Mrs F's Christmas Gift Suggestions by Jill Fenton

The Bletchley Riddle

jfe5 — 2024-11-20 07:56:33 UTC

In the early days of World War II, Jakob and Lizzie work to solve two mysteries - the Enigma code and the fate of their mother.

Ruta Sepetys is the queen of historical fiction - another winner! Anything by Sepetys is a guaranteed hit!

Impossible Creatures

jfe5 — 2024-11-20 07:58:09 UTC

A boy from the non-magical mortal world joins a girl in the hidden, magical world of the Archipelago to restore the magic that will save both worlds.

My favourite book from the past 12 months. Brilliant. Set for a sequel in 2025.

When Our Worlds Collided

jfe5 — 2024-11-20 12:38:33 UTC

When fourteen-year-old Shaq is stabbed outside of a busy shopping centre in Manchester, three teenagers from very different walks of life are unexpectedly brought together.

This was the deserved winner of various prizes in 2023. An engaging story that ponders the outcomes of young people based on their backgrounds.

In The Shallows

jfe5 — 2024-11-21 07:56:30 UTC

New Year's Day: A girl is brought to shore by fisherman - wild dark eyes, dark curls made darker and wilder by skin so pale she looks like an unfinished canvas. She knows she is called Nico, but other than that, she has no memory of why she was in the sea, or what came before.

Reunited with her ex-girlfriend Mara, the pair try to uncover the mystery of what happened to lead to the accident. But there could be a reason Nico has locked everything behind a door. One day, she's going to be brave enough to open it, and what will happen to her then? What will happen to them?

This is the new book by Tanya Byrne; a popular author at Cheney

Heroes

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 15:12:49 UTC

A fictionalized account of the Pearl Harbor attack through the lens of two young American boys, one white and one with Japanese ancestry.

Alan Gratz is a perennially popular author at Cheney - his books are never on the shelves. Start with Refugee if your young person hasn't already read it!

The Boy In The Suit

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 15:14:41 UTC

With money tight, 10 year-old Solo's mum Morag is forced to come up with imaginative solutions to their money woes, like crashing funerals for a free meal...

I haven't read this one yet but there have been a lot of positive reviews.

Signed Sealed Dead

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 15:21:54 UTC

When Paige and her family move across the Atlantic to her father's hometown, she starts to uncover the town's dark history about a string of unsolved murders and disappearances in 1995 linked to the Shorehaven Ripper, who was never caught.

A cracking mystery; a proper page turner!

Curious Tides

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 15:23:50 UTC

An atmospheric dark academia fantasy set in a world of lunar magic, secret societies and dangerous friendships.

An excellent debut novel - should appeal to those students who enjoyed the Reckless novels.

Keedie

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 15:31:34 UTC

Before there was Addie, there was Keedie. Five years before the events of 'A Kind of Spark', Keedie is figuring out how to be her bold, brave self in a town that wants her to be quiet.

Just brilliant - really readable.

Nothing Like the Movies

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 15:37:10 UTC

Wes had his dream girl but then he lost her - and the only way to get her back is to scheme like a rom-com hero...

A safe cosy read for a dark evening.

Mallory Vale and the Curse of Maggoty Skull

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 15:38:43 UTC

A young girl with unusual powers has to rescue the ghosts of her recently-deceased parents when they are kidnapped by an evil spirit.

The Blackwell's Book of the Month for November - great fun and suitably spooky.

Midnights With You

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 15:44:11 UTC

Follows the story of seventeen-year-old Deedee. She feels trapped in her stifling home, burdened by family ghosts and unanswered questions.

A really impressive debut novel. I loved this one.

Burn

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 15:46:57 UTC

Mid-west USA, FBI Agents, alternate worlds. Oh, and dragons.

Bonkers brilliant stuff from the author of A Monster Calls and The Knife Of Never Letting Go.

The House In The Woods

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 15:50:47 UTC

When a new family moves into a house in Pendle, they discover a witch's bottle filled with curses.

A brilliant start to the book - really holds the reader.

Dark Matter

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 15:52:43 UTC

Set in 1937, a young 28-year-old physicist goes on a scientific expedition to a remote Arctic island, but discovers that it is haunted by an evil presence bent on revenge

A great teen/adult crossover novel. A proper ghost story, best not read in the dark. I couldn't sleep after reading this!

Gwen and Art Are Not In Love

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 15:56:58 UTC

Gwen, the quick-witted Princess of England, and Arthur, future duke and general gadabout, have been betrothed since birth. Unfortunately, the only thing they can agree on is that they hate each other.

When Gwen catches Art kissing a boy and Art discovers where Gwen hides her diary (complete with racy entries about Bridget Leclair, the kingdom's only female knight), they become reluctant allies.

Winner of the YA Book Prize 2024

Tomorrow When The War Began

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 16:09:31 UTC

When 17-year-old Ellie goes on a camping trip in the wilderness with six of her friends, they return to their home town to find that their country has been ravaged by war.

Recommended by Ms Oosterbeek - a great follow on read for fans of the CHERUB series. Probably better for years 8 and 9.

Thunder City

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 16:14:20 UTC

A young fighter who is trained in combat against robots finds herself part of a fight against a brutal rebellion in her city.

The latest in the Mortal Engines series (v popular amongst Cheney readers)

Young Gothic

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 16:17:00 UTC

Eve, Griffin, Hal and Ren embark on a summer they'll never forget at the birthplace of all things Gothic. The summer is beset by mysterious happenings, as the monsters they create begin to clamber out of their minds.

Perfect for fans of all things gothic and Stranger Things. By the author of the popular S.T.A.G.S. series.

Where Sleeping Girls Lie

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 16:20:09 UTC

This was a mistake, the voice in her head whispered. You should never have come... Sade Hussein is the new girl at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy. She has no idea what to expect of her mysterious new boarding school - an institution steeped in tradition and secrets. But she certainly didn't imagine her roommate, Elizabeth, to go missing on her first night. Or for people to think Sade had something to do with it.

By the author of the Cheney favourite, Ace Of Spades. Best for 14+ - some trigger warnings for this title.

The Things We Leave Behind

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 16:21:51 UTC

After years of a growing totalitarian regime, civil unrest in London has reached an all-time high, and it’s no longer safe to stay in the city. Fleeing with nothing but her half-sister Billie, a notebook filled with stories and memories of home, Clem must make the treacherous journey to Edinburgh, first by road and then by boat. What waits for the sisters on the other side – the start of a new life, or a mirror held up to the past?

A thriller and a social commentary - excellent.

Birdie

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 16:24:51 UTC

Birdie is sent to live with her great-aunt in 1950s Yorkshire and befriends the village's last remaining pit pony.

A brilliant historical adventure.

The Spectacular Science of Buildings

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 16:33:08 UTC

Kay's Incredible Inventions

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 16:34:17 UTC

Stolen History

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 16:35:23 UTC

Alastair Campbell Talks Politics

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 16:36:45 UTC

Atomic Habits

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 16:39:02 UTC

The Psychology of Money

jfe5 — 2024-12-06 16:39:34 UTC