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Books beginning with: T

• A Double Detectives Medical Mystery: The Cure for a Crime

  Author: Roopa Farooki
  Publisher: Oxford University Press
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  When Ali and Tulip's surgeon mum starts acting strangely, it's up to the Double Detectives to solve the mystery.

• Adventures on Trains: The Highland Falcon Thief

  Author: M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman Illustrator: Elisa Paganelli
  Publisher: Macmillan
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 8+

  Hal doesn't want to join his uncle on the Highland Falcon as it makes its way to Scotland - but when he meets Lenny, a stowaway train enthusiast and the driver's daughter, the two embark on a thrilling adventure to find missing jewels and identify the culprit. Ideal for independent readers who love a good old-fashioned mystery.

• Sticky Pines: The Bigwoof Conspiracy

  Author: Dashe Roberts
  Publisher: Nosy Crow
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  Strange things are happening in the town of Sticky Pines: odd lights in the sky, people disappearing, and now a huge, hairy creature is hanging out in the woods. Can Lucy and Milo unravel the mystery of Bigwoof? Written with wit and humour, Roberts has created a fun new series reminiscent of the X-Files and pitched perfectly for 9-12 year-olds.

• Tabby McTat

  Author: Julia Donaldson Illustrator: Axel Scheffler
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 4-6
  Reading age: 6+

  A poetic story of love, adventure and music that demands to be read aloud or possibly sung, depending on the power of the reader's purr.

• Tacos: An Interactive Recipe Book

  Author: Lotta Nieminen
  Publisher: Phaidon
  Interest age: 2-4
  

  Learn how to make delicious tacos with this fun, interactive, pull-out-and-slide recipe book.

• Ta-Da!

  Author: Kathy Ellen Davis Illustrator: Kaylani Juanita
  Publisher: Chronicle Books
  Interest age: 4-7
  Reading age: 5+

  A girl and boy play together with their toys, imagining crystal castles, dragons, pirates and magic wands. This humorous picture book about imaginative play and friendship demonstrates that – with a little give and take – a game shared can be double the fun.

• Tanglewood Animal Park: Baby Zebra Rescue

  Author: Tamsyn Murray
  Publisher: Usborne
  Interest age: 7-12
  Reading age: 7+

  Zoe loves her new home at Tanglewood Animal Park. But can she find Flash, the baby zebra, who goes missing on the morning of the grand opening? An exciting animal adventure with lots of interesting facts - perfect for animal lovers.

• Tanglewood Animal Park: The Troublesome Tiger

  Author: Tamsyn Murray
  Publisher: Usborne
  Interest age: 7-11
  Reading age: 8+

  Zoe is bursting with excitement – Tindu the tiger is arriving today at Tanglewood Animal Park, all the way from a zoo in Berlin. But when Tindu arrives, he won’t come out of his crate. Perfect for animal lovers.

• Tanglewreck

  Author:
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  This complex but utterly readable book, encompasses chaos theory and time travel but is also filled with humorous asides and a cast of memorable characters.

• Tail-end Charlie

  Author: Mick Manning & Brita Granstrom
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln
  Interest age: 7-8
  Reading age: 7+

  Mick Manning has carefully recreated the hair-raising tales his father told him about life as an RAF tail-gunner during the Second World War

• Take Back the Skies

  Author: Lucy Saxon
  Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's
  Interest age: 11-14
  Reading age: 10+

  As an introduction to other-world fantasy fiction this is engaging and accessible but it will appeal most to younger teens.

• Take the Lead: How to Care for Your Dog

  Author: Elena Browne Illustrator: Jennifer Farley
  Publisher: O'Brien
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  This is an excellent handbook for those who are looking for a four-legged addition to grow their family, detailing everything from choosing a breed to grooming to health and well-being.

• Takeshita Demons

  Author: Cristy Burne
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  When Miku moved to England from Japan, she never imagined that evil spirits would follow her. But one day an unusual looking supply teacher appears at school, and Miku suspects she may be a demon in disguise.

• Tales From Acorn Wood: Cat’s Cookbook

  Author: Julia Donaldson Illustrator: Axel Scheffler
  Publisher: Macmillan
  

  Part of the adorable Acorn Wood series, Cat’s Cookbook extols the importance of libraries in a fun way, reminding us how nice it is to browse for a book and also find exactly the one we wanted.

• Tales from Acorn Wood: Opposites

  Author: Julia Donaldson Illustrator: Axel Scheffler
  Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books
  

  Donaldson and Scheffler are already household names for those with young children, and now even the very newest members of the family can enjoy their work in this lovely board book about opposites, full of traditional illustration.

• Tales from Africa

  Author: K P Kojo Illustrator: Joe Lillington
  Publisher: Puffin Classics
  Interest age: 10-12
  Reading age: 10+

  A collection of nine diverse African folktales reflecting both the good and bad sides of human nature. Rich and humorous, they will resonate in any culture.

• Tales from India

  Author: Bali Rai
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 7-10
  Reading age: 8+

  Discover India’s rich folk-tale heritage and ancient cultures, with this captivating collection of both popular and lesser known, mostly secular Indian folk tales – reworked for a modern audience.

• Tales from Old Ireland

  Author: Malachy Doyle Illustrator: Niamh Sharkey
  Publisher: Barefoot Books
  Interest age: 6-12
  Reading age: 8+

  This stunningly illustrated collection of stories has its roots in oral storytelling and features giants, demons and wicked stepmothers, with a good dose of magic, cruelty and gentle humour.

• Tales From Outer Suburbia

  Author: Shaun Tan
  Publisher: Templar
  Interest age: 11-12
  Reading age: 10+

  These often thought-provoking stories look at the reactions ordinary people have to the unusual situations they find themselves in and feature a host of different illustrative styles ranging from collage to painterly Edward Hopper-esque scenes.

• Tales from Schwartzgarten: Osbert the Avenger

  Author: Christopher William Hill
  Publisher: Orchard Books
  Interest age: 11-12
  Reading age: 9+

  A macabre tale full of ghoulish and gruesome escapades.

• Tales from the Caribbean

  Author: Trish Cooke
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 6-9
  Reading age: 8+

  Here’s a brilliant collection of tales from all over the Caribbean, perfect for children to read to themselves, but best of all to read together out loud. Some of the stories are famous but each one in this book feels fresh with Trish’s brilliant retelling.

• Tales from the Celtic Countries

  Author: Rhiannon Ifans Illustrator: Margaret Jones
  Publisher: Y Lolfa
  Interest age: 6-13
  Reading age: 8+

  This unusual story collection features a total of 12 tales from the six Celtic countries. Fabulous, ethereal illustrations capture the magical nature of the narratives which, like all the oldest fables, are rather grisly but also hilarious and quirky.

• Tales from the Dead of Night

  Author: Cecily Gayford
  Publisher: Profile Books
  Interest age: 14-15
  Reading age: 14+

  Prepare to be scared! Collecting the best of classic ghost stories from E.Nesbit to Ruth Rendell, this anthology is the perfect match to any Halloween party.

• Tales From Weird Street

  Author: Anne Fine Illustrator: Vicki Gausden
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke
  Interest age: 8-11
  Reading age: 8+

  Interspersed with black-and-white illustrations to complement the super readable text, this masterclass in storytelling from a distinguished author is fascinating, entertaining and just creepy enough to leave readers feeling a little bit uneasy.

• Tales of Terror from the Black Ship

  Author: Chris Priestley Illustrator: David Roberts
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 11-12
  Reading age: 11+

  Deliciously chilling tales of demons, horrors, curses and hauntings.

• Tales of Terror from the Tunnel's Mouth

  Author: Chris Priestley Illustrator: David Roberts
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 10-12
  Reading age: 9+

  The nine tales are contained within an other tale, each as delightfully horrible as the next, and perfect for dark winter nights, to be read out loud or to oneself.

• Tales of the Otori: Across the Nightingale Floor

  Author:
  Publisher: Pan Macmillan
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 12+

  A taut, compelling tale in the Samurai warrior tradition

• Talking is Not My Thing!

  Author: Rose Robbins
  Publisher: Scallywag Press
  Interest age: 3-7
  Reading age: 3-7

  With speech bubbles, bright colours and characters so lively they leap off the page, this is a vibrant and happy book with a lead character who is non-verbal.

• Talking to Alaska

  Author: Anna Woltz Translator: Laura Watkinson
  Publisher: OneWorld
  Interest age: 10-13
  Reading age: 11+

  It only takes one day at their new school for Parker and Sven to become mortal enemies. Parker’s had a terrible summer and just wants to be invisible, while Sven is desperate to make an impression and be known as anything other than ‘that kid with epilepsy.’

  When Parker discovers her beloved dog Alaska – who she had to give away last year – now belongs to Sv…

• Talking to the Moon

  Author: S.E. Durrant
  Publisher: Nosy Crow
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 8+

  Iris’ grandmother is losing her memory. While protecting her, Iris tracks down the secret behind a bracelet and develops a tentative friendship with the boy next door.

• Tall Story

  Author: Candy Gourlay
  Publisher: David Fickling Books
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 8+

  Engagingly told in alternate chapters by four-foot, thirteen year-old Andi, in the UK, and her eight-foot, sixteen year-old half brother Bernardo, in the Philippines

• Tall, Thin and Blonde

  Author:
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 11+

  Jen and Amy have been best friends forever, but when they start High School, they find themselves growing apart.

• Tally & Squill: in a sticky situation

  Author: Abie Longstaff Illustrator: James Brown
  Publisher: Little Brown
  Interest age: 5-9
  Reading age: 8+

  A magical adventure story set in a huge, old house, where a fesity young girl and her pet squirrel must use ancient secrets to solve the mystery of a midnight burglary. 

• Tamar

  Author: Mal Peet
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 14-15
  Reading age: 9+

  When Tamar's grandfather dies, he leaves behind a box with her name on it. Inside she finds a series of clues and hidden messages which she and her cousin follow...

• Tamara Small and the Monster's Ball

  Author: Giles Paley-Philips Illustrator: Gabriele Antonini
  Publisher: Maverick Arts Publishing
  Reading age: 6+

  It’s a dark night and Tamara Small is whisked away from her bed by a hairy monster to join the Monsters' Ball

• Tamarind and the Star of Ishta

  Author: Jasbinder Bilan
  Publisher: Chicken House
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  Tamarind's mum died when she was a baby, so when she goes to stay with her family deep in the Himalayan mountains she's destermined to find out all she can about her. But the house - and family - holds many more secrets than Tamarind thought...

• Tamburlaine's Elephants

  Author: Geraldine McCaughrean
  Publisher: Usborne
  Interest age: 10-11
  Reading age: 10+

  Rusti, a young nomad, lives on the fringes of the warrior horde of Tamburlaine the Great, a powerful ruler whose brutality is legendary.

• Tamsin and the Deep

  Author: Neill Cameron and Kate Brown
  Publisher: David Fickling Books
  Interest age: 8-12
  Reading age: 8-12

  A fantastic graphic novel from the team at children's comic The Phoenix, this is a page-turning adventure with a great main character in brave, athletic and reckless Tamsin.

• Tanka Tanka Skunk

  Author: Steve Webb
  Publisher: Random House
  

  • Meet Tanka, the elephant and his friend Skunka.

  • Full of rhythm, great for reading aloud.

  • Enjoy the brightly coloured pictures, this book is bursting with fun!

• Tape

  Author: Steven Camden
  Publisher: HarperCollins
  Interest age: 13-14
  Reading age: 13+

  In 1993, Ryan records a diary on a cassette tape. Twenty years later, Ameliah discovers an old tape in her grandmother's spare room: a tape with a boy's voice on it, speaking directly to her.

• Tarzan: The Greystoke Legacy

  Author: Andy Briggs
  Publisher: Faber Children's Books
  Interest age: 11-12
  Reading age: 11+

  A classic with a 21st century twist, this riveting adventure overflows with suspense, danger, brutality and beauty

• Tarzan: The Jungle Warrior

  Author: Andy Briggs
  Publisher: Faber Children's Books
  Interest age: 10-11
  Reading age: 10+

  Reinvented for the 21st-century by Andy Briggs, Tarzan is an eco-warrior - savage and brutal in his dealings with illegal loggers and hunters who plunder his beloved jungle.

• Tatty Ratty

  Author: Helen Cooper
  Publisher: Random House
  Interest age: 3-7
  Reading age: 5+

  Molly is very upset when she loses her beloved toy, Tatty Ratty. Her parents console her by helping her imagine all the wonderful adventures Tatty Ratty is having while he is away.

• Teacup House: Meet the Twitches

  Author: Hayley Scott Illustrator: Pippa Curnick
  Publisher: Usborne
  Interest age: 5-8
  Reading age: 7+

  Delightful illustrations, bursting with colour, bring this gentle adventure to life. This is the first title in what promises to be an enchanting series of chapter books for newly confident readers.

• Teardrop

  Author: Lauren Kate
  Publisher: Doubleday
  Interest age: 13-14
  Reading age: 13+

  Ever since her beloved mother died in an astonishing freak accident, Eureka has had little to live for - but then she meets Anders, a strange boy who insists she too is in terrible danger.

• Tease

  Author: Amanda Maciel
  Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books
  Interest age: 13-18
  Reading age: 11+

  Provocative and thought-provoking, this book is sure to divide readers but will certainly get them talking.

• Teddy Bedtime

  Author: Georgie Birkett
  Publisher: Andersen
  

  Colourful, rhyming board book for bedtime.

• Teddy or Train?

  Author: Anthony Lewis
  Publisher: Child's Play
  Reading age: 2+

  This generously-sized sturdy board book is brimful of babies! Babies playing with cars and bricks, babies swinging and babies reading books.

• Teddy Took the Train

  Author: Nicki Greenberg
  Publisher: Allen & Unwin
  Interest age: 3-7
  Reading age: 6+

  Dot and mummy go shopping and take the train home, but leave Teddy on the train! Oh no! This diverse and heartwarming book encourages children not give in to their fears, especially about separation.

• Telephone

  Author: Mac Barnett Illustrator: Jen Corace
  Publisher: Chronicle Books
  Interest age: 3-6
  Reading age: 6+

  A colour and pattern-filled picturebook which builds its story on the old children's game, Chinese Whispers.

• Tell me a Dragon

  Author: Jackie Morris
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln
  Interest age: 4-8
  Reading age: 5+

  Jackie Morris’s lyrical descriptions imagine each child’s relationship with their own dragon, and the reader is invited to imagine their dragon, too, at the end of the book.

• Tell Me the Day Backwards

  Author: Albert Lamb Illustrator: David McPhail
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Reading age: 6+

  In this delightful bedtime story, a young bear tells his mother all about his exciting day - in reverse - inspiring young listeners/readers to do the same

• Tell Tail

  Author: C. K. Smouha Illustrator: Katie Brosnan
  Publisher: Cicada
  

  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! His family try and get it to stop - but there's a way everyone can be happy together. A thought provoking story about self-expression and acceptance.

• Tempest

  Author: Julie Cross
  Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
  Interest age: 14-15
  Reading age: 14+

  This gripping time-travel novel fuses the highs and lows of first love with the elements of a fast-paced thriller

• Temple Boys

  Author: Jamie Buxton
  Publisher: Farshore
  Interest age: 9-14
  Reading age: 9+

  Flea is a pick-pocket, living in Jerusalem in biblical times. When he meets Yeshua and his side-kick Jude, they set off on a dangerous journey.

• Ten Fat Sausages

  Author: Michelle Robinson Illustrator: Tor Freeman
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 4-7
  Reading age: 5+

  Everything in this sausagey counting book works perfectly: from the big, bold illustration to the satisfying rhyme that works well for preschoolers. It will also entertain adults and older children, who will really get the silly humour.

• Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

  Author: Mem Fox Illustrator: Helen Oxenbury
  Publisher: Walker Books
  

  With beautiful illustrations of babies born all over the world and gentle rhyming text, this charming book is perfect for sharing with little ones.

• Ten Little Pirates

  Author:
  Publisher: Orchard Books
  Interest age: 2+
  Reading age: 4+

  A counting adventure with pirates... and a giant squid!

• Ten Minutes to Bed, Little Unicorn

  Author: Rhiannon Fielding and Chris Chatterton
  Publisher: Ladybird Books
  

  It’s ten minutes to bedtime, but Twinkle the little unicorn is showing no sign of sleepiness! This bedtime read, which features a rhyming countdown, is just the thing to help little ones wind down at the end of a busy day.

• Ten Terrible Dinosaurs

  Author: Paul Strickland
  Publisher: Picture Corgi
  Interest age: 3-8
  Reading age: 5+

  A fun rhyming counting book which small children will love. They can learn the words, point at the pictures, count the dinosaurs and copy their comical jigging and jiving. Exuberant and amusing illustrations complement the text in this welcome reprint of a popular classic. 

• Terra

  Author: Mitch Benn
  Publisher: Gollancz
  Interest age: 11-12
  Reading age: 12+

  Lbbp, resident of the city of Hrrng in the country of Mlml on the distant planet Fnrr, has a problem in the shape of a tiny human baby.

• Terror Kid

  Author: Benjamin Zephaniah
  Publisher: Hot Key
  Interest age: 13-14
  Reading age: 13+

  A powerful, accessible and revelatory novel with its finger firmly on the pulse of contemporary social and political issues.

• Terry Perkins and his Upside Down Frown

  Author: Felix Massie
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln Books
  Interest age: 4-6
  Reading age: 6+

  This is a funny, quirky and thought-provoking picture book, with appealing rhyming text.

• Tiara Friends: The Case of the Stolen Crown

  Author: Paula Harrison Illustrator: Michelle Ouellette
  Publisher: Scholastic Children’s Books
  Interest age: 6-9
  Reading age: 7+

  Best friends Princess Millie and maid Jess look so similar that they often trade places. When a crown is stolen, the pair team up to solve the mystery of its disappearance. The first in a series of royal crime capers.

• Tickle My Ears

  Author: Jörg Mühle
  Publisher: Gecko Press
  Interest age: 0-3
  

  Jörg Mühle's Tickle My Ears is a great interactive bedtime story, made to help you bond with your child at bedtime. With an absorbing story and sweet illustrations, this is sure to be a go-to board book for the end of the day.

• Tickle Time

  Author: Igloo Books
  Publisher: Igloo Books
  

  Red Monster is out and about, playing with his friends. Racing in the garden, jumping around the park and whooshing through town, they’re playing their favourite game: tickling! Red Monster thinks he’s the best at tickling, but what’ll happen when his friends catch up with him and tickle him too?

• Tickle, Tickle

  Author: Helen Oxenbury
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 0+
  Reading age: 0+

  Ideal for any time of the day, especially bathtime and bedtime, the language and repetition make this book good to read aloud.

• Tidy

  Author: Emily Gravett
  Publisher: Two Hoots
  Interest age: 4-7
  Reading age: 6+

  Pete the badger likes to keep everything neat and tidy, but his over-zealous cleaning begins to have a damaging impact on the forest. This entertaining picture book, with its rich illustrations, carries an important environmental message.

• Tiddler

  Author: Julia Donaldson Illustrator: Axel Scheffler
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 3-6
  

  Although he looks small and ordinary, Tiddler is a fish who loves to tell tall tales. But one day he is swept up in a fisherman's net and then thrown back in to an unfamiliar part of the sea.

• Tiger

  Author: Nick Butterworth
  Publisher: HarperCollins
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 5+

  Tiger may look like a small, stripy kitten, but in his imagination he is as big and powerful as his namesake.

• Tiger and Friends Pop up book

  Author: Rudolf Lukeš
  Publisher: Scribblers
  Interest age: 1-4
  

  Simple text and subject matter, combined with breathtaking artwork will keep young readers engaged as they learn about these interesting animals. 

• Tiger Days and the Secret Cat

  Author: Sarah Lean Illustrator: Anna Currey
  Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books
  Interest age: 7-10
  Reading age: 7+

  Tiger Days is a shy nine-year-old girl and when her grandmother, May Days, invites her to stay, she is full of trepidation. This is a gentle tale about friendship, love and building self-confidence.

• Tiger Heart

  Author: Penny Chrimes Illustrator: Levente Szabo
  Publisher: Orion Children’s Books
  Interest age: 9-12
  Reading age: 11+

  Left on the orphanage doorstep as a baby, Fly doesn’t know anything about her past. Working as a chimney sweep, she mostly lives on the streets and has to scrounge for food. But when she decides to run away and jumps down an unknown chimney to escape her employer, she’s surprised to find herself face-to-face with a tiger. She’s even more surprised when the t…

• Tiger in a Tutu

  Author: Fabi Santiago
  Publisher: Orchard Books
  Interest age: 4-6
  Reading age: 6+

  Max the tiger longs to be a ballet dancer, but when he twirls majestically through the streets of Paris, people flee in terror. It takes a very special friend to help Max realise his dream.

• Tiger on a Tree

  Author: Anushka Ravishankar Illustrator: Pulak Biswas
  Publisher: Tara Publishing
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 5+

  A highly original picture book from India, this is the story of a tiger who ventures onto human territory.

• Tiger Wars

  Author: Steve Backshall
  Publisher: Orion Children's Books
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 11+

  Saker and Sinter live utterly different lives - until they find themselves unlikely companions on the run. A breathlessly exciting adventure set in India.

• Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright!

  Author: Various (selected by Fiona Waters) Illustrator: Britta Teckentrup
  Publisher: Nosy Crow
  Interest age: 6-11
  Reading age: 6+

  A lavishly illustrated, hardback gift book with an animal poem for every day of the year.

• Tiger, Tiger, Time to Take a Bath

  Author: Jo Lodge
  Publisher: Campbell Books
  Interest age: 0-3
  Reading age: 5+

  With brilliant moving parts made from sturdy, thick card, toddlers will love to wiggle the sliding tabs and help these animal characters with their personal grooming. A fun and useful first book on hygiene and self-care. 

