Merdyn the Wild is from the Dark Ages. He's the world's greatest Warlock (don't call him a wizard), banished to the 21st century for bad behaviour, and he's about to create a whole load of trouble for Rose, aged 12. Rose is a totally ordinary girl, on a mission to mend her broken family. Bubbles is Rose's guinea pig. He just poos a lot. When Rose bumps into Merdyn and discovers what he is, she quickly realises that he could be just what she needs. Rose agrees to help Merdyn navigate the confusing ways of the modern world (things like: the lidded bowl in the bathroom is NOT a sink, it's a TOILET, so definitely DON'T wash your face in it) if Merdyn gives her a spell to fix her family in return. Now they just need to hide him in the shed without Rose's mum noticing, track down Merdyn's magic staff and find a way to send Merdyn back through time to the Dark Ages. What could possibly go wrong...?

Merdyn is the greatest wizard of the Dark Ages. Obviously. Rose is his 21st-century descendent. Lucky her. And Vanheldon the vandal warrior is FURIOUS! After all, last time they met, Merdyn turned his army to stone. Seeking revenge, Vanheldon comes up with a way to kidnap Rose and transport her back to Dark Ages Transylvania, set on luring Merdyn into a terrible trap. Except - whoops! - his magical minion kidnaps Rose's teenage brother Kris instead. Rose, Merdyn and Bubbles the guinea pig must team up to save the day. But can they rescue Kris without creating historical mayhem? Will Rose's wizard ancestor even remember her? (And want to help them?) And will Bubbles ever stop pooing? From the writer of the Paddington 2 movie and writer and star of Horrible Histories and Ghosts, this hilariously silly, heartfelt comedy of errors with a historical twist is perfect for fans of David Walliams and David Baddiel. The follow-up to The Wizard in My Shed.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times • Buzzfeed • Kirkus Reviews • Publishers Weekly • Chicago Public Library “Redefines friendship as something that must be protected, sacrificed for, and tended to with wisdom, patience, and love.” —Ocean Vuong, New York Times bestselling author of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous A poignant coming-of-age novel about two best friends whose friendship is tested when they get the opportunity to leave their impoverished small town for an elite prep school. For fans of Looking for Alaska. Life in a small Appalachian town is not easy. Cash lost his mother to an opioid addiction and his Papaw is dying slowly from emphysema. Dodging drug dealers and watching out for his best friend, Delaney, is second nature. He's been spending his summer mowing lawns while she works at Dairy Queen. But when Delaney manages to secure both of them full rides to an elite prep school in Connecticut, Cash will have to grapple with his need to protect and love Delaney, and his love for the grandparents who saved him and the town he has to leave behind. Jeff Zentner's new novel is a beautiful examination of grief, found family, and young love.

While Nita mourns her mother's death, teenage wizard Kit and his dog Ponch set out to find a young autistic boy who vanished in the middle of his Ordeal, pursued by the Lone Power.

**FINALIST for the Compton Crook Award, 2023** Shade Nox is the only witch in a land of wizards – a fiend, a rogue, a wanted criminal. Defying those who think her an abomination, Shade wears her tattoos openly and carries obsidian blades at her hips. For years, she has protected the outcast clans who wander the blighted Wastes, but the land is growing more unstable and her blades are no longer enough. To save her people, Shade vows to raise a Veil of protection – a feat not accomplished in over a hundred years. But the magical Veils are said to belong to the Brotherhood church; if she succeeds in raising one, it will expose their lies. They swear to see her obliterated first. Treading a dangerous path where allies can be as deceitful as enemies, and where demons lurk in the shadows, Shade chases a vision which could lead to her people’s salvation… or her own destruction. File Under: Fantasy [ Tattoos At Dawn | Underestimated Women | Old Jealousies | The End of Whose World ]