Book picks similar to
Hostage by Malorie Blackman


fiction
middle-grade
mystery
english

Ransom


Lois Duncan - 1966
    A loner whose uncle doesn’t even know he’s missing. An Army brat whose family will never be able to raise enough money. And a cheerleader who can’t count on her stepdad, but knows her father will come through.

Desirable


Frank Cottrell Boyce - 2008
    George is a self-confessed social reject who spends more time with his Warhammer figures than actual people - but when he's given a bottle of aftershave called Desirable, women can't resist him! How will he cope with his new-found popularity? And what will happen when the magic wears off?

Midnight


Jacqueline Wilson - 2003
    Now that Will has learned a shocking secret about his own past, things seem to be getting worse. Violet retreats further into her fantasy world built around the fairy characters created by her favourite author, Casper Dream. The arrival of Jasmine, a new girl at school who immediately befriends Violet, seems like it might change Violet’s life for the better and allow her to break free of Will’s spell. But is Jasmine a true friend?This is a magical and atmospheric novel, with fascinating insight into the world of a writer.

Goosebumps Series 10 Books Collection Set (Classic Covers)


R.L. Stine - 1997
    Stine's Goosebumps books have had a resurgence of late following the success of the film starring Jack Black. This collection contains 10 of the classic tales of terror - all with refreshed jacket artwork - that will give children a fright! A favourite with generations, among the books to give kids nightmares are Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes, The Haunted Car and the seminal Night of the Living Dummy - starring none other than Slappy the dummy. Having sold over 400 million copies around the world, these spooky books will be returned to time and time again by children who love nothing more than to get the creeps. Titles in this collection (10) Stay out of the Basement The Ghost Next Door Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes The Haunted Car Let's Get Invisible The Scarecrow Walks at Night The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb The Blob That Ate Everyone Night of the Living Dummy The Werewolf of Fever Swamp

The Black Book of Buried Secrets


Mallory Kass - 2010
    Their desperate hunt for the 39 Clues lies behind some of history’s biggest enigmas – the curse of the Hope diamond, the race to summit Mt. Everest, the wild life and death of Harry Houdini. And now – finally – the secrets are out. With an introduction by Rick Riordan, The 39 Clues: The Black Book of Buried Secrets reveals the shocking truth about history’s most notorious family.In full, lush color, The 39 Clues: The Black Book of Buried Secrets lays bare each hidden fact, concealed strategy, top agent, lost founder, secret base and hushed-up scandal of the Clue hunt. This complete guide to the Cahills contains information on all five branches, including the notoriously elusive Madrigals. The must-know information includes:-Full files on the enigmatic Man in Black.-The true purpose of the Madrigal branch.-The complete story of the fire that split the original Cahill family.-The truth about the night Hope and Arthur Cahill died.-Open access to the secrets of the Lucian, Ekaterina, Tomas and Janus branches.It’s never too late to join the hunt – especially with The 39 Clues: The Black Book of Buried Secrets to provide complete access to the Cahill’s most deeply-buried secrets.http://www.scholastic.com/kids/39clues/http://www.the39clues.com/

Boy, Missing: World Book Day 2022


Sophie McKenzie - 2022
      Cousins Ellen and Harlan have been forced to go on a family camping trip – the worst timing ever, because they’re in a huge fight.  So Ellen is happy when Harlan storms off into the woods, but her peace and quiet quickly turns to panic when he doesn’t come back.  Facing heart-stopping danger on the clifftops, will Ellen be able to find Harlan before it’s too late?

The Drained Brains Caper: Book 1


Trina Robbins - 2010
    But there's one thing you can count on in Chicagoland: weird things happen several times a day. Megan is a vegetarian, manga-reading haiku writer. She definitely doesn't fit in at Stepford Academy, her new summer school. The other students are happy to be in class. Too happy. And everyone looks and acts exactly alike. That's weird. Megan is determined to dig into Stepford's secrets, but soon she's in way too deep. Raf may be the only human being she knows who can help. But with zombified students, very mad scientists, and the school psychiatrist on their trail, they're going to need a whole lot more help. We did say that Chicagoland is weird. . .

Coraline and Other Stories


Neil Gaiman - 2009
    There's another mother and another father in this house and they want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. Coraline must use all of her wits and every ounce of courage in order to save herself and return home ... but will she escape and will life ever be the same again?Elsewhere in this collection, a sinister jack-in-the-box haunts the lives of the children who ever owned it, a stray cat does nightly battle to protect his adopted family, and a boy raised in a graveyard confronts the much more troubled world of the living. From the scary to the whimsical, the fantastical to the humorous, Coraline & Other Stories is a journey into the dark, magical world of Neil Gaiman.All other stories in this collection beside Coraline were originally published as M is for Magic.

