Book review: Underpants, demons and sorcery with Simon & Schuster

There’s a riot of fun and supernatural thrills this autumn with an eclectic mix of children’s books from leading UK publishers Simon & Schuster.
Underpants, demons and sorcery with Simon & SchusterUnderpants, demons and sorcery with Simon & Schuster
Underpants, demons and sorcery with Simon & Schuster

A brilliant new ‘Underpants’ picture book from top team Claire Freedman and Ben Cort takes the starring role, as well as two fantastic teen books guaranteed to set hearts pumping and spines tingling.

Age 3 plus:

Monsters Love Underpants by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort

If you thought aliens loved underpants to distraction, then check out why monsters find them just as irresistible!

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Award-winners Claire Freedman and Ben Cort return by popular demand to twang at the elastic and launch us helter-skelter into another madcap underwear adventure.

The brilliant duo who brought kids the pant-loving antics of aliens, dinosaurs, pirates and even Santa Claus put monsters into the most amazing and colourful assortment of underpants in this big, bold, rhyming book.

Monsters around the world have different ways to scare, but they all share a love for zany underpants. Every Saturday night, they can be found in a secret cave, showing off their pants as they dance the Monster Bop. But they have to make it home before the sun comes up… after all, who would be scared of monsters in pants that were striped and dotted?

Whether it’s prowling monsters howling loudly and drooling monsters from the steamy swamp or wild, woolly mountain monsters and spiky, spooky monsters from outer space, kids will love this monstrous menagerie.

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The seventh successful collaboration from author Freedman and illustrator Cort is a true celebration of children’s humour with its addictive rhymes, stupendous array of underpants and larger-than-life cast of hilarious characters.

A book full of underpants jokes that will never wear thin…

(Simon & Schuster, hardback, £10.99)

Age 12 plus:

Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan

Irish author Sarah Rees Brennan’s scintillating young adult trilogy The Lyburn Legacy reaches its thrilling conclusion in Unmade.

This series has seen gothic fantasy at its very best with unforgettable characters, pulsating plotlines and heart-rending romances that no teen could resist.

Overwhelming love comes with a price, so who will be the sacrifice? Kami Glass has lost the boy she loves, is tied to a boy she doesn’t love, and faces an enemy more powerful than ever before. With Jared missing for months and presumed dead, Kami must rely on her new magical link with Ash for the strength to face the evil spreading through her town.

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Sorry-in-the-Vale has a new master and he demands a death. Kami must use every resource to try and stop him, and together with friends Rusty, Angela and Holly, she uncovers a secret that might be the key to saving the town. But with knowledge comes responsibility, and a painful choice… a choice that will risk not only Kami’s life but also the lives of all those she loves most.

Brennan serves up a delicious teen feast of action, mystery and romance with a capital R, but there is also plenty of wry humour to add spice to the main course.

A superb dénouement to a top class series…

(Simon & Schuster, paperback, £7.99)

Unmarked by Kami Garcia

Kami Garcia, co-author of the bestselling Beautiful Creatures series which is now a major feature film, is on top form in the second book of her exciting young adult Legion series.

These gripping urban fantasy novels are packed with suspense, romance, drama and breathtaking plot twists that leave readers begging for more.

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The demon is here… and he could be anyone. Kennedy Waters lives in a world where vengeance spirits kill, ghosts keep secrets and a demon stalker walks free, a demon that Kennedy accidentally set free.

Now Kennedy and the other Legion members – Alara, Priest, Lukas and Jared – have to hunt him down. As they learn more about the history of the Legion and the Illuminati, Kennedy realises that the greatest mystery of all does not belong to any secret order, but to her own family.

With the clock ticking and the life of someone she loves hanging in the balance, Kennedy has to ask the question she fears most… what is it about her past that has left her Unmarked?

Unmarked is proving to be an unmissable series with its charismatic leading players, chilling villains, hair-raising heroics and unique backdrop.

Roll on the next adventure…

(Simon & Schuster, paperback, £7.99)