And just who is this gorgeous woodland creature?

It's Mr Badger!

He is the Special Events Manager of the Grand Boubles Hotel, and has worked there for years (as did his father, and as did Grandfather Badger before that).

We first met Mr Badger in Mr Badger and the Big Surprise when he was busy planning the birthday bash of the (more than slightly revolting) seven-year old Miss Sylvia Smothers-Carruthers.

Then we met him again in Mr Badger and the Missing Ape. This is the one where Algernon the ape goes missing and Mr Badger turns detective*.

And now, in the latest fabulous installment, the Difficult Duchess de la Dodo has come to stay at the Boubles Grand Hotel. And she is making things rawther... difficult for our dear Mr Badger.

Just who does she think she is, ordering a scottish spongecake (it had to be flown in from Edinburgh), imported Belgian chocolate chip ice-cream, lime-flavoured Latvian lemonade and three television sets for her suite through room service, without so much as a please or thankyou very much?

And just why does she look a little familiar?

Read it to find out!

*This is my absolute favourite, but they are all excellent. Also, if you are passing by the Younger Sun, make sure you look in the window!

(We might just have an extra special painting of Mr Badger on display for your viewing pleasure...)

Meet Marshall Armstrong...

Marshall Armstrong is New to Our School, David Mackintosh

Marshall Armstrong looks different to me...

He has spotty arms.

He stole his glasses from another boy

and his laces are straight, not criss-crossed like mine.

His freckles look like bird seed on his nose.

He has lips like my tropical fish, Ninja.

But Marshall Armstrong is A.W.E.S.O.M.E.

Tensy Fever

Our darling Tensy is now in paperback!

And doesn't she look prettier than ever?

For those of you that didn't meet her the first time round, now is your chance to acquaint yourself with one of the most delightful characters to emerge in a long time.

Bears on Chairs

Our favourite picture book from recent times is now a board book.

Four bears sit on their chairs.

But Big Brown Bear wants to sit on a chair too?

Can they make all five bears fit on four chairs?

A gorgeous rhyming book about sharing and working together - and fabulous illustrations.

Robot Girl and Ghost Boy

How to say goodbye in robot, Natalie Standiford (Scholastic)

In stock now at the Younger Sun is this brilliant novel for young adults.

Bea is new to town and, unlike in all the other new-girl-in-town books you've read, she's welcomed warmly into a large group of girls. But Bea is fascinated by Jonah, a sullen and weird guy ostracised by the rest of the school that everyone calls Ghost Boy.

He's reluctant to let her get close to him, but they bond over a late-night talk-back radio show full of old timers and strange, strange folk and their friendship is like no others.

Their relationship - although not a romantic relationship - is cemented and strengthened when Jonah discovers that someone from his past might not be dead after all and he needs Bea's help.

This is a magnificent first novel, something like Jerry Spinelli's amazing Stargirl or John Green's spectacular Paper Towns.

I AM NUMBER FOUR : COMPETITION

The Younger Sun and The Sun Theatre are running a fantastic competition -

Write a review of the book I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

and go in the running to win a double pass to see the movie at the Sun Theatre!

Just send your review to info@sunbookshop.com or post it in the comments section below by the 10th of March.

UPDATE:

CAREFUL, THERE BE SPOILERS IN THE COMMENTS SECTION!!! ENTER AT OWN RISK.

March Bookclub : The Last Dragonslayer

In the good old days, magic was powerful, unregulated by government, and even the largest spell could be woven without filling in magic release form B1-7g.

Then the magic started fading away.

Fifteen-year-old Jennifer Strange runs Kazam, an employment agency for soothsayers and sorcerers. But work is drying up. Drain cleaner is cheaper than a spell, and even magic carpets are reduced to pizza delivery.

So it's a surprise when the visions start. Not only do they predict the death of the Last Dragon at the hands of a Dragonslayer, they also point to Jennifer, and say something is coming. Big Magic...

Join us on Saturday 5 March at 2pm to discuss the hilarious (and possibly a little weird and confusing) story of Jennifer Strange, Kazam, Tiger Prawns, the Quarkbeast and Big Magic at Teen Bookclub.

