Ray-Chay is the new virtual reality game that everyone’s playing and the world loves its eccentric billionaire creator, Kody Crunch.
Ant loves gaming and feels like the only person who can’t get into Ray-Chay. But when something goes very wrong with the game, Ant is determined to help.
Can Ant and his friends work out the real deadly game behind the game?
The Ten Riddles of Eartha Quicksmith by Loris Owen
When Kip Bramley receives a cryptic invitation, delivered by a beetle shaped drone which appears to be breathing, his world will change forever. Soon he finds himself chasing riddles and solving puzzles on a crazy treasure hunt set 400 years earlier by a mysterious genius. As things get dangerous, it seems much more is at stake for Kip and his family than winning top marks at his strange new school…
The Mars Trilogy by Paul Magrs
With the scale and scope of the great science fiction epics, Lost on Mars tells the story of Lora and her family, settlers on the red planet struggling to survive in incredible circumstances. The family clings to life on a smallholding, surviving storms and sinister rumours of people disappearing – until one night Lora sees the Dancers. When her father and grandmother disappear, Lora and her family are driven out to seek a new life across the plains. But none of them are ready for what they find – the beautiful, dangerous City Inside…
Alien Rain by Ruth Morgan
Bree is an ordinary teenage girl living in a Martian city where everyone dreams of going back to Earth. Struggling in school, she is amazed when she is chosen for a mission to Earth, a rare honour usually only for the highest achieving pupils. Why has she been picked?
There are terrible shocks ahead. The missions are not to reclaim Earth but to strip it of its resources. Always under attack, as she becomes fascinated by the wildlife and the secrets in the museum, Bree finds more and more proof that she can’t trust anyone. When she starts getting strange messages from a voice only she can hear, whose side is she really on? Home or Earth?
Purge by Kat Ellis
Mason has a habit of getting into trouble. He’s been kicked out of every place he’s ever lived in. Moving to the cult-like community of Alteria is definitely a last resort, even if it’s better than braving the wastelands outside. But following their strict rules is a hundred times harder when Mason meets Eden, who has a wicked streak to match his own. Caught with contraband, Eden is forced into a programme to purge her bad behaviour.
Failure is not an option when it means being purged from existence.
The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021.
In celebration, from today until 22nd November these four fantastic stories with an eco-angle are available to read online here.
Aubrey and the Terrible Ladybirds – Horatio Clare
It’s the Easter holidays, you’ve just become as small as an earwig, the swallows are back (and offering you rides), and a spider wakes you up in the middle of the night and asks you to save the world. Then, as if that weren’t enough, the Ladybirdz turn up from Bohemia to find Rushing Wood does not want them…
The world of Aubrey, the boy who can talk to animals (and understand the answers), grows larger and faster in this moving and hilarious story from award-winning children’s author Horatio Clare.
The first Aubrey adventure Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot, won the Branford Boase Award for the best first children’s book of 2016 and was longlisted for the Carnegie medal.
Bigfoot Mountain – Roderick O’Grady
‘The book explores family, friendship, dealing with loss and the importance of protecting the environment. This will sweep you away to the mountains for a wild adventure.’ The Week Junior Book of the Week
Minnie and her stepfather, Dan, are stuck in their small cabin at the foot of the mountain struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother – and each other. But when Minnie and her friend Billy discover four giant footprints on a mountain trail, everything changes.
Kaayii and his clan have to move across the mountain to escape huge forest fires, but find their ancient paths blocked by new holiday cabins… As Minnie and Kaayii’s paths unexpectedly entwine, can they help each other, and heal their families?
My Name is River – Emma Rea
Dylan’s mum thinks he’s with his friends on a residential geography trip. His geography teacher thinks he’s at home with flu. In fact, Dylan is 33,000 feet above the ocean on his way to Brazil…
When Dylan overhears his dad say that their farm has been sold to a global pharmaceutical company, he decides he has to make them change their minds. In Brazil, things don’t go at all to plan. Only when Lucia – a street child armed with a puppy and a thesaurus – saves his life, do they start to uncover the shocking truth about what the company is up to, and Dylan’s home problems suddenly seem dangerously far away.
The Territory – Sarah Govett
Winner of the Trinity Schools Book Award, The Territory is a gripping dystopian thriller set in a future Britain where unflooded land is scarce due to environmental issues caused by global warming. Everyone must pass an exam at 15 to stay in The Territory or be exiled to the disease-ridden Wetlands. But how can Noa compete when the system is skewed to favour rich kids who can upload information through a Node in the back of their neck? And how can she focus when her heart is being pulled in two directions?
OUT NOW! Nicola Davies’ stunning environmental epic, The Song that Sings Us, with cover and chapter head illustrations by Jackie Morris.
When animals talk, it’s time humans listened: Harlon has been raised to protect her younger siblings, twins Ash and Xeno, and their outlawed power of communicating with animals. But when the sinister Automators attack their mountain home they must flee for their lives. Xeno is kidnapped and Harlon and Ash are separated.
