Exciting books to read in 2016

The New Year and new school term is all about fresh starts and, of course, deciding what to read next. Whether you’re after action and adventure, stories of friendships or books to make you laugh, these are the big debuts and highlights from Puffin for your reading list this year. Happy reading!

 New books by your favourite authors…

Romans on the Rampage: Jail Break! by Jeremy Strong

Perilus and his family are in trouble again! This is a laugh out loud book that brings Romans to life for young readers. It is a good pick to support kids learning about Romans at school.

Out now

 

 

 

 

The Diary of Dennis the Menace, The Great Escape! by Steven Butler 

The naughtiest boy in fiction returns for another prankster-packed story. In this story Dennis has been packed off to an elite boarding school. Help! Desperate to get back to Bash Street he plots his great escape.

Out in February

 

 

 

Jolly Foul Play by Robin Stevens

Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong have returned to Deepdean for a new school term and meet the new head girl and her group of prefects, who are not good eggs! The fourth book in the Murder Most Unladylike Mystery series is another thrilling read.

Out in March

 

 

 

Mabel Jones and the Forbidden City by Will Mabbitt

Mabel fans will be thrilled to hear their favourite heroine is back for a second adventure. Follow her exciting quest as she swashbuckles her way through the jungle to save her little sister from the wicked Witch Queen.

Don’t miss! Look out for the latest Danger book out this year and the exciting new Rick Riordan out in May.
 

 
 

 

Unmissable books to read for the first time or again…

The Butterfly Club by Jacqueline Wilson

New in paperback, is this terrific tale about teeny-tiny Tina, a triplet who is much smaller than her two sisters. A story about learning to be independent. Out now

 

 
 

 
 

 

The BFG by Roald Dahl

Whoopsy splunkers! Read it before you see it. Our delumptious giant is coming to the big screen in July 2016, so now’s the time to read or re-read this gloriumptious story. Out now

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid – The Long Haul by Jeff Kinney

Out in paperback this month is the ninth Wimpy Kid book. Join Greg for a laugh out-loud story of a family road trip, that of course is packed with disasters, a lost key, a crazed seagull and even a runaway pig. Out in January

 

 

 

 

 

Fortune Cookie by Cathy Cassidy

Grab your tissues, Sweet Honey is the sixth and final book in Cathy Cassidy’s Chocolate Box Girls series. Out in February

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (Book 1) by Rick Riordan

Half boy. Half God. All Hero. The first in the Percy Jackson book series is one to read for the first time – or for demigod fans to read again.

Out now

 

 

 
 

 

Debut fiction – new authors to discover in 2016

Knights of the Borrowed Dark by Dave Rudden

The first book in a new series about an orphan boy who discovers he is part of a secret army that protects the world from a race of shadowy monsters.

Out in April

 

The Crooked Sixpence by Jennifer Bell

Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems. The story follows  Ivy Sparrow’s magical adventures in Lundinor, a city beneath London where ordinary objects have extraordinary powers.

Out in June

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk

‘Annabelle has lived in Wolf Hollow all her life: a quiet place, still scarred by two world wars. But when cruel, manipulative Betty arrives in town, Annabelle’s calm world is shattered…’ This powerful story is set to be a future children’s classic.

Out in July  

Children’s Books and a Giveaway: Give a gift of an all-time favourite

Here at Puffin we all have a favourite book. The one we return to over and over again like a faithful friend. From classic children’s characters like Spot and The Very Hungry Caterpillar to first reads with Tracy Beaker, The Wizard of Oz, and Greg Heffley, the following list has something for everyone’s skip down memory lane. If you haven’t read any of these books yet, you may just find yourself a new all-time favourite!

 

Dear Little Me #2: Rick Riordan

Ready for some words of wisdom from Percy Jackson creator Rick Riordan?

Rick Riordan first thought of the idea for Percy Jackson when he was teaching his pupils and children about Greek mythology. Percy Jackson is now a Hollywood Superstar – so what is the one piece of advice Rick would give to his younger self?

So remember – always to spell check your work!

To find out more about Rick and all his books, visit www.rickriordan.co.uk to find out what’s next – we’ve done Greeks, we’ve done Romans, it’s time for the Norse Gods.

Everyone has to start something – so why not begin your epic adventure in the wilds of the English Countryside. Enter our competition to win a Writer’s Retreat with Holiday Cottages 

Puffin Podcast Episode 6: DANGER! Do NOT Listen!

This month’s episode is more dangerous than a robotic granny crossed with a toilet shark! Join regular host Ally McCrae and prepare your valiant ears  for extracts from DANGER IS EVERYWHERE by David O’Doherty and Chris Judge, Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan and Roald Dahl’s The Minpins, read by Bill Bailey. As well as an interview with Michelle Paver on her extreme researching and even a stop off at Camelot. Listen if you dare.

