Ali Sparkes Collection by Ali Sparkes - 12 Books Collection Set - Ages 9-12 - Paperback

Titles in This Set
Frozen in Time
Car-Jacked
Wishful Thinking
Dark Summer
Thunderstruck
Night Speakers
Finding the Fox
Running the Risk
Going to Ground
Dowsing the Dead
Stirring the Storm
Feather And Fang

Details
Condition: Brand New
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Age Range: Ages 9-12 (Grades 4-7)

Overview
The Ali Sparkes Collection gathers twelve paperback adventures from one of the UK's most inventive children's authors, blending science fiction, folklore, and supernatural suspense. Readers meet siblings frozen in time since 1956, a genius teen swept into a car-jacking, an ordinary boy who discovers he can shift into a fox, and more. Six of the titles form the acclaimed Shapeshifter series following Dax Jones through a secret government academy, while the remaining six are gripping standalone thrillers. Together they offer middle-grade readers fast-paced plots, believable friendships, and just enough eeriness to keep pages turning long past bedtime.

About the Books
This twelve-book set brings together Ali Sparkes's most celebrated work for young readers, mixing her acclaimed Shapeshifter series with six independent adventure novels. Frozen in Time, winner of the Blue Peter Book Award, opens the collection with siblings Ben and Rachel uncovering a hidden cryonics vault in their uncle's garden. Car-Jacked, a National Children's Book Award finalist, follows genius teenager Jack Mattingly as a stolen car turns into an unlikely friendship. Wishful Thinking, Dark Summer, Thunderstruck, and Night Speakers each deliver a self-contained mystery rooted in British folklore, underground caves, ghostly encounters, and shared dreams. The remaining six titles make up the Shapeshifter series in full: Finding the Fox introduces Dax Jones, an ordinary boy who discovers he can transform into a fox and is recruited to a secret government school for shapeshifting children. Running the Risk, Going to Ground, Dowsing the Dead, Stirring the Storm, and Feather And Fang follow Dax and his classmates as their abilities grow more powerful. Sparkes writes with a reporter's eye for pace and a genuine warmth for her characters, making even her most fantastical premises feel believable. Teachers and parents have long praised her books for hooking reluctant readers while rewarding confident ones with clever twists. This set is ideal for a young reader working through a favorite author's catalog in one go, offering variety within a consistently high standard of storytelling. Whether shelved in a classroom library these twelve paperbacks promise hours of absorbing, age-appropriate adventure.

Key Benefits

• Twelve complete paperback novels from acclaimed children's author Ali Sparkes in one collection
• Includes the full six-book Shapeshifter series plus six standalone adventure novels
• Blends science fiction, folklore, and supernatural mystery to suit a wide range of young readers
• Fast-paced, accessible writing that appeals to reluctant and confident readers alike
• Great value way to build a home or classroom library around one trusted author
• Perfect gift for birthdays, holidays, or summer reading for ages 9-12

Book-by-Book Guide
Frozen in Time — Ben and Rachel uncover a hidden vault and awaken Freddy and Polly, siblings held in cryonic suspension since 1956.
Car-Jacked — Genius teenager Jack Mattingly is trapped in a stolen car and forms an unlikely bond with the man who took it.
Wishful Thinking — Ordinary schoolboy Kevin finds his life upended when a mischievous Celtic god, Abandinus, adopts him as a personal project.
Dark Summer — Eddie becomes lost in the real underground caves of Wookey Hole, facing danger alone in the dark.
Thunderstruck — A lightning strike on sports day pulls a ghost into Alisha and Theo's world, testing their courage and friendship.
Night Speakers — Elena, Matt, and Tima each wake at the exact same moment every night, drawn toward a shared and unsettling mystery.
Finding the Fox — Dax Jones discovers he can transform into a fox and is recruited into a secret government school for shapeshifting children.
Running the Risk — As Dax sharpens his shapeshifting skills, new threats emerge that test his loyalty to his fellow trainees.
Going to Ground — Dax and his classmates are pulled deeper into danger as their hidden abilities draw unwanted attention.
Dowsing the Dead — Dax's growing powers lead him toward a mystery connected to the spirit world.
Stirring the Storm — The Shapeshifter trainees face escalating stakes as old threats resurface around them.
Feather And Fang — The Shapeshifter series builds to a climax as Dax and his friends confront their biggest challenge yet.

About the Author
Ali Sparkes is a British children's author best known for her Shapeshifter series. Before turning to fiction, she worked as a journalist for the Southern Daily Echo and as a broadcast journalist for BBC Radio Solent. She sold her first book, Finding the Fox, to Oxford University Press in 2006, launching the six-book Shapeshifter series. Frozen in Time went on to win the Blue Peter Book Award, and Car-Jacked was shortlisted for the National Children's Book Award. Sparkes has since written dozens of adventures for children, admired for combining page-turning pace with genuine emotional depth. She lives in Southampton, England.

Why You'll Love This Collection
Twelve books, one brilliant storyteller — this set is a ready-made adventure library for ages 9-12. It's a fantastic birthday gift, holiday stocking-filler, back-to-school pick, or summer reading stash, giving young readers a whole author's world of shapeshifters, ghosts, and secrets to lose themselves in for weeks on end, again and again.

Please Note: This is the UK edition with the ISBN as listed; the cover may vary slightly from the image shown.