In a thrilling and dangerous adventure they must all journey alone through the ice fields, forests and oceans of Rumyc to try to rescue each other and fulfil a mysterious promise about a lost island made to their mother.
Signed copies of The Song that Sings Us available here.
All these books, and so many more, are available to buy from the Firefly Press website. Learn more about COP26 here.
Thanks to everyone who attended the launch of The Song that Sings Us by Nicola Davies… on the first-ever Song Day (October 14th).
Dark forces are destroying nature. Those with the ability to listen to animal thoughts stand in their way. Who will triumph in this epic conflict?
‘Glorious and visionary with epic adventures and beautiful characters!’ – Dara McAnulty
Harlon Raised by her mum to protect her younger siblings Ash and Xeno. But when they are separated she must make her own journey to find her family, and the mysterious island her mother spoke of.
Ash Lost without his family, Ash finds unexpected new friendship from fellow travellers: a wolverine who apparently adopts him, and a ship’s crew lead by a magnificent tiger.
Xeno Fragile yet unbreakable, Xeno is kidnapped by the Automators and faces great danger … but the birds sing her another story.
When animals talk, it’s time humans listened.
A sister raised to protect. Twins with a forbidden power. Deadly pursuit, a dangerous journey … and a secret melody.
In a thrilling and dangerous adventure Harlon, Ash and Xeno must journey alone through the ice fields, forests and oceans of Rumyc to try to rescue each other and fulfil a mysterious promise made to their mother.
The Song that Sings Us features a gorgeous cover and internal artwork from Jackie Morris.
Jackie and Nicola have been firm friends for many years, both have a passion for the wild world and a belief in active hope. This is the first time they have worked together.
‘Vivid and original, this is a story for now.’ Helen Scales
Firefly Press is proud to be among the 39 founding signatories to the Publishers Association’s Publishing Declares sustainability pledge.
The purpose of Publishing Declares is to raise awareness of the sustainability issues most relevant to the UK book and journal publishing industry; to aid the discovery of existing tools and resources and to inspire action that results in sustained behaviour change.
Co-founder and publisher of Firefly Press Penny Thomas said: “At Firefly we want to produce our books sustainably, and keep telling stories that will help and inspire in the urgent battle to protect our world. Climate change, use of resources and biodiversity loss are challenges we all face, which is why it’s so positive that organisations like The Publisher’s Association are supporting publishers large and small to take action.”
The signatories pledge to:
Join the global climate effort to limit warming to 1.5°C by setting ambitious, measurable targets across our own operations and extended supply chain to achieve net zero as soon as possible and by 2050 at the latest.
Protect nature and biodiversity, working with supply chain partners that are resource efficient, use sustainable materials and processes wherever possible in the content we produce, and constantly innovating to make use of new and recycled materials.
Collaborate with our peers, authors, illustrators, supply chain partners, and business partners to translate our climate aspirations and commitments into tangible actions to safeguard our planet for future generations.
Empower our colleagues to become climate literate and support them to bring that knowledge into the work that they do.
Use our expertise, platform, and voice to raise awareness and drive positive climate action wherever we can.
Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired world rights in middle-grade sci-fi adventure Lethe by author Claire Fayers, from Gemma Cooper at The Bent Agency.
Fern and Tapper should never have met. Fern lives with her inventor dad in Swansea, the capital city of Earth. Tapper comes from a galaxy far, far away and his space submarine has only stopped at Earth for an emergency repair. But when Fern’s dad loses his memory, Fern and Tapper set off into the Lethe, one of the great rivers of space, to save him. Lethe is a joyous, wildly imaginative mash-up of Greek myth and science fiction, full of extraordinary worlds and characters.
‘We’re long-standing fans of Claire’s work and delighted to welcome her to Firefly,’ said Thomas. ‘Lethe is a fun, fantastical adventure full of inventiveness, humour and great characters, and we can’t wait to publish it!’
Claire Fayers said: ‘I’m thrilled to be joining Firefly on this fantastic voyage. The whole team has been so enthusiastic and welcoming, and I’m looking forward to the adventures ahead.’
Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights in debut MG novel Fireblood by author Sam Stewart, from Lucy Irvine at Peters Fraser and Dunlop.
Dragons don’t exist. But they used to…
In an attempt to save their father, Finn and Tula are sucked from their very familiar Bristol home into a world they never knew even existed. Discovering their father’s involvement with dragons, the siblings must help save him and the world they know, and discover the truth of their heritage.
‘Delving into dragon lore and mythology, Fireblood is a truly heart-racing adventure,’ said editor Leonie Lock. ‘The bond between Finn and Tula is so moving and Sam’s worldbuilding is exquisite. Complete with subtle nods to Welsh history and culture, this title is sure to shine on any middle-grade bookshelf.’
Sam Stewart said: ‘I’m delighted that the inspiring Firefly team has taken Fireblood under their wing. It has been years in the making, and is a story not just of flight and flame, fear and fury but of family and friendship too. It is very close to my heart. I hope the pace, magic and mystery of it will enthrall readers far and wide.’
Sam Stewart (photo copyright Helen Marsden)
The novel is slated for publication in spring 2023.
