11 great books for 10 year olds

Just like this book says, danger is everywhere. Don’t worry, though, because Docter Noel Zone (yes, Docter) is an experienced Dangerologist and is here to help you in this fun and very funny book.

Hannah’s parents seem to have forgotten her, preoccupied by current quarrels with her older sister. School isn’t much better – Hannah’s noticing a rift with her two so-called best friends, who seem wholly concerned with boys and whether other people are wearing the ​‘right’ jeans. Then she finds a journal in the park. Hannah is fascinated by its creator, Sami, whose quirky photos and drawings appear in the diary.

This is the story about how four classmates have a massive impact on the life of Ahmet, a boy that comes to their school as a refugee from Syria. An inspiring and sweet tale that should help children be the best they can be and realise the power of kindness.

An anthology to inspire and help children understand how far self-belief and guts took adventurers from the past – and to wonder how far these qualities could take them too. Includes stunning illustrations.

Wish is a girl from a warrior tribe and Xar is a boy from a wizard tribe, living in a world loosely based on Ancient Britain at the beginning of the Iron Age, but where magic is real. A fabulously imaginative, funny and unpredictable adventure. 

Humza Khan is an 11-year-old who devotes most of his energy into trying to be a cool rapper, AKA Little Badman. A perfect read for Tom Gates fans: prepare for big belly laughs and great advice on how to be yourself.

Aya is a Syrian asylum seeker, looking after her mother and baby brother in the cold, unfamiliar city of Manchester – but she is also a talented ballet dancer. Children who love stories of performance and friendship will enjoy this book. 

Alfie has one hand; Eric has one leg. Can a small boy and a giant, police car-crushing robot ever be friends? And do bad things in your past have to destroy your future? Hilarious, complex and hugely satisfying.

A story of death, magic and the afterlife told by Marinka, who is desperate not to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps and wants to find her own destiny. Loosely based on the Slavic myth of Baba Yaga, this story is delightfully macabre and utterly engrossing.