Picture Books for Young Readers
Waffles and Julius: No Hugs Please! by Ed Vere (Puffin, £7.99) features affectionate pup Waffles who wants to hug Julius the standoffish cat – but this is not a good idea. The riotously funny picture book is about getting what you want by patience and devious means.
Chasing Dragonflies by Blessing Musariri, illustrated by Maisie Paradise Shearring (Kumusha, £7.99), follows Shingai who can't wait for his baby sister Aneni-Rose to grow enough to be his sidekick. Or maybe she's the hero of the adventure? This immersive picture book is full of richly observed sibling love.
I Am Ready for School! by Camilla Reid, illustrated by Kate Hindley (Macmillan, £7.99), is written by an early years expert. This engaging, reassuring guide to the school day covers everything from hanging up coats to home time, with useful tips for grownups at the end. Hindley's bold, colourful illustrations make it a winner for children about to start reception.
Funny and Inventive Reads
Dogs and Bears by Max Porter, illustrated by Dorotheé de Monfreid (Faber, £7.99), features the dogs and the bears brawling again. Porter's wittily portentous text combines perfectly with De Monfreid's vigorous, loose, expressive illustration in this hilarious, highly original 4+ picture book.
They Sent a Cat to Saturn by Valerie Bloom, illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max (Otter-Barry, £8.99), is an inviting and inventive 6+ poetry collection featuring joyous wordplay, introductions to forms such as haiku and pensee, and subjects ranging from errant pets to extravagant Christmas feasts or the essentials of a home.
Squid Bits: That's a Nice Hat! by Jess Bradley (DFB Phoenix, £9.99) is a magnificently random 7+ pick'n'mix graphic novel, crammed with surreal, quick-fire bursts of colourful comic fun, including a rude red panda, chicken-themed horoscopes, a business bee and an art shark interwoven with the mystery of the Squid.
Graphic Novels and Mysteries for Older Kids
Star Breakers: Zeke Zero vs the Galaxy by Ed Caruana, illustrated by Chris Hazeldine (Puffin, £10.99), follows Zeke who has survived solo on his dead-end planet since his dad traded him for a spare battery at the age of three. When he inadvertently steals an ancient treasure map, he finds himself on a monster-infested quest for a dead god's eyeball, alongside a crew of the galaxy's worst treasure-seekers. This thrilling interstellar 9+ graphic novel adventure is full of superb artwork, comedic grossness and fast-paced derring-do.
The Common Criminals' Club: Death Before Detention by Alison Weatherby, illustrated by Ellen Porteus (Macmillan, £7.99), is set in a rural Irish boarding school shaken by the discovery of a body. Mae and her friends are determined to solve the mystery despite the best efforts of mean girls and suspicious nuns, and a suspect pool including almost everyone. With an irresistible heroine and a fantastically distinctive voice, this funny, twisty mystery will appeal to 9+ Robin Stevens fans.
Zero Override by Steve Blackman (Scholastic, £7.99) is set in a near-future London where bots and AI dominate while jobless humans riot. A group of young hackers, including the bot-hating Zero, carry out Robin Hood-style online thefts. When a virus threatens the national Framework system, Zero's sister Grace, with her computerised heart, is put at risk. To save her life, Zero must pair up with a mysterious android to break into MI6 and unlock the secrets of his own past. This enthralling, hi-tech 9+ debut poses some thorny questions about our reliance on technology.
Contemporary and Fantasy for Tweens and Teens
The Outlaws by EL Norry (Bloomsbury, £7.99) follows Robyn, Scarlet and Will who meet in detention and are not looking to make friends; all of them have too many challenges at home. When they realise the new headteacher is singling out disadvantaged students, they team up to turn the spotlight on some very sharp practice. This pacy, provocative contemporary 10+ story should please Jacqueline Wilson fans or any young readers with a strong sense of justice.
Mirrorwoven by Bori Cser (HarperFire, £16.99) is a transporting, vividly realised queer YA fantasy debut veined with romance, intrigue and masquerade. When her sister's death leaves Del unexpectedly heir to their queendom, she runs away to the lagoon city of Salato with a magically altered face, swearing to live by two rules: stay away from royalty; and don't fall in love. After breaking the first by becoming Court Bard to Clara, the recently widowed ruler of Salato, she's even more determined to stick to Rule Two – but between naive, gentle Clara and Nasca, her fascinatingly dangerous sister-in-law, it may prove a challenge.
Wild Horse Summer by Lauren St John (Faber, £8.99) follows Morgan Taylor, summarily dispatched to her cousins for the summer, carrying the visible and invisible scars of a terrible accident, as well as a secret she must hide at all costs. When solitary surfer Cal Heyward saves her life, her past threatens to catch up with her. When she takes a job at a stable yard, working with a traumatised horse may force her to confront her own demons in this thrilling, romantic 12+ adventure.
Blood of Gods & Girls by KL Kaine (Penguin, £18.99) is a fierce, compelling, hugely satisfying feminist fantasy for 14+ full of the triumphant overthrow of patriarchal oppression. At the age of five, Nisha was chosen as the Mortal Goddess, vessel of the divine Shantavi. Seven years later she fled the temple, angering the Immortal King and the entire kingdom. Now a new Mortal Goddess must be chosen – and little Ratna, Nisha's only remaining family, is in the line of fire.
Local Gods by Melinda Salisbury (DFB, £9.99) is an enthralling, unsettling, no-holds-barred YA folk horror. After her father's crimes make her an outcast in Pine Ridge Hollow, Sylvie takes refuge in an abandoned railway station, counting the days till she can graduate high school and escape. When she encounters Illican, a horned god bound to the sinister West Woods, she hopes his magic can save the town and restore her to favour – but Illican is fading, and the anger of the town runs deep.
