New titles: Spring 2011

ANNABEL PITCHER: My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece
Ten-year-old Jamie Matthews has just moved to the Lake District with his Dad and his teenage sister, Jasmine for a 'Fresh New Start'. Five years ago his sister's twin, Rose, was blown up by a terrorist bomb. His parents are wrecked by their grief, Jasmine turns to piercing, pink hair and stops eating. The family falls apart. But Jamie hasn't cried in all that time. He is far more interested in his cat, Roger, his birthday Spiderman T-shirt, and in keeping his new friend Sunya a secret from his dad. And in his deep longing and unshakeable belief that his Mum will come back to the family she walked out on months ago.

MOIRA YOUNG: Blood Red Road
Every step of Saba's journey sizzles with danger... In a lawless land, where life is cheap and survival is hard, Saba has been brought up in isolated Silverlake. She never sees the dangers of the destructive society outside. When her twin brother is snatched by mysterious black-robed riders, she sets out on an epic quest to rescue him. The story's searing pace, its spare style, the excitement of its fabulously damaged world, its unforgettably vivid characters, its violent action and glorious love story make this a truly sensational YA debut novel.

JAMES PATTERSON: Maximum Ride: Angel  (7th Maximum Ride novel)
Fugitives Max Ride and her best friends have always had one another's backs. But now they're up against a mysterious and deadly force that's racing across the globe - and just when they need one another the most, Fang has left to  create his own gang. Max is heartbroken but with Dylan ready and willing to fight by her side, she can no longer deny that his incredible intensity draws her in. Max, Dylan, and the rest of their friends must soon join with Fang and his new gang for an explosive showdown in Paris.

JOSEPH DELANEY: The Spook’s Destiny  (Wardstone Chronicles 8)
The Spook, Tom and Alice flee. The only thing protecting Tom and Alice is the fragile and precious bloodjar. They must remain together and the jar intact - otherwise they are both at the mercy of the Fiend himself. Meanwhile Tom is recruited to tackle the evil mage alliance, on a mission which ultimately leads him to the possession of the Spook's Blade. A sword with a dark side and a thirst of its own for blood...

MICHAEL GRANT: Plague (4th in the Gone series)
The darkness has been foiled once again and the resurrected Drake has been contained. But the streets of Perdido Beach are far from safe, with a growing army of mutants fighting against the humans for power in the town. In a small room of a house near the edge of town, Little Pete lies ill on a bed. In his fevered dreams, he continues his battle with the hidden evil that seeks to use his power to bring about anarchy and destruction.

ANDY McNAB: Dropzone: Terminal Velocity
The Raiders skydiving (and covert ops) team investigate the brutal random murders of homeless teenagers.  At first no one really seems to care, but then one survives long enough to talk of being forced to fight in a cage, and the authorities suspect organised crime. But they have no luck cracking the impenetrable wall of silence surrounding the organisation, so  Ethan goes undercover...

SARAH SILVERWOOD: The Traitor’s Gate
It's Christmas-time, and Fin is back in Orrery House, with his friend Christopher trying to find some normalcy after their recent adventures, but they're badly missing Joe. He's stuck in the Nowhere, guarding two of the Five Eternal Stories that weave all the worlds together; they're held inside his own body. Christmas is a time of glad tidings and gifts and goodwill. But there is no Christmas in the Nowhere, and in both worlds, things are not as settled as they look. The Prophecy is coming alive. The Dark King is rising.

ROBIN JARVIS: Dancing Jax
A group of teenagers has decided to hang out in an old haunted house. Their leader Jezza goes down into the basement… and comes back up with a children’s book, full of strange and colourful tales.  Written by Austerly Fellows, a mysterious turn-of-the-century occultist, it just might be the gateway to something terrifying…and awfully final. As the children and teenagers of the town are swept up by its terrible power, swept into its seductive world, something has begun that could usher in hell on earth.

CHRIS PRIESTLEY: Mister Creecher
Billy is a street urchin, pickpocket and petty thief. Mr Creecher is a monstrous giant of a man who terrifies all he meets. Their relationship begins as pure convenience. But a bond swiftly develops between these two misfits as their bloody journey takes them ever northwards on the trail of their target ...Victor Frankenstein. Friendship, trust and betrayal form a dangerous liaison in this moving and frightening new book from the master of the gothic tale, Chris Priestley.

KENNETH OPPEL: Half Brother
13 year-old Ben Tomlin is an only child. So when his research-scientist parents bring home a baby chimp to raise as a human child, Ben's life is turned upside-down. Teaching a baby chimp how to understand language is not his idea of fun, but it isn't long before Zan's infectious personality endears him to everyone and he becomes a real member of the family. But just what will happen when he grows up and the experiment comes to an end? By the author of the excellent Airborn trilogy.
Have a look at his excellent website at http://kennethoppel.com/

MAL PEET: Life: an Exploded Diagram
Clem Ackroyd lives with his parents and grandmother in a claustrophobic home too small to accommodate their larger-than-life characters in the bleak Norfolk countryside. Clem's life changes irrevocably when he meets Frankie, the daughter of a wealthy farmer, and experiences first love, in all its pain and glory. The story is told in flashback by Clem when he is living and working in New York City as a designer, and moves from the past of his parents and grandmother to his own teenage years. Not only the threat of explosions, but actual ones as well, feature throughout in this latest novel from one of the finest writers working today.