Scholastic Books New Titles

     All you need to know about books at www.booksmonthly.co.uk                                                     Issue 4 July 2008

 Reviews

 Feature Articles & Stories

 Publishers' July Titles

     »Accent Press

     »Allison and Busby

     »Bettany Press

     »Bloomsbury Publishing

     »Book Palace

     »Book-Promotion

     »Carlton/Prion Publishing

     »Classical Comics

     »Collins Publishing

     »Dorchester Publishing

     »Dorling Kindersley

     »Ebury Press Publishing

     »Egmont Publishing

     »Fidra Books

     »Girls Gone By Publishers

     »Harcourt Publishing

     »Harper Collins UK

     »Harper Non Fiction

     »Harper Collins US (EOS)

     »Hodder Publishers UK

     »Icon Books

     »Little, Brown

     »Macmillan Children's

     »Michael O'Mara/Buster Books

     »Orbit/Atom Publishing

     »Orion Publishing

     »Penguin Books

     »Profile Books

     »Puffin Books

     »Random House UK

     »Robert Hale

     »Scholastic

     »Simon & Schuster

     »Telos Publishing

     »Transworld Publishing

The menu is self-explanatory - try it and see for yourselves. The magazine is arranged into three main sections, REVIEWS, FEATURE ARTICLES and STORIES, and NEW & COMING SOON TITLES. The latter section is a little like a bookshop where you can browse what's new for this month, but it is arranged by Publisher, as this is the easiest way for me to do it. Let me knowwhat you think...

If you were lucky, and you're a dad, you might have received a copy of this fantastic book on Father's Day! Neil Oliver, the historian from the smash BBC series COAST, retells the stories that inspired us to be better men during the last century. He laments... more

Amanda Greenslade is a fantasy writer, like me (except she's young enough to be my granddaughter, and therefore has time on her side!). Her ASTOR CHRONICLES look fantastic, and I hope it won't be long before she finds a publisher. In the meantime, there's an interview with Amanda in this issue, together with information on TALON, the first book in the series.

KELLEY ARMSTRONG's latest book, THE SUMMONING, is so good I had to give it joint book of the month in the fantasy section; Kelley never lets you down, and this is a terrific read, chilling and entertaining at the same time - don't miss it!

And don't forget to let me know what you think of this issue of BOOKS MONTHLY ~ you can e-mail me at editor@booksmonthly.co.uk

Last weekend the fourth INDIANA JONES movie smashed box office records with takings estimated to be in excess of £148m - there are lots more great new Indy books reviewed in this issue, see the Feature Articles and Stories menu above

All of the titles listed or reviewed in Books Monthly are available from the store. Click on the Amazon logo to check availability as many are not yet published.

R L STINE: REVENGE OF THE LIVING DUMMY ~

 

Fright-master R.L. Stine invites you on an all-new, all-terrifying adventure! The thrill ride begins when 12-year-old Britney Crosby encounters an old ventriloquist's dummy with a lively secret - and a wicked plan. Just when she thinks the nightmare is over, Britney receives an invitation to an amusement park where everything is not as it seems. Who - or what - is summoning ordinary kids to Horror Land? Britney and her friends must find out fast - or remain trapped forever in the scariest place on Earth.

R L STINE: MONSTER BLOOD FOR BREAKFAST !

 

Fright-master R.L. Stine invites you on an all-new, all-terrifying adventure. When Matt ordered a container of Monster Blood from a weird website, his only intention was to play a harmless practical joke. But the joke's on him - and so is the mysterious green ooze. He's even eaten some of it. As if Matt's problems weren't big and slimy enough, an invitation to HorrorLand is also on its way. Can Matt and his sister survive inside a terrifying scream park where trouble lurks behind every turnstile? Can 'You'?

