Books we love in January 2021
It's the start of a new year, and we've picked the best books to kick off 2021!
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Who's Driving?
Author: Leo Timmers
Interest level: 2-3
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Who's Driving?
Author: Leo Timmers
Interest level: 2-3
Reading age:
This fun-filled board book, full of stylish illustrations and detail, contains an array of animals and vehicles which will delight…
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Supertato: Super Squad
Author: Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet
Interest level: 2-3
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Supertato: Super Squad
Author: Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet
Interest level: 2-3
Reading age:
Supertato is on a mission to teach Evil Pea a lesson and rallies the Super Squad to help - but what do sprinkle-covered cupcakes h…
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All Because You Matter
Author: Tami Charles Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 6+
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All Because You Matter
Author: Tami Charles Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 6+
A poem of a mother’s love in the age of the Black Lives Matter movement, stunningly illustrated by Bryan Collier, this book seeks …
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Wild is the Wind
Author: Grahame Baker-Smith
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 6+
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Wild is the Wind
Author: Grahame Baker-Smith
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 6+
Cassi watches the swifts as they fly across an African plain, on their way to Japan where a little boy awaits them eagerly. Breath…
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Too Much Stuff!
Author: Emily Gravett
Interest level: 4-5
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Too Much Stuff!
Author: Emily Gravett
Interest level: 4-5
Reading age:
Two magpies want to decorate their nest... but lose their eggs in all the piles of clutter and mess! They're going to need help fr…
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The Pocket Chaotic
Author: Ziggy Hanaor Illustrator: Daniel Gray-Barnett
Interest level: 2-5
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The Pocket Chaotic
Author: Ziggy Hanaor Illustrator: Daniel Gray-Barnett
Interest level: 2-5
Reading age:
Alexander is a baby kangaroo who loves snuggling up in his mum's warm, cosy pouch. The only problem is she's extremely messy - and…
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Veg Patch Party
Author: Clare Foges and Al Murphy
Interest level: 4-5
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Veg Patch Party
Author: Clare Foges and Al Murphy
Interest level: 4-5
Reading age:
When the moon is high and the farm animals have gone to bed... it's time for the vegetables to wake up and throw a party!
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Bling Blaine
Author: Rob Sanders Illustrator: Letizia Rizzo
Interest level: 4-5
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Bling Blaine
Author: Rob Sanders Illustrator: Letizia Rizzo
Interest level: 4-5
Reading age:
Blaine LOVES sparkles and glitter - but there are a few kids at school who think he's weird and call him names. It's up to Blaine'…
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Fergal Meets Fern
Author: Robert Starling
Interest level: 4-5
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Fergal Meets Fern
Author: Robert Starling
Interest level: 4-5
Reading age:
Fergal is perfectly happy with his Mum and Dad - but then Baby Fern turns up. This heart-warming tale explores feelings of anger, …
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Tell Tail
Author: C. K. Smouha Illustrator: Katie Brosnan
Interest level: 4-5
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Tell Tail
Author: C. K. Smouha Illustrator: Katie Brosnan
Interest level: 4-5
Reading age:
Dex the dog is a little different to everyone else - he doesn't bark, dig, or fight, but he is happy, his tail won't stop wagging!…
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Wanda's Words Got Stuck
Author: Lucy Rowland Illustrator: Paula Bowles
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 6+
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Wanda's Words Got Stuck
Author: Lucy Rowland Illustrator: Paula Bowles
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 6+
Wanda the little witch loves school, but she's a little shy - and very nervous about the school magic contest!
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The Questioneers: Sofia Valdez and the Vanishing Vote
Author: Andrea Beaty Illustrator: David Roberts
Interest level: 6-8
Reading age: 6+
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The Questioneers: Sofia Valdez and the Vanishing Vote
Author: Andrea Beaty Illustrator: David Roberts
Interest level: 6-8
Reading age: 6+
Sofia and her class are excited to be getting a pet - but what will they choose? They put it to a vote, and Sofia finds herself in…
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The Puffin Keeper
Author: Michael Morpurgo Illustrator: Benji Davies
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
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The Puffin Keeper
Author: Michael Morpurgo Illustrator: Benji Davies
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
Michael Morpurgo’s story of Allen Lane, the founder of Puffin Books and the man who would become his father-in-law, is a wonderful…
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Interview With a Tiger
Author: Andy Seed Illustrator: Nick East
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Interview With a Tiger
Author: Andy Seed Illustrator: Nick East
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
Packed with quirky, surprising and sometimes disturbing facts, presented in an accessible and entertaining question and answer for…
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Great Lives in Graphics: Cleopatra
Author: Button Books
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Great Lives in Graphics: Cleopatra
Author: Button Books
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
If reading about historical figures usually seems like hard work, this exciting, colourful, graphics-packed book about the legenda…
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Freddy vs School
Author: Neill Cameron
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Freddy vs School
Author: Neill Cameron
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
Freddy is proud to be a robot boy - but he keeps getting into trouble at school! This funny, light-hearted chapter book examines w…
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The Wolf's Secret
Author: Myriam Dahman & Nicolas Digard Illustrator: Julia Sarda
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
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The Wolf's Secret
Author: Myriam Dahman & Nicolas Digard Illustrator: Julia Sarda
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
A wolf in the forest becomes enchanted by the sound of a young woman singing, and promises to tell her his stories in exchange for…
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The Magic Carpet’s Guide to Earth’s Forbidden Places
Author: Patrick Makin Illustrator: Whooli Chen
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
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The Magic Carpet’s Guide to Earth’s Forbidden Places
Author: Patrick Makin Illustrator: Whooli Chen
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
Fly an imaginary carpet over some of the most forbidden and mysterious places in the world in this gorgeously illustrated picture …
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Rashford Rules
Author: Simon Mugford Illustrator: Dan Green
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Rashford Rules
Author: Simon Mugford Illustrator: Dan Green
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
Highly-illustrated biography of Manchester United striker and anti-poverty campaigner Marcus Rashford.