• Tilt

  Author: Mary Hoffman
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke
  Interest age: 12-14
  Reading age: 8+

  Netta is desperate to help her father figure out the mystery of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in this super-readable story about a girl who won't let anything stand in the way of her dream.

• Tilly's Moonlight Fox

  Author:
  Publisher: Oxford University Press
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 8+

  This sensitively-written story with a touch of time-travel magic has a flavour of classic children's books such as The Secret Garden and Tom's Midnight Garden.

• Tilly's Promise

  Author: Linda Newbery
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 8+

  A touching story by award-winning Linda Newbery about first love, loyalty and the horrors of war, written in dyslexia-friendly language.

• Tim Hopgood’s Wonderful World of Colours

  Author: Tim Hopgood
  Publisher: Oxford
  Interest age: 0-2
  

  Vibrant pink roses, red strawberries, bluebells in the forest and a resplendent fold-out rainbow at the end of the book make this so much more than an average colours book. 

• Tim Hopgood's ABC

  Author: Tim Hopgood
  Publisher: Oxford
  Interest age: 1-2
  

  A perfect accompaniment to days out in the pushchair for toddlers or repeated reads at home, this is an accessibly beautiful, well-made alphabet book with 1-2 year olds in mind and is a lovely place to start learning letters, animals and words.

• Time After Time

  Author: Judi Curtin
  Publisher: O’Brien
  Interest age: 9-12
  Reading age: 9+

  Imagine your mum gets together with your best friend's dad - and then you find yourself transported to 1984, before any of it happened. A funny and poignant time-slip adventure looking at family break-up, bereavement and step-parents.

• Time Between Us

  Author: Tamara Ireland Stone
  Publisher: Doubleday
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 12+

  Anna is struggling to understand Bennett, the new boy at school, with whom she shares a mysterious connection.

• Time for a Nap

  Author: Phillis Gershator Illustrator: David Walker
  Publisher: Sterling
  Interest age: 0-3
  

  This sweet rhyming book about the tricky business of napping keeps the tone light, with cute and colourful illustrations. It could easily become part of the routine at home: ‘What time is it? Time for a nap!’

• Time for Bed, Fred!

  Author: Yasmeen Ismail
  Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books
  Interest age: 2+
  Reading age: 5+

  Fred is a very naughty dog - and he doesn't want to go to bed one bit!

• Time for Bed, Miyuki

  Author: Roxane Marie Galliez and Seng Soun Ratanavanh
  Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
  Interest age: 5-7
  Reading age: 6+

  It's time for Miyuki to go to bed, but there are so many things she wants to do with her grandfather before then! One of the most beautiful children's books in recent years.

• Time For Bed, Panda

  Author: Jo Lodge
  Publisher: Campbell Books
  Interest age: 0-2
  

  It's time for this adorable googly-eyed panda to get ready for bed - that means having a bath, brushing her teeth and reading a story! A delightfully cuddly and sweet board book for little ones.

• Time for Tea Polly Wally

  Author: Kali Stileman
  Publisher: Red Fox
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 5+

  Polly Wally has a problem. She’s hungry, but can’t find anything nice to eat. Colourful and comical illustrations accompany this appealing story about a hungry little bird hunting her perfect food.

• Time Stoppers

  Author: Carrie Jones
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  A spell-binding tale of two children transported to a world of magical creatures and horrifying happenings. This book will grip, scare and delight young fantasy fans.

• Time to Eat

  Author: Penny Tassoni Illustrator: Mel Four
  Publisher: Featherstone
  Interest age: 2-4
  

  Toddlers with ponytails and toddlers with braids enjoy all sorts of delicious snacks and meals in Time to Eat. In addition to the story, there are helpful tips for parents and carers  about how to introduce new food and encourage a healthy and balanced diet.

• Time to Get Dressed

  Author: Penny Tassoni Illustrator: Mel Four
  Publisher: Featherstone
  Interest age: 2-5
  

  This cheerful and useful little book is made with little ones in mind that are learning to get dressed by themselves, and will be of great help to parents, carers, childminders and nursery practitioners.

• Time to Go to Bed

  Author: Penny Tassoni Illustrator: Mel Four
  Publisher: Featherstone
  Interest age: 2-3
  

  Ideal to share with toddlers at bedtime as part of a positive sleep routine, this lovely little picture book uses simple language to explore why sleep is essential to help stay healthy and happy, and encourages interaction by asking gentle questions.

• Time to Go with Ted

  Author: Sophy Henn
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 0-3
  

  Teeny hands will love turning the flaps of this adorable board book about the very keen and creative Ted on his daily outings. A sweetly interactive read-along that really celebrates the fun of imagination.

• Time Travelling with a Hamster

  Author: Ross Welford
  Publisher: Harper Collins Children’s Books
  Interest age: 9-14
  Reading age: 6+

  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.

• Timeless: Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic

  Author: Armand Baltazar
  Publisher: HarperCollins
  Interest age: 9-13
  Reading age: 9+

  The Time Collision changed everything. A cosmic cataclysm from beyond the stars has reshaped earth. Continents have shifted, timelines have merged, but humanity has endured. 

• Timelines from Black History: Leaders, Legends, Legacies

  Author: Introduction by Mireille Harper Illustrator: Lauren Quinn
  Publisher: DK
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  An essential and fascinating book which follows black history across many centuries to today’s contemporary world.

• TimeRiders

  Author: Alex Scarrow
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  Maddy should have died in a plane crash. Liam should have died at sea when the Titanic sank. Sal should have died in a tragic fire. But a mysterious man whisked them away to safety.

• Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made

  Author: Stephan Pastis
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 8+

  Meet Timmy Failure - a terminally over-confident middle school pupil attempting to make millions by solving local mysteries, such as who ate his classmates’ unattended Halloween candy.

• Timmy Failure: Now Look What You've Done

  Author: Stephan Pastis
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 8+
  Reading age: 8+

  The clueless, comically self-confident kid detective returns in the sequel to Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made.

• Timothy Top

  Author: Gud
  Publisher: Lion Forge
  Interest age: 6-11
  Reading age: 6+

  An exciting first volume in an attractive series of graphic novels for junior readers, this tale successfully combines science fiction, humour, family difficulties and environmental concerns in an accessible and entertaining format.

• Tim's Din

  Author: Monica Hughes Illustrator: Bill Ledger
  Publisher: Pearson UK
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 4+

  Tim’s Din is a lively and entertaining story about the mischief that little monkeys can get up to when they’re bored.

• Tinder

  Author: Sally Gardner Illustrator: David Roberts
  Publisher: Indigo
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 11+

  Award-winning author Sally Gardner teams up with David Roberts to put a new spin on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy-tale The Tinder Box in this dark and gripping tale.

• Tinsel

  Author: Sibéal Pounder
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 8+

  In 1875 orphan Blanche and her friend Rinki invent Christmas, with a little help from a crowd of magical elves all called Carol.

• Tiny and Teeny

  Author: Chris Judge
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 2-4
  

  At the edge of Glengadget, the incredibly helpful Tiny lives with her pet fox Teeny. The colourful imagery in this wonderful picture book is deeply appealing, and there's a gentle message about the good things that happen when we do nice things for others.

• Tiny Infinities

  Author: J H Diehl
  Publisher: Chronicle Books
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  Thirteen-year-old Alice is trying to stop her family falling apart. A very beautiful and sensitively handled book that touches on themes of mental health, family relationships, friendships and love.

• Tiny Little Fly

  Author: Michael Rosen
  Publisher: Walker Books Ltd
  Interest age: 4+
  Reading age: 4+

  Tiny Little Fly zips between the elephant's nose and the tiger's claw, outwitting all of the other animals in this beautifully-designed picture book.

• Tiny Reindeer

  Author: Chris Naylor-Ballesteros
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 4-5
  

  Tiny Reindeer is so small that he can sit in the palm of Santa’s hand. When he sorts through the final Christmas mail, he stumbles across a letter with a specific request. Full of Christmas magic, this heart-warming tale will resonate with any reader who has ever been told they are too small to do something. 

• Tiny: The Invisible World of Microbes

  Author: Nicola Davies Illustrator: Emily Sutton
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 4+
  Reading age: 6+

  This is an original, special and memorable book that sets the bar high for illustrated children's non-fiction.

• Tinyville Town: I’m a Librarian

  Author: Brian Briggs
  Publisher: Chronicle Books
  Interest age: 4-6
  Reading age: 5+

  Kevin the librarian knows lots of things - but when the books about elephants go missing in the library, can he hunt them down and solve the case? Available in a sturdy board book with eye-catching and slightly retro illustrations.

• Titanic: Death on the Water

  Author: Tom Bradman and Tony Bradman
  Publisher: A & C Black
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 10+

  This readable story, based on material from the National Archives, offers young readers a fresh take on the well-known tale of the sinking of the Titanic.

• To Be A Cat

  Author: Matt Haig
  Publisher: Bodley Head
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  Barney Willow doesn’t think life could get much worse: his parents are divorced, he hates his new school...

• To Be Perfectly Honest

  Author: Jess Vallance
  Publisher: Hot Key Books
  Interest age: 13-16
  Reading age: 10+

  When Gracie takes a pledge to be totally honest for 50 days, whatever the consequences, she isn’t quite prepared for either the hilarious, or the hurtful, results. An ideal book for teens and young adults looking for a lighthearted yet worthwhile read.

• To Hold the Bridge

  Author: Garth Nix
  Publisher: Hot Key Books
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 8+

  Beginning with this novella set in the magical world of the Old Kingdom series; this is a fantastic collection of short stories, rich in detail and description, featuring vampires, witches, supernatural and fantasy worlds, science fiction, mystery and adventure.

• To Market! To Market!

  Author: Anushka Ravishankar Illustrator: Emanuele Scanziani
  Publisher: Tara Books
  Interest age: 2+
  Reading age: 5+

  Ravishankar's modern nursery rhyme takes us through an Indian market, to experience the myriad sights and sounds to be found there.

• To Night Owl From Dogfish

  Author: Meg Wolitzer and Holly Goldberg Sloan
  Publisher: Farshore
  Interest age: 9-12
  Reading age: 9+

  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. 

• To the Beach

  Author: Thomas Docherty
  Publisher: Templar
  Interest age: 4months+
  Reading age: 2+

  Lovely story of a boy using his imagination to go on a trip to the seaside

• To The Edge of the World

  Author: Julia Green
  Publisher: Oxford University Press
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  A beautifully written, evocative tale with gorgeous descriptions of the Scottish Islands. It’s a story about learning to be brave and become your true and best self, with some real adventure along the way. Perfect for more grown-up Katie Morag fans.

• Toad and I

  Author: Louise Yates
  Publisher: Jonathan Cape
  Interest age: 3-6
  Reading age: 6+

  When Kitty's ball bounces over the fence, she meets Toad. His friends are upset about peculiar incidents involving meteorites and monsters, so brave Kitty helps to investigate. A wacky adventure about having fun and making new friends.

• Toad Attack!

  Author: Patrice Lawrence Illustrator: Becka Moor
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke
  Interest age: 6-11
  Reading age: 6+

  Leo is astounded when he is hit on the head by a flying toad on his way to school. His best friend Rosa is excited because one of her two dads is a television presenter and plans to make a nature programme about the pale, yellow amphibians with bulging red eyes. However, the toads have an insatiable appetite and as the town of Upper Dab is besieged by these …

• Toad Rage

  Author: Morris Gleitzman
  Publisher: Penguin
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 7-11

  Limpy, the cane toad, deeply disturbed that motorists appear to swerve their cars specifically to run toads over, is determined to put a stop to this needless loss of life. He sets out on a perilous journey to try to persuade humans that cane toads are loveable, friendly creatures. He decides to endear himself to the public by becoming a mascot for the Austr…

• Toad Surprise

  Author: Morris Gleitzman
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  Limpy, the slightly squashed Australian cane toad, is determined to heal the rift between toads and humans.

• Toby Alone

  Author: Timothee de Fombelle Translator: Sarah Ardizzone
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 8+

  Winner of the 2009 Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation, this exciting adventure has a serious message about the wisdom of using up the Earth’s resources

• Toby and the Ice Giants

  Author: Joe Lillington
  Publisher: Flying Eye Books
  Interest age: 5+
  Reading age: 7+

  A charming story with lively illustrations to learn more about the last Ice Age.

• Today I Feel… An Alphabet of Feelings

  Author: Madalena Moniz
  Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
  Interest age: 2-5
  

  Madalena Moniz explores an original emotion on every double-page spread of this lovely hardback, which follows a little boy experiencing each one. Helpful for aiding children to talk about their feelings, this is also a fun and attractive alphabet book.

• Today I'm Strong

  Author: Nadiya Hussain Illustrator: Ella Bailey
  Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
  Interest age: 4-5
  

  This little girl usually loves going to school - but some days, she tells her tiger friend, school feels sad and she just wants to stay at home. A beautiful, gentle picture book about being strong and finding your voice from The Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain.

• Toddle Waddle

  Author: Julia Donaldson Illustrator: Nick Sharratt
  Publisher: Macmillan Children's books
  Interest age: 2+
  Reading age: 5+

  An ideal book for sharing - babies will love imitating the sounds in the text and pointing out details in the illustrations.

• Toffee

  Author: Sarah Crossan
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 13-18
  Reading age: 13+

  Allison befriends a woman with dementia, and an unusual friendship develops against the odds. This beautiful, profound verse novel goes straight to the heart and asks the questions teenagers most want to explore: who am I and what’s my place in the world? 

• Together

  Author: Emma Dodd
  Publisher: Nosy Crow
  Interest age: 1-3
  

  A heartwarming and beautifully illustrated board book that celebrates love and togetherness – an ideal "end of the day" shared real that will melt the heart of any grown-up who treasures the time they spend with their little ones.

• Tom and the Siege

  Author: Tony Bradman Illustrator: Stephen Parkhouse
  Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 7+

  Tom Bailey is always up to mischief and his mother, Lady Eleanor, has had enough. Tom is to go off to Squire School to turn him into a good boy.

• Tom Fletcher and the Angel of Death

  Author:
  Publisher: Catnip
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  When Brother Benedict is found dead in Saint Wilfred’s Beast House, eaten by Delilah, the lion he kept to terrorise the people of St Agnes-next-the Sea, there is no shortage of suspects. 

• Tom Gates - Genius Ideas (Mostly)

  Author: Liz Pichon
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  The brilliant Tom Gates is back in this, the fourth installment of this award-winning series from Liz Pichon.

• Tom Gates: Family, Friends and Furry Creatures

  Author: Liz Pichon
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 6-11
  Reading age: 7+

  Tom discovers lots of family secrets when he embarks on a school project. Another hilarious illustrated book for older readers from multi-award-winning illustrator and author Liz Pichon.

• Tom Thumb

  Author: Katie Daynes Illustrator: Wesley Roins  
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 5+

  This traditional tale from English folklore is carefully retold for young readers.

• Tomorrow

  Author: Nadine Kaadan
  Publisher: Lantana Publishing
  Interest age: 4-6
  Reading age: 6+

  A touching story about a little boy trapped in his house in Syria because it’s too dangerous outside. This simple picture book effectively reveals what daily life is like for children living in a war zone.

• Tom's Midnight Garden

  Author:
  Publisher: Oxford University Press
  

  With no garden or children to play with Tom feels lonely and unhappy, until one night he hears the clock striking thirteen and discovers a secret garden.

• Tony Robinson's Weird World of Wonders: World War II

  Author: Tony Robinson Illustrator: Del Thorpe
  Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  Tony Robinson takes children on a headlong gallop through the history of World War II in this entertaining history book, part of his Weird World of Wonders series.

• Too Close to Home

  Author: Aoife Walsh
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 11-14
  Reading age: 11+

  If you enjoy books which take a long hard look at family life then this is certainly a book for you.

• Too Many Carrots

  Author: Katy Hudson
  Publisher: Curious Fox
  Interest age: 4-6
  

  Rabbit loves carrots so much that his whole burrow is full of them, and there's no room for him to sleep! Katy Hudson explores the themes of friendship and sharing in this charming and beautifully illustrated picture book.

• Too Many Toys!

  Author: Heidi Deedman
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 3-6
  Reading age: 6+

  Lulu has too many toys, so she comes up with a generous plan to tackle the problem. A gentle, humorous tale about the excesses of modern childhood, with delightful illustrations.

• Too Much Stuff!

  Author: Emily Gravett
  Publisher: Two Hoots
  Interest age: 4-5
  

  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 from some friends... a gorgeous picture book from Emily Gravett about sharing and keeping things tidy.

• Too Much Trouble

  Author: Tom Avery
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
  Interest age: 11-16
  Reading age: 10+

  An original interpretation of the Oliver Twist story reflecting a number of critical and significant contemporary issues.

• Too Small for my Big Bed

  Author: Amber Stewart Illustrator: Layn Marlow
  Publisher: Oxford University Press
  Interest age: 3-6
  Reading age: 6+

  Piper has trouble sleeping all by himself at night and usually ends up in Mummy’s bed.

• Too Small to Fail

  Author: Morris Gleitzman
  Publisher: Puffin Book
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  1 boy. 1 girl. 1 camel. Squillions of dollars. A plan that can't fail. Or can it?

• Too Small Tola

  Author: Atinuke Illustrator: Onyinye Iwu
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 6-8
  Reading age: 6+

  In this lovely collection of short stories, a young Nigerian girl - tired of the nickname ‘Too Small Tola’- proves that, despite her small stature, she has a mighty personality and a big heart.

• Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls

  Author: Atinuke Illustrator: Onyinye Iwu
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 6-8
  Reading age: 6+

  A collection of three short stories starring the fabulous Tola, who lives with her siblings and Grandmummy in Lagos. A funny, compassionate, and beautifully illustrated book for young readers.

• Toot Toot Beep Beep

  Author: Emma Garcia
  Publisher: Boxer Books
  Interest age: 2+
  Reading age: 5+

  In the eyes of a child traffic can be endlessly entertaining and varied

• Tooth Fairy in Training

  Author: Michelle Robinson Illustrator: Briony May Smith
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 4-6
  Reading age: 5+

  This funny, bouncy rhyme is silly and surprising with twists that children really won’t see coming. But there is still enough sparkle and magic to keep little fairy fans happy! A perfect gift for someone who has just lost their first tooth. 

• Top Marks for Murder

  Author: Robin Stevens
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 10-13
  Reading age: 10+

  This teen murder-mystery, set in an exclusive girls’ school in 1936 is reminiscent of Enid Blyton’s boarding school novels, but with a hefty dose of Agatha Christie’s gruesome, puzzling plotlines. A glorious slice of fantastical escapism.

• Top Secret Grandad and Me: Death by Tumble Dryer

  Author: David MacPhail Illustrator: Laura Aviñó
  Publisher: Kelpies
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 9+

  Detective work should be easier with a ghost sidekick – unless that sidekick is your grandad! This story is an absolute delight, from the hilarious characters to the fast-paced, page-turning adventure.

• Topsy and Tim Start School

  Author: Jean Adamson
  Publisher: Ladybird
  Interest age: 3-5
  Reading age: 3+

  Find out what happens on the twins' first day at school.

• Toro! Toro!

  Author: Michael Morpurgo Illustrator: Michael Foreman
  Publisher: HarperCollins
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 8+

  Antonio gives his grandson an account of the hardships of the Spanish Civil War. Readers will empathise with Antonio, while acquiring an understanding of an important European conflict.

• Toto's Apple

  Author: Mathieu Lavoie
  Publisher: Phaidon
  Interest age: 2-5
  

  Toto is a determined little worm. By hook or by crook, he is going to reach the juicy red apple hanging from a low branch. 

• Touch and Explore: Bugs and Other Little Creatures

  Author: Stephanie Babin Illustrator: Helene Convert
  Publisher: Twirl
  Interest age: 6-8
  Reading age: 5+

  A beautiful multi-sensory interactive book, combining touch and feel with non-fiction facts about bugs and insects. There are lots of different textures to explore, from a bee’s furry tummy to sparkly butterfly wings.

• Touch and Feel Baby Animals

  Author: Dorling Kindersley
  Publisher: DK
  Interest age: 0+
  Reading age: 1+

  You can explore different textures of the cutest baby animals.

• Touch and Feel Toys

  Author: Alison Jay
  Publisher: Templar
  Interest age: 1+
  Reading age: 5+

  A touch and feel board book, and one of a 'nursery collection', this volume looks at the toys inside a toy box.

• Touch and Tickle

  Author: Sanja Rescek
  Publisher: Chid's Play
  Interest age: 0+
  Reading age: 4+

  Based on research into the benefits of massage and baby exercise, this is a book which stimulates a baby’s senses

• Touch Think Learn ABC

  Author: Xavier Deneux
  Publisher: Chronicle Books
  Interest age: 0-3
  

  A wonderful gift for a toddler or preschooler, this board book is beautifully and sturdily made. Featuring an original and well-thought-out concept for learning the alphabet, this will be a mainstay you’ll return to again and again.

• Toyetica

  Author: Matt LeGrow
  Publisher: Action Lab Entertainment
  Interest age: 9-12
  Reading age: 7+

  Dollington Academy is a unique school helping ‘bittles’ (a race of tiny beings) learn everything they need to have successful careers as doll models. Toyetica is a fantastical and immersive world, with laugh-out-loud humour and some sophisticated themes.

• Toys in Space

  Author: Mini Grey
  Publisher: Jonathan Cape
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 6+

  The toys have been left outside in the garden one summer night. To help to pass the time till morning, Wonderdoll begins to tell a story about the arrival of a mysterious alien spaceship...

• Trace the Trails: Follow That Truck!

