With the two narratives seamlessly switching and echoing each other, this is a compelling story with themes of courage and true friendship. Emma Carroll's sublime storytelling enthrals and grips the reader once again. Having a lie-in ( I'm totally rubbish at getting up early!), walking my dogs, going to the seaside, visiting my mum and dad who live about 10 miles away. My husband is a brilliant cook, and like me, a lifelong vegetarian, so we'll often end the day with a big supper!

Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing - There is so much going on in this book. The first timeline is set in a disturbingly believable dystopian future where notifications tell you when the government has issued a daytime curfew to avoid the heat: the second timeline is an uber-cosy 1950s village life complete with work horses, luxury bars of chocolate and feisty friendships. It took quite a bit of planning and editing, I can tell you! The two stories needed to work independently, but also echo each other in some way. The link is represented by the door handle and the act of swimming, both of which are big symbols in both stories. It's hot. So hot that it's unsafe to be out in the sun during the day, with the government imposing a law to keep people inside when over 42deg C. Siblings Joel and Polly are melting inside their flat in the summer school holidays. Learning that they are going to stay at their aunt Jessie's in the country comes as a relief. The Tale of Truthwater Lake is set between two times periods with two different sets of characters.On one side of the underwater street is the remains of a house . . . It’s beautiful here, and eerie, a lost kingdom, a ghost village . . . It's during an illicit swim in the lake that Poilly finds a door handle that transports her to another time period - the 1930s where she becomes Nellie - who dreams of swimming the English Channel. It's through Nellie's eyes that we learn about her friends Nate and Lena and just what happened to the village that Nellie calls home. Another great read from the queen of historical children's fiction, The Tale of Truthwater Lake is a timeslip story set partly ten years hence when the world is in crisis due to global warming, and partly in 1952. In the future, Polly and her brother go to stay with their aunt in the school hols to try to escape the stifling heat of the south coast. Their aunt lives near a large reservoir, created over a flooded village. When Polly sneaks out in the early hours of the morning determined to swim in the lake to try to cool down, she meets Nellie who is planning a daring escapade, and soon Polly herself becomes invested in Nellie's great adventure. About the Author: Emma Carroll taught English for twenty years until a life-changing cancer diagnosis meant that she felt brave enough to give her dream of being an author a try. Nowadays she's a bestselling author and has been nominated for and won numerous awards - including Books Are My Bag Readers' Award, Branford Boase, CILIP Carnegie Medal, Young Quills, Teach Primary and the Waterstones Book Prize. Emma lives in the Somerset Hills with her husband and their two terriers. We often see pictures of your dogs - are they important writing companions for you? Can you tell us a bit about them?

Your debut children's book, Frost Hollow Hall, was published by Faber Children's Books a decade ago. How does it feel to have reached this milestone as a children's writer?

I am a big fan of Emma Carroll’s books. I like the historical context of them and the hints of something otherworldly. Channel swimming became a real craze at this time, as did other outdoor pursuits. Gertrude Erderle, who my character Nellie idolises, was the first woman to swim the channel in 1926. Showing off your physical prowess was a Big Thing! The other swimmers mentioned in the story are figments of my imagination. Partly because it made sense to, in the context of a hot summer, a dried up reservoir, and a village emerging from the water. And partly because it's a reminder of the price we pay for progress. It's a very obvious example of how the world around us is constantly changing and impacting on the natural world as it does so. Polly and her brother leave blistering Brighton which is battling another heatwave. The government declares everyone has to be inside when the temperature passes 40 degrees. Polly and her brother gain some respite from the heat by staying with their aunt who has a garden that leads to a lake. Polly has just started to learn to swim so the idea of escaping her flat sounds like heave.

If you're coming to Coles by car, why not take advantage of the 2 hours free parking at Sainsbury's Pioneer Square - just follow the signs for Pioneer Square as you drive into Bicester and park in the multi-storey car park above the supermarket. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. You don't need to shop in Sainsbury's to get the free parking! Where to Find Us Summer 2032 is so hot that there are government emergency laws to insist people stay inside, out of the sun. After five weeks of summer holiday trapped in a tiny flat and concerned about friendship issues, Polly is glad to be sent away with her brother, Joel. She's not sure quite what's wrong with him but he's clearly troubled about something too. A stay with their aunt Jess on the banks of Truthwater Lake reservoir promises a break for them both. Author Luke Palmer introduces his new book, Play (Firefly Press) about four boys growing up together, the challenges, the friendships, and what hap... In The Tale of Truthwater Lake, Britain is struggling with an on going heatwave which is considered to be a danger to life and so a curfew is in place. Polly and her brother Joel are sent to stay with their Aunt, who lives near the lake. One night Polly takes a dip in the lake and discovers the lost village. What follows is a mesmerising tale into the past with connections to the future. A thought provoking tale with an environmental message deeply rooted in its heart.Modern fears about climate change and the influence of social media are framed by dives into the past. 1952 is a very different world, but has its own threats, including the risk to Nellie’s beloved village of being flooded for a proposed reservoir. There’s a lovely message about being true to yourself, even when it takes exceptional bravery. Also the enduring power of a cold-water swim! The ending is very neat and tidy and one moment I was hoping it wouldn't be, then had a tear in my eye because it was wonderful. Experts says that if temperatures continue to rise at the current rate, the Earth could be 5.4°C hotter by the year 2100. It's the near-future and Britain is having yet another heatwave. Of course, the government have put in the normal curfews for this kind of weather, and shops are forced to shut again. For Polly, it's the sort of heat that makes her do wild, out-of-character things just to cool down.

The story is a time-slip adventure set in the near future and in 1952. I was inspired, firstly, by a book called 'A Boy in the Water' by Tom Gregory, which is his account of swimming the English channel as an 11 year old boy. It's a true story and an incredible read. Author Guy Bass introduces SCRAP, about one robot who tried to protect the humans on his planet against an army of robots. Now the humans need his... Why did you decide to write this as a timeslip novel, bringing the past together with a near future? Nellie is an excellent swimmer in her area, and with Lena at her side Nellie tries out for an amazing opportunity. A wealthy man is keen to sponsor and train a child to be the very first child to swim the Channel between England and France. Nellie is devastated when a boy she's never met before is chosen over her, and the disappointment just won't leave her. Again, with Lena by her side, another opportunity arises. Willie Beech, a lonely and deprived child, is evacuated to a tiny English village just before the Second World War, and finds himself living with reclusive widower Thomas Oakley.This Signed Edition features beautiful sprayed edges and an A5 Art Print Hand Signed by Emma Carroll and illustrator, Daniela Terrazzini. Trademark Emma Carroll, with a strong and relevant message and a pacy, twisty plot. A book full of gutsy charm!’ Lesley Parr, author of The Valley of Lost Secrets Whilst on holiday, Polly notices that the water in the lake has evaporated and her aunt tells her that the lake is covering a lost village. Having the time to fully commit to it. There's much more to being an author than writing books: to be able to go to schools and festivals and meeting readers is one of my favourite things to do. Also, let's not underestimate the pleasures of working at home, in your pyjamas, surrounded by dogs and tea and toast... I am really enjoying these more recent post-war historical stories. Like The Week at World’s End, The Tale of Truthwater Lake is within living memory. They are stories that can be shared across generations, encouraging children to learn from those whose lives reach further into the past than their own.