High on a Himalayan mountain, a young explorer is asleep in her tent. At midnight she is snatched by a gigantic, hairy monster – and never seen again.

Agatha Farlingham has been kidnapped by a yeti. But she soon discovers that he is a brave and noble beast. His family is in danger – and he needs her help.

Reviews: ‘Hilarious, touching, romping fun’ – The Times.
‘Exquisitely crafted prose, never wasting a word’ – Scotsman.

My comment: Inventive, funny, moving, and dare I say it, believable! The book itself is classified as being suitable for core middle grade (ages 8 – 10), but don’t let that stop you reading it whatever age you are. It ranks as yet another genuine treasure from this wonderful, woefully underrated author. My copy also contains the opening chapter of One Dog and His Boy, a story I last read in 2011 and now can’t wait to immerse myself in once again.

If you like The Abominables, as I think you will, I guarantee that you’ll also like Journey to the River Sea, The Star of Kazan, The Secret of Platform 13, and many more of her works.

A lonely girl. A wild beast. An unforgettable friendship.

12-year-old Talorca is a Pictish girl living in North-east Scotland in 799 AD. When Gaelic-speaking Dalriadans arrive in her village, her world is turned upside down. Her only friend is the mythical Pictish Beast, who has been injured by the Dalriadans.

Talorca decides to take a stand against the intruders and hatches a plan to drive them out. But she can only do that with the help of the wild beast on the broch…

Review: ‘A compelling tale steeped in magic and myth’ -Abi Elphinstone, Author of The Shadow Keeper.

My comment: John is a personal friend who writes great stories in historical settings. It’s one reason why I call him the new Rosemary Sutcliff. His response is to say that, like Rosemary Sutcliff these days, he sells no books! Such a dry sense of humour.

Look out, too, for another of John’s books, The Wreck of the Argyll.

“In a hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit.”

That Hobbit is Bilbo Baggins. Together with a band of dwarves, and some help from the wizard, Gandalf, he sets out on an adventure that will change his life for ever.

My comment: An absolute gem. Even if you’ve seen the films, you will not regret reading this book. And don’t even think about reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy until you have.

The four thousand men of the Roman Ninth Legion march into the mists of northern Britain and vanish, seemingly without trace. Years later, Marcus Flavius Aquila sets out to discover the fate of his father, a cohort commander in charge of the lost legion’s eagle standard.

My comment: The author describes Roman Britain, and indeed various other periods of history, with spellbinding brilliance. This book, together with The Silver Branch and The Lantern Bearers make up what is sometimes known as The Roman Britain Trilogy, or The Eagle of the Ninth Chronicles.

In addition there are another five books which complete the series known as the Dolphin Ring cycle/saga. I’ve read them all, of course. Just amazing! Other favourites of mine written by Rosemary Sutcliff include The Sword and the Circle, in which she tells the story of King Arthur as no one else can, Simon, a story of divided loyalties during the English Civil War, and The Wanderings of Odysseus, a vivid retelling of The Odyssey.

Long ago, at a time in history that never happened, England was overrun with wolves. But as Bonnie and her cousin Sylvia discover, real danger often lies closer to home. Their new governess, Miss Slighcarp, doesn’t seem at all nice. She shuts Bonnie in a cupboard, fires the faithful servants and sends the cousins far away from Willoughby Chase to a place they will never be found.

My comment: What a great story, with a delicious mix of adventure and menace, and well-drawn characters, including several odious villains. The first in a superb series of eleven books. I suggest reading them in order – No 2 is the excellent Black Hearts in Battersea, followed by No 3, the even better (if that is possible) Nightbirds on Nantucket.

Four children find themselves in the magical land of Narnia, a snow-covered land in the grip of winter and under the spell of the White Witch.

My comment: The first book in the Chronicles of Narnia. There’s a reason why this book and the six others that follow it are popular – they are all wonderfully charming, brilliantly inventive, and full of myth and magic. You might see The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe listed in reading order as Book 2. But whatever you do, make sure you read it first. The book sometimes labelled as Book 1 is the amazing and beautifully written tale of The Magician’s Nephew, the story of which only makes full sense after reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Everybody says that Gwendolyn Chant is a gifted witch with astonishing powers, so it suits her enormously when she is taken to live in Chrestomanci Castle. Her brother Eric is not so keen, for he has no talent for magic at all. However, life with the great enchanter is not what either of them expects and sparks begin to fly!

My comment: Diana Wynne Jones is a cut above the rest. This title is the first of seven unputdownable books in the Chronicles of Chrestomanci. Warning: You’ll read one and then want to read the next and the next!

Four tales from this well-known story-teller. The Best Christmas Present in the World: A mysterious letter in a secret drawer brings one night in the Great War vividly to life. On Angel Wings: A singing of wings, a glorious light, and a sudden beacon of brightness? It can only mean – can it really? – a visit from the Angel Gabriel himself. The Best of Times: When the Prince and Princess marry, joy rings out across the land. But all too soon it fades away and a shadow hangs over the royal palace. The Goose is Getting Fat: Gertrude the goose is getting bigger by the day, and Charlie is proud to look after her. But as Christmas approaches, the thought of the grizzly fate awaiting her fills him with sadness. 

My comment: This book is quite special to me, because reading it brought back many memories from my childhood. Those memories were the inspiration for writing my own Christmas story, Marie’s Christmas Carol.

Michael Morpurgo has written many, many books. Ones I have particularly enjoyed include Kensuke’s Kingdom; Arthur, High King of Britain; and Kaspar, Prince of Cats.