Alex Bell – författare

It sounded like a respectable and worthy enough death for an explorer - tumbling from an ice bridge to be impaled upon a mammoth tusk - but Stella really, really didn't want that to happen, just the same.Join Stella Starflake Pearl and her three fellow explorers as they trek across the snowy Icelands and come face-to-face with frost fairies, snow queens, outlaw hideouts, unicorns, pygmy dinosaurs and carnivorous cabbages . . . When Stella and three other junior explorers get separated from their expedition can they cross the frozen wilderness and live to tell the tale?A gorgeously imaginative middle grade fantasy adventure combining the best of Peter Pan, Lemony Snicket, Northern Lights and Alice in Wonderland.'A magical adventure of friendship, bravery and derring-do in a richly imagined world.' The Bookseller'A fantastic frosty adventure.' Sunday Express'Wintry, atmospheric, highly imaginative fantasy.' Metro'The most huggable book of the year . . . An (iced) gem.' SFX

The second title in this gorgeously imaginative middle grade fantasy adventure series combining the best of Peter Pan, Lemony Snicket, Northern Lights and Alice in Wonderland.Stella Starflake Pearl is eagerly anticipating her next expedition. Suddenly disaster strikes when Stella's father, Felix, is snatched by a fearsome witch. Stella must bring her magic ice princess tiara to Witch Mountain or she will never see Felix again! But no one ever returns from Witch Mountain . . .Stella, Ethan, Shay, Beanie and reluctant Jungle Cat explorer, Gideon, set off into the unknown. They will face chomping pumpkin patches, vampire trolls, poisonous rabbits, outraged vultures and deranged broomsticks in their quest to rescue Felix.Praise for the series:'A magical adventure of friendship, bravery and derring-do in a richly imagined world.' The Bookseller'A fantastic frosty adventure.' Sunday Express'Wintry, atmospheric, highly imaginative fantasy.' Metro'The most huggable book of the year . . . An (iced) gem.' SFX

In the third magical Stella Starflake adventure the explorers meet gargoyles, sea-gremlins, mermaids, red devil squids - even a Gentleman Flamingo!Ice princess Stella Starflake and her father Felix are in trouble: President Fogg has expelled them from the Polar Bear Explorers' Club, and banned them from going on any further expeditions.Stella's not going to be put off by rules and regulations though. She knows her friend Shay is in danger of turning into a witch wolf himself, since receiving a deadly bite on their last adventure. It's vital that Stella and her friends set out to find the spellbook that could save his life, even if it means travelling over the cursed Black Ice Bridge.It's a formidable and dangerous task, and their journey takes them on a breathtaking, page-turning adventure!Praise for the series:'A magical adventure of friendship, bravery and derring-do in a richly imagined world.' The Bookseller'A fantastic frosty adventure.' Sunday Express'Wintry, atmospheric, highly imaginative fantasy.' Metro'The most huggable book of the year . . . An (iced) gem.' SFX

In this fourth explorers adventure we meet Ursula, a part mermaid girl who is determined to follow in Stella's footsteps and help her to defeat the Collector!Ursula knew the submarine wasn't designed to go this deep, but what choice did they have? No one wanted to get swallowed up by a colossal sneezing jellyfish!In a distant watery corner of the Explorers Kingdom, a submarine engineer, Ursula, is determined to become an explorer. Unfortunately, she hides an extraordinary secret, which makes her the sworn enemy of the Ocean Squid Explorers' Club were they ever to find out . . . But when The Collector threatens the Club, Ursula throws caution to the wind and leads an expedition through treacherous waters, filled with gremlins, aboard the Blowfish submarine - and joined by her friends Max, Genie and Jai - and even her idol Stella!Thrilling, heart-pounding adventure with exquisite detail throughout. Alex Bell's world-building is second to none. Praise for the series:'A magical adventure of friendship, bravery and derring-do in a richly imagined world.' The Bookseller'A fantastic frosty adventure.' Sunday Express'Wintry, atmospheric, highly imaginative fantasy.' Metro'The most huggable book of the year . . . An (iced) gem.' SFX

In their fifth thrilling adventure, the explorers journey deep into the Bubble Ocean on their quest to stop the evil Collector, but time is running out . . .The Poison Tentacle Sea was home to the powerful Bone Current. As they had feared, it gave a sudden surge and pulled them in.Half-mermaid Ursula Jellyfin has always longed for adventure, and this time the stakes are higher than ever. The Collector is holding a group of children prisoner on Pirate Island, and it's up to Ursula and her friends Jai, Max and Genie to set them free. Armed with a magical mermaid trident, and with new recruit Zara the pirate fairy on board, their mission is filled with danger. The explorers must face zombie skeletons, make a daring rescue from a whirlpool and travel through a dinosaur graveyard. But even if they do make it to Pirate Island, can they fool the Collector and get in to an impenetrable fort?Fast-paced, magical storytelling in a breathtaking underwater world. Alex Bell's inventiveness and attention to detail is a joy to read.Praise for the series:'A magical adventure of friendship, bravery and derring-do in a richly imagined world.' The Bookseller'A fantastic frosty adventure.' Sunday Express'Wintry, atmospheric, highly imaginative fantasy.' Metro'The most huggable book of the year . . . An (iced) gem.' SFX

