Great Books Guide 2022: For 10 to 11 year olds

The Lost Whale

Here's a round-up of new children's books from the last year (2022), which we think any child aged 10 to 11 years will love.

With everything from touching family dramas to thrilling adventures and stories to make you giggle, there are loads of wonderful titles to enjoy.

  • Adam-2

    Adam-2

    Author: Alastair Chisholm
    Publisher: Nosy Crow
    Interest age: 9-16
    Reading age: 10+

    In a world devastated by 200 years of brutal conflict between humans and intelligent machines, could Adam-2 hold the key to ending the war? And, if so, which side should he save? A breathtaking science fiction thriller. 

  • Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms

    Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms

    Author: Jamar J Perry
    Publisher: Bloomsbury
    Interest age: 9-12
    Reading age: 8+

    Cameron Battle and his friends must save a kingdom hidden inside the magical Book of Chidani. Packed full of action and adventure, this is a book that readers of fantasy aged 9 and above will find wholly engrossing.

  • Dread Wood

    Dread Wood

    Author: Jennifer Killick
    Publisher: Farshore
    Interest age: 9-12
    Reading age: 9+

    As the fear and dread build up in this tense thriller, a group of misfits is forced to work as a team to defeat the most terrifying of hidden attackers. Not for the faint-hearted, this edge-of-seat horror is hard to put down, with many chapters ending on a cliff-hanger.

  • Frankie’s World

    Frankie’s World

    Author: Aoife Dooley
    Publisher: Scholastic
    Interest age: 9-11
    Reading age: 9+

    This lovely, often funny, relatable and sensitive story about Frankie, a girl with autism, was inspired by the author Aoife Dooley’s own real life experiences. A great story about growing up and learning who you are.

  • Ghostcloud

    Ghostcloud

    Author: Michael Mann Illustrator: Chaaya Prabhat
    Publisher: Hodder
    Interest age: 9-11
    Reading age: 9+

    Kidnapped Luke shovels coal under Battersea Power station, but when he discovers he is half-ghost, he realises he has a chance to save his friends and find his family. This inventive adventure swirls elements of steampunk into a satisfying and surprising fantasy world.

  • Good News

    Good News

    Author: Rashmi Sirdeshpande Illustrator: Adam Hayes
    Publisher: Wren & Rook
    Interest age: 9-13
    Reading age: 9+

    From pandemics to war, world news can sometimes seem rather bleak, leaving many children feeling anxious and despondent. This superb, upbeat book redresses the balance, highlighting amazing news stories from around the globe.

  • How Not to be a Vampire Slayer

    How Not To Be A Vampire Slayer

    Author: Katy Birchall
    Publisher: Scholastic
    Interest age: 9-12
    Reading age: 9+

    Maggie hopes desperately that her new house is haunted as she loves horror and scary stories. But is not at all prepared for what she finds. A hilarious adventure that is more funny than frightening.

  • Julia and the Shark

    Julia and the Shark

    Author: Kiran Millwood Hargrave Illustrator: Tom De Freston
    Publisher: Orion
    Interest age: 9-11

    Julia and her family are spending the summer at a remote lighthouse - her dad to work, and her mum to study the elusive Greenland shark which lives in the waters nearby. But as the summer reaches its height, her mother's obsession with the shark threatens to engulf them all.

  • Like a Charm

    Like a Charm

    Author: Elle McNicoll
    Publisher: Knights Of
    Interest age: 12-14
    Reading age: 10+

    Readers of all ages will fall in love with this neurodivergent, beret-rocking protagonist. Thankfully, the promise of a sequel suggests that they can be reunited with her soon. 

  • Locked Out Lily

    Locked Out Lily

    Author: Nick Lake Illustrator: Emily Gravett
    Publisher: Simon & Schuster
    Interest age: 9-11
    Reading age: 9+

    Wonderfully illustrated by Emily Gravett in an appealingly gothic yet accessible style, Locked Out Lily is a heartfelt story about a child coping with serious illness and dealing with how it has changed her – and her family.

  • Mia and the Lightcasters cover

    Mia and the Lightcasters

    Author: By Janelle McCurdy Illustrator: Ana Latese
    Publisher: Faber
    Interest age: 9-11
    Reading age: 9-11

    12 year-old Mia lives with her young brother Lucas and mum and dad in the city of Nubis, under the light of the forever moon and permanently starlit skies. She has always dreamed of being umbra tamer, but a terrifying encounter with a red eyed umbra out on the Nightmare Plains three years ago frightened her into staying within the city walls. Now Mia’s …

  • My Story: Princess Sophia Duleep Singh

    My Story: Princess Sophia Duleep Singh

    Author: Sufiya Ahmed
    Publisher: Scholastic
    Interest age: 10-12
    Reading age: 9+

    A biography of the suffragette Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, whose fascinating life has been ignored by many other books for children and teenagers about the suffragettes.  Sufiya Ahmed’s powerful and detailed biography puts right the unfair impression that only white women in history cared about women’s rights.

