The biggest middle grade fantasy debut of 2022. Beware of the shadows, the Reaper King is coming . . . Mia always dreamed of being an umbra tamer until she met the wild creature on the Nightmare Plains. Since that day, she prefers to stay safe within the walls of Nubis. Safe, that is, until a surprise attack. With her parents captured, Mia's only hope is to travel to the City of Light to find help. But with only her little brother, two friends and one solitary tamed umbra, the journey feels impossible. Mia not only has to overcome her fears, she also has to learn to harness her umbra taming abilities if they are to complete the quest in time. For fans of Amari and the Night Brothers, The Legend of Podkin One-Ear and Nevermoor, this is the first in the sensational Umbra Tales series, illustrated by Ana Latese. 'A fresh, wild, gripping adventure.' Kieran Larwood, author of The Legend of Podkin One-Ear 'A thrilling, highly imaginative and action-packed fantasy with family at its heart.' Louie Stowell, author of Otherland and Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good 'Thrilling . . . a wonderful adventure.' L. D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency

Keeper of the Lost Cities meets Pokémon in this riveting first book in a middle grade series about a girl who embarks on a treacherous journey with her mystical animal companions to save her family—and the entire kingdom. Twelve-year-old Mia McKenna has grown up in the darkness. It’s all she’s ever known, and she finds comfort in it. Like nearly all the cities in the Kingdom of Lunis, her home of Nubis was plunged into a forever night years ago by the shadowy Reaper King—a figure now only known in nightmares, a cautionary tale warning children to stay safe inside the tall city walls. But all that changes when a mysterious cult storms Nubis, capturing everyone with the ability to protect it—including her parents, the rest of the umbra tamers, and their mystical, powerful creatures made of shadow and starlight. Now, Mia and her brother, Lucas, are the city’s only hope of survival, and Mia must learn to harness her umbra taming abilities to stand any chance of saving her city and rescuing her parents. If she can’t, she’ll lose her soul, and her family, to the Darkness forever.

Keeper of the Lost Cities meets Pokémon in this riveting first book in a middle grade series about a girl who embarks on a treacherous journey with her mystical animal companions to save her family—and the entire kingdom. Twelve-year-old Mia McKenna has grown up in the darkness. It’s all she’s ever known, and she finds comfort in it. Like nearly all the cities in the Kingdom of Lunis, her home of Nubis was plunged into a forever night years ago by the shadowy Reaper King—a figure now only known in nightmares, a cautionary tale warning children to stay safe inside the tall city walls. But all that changes when a mysterious cult storms Nubis, capturing everyone with the ability to protect it—including her parents, the rest of the umbra tamers, and their mystical, powerful creatures made of shadow and starlight. Now, Mia and her brother, Lucas, are the city’s only hope of survival, and Mia must learn to harness her umbra taming abilities to stand any chance of saving her city and rescuing her parents. If she can’t, she’ll lose her soul, and her family, to the Darkness forever.

The start of a thrilling, highly illustrated series about a boy who finds a portal to a legendary world in his local barbershop . . . and learns he's the hero they've been waiting for. For younger fans of Black Panther and Last Gate of the Emperor! Jarell has never quite known where he belongs. He's ignored at home and teased at school for wanting to draw instead of playing sports with the other boys. The only place he's ever felt truly at ease is his local barbershop where the owner hangs Jarell's art up on the walls. When Jarell discovers a hidden portal in the barbershop, he's transported to a magical world that's unlike anything he's seen before. But it's not just the powerful gods and dangerous creatures that makes this world different--it's that everyone believes Jarell is the hero they've been waiting for.

Invite babies and toddlers to build social-emotional skills through interactive play activities like dancing, laughing, splashing and building. This board book's chic, eye-catching graphic design features high-contrast photographs of a wide variety of babies, caregivers and families.

Mia grapples with the responsibility of her new powers and uncovers even more of Nubis’s secrets in this thrilling second book in the Umbra Tales middle grade series that’s Keeper of the Lost Cities meets The Golden Compass. The Reaper King’s attempt to break free and thrust the rest of the Kingdom of Lunis into darkness has been thwarted, but all is still not well in Nubis, Mia’s moonlit kingdom home. The whole city is on guard for another attempt to resurrect the Reaper King. Though imprisoned, his followers, the Elite, are still inside the city, and tensions among the population are at an all-time high. Meanwhile, Mia struggles to cope with her new Lightcaster powers and to fit in with the rest of the tamers, many of whom are skeptical of her abilities. But it’s the appearance of old friends and new maybe-enemies that will truly put Mia’s abilities—and the loyalties of everyone she trusts—to the test.

'The middle grade book everyone's going to be obsessed with this summer' Louie Stowell, author of Loki For fans of ONWARD and A Monster Calls, this is an unmissable illustrated story about grief and love for young readers 9 and up. Sadé has always loved escaping to her imaginary, rainbow-bright world. When her mum dies, the colours in her mind fade like old jeans, and her shadow beasts appear: Tiger with black claws, Hen with cracked feathers, Fox with giant hind legs and Lion with piercing blue eyes. The shadow beasts are trouble. They follow Sadé to school and cause chaos wherever they go. Then Sadé joins a grief support group to work through her emotions, and slowly her beasts retreat. But just as it's her turn to perform her poetry at the school talent show, they're back, larger and stronger than ever ... can Sadé find the words to remember her mum in her own unique way, and banish her shadow beasts for good? 'A real ode to the power of creativity...' L.D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency