Goodnight Silver by Abi Elphinstone

October 2026

A self-declared pessimist, Emmy doesn’t belive in luck. Ever since her mum lost her baby, she can’t help but think about all the things that can go wrong in life. She knows it’s dangerous to hope: she won’t risk that vulnerablity again. Emmy’s parents are just the opposite. Full of hope, they’re thrilled to be on the trip of a lifetime to the Altai Mountains of Mongolia – a world away from their home in Glasgow. Mum’s excited to have won the trip in a writing competition in a travel magazine while Dad is really hoping to see a snow leopard. This ‘ghost of the mountain’ is incredibly rare but there’s a magic in the mountains telling him anything can happen.

The remote mountains, thick forest and deep snow make this a dangerous place. Rumours of ruthless hunters raiding the wild for animals so they can sell furs on the blackmarket create an added threat. When Emmy gets lost in a storm and must take shelter in a cave with a snow leopard cub, the chances of her finding her way back to camp are slim. Added responsibility for the cub who is unlikely to survive without its mother and evidence that hunters are nearby make her journey even more perilous. But the magic of the mountains is strong. Through new friends, mountain spirits and an enchanted map, Emmy learns there is a way to protect the cub from harm.

Goodnight Silver is a thrilling animal adventure turned fantasy quest full of magic, the wonder of wildlife, healing and hope. Elements of both the adventure and fantasy genres combine seemlessly to take readers from the wonder of the Mongolian mountains to a world where spirits challenge and protect. Not only will this make a beautiful class read aloud for Key Stage 2, but also a stunning example of cross-genre writing which will help young writers break the mould of their typical writing and explore something new.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children’s for an early read of this beautiful story!

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