Vita and the Gladiator, a tale of a young girl’s fight for justice set in the high-stakes world of the gladiatorial arena in Roman London
Vita longs to write the plays that she steals off to watch – but as the daughter of a high-born Roman, her only future is marriage. When her father is murdered, everything changes.
She escapes with her life – only to end up a slave, sharing a cell with a fierce gladiator, Brea, and her wolf. But when Vita and Brea discover they have a common enemy, they know they must stand together for truth and justice …
Read an excerpt here.
Available from:
Vita and the Gladiator audiobook is available to order here
More about Vita and the Gladiator
The Queen’s Fool, a tale of a young girl’s quest to save her sister set against the colour and intrigue of the Tudor court
Cat Sparrow isn’t like other people. She loves music, and playing her bird-flute. She thinks differently too – and for a girl like her, the world can be an unsettling place.
When Cat’s beloved sister, Meg, is snatched from their convent home, Cat sets out to find her. With the help of a young actor, Jacques, she follows Meg’s trail to the palace of Henry VIII and his queen, Katherine, and then over the sea to the strange and wondrous pageant of the ‘Field of Cloth of Gold’. But in among the tents, feasts and tournaments, traitors are lurking. And Cat and Jacques must use their wits if they’re to foil a plot that threatens them all.
‘A feast of a historical novel that evokes all the spectacle and ceremony of the Tudor Court while capturing the everyday life beneath its surface …’
Read an excerpt here.
Available from:
Bookshop. org and all good independent bookshops and:
The Queen’s Fool Audiobook also available
More about The Queen’s Fool
Black Powder, a tale of gunpowder, treason and plot, published by Chicken House
England, 1605.
12-year-old Tom must save his father from hanging. He falls in with a mysterious stranger – the Falcon – who promises to help in exchange for his service. But on the long journey to London, Tom discovers the Falcon’s true mission – and a plot to blow up Parliament with barrels of black powder.
Tom faces a terrible decision: secure his father’s release, or stop the assassination of the king …
‘A rip-roaring, beautifully written life-and-death quest, packed with history and adventure.’
Read an excerpt here.
Winner
Available from:
Bookshop.org and all good independent bookshops and:
Black Powder Audiobook also available
More about Black Powder
The Buried Crown, a tale of Anglo-Saxon treasure and wartime skulduggery, published by Chicken House
‘An exciting and thought-provoking World War II adventure from the author of Black Powder, winner of the Historical Association’s Young Quills Award.’
Read an excerpt here
Available from:
Bookshop.org and all good independent bookshops and:
More about The Buried Crown
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte – retelling for Rising Stars Reading Planet, published by Hodder
Life has not been kind to orphaned Jane Eyre. Treated harshly by her Aunt Reed and bullied by her spoiled cousins, Jane is glad to be sent to Lowood School to receive an education. Finally, she can be free of her uncaring family and learn how to make her own way in the world. Years of studying pass, until finally, Jane takes on her first job as a governess to a young girl in the remote Thornfield Hall. Jane tries to convince herself that the strange noises she hears in the night are just the creakings of an old house … but soon a deeper mystery begins to unfold, and long hidden family secrets will soon be revealed.
Jane Eyre is part of the Reading Planet range of books for Stars (Lime) to Supernova (Red+) band. Children aged 7-11 will be inspired to love reading through the gripping stories and fascinating information books created by top authors. Reading Planet books have been carefully levelled to support children in becoming fluent and confident readers. Each book features useful notes and questions to support reading at home and develop comprehension skills.
Reading age: 10-11 years
Ally Sherrick 