  Author: Georgie Taylor Illustrator: Sam Meredith
  Publisher: Imagine That
  Interest age: 2-3
  

  A truck makes its way through a busy city, heading to a construction site and passing houses, farms and children on their way to school. A chunky board book with thick pages for little ones to grasp and hold.

• Traction Man and the Beach Odyssey

  Author: Mini Grey
  Publisher: Jonothan Cape
  Interest age: 5+
  Reading age: 7+

  The saga of Traction Man reach the beach with the latest in Grey’s series about a small boy’s imaginings of the adventures of the toy who has an outfit (and an answer) for everything

• Traction Man is Here

  Author: Mini Grey
  Publisher: Random House
  Interest age: 4+
  Reading age: 5+

  Transformed in an instant from combat cool to sartorial nightmare, can Traction Man ever be a superhero again?

• Traction Man Meets Turbo Dog

  Author: Mini Grey
  Publisher: Red Fox
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 5+

  Sartorial action hero, Traction Man, returns! He and Scrubbing Brush dauntlessly scale the compost heap, cross the swampy pond then return, exhausted.

• Traffic Jam

  Author: Aino-Maija Metsola
  Publisher: Wide Eyed
  Interest age: 2-5
  

  There is traffic jam in town, but what is causing it? This beautiful book bursts with fun rhymes and colourful illustrations, and is a fabulous interactive tool for young readers.

• Tragedy at Sea: The Sinking of the Titanic

  Author: David Long Illustratoed by Stefano Tambellini
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke
  Interest age: 11-14
  Reading age: 10+

  Shortly before midnight on April 14^th, 1912, the world’s most luxurious (and probably most famous) ship, the Titanic, hit an iceberg while crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Britain to America. Even today, more than a hundred years later, it’s the biggest shipping disaster ever and a story that, although most people have heard it, continues to fascinate.

  How c…

• Train is on Track

  Author: Peter Bently Illustrator: Bella Bee and Lucy Fleming
  Publisher: QED
  Interest age: 3-5
  

  An exciting story with a big, fast vehicle and a helpful Dog driver.

• Train!

  Author: Judi Abbot
  Publisher: Little Tiger Press
  Interest age: 2-5
  Reading age: 6+

  Abbot's bright images, with cartoon animals shouting the name of their toy, help young readers to identify and learn the names of objects.

• Traitor to the Throne

  Author: Alwyn Hamilton
  Publisher: Faber
  Interest age: 13-18
  Reading age: 12+

  Traitor to the Throne takes place nearly a year after Rebel of the Sands finishes. The plot races along until the explosive conclusion, which will leave readers desperate for the final book in the trilogy.

• Travels with my Sketchbook

  Author: Chris Riddell
  Publisher: Macmillan
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  This book pulls together a compilation of some of the thousands of drawings Chris made while Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2015-17. Everyone will enjoy reliving the past two years through Chris’s observant, witty and affectionate eyes.

• Travels with My Sketchbook

  Author: Michael Foreman
  Publisher: Templar
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 9+

  Michael Foreman takes us on a truly engrossing trip around the world with this gorgeous collection of sketches, drawings and stories. A book for expanding boundaries: 'Hopefully, children the world over, will feel no horizon is too far.'

• Treacle Street: Marcel’s Parcels

  Author: Kate Hindley
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  Interest age: 1-3
  

  Marcel the postman is a busy elephant indeed. He has parcels for everyone in his trolley and yet there’s one parcel left. Surprise! It’s a treat for our postman. A joyful and brilliantly illustrated book that will excite children as they peep inside the post. 

• Treacle Street: Prima's Missing Bunnies

  Author: Kate Hindley
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  Interest age: 2-4
  

  Everyone on Treacle Street is excited about the bunnies’ Dance School’s first performance of their musical Duck Pond. However, Miss Prima, the dance teacher, can’t find the bunnies anywhere! The second book in Kate Hindley’s brilliant Treacle Street lift-the-flap board book series showcases her stunning illustration and is a lovely simple story for litt…

• Treason

  Author: Berlie Doherty
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 10+

  In the late 1530s, William Montague arrives at Hampton Court as page to Henry’s son, the infant Prince Edward

• Trial by Fire

  Author: Josephine Angelini
  Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 13+

  The first book in Josephine Angelini's Worldwalker trilogy puts an inventive new spin on the story of the Salem witches.

• Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle

  Author: Rick Riordan
  Publisher: Puffin
  

  Greek god Apollo is having a bad day: he's been stripped of all his powers and banished to earth in the body of a 12-year-old boy. He can't quite remember what he's being punished for, but is determined to get it over with quickly so heads to Camp Half-Blood, a sanctuary for demi-gods. Except when he arrives, the camp is in chaos: kids are going missing and …

• Tribute

  Author: Ellen Renner
  Publisher: Hot Key Books
  Interest age: 14+
  Reading age: 14+

  Zara lives in a world where magic means power and those without are forced to work as slaves - but Zara fights against this.

• Trickster

  Author: Tom Moorhouse
  Publisher: Oxford University Press
  Interest age: 9-12
  Reading age: 10+

  Two brother rats must go on an adventure to earn their names and the respect of their clan. Will they return victorious or will the challenges they face be too great?

• Trish Trash: Rollergirl of Mars - The Collected Edition

  Author: Jessica Abel; backgrounds and design by Lydia Roberts; colours by Walter
  Publisher: Super Genius Comics
  Interest age: 12-14
  Reading age: 12+

  This collection of Trish Trash: Rollergirl of Mars, issues 1-3, is a fascinating graphic novel, melding a dystopian Mars society with the popular American sport of women’s Roller Derby. 

• Troll Swap

  Author: Leigh Hodgkinson
  Publisher: Nosy Crow
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 6+

  A little girl called Tabitha decides to swap places with Timothy the hairy troll in this lively picture book.

• Trollhunters

  Author: Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus
  Publisher: Hot Key Books
  Interest age: 10-13
  Reading age: 11+

  This black comedy has a highly visual, cinematic feel. It is wildly imaginative and rich in description, comedy gore and elaborate use of language, but a little light on plot. Contains strong language and graphic violence.  

• TrooFriend

  Author: Kirsty Applebaum
  Publisher: Nosy Crow
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  When Sarah's mum buys her a TrooFriend android, she's not impressed at first - but could there be any truth to the rumours that the robots have feelings? A fascinating exploration of artificial intelligence and what makes us human.

• Troubadour

  Author: Mary Hoffman
  Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books
  Interest age: 11-15
  Reading age: 10+

  Early in the thirteenth century, Elinor's parents attempt to marry her off to an elderly nobleman but she escapes disguised as a boy, with a troupe of travelling entertainers.

• Trouble

  Author: Non Pratt
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 14+
  Reading age: 14+

  Fifteen-year-old Hannah is in trouble. She's pregnant, and can't bring herself to tell her family or friends the truth.

• Trouble in Toadpool

  Author: Anne Fine Illustrator: Kate Aldous
  Publisher: Doubleday Children's Books
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 8+

  A welcome return for Fine’s happy, hapless and immensely entertaining Mountfield family.

• Trouble Next Door

  Author: Chris Higgins Illustrator: Emily MacKenzie
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 6+
  Reading age: 7+

  Bella isn't keen on her new home, until a new friend, Magda, pops up next door. Unfortunately, Magda's fun ideas have a nasty habit of getting Bella in trouble. A new illustrated series for young readers gets off to a fun start with Magda's naughty antics.

• Truckers

  Author: Terry Pratchett
  Publisher: Random House
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 10+

  The first title in the Bromeliad trilogy, this is an enchanting fantasy from favourite author Terry Pratchett.

• True Stories of Heroes

  Author: Paul Dowswell
  Publisher: Usborne
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  From animals to astronauts, and captured spies in World War II, this collection of thirteen short stories celebrates some truly amazing, and amazingly true, heroic acts.

• Trueman Bradley - Aspie Detective

  Author: Alexei Maxim Russell
  Publisher: Jessica Kingsley
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  It is the Aspergers mind which is Trueman’s most powerful asset as a detective and which enables him to develop ingenious crime-solving equation

• Truly Tyler

  Author: Terri Libenson
  Publisher: HarperCollins
  Interest age: 12-15
  Reading age: 11+

  Tyler is used to being one of the most popular boys in school, so when he teams up with quiet, shy Emmie to draw a comic for a school project, his crew start making fun of him. A gentle graphic novel all about staying true to yourself and the pressure of fitting in. 

• Truly Wildly Deeply

  Author: Jenny McLachlan
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 12-14
  Reading age: 11+

  Although a love story, this book is also about peer pressure, family, cultural identity, and having the courage to make one’s own way. Main character Annie is forthright and witty, and has cerebral palsy (although that's not central to the plot). An upbeat story with heart.

• Trust Me

  Author: Malorie Blackman
  Publisher: Corgi Children's
  Interest age: 14+
  Reading age: 12+

  Seventeen-year-old Jayna can't wait to go on holiday with boyfriend Andrew - but their trip has unexpected and terrible consequences.

• Tuesday

  Author: David Wiesner
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 5+

  On a Tuesday evening, the sun is setting, and in the distance, an army of frogs on flying lily pads is approaching.

• Tug of War

  Author: John Burningham
  Publisher: Jonathan Cape
  Interest age: 3-6
  Reading age: 6+

  In this retelling of a traditional African folk tale, wily Hare outwits Elephant and Hippopotamus when he challenges them to a game of tug-of-war

• Tug of War

  Author: Naomi Howarth
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln
  Interest age: 4-6
  Reading age: 5+

  Stunning illustrations depict a beautiful African landscape in this story about friendship and realising that everyone is special in their own way, whatever their size.

• Tummy Time!

  Author: n/a
  Publisher: Mama Makes Books
  Interest age: 0-1
  

  This lovely stand-up book contains pictures of a variety of baby faces and two mirrors. Ideal for tummy time, babies can look at the book as they lie on their tummies, building body strength so that they can roll over, sit and crawl. 

• Tumtum and Nutmeg: The First Adventure

  Author: Emily Bearn Illustrator: Nick Price
  Publisher: Farshore
  Interest age: 5+
  Reading age: 7+

  This well-judged story of a doll’s house-sized world coming to life is very appealing.

• Tunnel of Bones

  Author: Victoria Schwab
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 10-13
  Reading age: 9+

  A claustrophobic, supernatural adventure set in the creepy, underground Catacombs of Paris where the bones (and ghosts?) of hundreds of thousands of long-dead citizens are interred. 

• Tunnels

  Author: Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams
  Publisher: Chicken House
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 8+

  The first in a series of fantasy novels, Tunnels starts slowly, introducing us to Will and building a picture of his unusual and dysfunctional family life. But the pace picks up with the discovery of a mysterious subterranean psuedo-Victorian parallel world, and the unpleasant Styx, who appears to have malevolent designs on its 21st century discoverers.

  C…

• Turf

  Author: John Lucas
  Publisher: The Bodley Head
  Interest age: 14+
  Reading age: 12+

  15-year-old Jay is a member of the Blake Street Boyz gang. But when gang leader Shads decides it's time for him to step up and prove his loyalty, Jay realises he has a difficult choice to make.

• Turning to Jelly

  Author: Candy Guard
  Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
  Interest age: 9-12
  Reading age: 9+

  Jelly is the flakey, funny heroine in a hilarious new pre-teen series.

• Turtle Boy

  Author: M Evan Wolkenstein
  Publisher: Usborne
  Interest age: 9-12
  Reading age: 9+

  Will's got hardly any friends, and school bullies call him 'Turtle Boy' because of a facial difference. But when Will meets RJ, a very sick 16 year old, he realises there's more to life than retreating into your shell.

• Tusk Tusk

  Author: David McKee
  Publisher: Andersen
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 4+

  A fable of human conflict, Tusk Tusk deals with a difficult topic is a wonderfully clear way.

• T-Veg: the story of a carrot-crunching dinosaur

  Author: Smriti Prasadam-Halls Illustrator: Katherina Manolessou
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln
  Interest age: 5-7
  Reading age: 7+

  Reg dares to be different - he is a vegetarian T-Rex.

• 'Twas The Night Before Christmas

  Author: Clement C. Moore Illustrator: P.J. Lynch
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 4-5
  

  Award-winning illustrator P.J. Lynch brings his characteristically detailed, atmospheric illustrations to this well-loved poem in a beautiful edition of a Christmas classic.

• Tweet! A Slide-and-See Book!

  Author: Maria Jose Ferrada Illustrator: Magdalena Perez
  Publisher: Barefoot Books
  Interest age: 1-2
  

  In this lovely slide-and-see book, a mystery panel slides open to reveal a picture of a bird on the turn of a page, and a riddle-type text follows so that everyone can guess the bird. Interactive fun with a lovely level of "playability" too. 

• Twelve Minutes to Midnight

  Author: Christopher Edge
  Publisher: Nosy Crow
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 11+

  Every night at precisely 12 minutes to midnight, the inmates of Bedlam, London's notorious madhouse, all begin feverishly writing - incoherent ramblings that Penelope quickly realises are in fact terrifying visions of the new century to come.

• Twilight

  Author:
  Publisher: ATOM
  Interest age: 14+
  Reading age: 12+

  Edward seems to hate Bella, but it turns out that he is in love with her and he is afraid of what he might do to her.

• Twilight Robbery

  Author: Frances Hardinge
  Publisher: Macmillan Children's books
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 12+

  The irrepressible Mosca Mye returns! Having departed Mandelion under a cloud, she and Eponymour Clent are running out of places to go.

• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

  Author: Nicola Slater
  Publisher: Nosy Crow
  Interest age: 0-2
  

  All the animals are off to a jazz festival – the are deer playing clarinets, the tiger is on the trombone and the elephant is twanging a banjo! When it’s time for a singsong under the stars, what better than Twinkle, Twinkle? This musical board book, with Nicola Slater’s delightful 50s retro-feel illustrations is a lovely one whether for bedtime, playti…

• Twinkle, Twinkle, ABC

  Author: Barney Saltzberg Illustrator: Fred Benaglia
  Publisher: Phaidon
  Interest age: 1-3
  

  A mixed-up, mashed-up melody is the perfect description for this clever sing-song board book. Squishing the ABC song into Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, this fun new song will have little ones jumping and howling along.

• Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

  Author: Annie Kubler
  Publisher: Child's Play
  Interest age: 0+
  Reading age: 4+

  This book is all about signing and singing-along! The clear hand movements encourage signing as well as dancing.

• Twister

  Author: Juliette Forrest
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 10-12
  Reading age: 10+

  Twister's father has gone missing. Her mother is depressed, and people are accusing her father of starting a fatal fire. Even school is horrible now, despite Twister's love for learning, and other than her Aunt Honey and her dog Point she feels that everyone is now against her. Then one day Twister finds a magic necklace with transformative powers. Will this…

• Twit Twoo School: Mouse's Big Day

  Author: Lydia Monks
  Publisher: Macmillan
  Interest age: 4-6
  Reading age: 5+

  Mouse does NOT want to go to school and feels sad when she gets there... but will her classmates help her see how much fun it can be? A gentle and sensitive book for nervous little ones.

• Twitch

  Author: M. G. Leonard
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 8-11
  Reading age: 8+

  Twitch is a kind, sensitive 12-year-old boy, who adores birds. He plans to spend the summer at his secret birdwatching hide, so is frustrated when his peaceful retreat is overrun with police officers on the hunt for an escaped prisoner. This engaging and uplifting tale about friendship, trust and the wonder of nature is seamlessly interwoven with an int…

• Two Can

  Author: Smriti Prasadam-Halls Illustrator: Ben Javens
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
  Interest age: 2-5
  

  Maybe playing together is better because two can have twice as much fun as one! This is an adorable book about letting others join in your games - and each page has hidden details that young readers will love to discover.

• Two Can Play

  Author: Margaret Sturton
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Reading age: 4-5

  This is a charming, funny portrayal of a feline sibling relationship. The distinctive, colourful artwork is full of humour and observant children will spot Puss in each picture, checking out Cat’s progress and secretly wishing she was involved. 

• Two Frogs

  Author: Chris Wormell
  Publisher: Random House
  Interest age: 0-5
  Reading age: 5+

  Two frogs are sitting on a lily pad in the middle of a pond; one of them holding a stick.But why?

• Two Good Thieves

  Author: Daniel Finn
  Publisher: Macmillan Children's books
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  This nail-biting thriller is also a challenging story about the lives of the world's poorest children.

• Two Monsters

  Author: David McKee
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 4-8
  

  A red monster and a blue monster live on opposite sides of a rocky mountain: they can’t see each other, but they can argue through a hole in the rock. After a particularly bad argument they begin throwing rocks at each other, destroying their home - but perhaps they're not so different after all.

• Two Nests

  Author: Laurence Anholt Illustrator: Jim Coplestone
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 5+

  Two birds, Betty and Paul are perched in a tree. Soon they build a nest, lay an egg and Baby Bird is born - but living together in a small nest isn’t easy.

• Two Shy Pandas

  Author: Julia Jarman Illustrator: Susan Varley
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 5+

  Although Panda has lots of toys, it’s pretty lonely at Number 1 Bamboo Gardens.  Panda longs to ask Pandora if she’d like to play, but he’s far too shy to ask.

• Two Sides

  Author: Polly Ho-Yen Illustrator: Binny Talib
  Publisher: Stripes
  Interest age: 6-11
  Reading age: 7+

  Lula and Lenka are the best of friends until they have an argument and neither will say sorry. Will they ever manage to make up? Polly Ho-Yen beautifully explores the complexity of friendships and learning that there are always two sides of a story. 

• Two Sisters: A Story of Freedom

  Author: Kereen Getten
  Publisher: Scholastic Children’s Books
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  Set in Jamaica and London in 1781, this insightful novel follows the fate of half-sisters Ruth and Anna, who are born to the same slave mother. As well as highlighting the appalling treatment of slaves, this moving tale celebrates the bond between sisters.

• Two Terrible Vikings

  Author: Francesca Simon Illustrator: Steve May
  Publisher: Faber & Faber
  Interest age: 6-8
  Reading age: 6+

  Hack and Whack are two terrible Viking twins who love stealing, raiding islands, and being generally horrible! Early readers will love this hysterical trio of stories from the creator of Horrid Henry.

• Two Terrible Vikings and Grunt the Berserker

  Author: Francesca Simon Illustrator: Steve May
  Publisher: Faber
  Interest age: 6-8
  Reading age: 6+

  You might know Francesca Simon from the fantastically popular Horrid Henry book, and the Two Terrible Vikings make Henry look like an angel! Packed with super-silly toilet humour, madcap action, and lively cartoonish illustrations.

• Two Weeks with the Queen

  Author: Morris Gleitzman
  Publisher: Penguin
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 10+

  When his brother becomes seriously ill with leukaemia, Colin is sent to stay with relatives in England. Determined to get the best help possible, he decides to approach the Queen.

• Tyrannosaurus Drip

  Author: Julia Donaldson Illustrator: David Roberts
  Publisher: Pan Macmillan
  Interest age: 5+
  Reading age: 6+

  A duckbill dinosaur egg is mistakenly hatched by a fierce, war-loving Tyrannosaurus family.

• Thank You

  Author: Joseph Coelho Illustrator: Sam Usher
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln
  Interest age: 3-6
  Reading age: 6+

  A touching, colourful picture book about gratitude and how a small ‘Thank you!’ can grow and grow and brighten up the world.

• Thanks for the Trouble

  Author: Tommy Wallach
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  Interest age: 12-13
  Reading age: 12+

  Parker Sante hasn't spoken a word in the five years since his father died. However, he's a pretty good writer. This unusual and sensitive love and coming-of-age story features two great lead characters.

• That Asian Kid

  Author: Savita Kalhan
  Publisher: Troika
  Interest age: 12-16
  Reading age: 12+

  Fifteen-year-old Jeevan witnesses two teachers snogging (and more) in the woods, and films it on his phone. But should he share this on social media? Funny, thought-provoking and very well-written, with some truths about racism amid the humour.

• That Burning Summer

  Author: Lydia Syson
  Publisher: Hot Key
  Interest age: 13-14
  Reading age: 13+

  In the long hot summer of 1940, planes are doing battle over the channel, and the south coast of England is braced for a German invasion.

• That Pesky Rat

  Author: Lauren Child
  Publisher: Orchard Books
  Interest age: 4-6
  Reading age: 5+

  Pesky Rat lives in Dustbin Number 3, Grubby Alley. People call him 'That Pesky Rat', but he longs for a real name, a home and someone to care for him.

• That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown

  Author: Cressida Cowell Illustrator: Neal Layton
  Publisher: Hachette
  Interest age: 5-6
  Reading age: 6+

  Emily and her toy rabbit, Stanley, love to go on adventures together.

• That's My Daddy!

  Author: Ruth Redford Illustrator: Dan Taylor
  Publisher: Farshore
  Interest age: 3-5
  

  Featuring a lovely array of different dad activities for all manner of different dads, That’s My Daddy! is an inclusive, adorable book that asks children who their daddy is and what he does.

• That's NOT How You Do It!

  Author: Ariane Hofmann-Maniyar
  Publisher: Child's Play
  

  Lucy is a clever little cat who knows how to do everything. She can eat with a spoon and fork, play the xylophone, even fold fabulous paper stars. In fact, all her friends ask her for help if they cannot do something. When Toshi the panda arrives from far away, Lucy doesn't understand why he does everything differently. She becomes increasingly frustrated wh…

• That's Not My Baby...

  Author: Fiona Watt Illustrator: Rachel Wells
  Publisher: Usborne
  Interest age: 0+
  Reading age: 0+

  This book is full of bright pictures with touch-and feel patches.

• That's Not My Bear...

  Author: Fiona Watt Illustrator: Rachel Wells
  Publisher: Usborne
  Reading age: 4+

  A different bear is introduced on each page of this colourful board book, but there is something not quite right about most of them.

• That's Not My Fairy...

