Shopify Vendor: Carroll, Emma

On one side of the underwater street is the remains of a house . . . It’s beautiful here, and eerie, a lost kingdom, a ghost village . . . It’s the near-future and Britain is having yet another heatwave. Of course, the government have put in the normal curfews for this kind of weather, and shops are forced to shut again. For Polly, it’s the sort of heat that makes her do wild, out-of-character things just to cool down. Like face her fear of deepwater. Essential when she and her brother have been sent to their aunt’s eco lake-side house for the summer. But Truthwater Lake is beginning to dry up. As the water level diminishes, a lost village emerges. Swimming over the rooftops at midnight, Polly dives down and is suddenly able to breathe, to hear church bells and bird song . . . Polly has discovered an underwater gateway . . . to the past!

It only takes one strike: A powerful feminist reworking of the Hans Christian Andersen classic, from bestselling and award-winning creators Emma Carroll and Lauren Child. ‘Superb. About community and voices and standing up for yourself’ Phil Earle, British Book Award-winning author of When the Sky Falls Bridie works hard to feed her family, selling matches on the streets of Victorian London. After an incident leaves her with only three matches left, the magical strike of each one sees her tumble into visions of a brighter future. Realizing she has the power to change her own fortune, Bridie leads the match factory workers out on strike, achieving the remarkable through their unity and courage. A defiant and empowering retelling of the classic you thought you knew, based on real-life events, this stunning collaboration brought to life in glorious spot colour introduces a bold new heroine for future generations to treasure. ‘Bridie is a feminist icon, with a story that is all too relevant. There is so much power in these beautiful pages’ Katya Balen, winner of the Carnegie Medal ‘A defiant, elegantly illustrated story’ Sunday Times Culture ‘A brilliant story of collective power that champions community and kindness’ Abi Elphinstone ‘A powerful strike right to the heart, burning with courage, that should light a beacon of hope for young readers’ Piers Torday ‘A timely read that might prompt discussion’ Observer ‘[Lauren] Child’s vivid spot-colour illustrations elegantly complement the fierceness of the story’ Guardian ‘A masterful interweaving of fairytale and fact with social action and strong women at its heart’ Smriti Halls