Let us know what you think by tweeting @puffinbooks using #PuffinPodcast

Never miss an episode – subscribe to the Puffin Podcast on iTunes

Hear the full story:
DANGER IS EVERYWHERE by David O’Doherty
The Burning Shadow by Michelle Paver
Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan
The Minpins by Roald Dahl

[DOWNLOAD MP3]

Sneak Peek Greek Week – Extract 2!

We’re too good to you Percy Jackson fans. Here is your second sneak peek extract of the new Percy Jackson & the Greek Gods! 

 

Persephone Marries Her Stalker

(Or, Demeter, the Sequel)

 

Sure, she was pretty. She had her mother’s long blonde hair and Zeus’s sky-blue eyes. She didn’t have a care in the world. She was sure the whole world had been invented just for her pleasure. I guess when your parents are both gods you can come to believe that. have to be honest. I never understood what made Persephone such a big deal. I mean, for a girl who almost destroyed the universe, she seems kind of meh.

She loved the outdoors. She spent her days roaming the countryside with her nymph and goddess friends, wading in streams, picking flowers in sunlit meadows, eating fresh fruit right off the tree – heck, I’m just making this up, but I’m guessing that’s what a teenage goddess would have done before smartphones were invented.

The thing is, Persephone didn’t have much else going for her. She wasn’t all that bright. She wasn’t brave. She didn’t really have any goals or hobbies (other than the flower-picking thing). She was just kind of there, enjoying life and being a spoiled, sheltered, overprivileged kid. I guess it’s nice work if you can get it, but I didn’t grow up that way, so I don’t have much sympathy for her.

Still, Demeter lived for her daughter, and I can’t blame her for being over-protective. Demeter had had enough bad experiences with those sneaky male gods. After all, Persephone had come into the world because of a snake ambush. The kid was lucky she wasn’t hatched from an egg.

Of course, since Persephone was declared off-limits, all the male gods noticed her and thought she was incredibly hot. They all wanted to marry her, but they knew Demeter would never allow it. Anytime one of them got close, Demeter appeared out of nowhere with her dragon-drawn chariot and her wicked golden sword.

Most of the gods let it go. They decided to find some safer goddess to date.

But one god couldn’t get Persephone out of his mind – namely Hades, lord of the Underworld.

Perfect match, right? An old gloomy dude who lives in the world’s largest cave filled with the souls of the dead, and he falls in love with a pretty young girl who likes sunlight and flowers and the Great Outdoors. What could possibly go wrong?

 

Taken from Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods by Rick Riordan, published 7 August

Who is your favourite God or Monster?

The wait is almost over for Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods, out 7th August. To celebrate, we have one very important question – who would get your vote, GODS or MONSTERS? Let us know using #GodsofOlympus and #MonstersofOlympus on Twitter, telling us who is your fave Percy Jackson God or Monster character!

 

Don’t miss our new Rick Riordan Pinterest channel, where you can browse our favourite collections of fan art, Percy Jackson fashions, Gods, Monsters, book covers … everything you could possibly want from the Percy universe! Celebrate with us by pinning your own favourite images using our hashtags and we’ll find them and share!

 

To pre-order Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods so you can get it the day it’s out, click here

 

Puffin meets Percy Jackson’s biggest fan

Eight-year old Ollie is a BIG BIG BIG fan of everyone’s favourite half blood hero, Percy Jackson. He’s read all the books in the Percy Jackson series as well as the more recent Heroes of Olympus books. We asked Ollie about why he loves the Rick Riordan books so much . . .

What it’s about:
Percy Jackson is about a boy who finds out he is a son of Poseidon Greek god of the sea and has to save the world from monsters like the Minotaur. In the last book, The Last Olympian, he has to save Manhattan from monsters. He goes to a demigod camp called Camp Half-Blood.

What I liked:
What I liked about it was all the action and adventure. My favourite book is The Lightning Thief because at the end Percy fights Ares the god of war.I also like the books because I like Greek mythology and prophecies.

What I don’t like:
I don’t really dislike anything except the fact that there are only five books in the Percy Jackson series. I wish there were more!

To sum up . . .
I definitely recommend these books as amazing for 8+ children – they are some of the most exciting books ever.

Find out more about Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus series by visiting www.rickriordanmythmaster.co.uk 

Rick Riordan answers your questions

Next week, on Tuesday to be exact, Percy Jackson fans the world over will be able to get their hands on our favourite demi-god's next adventure, The House of Hades – the fourth title in Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series. We met up with Rick last month and he very kindly answered some questions from his UK fans.

Does anyone fancy helping Rick out with that pizza quest?!