  Author: Fiona Watt Illustrator: Rachel Wells
  Publisher: Usborne
  Reading age: 4+

  Lots of different fairies are introduced throughout this book, but none of them are quite right. "That’s not my fairy. Her wings are too fluffy."

• That's Not My Frog...

  Author: Fiona Watt Illustrator: Rachel Wells
  Publisher: Usborne
  Reading age: 5+

  This sturdy touch and feel book features a succession of colourful frogs, from one with silky feet, to another with bumpy spots, to another with shiny toes.

• That's Not My Kitten...

  Author: Fiona Watt Illustrator: Rachel Wells
  Publisher: Usborne Books
  Reading age: 0+

  One of a growing series of touch and feel board books with interesting textures and shapes for inquisitive fingers to explore.

• That's Not My Monster...

  Author: Fiona Watt Illustrator: Rachel Wells
  Publisher: Usborne Publishing
  Reading age: 5+

  This monster-themed book is an entertaining addition to the much-loved That's Not My... series.

• That's Not My Pirate...

  Author: Fiona Watt Illustrator: Rachel Wells
  Publisher: Usborne
  Reading age: 4+

  Lovely, colourful, stimulating book for very young children

• That's Not My Princess...

  Author: Fiona Watt Illustrator: Rachel Wells
  Publisher: Usborne Publishing
  Reading age: 4+

  This sturdy and durable board book is perfect for the very youngest children, with touch and feel images full of interesting textures and shapes that are ideal for small fingers to explore.

• That's Not My Teddy...

  Author: Fiona Watt Illustrator: Rachel Wells
  Publisher: Usborne
  Reading age: 4+

  Touch-feely book with colourful illustrations and simply text

• That's Not My Tiger...

  Author: Fiona Watt Illustrator: Rachel Wells
  Publisher: Usborne
  Reading age: 5+

  Small children will love touching the tiger’s fluffy ears, soft paws and bumpy teeth and will particularly like tracing his soft, stripy tail on the very last page.

• The 1,000-Year-Old Boy

  Author: Ross Welford
  Publisher: Harper Collins
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  Alfie Monk looks like any other 11-year old boy. However, as the title suggests, he is actually 1,000-years old. A truly original read, the plot’s twists and turns are anchored by the warmth, courage and humour of its varied characters.

• The 100 Society

  Author: Carla Spradbery
  Publisher: Hodder
  Interest age: 13-17
  Reading age: 10+

  Readers who are happy to suspend their disbelief will revel in a plot that races along with thrills, scares and entire shoals of red herrings littering the path to a gripping and tortuous climax. Ideal for lovers of Point Horror.

• The 10pm Question

  Author: Kate Di Goldi
  Publisher: Templar
  Interest age: 14-15
  Reading age: 10+

  Like his desk, Frankie likes life to be orderly and neat. But then Sydney arrives, and disturbs Frankie's carefully organised world, forcing him to ask a hitherto unspoken 10pm question.

• The 13-Storey Treehouse

  Author: Andy Griffiths Illustrator: Terry Denton
  Publisher: Macmillan
  Interest age: 6-8
  Reading age: 8+

  Griffiths and Denton create a triumph to engage even the most determined hater of books, which includes hilarious cartoon drawings.

• The 5 Misfits

  Author: Beatrice Alemagna
  Publisher: Lincoln Children’s Books
  Interest age: 5-8
  Reading age: 6+

  Beatrice Alemagna’s highly original illustration style is a wonderful mix of collage and pencil, and her quirky, lovable story about the importance of being yourself –  especially when you might be regarded as odd by others –  is a jewel among children’s books. 

• The 5th Wave

  Author:
  Publisher: Penguin Children's Books
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 12+

  A few months ago Cassie's biggest problem was that the boy she liked didn't know she was alive. Now she is alone, fighting for survival in a world ravaged by an alien invasion.

• The 7 Professors of the Far North

  Author: John Fardell Illustrator: John Fardell
  Publisher: Faber Children's Books
  Interest age: 11-12
  Reading age: 9+

  Three children set out to rescue their Professor Ampersand and his six companions from an evil organisation.

• The 78-Storey Treehouse

  Author: Andy Griffiths Illustrator: Terry Denton
  Publisher: Macmillan
  Interest age: 7-11
  Reading age: 7-11

  There’s tons of zany fun in this illustrated novel, which is the fifth in the series. With minimal text per page and brilliant black-and-white illustrations taking up most of the space, the story zips past at lightning speed and is a really easy, funny read.

• The 91-Storey Treehouse

  Author: Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
  Publisher: Macmillan
  Interest age: 7-9
  Reading age: 7+

  Best friends Andy and Terry live in an incredible treehouse, but when their publisher's grandchildren come to stay, things soon get out of control. A laugh-out-loud book perfect for Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans.

• The Abominables

  Author: Eva Ibbotson
  Publisher: Marion Lloyd Books
  Interest age: 7-8
  Reading age: 9+

  The incomplete manuscript of this irresistibly charming story was found amongst Eva Ibbotson's papers at  her death in 2010.

• The Abominators

  Author: J L Smith Illustrator: Sam Hearn
  Publisher: Atom
  Interest age: 7-8
  Reading age: 8+

  It’s Cecil Trumpington-Potts first day in Year 4 at Grimely East Primary School. In fact, it’s his first day ever at school.

• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian

  Author: Sherman Alexie
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 13-14
  Reading age: 12+

  In his first book for young adults, Sherman Alexie tells the story of budding artist Junior, a 14-year-old Native American

• The Accident Season

  Author: Moira Fowley Doyle
  Publisher: Corgi
  Interest age: 13-14
  Reading age: 13+

  For as long as she can remember, the end of October has been the beginning of the Accident Season for seventeen-year-old Cara and her family: cuts, falls and broken bones. A spooky and psychological modern classic with a twist.

• The Accidental Diary of B.U.G

  Author: Jen Carney
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 8-10
  Reading age: 8+

  An illustrated diary-style novel in the mode of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Tom Gates, with a sparky narrator who perfectly captures the voice of an upper primary age girl and her thoughts about life. A sensitive and funny story.

• The Accidental Diary of B.U.G: Basically Famous

  Author: Jen Carney
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 8+

  Stardom beckons at Billie, aka B.U.G.’s school when a fancy TV company wants to make an advert about school uniforms – but can Billie be the biggest star of them all? More madcap fun from Billie and her doodle-filled diary.

• The Accidental Diary of B.U.G: Sister Act

  Author: Jen Carney Illustrator: Jen Carney
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 8-11
  Reading age: 8+

  Billie Upton Green is about to embark on her third accidental diary (which is cunningly disguised as a Spellings jotter so her Mums think she’s studying and not scribbling). And she has life-changing news.

• The Accidental Prime Minister

  Author: Tom McLaughlin
  Publisher: Oxford University Press
  Interest age: 9-10
  Reading age: 8

  Before he knows it, Joe is thrust straight through the limelight and into a seat at Number 10.

• The Accidental Secret Agent

  Author: Tom McLaughlin
  Publisher: Oxford University Press
  Interest age: 7-8
  Reading age: 7-9

  Kevin's just your everyday 13-year-old, obsessed with phones and becoming a secret agent. The only reason readers will put down this book is because they're laughing too much to hold onto it.

• The Accidental Wizard

  Author: Kimberly Pauley Illustrator: Jason Cockroft
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  A boisterous fantasy adventure in which a humble apprentice is accidentally turned into an all-powerful wizard and finds that fame isn’t quite what he expected. 

• The Adventures of Alfie Onion

  Author: Vivian French Illustrator: Marta Kissi
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 7-8
  Reading age: 8+

  When Alfie Onion helps his brother Magnifico on a quest to secure a princess wife, things don't quite go as his fairytale-obsessed mother had planned. A hero does rise - just not the one everyone expected.

• The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend

  Author: Dan Santat
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 3-5
  

  Seeing the world from the imaginary friend's viewpoint, rather than the child's, sheds fresh light on this familiar yet magical friendship. The stylish, striking, images emphasise its vibrancy against everyday drabness.

• The Adventures of Catvinkle

  Author: Elliot Perlman Illustrator: Laura Stitzel
  Publisher: Pushkin Children’s Books
  Interest age: 6-8
  Reading age: 6+

  Catvinkle's peaceful cat existence is disrupted when her owner brings home Ula the Dalmatian. Against the odds, the pair become pals. But how will the other cats react? A chapter book with the inclusive message that friendship should extend to everyone.

• The Adventures of Hermes: God of Thieves

  Author: Murielle Szac Translator: Mika Provata-Carlone
  Publisher: Pushkin Children's Books
  Interest age: 10-11
  Reading age: 10+

  This accessible introduction to Greek mythology unrolls in one hundred episodes, focusing on the god, Hermes.

• The Adventures of John Blake

  Author: Philip Pullman Illustrator: Fred Fordham
  Publisher: Fickling Books
  Interest age: 10-12
  Reading age: 10+

  Like the Bourne films with time travel and a ghost ship, Pullman’s story rockets along at thrilling speed, full of secrets, mysterious baddies and emotional drama. Adventure on the high seas meets spy thriller: a fantastically executed, exciting must-read.

• The Adventures of Miss Petitfour

  Author: Anne Michaels Illustrator: Emma Block
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 7-11
  Reading age: 7+

  A charming collection of short stories about eccentric Miss Petitfour, who loves adventures and always travels by tablecloth with her sixteen cats. A lovely, quirky collection book, with delightful illustrations, that is immensely entertaining.

• The Adventures of Pinocchio

  Author: Carlo Collodi Translator: Anne Lawson
  Publisher: Oxford University Press
  Interest age: 9-10
  Reading age: 7+

  The story of the wooden puppet who learns goodness and becomes a real boy is famous the world over, and has been familiar in English for over a century.

• The Adventures of Robin Hood

  Author: Marcia Williams
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Reading age: 6+

  A retelling of 11 Robin Hood stories, from his fight with Little John to the firing of his last arrow in humorous comic-strip format.

• The Adventures of Team Pom: Squid Happens

  Author: Isabel Roxas
  Publisher: Flying Eye Books
  Interest age: 8-10
  Reading age: 8+

  Isabel Roxas’ super fun and readable comic about friendship, individuality and heroism is a brilliant read for 8-10 year olds looking for something highly visual and original. 

• The Adventures of Tintin

  Author: Hergé Translator: Michael Turner and Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper
  Publisher: Farshore
  Interest age: 7-8
  Reading age: 9+

  Resourceful junior reporter Tintin embarks on a series of exciting international adventures, accompanied by his faithful dog Snowy, in this favourite series.

• The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon

  Author: Mini Grey
  Publisher: Random House
  Reading age: 5+

  We all know that the dish ran away with the spoon but Mini Grey's new book explores what happened to the nursery rhyme characters next.

• The Adventures of the New Cut Gang

  Author: Philip Pullman Illustrator: Martin Brown
  Publisher: David Fickling Books
  Interest age: 8-9
  Reading age: 9+

  The New Cut Gang are a rag-tag group of resourceful young rascals who get up to all manner of adventures on the streets of Victorian Lambeth.

• The After Christmas Tree

  Author: Bethan Welby
  Publisher: Scallywag Press
  

  When Brian sees an abandoned Christmas trere on the side of the road, he knows he has to take her home. But his family aren't too impressed - can Brian's little tree spread some post-Christmas cheer?

• The Angel Collector

  Author: Bali Rai
  Publisher: Random House
  Interest age: 13-14
  Reading age: 13+

  This is a thriller suffused with an air of menace, of insecurity, of complex personal tensions and violence.

• The Ali-A Adventures: Game On!

  Author: Ali-A and Cavan Scott Illustrator: Aleksandar Sotirovski
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 7-12
  Reading age: 7-11

  Ali-A is a popular YouTube gamer and this is his first book, co-written with Cavan Scott. It's a fast-paced, fun read with amazing visuals that gaming fans will love, as well as anyone else that enjoys a good yarn.

• The Alien Next Door: The New Kid

  Author: A I Newton Illustrator: Anjan Sarkar
  Publisher: Little Bee Books (Bonnier Publishing USA imprint)
  Interest age: 6-8
  Reading age: 7+

  An alien boy tries to fit in at his new school on earth in the first in a new series aimed at early readers. Filled with humour about the yucky stuff Zeke eats, and wonder at the feats he can perform, this inclusive story makes for a very entertaining tale. 

• The Almost Fearless Hamilton Squidlegger

  Author: Timothy Basil Ering
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Reading age: 7+

  Fantastical illustrations complement this exuberant escapade, starring an almost fearless boy who is a tiny bit terrified of the dark.

• The Almost King

  Author: Lucy Saxon
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 13+

  Young author Lucy Saxon is sticking firmly with fantasy with her second novel.

• The All Mine Academy

  Author: Fabrizio Silei Illustrator: Adriano Gon Translator: Denise Muir from Italian
  Publisher: Editrice Il Castoro
  

  A hilarious story of an unwanted boy's determination to do good despite the efforts of his dastardly parents.

  First is the kindest, most trusting boy on the planet, but is born to Katiuscia and Gregor Smirth, two penny-pinching, egocentric parents who hate children and merely wanted him as an heir. Despite their efforts to teach First that only greed and sel…

• The Amazing Adventures of Groana Schmitt

  Author: Finn-Ole Heinrich Translator: from German by Katy Derbyshire
  Publisher: Carl Hanser Verlag
  

  Mona's parents call her Groana because she's sometimes grumpy and loses her temper. She and her mother have moved out of their home and into a strange flat on the other side of town. Mona doesn't know why, and plans to put things right as soon as possible. At her new school, she reluctantly makes friends with a boy called Mo. Mo knows why the new flat is so …

• 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 Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips

  Author: Michael Morpurgo Illustrator: Michael Foreman
  Publisher: HarperCollins
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 8+

  Moving from the present day to wartime diary and back again, this ultimately uplifting novel illuminates the effects of the fateful events on the lives of those involved and the generations that followed.

• The Amazing Tale of Ali Pasha

  Author: Michael Foreman
  Publisher: Templar
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 7+

  The Amazing Tale of Ali Pasha is a wonderful introduction to World War 1 through the story of young seaman Harry Friston and the tortoise he finds in Gallipoli. Based on a true story, this book is beautifully illustrated and gives the horrors of war a human, and animal, heart.

• The Amber Spyglass

  Author: Philip Pullman
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  Lyra and Will, the fiesty protagonists from the first two novels, are reunited to embark on their final, dangerous journey on which the future of all the worlds depend.

• The Amulet of Samarkand: A Bartimaeus Graphic Novel

  Author: Jonathan Stroud
  Publisher: Random House Children's Books
  Interest age: 9-10
  Reading age: 9+

  The graphic novel adaptation of the first volume in the best-selling Bartimaeus sequence makes the series more accessible to readers without taking away any of the wit and magic

• The Animal Boogie

  Author: Stella Blackstone Illustrator: Debbie Harter
  Publisher: Barefoot Books
  Reading age: 4+

  Boogie along with the jungle inhabitants who flap, shake, flap and slide their way through this colourful book

• The Ant Colony

  Author: Jenny Valentine
  Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
  Interest age: 12-13
  Reading age: 9+

  Sam and Bo reveal their pasts in alternate chapters, each gradually facing the dysfunctional relationships and traumatic incidents which have triggered their current unlikely friendship.

• The Apothecary

  Author: Maile Meloy Illustrator: Ian Schoenherr
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 9-10
  Reading age: 11+

  Shifting between spy thriller and enchanting fantasy, The Apothecary is a skilful blend of the magical with the very real nuclear threat of the 1950s.

• The Apple Tart of Hope

  Author: Sarah Moore Fitzgerald
  Publisher: Orion Children's Books
  Interest age: 12-13
  Reading age: 12+

  Oscar's apple tarts bring hope to the sad or desperate. He is loved and appreciated for this special gift. Meg is his best friend, but just as their friendship is about to blossom into love she has to go to New Zealand for sixth months.

• The Apprentice Witch

  Author: James Nicol
  Publisher: Chicken House
  Interest age: 8-9
  Reading age: 8+

  When Arianwyn fails her witch's assessment, she thinks her life is over - but, really, the adventure has only just begun. A great adventure story, filled with wonderful spells and mysterious creatures.

• The Arrival

  Author: Shaun Tan
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 8-9
  Reading age: 8+

  In this unusual book, we follow a young man as he packs his bags and leaves his family to go and start a new life in another country

• The Art of Being Normal

  Author: Lisa Williamson
  Publisher: David Fickling Books
  Interest age: 14-15
  Reading age: 13+

  David Piper has always been an outsider, labelled a freak by the school bully. Only his two best friends know the real truth – David wants to be a girl.

• The Art of Protest

  Author: De Nichols
  Publisher: Big Picture Press
  Interest age: 12-16
  Reading age: 12+

  Explaining why art can be so powerful within social movements, and the different forms protest art can take, De Nichols introduces young readers to contemporary artists and young activists, with ideas for making your own protest art. A fascinating and brilliantly designed book. 

• The Artist Who Painted A Blue Horse

  Author: Eric Carle
  Publisher: Puffin
  Reading age: 4+

  Eric Carle’s first picture book in four years is a bright, colourful celebration of creativity

• The Ask and the Answer

  Author: Patrick Ness
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 13-14
  Reading age: 11+

  Themes of dictatorship, terrorism and privacy reign in Ness’s darker science fiction sequel to The Knife of Never Letting Go.

• The Astonishing Case of the Stolen Stories

  Author: Anca Sandu
  Publisher: Jonathan Cape
  Interest age: 5+
  Reading age: 6+

  The little prince is terribly upset; all of his bedtime stories have been stolen! Luckily detectives Cat, Fox and Bear are on the case.

• The Astonishing Future of Alex Nobody

  Author: Kate Gilby Smith Illustrator: Thy Bui
  Publisher: Orion Children’s Books
  Interest age: 11-14
  Reading age: 11+

  Alex has always felt she’s a little different. Home-schooled by an eccentric uncle until year 7, when she joins secondary school she finds it really hard to make friends. Even her teacher nicknames her ‘Alex Nobody’. Then there are the groups of oddly-dressed people that often seem to be following her – that’s not normal, right? But when she meets Jasper, ev…

• The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing

  Author: MT Anderson
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 14-15
  Reading age: 13+

  This unusual book tells the dark, often harrowing story of Octavian, a boy in the care of a house of rational philosophers in revolutionary Boston.

• The Astounding Broccoli Boy

  Author: Frank Cottrell Boyce Illustrator: Steven Lenton
  Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
  Interest age: 9-10
  Reading age: 9+

  Rory Rooney is unremarkable in almost everything, apart from his capacity to attract the attention of the school bully. But when he suddenly and spectacularly turns green, he becomes a superhero!

• The Atlas of Monsters: Mythical Creatures from Around the World

  Author: Stuart Hill and Sandra Lawrence
  Publisher: Big Picture Press
  Interest age: 7-11
  Reading age: 8+

  The Atlas of Monsters takes the interesting angle of looking at each continent from the point of view of its traditional mythology, and also introduces the book itself as a mysterious source object to be investigated inside a story of strange discovery.

• The Awesome Body Book

  Author: Adam Frost
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 7-12
  Reading age: 7-12

  The vibrant infographics bring these facts about the human body to life, and make the book wonderfully fun and colourful. Have you ever wondered how many muscles you use when you smile, or realised that humans shed three types of tears?

• The Awesome Book of Animals

  Author: Adam Frost
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 7-8
  Reading age: 7+

  If you have ever wondered which animal moves slowest, is the most deadly, or even poos the most – then this is the book for you! Sure to be a hit with fact lovers and animal lovers alike.

   

• The Awesome Book of Awesomeness

  Author: Adam Frost Illustrator: Dan Bramall
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 7-8
  Reading age: 7+

  This is a super cool non-fiction book, a little bit like a small version of the Guinness Book of Records. It’s packed full of strange and fascinating facts – after reading this book, you will be able to wow everyone you know with your crazy knowledge.

• The Awesome Power of Sleep

  Author: Nicola Morgan
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 12-14
  Reading age: 12+

  This informative non-fiction book looks at the science of sleep and explores the crucial role it plays in the physical and mental health of teenagers.

• The B on Your Thumb: 60 Poems to Boost Reading and Spelling

  Author: Colette Hiller Illustrator: Tor Freeman
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln
  Interest age: 6-11
  Reading age: 7+

  A fully illustrated, fun and funky collection of 60 poems to help boost reading and spelling or to enjoy as shared reading.

• The Baby

  Author: Lisa Drakeford
  Publisher: Chicken House
  Interest age: 14-15
  Reading age: 14+

  Olivia is in the midst of one of the greatest parties ever - her own 17^th birthday party - when she walks in on her best friend Nicola giving birth on her bathroom floor.

• The Baby and Fly Pie

  Author: Melvin Burgess
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 11-12
  Reading age: 9+

  Fly Pie and Sham are rubbish pickers, who go to the tip every day to pick rubbish for Mother Shelly. Then one day they come across a dying man and a baby.

• The Baby That Roared

  Author: Simon Puttock Illustrator: Nadia Shireen
  Publisher: Nosy Crow
  Interest age: 1+
  Reading age: 5+

  Mr and Mrs Deer don’t have any children, but they would love to have a baby of their own to look after. When a mysterious bundle arrives on their doorstep they are overjoyed.

• The Baby Who Wouldn't Go To Bed

  Author: Helen Cooper
  Publisher: Random House
  Interest age: 3-7
  Reading age: 6+

  This determined baby refuses to go to bed. Resolved to stay up all night, he takes off in his car to search for like-minded friends.

• The Baby's Catalogue

  Author: Janet and Allan Ahlberg
  Publisher: Puffin
  Reading age: 3+

  This book's packed with lots of baby pictures and baby items. It's great for learning and making up stories - this fantastic book will lead to lots of talk with your child.

