Books that feature single mums

Medieval magic meets a 21st century TV talent show when a vengeful warlock, an ordinary girl and a talking guinea pig are thrown together by a miscast spell. 

Taking place in a believable urban, multicultural environment that will be familiar to many young readers, Polly Ho-Yen’s debut is an impressively moving and thought-provoking story that will touch children and adults alike.

Annie has been silent and furious since she injured her arm in an accident. Can the blackbirds’ song help her get in touch with her feelings? A super-readable format makes the story accessible to a wide range of reading abilities.

This is a thrilling tale, with the expertly described Tudor world brought to hideous, harsh life with the same verve as Patrice Lawrence’s award winning teen books Indigo Donut and Orangeboy. 

The sequel to My Mum Tracy Beaker is another Jacqueline Wilson classic, handling serious issues in a humorous, accessible and thoughtful way. Even many years after Jacqueline Wilson started writing like this, somehow it still feels trailblazing. 

A magical pencil takes art-mad Peanut and her friends on a quest beyond her wildest imagination in the search for her lost father.

When 12-year-old Al Chaudry learns there is a time machine sitting in the garage, he has to go and get it – then he can travel back in time and save his father’s life. The reader roots for Al all the way, in this fantastic, funny and original adventure story.

A quirky fantasy adventure in which a human boy and a Greek goddess accidentally release an immortal supervillain who is determined to take over the world – and maybe even the universe.

An absorbing, exciting, sci-fi adventure based on an ingenious concept, thoughtfully planned and with a strong environmental message.

Amihan lives on the secluded island of Culion with her sick mum, who has leprosy. But when the government decides the island must be quarantined, Ami and all the children who don’t have the disease are forced to leave – while her mum must stay behind, along with everything Ami has ever known.

A boy that no one notices becomes a target on the run, when a tragic event prompts him to mix with a world of street gangs and drug dealers. This pacey crime thriller feels unique, realistic and truthful.