Blog

It’s officially spring! The sun is shining on us here at a Chicken House HQ and three fantastic little book chicks have just hatched. If you like fantasy and magic, April is the month for you. Here’s what's out now …

Pog by Pádraig Kenny

We LOVED Pádraig's debut novel Tin, and he's raised the bar even higher with Pog. A dark fantasy adventure filled with love, family, grief and monsters, Pog begins with siblings David and Penny moving to their family’s old house in the forest after the death of their mother. But they're not the only ones living there …

An old house in the forest’s heart.
A family broken by loss.
A grief so dark it brings monsters.
And a promise by one small creature.

'Pog is here. Pog is waiting. Come, face Pog if you dares.'

This is a book about a brother and sister wrestling with their grief, and finding the love and courage to let go. It’s a book about monsters who have a dangerous hunger for human emotions and memories, and the cracks in our world that let them in. And it has a totally unforgettable character at its heart: Pog. He’s small, furry and sworn to protect, and we guarantee you’re going to love him.

The Fire Maker by Guy Jones

The second novel from the author of the beautiful The Ice Garden is here! The Fire Maker is a magical-realist adventure with a genie at its heart and the feel of an instant classic.

Alex loves magic – its glamour, tricks and illusions. He’s good at it, too: he’s reached the semi-finals of a prestigious competition for young magicians. But when he stumbles into eccentric Mr Olmos’s back garden while running from his former best friend, Alex sees something he can’t explain: three tiny flames floating in the air. Fire magic. Real magic. Soon, Alex and Mr Olmos are swept up in a great adventure of secrets, genies and an ancient, bitter rivalry...

Head Chicken Barry says, ‘I used to have a magic kit. I would practise for hours … Of course, I believed that was the only kind of magic in existence- but what if it wasn’t? What if I could have found out about a different kind of magic … real magic? That’s exactly what happens for our main character Alex.’

If like Barry, you believe in magic, this is the novel for you.

The Cry of the Icemark by Stuart Hill

This month we’re publishing the stunning new edition of the winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2005, The Cry of the Icemark. Stuart Hill takes us on an epic fantasy journey to the Icemark, a tiny Kingdom with a young new ruler.

When her father dies in battle, 14-year-old Thirrin becomes Queen of the Icemark.

Determined to defend her tiny kingdom from the most terrible invasion her nation has ever known, this is the epic story of how she rallies her country and finds some extraordinary new allies: Vampires, Wolf-folk, giant Snow Leopards and – most precious of all – her friend Oskan, Witch’s Son.

With an awesome feisty female protagonist, it’s no wonder we named Thirrin as number two on our list of top red heads in children’s fiction. This girl can kick butt! How many thirteen-year-old princesses do you know who can take down a werewolf with their bare hands?

Follow Chicken House on Twitter: @chickenhsebooks