• The Bacteria Book: Gross Germs, Vile Viruses and Funky Fungi

  Author: Steve Mould
  Publisher: DK
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  Perfect for fans of the Horrible Science series, this colourful book is full of weird and wonderful facts that will release the science enthusiast inside you. 

• The Bad Bunnies' Magic Show

  Author: Mini Grey
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  Interest age: 4-6
  

  This is a wonderful, inventive and playful picture book about two naughty bunnies and their magic tricks, which will delight young readers and their parents alike.

• The Bad Guys: Episodes 1 and 2

  Author: Aaron Blabey
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 7-11
  Reading age: 7+

  Written like a comic book, this is a very funny story, full of action and crazy characters. It's lots of fun and will probably make you laugh out loud.

• The Bad Trousers

  Author: Ros Asquith Illustrator: Mairi Hedderwick
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke
  Reading age: 6+

  Children will enjoy this cheeky tale thanks to Asquith's charming writing and Hedderwick's familiar illustrations. A lovely way to make learning to read fun.

• The Bakehouse

  Author: Joy Cowley
  Publisher: Gecko Press
  Interest age: 11-12
  Reading age: 11+

  An elderly Great-Grandfather tells his grandson what happened to him during World War II, and it involves a love affair between Bert's sister and a deserter.

• The Baking Life of Amelie Day

  Author:
  Publisher: Curious Fox
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  In some ways Amelie Day is a teenager like any other, much of her day-to-day life revolving around her best friend, school, loyal boyfriend and fretful mother.  However, in other ways, she is rather less typical...

• The Balloon Thief

  Author: Aneesa Marufu
  Publisher: Chicken House
  Interest age: 12-16
  Reading age: 12+

  When Khadija flees an unwanted arranged marriage on a hot air balloon, she's soon to discover that the world is full of danger - so what will she fight for? A stunning fantasy novel simmering with tension and excitement.

• The Bandit of Barbel Bay

  Author: Sam Bosma
  Publisher: Nobrow
  Interest age: 7-12
  Reading age: 7-9

  The second in the Fantasy Sports series starts to unfold a slightly more developed backstory. With more epic sports battles and more tongue-in-cheek humour, this high-action tale of good sportsmanship and friendship is another gem. 

• The Bare Bum Gang and the Football Face Off

  Author: Anthony McGowan
  Publisher: Red Fox
  Interest age: 6-7
  Reading age: 8+

  As everyone knows, a gang's den is sacred no matter how dirty, dark or smelly it may be so when the Bare Bum Gang's den is at risk they will do anything they can to save it.

• The Barefoot Book of Children

  Author: Tessa Strickland Kate DePalma and David Dean
  Publisher: Barefoot Books
  Interest age: 4-8
  Reading age: 5+

  This is a beautifully comprehensive and thought-provoking picture of the many different ways in which people live around the world. A book to dip into time and time again; a treasure trove of discussion topics, but also an aesthetic delight.

• The Barefoot Book of Jewish Tales

  Author: Shoshana Boyd Gelfand Illustrator: Amanda Hall
  Publisher: Barefoot Books
  Interest age: 7-9
  Reading age: 7-9

  The eight stories in this thought-provoking collection of traditional Jewish tales combine folklore and scripture, and are retold for children. Gathered from a range of eras and locations, the emphasis of each story is on kindness, compassion and trust in God.

• The Barefoot Books World Atlas

  Author: Nick Crane Illustrator: David Dean
  Publisher: Barefoot Books
  Interest age: 8-9
  Reading age: 9+

  Full of fascinating facts and figures about the earth and beautifully illustrated with David Dean’s bright and colourful maps

• The Bat Book

  Author: Charlotte Milner
  Publisher: Dorling Kindersley
  Interest age: 6-11
  Reading age: 7+

  This fabulous all-you-need-to-know book about bats is perfectly pitched for 7-9 year olds. It’s colourful and attractive, with a clear, simple font and an enthusiastic yet factual tone. There’s some lovely tips at the end too for making a bat-friendly garden, making seed balls and supporting bat charities.

• The Battle of the Sun

  Author:
  Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens Books
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  Jack Snap is a 'boy where magic could happen'; and happen it does when he is imprisoned by a darkly powerful Magus, an alchemist who plans to turn Tudor London into gold.

• The Battlemage

  Author: Taran Matharu
  Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books
  Interest age: 9-12
  Reading age: 9-12

  The conclusion to the incredibly successful Summoner trilogy has plenty of action, and, while it’s emotional to leave Fletcher and the other well-drawn characters, Matharu ends things on a high with dragons, demons, battles and revelations galore.

• The Bear

  Author: Raymond Briggs
  Publisher: Penguin
  Interest age: 3-6
  Reading age: 6+

  Young Tilly is delighted when a polar bear clambers through her bedroom window one night - but are mischievous polar bears really ideal domestic pets? The Bear is a warm story about kindness, caring, and letting go.

• The Bear and the Hair

  Author: Claire Evans
  Publisher: Fourth Wall
  Interest age: 3-6
  Reading age: 5+

  Bear wants a 'cool' new haircut, so off he goes to the hairdressers - but which style will suit him best? A fun story with an attached bear puppet to really bring the tale to life.

• The Bear and the Piano

  Author: David Litchfield
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln
  Interest age: 5-8
  Reading age: 5+

  A bear's piano playing makes him a huge star, but he misses the friends and family he has left behind. A moving tale of exploration and belonging from an exciting debut author-illustrator.

• The Bear Cub Bakers

  Author: Caroline Baxter Illustrator: Kathi Ember
  Publisher: Big Sunshine Books
  Reading age: 6+

  A group of young bear cubs go to Miss Betsy Bear's baking school for a week of fun in the kitchen - but who will take home the golden trophy for best baker at the end of the week?

• The Bear in the Cave

  Author: Michael Rosen Illustrator: Adrian Reynolds
  Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books
  Reading age: 6+

  The lonely bear from Rosen’s classic We’re Going on a Bear Hunt sets off one day to follow the sounds of the city.

• The Bear Whispers to Me

  Author: Chang Ying-Tai Translator: Darryl Sterk
  Publisher: Balestier Press
  Interest age: 12-13
  Reading age: 12+

  A short, quiet novel that blurs the lines of fantasy and reality in a dream like fable, The Bear Whispers to Me feels traditional and timeless.

• The Bear Who Did

  Author: Louise Greig Illustrator: Laura Hughes
  Publisher: Farshore
  Interest age: 4-5
  

  A hilarious rhyming tale about two bears who aren't very good at sharing - especially when it comes to honey.

• The Bear Who Went Boo!

  Author: David Walliams Illustrator: Tony Ross
  Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books
  Interest age: 3-6
  Reading age: 6+

  A comical and entertaining book about a little polar bear with a big voice - BOO!

• The Bear's Sea Escape

  Author: Benjamin Chaud
  Publisher: Chronicle Books
  Interest age: 3-5
  

  Parents and children alike will enjoy this touching tale of a father's mission to find his son in this stylish picture book.

• The Beast is an Animal

  Author: Peternelle van Arsdale
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  Interest age: 11-15
  Reading age: 11+

  When unimaginable tragedy strikes her village, Alys is only seven years old, yet she can’t stop thinking that she is somehow to blame. An epic story of triumph over adversity in the style of traditional folk tales.

• The Beast of Harwood Forest

  Author: Dan Smith Illustrator: Chris King
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 8+

  Pete, Krish and Nancy are excited about their Year 8 geography field trip. However, an exciting adventure quickly becomes a terrifying ordeal. This creepy, dyslexia-friendly tale is the follow-up to The Invasion of Crooked Oak, but can be enjoyed as a standalone novel. 

• The Beast Player

  Author: Nahoko Uehashi Translator: Cathy Hirano
  Publisher: Pushkin Press
  Interest age: 12-14
  Reading age: 12+

  Elin's mother has a very special job - caring for the magical Toda which protect their kingdom. But when something goes wrong, Elin must flee and discovers an astonishing talent for communicating with creatures. A sophisticated fantasy that will have teen readers gripped.

• The Beasts of Clawstone Castle

  Author: Eva Ibbotson
  Publisher: Macmillan Children's books
  Interest age: 7-8
  Reading age: 7+

  Madlyn and Rollo are despatched to live for the summer with their reclusive elderly relatives in decrepit Clawstone Castle.

• The Bedtime Bear

  Author: Ian Whybrow Illustrator: Axel Scheffler
  Publisher: Pan Macmillan
  

  Join Bedtime Bear as he journeys to a variety of places on his way to bed, in this superb lift-the-flap book for young children. 

• The Bee's Knees

  Author: Roger McGough
  Publisher: Penguin
  Reading age: 5+

  These, warm, funny poems will amuse children and hopefully get them wanting to share the rhyme and repetition by reading them out loud.

• The Beetle Collector’s Handbook

  Author: M G Leonard
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  A must-have companion for dedicated fans of M G Leonard’s Beetle Boy series, this is the ultimate guide for those who want to find out more about beetles. With illustrations and funny notes in the margins, this is a book for everyone who wants to explore nature.

• The Best Birthday Present Ever

  Author: Ben Mantle
  Publisher: Macmillan
  Interest age: 3-6
  Reading age: 6+

  When Bear sends out invitations to his birthday party, his guests compete with one another to buy the best present in the toyshop.

• The Best Diwali Ever

  Author: Sonali Shah Illustrator: Chaaya Prabhat
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 3-6
  

  Ariana is super excited for Diwali – she’s looking forward to yummy sweets, playing with her cousins, and wearing a lovely outfit – and staying up late to watch fireworks, of course! A gorgeous and relatable book. 

• The Best Kind of Bear

  Author: Greg Gormley Illustrator: David Barrow
  Publisher: Nosy Crow
  

  Bear is a very sweet little bear, but he doesn’t know what type of bear he is. Spectacled? Grizzly? Polar? He meets them all but none of them seem quite right - until his best friend Nelly helps him discover that he's the best kind of bear there is. An adorable friendship story that's perfect for young animal lovers.

• The Best Medicine

  Author: Christine Hamill
  Publisher: Little Island
  Interest age: 9-14
  Reading age: 9+

  Twelve-year old Philip Wright is a comedian in the making. Then one day, he tells his mother a joke, and she breaks down in tears. It's a brave challenge to unite the themes of cancer and comedy - but this is an entertaining and light-hearted read.

• The Best Mother

  Author: C M Surrisi Illustrator: Diane Goode
  Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
  Interest age: 5-7
  Reading age: 6+

  Maxine suspects that if she had a different mother, things would be much nicer – until she talks to some other mums. A fun, quirky book for children who might have wondered “what if?”, this story celebrates how perfect our own mothers are just for us.

• The Best Mum

  Author: Penny Harrison Illustrator: Sharon Davey
  Publisher: New Frontier Publishing
  Interest age: 3-5
  

  Funny and silly with lots of brilliant detail in the illustrations by Sharon Davey, this is a celebration of all different kinds of mums and a reminder that they love us.

• The Best of Pippi Longstocking

  Author: Astrid Lindgren Illustrator: Tony Ross
  Publisher: Oxford University Press
  Interest age: 6-7
  Reading age: 8+

  Pippi is an empowering role model to all young girls; her resourcefulness will inspire all

• The Best of Times

  Author: Michael Morpurgo Illustrator: Emma Chichester Clark
  Publisher: Farshore
  Interest age: 7-8
  Reading age: 8+

  The Prince invites entertainers to the palace to cheer up the Princess. The puppeteers come too and perform the greatest story – the Christmas Nativity story.

• The Best Singer in the World

  Author: Ulf Nilsson Illustrator: Eva Eriksson
  Publisher: Gecko Press
  Reading age: 6+

  Astrid Lindgren award winner Eva Eriksson provides quirky, soft-focus and humorous illustrations for Ulf Nilsson's story about a boy who loves singing but is too shy to perform.

• The Best Worst Day Ever

  Author: Sophy Henn
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  Interest age: 3-5
  

  Sophy Henn’s sweet, fun book about tantrums and how we might best work them out is a real winner. There’s a nod to Where The Wild Things Are, as the story accepts Arthur’s wildness and allows a safe space for him to huff it all out.

• The Bet

  Author: David Grant Illustrator: Garry Parsons
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 10-11
  Reading age: 8+

  Ed, Zac, Becca and Kat are all keen to go on a school trip, but then they learn they'll have to earn money to make it there - and soon it's boys versus girls to see who can make the most cash! A dyslexia-friendly book.

• The Betrayal

  Author: Mary Hooper
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 12-13
  Reading age: 9+

  The final novel in Hooper's At the House of the Magician series, in which Lucy is in London, preparing for the imminent arrival of Dr John Dee, the court alchemist and his family.

• The Bewitching of Aveline Jones

  Author: Phil Hickes Illustrator: Keith Robinson
  Publisher: Usborne
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  Aveline loves all things spooky, so is delighted when her mother rents a holiday cottage that overlooks an ancient stone circle, until a mysterious girl appears and strange things start to happen. Convincing characters, an intriguing plot and spine-tingling chills.

• The BFG

  Author: Roald Dahl Illustrator: Quentin Blake
  Publisher: Jonathan Cape
  Interest age: 6-10
  Reading age: 7+

  The BFG stands for Big Friendly Giant, who unexpectedly spirits a little girl named Sophie out of bed, and into the land of the child-eating giants.

• The Big Adventure of the Smalls

  Author: Helen Stephens
  Publisher: Farshore
  Reading age: 7+

  When Paul and Sally Small sneak out of bed to take a peek at the goings-on at the Small Hall Grand Ball, Mr Puddles the teddy bear has a nasty accident - he falls through the banisters and simply has to be rescued.

• The Big Book of Beautiful Babies

  Author: David Ellwand
  Publisher: Ragged Bears
  Reading age: 3+

  This book is full of lovely black and white photos – your child will love looking at the pictures of babies’ faces and expressions.

• The Big Book of Football

  Author: Mundial Illustrator: Damien Weighill
  Publisher: Wide Eyed Editions
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 8+

  A great introduction to the beautiful game, featuring everything from the evolution of the football boot to players' hairdos and Drogba's perfect attacking headers.

• The Big Book of Magical Mixups

  Author: Hilary Robinson Illustrator: Nick Sharratt
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Reading age: 6+

  If you have ever wished you could turn a weedy uncle into an inflatable fairy or a bad-tempered friend into an exploding pencil case then this is the book for you!

• The Big Book of the Blue

  Author: Yuval Zommer
  Publisher: Thames & Hudson
  Interest age: 5-8
  Reading age: 6+

  This wonderful, beautifully illustrated book about all things fishy (and ocean-y) has a gentle sense of humour: presenting digestible facts, ideal for lower primary children, with a light-hearted twist. 

• The Big Question

  Author: Leen van den Berg Kaatje Vermeire
  Publisher: Book Island
  Interest age: 6-8
  Reading age: 8+

  Unusual and atmospheric illustrations complement this philosophical picture book.

• The Big Snuggle-Up

  Author: Brian Pattern Illustrator: Nicola Bayley
  Publisher: Anderson Press
  Reading age: 6+

  The beautifully detailed illustrations by Nicola Bayley capture the warmth and magic of this delightful story

• The Bigger Picture: Women Who Changed the Art World

  Author: Sophia Bennett Illustrator: Manjit Thapp
  Publisher: Tate Publishing
  Interest age: 9-14
  Reading age: 9+

  For thousands of years, the work of brilliant female creatives has gone unappreciated, whether they were taking part in weaving, sewing, embroidery or crockery. This fascinating book profiles wonderful women artists from across the world and gives their work the attention it deserves.

• The Biracial Butterfly

  Author: Lennox Benson Illustrator: Hari Conner
  Publisher: Pup Ear Books, an imprint of Dog Horn Publishing
  Interest age: 6-11
  Reading age: 7+

  A warm and simple rhyming story that explores mixed heritage and identity in an imaginative, colourful way, and reassures in its acceptance of difference and variety. 

• The Bird Singers

  Author: Eve Wersocki Morris
  Publisher: Hachette
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  Sisters Layah and Izzie aren't best pleased when their mum moves them to a sleepy village without their Dad. But they soon discover that the village has more to offer than they first thought.

• The Black Book of Colours

  Author: Menena Cottin Illustrator: Rosana Faria
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Reading age: 6+

  A visually impaired boy introduces us to colours as he experiences them – through his senses of hearing, touch, smell and taste.

• The Black Book of Secrets

  Author: F E Higgins
  Publisher: Pan Macmillan
  Interest age: 10-11
  Reading age: 10+

  An original and fascinating book by a talented new writer, which explores themes of trust, redemption, forgiveness and natural justice in the context of a dark and gripping mystery.

• The Black Cat Detectives

  Author: Wendy Meddour
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln
  Interest age: 8+
  Reading age: 9+

  Auntie Urooj is lonely so Shaima decides to sign her up with the Truly Deeply Muslims online marriage agency. But her new suitor Rasheed isn't all he appears to be...

• The Black Lotus

  Author: Kierann Fanning
  Publisher: Chicken House
  Interest age: 9-12
  Reading age: 10+

  Three children, each with their own special ability, are plucked from the streets in different cities around the world. They are brought together and trained as ninjas to continue to protect the Moon Sword - a source of great power.

• The Black Lung Captain: Tales of the Ketty Jay

  Author: Chris Wooding
  Publisher: Indigo
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 10+

  In the second gripping installment of the adventures of the Ketty Jay, Captain Darien Frey finds himself seeking an alien treasure on a dangerous island.

• The Blackhope Enigma

  Author: Teresa Flavin
  Publisher: Templar
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 9+

  When Sunni’s step-brother unwittingly unlocks a passage into an old painting, they are transported to Arcadia and must find a way out of this dangerous and exciting land.

• The Blackthorn Key

  Author: Kevin Sands
  Publisher: Simon and Schuster
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  A young alchemy apprentice seeks vengeance after his master is murdered by a sinister cult.

• The Blanket Bears

  Author: Samuel Langley-Swain Illustrator: Ashlee Spink
  Publisher: Owlet Press
  Interest age: 3-5
  

  Alone in the snow, two little bears are cold, scared and missing much of their fur. Thankfully, help arrives in the form of Tilly, who hopes them to find another home. A gentle and heartfelt story that shows the adoption process in an honest, reassuring way.
  
  

• The Blood Guard

  Author: Carter Roy
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  Ronan discovers why his mother has filled all his spare time with classes of every kind, from martial arts to fencing. Think Anthony Horowitz meets Dan Brown and be prepared for a fast and spectacular ride in this first book in a series.

• The Blood List

  Author: Sarah Naughton
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 13+

  In 1646, England is gripped by wild tales of witches, murder and changelings.

• The Blue Book of Nebo

  Author: Manon Steffan Ros
  Publisher: Firefly Press
  Interest age: 12-14
  Reading age: 12+

  The End came in the form of a nuclear disaster in Anglesey, and 12-year-old Dylan and his mum are surviving alone in their deserted town, six years on. However, soon tensions begins to surface. A slim book that packs a huge emotional punch.

• The Blue Cat

  Author: Ursula Dubosarky
  Publisher: Allen & Unwin
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 8+

  Columba, growing up in Australia on the eve of the Second World War, knows Europe only as a far-away place where mysterious events occur and threaten her life. A poetic account of the Second World War.

• The Blue Sword

  Author: Robin McKinley
  Publisher: Firebird
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 12+

  This teen fantasy, originally published in 1982, is a rip-roaring ride filled with fantasy, girl-power, romance and danger.

• The Bluest of Blues: Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs

  Author: Fiona Robinson
  Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
  Interest age: 6-8
  Reading age: 6+

  Fiona Robinson’s beautifully blue book about the life of 19th-century born Anna Atkins is an inspiring testament to a father’s commitment to his daughter’s education, and to her passion for the natural world. Young nature lovers will be inspired by Anna’s story.

• The Bog Baby

  Author: Jeanne Willis Illustrator: Gwen Millward
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 2+
  Reading age: 6+

  Two little girls go walking in bluebell wood and rescue a Bog Baby.

• The Bombs That Brought Us Together

  Author: Brian Conaghan
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 12-16
  Reading age: 12+

  Charlie and Pav's friendship becomes something more complex, when the bombs and the Old Country soldiers come. This compulsive teen read successfully achieves a difficult balance: entertainment and social commentary.

• The Bone Dragon

  Author: Alexia Casale
  Publisher: Faber Children's
  Interest age: 14+
  Reading age: 13+

  An intriguing blend of psychological thriller and fantasy, this is an impressive and unusual debut.

• The Bone Sparrow

  Author: Zana Fraillon
  Publisher: Orion Children’s Books
  Interest age: 10-14
  Reading age: 10+

  Focusing on a friendship between two young refugees, The Bone Sparrow is one of those rare, special books that will break your heart with its honesty and beauty - but is ultimately hopeful and uplifting.

• The Bonehill Curse

  Author: Jon Mayhew
  Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 10+

  The year is 1868 and Necessity Bonehill lives miserably in a boarding school for young ladies. Overwhelmed by boredom, she is unable to resist temptation when an exotic-looking bottle arrives from her uncle along with instructions never to open it.

• The Book Case

  Author: Dave Shelton
  Publisher: David Fickling Books
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 8+

  This sniggeringly funny, totally deadpan adventure is a joy to read. Loosely set in the 1930s, it’s a bit like reading a really well-written and funny Famous Five or Secret Seven by Enid Blyton.

• The Book of Bees

  Author: Piotr Socha and Wojciech Grajkowski Translator: Agnes Monod-Gayraud
  Publisher: Thames & Hudson
  Interest age: 7-9
  Reading age: 7-9

  This glorious book will introduce you to the bee world. It is fantastically illustrated in a cartoonish style that is big, bold and great fun.

