September 2016 was our first month and we were thrilled to have Shadow Magic as our first hardcover novel. Perfect for Harry Potter fans, highly recommended by Rick Riordan, a great magical adventure with characters you will love. School Library Journal gave Shadow Magic a Star Review saying “Despite the gloomy setting, this book vibrates with hope. Short chapters filled with action, appealing characters, and cliff-hanger endings make this fantasy the kind of book readers will find hard to put down." Joshua Khan is from London, England and he was kind enough to send us a letter for our Marmalade readers which we included in the box. This is the first book in the series, with book two releasing in April 2017.
For our first paperback novel we knew that we had to include one of our favourite middle grade novels of all times – Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson. Originally published in 2001, this is a novel that shouldn’t be missed. It won many awards including the Nestle Smarties Book Prize and was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. Maia’s adventure on the Amazon River is unforgettable. Eva Ibbotson was born in Vienna and lived in England until she passed away in 2010 at the age of 85. A truly wonderful storyteller who is greatly missed.