R L STINE: CREEP FROM THE DEEP ~ Fright-master R.L. Stine invites you on an all-new, all-terrifying adventure. Billy and his sister, Sheena, unwittingly dive into a terrifying mystery when they accept a surprise invitation to HorrorLand - the amusement park that always lives up to its name. But first Billy and Sheena must sink or swim aboard a doomed ship that happens to be underwater - with a captain who happens to be dead. At least, he used to be.

 

 

R L STINE: THE SCREAM OF THE HAUNTED MASK ~

After the worst Halloween ever, Carly-Beth assumed that nothing could be scarier than a drooling rubber mask with a mind of its own. But now Carly-Beth has discovered something far scarier: an entire house full of haunted masks. If Carly-Beth can survive the night, even a terrifying amusement park like HorrorLand might seem like a vacation. Then again, maybe not.

 

 

R L STINE: GOOSEBUMPS NIGHT OF THE LIVING DUMMY ~ Something scary is happening in "Goosebumps Horrorland", the all-new, all-terrifying series by R. L. Stine. Just how scary? You'll never know unless you crack open this classic prequel. Discover the fan-favourite thriller and chiller that first introduced the world to the wooden face of fear. The puppet who pulls all the strings. None other than Slappy the Dummy.

 

 

RACHAEL WING: LOVE STRUCK ~

Glam new girl Emily is causing waves at school, but Holly's not impressed. She can't understand what all the boys see in her - especially when it comes to Jonah, Holly's secret crush, and Wes, her best friend. But, when Holly, Wes, Jonah and Emily get tickets to the hottest music festival of the summer, the scene is set for all kinds of romantic muddle, mayhem, and a touch of magic...

 

 

KATE CANN: POSSESSING RAYNE ~ Rayne couldn't wait to get away from everything: her mum, her boyfriend, the estate. But the solitude of Morton's Keep isn't all she thought it would be. It's eerie and more than a little creepy. When she meets St John, Rayne forgets her worries; he's like no one she's ever met. So why is everyone warning her away from him? She knows there's something people aren't telling her. But how can she find out the secrets everyone wants to keep hidden ...and more importantly, know who to trust?

 

 

KELLY McKAIN: FAIRY PARTY ~ Do you believe in fairies? Katie has four fairy friends living in her doll's house! It's Katie's birthday and the fairies decide to throw her a very special party!

 

 

 

 

KELLY McKAIN: FAIRY FLYING LESSONS ~  Do you believe in fairies? Katie has four fairy friends living in her doll's house! When the fairies find a lost baby bird they know they have to get it back to its mother ...quickly. But first they need to teach it how to fly!

 

 

 

TERRY DEARY: TOMB OF TREASURE ~ Phoul Pharaoh Tutankhamun has died and is about to be buried. It's master-thief Antef's big moment - can he and his crew of criminals pull off the biggest tomb-robbery of all time and empty Tut's tomb of its richest treasures? Find out in this Awful Egyptian adventure, it's got all the gore and so much more!

 

 

 

KJARTAN POSKITT & PHILIP REEVE: PANTOLOGY ~ Warning: this book contains peculiar and painful pants. Join Sir Horatio Snaptwang on a hilarious tour of his Museum of Pantology as he reveals everything from the mythical golden pants of Egyptian Queen Parpunsniffet, to Brunel's legendary suspension pants. It's pant-astic.

 

 

 

JO LODGE: NOISY FARM ANIMALS ~ Little ones will love listening out for the noisy farm animals in this big, bright pop-up book. Everyone can join in with the noisy 'moo's', 'baa's', 'neigh's and plenty of real' farm animals noises. With simple, rhythmic texts and playful illustrations this book is guaranteed to be a real page-turner.

 

 

JO LODGE: NOISY THNIGS THAT GO ~ Little ones will love listening out for the noisy 'things that go' in this big, bright pop-up book. With 'real' noises on every spread, you can 'honk, honk' your truck, 'vroom, vroom' your car and 'whoosh' your plane. With simple texts and playful illustrations this book is guaranteed to be a real page-turner.