• The Book of Blood and Shadow

  Author: Robin Wasserman
  Publisher: Atom
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 13+

  Translating the letters of sixteenth century alchemist's daughter Elizabeth Weston, Nora finds herself on the trail of a powerful secret encoded in the mysterious Voynich Manuscript

• The Book of Clouds

  Author: Juris Kronbergs Illustrator: Anete Melece Translator: Mara Rozīte and Richard O’Brien
  Publisher: The Emma Press
  Interest age: 7-11
  Reading age: 8+

  This wonderful book about the magic of clouds is full of surprising and original poems, perfect for upper key stage two children either at school or at home. 

• The Book of Dust 1: La Belle Sauvage

  Author: Philip Pullman Illustrator: Chris Wormell
  Publisher: Penguin
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 10+

  Malcolm is drawn into a dangerous world of secrets and intrigue – and a mission to protect baby Lyra, whatever the cost. La Belle Sauvage gives readers a not-to-be-missed chance to be back in the world of His Dark Materials: full of peril, magic and thrills. 

• The Book of Dust 2: The Secret Commonwealth

  Author: Philip Pullman Illustrator: Chris Wormell
  Publisher: Penguin Books
  Interest age: 14+
  Reading age: 11+

  The Secret Commonwealth is a deeper, darker beast than the previous His Dark Materials trilogy. Some brilliant and excitingly tense set pieces will keep you breathless and with a knot in your stomach – and desperate to know what happens next. 

• The Book of Pearl

  Author: Timothée de Fombelle Translator: Sarah Ardizzone
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 12+

  Joshua Pearl is a fairy prince in a human world, trying to make his way back to his one true love through our history. This sweeping fairy tale of love and memory will bewitch readers who long for epic romance and otherworldly magic.

• The Book of Stolen Dreams

  Author: David Farr
  Publisher: Usborne
  Interest age: 10-13
  Reading age: 9+

  A tense and exciting fantasy thriller set against the backdrop of a cruel dictatorship. Complex, magical and packed with great characters – both heroic and evil.

• The Book Thief

  Author: Markus Zusak
  Publisher: Black Swan
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 13+

  A powerful story narrated by Death, about: a girl, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery

• The Book with No Pictures

  Author: B J Novak
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 3-5
  

  Demanding to be shared, this is a fresh and enormously funny book that children will want to hear time and time again.

• The Bookshop Cat

  Author: Cindy Wume
  Publisher: Macmillan
  Interest age: 4-5
  

  Cindy Wume’s utterly delightful story about a cute little children’s bookshop and a book-loving cat is a perfect cosy read. Cat fans and keen readers will find themselves well catered to here.

• The Bookshop Girl

  Author: Sylvia Bishop Illustrator: Ashley King
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  When Property Jones's family win the amazing opportunity to take over a huge bookshop in London, they can't wait to move. But Property thinks there's something fishy going on. This crime caper has lots of warmth and laughs.

• The Bookworm

  Author: Debi Gliori
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 3-5
  

  Max's pet worm loves listening to stories - and also loves curry and chilli crisps. As it grows, Max realises his pet is not a worm after all, but something MUCH bigger. This heartwarming tale of a boy and his unusual pet’s relationship is full of the everyday magic that stories bring.

• The Borrowers

  Author: Mary Norton
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  The Borrowers are tiny people who live in the secret places of old houses - behind the mantlepiece, inside the harpsichord, under the kitchen clock.

• The Boss Baby

  Author: Marla Frazee
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Books
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 6+

  From the moment the baby arrived, it was obvious that he was the boss

• The Boundless

  Author: Kenneth Oppel
  Publisher: David Fickling Books
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 11+

  Travelling on a gigantic train, The Boundless, Will witnesses a brutal murder - and it is up to Will to save the train. A rollercoaster of a read, with thrilling turns, dazzling characters and non-stop action.

• The Box of Delights

  Author: John Masefield Illustrator: Quentin Blake
  Publisher: The Box of Delights
  Interest age: 6-10
  Reading age: 6+

  A magical old man has asked Kay to protect the Box of Delights, a Box with which he can travel through time. But Kay is in danger: Abner Brown will stop at nothing to get his hands on it. The police don't believe Kay, so when his family and the Bishop are scrobbled up just before Christmas, he knows he must act alone...

• The Boy and the Globe

  Author: Tony Bradman Illustrator: Tom Morgan-Jones
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke Ltd
  Interest age: 7-11
  Reading age: 7+

  When Toby goes to the Globe theatre to thieve, he meets a sad and despairing figure: William Shakespeare. This funny chapter book celebrates the power of art and imagination in all its forms - and has some wonderfully arch illustrations.

• The Boy at the Back of the Class

  Author: Onjali Q Raúf
  Publisher: Orion
  Interest age: 7-11
  Reading age: 10+

  This is the story about how four classmates have a massive impact on the life of Ahmet, a boy that comes to their school as a refugee from Syria. An inspiring and sweet tale that should help children be the best they can be and realise the power of kindness.

• The Boy from France

  Author: Hilary Freeman
  Publisher: Piccadilly Press
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 10+

  When Vix’s visiting French exchange student turns out to be a boy, her classmates are jealous. But Vix is regretting being a host – she already has enough to do caring for her disabled mother.

• The Boy in the Black Suit

  Author: Jason Reynolds
  Publisher: Faber and Faber
  Interest age: 14+
  Reading age: 14+

  When Matt’s mum tragically dies from cancer, it feels like all the joy is sucked out of his life. Then he meets a girl called Love. This is a profoundly beautiful, open-hearted, funny, tear-jerking, readable and relatable story, which explores grief in the truest sense.

• The Boy in the Dress

  Author: David Walliams Illustrator: Quentin Blake
  Publisher: HarperCollins Childrens Books
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  Despite its sensitive subject matter, this book is filled with humour

• The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

  Author: John Boyne
  Publisher: Random House
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 11+

  Bruno is exploring his new home at 'Out-With' when he meets Shmuel, who lives on the other side of a fence which surrounds a large camp in the grounds.

• The Boy in the Tower

  Author: Polly Ho-Yen
  Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  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.

• The Boy on the Wooden Box

  Author: Leon Leyson
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  The harrowing story of Leon Leyson, a Jewish boy who was saved by Oskar Schindler is hard to read at times but it’s wonderfully written and sure to move readers to the core.

• The Boy Who Climbed into the Moon

  Author: David Almond Illustrator: Polly Dunbar
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 8+
  Reading age: 9+

  A child's imagination is a wonderful thing and Paul's is more wonderful and vivid than many. He has a theory - that the moon is not really the moon but a great big hole in the sky.

• The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43

  Author: Harriet Goodwin
  Publisher: Stripes
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  A quirky debut novel laced with humour and a dollop of magic

• The Boy Who Flew

  Author: Fleur Hitchcock
  Publisher: Nosy Crow
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  When Athan Wilde’s mentor, Mr Chen, is brutally murdered, he rescues secret plans that should enable him to complete the old man’s spectacular flying machine. But Athan needs help and he’s not sure who to trust. A tense and imaginative historical thriller.

• The Boy Who Fooled The World

  Author: Lisa Thompson
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  When a famous artist visits his school and is impressed by his artwork, Cole's masterpiece is sold for thousands of pounds. Initially ecstatic, Cole begins to buckle under the media attention and pressure to produce another painting. Lisa Thompson's clever story is full of exciting twists and surprises, while also addressing feelings such as shame and a…

• The Boy Who Hit Play

  Author: Chloe Daykin
  Publisher: Faber & Faber
  Interest age: 10-14
  Reading age: 10+

  A funny, life-affirming quest for identity that sees 12-year old Elvis Crampton Lucas and his adoptive dad racing across Norway, pursued by a shadowy villain. Captivating and thought-provoking.

• The Boy Who Lost His Bumble

  Author: Trudi Esberger
  Publisher: Child's Play
  Interest age: 4-5
  

  A little boy loves the bees in his garden, but as the seasons change, they disappear - will they ever return? A delightful and gently engaging picture book about the cyclical nature of life.

• The Boy Who Loved Everyone

  Author: Jane Porter Illustrator: Maisie Paradise Shearring
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 3-5
  

  Dimitri is new at nursery, and no matter how many people (and trees) he says 'I love you' to, no one says it back. Dimitri starts to get really sad. Even the guinea pig seems to want to get away!

  When Mum walks him to nursery the next day, she explains that people show their feelings in different ways: the mean old man on the park bench is telling the stray …

• The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh

  Author: Helen Rutter
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  Billy's starting secondary school, but he's worried that his stammer will make it hard to fit in. He has to get rid of it before he can pursue his dream of being a stand-up comedian - so he comes up with an unusual list of ways to deal with it...

• The Boy Who Met A Whale

  Author: Nizrana Farook
  Publisher: Nosy Crow
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  Edge-of-seat thrills contrast with the beauty and wildlife of a remote island nation as three youngsters must use their wits and determination to rescue lost treasure and escape a pair of murderous criminals.

• The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair

  Author: Lara Williamson
  Publisher: Usborne
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 9+

  Becket Rumsey decides to investigate the reasons behind the strange actions of some of the adults in his life. With the help of his brother Billy and his pet snail Brian, he uncovers some difficult truths - and some beautiful ones.

• The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas

  Author: David Almond Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 8+
  Reading age: 10+

  Multi-award-winning author David Almond returns with this pleasingly eccentric story of a ordinary boy who embarks on an unusual adventure.

• The Boy who Switched off the Sun

  Author: Paul Brown Illustrator: Mark O’Hanlon
  Publisher: Fourth Wall Publishing
  Interest age: 5+
  Reading age: 7+

  Marcel turns off the sun and plunges the world into the cold and dark. Can he find a way to put things back to normal – and quickly? Bright, glossy, humorous and thought-provoking.

• The Boy Who Went Magic

  Author: A P Winter
  Publisher: Chicken House Ltd
  Interest age: 10-12
  Reading age: 10+

  Everyone in Penvellyn has grown up on the stories of Ferenor, an abandoned land of mages and magic that now lies in myth and ruin. Touches of steampunk and fantasy mix together in this magic-filled adventure.

• The Boy Whose Wishes Came True

  Author: Helen Rutter
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 9-12
  Reading age: 8+

  Archie Crumb thinks he is nothing special, until a footballing fairy godfather gives him nine wishes and the chance to change everything. A rewarding read that deals with similar issues to Jacqueline Wilson but in a more reassuring way.

• The Boy With Two Heads

  Author: Andy Mulligan
  Publisher: David Fickling
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 12+

  Richard Westlake is an altogether ordinary boy, until he inexplicably grows another head.

• The Boy With the Butterfly Mind

  Author: Victoria Williamson
  Publisher: Floris Books
  Interest age: 10-14
  Reading age: 9+

  The complexities of families divided by break-up and reformed as blended versions of themselves will have been experienced by many readers. Elin and Jamie’s story is a compelling and affecting book about acceptance, openness and family dynamics.

• The Boy with the Tiger's Heart

  Author: Linda Coggin
  Publisher: HotKey Books
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 9+

  Written, unusually, in the present tense, this dystopian fable expresses an idea about the way the relationship between nature and society could develop.

• The Boy With Wings

  Author: Lenny Henry Illustrator: Keenon Ferrell and Mark Buckingham
  Publisher: Macmillan
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  A funny and exciting school story that turns into a wild fantasy adventure when Tunde dicovers he can sprout giant wings and his destiny is to save the world! The book is brilliantly inclusive and handles themes of bullying, racism, and the challenges of being adopted. 

• The Boy, The Bird and the Coffin Maker

  Author: Matilda Woods
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  Allora is a small town so close to the ocean that fish fly out of the tumultuous sea; it's a town so small that secrets are impossible to keep.

• The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

  Author: Charlie Mackesy
  Publisher: Ebury Publishing
  Interest age: 6-11
  Reading age: 6+

  Four new friends explore the world together, reflecting on everything they see and do, and what life actually means. A celebration of love, compassion and kindness, this is a magical book to dip into or read from cover to cover.

• The Boyhood of Burglar Bill

  Author: Allan Ahlberg
  Publisher: Penguin
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  It is 1953, and in Oldbury Town there is to be a football competition. Rood End Primary enters its two best teams, but there are a few others who want to make their mark too.

• The Boys

  Author: Lauren Ace Illustrator: Jenny Lovlie
  Publisher: Little Tiger
  Interest age: 4-7
  Reading age: 6+

  This inclusive picture book is very much centred on presenting an alternative to outdated representations of masculinity, and reminding us that boys are just as kind, loving, creative, clever and thoughtful as girls.

• The Brave Beast

  Author: Chris Judge
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 2+
  Reading age: 6+

  The Beast is enjoying a lovely bit of peace and quiet when terrified villagers from a nearby island beg for his help in finding the source of a horrifying howling.

• The Brave Little Grork

  Author: Kathryn Cave Illustrator: Nick Maland
  Publisher: Friendly Dragon
  Interest age: 4-8
  Reading age: 6+

  Grorks are shy, easily frightened creatures, and the one in this story is no exception. When his friend, the greep, suggests going for a walk to the wood, the grork is terrified...

• The Bride's Farewell

  Author: Meg Rosoff
  Publisher: Penguin
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 11+

  A gripping, poetic coming-of-age tale, which considers issues as relevant to 21st century teenage experience as they were in Pell’s time; relationships, duty, love and abuse.

• The Brilliant World of Tom Gates

  Author: Liz Pichon
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  This book oozes personality and with so much going on it promises to maintain the attention of young readers for hours at a time

• The Brockenspectre

  Author: Linda Newbery Illustrator: Pam Smy
  Publisher: Random House
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 8+

  Tomas sets out to find his father, terrified that the Brockenspectre - a mountain monster which his father had told him about - has got him.

• The Broken Leg of Doom

  Author: Pamela Butchart Illustrator: Thomas Flintham
  Publisher: Nosy Crow
  Interest age: 7-9
  Reading age: 7+

  Maisie's been taken to hospital after some extreme dancing... and now there are some very strange things going on! A laugh-out-loud tale of mummies, mystery, and cursed tuna sandwiches.

• The Broken Road

  Author: B R Collins
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 9+

  Celebrating the 800th centenary of the Children's Crusade, The Broken Road imagines the story of a group of young people to Jerusalem to regain the city from the Saracens for the Christianity, which took place in the 13th century.

• The Bubble Boy

  Author: Stewart Foster
  Publisher: Simon and Schuster
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  Joe has always lived in a sterile room in a hospital. He's the 'bubble boy': documented on TV because of a rare condition, affecting his immune system, that keeps him vacuum-packed from the rest of society.

• The Bubble Wrap Boy

  Author: Phil Earle
  Publisher: Penguin
  

  Charlie goes in search of something he is good at, that will make him feel better after being picked on at school. When he discovers skateboarding his whole life changes, but can he persuade his overprotective Mum to let him develop his talent?

• The Building Boy

  Author: Ross Montgomery Illustrator: David Litchfield
  Publisher: Faber & Faber
  Interest age: 4-5
  

  The boy loves his grandmother dearly. Best of all, he loves the stories about her life as a prize-winning architect. One day, she promises she'll build him an extraordinary house. Now his grandmother's gone, and he's heartbroken. But in her garden there are bricks and girder and he begins to build….

• The Bumblebear

  Author: Nadia Shireen
  Publisher: Jonathan Cape
  Interest age: 4-7
  Reading age: 5+

  Norman the bear loves honey, so he thinks up an ingenious plan to get his paws on as much as he can eat - by enrolling at Bee School! An endearing tale about friendship and loyalty.

• The Buried Crown

  Author: Ally Sherrick
  Publisher: Chicken House
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  It's World War Two and Britain is on the brink of invasion. George has been sent to live in the countryside  – but he's far from safe. A fast-paced adventure that zips along and mixes up the facts with tantalising mythical and magical elements.

• The Bus is for Us!

  Author: Michael Rosen Illustrator: Gillian Tyler
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 2-6
  Reading age: 7

  With bold, easy to read rhyming text and beautiful pictures to fire the imagination, this book, exploring all manner of transport and adventure, is one to be treasured and shared.

• The Butterfly Clues

  Author: Kate Ellison
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 14+
  Reading age: 14+

  Blending a tense and compelling murder mystery with a thoughtful story of self-discovery , this is an impressive debut novel

• The Butterfly Heart

  Author: Paula Leyden
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 10+

  Twins Bul-Boo and Madillo are determined to save their friend Winifred from an arranged marriage with her uncle's friend, who is old enough to be her grandfather.

• The Butterfly House

  Author: Katy Flint Illustrator: Alice Pattullo
  Publisher: Lincoln Children’s Books
  Interest age: 6-11
  Reading age: 7+

  Inside an imaginary glass butterfly house, we make our way through a variety of butterfly and moth species, all fabulously illustrated by the very talented Alice Pattullo. A very lovely and informative read.

• The Button Book

  Author: Sally Nicholls Illustrator: Bethan Woollvin
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 0-3
  

  This creative picture book invites children to press a series of buttons – drawn onto the pages and powered by the reader's imagination! – to reveal different sounds or actions. Lots of early learning experiences are packed into this imaginative tale, which is sure to become a firm favourite.

• The Cake the Wolf and the Witch

  Author: Maudie Smith Illustrator: Tony Ross
  Publisher: Orion
  Interest age: 8-14
  Reading age: 10+

  An imaginative, entertaining story about scary new beginnings, featuring some comical, crazy characters and sprinkled with funny illustrations.

• The Call

  Author: Peadar O’Guilin
  Publisher: David Fickling Books
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 12+

  The Call masterfully blends fantasy, horror and folklore. The Sídhe are vicious fairy-type creatures, banished by humans to another land. They take their revenge by 'calling' teenagers to the Grey Lands - where they are hunted, tortured or killed.

• The Carbon-Neutral Adventures of the Indefatigable Enviroteens

  Author: First Dog On the Moon
  Publisher: Allen&Unwin
  Interest age: 9-13
  Reading age: 10+

  A hilarious graphic novel that manages to be entertaining, informative and utterly bonkers while tackling the very serious issue of global warming and climate change.

• The Cardturner

  Author: Louis Sachar
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 9+

  Alton has been unwillingly forced by his parents into being his irrascible, blind, bridge-mad uncle’s cardturner, in the hope that the family will be beneficiaries of the old man’s will.

• The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole

  Author: Michelle Cuevas
  Publisher: Simon and Schuster
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 7-9

  When 11-year-old space mad Stella visits NASA, the last thing she expects is for a black hole to follow her and live in her house as a pet. A heartwarming, sensitively funny and uplifting illustrated story of one girl's journey in confronting her grief.

• The Cartoons That Came To Life

  Author: Tom Ellen Illustrator: Phil Corbett
  Publisher: Chicken House
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  A zany illustrated adventure about comic characters, Arley and Tapper, who step out of Finn’s sketchbook and into his real life, demanding a final showdown with their sworn enemy, Professor Fart-Munch. A well-told story with lots of laughs. 

• The Carhullan Army

  Author: Sarah Hall
  Publisher: Faber
  Interest age: 15+
  Reading age: 15+

  Britain is in a bad way. Flooding, fuel shortages and overseas military commitments have taken their toll on the environment and the economy.

• The Case of the Good-Looking Corpse

  Author: Caroline Lawrence
  Publisher: Orion Children's Books
  Interest age: 8+
  Reading age: 10+

  P.K. Pinkerton, intrepid 12-year-old Private Eye who (almost) never sleeps, returns in the second book in this lively and original series from Caroline Lawrence, set in America's Wild West.

• The Castle

  Author: Sophia Bennett
  Publisher: Chicken House
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  The Castle is a fast-paced adventure story that is sure to keep readers turning pages. It also touches upon issues of domestic slavery, politics and human rights.

• The Castle Corona

  Author: Sharon Creech
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  Two orphaned peasant children, Pia and Enzio, find a pouch, stolen from the King and dropped in their path. A fairytale about rich and poor.

• The Castle of Inside Out

  Author: David Henry Wilson Illustrator: Chris Riddell
  Publisher: Alma Books Ltd
  Interest age: 7-9
  Reading age: 7-9

  This is a timeless fantastical story about overcoming greed, power and corruption. Lorina is a brave heroine, who fights for what is right against all odds. There are lots of other fun characters, too - all illustrated by the wonderful Chris Riddell.

• The Cat and the Fiddle: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes

  Author: Jackie Morris
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
  Interest age: 2+
  Reading age: 6+

  The bold, earthy colour palate and close observation of the human and natural world make this a striking collection to be treasured – and remembered

• The Cat and the King

  Author: Nick Sharratt
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 6+
  Reading age: 8+

  When the royal castle is destroyed in an Unfortunate Incident involving a fire-breathing dragon, the King and his best friend, the cat, are forced to find an alternative home.

• The Cat and the Rat and the Hat

  Author: Em Lynas Illustrator: Matt Hunt
  Publisher: Nosy Crow
  Interest age: 2-5
  

  A raucous, rhyming tale with a fun tongue-twister text, bright neon artwork and  hilarious animal antics.

• The Cat in the Hat

  Author: Dr Seuss
  Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
  Interest age: 3-6
  

  When Sally and her brother are left alone on a rainy day, they think they are in for a dull time - but then the Cat in the Hat appears.

• The Cat Mummy

  Author: Jacqueline Wilson Illustrator: Nick Sharratt
  Publisher: Yearling
  Interest age: 8+
  Reading age: 8+

  A deceptively simple tale which explores the issue of bereavement for younger readers.

• The Cat Who Ate Christmas

  Author: Lil Chase Illustrator: Thomas Docherty
  Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
  Interest age: 5-8
  Reading age: 6+

  After causing havoc at home, Jingles the playful kitten disappears, and the family spends Christmas frantically searching for their beloved pet. This amusing festive tale, with comical illustrations, is ideal for newly-confident independent readers.