The Girl from Felony Bay


J.E. Thompson - 2013
    He’s in a coma after his accident a year back, wherein he was framed for a terrible crime he didn’t commit. And their home, Reward Plantation, an idyllic spot on the eastern coast of South Carolina, had to be sold to pay off his debt to society. Abbey is stuck living with her uncle Charlie, who, even in the few hours a day when he’s sober, ain’t exactly your ideal parental role model.But it turns out the new family that moved into Abbey’s old house has a daughter named Bee. And she’s just as curious about all the No Trespassing signs and holes being dug out by Felony Bay, in the corner of what used to be Abbey’s home. It appears someone’s been poking around a mystery that dates all the way back to the Civil War—and it just might be the same someone who framed Abbey’s dad.Fresh, funny, and heartwarming, Girl from Felony Bay is the perfect book for fans of Rebecca Stead’s Liar & Spy and Sheila Turnage’s Three Times Lucky.

Driftwood


Cathy Cassidy - 2005
    Joey's parents love rescuing things and making them beautiful – their house is full of things made from driftwood, old glass and shells from the beach. Which is why the scraggy kittens the girls find in a bin at school end up living there. And when Paul moves in as Joey's foster brother, everyone thinks that maybe he needs rescuing too. But nobody knows quite how badly. At first, it's great – Hannah's brother befriends Paul, and the four of them hang out together. But then things start to go wrong. Paul is being bullied. Subtly at first – but quickly it gets dangerous. People aren't like driftwood or abandoned kittens and Hannah doesn't know how to rescue him. Paul doesn't want to be rescued – but with help, he can find a way to save himself.

A Tale of Time City


Diana Wynne Jones - 1987
    What does that say for the future of the world ... for the past ... for the present? Two Time City boys, determined to save it all, think they have the answer in Vivian Smith, a young Twenty Century girl whom they pluck from a British train station at the start of World War II. But not only have they broken every rule in the book by traveling back in time — they have the wrong person! Unable to return safely, Vivian's only choice is to help the boys restore Time City or risk being stuck outside time forever...

The Ruby in the Smoke


Philip Pullman - 1985
    Her knowledge of English literature, French, history, art and music is non-existent, but she has a thorough grounding in military tactics, can run a business, ride like a Cossack and shoot straight with a pistol.When her dear father is drowned in suspicious circumstances in the South China Sea, Sally is left to fend for herself, an orphan and alone in the smoky fog of Victorian London. Though she doesn't know it, Sally is already in terrible danger. Soon the mystery and the danger will deepen - and at the rotten heart of it all lies the deadly secret of the ruby in the smoke...

The Dark Hills Divide


Patrick Carman - 2003
    Alexa is curious about what lies beyond the massive ramparts that surround the city and the walled roads that link Bridewell to nearby towns; soon after town leader Thomas Warvold passes away, Alexa finds herself outside the walls, acquires a stone with remarkable powers, and discovers that she's meant to stop a potential war from occurring.[Author notes in a video blog at http://www.patrickcarman.com/wp-conte..., about the series reading order that the books in the original trilogy (The Dark Divide #1, Beyond The Valley of Thorns #2 and The Tenth City #3) should be read in that order and that Stargazer #4 read after the original trilogy. Otherwise is up to reader preference. Into The Mist, is a chronological prequel to the trilogy, but the story is told by characters on the boat where The Tenth City left off; it can be read before or after the original trilogy.]

The Riddles of Epsilon


Christine Morton-Shaw - 2005
    But then she encounters an eerie presence in an abandoned cottage, and her anger turns to fear when it begins to lead her through a series of creepy riddles. As she slowly unravels the mysteries of Lume, she finds the writings of Sebastian, a boy who lived one hundred years ago and whose life contains unsettling reflections of her own. To her horror, the dangers he unearthed in 1894 now begin to threaten Jess and her family . . . and if Jess does not unlock the riddles in time, she may lose her mother forever.

Invisible City


M.G. Harris - 2008
    One Boy.One Deadly Prophecy.One Heart-Stopping Adventure.Joshua's life was pretty cool - until his father was reported dead in an air crash in Mexico.Was it simply a tragic accident? Why was the plane miles off course? Were there really UFOs in the sky at the time of the crash?In the depths of the Mexican jungle, with a deadly international hit man on his trail, Josh must find the truth about an incredible, dangerous secret - and try to stay alive.