 

 

R L STINE: DR MANIAC vs ROBBY SCHWARTZ ~ Robby creates his own comic strips so he can freak out his friends and family. His favourite character is Dr Maniac, a villain with a wicked grin and evil superpowers. And now Dr Maniac is on the loose ...in the real world! Will Robby survive his encounter with Dr Maniac and join the other kids who have been summoned to HorrorLand? Either way, danger is drawing closer and closer...

 

 

R L STINE: GOOSEBUMPS DEEP TROUBLE ~ Something scary is happening in "Goosebump's Horrorland", the all-new, all-terrifying series by R. L. Stine. Just how scary? You'll never know unless you crack open this classic prequel! In "Deep Trouble", find out why Billy Deep and his sister, Sheena, are afraid of dark lagoons, coral reefs, and anything that appears to be half-human, half-fish!

 

 

CELIA REES: THE STONE TESTAMENT ~ Zillah is a Child of the Sixth Dawn but she has stumbled on the fraudulent basis of the cults claims. So when they are all ordered to commit suicide, Zillah contrives to survive. But the leader also survives and he must prevent Zillah from revealing what she knows. Meanwhile Adam, brought up by the religious order The Temple, discovers his long-last father very ill in hospital. His father's few possessions include a collection of letters and documents, which reveal an extraordinary history of occult practice. And he realises that the Temple want him and his father out of the way. This absorbing and complex novel is a masterpiece of suspense by a highly successful and acclaimed author of "Witch Girl", "Pirates" and "The Wish House".

GUY BASS & ROSS COLLINS: GORMY RUCKLES: MONSTER BOY ~ Gormy Ruckles is determined to be the most fearsome monster the world has ever seen! But when his father sets him a tall task - to scare a sheep - Gormy realises there might be more to monstering than he first thought.

 

 

 

GUY BASS & ROSS COLLINS: GORMY RUCKLES: MONSTER MISCHIEF ~ Gormy is fed up with everyone telling him he isn't monstrous enough yet. Why won't anyone give him a chance? And with a mysterious creature wreaking havoc all through the house, Gormy is going to need to be more than scary!

 

 

 

NICK ARNOLD: BULGING BRAIN EXPERIMENTS ~ This title features experiments with the squishy bits left in. What's going on between your ears? Why not try these brain-baffling experiments and find out? Find out how to trick your brain. Test your rotten reflexes. Look at some scary and sinister illusions. The title contains over 20 brain-bending experiments to blow your mind.

 

 

 

IAN BECK: ALONE IN THE WOODS ~ Teddy has been left behind to guard the picnic. But WHOOSH! goes the wind and Lily's kite lifts off carrying Teddy up in the sky. WHEEE! This is fun! But the wind drops and Teddy tumbles down into the trees. BUMP! Goes Teddy as he lands. How will he get back? Teddy is ALONE IN THE WOODS.

 

 

 

IAN BECK: LOST ON THE BEACH ~ When Lily goes to buy an ice-cream, she leaves Teddy to guard the sandcastle. But WHOOPS, a puppy tugs at his towel and bump, bump, BUMP goes Teddy across the sand. This is fun, he thinks - until the tide starts to come in...

 

 

 

IAN BECK: LOST IN THE SNOW ~ It's snowing outside and Lily goes out to play. She leaves Teddy sitting on the window legde but all of sudden, whoosh, Teddy finds himself on an adventure in the snow. Soon the snow falls harder and Teddy starts to get cold, then he realises he's lost. Will Teddy ever find his way back to Lily again? This is a fun-packed picture book, full of adventure!

 

Books Monthly (formerly Gateway Monthly) is published by Paul Edmund Norman on the first day of each month. You can contact me via e-mail at: editor@booksmonthly.co.uk. If you'd like to get a story published in Books Monthly just e-mail it to me and I'll consider it - no payment though, I'm afraid!