It really is such a fun read. The characters are so endearing and I loved it! And so say loads of other readers… it was voted book of the month at Waterstones in October, too! Tracey Devine-Tyley, head of licensing and portfolio EMEA, commented: “We understand how important reading is to children as it helps develop their minds and imaginations and we strive to support this through any of the licences we hold which celebrate reading.

Lucinda said: “At Novel Entertainment, we’re committed to highlighting the joy of reading among Horrid Henry’s strong and growing fan base and this is just the start of our plans in this space. We can’t wait to see children have the chance to dress-up and immerse themselves in the world of Horrid Henry’s Vile Vacation.” And what's even better is that Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ballis the first in a series - so we can expect lots more adventures from her in the future. Amelia Fang is a fantastic licence for us to acquire as it is a beloved book series, with a strong and growing group of fans consisting of both children and parents.” Everyone’s favourite grouchy old man made a surprise appearance last year in the hilarious Natboff!: One Million Years of Stupidity.We’ve put together inspiration from some of our favourite Farshore books of 2018. Dressing up as any of these characters will make your children’s Halloween celebrations that extra bit special. Cruella de Vil When Cadpig gets lost playing hide-and-seek, she stumbles into the path of the evil Cruella de Vil. But can her new furry friends help her escape? Tracey Devine-Tyley, head of Licensing & Portfolio EMEA, explains: “We understand how important reading is to children; it helps develop their minds and imaginations and we strive to support this through the licences we hold that celebrate reading. Amelia Fang is a fantastic licence for us to acquire. It’s a beloved book series with a strong and growing group of fans consisting of children and parents alike.”

Along with her friends Florence the yeti and Grimaldi the reaper, Amelia is about to make some surprising discoveries in the world of Nocturnia... Welcome to the world of Nocturnia, where darkness reigns supreme, glitter is terrifying, and unicorns are the stuff of nightmares! Amelia Fang would much rather hang out with her pet pumpkin Squashy and her friends Florence the yeti (DON’T CALL HER BEAST!) and Grimaldi the reaper than dance at her parents’ annual Barbaric Ball. Here’s a fab pic of Laura Ellen Anderson, the author and illustrator of the series, dressed-up as Amelia when we filmed her reading from her first book Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Balllast year in a creepy graveyard.Amelia and friends live in the spooky land of Nocturnia, which means that you can take the Halloween costume box down from the attic 6 months’ early! The Amelia Fang book series, published by Farshore/HarperCollins UK, has sold over 380,000 copies in the UK, and been translated into 24 languages worldwide. The books follow a little vampire with a big heart through her adventures in the city of Nocturnia. Popular among 7-9-year-olds, the seven book series invites readers to enter an imaginative, gothic world brought to life with creative illustrations. But I did get to meet so many other lovely people at the launch. It was such a coven of creative talent – writers, illustrators, art directors, musicians and photographers… It inspires me so much to hear others talk so passionately about their work. And it was thrilling to get so many compliments on Laura’s outfit. I loved making it as much as I loved seeing her wear it. And I was just buzzing with pride.Fran Hales, head of content and marketing at Rubies UK, said: “We are delighted to have both Laura Ellen Anderson on board for our ambitious plans to promote Amelia Fang on World Book Day. We are so happy to be able to not only provide the costumes for so many aspiring readers (and vampires) but also to be able to bring the magic of Laura’s illustrations to life.”

Mike O’Connell, COO of Rubies UK: “We actively encourage dress-up as it helps association with literature and breaks down walls by making reading accessible for pure enjoyment, which in turn can open doors of opportunity to all children later in life. We endeavour to spread this love of reading through our costumes, which allow children to become part of the stories they love.” Originally appearing in Dodie Smith’s story The Hundred and One Dalmatians, Cruella has become a classic baddie and is guaranteed to give anyone a chill (especially dog lovers!). Everyone’s favourite grouchy old man made a surprise appearance this year in the hilarious Natboff!: One Million Years of Stupidity. The fan-favourite book series adds to Rubies’ extensive list of official licences, with everything from the superheroes of Marvel and DC to kids favourites with Dennis the Menace and Horrid Henry.

This gloriously ghostly new series from the creator of EVIL EMPEROR PENGUIN is perfect for 7-9 year olds and fans of THE WORST WITCH and WITCH WARS. Amelia Fang is a modern Wednesday Addams – but much more loveable! Amelia Fang is the coolest little vampire out there. She lives in the spooky land of Nocturnia, which means that for her, it’s Halloween every day. Big massive thank yous to Tiffany for putting me forward, to Laura for such an awesome opportunity and to Laura’s mum for the fabulous photos. Laura Ellen Anderson, creator of Amelia Fang, added: “I’m so excited to see Rubies bring the Amelia Fang costume to life. It’s wonderful to know that my fans and readers will be able to easily access this costume, which can be worn for events such as World Book Day and Halloween, or just for fun.”

The new collection will bring to life the quirky gothic children’s book character created by talented author and illustrator Laura Ellen Anderson. Amelia Fang takes the starring role of this ‘terrifying’ tale. She’s fun, fiesty and loyally flanked by her friends, Florence the yeti, Grimaldi the reaper and Squashy her adorable pet pumpkin. When spoilt-brat Prince Tangine captures Squashy they must escape the party to plan a daring rescue! In their race against time, they come to realise things in Nocturnia may not be quite what they seem . . . The dual strategy marketing campaign will combine content on both Rubies UK and author Laura Ellen Anderson’s social channels, so the costumes can be seen by a wider audience. The Amelia Fang costume is the newest licence in Rubies’ portfolio and is projected to be one of the most successful ones of the year.For our single-horned friends, you can find some glittery, rainbow inspiration from The Ultimate Unicorn Joke Book, and for llamas then look no further than our search-and-find book Where’s the Llama? Mr Gum This bonkers character is perfect dress-up – you just need a big orange beard and you’re halfway there! Add a top hat (a crooked one gets extra points) and a long dark coat and Mr Gum will be scaring squirrels left, right and centre this Halloween. Mike O’Connell, managing director of Rubies UK, added: “This is a fantastic opportunity to promote the power of reading to children. With our exclusive offer, we know this will not only be a way to generate unprecedented interest in our Horrid Henry costumes and the new story, Vile Vacation, but to also inspire children to read, which provides untold and limitless benefits. We are proud of our robust relationship with Novel Entertainment and Horrid Henry, which is showcased through the unique opportunities we have to collaborate with them.” There’s not one but two trendy animals that everyone wants to dress-up as this year. The hardest part is knowing which to choose: unicorns or llamas?