Directly below was a sight none of them had ever seen before - a kind of spiral, with glowing ruby-red lights that curved outwards like tentacles.In the middle was a dark circle, inky black. It had the look of a really, really deep well.Ursula and her friends are in a race against time. The Collector has taken Stella captive, and is hungrily snatching up all the beautiful places of the world in her snow globe prisons. She needs to be stopped, but first they must find her.To aid them in their quest, the explorers seek help from new allies, including a Pirate Queen, with a ghost ship that can defy time and space, and then take to the skies in a galaxy fairy rocket. But their journey is fraught with danger, as the future of the planet hangs in the balance.Escape into a sensational world filled with space moles, sea goblins and giant sharks, all covered with a sprinkling of moon dust!

'A daring adventure . . . will engage even the most reluctant readers.' Kirkus'Absolutely spellbinding.' Books for Topics'A feast for every imagination and an unputdownable adventure.' Armadillo Magazine'Full of magic.' Erika, Aged 12, Books up North'A glorious adventure!' Books for Keeps'A must-read.' The BookbagAn out of this world magical adventure with talking animals, risk-taking and friendship aplenty! A new standalone magical story from the best-selling author of the Explorers' Club series.Twelve-year-old Eli is an apprentice librarian at the largest library in the world. But when his grandmother falls ill, he enters the Glorious Race of Magical Beasts to raise money for her treatment.This annual race is always held in the most perilous places and is full of spiky dangers. Most participants seek out unicorns and dragons to help them on their conquest. But not Eli. He embarks on this journey with his trusted pet and friend, Humphrey, his moon tortoise. Moon tortoises aren't suited to racing and Eli is no natural adventurer. But he soon finds himself in an unlikely partnership with Raven, a rule-breaker and skilled archer, and her ice hare - one of the fastest animals in the world.If the two children put aside their differences and work together, they might just reach the finish line!

Lex Trent is reigning champion of The Games contested between fickle Gods using human playing pieces.He has it all: Fame. Glory. Wealth. An enormous ego. But The Games are about to begin again and the Goddess of Luck wants Lex to defend their title. A challenge he can't resist, despite the risk of death, because the final round will take place in the Wild West, giving Lex the chance to claim the legendary Sword of Life (who wouldn't want that?). With Lex's mix of skill, quick wittedness and no small amount of outright cheating, he can't lose! Can he?Luck may usually be a lady to Lex...but in the Wild West they play by their own rules...and Lex has never been that good with rules.

The magical must-read middle-grade novel from the bestselling author of THE POLAR BEAR EXPLORERS’ CLUB and FROZEN CHARLOTTE. Bess has always loved her grandfather’s collection of curiosities. So she’s delighted when she’s handed the keys to his Odditorium. But unless she finds a way to draw in the crowds, she’ll have to close its doors for good.When a mysterious train pulls into town, bound for The Land of Halloween Sweets, Bess hatches a plan and sneaks onboard. She is soon discovered by Beau the puppeteer, Louie the violinist and Maria the fire witch. Eager to join their adventure, Bess sets out to search for the rarest sweet of all – the ghostly gobstopper.  But the land is ruled by the fearsome Candymaker. And beneath the sugary surface, things are more dangerous than they first appear...

All aboard for The Train of Dark Wonders! The second book in the magical must-read middle-grade series.Bess can’t wait to see her friends from the Train of Dark Wonders and head off on another adventure together. But she has her duties as owner of the Odditorium to think about. Most importantly, the gateway to other worlds needs a new animal guard and it’s her job to find one.When the train stops by on route to The Land of Cursed Creatures, Bess hops on board. Here, she encounters zombie ducks, haunted lobsters and poisonous swans. She also hears tales of the most mysterious and secretive creature of all – the cursed unicorn.As creatures begin to go missing, Bess and the gang set out on a daring rescue mission, venturing deep into a land of living nightmares…

Is this the end of the line for the Train of Dark Wonders?Trouble is brewing at the Odditorium, where the gateway to the Land of Fairy Tales is about to open. For, as Bess knows only too well, fairy tales are nothing like the ones from the storybooks. Queen Cinderella wants her stolen magic slipper back and nothing will get in her way.It soon becomes clear that Bess’s only choice is to travel to the Land of Fairy Tales and face Cinderella. With her friends by her side, she is determined to finish what her grandfather started by venturing to the queen’s legendary castle of illusions.But as Bess and her friends fall victim to a series of sneaky tricks and enchantments, time is running out in their quest to find their happily ever after. And there's a chance they may never escape unless they defeat the evil fairy-tale queen once and for all...