• The Cat Who Came in Off the Roof

  Author: Annie M G Schmidt Translator: David Colmer
  Publisher: Pushkin Children’s
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 8+

  This is a humorous, surreal and satisfying story with an old fashioned feel.

• The Catastrophic Friendship Fails of Lottie Brooks

  Author: Katie Kirby
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 9-12
  Reading age: 9+

  It’s Lottie Brooks’ second term at Kingswood High and she is determined to be less awkward and more resilient – at least that’s the plan. Written in the form of a diary that shows all the awkwardness of teenage life, this laugh-out-loud book is perfect for fans of Louise Rennison.

• The Catlady

  Author: Dick King-Smith Illustrator: John Eastwood
  Publisher: Random House
  Interest age: 6+
  Reading age: 7+

  Miss Ponsonby is reclusive and eccentric. She is certain that she has living with her, in feline form, not only her dead parents and friends, but Queen Victoria.

• The Cave

  Author: Rob Hodgson
  Publisher: Francis Lincoln Children’s Books
  Interest age: 3-6
  Reading age: 5+

  There is a cave that is home to a creature: a creature that never leaves its cave… Because of the wolf. A laugh-out-loud story with a very BIG surprise and some glorious artwork: perfect for fans of Jon Klassen and Chris Haughton.

• The City of Devi

  Author: Manil Suri
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 15+
  Reading age: 15+

  Manil Suri's new novel, The City of Devi, is a weird postmodern dystopia, a thriller and a love story.

• The City of Secret Rivers

  Author: Jacob Sager Weinstein Illustrator: Euan Cook
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 8-12
  Reading age: 9+

  Hyacinth Hayward is on a mission to save her kidnapped Mum. Unfortunately, this involves travelling the length and breadth of London's sewers and meeting some very unsavoury characters... A delightfully silly, surreal and addictive adventure.

• The Climbers

  Author: Keith Gray
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke
  Interest age: 12-15
  Reading age: 8+

  This punchy and exciting thriller explores status, friendship and potentially deadly rivalry – and shows how saving face at all costs isn’t necessarily the best strategy. 

• The Clockwork Crow

  Author: Catherine Fisher
  Publisher: Firefly
  Interest age: 10-13
  Reading age: 10+

  Orphan Seren Rhys has been sent to live with her mysterious Godfather after living for 12 years in an orphanage. The possibility of her first happy family Christmas seems like it might finally be within her reach.

  On her solo journey to Wales, Seren is given a mysterious package to look after by a stranger and ends up feeling obliged to take it with her. But…

• The Cloud

  Author: Hannah Cumming
  Publisher: Child's Play
  Interest age: 4+
  Reading age: 6+

  Everyone loves art class; everyone except the little girl who sits alone and draws nothing, a black cloud glowering above her

• The Cloud Horse Chronicles: Guardians of Magic

  Author: Chris Riddell
  Publisher: Macmillan
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  The first in a wildly imaginative fantasy series, in which three brave youngsters join forces against those trying to destroy ancient magic. Packed with beautifully intricate illustrations full of character and passion, it’s absorbing and supremely entertaining. 

• The Cloud Hunters

  Author: Alex Shearer
  Publisher: Hot Key Books
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  Many years after an unspecified cataclysm, the Earth has been shattered into a myriad of tiny planetoids floating in a vast ocean of air.

• The Cloudspotter

  Author: Tom McLaughlin
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 3-7
  Reading age: 6+

  Franklin was called 'The Cloudspotter' - and he didn't want to share his clouds with anyone. That's why he pops the infuriating Scruffy Dog into a hot-air balloon and lets her fly away. A charming story about a lonely little boy who finds a friend.

• The Clubhouse Mystery: Cass and the Bubble Street Gang

  Author: Erika McGann Illustrator: Vince Reid
  Publisher: The O’Brien Press
  Interest age: 6-8
  Reading age: 7+

  Best friends Cass, Lex and Nicholas are the Bubble Street Gang. Humour, adventure, mystery and plenty of innocent childhood antics pepper this comical chapter book for young readers.

• The Clue is in the Poo and Other Stuff Too

  Author: Andy Seed Illustrator: Claire Almon
  Publisher: Quarto Publishing
  Interest age: 6-11
  Reading age: 7+

  Packed full of fascinating facts and flashes of humour, this non-fiction picture book encourages children to become wildlife detectives. Ideal for any animal enthusiast, this would also be a useful addition to the classroom for use on wildlife projects.

• The Clumsies Make a Mess

  Author: Sorrel Anderson Illustrator: Nicola Slater
  Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 7+

  The Clumsies try to solve lots of Howard’s problems, all with hilarious consequences.

• The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

  Author: Holly Black
  Publisher: Indigo
  Interest age: 14+
  Reading age: 13+

  Welcome to Coldtown. Once you enter, you can never leave. Delightfully dark and gorgeously gothic, it is certain to enchant fans of all things chilling and supernatural.

• The Colour Monster

  Author: Anna Llenas
  Publisher: Templar
  Interest age: 3-8
  Reading age: 7+

  An original and entertaining picture book using colour, collage-effect illustrations and a delightfully cute monster to help youngsters identify and understand different emotions.

• The Colour of Home

  Author: Mary Hoffman Illustrator: Karin Littlewood
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln
  Interest age: 5-9
  Reading age: 7+

  On Hassan's first day at school he paints a colourful picture of his home and family in Somalia, but then adds soldiers, flames and bullets.

• The Colour of the Sun

  Author: David Almond
  Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books
  Interest age: 12-16
  Reading age: 12+

  David Almond returns to deliver a powerful story centring around the acceptance of loss of one’s childhood after a parent’s death and the journey towards adulthood, which is portrayed beautifully in this coming-of-age novel.

• The Colour Thief

  Author: Andrew Fusek Peters and Polly Peters Illustrator: Karin Littlewood
  Publisher: Wayland
  Interest age: 4-8
  Reading age: 7+

  Drawing on personal experiences of living in a family blighted by depression, this unusual, yet important, book may help youngsters to make sense of an illness they cannot see.

• The Colours of History

  Author: Clive Gifford Illustrator: Marc-Etienne Peintre
  Publisher: QED Publishing
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  Full of fascinating facts about colour, this book focuses on a topic that is not often covered in children’s books. It offers a wide range of opportunities and new ideas for parents and schools, working across the curriculum through art, history and beyond.

• The Collector

  Author: K. R. Alexander
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 11-13
  Reading age: 11+

  There are three rules at Grandma Jeannie’s house: never leave the windows open; no dolls in the house; and never, ever go into the woods. Ideal for readers aged 11+ who enjoy spooky tales about things that go bump in the night. Read on if you dare!

• The Comet

  Author: Joe Todd-Stanton
  Publisher: Flying Eye Books
  Interest age: 4-8
  

  Joe Todd-Stanton’s new picture book explores how a family can create a home filled with imagination and warmth, even in less than perfect circumstances. It’s a lovely one to read with mid-aged primary school children who might be worried about moving house.

• The Company of Eight

  Author: Harriet Whitehorn
  Publisher: Stripes
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 8+

  This adventure book is a total rollercoaster ride that will catch your breath as gutsy Cass weaves in and out of peril. After all, who doesn't want swashbuckling fun and women warriors with the hearts of lions?

• The Company of Ghosts

  Author: Berlie Doherty
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  Over the past year many things have changed in Ellie’s life. When she is told she must go away with her mum and her stepfather on their honeymoon, it’s the last straw and she decides to run away. Fortunately she meets Morag, a friend from orchestra, who says she can stay at her house.

• The Complete Calvin and Hobbes

  Author:
  Publisher: Andrews McMeel
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 8+

  The comic-strip adventures of Calvin, a naughty boy with a philosophical bent, and his soft toy tiger companion Hobbes, delighted readers from 1985 to 1995. 

• The Conquerors

  Author: David McKee
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 5+

  The General of a powerful country sends his troops into the last unconquered territory, but to their surprise, when they march across the border, they meet with no resistance.

• The Considine Curse

  Author: Gareth P Jones
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  Ever woken up to an eerie howl in the night and wondered what it was? This creepy tale about the Considine family might just have the answer

• The Cooking Club Detectives

  Author: Ewa Jozefkowicz
  Publisher: Zephyr
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 8+

  This delightful detective story has an engaging plot and likable characters. It subtly explores new friendships, the importance of community and issues of food poverty and online bullying, plus includes some easy-to-follow recipes.

• The Coral Kingdom

  Author: Laura Knowles and Jennie Webber
  Publisher: Words & Pictures Press
  Interest age: 4-7
  Reading age: 5+

  The great beauty and diversity of the coral reef is explored in this stunningly beautiful picture book, which is a true work of art. The rhyming non-fiction text scans well and the information about coral reef conservation is pitched at the right level.

• The Covers Of My Book Are Too Far Apart! (And Other Grumbles)

  Author: Vivian French
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke (Picture Squirrels)
  Interest age: 5-8
  Reading age: 5-8

  This accessible and diversely illustrated picture book gives helpful suggestions for more or less any reading issue. It's likely to especially interest schools.

• The Cow That Laid an Egg

  Author: Andy Cutbill Illustrator: Russell Ayto
  Publisher: HarperCollins
  Interest age: 2+
  Reading age: 4+

  A madcap, yet moving, story about having the courage of one's convictions, even when others doubt you.

• The Cow Who Fell to Earth

  Author: Nadia Shireen
  Publisher: Penguin Random House Children’s Books
  Interest age: 4-6
  Reading age: 5+

  One night, a little cow falls to earth from the moon, but none of the earth animals speak her language. This lovely book about friendship and belonging is beautifully paced and has all of Nadia Shireen’s recognisable cute characters.

• The Crackledawn Dragon

  Author: Abi Elphinstone
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  The third book in the Unmapped Kingdoms series reads very well on its own or as part of the series, with all of Elphinstone’s trademark fantastical beasts and characters.  Most of all, these are stories about friendship, love, and having faith in yourself. 

• The Cradle of All Worlds

  Author: Jeremy Lachlan
  Publisher: Farshore
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  Jane Doe appeared on the steps of the mysterious Manor with her sick father as a baby, and ever since the residents of Bluehaven have considered her The Cursed One. But Jane's about to find out who she really is in a storming, funny and gripping adventure romp.

• The Creakers

  Author: Tom Fletcher Illustrator: Shane Devries
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 7+

  The Creakers is a charmingly written adventure story. Monsters under the bed (AKA The Creakers) are acknowledged as scary, but the warm and humorous narrator will make more nervous children feel they are in safe hands. A really lovely, funny book.

• The Creeper Files: The Root of All Evil

  Author: Hacker Murphy
  Publisher: Oxford Press
  Interest age: 8+
  Reading age: 8+

  After reading this brilliantly creepy book, you'll never look at a potato in the same way again.

• The Creeper Man

  Author: Dawn Kurtagich
  Publisher: Orion
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 12+

  Kurtagich has created an incredibly assured, claustrophobic horror with a fractured and troubled teen narrator that will have you gripped to the very last page.

• The Croc and the Sock

  Author: Claire Evans
  Publisher: Fourth Wall Publishing
  Interest age: 3-5
  

  Croc wakes up and there’s a sock left on his floor: a smelly, wet, dirty sock. Who has left it, and where is its matching pair? An engaging story with a rhyming text and a fun Croc puppet attached to bring the story to life.

• The Crocodile and the Dentist

  Author: Taro Gomi
  Publisher: Chronicle Books
  Interest age: 3-5
  

  When it’s time for the Crocodile’s annual visit to the dentist, which of them is more afraid? Witty, colourful and delightful.

• The Crocodile Under the Bed

  Author: Judith Kerr
  Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
  Interest age: 2-5
  

  Matty is sick, and very sad because he's too sick to go to the Queen's birthday party! But when he gets an unexpected visitor, it seems that Matty might not miss out after all...

• The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water

  Author: Gemma Merino
  Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
  Interest age: 3-6
  

  Little crocodile doesn't like water. It's cold. It's wet. It's embarrassing.

• The Crooked Sixpence

  Author: Jennifer Bell
  Publisher: Corgi
  Interest age: 10-12
  Reading age: 8+

  Jennifer Bell has built a wonderful new world in which readers can immerse themselves, in this pacey, magical adventure. There are twists and turns, new creatures and strange, 'uncommon' objects to discover around every street corner.

• The Crossover

  Author: Kwame Alexander
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 10-14
  Reading age: 9+

  Dynamically-illustrated graphic novel version of a bestselling, award-winning story of twin basketball players and their coming-of-age. 

• The Crossover: Graphic Novel

  Author: Kwame Alexander Illustrator: Dawud Anyabwile
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 10-14
  Reading age: 9+

  Dynamically-illustrated graphic novel version of a bestselling, award-winning story of twin basketball players and their coming-of-age. 

• The Crow’s Tale

  Author: Naomi Howarth
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln
  Interest age: 4-8
  Reading age: 6+

  In the dark depths of winter, Brave Crow sets out on a dangerous journey to find the Sun, and beg for warmth. Inspired by a Native American myth, this beautiful picture book shows how courage and kindness are what really matter.

• The Crowfield Curse

  Author: Pat Walsh
  Publisher: Chicken House
  

  Will finds a small creature caught in a trap in the woods; a hob. The discovery of this magical creature signals the beginning of an incredible adventure for Will. A more challenging read that really fires the imagination.

• The Crowstarver

  Author: Dick King-Smith
  Publisher: Random House
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  As ‘Spider’ grows up, it becomes apparent that despite his physical and learning disabilities, he has a remarkable gift for communicating with animals.

• The Cry of the Wolf

  Author: Melvin Burgess
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 11+

  The Hunter is a cold, cruel man who lives only to kill rare animals and collect their skins. When the Hunter discovers that a pack of English wolves, long thought to be extinct, live in the Surrey countryside, he resolves to kill them all at any cost.

• The Crystal Stair

  Author: Catherine Fisher
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 8+

  The Crystal Stair picks up after At the World’s End. Caz and Will soon find themselves out in the frozen landscape once again, and it’s even more dangerous than last time. This is a fantastic sequel for this dystopian series.

• The Culture of Clothes: A Celebration of World Dress

  Author: Giovanna Alessio Illustrator: Chaaya Prabhat
  Publisher: Templar Books
  Interest age: 7-10
  Reading age: 8+

  Perfect for young fashion enthusiasts as well as children interested in world cultures, this is a fascinating read with lots of inspiration for art and crafts, as well as school projects.

• The Cupcake Diaries: Katie and the Cupcake Cure

  Author: Coco Simon
  Publisher: Simon and Schuster
  Interest age: 8+
  Reading age: 8+

  It's Katie Brown's first day at her new school and she's already feeling miserable.

• The Cure for Dreaming

  Author: Cat Winters
  Publisher: Amulet Books
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 8+

  Interspersing her text with archive photos, Cat Winters combines history with the supernatural in her celebration of independent women in early twentieth-century America, and highlights the fight for women's suffrage.

• The Curiositree

  Author: Amanda Wood and Mike Jolley Illustrator: Owen Davey
  Publisher: Wide Eyed Editions
  Interest age: 10-16
  Reading age: 10+

  Natural World is an extremely beautiful reference book that explores the way that habitats, plants and animals are connected, and the way that all elements of nature work in harmony.

• The Curious Case of the Missing Mammoth

  Author: Ellie Hattie Illustrator: Karl Kames Mountford
  Publisher: Little Tiger
  Interest age: 4-8
  Reading age: 6+

  Join a young boy named Oscar and a woolly mammoth named Timothy as they race through The Curious Museum trying to track down Timothy’s little brother before the ‘magic hour’ is over – or he gets eaten by a dinosaur!

• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

  Author: Mark Haddon
  Publisher: Red Fox
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 13+

  This funny, touching and compelling novel was the winner of the inaugural Booktrust Teenage Prize

• The Changes Trilogy

  Author: Peter Dickinson
  Publisher: Open Road Media
  Interest age: 14+
  Reading age: 13+

  Gripped by a strange fear, England closes its doors to the outside world. In a tunnel beneath Wales one man opens a crack in a mysterious stone wall, and all over the island of Britain people react with horror to perfectly normal machines. Abandoning their cars on the roads and destroying their own factories, many flee the cities for the countryside, wh…

• The Chain

  Author: Keith Gray
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 8+

  How often do we wonder if things might have turned out differently but for a single random act or event?

• The Cherry Pie Princess

  Author: Vivian French Illustrator: Marta Kissi
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 5-8
  Reading age: 7+

  When a bad fairy plots to kidnap the baby prince, Princess Peony must act fast to save her brother. Engaging characters, plenty of humour and a smattering of magic combine in this contemporary fairy tale for confident independent readers.

• The Chicken Nugget Ambush

  Author: Mark Lowery
  Publisher: Piccadilly Press
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 8+

  Roman has a lot of misadventures, and this book is a non-stop comical disaster ride. Ideal for kids who find bodily functions, scabs, bogeys and toilet humour hilarious.

• The Children of the King

  Author: Sonya Hartnett
  Publisher: Scholastic
  

  Brilliantly written, this is an original and exciting story set in England and London during the Blitz.

• The Children of Willesden Lane

  Author: Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen
  Publisher: Hachette
  Interest age: 11-14
  Reading age: 12+

  Aspiring concert pianist Lisa Jura is just 14 when she is forced to leave Germany behind and travel to England on the Kindertransport. Told by her daughter Mona, it's an eye-opening insight into life as a young refugee during World War Two.

• The Children who Smelled a Rat

  Author: Allan Ahlberg Illustrator: Katharine McEwen
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 6+
  Reading age: 7+

  Ahlberg and McEwen's fourth fast, funny and improbable story about the Gaskitt family is as ingenious as its predecessors.

• The Child's Elephant

  Author: Rachel Campbell-Johnston
  Publisher: David Fickling Books
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 11+

  Bat lives with his grandmother in the central African savannah and rears cows. One day he finds an orphaned baby elephant, and so begins a special relationship.

• The Chinese Emperor’s New Clothes

  Author: Ying Chang Compestine Illustrator: David Roberts
  Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
  Interest age: 6-8
  Reading age: 6+

  This retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s classic fairy tale incorporates Compestine’s experiences of growing up in the Chinese Cultural Revolution to provide a thoughtful tale about corruption and poverty. 

• The Chocolate Box Girls: Cherry Crush

  Author: Cathy Cassidy
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 7+

  Cherry’s single Dad has found a new love, but when he and Cherry move to live with her, there are four daughters already in the family, one of whom is not welcoming.

• The Chocolate Dog

  Author: Holly Webb Illustrator: Sharon Rentta
  Publisher: Scholatic
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 7+

  Amy is feeling alone: mum is pregnant and tired, dad is cross and little sister Lara is annoying. The only one who seems to have any time for her is her loyal dog, Choc.

• The Chosen Ones

  Author: Scarlett Thomas
  Publisher: Canongate
  Interest age: 10-12
  Reading age: 10+

  Set in a dystopian world where technology is flawed and magic abounds, this is the second instalment in the Worldquake sequence. This exciting fantasy adventure is peppered with portals into other dimensions, evil plots and monsters. 

• The Christmas Bear

  Author: Ian Whybrow Illustrator: Axel Scheffler
  Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
  Interest age: 2-5
  

  When Father Christmas sets off to deliver the presents, poor Bear is left behind in the workshop! How will he make it to Tom's house in time for Christmas morning? Lift the flaps to find out, as he chases Santa's sleigh through icy seas and snowy forests, all the way from the North Pole to Tom's cosy bedroom.

• The Christmas Book

  Author: Dick Bruna
  Publisher: Farshore
  Interest age: 0-4
  Reading age: 4+

  From the creator of Miffy, comes a beautiful edition of Dick Bruna's charming Christmas Book complete with a press-out crib scene. In this delightful title he retells the birth of Jesus using simple text and charming illustrations

• The Christmas Department Store

  Author: Maudie Powell-Tuck Illustrator: Hoang Giang
  Publisher: Little Tiger
  Interest age: 3-5
  

  Not all families can afford a picture-perfect Christmas and some children may feel sad and left out from the celebrations. This heart-warming book shows littles ones that you don't have to have a lot of money or presents to have a special time at Christmas.

• The Christmas Eve Ghost

  Author: Shirley Hughes
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 4+
  Reading age: 6+

  In 1930s Liverpool, young Bronwen and Dylan find kindness from an unexpected source when they are frightened by what they think is a ghost on Christmas Eve.

• The Christmas Extravaganza Hotel

  Author: Tracey Corderoy Illustrator: Tiny Neal
  Publisher: Little Tiger Press
  Interest age: 3-5
  

  Frog turns up at Bear’s door, looking for a Christmas Extravaganza he’s seen advertised. A lovely tale about friendship, kindness, and valuing the wonderful parts of the festive season that aren’t directly about consumerism.

• The Christmas Mouse

  Author: Toby Forward Illustrator: Ruth Brown
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 6+
  Reading age: 7+

  It's Christmas Eve, and two mice are curled up in their mouseholes. One is comfortable and warm with a candied plum to eat, but the other has nothing at all.

• The Christmas Unicorn

  Author: Anna Currey
  Publisher: Oxford University Press
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 6+

  Milly is awakened in the night by a beautiful unicorn who helps to create a magical Christmas for her family.

• The Christmasaurus

  Author: Tom Fletcher Illustrator: Shane Devries
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 7-11
  Reading age: 7+

  If you ever doubted that dinosaurs and Christmas would work well together, read this book. It is bursting with loveable characters, fast-paced adventure and, of course, Christmas spirit.

• The Christmasaurus and the Winter Witch

  Author: Tom Fletcher Illustrator: Shane Devries
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 6-11
  Reading age: 6+

  The much-adored Christmasaurus is back for more magical adventures in this feel-good sequel to The Christmasaurus. The storybook brings together all the joy of Christmas: warmth, happiness and family squabbles. 

