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CHILDREN’S PREVIEW JUNE


24.03.17 www.thebookseller.com


Fiona Noble


CHILDREN’S PREVIEW


Some familiar faces make an appearance in this month’s offerings including Harry Potter and Alex Rider


coverage. And Harry Potter’s not the only long-established blockbuster series in my pages this month: both Alex Rider, which launched in 2000, and Skulduggery Pleasant, which débuted in 2007, return with brand new titles. Neither have really gone away— Stormbreaker sold over 26,000 copies last year, Skulduggery Pleasant around 11,000— but new titles mean fresh marketing pushes and the chance to win a new generation of readers. What’s interesting is that new action-driven series like these have really struggled to break through in the past few years. Trends come and go and I suspect the success of David Walliams has shifted the focus more to comic fiction. But I think there’s a very eager market for this type of thrilling, high-octane storytelling—I certainly know nine and 10-year-olds who are already devoted fans of both series—and it will be fascinating to see the impact Horowitz and Landy make this time around. Find me on Twitter @fionanoblebooks or email fionanoble@btinternet.com


I


mpossible though it seems, Harry Potter is 20 years old in June, heralding a new wave of anniversary editions and media


E DITOR’ S C HOIC E BOOK OF TH E MONTH NON-FICTION


NICOLA DAVIES, EMILY SUTTON (ILLUS) LOTS WALKER, 1ST, £12.99, HB,


9781406360486 This was possibly my


most eagerly awaited non-fiction book of 2017 and it’s an absolute stunner. Davies and Sutton first collaborated on the brilliant Tiny: The Invisible World of Microbes, which won critical acclaim and the School Library Association Information Book Award. Like Tiny, this new book very cleverly conveys a complex scientific idea—the concept of biodiversity—in a friendly and accessible picture narrative that will excite and inspire children. A deft, simple text and vibrant,


exquisite illustrations take us all over the world, detailing over 100 different kinds of animals in the most unexpected habitats, revealing the “big complicated pattern” that binds living things together. Green issues, extinction and human responsibility are also explored. It’s an exceptionally good looking book. Sutton’s full-bleed spreads are bursting with friendly, beautifully drawn creatures and the endpapers are a treat. A must for school libraries, nature lovers and fans of beautiful books. Davies brings non-fiction to life like nobody else, and I would love to see her as Children’s Laureate one day—we’ve yet to have an information book pioneer in the role and I think she’d be perfect.


FICTION 9–12


ANTHONY HOROWITZ NEVER SAY DIE WALKER, 1ST, £12.99, HB,


9781406377057 Three years after the release of series


EDITOR’S CHOICE/BOOK OF THE MONTH Personal favourites TOP SELLER


Likely to be the biggest selling titles of the month based on an author’s sales history ONES TO WATCH


Titles with strong sales potential and publisher support, regardless of sales history of the author DÉBUT BOOKS by the i


Indicated by the icon below D


e co


prequel Russian Roulette, Alex Rider himself makes a welcome return in a brand new, explosive mission. The story follows directly on from the events of Scorpia Rising, as a desolate Alex receives a clue that Jack Starbright could in fact be alive . . . It’s just as thrilling and action-packed as you’d hope. This remains a hugely popular series, so expect this to recruit a new generation of fans.


GRAPHIC NOVEL


VICTORIA JAMIESON ROLLER GIRL PUFFIN, 29TH, £7.99, PB,


9780141378992 Already a Newbery Honor winner in the


US, this big-hearted, tender story is set over one summer when life and friendships suddenly feel altogether more complex for 12-year-old Astrid. Signing up for Roller Derby camp is a life-changer. “I had looked danger straight in the eye—and I survived!” says Astrid, encapsulating the book’s inspirational message of empowerment, perseverance and finding your place in the world. The theme of finding and celebrating physical strength is unusual and very powerful. One to press into the hands of young girls everywhere.


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