I'm very excited to be on the blog tour for The Royal Institute of Magic: The Shadowseeker by Victor Kloss. 
This is the second book in this thrilling middle grade fantasy series. In this novel we find apprentice Ben, our hero from book one, training to master the five departments of the Royal Institute. When he's visited by a mysterious elf, a Shadowseeker, Ben becomes suspicious that the elves are up to a sinister plan in order to bring his parents out of hiding. While trying to find them, he discovers the trail of a magical and ancient set of armour owned by Queen Elizabeth I.
The only issue is that this armour, the one thing that he feels can destroy the evil elf king, is guarded by something far more sinister than he can possibly imagine.
This is a wonderful, pacey and atmospheric series that are a huge hit the high school library that I manage. The perfect book for anyone who needs a good introduction to high stakes fantasy adventures, don't miss it!

I'm very excited to share the cover for Ministry of Mischief: The Takeover, the amazing new novel by the fantastic Alex Foulkes! 
Illustrated with humour and heart by the wickedly brilliant Nikolas Ilic, this impishly awesome book creeps its way into bookshops on 25th Sept and is the conclusion to the wonderful Ministry of Mischief series! 
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Teaser plot:

Something's gone very wrong in Impworld! Joining forces once more with their cheeky monster friends, Joey Joseph and the gang must race to save His Majesty the Imp King from his nemesis: THE SPRITE QUEEN! What will happen to the Ministry of Mischief and the Land of Bad Luck? Would YOU like to be lucky for ever and ever? 
I've had the pleasure of seeing Alex in action at multiple school events and I strongly recommend booking her for the new school year. Her author visits are hilarious, engaging and heartfelt and will have the students scrambling to read her amazing novels. If you'd like to book her, please email her at [email protected]
If you'd like to see more about her author visits and the impact she's had on our school, please go here.
Do not miss out on a chance to meet Alex in person, your students will be thanking you!

To pre-order this amazing book, go here!
​https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-takeover-alex-foulkes/7808403
https://www.waterstones.com/book/9781398524408
https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1398524409?tag=siscuk-21

I'm very excited to be on the blog tour for the final installment of the Greenwild series by Pari Thomson!

Once again filled with stunning illustrations by Elisa Paganelli, The Forest in the Sky is Daisy's final adventure a thrilling and magical land. Headed to the heart of the Amazon rainforest, Daisy and her friends embark on a quest to save the Botanists who have been taken prisoner. 

However, as they get closer to their goal, Daisy and Max are separated, with Max shipwrecked and stranded. As the Great Reaper draws near, the entire land known as Amazeria is in danger. Daisy must pull together every ounce of courage she has in order to save those around her that she loves, including the rainforest itself. 
This novel is absolutely bursting with energy and life, the world-building is top-notch, I was completely engrossed from start to finish. It's got a great moral centre and is full fantastic action scenes that will leave the reader breathless. 
The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and really help bring Daisy's story to life as the magic that courses through her is channeled, tested and honed. 
The Greenwild series has an intenst message, but a good one. It informs us about the cost of our environmental impact without hitting us over the heads, because the story that runs through it, like the Amazon river, is deep and strong. I highly recommend this novel to anyone ages 9+. 

It's my turn on the blog tour for The Lucky House Detective Agency! 

The story revovles around best friends Felix and Isaac, who spend most of their time at the Chinese food takeaway that is owned by Felix's parents. When Felix's family's cherished money tree plant is knocked over, Felix and Isaac get on the case to find out who the culprit is!
The problem is, their detective work lands them in hot water with their families! It's a really engaging and fun detective story that will spark curiosity and have the reader asking to see much more of these characters!
I had the pleasure of interviewing Scarlett about this novel, her Chinese heritage and much more! You can listen to the interview here! 

I'm very excited to be on the blog tour for A Place of a Thousand Wishes by Sarah Merrett! 

The novel is set in 1899, a boy named Mason makes and sells the world's best ice cream. However, a dangerous and mysterious stranger wants to end Mason's business for good. 

When Mason receives an invite to visit the home of the even more mysterious Darlington, he discovers that Darlington has the ability to make wishes come through via magic bubbles! Mason must then work out the real reason Darlington has invited him in and is giving him the chance to make his wishes come true. 
As the story progresses, Mason's own special powers come to light, helping him discover his family's history at the same time. This is a fun, mysterious and engaging read which is perfect for fans of Katherine Rundell! 

I'm very excited to be on the blog tour for the brand new novel by Jasbinder Bilan: Naeli and the Secret Song! 

