A snow-dusted love story. In the Autumn of 1931, eighteen-year-old Freya Trevelyan runs away from her home in Cornwall to follow her dream of becoming an actress. When she is invited to join a theatrical company about to head out on tour, Freya thinks the path to success is clear, and, amidst all the glamour and bustle of stage life, she finds - for the first time - a place to belong. But can reality ever live up to her expectations? What if her life - and falling in love - turn out to be nothing like she planned? An enchanting coming of age romance about following your dreams - even when they aren't quite what you expected. Praise for A Sky Painted Gold: 'The perfect comfort read' Ella Risbridger, author of Midnight Chicken 'Pure escapism ... a wildly romantic, delicious indulgence' OBSERVER 'A brilliant, beautiful book' Louise O'Neill, author of The Surface Breaks 'Perfect for glamour-soaked summer escapism' MAIL ON SUNDAY

'I seemed to be seeing double. I saw two Edies instead of one - but they weren't the same.' Edie is fascinated by Victorian times, and she's just desperate to be cast in the lead role of her drama club production of Oliver. When she's given a real Victorian notebook she's determined to write the best story ever, all about a girl in a workhouse. But when she starts writing, something strange happens. Edie finds herself in Victorian London. She feels the same, but everything around her is completely different to what she knows. Soon, she realises she's living the life of another Edie Trimmer - and is in danger of being sent to a real workhouse! Will she forget everything she knows about her other life - and will she ever be able to make it back to her family? A heart-warming time travel adventure about family and friendship from the much-loved, bestselling Jacqueline Wilson. Discover Jacqueline Wilson's other bestselling titles: Little Stars Emerald Star Hetty Feather Project Fairy The Runaway Girls

During World War I, the Russian Tsar is dethroned and killed. His family, the Romanovs, and other noble families are killed and removed from their homes and palaces. This is a story about Michail who lives with his sisters and mother Princess Olga in the Romanovs' Palace while his father is away fighting in WWI. Suddenly Michail's childhood ends! His family flees to Moscow, then Paris. His sister Irini is born during their flight to Paris. In later years, Irini visits Saint Petersburg for the first time and goes to the palace where her family once lived to meet the people they used to know. The first in a series that mixes a fictional story with historical facts to explore being a teenager in different eras. Includes a glossary.

She was Queen of Scotland and of France, and a possible Queen of England; she was involved in a series of mysterious deaths; in the end she lost her head... But what was life really like for Mary, Queen of Scots? Put on your ruff and step into the sixteenth century for a unique glimpse into the dramatic life of the infamous queen. Mary's story is told from the perspective of her young servant Alec. Each easy-to-read chapter mixes the involving story of the queen's life with timelines, charts and revealing illustrations to create a Fact-tastic account that is both educational and emotionally engaging for younger readers. Take a journey through time and find out: -- Why did Mary become Queen of Scots when she was just six days old? -- What exotic animals lived with the young queen? -- How did Mary escape from Lochleven Castle? -- Why did Mary's cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, arrange her beheading? The Amazing Life of Mary, Queen of Scots continues the brilliant Fact-tastic series, which blends intriguing facts and fascinating fiction to bring the most exciting, gruesome and crucial moments of Scottish history alive for young readers.

Marcia Brown's powerful retelling of the story of Paka'a and his son Ku-a-Paka'a conveys the beauty and pomp of ancient Hawaii and recreates a life and culture of days now past. In this legend a brave young boy endeavors to restore his exiled father to his position as royal guardian and personal attendant to the king. How the boy's remarkable courage and ingenuity help his father regain his rightful place as "backbone of the king" is an eloquent, exciting narrative. Through the skillful meshing of authentic chants and taut prose, Marcia Brown gives the reader a memorable glimpse into a little-known folklore that can hold its own with the great legends of the world. Backbone of the King is inspired by "The Story of Paka'a and his son Ku-a-Paka'a," a Hawaiian legend that came to Marcia Brown's attention in the autumn of 1962, when she was visiting the islands. An inveterate traveler and storyteller, it was almost inevitable that she receive as a gift a collection of Hawaiian legends. When she returned to the islands the following year, she spent some twelve months painting and studying Hawaiiana. She also inquired into the background of the Paka'a story.

The most exciting debut of 2025 – an incredible fantasy Dark Academia, perfect for fans of Babel, Fourth Wing, and the Scholomance trilogy

EVERY FIRE STARTS WITH A SINGLE SPARK.

Welcome to Bletchley Park… with dragons.

London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivien Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules, get an internship studying dragon languages, and make sure her little sister never has to risk growing up Third Class. By midnight, Viv has started a civil war.

