Book picks similar to
The Chocolate Factory Ghost by David O'Connell
middle-grade
fantasia
fantasy
lapset
Jorvik Calling
Helena Dahlgren - 2020
Soul Riders tells the heroic tale of four young girls who have been chosen by destiny to save the world from the ancient demon: Garnok and his band of dangerous Dark Riders. Lisa is a teenage girl who is still coming to terms with the tragic loss of her mother in a riding accident and has sworn never to go near a horse again until she met Starshine, a mysterious blue-maned steed who comes to her in dreams. New on the island of Jorvik, Lisa befriends Alex, Linda, and Anne. Under the guidance of mystical druids, they discover they each have a special bond to their horses that gives them magical powers. While trying to balance school, family, and friendships they have to figure out what it means to be a Soul Rider. They are attacked by the Dark Riders and the mysterious Mr. Sands discover that their horses are in danger. Instead of relying on their combined strength, they decide to split up on their quest to find answers and learn to fight back against their enemies. However, will it be too late before they realize their mistake?Jorvik Calling is the first installment in the epic, fantasy trilogy, Soul Riders, about magic, friendship, and horses bound to thrill all young equestrian fans.
Accidental Heroes
Lian Tanner - 2017
People disappear, trees sprout overnight. But no one believes in magic. To believe in magic would be disloyal…The devious Lord Rump and his granddaughter, Duckling, need a disposable boy, and Pummel, a farm boy looking for work in the city, fits the bill perfectly. Duckling is happy to tangle him in her grandpa's web, as long as Grandpa keeps his promise - that this will be his very last Scheme.Lord Rump's intrigues take both children into the Strong-hold of Berren - where time has stopped - and before long they are entwined in a plot to kill the heir to the Faithful Throne. If they want to protect the Young Margrave, and save themselves from an awful death, Duckling and Pummel must learn to use the magic that no one believes in.
Hotel Flamingo
Alex Milway - 2019
a tale of co-operation, ingenuity and fun, all brought to life in Milway's pitch-perfect words and pictures. Funny though it is - and it's certainly that - it's also truly heartwarming and uplifting. I'd love to book a room there myself.' PHILIP ARDAGH, bestselling authorAn enchanting four-book series featuring the adventures of Anna and her array of animal friendsWhen young Anna inherits a dilapidated once-grand hotel from her Great Aunt Mathilde, she's determined to restore it to its former glory. But this is no ordinary hotel - all of her staff and guests are animals! Anna soon rises to the challenge. Whether it's a flamingo, a penguin or a hippo knocking at the door, Anna is ready to welcome them all - with the help of her trusty sidekicks T Bear the doorman, Squeak the friendly mouse elevator, and Lemmy the lemur receptionist ... As she soon finds out, though, running an animal hotel is no easy task. Can Anna make Hotel Flamingo a success once more?
The Great Chocoplot
Chris Callaghan - 2016
She lives with her mum and dad and gran, has nosy neighbors who like to gossip, and really needs to think of a science project that will get her a good grade. But when news breaks of an impending chocopocalypse, her whole world—and the world at large—is thrown into utter chaos. With only six days left until no more chocolate, Jelly has a sneaking suspicion that something isn’t right. She and her gran investigate, picking up on a mysterious trail of clues. Is it really the dreaded chocopocalypse, or is there a mastermind behind the madness?
The Case of the Team Spirit
John Allison - 2013
Shauna, Charlotte, and Mildred just want to help the mysterious old immigrant woman keep her home. Jack, Linton, and Sonny just want to find out why the owner of the local football stadium has been plagued by a curse. If only the two groups could stop fighting with each other, they might realize there's a shared solution...Of course, when you're just starting your first year at Griswalds Grammar School, nothing matters quite as much as football, friends, stylish jackets, trading cards, or your nerdy teacher's fancy wife. And when all of these things are competing for your attention, just how are you supposed to find the time to solve mysteries, anyway?
City of Masks
Mary Hoffman - 2002
He wakes up in Bellezza (Venice) during carnival time and meets Arianna, a girl his own age who is disguised as a boy in the hope of being selected as one of the Duchessa's mandoliers. Arianna gives Lucien her boy's clothing and he is selected as a mandolier himself, becoming a friend of fellow-stravagante Rodolfo, the Duchessa's lover, and saving the Duchessa's life when she is threatened by an assassin hired by the powerful di Chimici family. For state occasions the Duchessa uses her maid Giuliana as a body-double but Guiliana commits the fatal mistake of revealing the secret to her fiance Enrico and a sequence of devastating consequences unravels. Meanwhile Lucien has met the original stravagante, the Elizabethan alchemist William Dethridge, and he begins to understand that he may be called to follow in his footsteps.