It's a stunning story that investigates the history of Britain and India in the late 19th century. It also incorporates magical music, mystery and adventure!
My part of the blog tour is to provide a giveaway, so here we go!
I have one copy of Naeli and the Secret Song to give away to one lucky reader in the UK and Ireland. Please head over to my accounts on social media (@lucasjmaxwell) and retweet or repost for a chance to win! 

I'm very excigted to be on the blog tour of I Don't Do Mountains by Barbara Henderson!
I Don't Do Mountains is the story of Kenzie, someone who definitely does not enjoy hiking, walking in hills or outdoor exploration, especially with people she doesn't particularly like!
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'Raus!" 
I remember it well! My upbringing in the forested rolling hills of mid-western Germany featured this little word a LOT. ‘Out! Out you go.’
If the weather was dry (not always), and if my mother had work to do (always!), this was my lot: ‘raus!’ I grabbed my coat and whatever else was necessary (sunhat/woolly gloves and scarf etc etc). Never, however, a mobile phone because I am absolutely old enough for my childhood not to feature one of those. Children roamed free in my village.
As inhabitants of the house at the edge of the village, there was garden, then a field, then woods. A lot of trees, going on forever.
The forest was home to deer, wild boar, countless rabbits and foxes, and birdlife to die for. My treasured finds included an iridescent blue wing feather of a Jay. There were rocks and craters amid the trees which doubled in our games for the Wild West as easily as for Mars. All we needed was imagination and each other, my cousin Sam and I. We were well practised - an imagination dream team.
Even on the odd occasion that we remained in the real world, we would become temporary entrepreneurs, scouring the burn below the trees for sharp stones and crafting miniature stone age axes which we attempted to sell (please stop laughing) to unsuspecting passers-by - of which there weren’t many. Our efforts were not lucrative.
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Was the world entirely safe in those days? I do not believe so, no. Perhaps the general public did not have quite as much lurid knowledge of crimes against children then, but my parents must have known of them. And without mobile phones, we were certainly not able to call for help should someone take a fall or injure themselves. But letting youngsters roam free was the done thing then, period. And a part of me longs for those days again.
I found a real tension with this nostalgia when I became a parent myself. Would I feel equally at ease with simply opening the door and sending my children out with instructions not to be back before dinner? I found that I was not. I watched embarrassingly anxiously when my children climbed rocks above the beach and kept a watchful eye on the colourful dots moving across the landscape when allowing them to explore the hillside above, say, a holiday cottage. But to my dismay, my watchfulness went hand-in-hand with another unwelcome development – my children, especially my youngest, were very partial to screen-time. Screens were instant, entertaining and safe, and he liked them.
We tried our best to counter this – not wishing to vilify technology, which is a perfectly good tool in the parent’s toolkit, but encouraging our children out as often as we could, often as a whole family. We began volunteering for the RSPB and helped with the local
Wildlife Explorers. Weekend walks became the norm, often accompanied by loud protests.
And then the pandemic – suddenly, walks became precious. We became expert bird spotters and could not wait for the restrictions to ease so that we could venture out farther, longer.
Now all our children have left home. Perhaps it is the youngest who has surprised us the most. He spends his free time heading to the hills (he covered four Munros in a single walk last weekend!) In the summer, he plans to head to India for his first trekking trip in the Himalayas.
In a world where the freedom of my childhood is a distant memory, I wonder if books can be part of building the resilience and confidence to head outdoors in our young people. I am far from the stereotypical outdoor type, more munch cheeks than muscle. But I have come to realise that the wild places are for everyone, and whilst we should respect them, we should not be scared of them. It’s where we belong.
My hope is that my new book I Don’t Do Mountains will spark both confidence and curiosity in young minds. Perhaps, if we teach them to listen, they will hear the faraway call too:
‘Raus!’

ABOUT BARBARA HENDERSON​ 
Barbara Henderson is the award-winning author of a dozen books. Her historical and eco-fiction for children is widely studied in schools, and she has won two Young Quills Awards from the Historical Association. She was the inaugural Forth Bridge Writer-in-Residence. Barbara is based in the Scottish Highlands where she still teaches Drama – but she loves to travel and spread the story-love in schools. When she gets the chance, she likes to head to a coffee shop, a museum, a ruin or to the nearby hills. Her latest novel for children, contemporary mountain adventure I Don’t Do Mountains, is out now from Scottish Mountaineering Press.

Daisy has just turned eighteen, but is in no mood to celebrate. Her recent breakup with David has destroyed her first passion, the recorder. She is lost in a blur of low self esteem and depression.
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When the summer ends and school starts, Daisy meets Flora, who has a unique energy and a love of music, specifically being an alto in the choir. 

