Fiction

Fiction

Love Stories
Description

Not all friendships are forever and always . . .

Teffy, Tay, Taylor, and TS have been best friends since middle school. As they enter their high school freshmen era, relationships bring on the drama.

Teffy is crushing on the boy next door who belongs to someone else. Tay finds herself down bad for a tortured poet. Things get treacherous as an older boy starts flirting with Taylor. And TS is definitely focused only on soccer and doesn't fancy her new teammate, a cute London girl . . . right?

Suddenly, it feels like everything has changed. Pulled in different directions between navigating high school and new relationships, will their friendship be long lived or is it so long, Taylors?

Author: Elizabeth Eulberg AgeGroup: 13-16 Genre: Fiction
The Taylors
Description

Taylor (aka Teffy to her famliy) is terrified to start middle school.

She wishes she could fade into the background, unnoticed. But on the first day of school, she finds herself in the spotlight when it's revealed that her homeroom class has four girls all named Taylor! There's a couple of things they can agree on: Taylor Swift is the greatest singer-songwriter of all time…and they are definitely going to need nicknames.

Soon, Teffy's outside her comfort zone, going out for cheerleading and starting a friendship bracelet-making business. And when the Eras tour comes to town, the four friends will do whatever it takes to get tickets.

But then, a surprise betrayal changes everything. Teffy's learning to speak up for herself, but it's hard. Can she say what's on her mind and keep her new friends for good?

Author: Jen Calonita AgeGroup: 9-12 Genre: Fiction
The Great Theatre Rescue
Description

1930, London Theatre Land.

Charley has grown up behind the curtain in London's West End; she has even begun taking a turn on stage.
But her dreams of being a performer are shattered when she is sent off to boarding school, a place where the girls are forced to do unpaid work in order to fill the pockets of the owners.

When she discovers that her theatre home is in peril, Charley decides to escape, and make a dangerous journey along the coast in order to get back to - and save - all that she loves.

A joyous new middle-grade adventure from the bestselling author of The Accidental Stowaway.

Author: Judith Eagle AgeGroup: 9-12 Genre: Science-Fiction, Fiction
My Dog
Description

Ten-year-old Rhys really loves dogs. When he finds a lost black Labrador with big conker eyes and ears like soft velvet, he can’t quite believe his luck. Nobody comes forward to claim Worthington, giving Rhys the perfect opportunity to prove he’s a good owner. But when Rhys moves to London to live with his estranged dad who hates dogs, Rhys decides to keep Worthington secret.

Struggling to connect with his dad in a new city, Rhys takes comfort in Worthington. But he soon discovers that looking after a secret dog is anything but easy, and he knows that before long he’ll have to confront his fears and find a way to tell Dad…

Author: Olivia Wakeford Illustrator: David Litchfield AgeGroup: 9-12 Genre: Fiction
Hunt for the Golden Scarab
Description

The action of Indiana Jones meets the time travel of Dr Who in Hunt for the Golden Scarab, the first title in the Time Keys series by bestselling award-winner M. G. Leonard. Perfect for children of 8 to 12 and fans of Adventures on Trains, Beetle Boy and Twitch. Illustrated in black and white throughout by Manuel Šumberac.

Sim and his mum never live anywhere long. When dangerous strangers appear one night, Sim discovers why. His mum has been keeping secrets: she has the power to open doors in time.

Running for their lives, Sim and his friends are determined to outwit the sinister Council of Keys and be the first to find Nefertiti’s lost tomb and a powerful door to Ancient Egypt. They must piece together long-hidden clues if they are to solve the mystery of her golden heart scarab. Can they find it before the Council finds them?

Author: M. G. Leonard Illustrator: Manuel Sumberac AgeGroup: 9-12 Genre: History, Fiction
Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon
Description

In this sweet and brightly illustrated picture book, Amy Wu must craft a dragon unlike any other to share with her class at school in this unforgettable follow-up to Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao.

Amy loves craft time at school. But when her teacher asks everyone to make their own dragon, Amy feels stuck. Her first dragon has a long, wingless body, stag-like horns, and eagle claws, but her friends don’t think it’s a real dragon. Then she makes dragons like theirs, but none of them feels quite right...None of them feels like hers.

After school, a story from Grandma sparks new inspiration, and Amy rounds up her family to help her. Together, can they make Amy’s perfect dragon?

Author: Kat Zhang Illustrator: Charlene Chua Genre: Fiction, Literature
Manya
Description

Manya badly, badly wants to be Shere Khan in her school play. The Jungle Book is her favourite film and she knows all the lines. She's sure she'll be a superb Shere Khan.

But not everyone thinks so. Her classmate Rajat is always making fun of her stammer. Her English teacher thinks its risky to let her get on stage and her principal seems to agree.

The more anxious Manya gets, the worse her stammer becomes. Will Manya lose her dream role? Can she overcome her fears and learn to roar?

This book was a winner in the Children First writing competition, organised by Parag, an initiative of Tata Trusts and Duckbill Books.

Author: Shruthi Rao AgeGroup: 9-12, 6-8 Genre: Early Readers, Fiction
I Am Rebel
Description

Rebel is a good dog, and he loves his simple, perfect life on the farm with his owner, Tom, until one day the war comes too close. Now Tom is determined to join the rebellion to defeat the King's men. But Rebel knows war is dangerous, and he will stop at nothing to save the human he loves.

Author: Montgomery Ross AgeGroup: 9-12 Genre: Adventure, Fiction
Topi Rockets from Thumba
Description

The year is 1963 and India is about to embark on an audacious adventure - launching its first ever rocket into space. After much searching, a team of scientists led by the visionary Dr Vikram Sarabhai zero in on Thumba, a tiny fishing village off the coast of Kerala as the place to launch the rocket and India's dreams of space exploration.
Mary is all of 10 years old and bored of life in sleepy Thumba. Nothing ever happens here but fishing. That is, of course, until Dr Sarabhai and team arrive!

Topi Rockets from Thumba is an imagined account of the weeks and months leading up to the launch of India's first ever rocket, told through the eyes of the inquisitive Mary.

Author: Menaka Raman AgeGroup: 9-12 Genre: Fiction
Loki Takes Guard
Description

Eleven-year-old Loki—Lokanayaki Shanmugam—is cricket crazy. She wants to play on the local cricket league team, The Temple Street Tankers. But they have a ridiculous ‘boys only’ rule that they aren’t willing to change for a girl. And her parents seem to be too involved with her brother’s studies to bother with Loki. So she takes matters into her own hands and begins a petition to fight for her right to play cricket. But very few people are willing to sign this petition—even her parents refuse. Nobody takes much notice till anonymous Twitter sensation @_poetic_paati takes up Loki’s cause. Soon, Loki’s petition goes viral and the entire nation is rooting for her.  But will her parents, the team, and the guardians of tradition change their minds? And more importantly, if they do, will Loki be able to deliver the runs? Witty and fast-paced, Loki Takes Guard is as much a story about the joy of sports as it is about breaking outdated rules and standing up for oneself.

Author: Menaka Raman AgeGroup: 9-12 Genre: Fiction