Matt Haig - Evie and the Animals
Fiction 9+
244 pages
Evie is a girl with a special Talent. She can talk to animals. But when she rescues the school rabbit, Kahlo, and sets her free, Evie lands in big trouble. She promises her dad that she'll never talk to animals again. And for a whole year, Evie ignores them all. She doesn't chat to Scruff the dog or Marmalade the cat.
She even ignores Beak the bird. But when 'Missing' posters for cats, dogs, hamsters and tortoises appear outside school, Evie secretly starts using her magical gift again. With the help of Granny Flora, Evie must find out who is behind the disappearances.
Matt Haig - A Boy Called Christmas
Fiction 7+
265 pages
You are about to read the true story of Father Christmas. It is a story that proves that nothing is impossible. If you are one of those people who believe that some things are impossible, you should put this book down right away. It is most certainly not for you.
Because this book is full of impossible things. Are you still reading? Good. Then let us begin. A tale of adventure, snow, kidnapping, elves, more snow, and an 11-year-old boy called Nikolas, who isn't afraid to believe in magic.
Kiran Millwood Hargrave - The Way Past Winter
Fiction 9+
239 pages
When Mila's brother disappears, she believes he's been taken by the Bear, a hooded stranger of legend who sought shelter at their home. Mila and her sisters follow his trail into the frozen north, determined to find a way past winter and bring their brother home.
Sonya Hartnett - The Midnight Zoo
Fiction 9+
192 pages
Two boys are fleeing through a war-ravaged country-side during the night carrying a secret bundle. The boys stumble across a town that has been reduced to smoking rubble, and a zoo that is still intact. When the boys take shelter in the zoo, they discover a menagerie of talking animals. Both the boys and the animals tell their tales and their desire for freedom.