One day, without warning, Jasmyn's husband died.Since then, everything has been different.Wrapped up in her grief, Jasmyn is trapped in a world without colour, without flavour - without Liam. But even through the haze of misery she begins to notice unusual events, as sense of being watched, a strange man visiting her home and asking pointed questions about her dead husband. Her world has been turned upside down, but even so, things are not as they should be.Eventually Jasmyn begins to explore the discrepancies that have sprung up after his death - the plane tickets to places Liam claimed he'd never visited, details of the meetings he was never supposed to have - and to follow their trail back into the events of his life.But the mysteries are deeper than she expected, and are leading her in surprising directions: into fairytales filled with swans, castles and bones; into a tale of a murder committed by a lake and a vicious battle between brothers; into legends of a lost past, and a story of stolen love.

Bestselling author Alex Bell serves up mystery and dark humour aplenty in this Willy Wonka-esque middle-grade tale of toys brought to life. Shadows of teddy bears flit across windows. Dolls whisper behind closed doors. Something has gone very wrong at Hoggle's Happy Toys. But five years after shutting its doors, the toy factory is opening again, and Tess Pipps has found herself a job there. As she and her siblings start their first day of work, they are about to discover what dark secrets are lurking inside the factory's walls … Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.

On Bird Rock, gannets circle and thick mist surrounds the lighthouse at its centre, hiding the secrets of a tragic past within .From the second they set foot on the island to join their dad and his new family, Jess and Rosie feel that something's wrong. Nightmares haunt their dreams and there seems to be someone, or something, else with them in the lighthouse - their home for the summer.Counting down the days until they can leave, Jess and Rosie decide to investigate. But when Rosie disappears, the countdown takes on a new meaning. Especially when no one but Jess remembers Rosie at all.Alex Bell's chilling novel is part of the Red Eye series, perfect for fans of Juno Dawson's?SAY HER NAME and Kat Ellis's HARROW LAKE.

A Zoella Book Club Autumn 2016 title"So creepy and amazing [...] I loved it [...] You'll never look at small china dolls in the same way ever again." - Zoella"Deliciously creepy." - Juno DawsonDunvegan School for Girls has been closed for many years. Converted into a family home, the teachers and students are long gone. But they left something behind.Sophie arrives at the old schoolhouse to spend the summer with her cousins. Brooding Cameron with his scarred hand, strange Lillias with a fear of bones and Piper, who seems just a bit too good to be true. And then there's her other cousin. The girl with a room full of antique dolls. The girl that shouldn't be there. The girl that died. Alex Bell's chilling novel is part of the Red Eye series, perfect for fans of Juno Dawson's Say Her Name and Kendare Blake's Anna Dressed in Blood.

"There are no angels in Baton Noir. Only devils."Jude Lomax scrapes a living playing the trumpet on the neon streets of Baton Noir. Then she is invited to play at the funeral of the infamous cajou queen, Ivory Monette. Passing through the cemetery gates, Jude finds herself possessed by the murdered queen's spirit. And Ivory won't rest until she's found the person responsible for her death.If Jude wants to be rid of the vengeful spirit, she must take a journey deep into the dangerous underbelly of the city, from the swampy depths of the Black Bayou to the velvet opulence of the vampires' secret jazz clubs. But as Jude untangles Ivory's web of secrets, she is confronted with a few dark truths from her own past.The first in an eagerly awaited series from the author of FROZEN CHARLOTTE, a WHS Zoella Book Club title in 2016, which is sure to enthral fans of Holly Black, Maggie Steifvater, Amanda Foody and Stephanie Garber.

We live in a time of crises in a state with no moral purpose. This generation could become great by tackling Scotland’s domestic problems, and the wider issues facing the world. That is only possible if we take charge, set the goal of equality and give ourselves twenty years to transform our society. We can lead ourselves to a better world. ALEX BELLFormer Head of Policy to First Minister Alex Salmond, Alex Bell puts Scotland’s future in a global context and sets out a way for Scotland and the UK to reform. This is a manifesto for the future free of party lines or the usual orthodoxies – if you read only one book on the referendum, make it this one.The sort of original thinking that has been so sorely missing in the debate. - BEN THOMSON, Reform ScotlandBadly needed as a guide for the general reader tothe issues facing the Scottish people. - KENNETH ROY, Scottish ReviewA rare work – a stimulating read that you would hope party manifestos would aspire to but rarely do. - JOHN McLAREN, Centre for Public Policy for RegionsA manifesto for the future. - ANDY WIGHTMAN, author of The Poor Had No Lawyers… an eloquent and alarmingly persuasive book. - THE SCOTSMAN, on Peak Water

Some curses grow stronger with time.People say that all Cornish inns are haunted, but the Waterwitch's history is particularly chilling. Built from the salvaged timber of a cursed ship, the guest house's dark secrets go further back than anyone can remember. Emma is permanently confined to a wheelchair after an accident at the Waterwitch which took place when she was ten. Seven years later, she decides to return to the place where the awful event occurred. But the ancient inn still has its ghosts, and one spirit is more vengeful than ever. A chilling new title in the Red Eye horror series from the author of Frozen Charlotte.