I’m always drawn to a book by its cover even though we are always told we shouldn’t be. I recently sorted some of my book stash according to the colours of their covers to see what readers’ eyes are drawn to. I managed to find representatives for all the colours of the rainbow (and a few more in between.) I wonder which ones catch your eye?

I’m kicking off the week with RED…

Café Chaos: The Way the Cookie Crumbles

“Hope’s mum has mistakenly over-ordered the beans and they only have two months to get through them all! Several hilarious family meetings take place to discuss ideas: Aunt Rita comes over all ‘flavours of Mexico’ while Connor wants a bean-eating competition to catch the post-gym crowd.

Hope is trying to distance herself from it all in a bid to have ‘time to be a child’ and let her family sort out their own crises. But she can’t deprive her family of her problem-solving abilities for long. Rescue comes in the unlikely form of Skyla – Hope’s arch enemy and school bully – who needs a place to hold her charity fashion show.”

I love this series for readers aged 9+. Funny, relatable, and full of heart.

Rap Kid the G.O.A.T

“Fresh from their Golden Mic Rap Battle win, Rap Kid and SFX must solidify their status as Rap GOATs. With a little help from Mr G, Paige Turner – the school librarian, and an unexpected new friend can the dream-team beat some of the best wordsmiths in history and become the true greatest of all time?”

A funny and engaging series guaranteed to tempt any reader.

Stonewitch

“To complete the next step in her witch’s training, Cassie Morgan must invent a brand-new spell. However, she is struggling for inspiration – so she jumps at the chance to attend the Covenmoot.

Every five years, covens from all over Britain and Ireland meet to take part in a series of challenging games in the hopes of winning the Covenmoot Cup. Cassie and her friends travel to Glen Carlin, a remote valley in the Scottish Highlands, to take part. But menacing forces haunt the moors and rumours of the ancient Stonewitch swirl through the camp.

Cassie and her coven must work together to prove themselves in the Covenmoot, while long-hidden secrets come to light and the wicked Erl King’s power grows.”

One of my favourite witchy series – it’s definitely worth reading the other instalments!

History’s Most Epic Fails

“History is full of daring deeds, mighty heroes and incredible inventions. But it’s also full of humongous FAILS! Athena Kugblenu – comedian and writer on CBBC’s Horrible Histories – explores them all, whether it be the silly mishaps that changed the course of history or the mistakes that did us all a favour.

From the Titanic lookout who forgot his binoculars or the astronaut who taped over the Moon landings, to the famous inventors who failed THOUSANDS of times before getting something right, the amazing scientists who ACCIDENTALLY invented life-saving medicines and the businesses that went bust and bounced back better – take a riotous ride through history and discover the epic fails that changed the world.”

Information books also hold fascination for young readers – and this one will tap right into their sense of curiosity and interest in the strange.

Imagination Island: Race to Rumble Ruin

“Luca and his teammates have conquered two maps in the fabled Imagination Island, where anything they imagine comes to life. Now they have three more challenges to face in this THIRD leg of the Race! They must crack jokes in Laughter Lagoon, ride giant space hoppers along Silly String Street, and finally, join in a game of Sneak ’n’ Seek in a crumbling Roman-style coliseum, where if you are found, you are turned to stone… Will Luca overcome his fears? Will Om find the courage to speak for the first time? And who will lose and leave the Race FOREVER?”

Fast-paced, high energy, high imagination! Great for readers aged 8+

You vs the Poison Plot

“The story so far:
It’s the eve of the school talent show, and the drama teacher has suddenly collapsed! There were four witnesses at his side, but no one seems to know what happened. As editor of the school newspaper and a seasoned journalist, you investigate – and smell foul play.

What next:
You’ve got ‘til tomorrow’s show to unravel the mystery and solve the case of the poison plot. Choose your suspect, choose your next move – choose the story!

YOU VS is a series of interactive adventure stories where you, the reader, get to choose what happens next. Full of maps, diagrams and illustrations, YOU VS gives readers the chance to star in their own stories: big genre adventures with huge stakes, real heart and a sense of humour. Oh, and lots and lots of endings.”

I am so pleased that more puzzle/ create your own adventure books are appearing back in the market. Endlessly appealing and eminently re-readable.

Dragon School: Fight of the Flamestrike

“Disastrous Lesson Number Two: Boarding-An-Enemy-Ship-At-Sea Hiccup and his fellow Vikings are SUPPOSED to be learning about enemy ships at sea. But when they come across a mysterious vessel, with a ripped sail and nobody driving it, Hiccup’s heart sinks. There is something deeply spooky about this ship.  

They really, really shouldn’t get onboard. But … like on so many occasions in Hiccup’s life, they are going to do it anyway.”

It’s fantastic to have another dragon-filled series from Cressida Cowell. This one is great for slightly younger readers than the OG ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ books.

Alex Abbott is Undead

“Come on a fang-tastic adventure! I’m Alex Abbott. I was a completely ordinary kid until I accidentally got turned into a vampire. I have cool powers, but they’re seriously not worth it, because I have to:

1. Keep the powers secret, even from my best friends (nightmare)
2. Still go to school every day (thanks, Mum and Dad)
3. Never eat chips or ice-cream ever again (the WORST)

Actually, that’s not the worst. Trying to find a cure, I blundered into the supernatural world, broke an ancient pact and extinguished 32 tiny fire sprites (my bad). Now I’m on an epic quest to right those wrongs and make a deal with an ancient Sicilian fire demon to get my life back. What could possibly go wrong . . .?”

Readers will love this contemporary twist on a vampire story which is full of humour and some questionable decisions!

Dragonflare

“You are invited to compete in the Wingrider Trials on Dragonflare Island!

Do you have what it takes to become a dragon rider, solve the puzzles and find the treasure? Flynn definitely doesn’t. So, when a dragon kidnaps him to be her partner in the trials, things get complicated. 

Now they’re stuck in a labyrinth full of hungry monsters, impossible obstacle courses, and backstabbing competitors. To win, they’ll need brains, bravery and – worst of all – teamwork. 

But the trials are hiding a deadly secret, and if Flynn and his dragon don’t win, the whole island could be doomed…”

This book is great fun – part action-packed adventure, part puzzle book – I really enjoyed reading this one.

Dadbot: Rise of the Badbots!

“The summer holidays are over and it’s time for Josh and Daisy to go back to school – which means Dadbot has to stay at home without them. But then an AI home assistant called HONEY is mysteriously left on their doorstep, and Dadbot is delighted to have company. Even better, it’s the company of another robot!

Josh and Daisy, however, aren’t too sure about Dadbot’s new friend. Her voice keeps changing and it feels like she’s watching them. Worse yet, Dadbot prefers spending time with HONEY than with them! When a massive power cut affects the whole town, Josh and Daisy realise something is really wrong. HONEY’s interest in Dadbot isn’t just creepy – it’s dangerous! But who is behind it all and what do they want? Josh and Daisy need to act fast to save Dadbot . . . and their entire town!”

It’s always a good plan to add a graphic novel into the mix and the Dadbot series is a great one! Humour, mystery, and house full of robots.

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So let me know which of those have caught your eye.

Jo.

*Many thanks to all the publishers who have sent me these titles to review*