You can email us here: youngersunbookclub@gmail.com

The Unidentified

The Unidentified, Rae Mariz (Text)

Fifteen-year-old Katey, aka Kid, goes to school in the Game—a ‘school’ run by corporate sponsors. Social networking is as natural as breathing, your online profile is everything, and striving to get ahead in the popularity stakes involves a careful navigation that could go wrong at any turn.

The corporations watch the students to spot the next trend and the kids vie with each other to be noticed and sponsored by the corporations. Being ’branded’ means celebrity status, not to mention financial freedom.

But what kind of freedom is it when you’re always being watched? And how important is it to be the coolest and most popular kid when your identity is owned by a corporation?

When Kid witnesses a mock suicide staged by an anonymous group calling itself the Unidentified she begins to ask herself those questions.

The Unidentified is a book about identity, freedom and integrity, a book that will lead readers to discuss the power of marketing and the media, our desire to fit in and be popular, and the importance of making a stand for what you believe in.

We're all reading this one here at the Younger Sun. It's very, very interesting. We'll pop a review up on the blog soon, once we've thought about it a little more.

For now, here's the author, Rae Mariz, talking about her book...

Teen Bookclub : Dancing in the Dark with Robyn Bavati

On Saturday 5th February the Teen Bookclub met to discuss Dancing in the Dark by Robyn Bavati. Very excitingly Robyn was able to come along and be there to field questions and issues that the group had about her book.

Have you read it yet? It's a brilliant story about a young girl called Ditty who has grown up in an ultra-orthodox Jewish family and who wants to learn to dance ballet, even though her parents disapprove and will not allow her to take lessons. Ditty takes lessons in secret, even though disobeying her parents makes her feel unbelievably guilty and she becomes aware of the world outside her community. It's sensitive and sweet and you should all go out and read it now.

We had a great chat, with everybody asking questions and having a say - everyone really loved the book and connected with Ditty. It was also our biggest bookclub by far, filling the long table in the Sun Theatre's Hogwarts room. Above is a teeny selection of awesome bookclubbers with Robyn in the Younger Sun afterwards.

Thanks for coming Robyn!

Click here for Robyn Bavati's blog (where she says nice things about us).

New(ish) paranormal YA

The Iron Witch, Karen Mahoney

Freak.

That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic, which branded her hands and arms with iron tattoos. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.

When the vicious wood elves - the darkest outcasts of Faerie - abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries-old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend - even if it means betraying everything her parents fought to protect.

I've only ventured a little way in to this, but so far so good. It's got family secrets, attractive boys and killer fairies.

Hold me closer, Necromancer, Lish McBride

Meet Sam, just your average guy rocking that fast food career.

Meet Douglas, not just your average guy but a powerful and violent necromancer who immediately recognises the threat Sam poses to his control of the Seattle paranormal scene.

Suddenly Sam's life takes a distinct turn for the weird. He has an undead friend on his hands, powers he's not sure how to use and a family history that's all news to him.

What's a grill cook to do? With the help of his new were-hound girlfriend, a bratty harbinger and a skill set he never knew he had, Sam battles it out to the bitter, crashing end.

Sherman Alexie's quote on the front sums it up perfectly; This is a SCARY funny book OR a FUNNY scary book. In either case, it is a GREAT book. I LOVE it.

Bleeding Violet, Dia Reeves

Love can be a dangerous thing….

Hanna simply wants to be loved. With a head plagued by hallucinations, a medicine cabinet full of pills, and a closet stuffed with frilly, violet dresses, Hanna’s tired of being the outcast, the weird girl, the freak. So she runs away to Portero, Texas in search of a new home.

But Portero is a stranger town than Hanna expects. As she tries to make a place for herself, she discovers dark secrets that would terrify any normal soul. Good thing for Hanna, she’s far from normal. As this crazy girl meets an even crazier town, only two things are certain: Anything can happen and no one is safe.

This was weird. But fun. I liked it! For the fans of atmospheric paranormal stories with a comic twist.