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Books beginning with: U

• Ug

  Author: Raymond Briggs
  Publisher: Random House

  Ug and his parents live in the Stone Age. This means stone blankets, stone-cold food, an even colder cave and, worst of all, hard stone trousers!

• Ultimate Superstars: Ariana Grande

  Author: Liz Gogerly
  Publisher: Studio Press Books

  This accessible biography of actor and singer Ariana Grande charts her early life and rise to stardom. Written in a chatty style, it is an interesting read for fans and will help to inspire young people to follow their own dreams.

• Ultraviolet

  Author: RJ Anderson
  Publisher: Orchard Books

  A remarkable, gripping and stunningly original new novel for teens

• Umpteen Pockets

  Author: Adrian Mitchell Illustrator: Tony Ross
  Publisher: Orchard Books

  The selected poems are divided into sub-collections including magic, scenery, people and animals.

• Un Lun Dun

  Author: China Miéville
  Publisher: Pan Macmillan

  Zanna and Deeba inadvertently enter UnLondon, an alternative London which is threatened by Smog - a living poisonous cloud.

• Unbelievable!

  Author: Paul Jennings
  Publisher: Penguin

  A brilliant collection of funny, weird and whacky short stories in which, believe it or not, a kid can grow younger; birds can bury you; ghosts have exams; there are eyes in the milk. 

• Unboxed

  Author: Non Pratt
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke

  This is a touching story of old friends coming together after years apart. For a short novella, they are wonderfully complex characters.

• Uncle Gobb and the Dread Shed

  Author: Michael Rosen
  Publisher: Bloomsbury

  Defiantly playing with language and narrative conventions, this very silly, bonkers story is itself a joyful rebellion against systematised schemes of learning.

• Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror

  Author: Chris Priestley
  Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books

  These spine-tingling stories-within-a-story are the stuff of childhood nightmares, with a good smattering of ghosts, demons, blood and gore.

• Under Earth

  Author: Ellen Renner
  Publisher: Nosy Crow

  Following on from the final scenes of the first book in the Storm Witch series, Under Earth sees Storm learning more about the extent of her powers and how she can harness them to defend the autonomy of her island home. 

• Under Earth, Under Water

  Author: Aleksandra and David Mizielinski
  Publisher: Big Picture Press

  This gorgeous large hardback explores what happens under the earth and in our oceans and seas in fantastically colourful and accessible double-page spreads. This is a really excellent example of nonfiction that is both comprehensive and fun.

• Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron

  Author: Various Editor: Jonathan Strahan
  Publisher: Hot Key Books

  What makes a witch? Despite the title, the stories in this imaginative collection suggest you might need more than just a pointy hat or a broomstick.

• Under Rose-Tainted Skies

  Author: Louise Gornall
  Publisher: Chicken House

  Seventeen-year-old Norah is essentially trapped in her own home, caught in the vice-like grip of Agoraphobia and OCD. Then one day a new young neighbour on the street arouses her curiosity. Honest, brave and utterly compelling.

• Under the Love Umbrella

  Author: Davina Bell Illustrator: Allison Colpoys
  Publisher: Scribble

  Bright, expressive and featuring joyfully diverse illustration throughout, Under the Love Umbrella provides poetic reassurance that whatever happens, children will be protected and loved.

• Under the Same Sky

  Author: Britta Teckentrup
  Publisher: Caterpillar Books

  Under the Same Sky is a beautiful book with dreamy collage illustrations. It shows the way that animals across the world can have the same interests, hopes and dreams, allowing young readers to reflect on the community of our united world.

• Under the Weather

  Author: VariousEditor: Tony Bradman
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books

  A thought-provoking collection emphasising the importance of individual, as well as group initiatives.

• Undone

  Author: Cat Clarke
  Publisher: Quercus

  Jem and Kai have always been best friends - until Kai commits suicide and Jem's world collapses.

