Showing results by publisher "W. F. Howes Ltd" in Science Fiction & Fantasy

Indigo and Rusty might live in a funeral parlour, but they don't believe in ghosts. That is, until Indigo knocks over an old urn, accidentally releasing the Cinderman: a terrifying ash monster, who will smother their town in ashes and turn everyone into zombies, unless they can stop him by sunset. Using their newly awakened Spooksmith skills, Indigo and Rusty set out to enlist the help of other ghosts. But can the Blasted Banshee and Chuckles the Phantom Toddler really help them find the Cinderman's true name and put him in his grave for good before Ashmageddon strikes?

A yellow moon hangs in a satin sky the night Cinderella, barefoot and in hand-me-downs, slips at the top of the stairs...and dies. But not for long. The Shadow of Death arrives to breathe life back into her bones and, for three nights only, Cinderella goes forth as Zombierella. With her skin as cold as ice and her faithful horse, Lumpkin, back by her side, can she seek revenge on her three cruel, fake sisters, once and for all? Crawl out of the grave and step into your mushroom carriage for this haunting and humorous adventure of the undead girl searching for her happily ever after.

An encounter with an anti-gravity machine catapults Peter Schock and Kate Dyer back to the 18th century and sets in motion a calamitous chain of events. While a massive police hunt gets underway to find the missing children in the 21st century - in 1763 a hardened criminal, the Tar Man, steals the anti-gravity machine and disappears into the London underworld. Stranded in another time and forced to chase the Tar Man to his lair, Peter and Kate find a friend and guide in reformed cutpurse, Gideon Seymour...

1666. When 11-year-old bookish Gil finds a strange ‘heaven stone' by the Thames, he never thought it would hatch. Or that so soon after the Great Plague, a small fire in London would become a deadly inferno. Soon Gil, his phoenix, and his spiky friend Jennet must cross the burning city, avoid a terrifying mob, and find a place where they can all be safe.

People are flocking to Ghastly-Gorm Hall to compete in Lord Goth's Literary Dog Show. The judges are in place, and the contestants are all ready to win. But there's something strange going on at Ghastly-Gorm - mysterious footprints, howls in the night and some suspiciously chewed shoes. Can Ada, the Attic Club and their new friends, the Vicarage sisters, work out what's going on before the next full moon?

Red is a rare red dragon who lives with his Mag and Dag in a world where dragons and Uprights are sworn enemies. Then Red meets his first Upright, a girl called Lou, who is nothing like he had imagined: she's smart, and funny ... and kind! As the pair become friends, Red learns that not only can the two species live in harmony–but maybe it's his destiny to bring them back together.

Bee stumbles through life in her stripy socks with her head in the clouds, doing her very best to keep out of the way of her bickering parents and avoid the bendy tap-dancing freak Crystal Kelly - who makes her life a misery. But when Crystal double-dares her to volunteer for a sponsored swim in honour of her great grandmother Beatrix's memory, Bee can't back down. Even though she is terrified of water and cannot swim! Then new boy Moon-Star gallops to Bee's rescue on his horse and takes her to meet Old Alice, who lives in a beautiful painted wagon.

This is the story of a sleepy town called Suds. A place where stories fill the air of children who keep turning grey and disappearing without a trace. Poppy and Erasmus are certain there's something peculiar going on in Suds, and they're determined to unravel its secrets. But when they discover the answers might lie in the dark and twisting woods, can they find the courage to creep inside and solve this riddling mystery?

Malice Morbid Malign isn't like the rest of her family. But when her younger sister, Antipathy-Rose, finds a sphere of solid amber in one of the forbidden swag rooms at Malignant House, and bites right through it, she unwittingly unleashes a world of trouble. Trapped within the amber sphere is Maniacal Malign’s time-stopping pocket watch. Maniacal Malign had been in exile for several centuries, but the moment Antipathy-Rose’s gnashers crack the amber, he is summoned back to monstrous action. Malice, Uncle Vex and Seth find themselves on a time-sensitive mission.

Alex McBuff doesn't want to sell the family castle. An orphan, its ghosts have been like a family to him. But it is falling to pieces through lack of money. A Texan billionaire offers Alex $500,000, but on condition that it is ghost free.

Through the glass, the magic is waiting.... Nona and her uncle travel everywhere together, replacing stained-glass windows in war-torn buildings throughout England. One day a mysterious commission takes them to the lonely moors of Dartmoor, where a wild and powerful magic threatens everything that Nona holds dear. Can she find the courage to protect those she loves - even if it means fighting darkness itself?

There's a new craze in town for smart speakers and everyone has got one. At first they seem super helpful, but Tyler and her friends soon start to get suspicious. It's like these virtual assistants are really the ones in control - but no-one else seems to notice. It's not long before the assistants become mobile, attaching limbs so that they can crawl around like weird spider robots. Spiders are bad enough, but robot spiders trying to enslave humanity? That's a problem that need to be squished, fast!

Since the world fell sick with fantastical illnesses, sisters Payton and Ani have grown up in the hospital of King Jude’s. Payton wants to be a methic like her father, working on a cure for her mother’s sleeping fever. Ani, however, thinks the remedy for all illness might be found in the green wilderness beyond the hospital walls. When Ani stumbles upon an imprisoned boy who turns everything he touches to gold, her world is turned upside-down. The girls find themselves outside the hospital for the first time, a dark mystery unravelling.

Michael Malone's life has not been the same since his father disappeared three years ago. Determined to find him, Michael gets unwittingly drawn into supernatural organisation UNICORNE, who claim to have vital information for his quest. But they want something in return. Something that is hidden in Michael's very bones...

Mr McCool is a polar bear on a mission to escape the zoo and travel back to his true home - the North Pole. With a human boy and a furry side-kick for company, Mr McCool sets sail. But the waters hold secrets, and hidden dangers.... Will they ever reach the dancing lights of the northern sky?

This is the story of Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard, who doesn't believe in anything. She is still grieving for her dead mother when her father takes a job in a museum, in a city where it always snows. On her first day in the museum, Ophelia discovers a boy locked away in a long-forgotten room. He is a prisoner of Her Majesty the Snow Queen, and he has been waiting for Ophelia's help..

Feeling lost and alone in a strange new city, Leelu wishes she could fly away back home - her real home where her dad is, thousands of miles away. London is cold and grey, and the neighbours are noisy, and there’s concrete everywhere. But Leelu is not alone; someone is leaving her gifts outside her house - wonders, which give her curious magical powers. Powers that might help her find her way home.

The five children have grown up, and World War I has begun in earnest. The sand fairy has become a creature of stories...until, for the first time in 10 years, he suddenly reappears. Before this last adventure ends, all will be changed; the two younger children will have seen the Great War from every possible viewpoint, and the war's impact will be felt right at the heart of their family.

When Compton Valance and his best friend Bryan Nylon discover the world's first time machine (aka a mouldy, thirteen-week-old-cheese-and-pickled-egg sandwich), they become the most powerful boys in the universe. But how will Compton and Bryan decide to use their incredible new time-travelling powers? Will they use them for good or evil? Or will they just focus their efforts on perfecting a formula for the world's first pair of custard trousers?

Maggie Blue is adjusting to a quieter life, back living with her aunt Esme and hanging out with friends Ida and Will as well as her beloved Hoagy the cat. She tries to forget about the events of the previous year—but she's being watched, and one day a small white bird appears. Where has the white crow come from, and why won't it leave Maggie alone? Little does she know that the Dark World is waiting for her to return... and when Cynthia her mom is kidnapped and taken there, Maggie only has no choice but to go back.