Madame Pamplemousse And Her Incredible Edibles

Madame Pamplemousse is the story of Madeleine, forced to work in her unpleasant uncle's horrible restaurant, The Squealing Pig. By chance she comes across the most marvellous shop, run by Madame Pamplemousse, which is quiet, discreet, yet full of delicious and otherworldly 'edibles' - Pterodactyl Bacon, Scorpion Tails in Smoked Garlic Oil, and Great Squid Tentacle in Jasmine-Scented Jelly. A quiet comradeship develops between Madeleine, Madame Pamplemousse, and Madame's cat, Camembert. And together they create some wonderful culinary magic. Exquisite, beautifully formed prose that has echoes of Angela Carter belies a narrative that is full of pace. A wonderful fairy tale that will appeal to both adults and children.

It's winter in Paris and Madeleine is having problems at school. A new girl, Mirabelle, is bullying her. Madeleine is too ashamed to ask for help from her friends, Madame Pamplemousse and Camembert, but she's befriended by a woman called Madame Bonbon, who runs an alluring-looking sweet shop. The sweets Madame Bonbon gives Madeleine have the most bewitching effect, at first making her feel much stronger and able to confront Mirabelle. However, soon they start drawing her into a strange, enchanted world from which she finds she cannot escape. Madame Bonbon is really someone else in disguise - an old enemy from Madame Pamplemousse's past, who has come to Paris seeking her revenge . . .

In Paris, there is a café, elegantly furnished with polished wooden tables and an awning of striped gold and green, whose walls are filled with vintage posters advertising drinks such as Green Fairy Liqueur, Mermaid Madeira and Red Devil Lemonade. And sitting on the bar is a large, silver, steam-powered espresso coffee machine.The café is owned by Monsieur Moutarde, and Monsieur Moutarde has made the most extraordinary discovery. With the help of his friend, Madame Pamplemousse, he has created a time-travel machine (for that is what the espresso coffee machine is). Very special, highly flavoured, intense ingredients are fed into the machine, where they are subatomically blended with quantum froth and space-time foam. The resulting liquid looks like a small black coffee but in fact transports the drinker through time and space. But this is a dangerous invention. For who knows what would happen if it fell into the wrong hands? Before long, Monsieur Moutarde, Madame Pamplemousse, her cat, Camembert, and her friend, Madeleine, are on the run through space and time to capture a T. rex's freshly caught drool and the tears of the rare sphinx - vital ingredients for a tonic that will both save them and revive the ailing spirit of Paris. A magical romp that will charm and delight.

Ten-year-old Ernest lives a flat, colorless life. Each day is the same: he comes home right after school, eats a healthy snack, and does his homework. Enter Victoria, the new girl in class. Victoria instantly falls in love with Ernest, and bulldozes her way into his life. Much to Ernest's surprise, he likes it. Bit by bit, color seeps into Ernest's humdrum existence--and he begins to realize that life can hold an endless variety of love, friendship, adventure, and change."Quirky characters, heightening suspense, and hilarious situations are deftly combined in this tender novel, which examines a few of the large and small ways people affect one another." --Booklist, starred review

A richly imagined magical adventure set in West Africa by a prize-winning new voice in children's writing, Children of the Quicksands introduces readers to Yoruba myths and legends while showcasing the wealth of culture, traditions, adventure, joy, pride, and love found in Nigeria. In a remote Nigerian village, thirteen-year-old Simi is desperate to uncover a family secret. Ajao is nothing like Lagos -- no cells phones, no running water or electricity. Not a single human-made sound can be heard at night, just the noise of birds and animals rustling in the dark forest outside. Her witchlike grandmother dispenses advice and herbal medicine to the village, but she's tight lipped about their family history. Something must have happened, but what? Determined to find out, Simi disobeys her grandmother and goes exploring only to find herself sinking in the red quicksand of a forbidden lake and into the strange parallel world that lies beneath. It must have been a dream... right? Wrong. Something isn’t right. Children are disappearing and it’s up to Simi to discover the truth.

For those foolish enough to have read "The Name of this Book is Secret" and too foolhardy to have turned away from "If You're Reading This, It's Too Late", the third book in the series is best avoided. This book contains none of the following: A cursed Aztec artefact, an evil and deranged chef, a secret jungle lair inhabited by cocoa-crazed monkeys, the most dangerous chocolate ever created. Never visit www.keepthesecret.co.uk if you know what's good for you. "What child could resist it? A deliciously dark and chocolatey book full of big chunks of crazy humour and a cast of mouth-watering characters... "This Book is Not Good for You" is actually very good for you...the teasing, topsy-turvy world created by the scrumptious Mr Bosch is guaranteed to have you laughing all the way to the next instalment." - Lancashire Evening Post

Twelve-year-old Mysti Murphy wishes she were a character in a book. If her life were fictional, she'd magically know how to deal with the fact that her best friend, Anibal Gomez, has abandoned her in favor of being a "hipster." She'd be able to take care of everyone when her dad has to spend time in the hospital. And she'd certainly be able to change her family's secret. Seventh grade is not turning out the way Mysti had planned. With the help of a hot-air balloon, her new friend Rama Khan, and a bright orange coat, can she find the courage to change?

Puffin Chapter Books.