#Six for Sunday: 2019 books I’m excited for!

Time for another #SixforSunday hosted by A Little But a Lot.  I’ve taken this to mean books that have not yet been published this year, but which I really want to read.  With the wealth of new middle-grade fiction being published by both new and more established children’s authors, it is no wonder my TBR pile is ever-increasing.  These are the books I am looking forward to adding to my home bookshelves initially, and then to my class library.  No doubt, I will find, and purchase, many others between June and October! I’ve listed these in order of publication date:

6^th June:  The Longest Night of Charlie Noon by Christopher Edge (Published by Nosy Crow).

Description from Publisher:

“If you go into the woods, Old Crony will get you.”

Secrets, spies or maybe even a monster… What lies in the heart of the wood? Charlie, Dizzy and Johnny are determined to discover the truth, but when night falls without warning they find themselves trapped in a nightmare. Lost in the woods, strange dangers and impossible puzzles lurk in the shadows. As time plays tricks, can Charlie solve this mystery and find a way out of the woods? But what if this night never ends…?

A timeless novel for anyone who’s ever felt lost. From the award-winning author of The Many Worlds of Albie Bright and The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day.

I absolutely loved The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day:  it has one of the best plot twists I have ever read in a children’s book, and really earns the title ‘unputdownable’ and ‘unforgettable’.  This makes me incredibly excited for Charlie Noon and, in fact, I have already pre-ordered it.

13^th June:  The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell (Published by Bloomsbury)

Description from Publisher:

Vita set her jaw, and nodded at New York City in greeting, as a boxer greets an opponent before a fight.

Fresh off the boat from England, Vita Marlowe has a job to do. Her beloved grandfather Jack has been cheated out of his home and possessions by a notorious conman with Mafia connections. Seeing Jack’s spirit is broken, Vita is desperate to make him happy again, so she devises a plan to outwit his enemies and recover his home.

She finds a young pickpocket, working the streets of the city. And, nearby, two boys with highly unusual skills and secrets of their own are about to be pulled into her lawless, death-defying plan.

Katherine Rundell’s fifth novel is a heist as never seen before – the story of a group of children who will do anything to right a wrong.

I loved both The Wolf Wilder and The Explorer, both very different books, but Katherine’s story-telling is incredible, so I know I’m going to love The Good Thieves.

13^th June:  The Garden of Lost Secrets by A.M Howell (Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd).

Description from Publisher:

October, 1916. Clara has been sent to stay with her aunt and uncle while England is at war. But when she reaches their cottage on an enormous country estate, Clara is plunged into a tangle of secrets… A dark, locked room, a scheming thief, and a mysterious boy who only appears at night.

Clara has a secret of her own too – a terrible one about her brother, fighting in the war. And as the secrets turn to danger, Clara must find the courage to save herself, and those around her…

Secrets, mystery and bravery meet in this gripping historical adventure.

Reading this, I am reminded of The Secret Garden which was one of my absolute favourite books growing up, so I am intrigued by this one.

4^th July:  The Last Spell Breather by Julie Pike (Published by Oxford University Press).

Description from Publisher:

A stunning fantasy debut, enter the unique world of the Spell Breathers.

Rayne had always known that word magic was powerful, but she didn’t know how fragile it was. Not until the day she dropped her mam’s spell book and brought the monster plague to Penderin.

My absolute go-to genre is fantasy, and this sounds like it will be a very special read with some unique magic-making.  And, I want to know more about the fox on the front cover!

5^th September:  The Girl Who Speaks Bear by Sophie Anderson (Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd).

Description from Publisher:

They call me Yanka the Bear. Not because of where I was found – only a few people know about that. They call me Yanka the Bear because I am so big and strong.

Found abandoned in a bear cave as a baby, Yanka has always wondered about where she is from. She tries to ignore the strange whispers and looks from the villagers, wishing she was as strong on the inside as she is on the outside. But, when she has to flee her house, looking for answers about who she really is, a journey far beyond one that she ever imagined begins: from icy rivers to smouldering mountains meeting an ever-growing herd of extraordinary friends along the way.

Interwoven with traditional stories of bears, princesses and dragons, Yanka’s journey is a gorgeously lyrical adventure from the best-selling author of The House With Chicken Legs.

I am a huge fan of folklore (I grew up in Ireland and was immersed in Irish folklore), so am fascinated by Sophie’s use of Russian folklore in her stories.  I can’t wait to find out more about Yanka!  I have pre-ordered this one, and have received a gorgeous hand-stamped print. 

17^th October:  Shadows of Winterspell by Amy Wilson (Published by Pan Macmillan)

Description from Publisher:

Enter the thousand worlds of Amy Wilson in her captivating novel, Shadows of Winterspell, sparkling with frost and magic.

Stella has been living behind the magic of the forest for most of her life. Lonely, she enrolls at the local school, and as she begins to make friends, she discovers that she is even more different than she thought. But as autumn turns to magical winter, Stella realizes that uncovering her own family secret is the only way to release the forest from the grip of a dark and old magic.

I read Snowglobe last Christmas and loved the story of Clementine and her magical connection to the house of snow globes!   This sounds like it will be another perfect wintry read from Amy.

Has anyone already been lucky enough to read any of these?  What did you think?