Jess Butterworth

I focus on my beating heart. I know mum and dad are still alive. My heart would feel different if they weren't, wouldn't it . . . ? After twelve-year-old Tash's parents are seized by soldiers, she and her best friend Sam resolve to rescue them. But to do so, they must escape Tibet, cross the mountains and seek help from the Dalai Lama in India. And so an extraordinary journey begins . . . A vivid, richly atmospheric story of adventure, survival and hope.

Running on the Roof of the World

An adventure story set in the swamplands of Louisiana about sisters, rising sea-levels and saving the environment, perfect for fans of Katherine Rundell and Lauren St John. Our land is sinking. It's disappearing into the water. And no one knows how to save it. Twelve-year-old Eliza and her sister Avery have lived their entire lives in a small fishing village on the coast of Louisiana, growing up alongside turtles, pelicans and porpoises. But now, with sea levels rising, their home is at risk of being swept away. Determined to save the land, Eliza and her younger sister Avery secretly go searching in the swamp for the dangerous, wolf-like loup-garou. If they can prove this legendary creature exists, they're sure that the government will have to protect its habitat - and their community. But there's one problem: the loup-garou has never been seen before. And with a tropical storm approaching and the sisters deep, deep in the swampland, soon it's not just their home at risk, but their lives as well...

Swimming Against the Storm

From Jess Butterworth comes another beautifully written adventure set on top of a super volcano, about coming to terms with grief, letting go of anger at the world and finding hope and joy in the most unexpected of places. Vivi and Seb live halfway across the world from each other, living completely separate lives, until a terrible event unexpectedly makes their paths collide. Seb's best friend Clay was injured in a shooting, and Seb believes there's a rainbow pool in the heart of Yellowstone National Park that will help heal him heal. Meanwhile, Vivi is feeling lost, wishing she could find a way to honour her grandmother, who didn't survive the same shooting. When they meet at the memorial and Seb tells Vivi what he wants to do, Vivi is convinced that her grandmother would have wanted her to go with Seb to help his friend. But the park is filled with dangerous creatures, and when Seb is injured in one of the volcanic springs, it becomes a race for survival as they try and make their wish and find their way out of the wilderness. Told through multiple viewpoints and set between the US and the UK, this is another heartfelt middle grade adventure from award-winning author Jess Butterworth

Into the Volcano

One day, as Cara and her siblings are trying to clean up the canal where they live, they pull out a mysterious locked safe. Though none of them can open it, they're sure it's something special. That night, a thief comes after the safe. The children flee, traveling with their boat as far as they can, before continuing into the forest on foot. But soon they're lost in the mountains with a snowstorm about to land and food supplies running low. Will Cara and her siblings be able to survive the wilderness with nothing but their wits, their bravery and one very large dog to help?

Where the Wilderness Lives

A story of adventure, survival, courage, and hope, set in the vivid Himalayan landscape of Tibet and India. Tash lives in Tibet, where as a practicing Buddhist she must follow many rules to avoid the wrath of the occupying Chinese soldiers. Life remains peaceful as long as Tash, her family, and their community hide their religion and don’t mention its leader, the Dalai Lama. The quiet is ruptured when a man publicly sets himself on fire to protest the occupation. In the crackdown that follows, soldiers break into Tash’s house and seize her parents. Tash barely escapes, and soon she and her best friend, Sam, along with two borrowed yaks, flee across the mountains, where they face blizzards, hunger, a treacherous landscape, and the constant threat of capture. It’s a long, dangerous trip to the Indian border and safety—and not all will make it there. This action-packed novel tells a story of courage, hope, and the powerful will to survive, even in the most desperate circumstances.

Do you like exploring, animals and adventure? Then join The Adventure Club! A brand new illustrated series for younger readers about animals and adventure from much-loved author Jess Butterworth - writer of classic adventure stories in vibrantly described settings. It's time for another Adventure Club trip! When Tilly learns that the monsoon rains in India are late and the tigers in a local sanctuary have disappeared searching for water, Tilly is worried. The sanctuary is surrounded by busy roads and cities. It's not safe for tigers. She decides that this is a job for The Adventure Club. She gathers the team - Julia, Steve, Leo and Anita - and they travel to India in search of the tigers. At the sanctuary Tilly encounters elephants, antelopes and crocodiles ... but where are the tigers? Join the Adventure Club with Tilly to find out! Packed full of illustrations and set as Tilly's own diary, this new series is perfect for young readers who are beginning to read on their own.

Book 2

Tiger in Trouble

Correndo sul tetto del mondo

A vivid, warm and atmospheric adventure set in the mountains of India, about a girl who is determined to protect the wild leopards of the mountain from poachers, perfect for fans of Katherine Rundell. I thought we'd live here forever ... but then, I thought Mum would be here forever too. When Ruby's dad uproots her from Australia to set up a hotel in the mountains of India, Ruby is devastated. Not only are they living in a run-down building in the middle of the wilderness surrounded by scorpions, bears and leopards, but Ruby is sure that India will never truly feel like home - not without her mum there. Ever since her mum died, Ruby has been afraid. Of cars. Of the dark. Of going to sleep and never waking up. But then the last remaining leopards of the mountain are threatened and everything changes. Ruby vows to do all she can to protect them - if she can only overcome her fears...

When the Mountains Roared

Do you like exploring, animals and adventure? Then join The Adventure Club this summer! A brand new illustrated series for younger readers about animals and adventure from much-loved author Jess Butterworth - writer of classic adventure stories in vibrantly described settings. Tilly has no plans for the summer holidays and is dreading months of boredom -- that is until she becomes part of The Adventure Club and wins a place to go track and monitor endangered red pandas in Nepal! In the Himalayas, she meets other members of the club, rides on yaks, plants a bamboo forest and even spots the secretive red panda. But then the red panda Tilly and her team has been monitoring disappears. Will Tilly be able to help find it, or will her first ever adventure end in disaster?

Red Panda Rescue

An epic race for survival that follows four children and their dog through treacherous waterways, dense forests and the deep, dark wilderness of Wales. From author Jess Butterworth comes a beautifully written adventure story in a vibrantly described setting - perfect for fans of Katherine Rundell. One day, as Cara and her siblings are trying to clean up the canal where they live, they pull out a mysterious locked safe. Though none of them can open it, they're sure it's something special. That night, a thief comes after the safe. The children flee, traveling with their boat as far as they can, before continuing into the forest on foot. But soon they're lost in the mountains with a snowstorm about to land and food supplies running low. Will Cara and her siblings be able to survive the wilderness with nothing but their wits, their bravery and one very large dog to help?

Jess Butterworth

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