Heroes of Olympus: The House of Hades is out in the UK on 8th October.

Where there’s Percy Jackson there are Spinebreakers!

Some of
the Spinebreakers editorial team went to the launch event for the blockbuster
new movie, Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters, based on the book of the same name,
by Rick Riordan. Here’s what they thought . . .

Agnes Okanlawon

Attending the premier of Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
was one of the highlights of my summer. I am a massive fan of Percy Jackson and
all things demi-god related, so I really appreciated all the little kooky
extras like the blue sweets and magic tricks.

I would recommend that anyone who has read the books
still go see the film because it’s a must for all fans. Anyone who hasn’t read
the books should be ashamed! But also should still go see it also because it is
an action packed fantasy with good characters and an interesting cast. I would
like to thanks Spinebreakers for the tickets and also for the starting my love
of the Percy Jackson books. I can’t wait to see if anymore of the series become
movies. Thoroughly enjoyed the whole event and feel blessed to have seen Logan
Lerman up close, front and centre in 3D!

Megan Quibell

10 of the Best Bits about Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters

1. Hermes,
played by Nathan Fillion, and George & Marth

2. Seeing
Grover in a dress!

3. Annabeth
is blonde! Alexandra Daddario now has the beauty, brains, spirit, strength and
looks of Annabeth!

4. The
3D is absolutely mind-blowingly stunning

5. The
relationship between Percy and Tyson

6. The
very-very end is just perfect. Absolutely perfect.

7. Mr
D, AKA Dionysus, the god of wine. He’s hilarious. I mean, he’s a complete
jerky, but he’s just so funny.

8. All
the witty banter, especially between Percy and Clarisse

9. The
romance was so true to the book

10. This
film stuck so, so much closer to the book than the first film

 

Ruth Walbank

Like all book to film adaptations, the film was quite
different from the book. Bits from the other Riordan books had been added in
and changed slightly but I don't think this detracted from the film. I think
all book lovers know that when a book is adapted into a film, it's going to be
very different from the original in one way or another, so there were no
surprises there! On the other hand, I would recommend trying not to compare
this film to the book. I tend to find that when you do, you will always leave
the cinema disappointed and if you go to see a film, you should enjoy yourself
as much as possible! Otherwise what's the point in going to see it?

Overall, I expect this film to do as we'll as the first
film did. As a whole, the film was excellent, and I have to add that the 3D was
very well done. I congratulate Thor Freudenthal on his directing and Marc
Guggenheim on his adaptation of the book. I look forward to seeing how Percy
Jackson is going to be revived after its long 3 year rest from the first
film! 

 

Atifa Jiwa

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is visually impressive
with the fantasy elements brought to life in stunning 3D shots. An audience is
immersed in everything from an underwater world to scenes made of vibrant
stained glass. Most aesthetically pleasing is a watching a hippocampus (a water
creature that looks like it's half horse, half rainbow) jump out of the ocean.
For me, that was one of the most beautiful pieces of cinema I've ever seen.

 Peter Hartlaub noted that Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
is "an easy film to pick apart" and indeed, if you're looking beyond
face-value, it's easy to be disappointed by the clumsy plot edits,
cringe-worthy one liners and unfortunate cliché. But ignoring that, this is one
of the most easy to watch and easy to enjoy films you'll come across this year.

 3/5 stars. An enjoyable (and wonderfully
family-appropriate) adventure film with a pleasing dose of Greek myth. And if
those reasons aren't good enough? Two words. Logan. Lerman.

 Chuo Ying Ye

The long awaited sequel really lived up to its
expectation. The action and story was exciting indeed and I believe that during
the film not a single whisper was heard, even if the audience contained quite a
lot of young children, showing that Percy Jackson has once again captured the
entire attention of the views – a difficult task to do. When the film finished,
I was actually speech-less because it was just that good. The story was not
confusing and carried on very well from the last movie. This new adventure of
Percy's to obtain the golden fleece was amazing to watch, it reminded me of
when I was younger and how mesmerised I was about Greek mythology and how each
God has certain powers. Since it is a movie for everybody, humour, action and a
little bit of romance is incorporated into it. At times I was laughing at the
slap-stick comedy but at points I was on the verge of tears, taking me on an
emotional roller-coaster. If I was obsessed enough with the film before – Logan
Lerman's looks play a big part in this obsession – I am even more drawn in now.
I would rate the film 5/5 and hope that others enjoyed it as much as I did, a
thrilling experience all in all.

 

WIN PERCY JACKSON FILM GOODIES!

Win all this 100% awesome, 100% Official Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters merchandise and a copy of the book to celebrate the film's cinema release on August 7th! To enter, simply fill point your mighty-cursor here and CLICK.

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