to welcome fluent and reluctant readers alike: we’ve chosen a dyslexia-friendly font and illustrated every page, for a reading adventure where you can tell the story through the words or pictures. With creative activities using recycled materials in the back, each book also offers an exciting project to try at home.
You missed the first Tindims adventure? We would highly recommend The Tindims of Rubbish Island too!
Viper’s Daughter, Michelle Paver (PB) November 2020 9 +
Run wild with Wolf Brother.
Step out of lockdown and into the Stone Age. Viper’s Daughter brings the prize winning, multi-million copy selling Wolf Brother books to a new generation of readers. Torak, Renn and Wolf battle for their lives in the frozen Far North. At the mercy of the Sea Mother and hunted by ravenous ice bears, their quest leads them to the Edge of the World. Michelle’s meticulous research creates immersive descriptions of the natural world and ancient ways of life, combined with exhilarating adventure and action this book is a brilliant escape.
The next adventure takes place in Skin Taker out in April. We can’t wait!
Michelle introduces and reads from Viper’s Daughter here and here
Sofa Surfer, Malcolm Duffy (PB) January 2021 12 +
Get the tissues ready for this one. Whether it is tears of laughter or sadness, you’re probably going to cry. Written with humour and heart, Sofa Surfer looks at what it means to be homeless. Malcolm Duffy spent time with homeless charities across the country to research this book. 15-year-old Tyler has no idea a chance meeting with a skinny girl called Spider will lead him into a world he never knew existed. Spider is sofa surfing and Tyler soon finds himself spinning a tangled web of lies in his efforts to help her escape her world of fear and insecurity. A relevant and urgent novel about the need for a place to call home.
Listen to Malcolm talking about Sofa Surfer here and here
Dangerous Remedy, Kat Dunn (PB) February 2021 YA
‘Your new YA obsession’ - Kiran Millwood Hargrave.
The first in a dazzling, commercial, historical adventure series set in the extravagant and deadly world of the French Revolution. With own voices queer romance and found family, this is a whirlwind of history, horror, dark science and magic. 1794, Paris. Outcasts Camille, a revolutionary’s daughter, Ada, her runaway lover, Guil, a deserter, and Al, an aristocrat, are the BATTALION OF THE DEAD. They cheat the guillotine of its bloody harvest, even as the blade falls. Their latest mission is a girl possessing disturbing powers, hunted by Royalists and revolutionaries. Who is playing who is in this treacherous game of science, magic, love and loss?
Keep your eye out for the spectacular sequel, Monstrous Design, publishing in June