With her parents arrested and her sister missing, all the safety Viv has worked for is collapsing around her. So when a lifeline is offered in the form of a mysterious ‘job’, she grabs it. Arriving at Bletchley Park, Viv discovers that she has been recruited as a codebreaker helping the war effort – if she succeeds, she and her family can all go home again. If she doesn’t, they’ll all die.

At first Viv believes that her challenge, of discovering the secrets of a hidden dragon language, is doable. But the more she learns, the more she realises that the bubble she’s grown up in isn’t as safe as she thought, and eventually Viv must decide: What war is she really fighting?

An epic, sweeping fantasy with an incredible Dark Academia setting, a clandestine, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and an unputdownable story, filled with twists and turns, betrayals and secret identities, A Language of Dragons is the unmissable debut of 2025, from an extraordinary new voice.

Plots, spies and inventors abound in an epic adventure set between London and Paris ... Mischief is afoot, and Queen Victoria is not amused. Her stalker must be stopped. Forget the cavalry – this is a job for Her Majesty’s League of Remarkable Young Ladies! The League’s newest recruit is Winifred Weatherby, a feisty girl-genius and gadget-maker. Winnie’s creations are remarkable, but is she clever enough to protect the Queen – and achieve her own dream of winning the top prize in Paris for young inventors . . . ?  A debut Victorian romp and the winner of the Times/Chicken House Institution of Engineering and Technology Prize, 2021 A celebration of girls in STEM – and the hurdles they overcome  Combines fact and fiction: the novel draws on real-life historical inventions and events Perfect for readers aged 9 and up

From the Garden of Eden to Golgotha-the myth retold for young audiences. Discover the legend of the tree that would become the Cross of Christ. Grown from seeds gifted from the heavens, a magnificent tree participates in ancient history before becoming the crowning symbol of Christianity.

From the author of The Roman Mysteries comes a nail-biting time-travel adventure, set in London.

Billionaire Solomon Daisy is obsessed with the skeleton of a blue eyed African girl from Roman London. When his tech guys accidentally invent a time machine he decides to send London schoolboy Alex Papas on a mission. Time travel is easier for kids, and Alex knows Greek and a little Latin. The portable portal is placed in London's Mithraeum, recently relocated back to its original 3rd century AD site. Now all Alex has to do is go through and find the blue-eyed girl.

There are just three rules:

1. Naked you go and naked you must return.

2. Drink, don't eat.

3. As little interaction as possible.

But Time Travel is fun fair, and there are more ways to die in Roman London than Alex could have guessed.

Book 3 in the Christie and Agatha's Detective Agency series! 'The truth of the matter is that a number of valuable artefacts have been stolen. There is a thief at the dig!' During the excavation of an Egyptian pharaoh's tomb, Christie and Agatha find themselves at the heart of a mystery. Lord and Lady Carnarvon's dig is in jeopardy unless the thief at the site can be found. But time is quickly running out for the twins to wrap up the case and recover Tutankhamun's treasures. About the Christie and Agatha's Detective Agency series: It's not easy growing up in the 1920s. While Christie can usually be found up a tree or trying a spot of amateur engineering, her shy twin Agatha buries her nose in books and dreams of being a writer. The pair couldn't be more different. But when a scientific discovery goes missing, they find that together they make a winning combination and Christie and Agatha's Detective Agency is born. Join the twin detectives as they solve thrilling mysteries all over the world!

September 1939.

When Jimmy is evacuated to a small village in Wales, it couldn't be more different from London. Green, quiet and full of strangers, he instantly feels out of place.

But then he finds a skull hidden in a tree, and suddenly the valley is more frightening than the war. Who can Jimmy trust? His brother is too little; his best friend has changed.

Finding an ally in someone he never expects, they set out together to uncover the secrets that lie with the skull. What they discover will change Jimmy – and the village – forever.

A mesmerising mystery about bravery and brotherhood from an outstanding new voice.

The first book in Philip Pullman's classic Sally Lockhart quartet in a beautiful new edition. Soon after Sally Lockhart's father drowns at sea, she receives an anonymous letter. The dire warning it contains makes a man die of fear at her feet. Determined to discover the truth about her father's death, Sally is plunged into a terrifying mystery in the dark heart of Victorian London, at the centre of which lies a deadly blood-soaked jewel. Philip Pullman's ever-popular, action-packed Victorian melodramas are rejacketed for the bicentenary of Charles Dickens in 2012. Don't miss Philip Pullman's incredible HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy, now a thrilling, critically acclaimed BBC/HBO television series.