  • The front cover of Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun

    Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun

    Author: Tọlá Okogwu
    Publisher: Simon & Schuster
    Interest age: 9-11
    Reading age: 9+

    Onyeka has always hated her hair so it’s ironic that it should turn out to be the source of a spectacular superpower.

  • Run like a girl

    Run Like a Girl

    Author: Danielle Brown Illustrator: Robin Shields
    Publisher: Button Books
    Interest age: 9-11
    Reading age: 8+

    The term "run like a girl" is often perceived as a derogatory phrase, but in this wonderful anthology of real-life tales, it is used to celebrate the sporting achievements of 50 remarkable women from around the world.

  • Saving Sorya Chang and the Sun Bear

    Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear

    Author: Trang Nguyen Illustrator: Jeet Zdung
    Publisher: Macmillan
    Interest age: 9-13
    Reading age: 9+

    Based on a true story, this stunning graphic novel follows Chang as she fights to protect her local forests and wildlife, and rewild a young sun bear, Sorya, who was captured by poachers as a cub.

  • Striking Out

    Striking Out

    Author: Ian Wright and Musa Okwonga
    Publisher: Scholastic
    Interest age: 9-11
    Reading age: 9+

    This engaging and uplifting novel, which celebrates friendship and community, is based on Ian Wright’s own childhood experiences and will appeal to any aspiring sportsperson. 

  • tuntboy: In the Meantime

    Stuntboy: In the Meantime

    Author: Jason Reynolds Illustrator: Raul the Third
    Publisher: Knights Of
    Interest age: 8-12
    Reading age: 9+

    In his imagination, Portico Reeves is Stunt Boy, saving other superheroes from disaster.  But when his parents plan to divorce, he needs help from unlikely friends. A child’s-eye view of coping with arguing parents that manages to be fun and funny, with an innovative style that samples different media.

  • The Amazing Edie Eckhart

    The Amazing Edie Eckhart

    Author: Rosie Jones Illustrator: Natalie Smillie
    Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books
    Interest age: 9-11
    Reading age: 9+

    Edie Eckhart is a feisty, funny 11-year-old who has cerebral palsy. She has to make some new special relationships when she moves to secondary school and her best friend goes into a different class. An entertaining diary-format book that sensitively explores growing up. 

  • The Good Turn

    The Good Turn

    Author: Sharna Jackson
    Publisher: Puffin
    Interest age: 9-11
    Reading age: 8-9

    Can Josephine and her friends solve a local mystery, and help someone? A pacy mystery with true heart. 

  • The Lost Whale

    The Lost Whale

    Author: Hannah Gold Illustrator: Levi Pinfold
    Publisher: Harper Collins
    Interest age: 9-12
    Reading age: 8+

    Rio is used to caring for his mother, but when he arrives in California, he finds a new role – caring for grey whales. A novel with a strong environmental message and an atmosphere aided by the striking illustrations of Levi Pinfold, which help the story come to life.

  • The front cover of The Offline Diaries

    The Offline Diaries

    Author: Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené Illustrator: Tequitia Andrews and Ruthine Burton
    Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books
    Interest age: 9-11
    Reading age: 9+

    Centred around some typical pre-teen issues, including friendship, loyalty, bullying and sibling relationships, the book also sensitively explores the difficult topics of bereavement and parental separation.

  • The Ogress and the Orphans Cover

    The Ogress and the Orphans

    Author: Kelly Barnhill
    Publisher: Piccadilly
    Interest age: 9-11
    Reading age: 9+

    A tale set in a fun fairytale land in which the dragon slayer Mayor isn't necessarily to be trusted and the new Ogress may just save the day.

  • the secret sunshine project cover

    The Secret Sunshine Project

    Author: Benjamin Dean Illustrator: Sandhya Prabhat
    Publisher: Simon & Schuster
    Interest age: 9-12
    Reading age: 9+

    How will a sleepy village react when Bea attempts to bring the glitter and rainbows of Pride to their doorstep?

  • The Week At World’s End

    The Week At World’s End

    Author: Emma Carroll
    Publisher: Faber
    Interest age: 11-13
    Reading age: 9+

    Against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, Stevie finds a girl hiding in her garden shed. A personal, inspiring story of injustice and courage set against the backdrop of dramatic global events.

  • Wished Lissa Evans Cover

    Wished

    Author: Lissa Evans
    Publisher: David Fickling
    Interest age: 9-12
    Reading age: 9+

    Utterly bonkers and totally brilliant; searingly funny and acutely painful; completely fantastical yet strangely believable; this crazy adventure will make you gasp, smile and maybe even shed a tear or two.