Blended families

Lula and her dad travel to the seaside with her new brother and step mum. A beautiful, expressive story about forming a new family.  

Written in the voice of a loving stepmum, this is a warm hug of a book. This would be a good book to read with a child whose family might be changing. 

The Great Big Book of Families is about the diversity of families. The simple message is that every family is unique and special and that there is no such thing as ​‘normal’ or ​‘abnormal’. Books simply don’t get much more inclusive than this.

This is a poignant and often funny book, which looks at ways of coping with a new step-family.

An accessible, useful non-fiction guide to all types of families. 

Can Idris and Lucía help find the zoo’s missing pangolins? A fun spy adventure with themes of conservation and endangered species.

Can Ruby and Lucas solve a murder – before the culprit catches up with them? Tense and intriguing, this is ideal for readers who love puzzles and crime-solving. 

Shy Tom and determined Zofia couldn’t be more different. But when their parents fall for one another, they are united in a common struggle- to navigate the complex challenge of building a new family together.

Distraught at her parents’ divorce, Andy cannot decide who she wants to live with. She spends one week at Mum’s house, the next at Dad’s, but never really feels that she belongs anywhere.

Harper suspects Mum’s new boyfriend, Nick, is really Father Christmas. He works with reindeer and has a big white beard, for goodness sake! But can she prove it? A fun, festive read. 

Thrilling, funny and inventive adventure featuring a wannabe spy, an evil supervillain and a secret weapon that could explode her Mum’s brain.

Told entirely in emails and letters, this sensitive, often funny book examines what it means to be a family, and what happens when families change. Strong and vivid characterisation makes us feel we really know the characters. 

Moving house is the last thing Abi needs. She has enough stress with her two annoying stepbrothers. What’s more, odd things start to happen in their new home. An unsettling, magical thriller that leaves you unsure where reality ends and the supernatural begins.

Anne Fine does not shy away from the fact that separation and divorce are painful, but she does have an uplifting message about the power of honesty and compromise.

High-functioning Stewart is happy at Genius Academy but his life is shattered when his Mum dies from cancer. Ashley is obsessed with her social standing at her own school, devastated by her dad moving out because he’s gay. They become unwilling siblings when their parents start a relationship.

Bea’s dad is gay and he’s marrying his boyfriend Jesse, who Bea loves. Bea lives half of her week with mum, half of the week with dad. When Sonia, Jesse’s daughter, comes to stay, Bea is really excited about the prospect of a new sister, but it all feels strange to Sonia. Will Bea get the sister she’s always wanted?

With chapters alternately narrated by stepbrothers Ryan and Tommy, this is a clever and absorbing book that builds slowly and works on so many levels: exploring blended families, dyslexia and family secrets. Readers will be surprised by more than one satisfying twist.

When Becks’ stepsister doesn’t come home after seeing their parents off at the airport, it’s down to Becks to figure out where she might have gone. A brilliant read for a teenager.