• Unfortunately

  Author: Alan Durant Illustrator: Simon Rickerty
  Publisher: Orchard Books

  A cheerful little boy out exploring has masses of lucky escapes. Somehow he avoids being eaten by a lion, a starving snake, a man-eating hunter and more...

• Unheard Voices

  Author: VariousEditor: Malorie Blackman
  Publisher: Random House

  This collection of writing about slavery was published to coincide with the 200 year anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act 1807.

• Unicorn Academy: Isabel and Cloud

  Author: Author Julie Sykes Illustrator: Lucy Truman
  Publisher: Nosy Crow

  Magic, sparkle and unicorns are sprinkled throughout this book, but it’s essentially about what many primary school children struggle with: jealousy, bullying and friendships. A bite-sized chapter book that's ideal for a quick read. 

• Unique

  Author: Alison Allen-Gray
  Publisher: Oxford University Press

  On the road to self-knowledge, Dominic undergoes various crises of identity, while facing threats from a controlling state and a voraciously-intrusive media

• Unleashed

  Author: Amy McCulloch
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster

  Lacey Chu loves "bakus": robot companion animals that link directly into your brain. But when she discovers that the company who make them want to control the world, she has to fight back.

• Unnatural Creatures

  Author: VariousEditor: Neil Gaiman & Maria Dahvana Headley
  Publisher: Bloomsbury

  A whole menagerie of extraordinary beasts appear on the pages of this short story collection.

• Unspeakable

  Author: Abbie Rushton
  Publisher: Atom

  Part thriller and part romance Abbie Rushton shows us the world from inside the mind of a teenage girl who is dealing with loss, regret and guilt.

• Unstoppable

  Author: Dan Freedman
  Publisher: David Fickling

  Twins Kaine and Roxy are both talented sportspeople but the harder they work, the further apart they seem to grow. A highly charged story of complex family relationships, misplaced loyalty and overcoming devastating disappointment.

• Until We Win

  Author: Linda Newbery
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke

  This dyslexia friendly book looks at feminism and friendship, set against the looming backdrop of the First World War. Lizzy is a fantastic character, full of passion and wonderfully unafraid to stand up for herself after joining the Suffragettes.

• Up and Down

  Author: Oliver Jeffers
  Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books

  In this charming sequel to Lost and Found we rejoin Boy and Penguin who do everything together until one day Penguin decides he needs to try something on his own - fly.

• Up on Cloud Nine

  Author: Anne Fine
  Publisher: Random House

  Stolly has fallen out of a top-floor window and lies, unmoving and unconscious, in a hospital bed. While he watches, Stolly's friend Ian decides to write about Stolly’s unusual life.

• Up, Up and Away

  Author: Tom McLaughlin
  Publisher: Bloomsbury

  An amusingly illustrated picture book, featuring a young inventor who decides to build his own planet. The story presents some very complex ideas in an accessible format.

• Usborne fold-out books: Christmas

  Author: UsborneIllustrator: Stella Baggott
  Publisher: Usborne

  This Christmas book is a great way to introduce babies to Christmas. One side of the pull-out has a bright, Christmas scene for them to explore while the other side contains a list of words and colourful illustrations for them to learn.

• Usborne Lift-the-flap Picture Atlas

  Author: Alex Frith Illustrator: Kate Leake
  Publisher: Usborne

  Lets children explore the world one flap at a time.

• Use Your Imagination

  Author: Nicola O'Byrne
  Publisher: Nosy Crow

  Rabbit is bored, so librarian Wolf suggests that he writes a story. Rabbit is delighted - what a brilliant idea! Wolf is full of great ideas - some of them less friendly than others.

• Utterly Me, Clarice Bean

  Author: Lauren Child
  Publisher: Orchard Books

  Clarice Bean finds family life exhausting and exasperating, and school is no better; particularly when the teacher, Mrs Wilburton, sets an 'utterly dreary' book project.

• UUGGHH!

  Author: Claudia Boldt
  Publisher: Child's Play

  The fascinatingly retro-styled illustrations in this book represent a fabulous world