5 stories set in Wales

To mark St David’s Day on 1 March, enjoy these tales of mystery, myth and secrets.

The Sleeping Stones by Beatrice Wallbank (Firefly Press)

Gruff and his friend Matylda live on a small island off the Welsh coast. The islanders find themselves strangely drawn to the Sleeping Stones: a line of rocks, like stepping stones, leading out to sea. Soon, the friends must fight to save their community from a powerful storm driven by ancient magic.

The Valley of Lost Secrets by Lesley Parr (Bloomsbury Children’s)

It’s 1939 and Jimmy has been evacuated from London to a village in a Welsh valley. He feels out of place in the countryside – but when he makes a spooky discovery of a skull hidden in a tree, the valley begins to feel frightening. Can Jimmy uncover the secrets of the skull?

The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros (Firefly Press)

In the aftermath of a catastrophe years before, Dylan has grown up with his mother in an isolated hilltop in north-west Wales. As he gets older, he starts jotting down his thoughts and memories in a found notebook called The Blue Book of Nebo. This powerful, beautifully written and sophisticated story won last year’s Yoto Carnegie Medal and is aimed at older readers.

Wren by Lucy Hope (Nosy Crow)

In this enthralling story, Wren is a 12-year-old girl who loves inventing things. She lives in an ancient, crumbling castle on the island of Anglesey in North Wales. When she realises that her home contains a strange mystery, she begins to uncover dark secrets – and an extraordinary creature.

The Grey King by Susan Cooper (Puffin Books)

Following an illness, Will is sent to stay on his uncle’s farm in the wild Welsh mountains. There, he makes a new friend in the mysterious Bran, and soon the pair set out on a quest. Rich with folklore, myth and Arthurian legend, this magical adventure is part of the classic The Dark Is Rising sequence.