​We have an absolute festive treat for you this morning…three of our amazing authors/illustrators have been featured on Waterstones’ Best Children’s Books of 2020!

What We’ll Build: Plans for Our Together Future

By Oliver Jeffers

Oliver Jeffers returns with an enthralling new story about boundless love, the importance of dreams and the power of imagination – all the very best ingredients for building a bright future.

A spectacular new title from world-renowned artist Oliver Jeffers, creator of the million-copy selling, global phenomenon Here We Are!

What shall we build, you and I?

I’ll build your future and you’ll build mine.
We’ll build a watch to keep our time.

A father and daughter set about laying the foundations for their life together. Using their own special tools, they get to work; building memories to cherish, a home to keep them safe and love to keep them warm.

From renowned, internationally bestselling picture-book creator and visual artist, Oliver Jeffers, comes this rare and enduring story about a parent’s boundless love, life’s endless opportunities and all we need to build a together future.

The Vanishing Trick

By Jenni Spangler

Boasting delightfully creepy artwork from Chris Mould, Jenni Spangler’s outstanding gothic chiller features a manipulative medium and a gang of plucky orphan children.

Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month for May 2020

Step into a world of secrets, folklore and illusions, where nothing is as it seems and magic is at play…

Leander is an orphan, making his way in the world on just his wits. So when he meets Madame Pinchbeck, a mysterious woman who promises to give him a job and a home in return for his mother’s precious locket, he leaps at the chance.

But Pinchbeck’s bargain isn’t a fair one. Instead she enchants the locket, turning it into a magical Cabinet and trapping Leander inside to be summoned and vanished at will.

And Leander isn’t the only child Pinchbeck has captured. Along with his new friends, Charlotte and Felix, Leander finds himself in a race against time to break Pinchbeck’s spell, before one of them vanishes forever…

A spellbinding debut from exciting new talent Jenni Spangler. Set to bewitch fans of Michelle Harrison, Emma Carroll and Sophie Anderson.

​A Kind Of Spark

By Elle McNicoll

When Addie decides to memorialise the victims of the historic witch trials that took place in her hometown, she hopes to change the way her neighbours see her. Beautifully judged and peppered with wit and compassion, A Kind of Spark is truly inspirational reading.

Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month for October 2020

A Kid of Spark tells the story of 11-year-old Addie as she campaigns for a memorial in memory of the witch trials that took place in her Scottish hometown. Addie knows there’s more to the story of these ‘witches’, just like there is more to hers.

Can Addie challenge how the people in her town see her, and make her voice heard? A story about friendship, courage and self-belief, perfect for fans of The Goldfish Boy, Addie’s story was born from Elle’s own experiences of neurodiversity and her commitment to seeing greater representation in children’s books.