Despite the idea of David still lingering on the periphery of her mind, Daisy finds through Flora a path back to the recorder and her love of music. When a family scare deepens Daisy's anxiety and guilt, her relationship with Flora and music in general becomes much more complex.

This is a beautiful YA verse novel. 

Daisy is an extremely well-developed, complex and believable character that exudes all the frustration, rage and joy that an older teen can experience. She thinks of herself as an adult but also possesses the immaturity that is hard to shed as an eighteen year old. 

The novel is brimming with musicality, with each chapter being given a title that pairs with Daisy's love of music and her emotional state. As a verse novel, Solo strips away everything but the absolute essential to the story, there is a simmering energy to it that gives it an extra punch to the guts. O'Brien clearly is a master at developing inner agonies that crawl out from the page to wrap their tendrils around your heart. Solo is a deeply affecting novel that will leave you rooted to the floor, I loved it.

You can pre-order Solo from Kenny's bookshop here. 
You can listen to my interview with author Gráinne O'Brien here. 

I'm very excited to be on the blog tour for the fantastic and hilarious Unicorns in Uniforms by Tracy Curran and illustrated by Steve Wood! In this book, children ages 5+ can learnabout the importance of emergency services through fun and thrilling adventures!

Today, I'm very excited to share a a "Which Unicorn Are You?" Quiz from the author! Answers to the quiz are included, enjoy!

You’ve met the Unicorns in Uniforms team: Locke the police officer, Blaze the firefighter, Sunny the air and mountain rescue unicorn, Dash the paramedic and Aquarius the lifeguard but which emergency worker are you most like? Take this quick quiz to find out.


1) What type of job would you prefer?
a) A job that focuses on helping people.
b) A job that involves upkeeping the rules and making tricky decisions.
c) A job full of adrenaline, action and danger, where you have to stay calm but think quick.
d) A water-based job working with swimmers, boats, or sea creatures.
e) An adventurous job working in remote outdoor places with rather extreme weather.


2) How do you like to spend your spare time?
a) Spending time with friends, listening to their troubles, performing acts of kindness and making gifts for people.
b) Drinking coffee, eating and sleeping.
c) Cooking and cleaning and listening to loud music.
d) Being social, swimming, somersaulting, bouncing around and throwing parties.
e) Keeping fit, drinking smoothies and chilling out on the beach.

3) Which of these best describes your personality?
a) You’re kind, caring and always think of others.
b) You are sensible, level-headed and respect the rules.
c) You’re fierce, feisty and strong-willed. However, you’re also loyal and very protective of your loved ones.
d) You’re a party-goer; outgoing and social with lots of friends who you can have endless fun with.
e) You’re relaxed and chilled with a calm but positive nature.


4) How do you react to difficult situations?
a) You get a bit nervous and worry that you’re not doing the right thing.
b) You tackle things head on with no messing. However, sometimes you don’t think things through.
c) You dive into action but can let the stress get to you. Sometimes, your friends have to remind you to stay calm.
d) You rally your friends, smile and sort the mess out!
e) You stay cool, calm and collected, think things through and make a plan!










Answers:
Mostly A’s: You’re like Dash. Dash has a gentle nature and loves caring for others. She often worries about making mistakes or not doing enough to help but, actually, she goes above and beyond to put people at ease. She enjoys knitting and soaking in a calming bubble bath. She often gifts the things she makes to anyone who needs cheering up.
Mostly B’s: Locke is your unicorn! Locke is a stickler for the rules but can jump into a challenge without thinking, even though his heart is in the right place. He is brave and never afraid to face things…except when he’s asleep of course or enjoying a coffee and a yummy pastry.
Mostly C’s: You’re most like Blaze. Blaze has a fiery temper and little patience, but she is fiercely loyal and protective of her fellow unicorns and has a hidden heart of gold! Blaze enjoys listening to very loud music whilst cooking up spicy food and she loves things to be clean and organised.
Mostly D’s: Aquarius! Aquarius is fun, bubbly and loves a good party. She has lots of friends and spends hours devising complex routines with her synchronised swimming team. She loves being in the water – well, she is a unicorn of the sea after all – and, although she takes her job very seriously, she always approaches problems with a big smile and lots of energy.
Mostly E’s : You’re like Sunny! Sunny is one cool dude who prides himself on being stylish, healthy and relaxed. After a daily workout and a delicious smoothie, you’ll find him hanging out at the beach and messing about on his surf board. In the face of an emergency, Sunny likes to stay calm and form a plan. He’s a brilliant peacemaker and a great friend.