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Timelines from Black History: Leaders, Legends, Legacies
Author: Introduction by Mireille Harper Illustrator: Lauren Quinn
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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Timelines from Black History: Leaders, Legends, Legacies
Author: Introduction by Mireille Harper Illustrator: Lauren Quinn
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
An essential and fascinating book which follows black history across many centuries to today’s contemporary world.
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History Atlas
Author: Thiago de Moraes
Interest level: 6-8
Reading age: 6+
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History Atlas
Author: Thiago de Moraes
Interest level: 6-8
Reading age: 6+
A fascinating, beautiful and occasionally tongue-in-cheek book of maps featuring civilisations as diverse as the Tang Dynasty, the…
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A Secret of Birds and Bone
Author: Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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A Secret of Birds and Bone
Author: Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
Sofia's mother is the most sought-after bone-crafter in Italy - but when she goes missing, Sofia must uncover her secrets and find…
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Brand New Boy
Author: David Almond Illustrator: Marta Altes
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
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Brand New Boy
Author: David Almond Illustrator: Marta Altes
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
There's something a bit weird about the new boy in class, George. Maybe it's something to do with the fact his ear just fell off. …
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The Humiliations of Welton Blake
Author: Alex Wheatle
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
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The Humiliations of Welton Blake
Author: Alex Wheatle
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
Welton Blake's life goes from brilliant (Carmella's agreed to go out with him - YES!) to dreadful (broken phone, school bullies, a…
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Darwin's Dragons
Author: Lindsay Galvin
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
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Darwin's Dragons
Author: Lindsay Galvin
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
Part thriller, part historical adventure and featuring meticulous research and masterful storytelling, Darwin’s Dragons blurs the …
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Future Friend
Author: David Baddiel Illustrator: Steven Lenton
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Future Friend
Author: David Baddiel Illustrator: Steven Lenton
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
When Pip@256X#YY.3_7, who lives in 3020, arrives in 2019 through an XL toilet seat, Rahul, genius child-inventor, faces a race aga…
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Otters' Moon
Author: Susanna Bailey
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
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Otters' Moon
Author: Susanna Bailey
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
Trying to save endangered otter pups stops Luke and Meg focussing on the bad stuff in their lives but sometimes it takes a brush w…
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The Good Bear
Author: Sarah Lean Illustrator: Fiona Woodcock
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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The Good Bear
Author: Sarah Lean Illustrator: Fiona Woodcock
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
A lonely girl far from home encounters a frightened bear, hiding in the woods and desperate for food. This beautiful modern fairyt…
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Space Oddity
Author: Christopher Edge Illustrator: Ben Mantle
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
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Space Oddity
Author: Christopher Edge Illustrator: Ben Mantle
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
Jake thinks his dad is just embarrassing, but it turns out he’s an alien! This is a funny and heart-warming sci-fi story about a f…
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The Danger Gang
Author: Tom Fletcher Illustrator: Shane Devries
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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The Danger Gang
Author: Tom Fletcher Illustrator: Shane Devries
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
Franky's life is turned upside down following a terrific storm one night, with flashes of eerie green lightning and a definite whi…
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Black and British: A Short, Essential History
Author: David Olusoga
Interest level: 9-14
Reading age: 9+
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Black and British: A Short, Essential History
Author: David Olusoga
Interest level: 9-14
Reading age: 9+
David Olusoga’s latest edition of Black and British has been revised and rewritten especially for secondary school child…
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Across the Risen Sea
Author: Bren MacDibble
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
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Across the Risen Sea
Author: Bren MacDibble
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
Set in a future world where rising sea levels have collapsed the governments and everyday resources are precious commodities, …
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When the World Was Ours
Author: Liz Kessler
Interest level: 12+
Reading age: 12+
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When the World Was Ours
Author: Liz Kessler
Interest level: 12+
Reading age: 12+
Elsa, Max, and Leo are three friends who live in Vienna - but as Hitler's rise to power begins to cast a shadow over Europe, they …
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