Arthur and the Minimoys
Luc Besson - 2002
. . for a champion. Arthur's grandfather disappeared four years ago. All he left behind are his notebooks full of stories about the Minimoys, a miniature people who are all less than one inch tall! But the Minimoys can't possibly be real . . . can they? Ten-year-old Arthur is about to find out, as a hidden message catapults him on an adventure wilder than he had ever imagined. He'll face mosquito-riding soldiers, a malevolent wizard, giant centipedes, and one very independent princess . . . and along the way he might discover that the littlest heroes can make the biggest difference.
The Good Thieves
Katherine Rundell - 2019
When Vita’s grandfather’s mansion is taken from him by a powerful real estate tycoon, Vita knows it’s up to her to make things right. With the help of a pickpocket and her new circus friends, Vita creates the plan: Break into the mansion. Steal back what’s rightfully her grandfather’s. Expose the real estate tycoon for the crook he truly is. But 1920s Manhattan is ever-changing and full of secrets. It might take more than Vita’s ragtag gang of misfits to outsmart the city that never sleeps. Award-winning author Katherine Rundell has created an utterly gripping tour de-force about loyalty, trust, and the lengths to which we’ll go for the ones we love.
Santa Claus and His Elves
Mauri Kunnas - 1981
Captures the excitement of Christmas as well as everyday life: elf school, Mrs. Claus's giant breakfasts and much more. Full-color illustrations.
The Neverending Story
Michael Ende - 1979
Its special story within a story is an irresistible invitation for readers to become part of the book itself. The story begins with a lonely boy named Bastian and the strange book that draws him into the beautiful but doomed world of Fantastica. Only a human can save this enchanted place by giving its ruler, the Childlike Empress, a new name. But the journey to her tower leads through lands of dragons, giants, monsters, and magic, and once Bastian begins his quest, he may never return. As he is drawn deeper into Fantastica, he must find the courage to face unspeakable foes and the mysteries of his own heart. Readers, too, can travel to the wondrous, unforgettable world of Fantastica if they will just turn the page...
The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: Fourteen Amazing Authors Tell the Tales
Chris Van AllsburgSherman Alexie - 2011
Thousands of children have been inspired to weave their own stories to go with his intriguingly titled pictures. And now, some of our most imaginative storytellers attempt to solve the perplexing mysteries of Harris Burdick. Enter The Chronicles of Harris Burdick to read this incredible compendium of stories: magical, funny, creepy, poignant, inscrutable, these are tales you won't soon forget.(front flap)
Departure Time
Truus Matti - 2007
Once inside, a fox offers her a chair. A suspicious rat acts like he has met her before. But she can't remember anything. Not even her own name.... At the hotel she finds more questions than answers. She hears piano music, but can't find the piano. And what about the pieces of paper flying around the plain? While she tries to mend these pieces together, the pieces in her mind start to come together as well. And then she remembers the question she really wants to be answered. DEPARTURE TIME is an amazing journey of a girl in two stories. There is the girl in the hotel with the fox and the rat. And there is the girl with a father who travels a lot and who suggests to write a story together. A story about talking animals. But she doesn't want to. She is angry with him, because he can't make her birthday in time. Again. The two stories slowly start to intertwine and come together in a surprising ending.
A Walk in Wolf Wood
Mary Stewart - 1980
There they meet Mardian, one-time servant and closest friend of Duke Otho, ruler of the country. He tells them a terrible secret - he is under the enchantment of the evil sorcerer Almeric, and is forced to assume a wolf's shape every night. Unable to return to the castle, the children are his only hope. And so John and Margaret disguise themselves as children of the court and embark on a thrilling and frightening quest to reveal Almeric's true nature and gain the Duke's confidence. But then Almeric becomes suspicious, and suddenly all their lives are in danger...
The Entirely True Story of the Unbelievable FIB
Adam Shaughnessy - 2015
Then a mysterious man asks for ABE and Pru’s help investigating mythical beings infiltrating the town, and that’s just one of the things Pru finds hard to believe. Soon Pru and ABE discover another world beneath the surface of their quiet town, where Viking gods lurk just out of sight. They must race to secure the Eye of Odin, source of all knowledge--and the key to stopping a war that could destroy both human and immortal realms. Author Adam Shaughnessy draws from classic lore to create a new world where uncertainty opens the door to magic and the last thing you should do is believe your own eyes.
You're a Bad Man, Mr Gum!
Andy Stanton - 2006
He's a complete horror who hates children, animals, fun, and corn on the cob. This book's all about him. And an angry fairy who lives in his bathtub. And Jake the dog, and a little girl named Polly, and an evil, stinky butcher all covered in guts. And there are heroes and sweets and adventures and everything.