The Perfect Half-term Reads!

Not sure how to occupy your time this half-term? Need inspiration on what to read next? Check out our recommendations on the perfect half-term reads to keep you entertained and make time fly by!

Dive back into your favourite series

Adam Blade is back with the newest instalment in the 'Beast Quest' series with Gargantua, The Silent Assassin. Tom and Elenna's latest adventure has taken a sinister turn: Gargantua the Silent Assassin is a monstrous snake-beast with metal scales that can withstand any weapon. How can our heroes hope to defeat this enemy?

Harley Hitch is back with another inventive adventure: Harley Hitch and the Missing Moon. When the circus comes to town, Harley's curiosity get the better of her - and she accidentally breaks a cabinet that makes things magically disappear! Soon after, everyone realizes that the moon has gone missing. Time is speeding up, wildlife at night is getting disorientated by the darkness, and there's no more tide. Is Harley to blame? Can she sort out the mess before it's too late?

Join Greg Heffley and his family as they hit the road for a cross-country camping trip in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End. Things take an unexpected turn, and they find themselves stranded at an RV park that's not exactly a summertime paradise. When the skies open up and the water starts to rise, the Heffleys wonder if they can save their vacation - or if they're already in too deep.

Don't miss the newest addition to Daisy Meadows' Gold Medal Games Fairies series: Soraya the Skiing Fairy. When Rachel and Kirsty compete in the school Gold Medal Games, trouble seems to be around every corner. Naughty Jack Frost and his mischievous goblins are determined to sabotage the games and Rachel and Kirsty must do everything they can to help Soraya the Skiing Fairy to save the skiing event. 

Gangsta Granny Strikes Again in this sequel from David Walliams! Ben is getting used to life without his beloved granny. She was a cabbage enthusiast, a Scrabble partner and an international jewel thief known as The Black Cat. Now, only the memory of her extraordinary adventure to steal the crown jewels lives on. Then something inexplicable happens. World-famous treasures are stolen in the dead of night and the clues point to none other than The Black Cat! But that's impossible?

Dig into some bite-sized fun from Liz Pichon in Ten Tremendous Tales. This is a laugh-out-loud, fully illustrated collection of stories starring Tom Gates and his friends, family, and foes!

Try something brand new

Trees are storykeepers, witnesses to magic and history in The Girl Who Talked to Trees. From far away, a girl tumbles like a leaf into our world. She makes a promise, discovers the secrets of an ancient oak, rescues a boy from a medieval hunt and much more. With a conservation message and facts about tree science alongside the magic and beauty of seven beautifully imagined original stories, this full colour book enchants and reminds us of the importance of trees in our lives. 

Join the troublemakers in Joanna Nadin's The Worst Class in the World Dares You! Head teacher Mrs Bottomley-Blunt thinks 4B is the worst class in the world. But best friends Stanley and Manjit don't care. They have a foolproof plan to catch nits and beat everyone else at dares! It just might mean a lot of mischief.

Experience magic, mayhem and fun in Maggie Sparks and the Monster Baby. Maggie Sparks does NOT want a baby brother! Especially not one who is noisy, smelly and gets ALL the attention. The good thing is, Maggie's a witch. A super powerful, super smart, super talented witch - who sometimes gets her spells wrong. But that won't stop her finding a way to win back her mum and dad from the evil monster baby. Especially when she's got Bat, her pet chameleon, to help. All she needs is a little magic.

When your best friend is a unicorn, magical adventures are guaranteed. Imagine a school where you meet your own unicorn and have amazing adventures together! That's what happens for the students at Unicorn Academy on beautiful Unicorn Island in Julie Sykes' Flame and Ivy. Ivy loves her adventurous unicorn, Flame. They're having loads of fun exploring Unicorn Academy while they search for a mysterious hidden treasure! Ivy is over the moon when Flame starts to discover his magic, but he's struggling to control it. Can they learn how to use his Flame's magic safely before he breaks something that can't be fixed?

Borrow The Homesick Kitten by best-selling author Holly Webb for a heart-warming tale of familial love. Harper loves spending time with her gorgeous new kitten, Sammy. He likes sitting in the window, exploring their flat and playing in the garden. But then Harper and her family have to move in with her gran after she has a bad fall, and everything changes. Sammy doesn't feel at home at Gran's house. He misses the smells and sounds of the flat, his real home. So when he spots an opportunity to go back, he takes it. But Sammy soon discovers home is more than just a building, it's where your family are.

Victorian London, 1851. Queen Victoria is on the throne and the Great Exhibition is about to open in The Runaway Girls by Jacqueline Wilson. Lucy Locket lives with her father, the New Mother and the New Baby. They sent away her beloved Nurse and replaced her with a horrid governess. Kitty Fisher is a street performer who earns tin for her supper by tumbling. She has always lived on the street and on her wits, with only the kind Gaffer to help her. But now Gaffer is gone, and Kitty is all alone. When Lucy runs away from home, Kitty shows Lucy how to survive. But the streets of Victorian London are dangerous and soon the girls find themselves under threat from thieves - and even worse.

Something a bit more hands-on

Dip into Sunday Fun Day: A Nature Activity For Every Weekend of the Year by Katherine Halligan or Explore Nature: Ideas and Activities for Outdoor Adventures Through the Seasons by Emily Hibbs to find the perfect thing to do for this time of year! 

If you're a Lego fan, then you have to check out Mighty LEGO Mechs by Julia March. From Lloyd's Titan Mech to Spiderman's Spider Mech, discover all the most fearsome LEGO mechs and what gives them the edge in battle. Find out how many mechs Batman has, and read about all the battle features of LEGO Jurassic World's Dino-Mech. See awesome mechs go head-to-head, plus read how you can up-spec your mech. 

Or if you love puzzle books and Fortnite, Jomike Tejido's Where's Jonesy? Loot Hunt is perfect for you! Put your sharp eyes to good use with this exciting book. Find all the hidden outfits and items concealed in these ten exclusive pieces of original artwork. But watch out - there are plenty of sneaky traps to trick the unwary. 

For Young Adults

Artichoke Hearts author Sita Brahmachari is back with a new book When Shadow's Fall. After suffering a huge loss, Kai is drawn on to a dangerous path. With the help of those who love him, will he find his way back?

For mystery fans, One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide. Put on your Sherlock Holmes investigator hat and see if you can solve this one!

Out of the Rubble by Sally Nicholls takes place in early 1945; the war is nearly over and across the country, evacuees are returning home. Judy is excited to be back in London, reunited with her mum. But when she arrives, she finds everything has changed. Her house has been destroyed, her mum seems distant, and her dad is still away with the army. And all around her, London is different too: there are bombsites on every corner and the danger of war still looms. As Judy explores the city, she begins to see that the bombsites are more than just rubble. Can they help her to remember what her home used to be like? And will she ever be able to get her old life back?

Return to the Maximum Ride universe with James Patterson's City of the Dead. For Hawk, being a hero weighs heavily on her wings. In the City of the Dead, life happens in the shadows. That's why a war is brewing against an enemy no one can see. Hawk and Maximum Ride never back down from a conflict, or from each other, and they argue more than they agree. But as the dead begin to outnumber the living, a mother's experience and a daughter's instinct can make one powerful arsenal.

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