• The Chronicles of Narmo

  Author: Caitlin Moran
  Publisher: Corgi Children's
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 9+

  Bestselling author and columnist Caitlin Moran wrote The Chronicles of Narmo when she was just a teenager herself

• The Churki-Burki Book of Rhyme

  Author: Gita Wolf Illustrator: Durga Bai
  Publisher: Tara Books
  Interest age: 4+
  Reading age: 6+

  An attractive story interspersed with rhymes, telling of two sisters, Churki and Burki, and their dog, based on the artist's own childhood memories in an Indian village.

• The Danger Gang

  Author: Tom Fletcher Illustrator: Shane Devries
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 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 whiff of poo - then everyone around him begins to act a bit weird... time for the Danger Gang to save the day!

• The Dam

  Author: David Almond Illustrator: Levi Pinfold
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 6-10
  Reading age: 7+

  This stunning, wild and atmospheric picture book by two giants of children’s literature tells the true story of a musician father and his daughter who enter each house in the valley to play music and dance, so that they will always contain music – and magic.

• The Dark

  Author: Lemony Snicket Illustrator: Jon Klassen
  Publisher: Orchard Book
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 6+

  One night, the night-light goes out, and the dark calls Laszlo down into the basement to meet it.

• The Dark Inside

  Author: Rupert Wallis
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  Interest age: 14+
  Reading age: 14+

  James and Webster, a pair of unlikely friends, embark on a curious rampage across the Devonshire countryside: one to escape life as he knows it, the other on a quest to lift a curse.

• The Dark is Rising

  Author: Susan Cooper
  Publisher: Red Fox
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  This is probably one of the greatest fantasy sequences ever written. Darkly magical and intense Cooper weaves her storytelling wonder over fully realised characters and worlds, drawing in the reader and leading them on a journey that will leave them clambering for the rest of the series.

• The Dark Light

  Author:
  Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 10+

  This is a gripping and unsettling story with some disturbing characters and a menacing atmosphere which pervades throughout. A dark but compelling read.

• The Darkest Dark

  Author: Chris Hadfield with Kate Fillion Illustrator: The Fan Brothers
  Publisher: Macmillan
  Interest age: 4-7
  Reading age: 6+

  One night as a boy, Chris Hadfield watches the Apollo 11 moon landing and decides to be an astronaut. This atmospheric book draws on the Commander's childhood fear of the dark, and his realisation that dreams can come true.

• The Darkest Part of the Forest

  Author: Holly Black
  Publisher: Hachette
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 13+

  With a refreshing spin on the traditional roles and full of sinister undertones and dark magic, this is a bewitching and exciting modern fairy tale for this generation of readers of YA fiction.

• The Dawn Chorus

  Author: Suzanne Barton
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 5+

  A warm, reassuring tale about individual talents and about belonging, which will appeal to small children everywhere. Glorious illustrations swirl through the pages in a crescendo of appealing, harmonious images.

• The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish

  Author: Neil Gaiman Illustrator: Dave McKean
  Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books
  Interest age: 6+
  Reading age: 7+

  When Mike swaps his dad for his friend Nathan’s two goldfish his mum is not pleased. But when Mike tries to get his dad back, he finds he's already been traded for an electric guitar.

• The Day I Was Erased

  Author: Lisa Thompson
  Publisher: Scholastic
  Interest age: 9-12
  Reading age: 9+

  A strange turn of events transports Maxwell to a world where nobody, not even his parents or sister, recognise him. The Day I Was Erased captures the vibrancy and buzz of school life and will ultimately leave readers with a warm glow and lots of hope.

• The Day Louis Got Eaten

  Author: John Fardell
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 5+
  Reading age: 7+

  Fardell creates a variation on the Old Woman who swallowed a fly in this hilarious adventure

• The Day That Aliens Nearly Ate Our Brains

  Author: Tom McLaughlin
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 7-10
  Reading age: 7+

  Freddy and Sal just wanted to watch Wrestlegeddon Smackdown when they tried to hijack next-door’s satellite dish. How were they to know it would pinpoint the exact location of Planet Earth to Alan, the grumpiest alien in the universe?

• The Day the Crayons Came Home

  Author: Drew Daywalt Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers
  Publisher: HarperCollins
  Interest age: 4-6
  Reading age: 6+

  One day, a surprising stack of postcards arrives for Duncan. They are all from his old forgotten crayons, demanding to be brought home to the crayon box. A captivating, comical sequel to The Day the Crayons Quit.

• The Day the Crayons Quit

  Author: Drew Daywalt Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers
  Publisher: HarperCollins
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 7+

  Award-winning illustrator and artist Oliver Jeffers has teamed up with film writer and director Drew Daywalt to create this gorgeously colourful picture book.

• The Day the Rains Fell

  Author: Anne Faundez Illustrator: Karin Littlewood
  Publisher: Tamarind
  Interest age: 4+
  Reading age: 6+

  Long ago, when the world was new, Lindiwe gazed down from the heavens, proud of the earth and the creatures she'd created.

• The Day The Screens Went Blank

  Author: Danny Wallace Illustrator: Gemma Correll
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  When all the screens in the world stop working overnight, Stella and her family embark on a hilarious rescue mission to save Grandma.

• The Day War Came

  Author: Nicola Davies Illustrator: Rebecca Cobb
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 5-8
  Reading age: 6+

  A heartbreaking picture book that perfectly explains the displacement of people, and especially children, in war, and the trauma experienced by people forced to leave their homes. 

• The Dead

  Author: Charlie Higson
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 10+

  Jack and Ed think things are looking up after they escape boarding school in this sequel to The Enemy, but then something terrible happens that will put them in more danger than ever.

• The Dead House

  Author: Dawn Kurtagich
  Publisher: Orion
  Interest age: 14+
  Reading age: 10+

  This is an utterly compelling and creepy psychological thriller which has the reader gripped from the very first page.

• The Dead Men Stood Together

  Author: Chris Priestley
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 12+

  In this reinvention of 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' a young boy sets out to sea with his uncle, but the voyage is soon damned by a curse that throws them off course.

• The Dead Ways

  Author: Christopher Edge
  Publisher: Catnip
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  The Government has a plan to clean up the environment – closing down motorways and returning the roads to nature. When Scott Williams' father is found dead in his government office, Scott resolves to find out the truth behind his death.

• The Deadly Dare Mysteries

  Author: Malorie Blackman
  Publisher: Random House
  Interest age: 8+
  Reading age: 8+

  This is a bind-up of three books - Deadly Dare, Computer Ghost and Lie Detectives, all featuring best friends Theo and Ricky.

• The Deadly Seven

  Author: Garth Jennings
  Publisher: Macmillan
  Interest age: 9-12
  Reading age: 9+

  The story has many twists and turns. Through Uncle Pogo we are introduced to interesting inventions and unusual inventions and the monsters help Nelson to become better at making friends.

• The Death Defying Pepper Roux

  Author: Geraldine McCaughrean
  Publisher: Oxford University Press
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 11+

  For all of his short life, Pepper Roux has been waiting to die. Now, on his fourteenth birthday, he knows he won't have to wait much longer.

• The Declaration

  Author:
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 8+

  A chilling story of a future where Longevity drugs have made sections of the population almost immortal. This is a thought-provoking read.

• The Deep Dark Wood

  Author: Algy Craig Hall and Ali Pye
  Publisher: Orchard Books
  Interest age: 5-8
  Reading age: 5+

  A sweet little girl happily sets off to visit her best friend for tea through a deep dark wood full of lurking witches, trolls and giants.

• The Demon Collector

  Author: Jon Mayhew
  Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 10+

  Edgy Taylor has a gift - he can see demons in the crowded streets of Victorian London. A gripping, gothic, horror story lightened by its dark humour and unpredictable characters.

• The Demon Dentist

  Author: David Walliams Illustrator: Tony Ross
  Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  Strange things are happening in the dead of night. Children who put a tooth under the pillow for the tooth fairy wake to find... a dead slug; a live spider; or hundreds of earwigs...

• The Demon Notebook

  Author: Erika McGann
  Publisher: The O'Brien Press
  

  Have you ever wondered if magic spells actually work? Well, Grace and her four best-friends have.

• The Demon's Watch

  Author: Conrad Mason
  Publisher: David Fickling Books
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 8+

  Joseph is a half-goblin boy leading a miserable life as a tavern servant. When he finds a mysterious parcel he hopes that by returning it to its owner he might be offered a new, exciting life as a sailor or pirate. But he soon discovers that there are dangerous magical forces abroad that will stop at nothing to regain the package.

• The Dentist of Darkness

  Author: David O’Connell Illustrator: Claire Powell
  Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books
  Interest age: 6-11
  Reading age: 6+

  Funny and fast-paced, this entertaining story is bursting with mystery, sweets and ancient magic. The enthralling plot, wacky characters and larger-than-life villains are brought to life by witty black-and-white illustrations. 

• The Detective Dog

  Author: Julia Donaldson Illustrator: Sara Ogilvie
  Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books
  Interest age: 4-7
  Reading age: 6+

  Detective Dog Nell is famed for her sleuthing skills in this witty detail-packed book, full of exuberant rhyming couplets - perfect for sharing and reading aloud.

• The Deviants

  Author: CJ Skuse
  Publisher: MIRA Ink
  Interest age: 15-18
  Reading age: 11+

  Ella has a secret so toxic she dare not share it - not even with Max, the guy she loves. Soon the couple get caught up in a cycle of revenge and violence, in this pacey and engaging thriller for young adults.

• The Devil Walks

  Author: Anne Fine
  Publisher: Doubleday
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 9+

  A chilling, compulsive horror story pleasantly free from vampires and werewolves

• The Devil's Triangle

  Author: Mark Robson
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Books
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 9+

  Twins Sam and Niamh accompany their father to Florida each summer while he tries to unravel the mystery of their mother's disappearance at sea nine years ago.

• The Diamond Girls

  Author: Jacqueline Wilson Illustrator: Nick Sharratt
  Publisher: Random House
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 10+

  Aimed at older readers, this novel deals with adult themes of birth, sexuality, teen pregnancy, gang-culture, abuse and post-natal depression, but all in Wilson's usual credible, accessible style.

• The Diamond of Drury Lane

  Author: Julia Golding
  Publisher: Farshore
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 8+

  Winner of the 2006 Ottakar's Children's Book Prize, this is a pacy thriller about a spirited orphan girl employed by Richard Sheridan at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

• The Diggers are Coming!

  Author: Susan Steggall
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 6+

  Watch as a new estate is built, from the demolition of old properties to families moving into their new homes.

• The Ding-Dong Bag

  Author: Polly Peters Illustrator: Jess Stockham
  Publisher: Child's Play
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 5+

  The fast-moving and rhythmic text make this great book perfect for reading aloud, and a subtle arm splint on one of the boys is typical of Child’s Play’s inclusive approach to books.

• The Dinner that Cooked Itself

  Author: J C Hysu Illustrator: Kenard Pak
  Publisher: Flying Eye Books
  Interest age: 6-9
  Reading age: 9+

  This retelling of an old Chinese folk tale is beautifully illustrated in a contemporary, cinematic style and offers a glimpse at the culture and traditions of an ancient civilisation. 

• The Dinosaur that Pooped Christmas

  Author: Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter Illustrator: Garry Parsons
  Publisher: Red Fox
  Interest age: 4+
  Reading age: 6+

  Danny is greedy and spoilt - he already has so many toys there is no space in his room. When he sends Santa a long list for Christmas, St Nick decides to teach him a lesson.

• The Dinosaur’s Packed Lunch

  Author: Jacqueline Wilson Illustrator: Nick Sharratt
  Publisher: Corgi Pups
  Interest age: 4+
  Reading age: 5+

  Dinah is having a bad day – nothing seems to be going right: so far she’s made her Dad cross and argued with her best friend

• The Disappearing Children

  Author: Lars Joachim Grimstad Translator: Don Bartlett and Sian Mackie
  Publisher: Phoenix Yard Books
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 8+

  This enjoyable and very funny story of adventure and intrigue is a brilliantly witty political satire appealing to a wide age range from early teens to adult.

• The Disconnect

  Author: Keren David
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke
  Interest age: 9-14
  Reading age: 9+

  Can Esther give up her phone for two months to win a thousand pounds? A short, snappy and entertaining book with a relatable and healthily balanced premise for teenagers: perfect for supporting conversations about social media, friendship and peer pressure.

• The Disgusting Sandwich

  Author: Gareth Edwards Illustrator: Hannah Shaw
  Publisher: Alison Green Books
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 6+

  When a boy brings his mouth-watering sandwich to the park, he’s not the only one who thinks it looks rather appetizing.

• The Distance Between Me and the Cherry Tree

  Author: Paola Peretti Translator: Denise Muir
  Publisher: Hot Key Books
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  Nine-year-old Mafalda has a degenerative eye condition. She starts to keep a list of all the things she'll miss when her sight goes, but also the constants that surround her. Tender and thought-provoking, with a powerful but unforced message.

• The Diviners

  Author:
  Publisher: Atom
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 13+

  In this lively and atmospheric tale of 1920s New York, party girl Evie finds herself investigating a sinister string of occult murders.

• The Dog Runner

  Author: Bren MacDibble
  Publisher: Old Barn Books
  Interest age: 12-14
  Reading age: 12+

  A perilous adventure with dystopian and environmental themes that cut unnervingly close to potential reality, The Dog Runner is a tense, thrilling adventure full of close calls, but also glowing with heart, whether it's the relationship between Ella and Emery or their love for the "doggos" helping them get to where they need to be.

• The Dog that Ate the World

  Author: Sandra Dieckmann
  Publisher: Flying Eye Books
  Interest age: 4-7
  Reading age: 5+

  The valley was a picture of harmony until the dog appeared and ate everything up. This reads like a myth from an ancient culture and could be seen as a warning against greed and rising extinction rates – though the tone is gentle and the illustration sublime.

• The Dog That Saved Christmas

  Author: Nicola Davies Illustrator: Mike Byrne
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 8+

  A sensitive and fascinating portrayal of how Christmas might be experienced by a boy on the autistic spectrum, and how a therapy dog provides reassurance and helps him enjoy the festive season.

• The Dogs

  Author: Alllan Stratton
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 15+
  Reading age: 14+

  Spooky and atmospheric, The Dogs is everything you could want from a murder mystery and ghost story

• The Doldrums

  Author: Nicholas Gannon
  Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9-12

  A fabulous, funny and heart-warming story of adventure and friendship.

• The Dollmaker of Krakow

  Author: R. M. Romero Illustrator: Lisa Perrin
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  Doll Karolina is saved from war in her native Land of the Dolls and transported to Poland to live with a man known as the Dollmaker - only for their lives to be turned upside down by World War II. An unusual novel blending reality with folklore and fantasy that will have a lasting impact on readers.

• The Don't Panic Gang

  Author: Mark Sperring Illustrator: Sarah Warburton
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 4-8
  

  The Don’t Panic Gang is a top secret organisation, comprising a doughnut-loving cat, a little blue bird and an unassuming window-box worm - but when they get a call for help, they transform into superheroes! An exciting, funny adventure to read aloud.

• The Door that Led to Where

  Author: Sally Gardner
  Publisher: Hot Key Books
  Interest age: 14+
  Reading age: 14+

  There's a Dickensian flavour to this satisfying time-travel tale, which takes its teenage hero on a journey from gritty modern-day London, to the city of the 1800s.

• The Double Life of Cassiel Roadnight

  Author: Jenny Valentine
  Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 8+

  Jenny Valentine presents another enthralling, perplexing and thought-provoking novel exploring family, friendship and identity.

• The Double Shadow

  Author: Sally Gardner
  Publisher: Orion Children's Books
  Interest age: 14+
  Reading age: 14+

  Sally Gardner lives up to her reputation for delivering ambitious and highly imaginative writing for teenagers in this unusual and complex historical novel.

• The Doughnut of Doom

  Author: Elys Dolan
  Publisher: Nosy Crow
  Interest age: 4-7
  Reading age: 6+

  A giant, police-eating doughnut is wreaking havoc in the town square. Will Nancy, ace reporter and peanut butter sandwich, save the day? Dolan’s food-fabulous picture book is full of punny provisions and delectable double entendres.

• The Dragon and the Nibblesome Knight

  Author: Ella Woollard Illustrator: Benji Davies
  Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books
  Interest age: 4-8
  Reading age: 7+

  An uplifting story about a timid baby dragon and a friendly young knight who discover they have much more in common than people think - and refuse to fight.

• The Dragon Ark

  Author: Curatoria Draconis Illustrator: Tomislav Tomic
  Publisher: Magic Cat Publishing
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 8+

  In this stunning book, Curatoria Draconis - also known as the Dragon Protector - takes us on a journey around the world to meet different kinds of dragons and learn how we can protect them...

• The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart

  Author: Stephanie Burgis Illustrator: Freya Hartas (chapter headings)
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 8-12
  Reading age: 8+

  When spirited young dragon Aventurine is tricked into drinking some enchanted hot chocolate, she is turned into a human girl. Dragons, magic and chocolate combine in this captivating fantasy adventure.

• The Dragon with the Blazing Bottom: A Very Fiery Fairy Tale

  Author: Beach
  Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  Interest age: 3-5
  

  A delightfully silly rhyming fairy tale story, The Dragon With the Blazing Bottom has plenty of laughs and zany illustrations, with an adorable dragon and his loyal adversary who is absolutely dedicated to helping out his friend. 

• The Dragon’s Hoard: stories from the Viking Sagas

  Author: Lari Don Illustrator: Cate James
  Publisher: Frances Lincoln
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 7+

  In this collection of 11 stories about Vikings, you will encounter sailors, traders and explorers. Elemental, unadorned and compelling, these engaging retellings of the Sagas are illuminated by earth-toned illustrations.

• The Dragonsitter

  Author: Josh Lacey Illustrator: Garry Parsons
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 6+
  Reading age: 7+

  Eddie's uncle has gone on holiday and he has left his dragon behind for Eddie to look after.

• The Dragonsitter Takes Off

  Author: Josh Lacey Illustrator: Gary Parsons
  Publisher: Anderson Press
  Interest age: 6+
  Reading age: 7+

  It had sounded so easy: Edward was going to look after Uncle Morton's unusual pet for a week while he went on holiday. But soon the fridge is empty, the curtains are blazing, and the postman is fleeing down the garden path.

• The Dreamsnatcher

  Author: Abi Elphinstone
  Publisher: Simon and Schuster
  Interest age: 9-12
  Reading age: 9+

  Moll and her wildcat Gryff must fight dark, magical  forces to protect the world they know. An exceptional debut novel that is packed with adventure, magic and humour.

• The Dress and the Girl

  Author: Camille Andros Illustrator: Julie Morstad
  Publisher: Abrams
  Interest age: 4-7
  Reading age: 6+

  Emigrating to America, a girl loses the trunk that contains her beloved dress. The dress then embarks on an epic around-the-world journey to find her. A poetic and exquisitely illustrated story about love, loss, the passing of time and the power of memory.

• The Drum

  Author: Ken Wilson-Max Illustrator: Catell Ronca
  Publisher: Tiny Owl
  Interest age: 0-3
  

  This little but lively book is part of Tiny Owl’s "Children. Music. Life" series, which focuses on musical instruments from around the world, created by award-winning picture book author and artist Ken Wilson-Max. In this book, we meet the drum.

• The Duckling Gets a Cookie!?

  Author: Mo Willems
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 5+

  Mo Willems’ trademark illustrations and sparse text convey a huge range of emotions in a strikingly minimalist style.

• The Duff

  Author: Kody Keplinger
  Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
  Interest age: 15+
  Reading age: 10+

  Seventeen year old Bianca believes her friends are all much more attractive to boys than she is herself. Wesley, a boy whom she hates, confirms this when he tells her she is 'The Duff' - the designated ugly fat friend chosen by other girls to draw attention to themselves.

• The Eagle Trail

  Author: Robert Rigby
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  Paul Hansen must follow the dangerous Eagle Trail through the Pyrenees Mountains to get to England and escape Nazi persecution in this well-researched historical drama.

• The Earth Book

  Author: Jonathan Litton Illustrator: Thomas Hegbrook
  Publisher: 360 Degrees
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 9+

  Learn about the inner workings of our earth, including earthquakes, volcanoes, thunderstorms and tsunamis; animal life on earth; the earth regions and the impact of humans on the planet, including information on migration, population and sustainability in this comprehensive hardback book celebrating the biodiversity and structure of this fascinating planet.

• The Earth is Singing

  Author:
  Publisher: Usborne
  Interest age: 12-16
  Reading age: 10+

  Based on true events, this first-person narrative tells the story of the Jews of Riga during World War II. Engaging, harrowing and thought-provoking, this is a story that should not be forgotten.

• The Edge

  Author: Alan Gibbons
  Publisher: Hachette
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 10+

  Danny and his mother Cathy are on the run from her abusive boyfriend, Chris. They go back to the Edge, Cathy's childhood home, which she left after having Danny at the age of sixteen.

• The Edge Chronicles: Beyond the Deepwoods

  Author: Paul Stewart Illustrator: Chris Riddell
  Publisher: Random House
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 9+

  The first book of The Edge Chronicles which sees Twig start his quest to find out who he really is.

• The Edge Chronicles: Doombringer

  Author: Paul Stewart Illustrator: Chris Riddell
  Publisher: Corgi
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 11+

  Cade and his friends are forced into action to defend their beloved home; they must summon the combined forces of the Deadwoods to repel the force of their enemies.

• The Edge Chronicles: Midnight Over Sanctaphrax

  Author: Paul Stewart Illustrator: Chris Riddell
  Publisher: Corgi
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  A storm is brewing far in the open sky, headed straight for the floating city of Sanctaphrax. But, when Twig has lost his memory of being warned of this catastrophe, he must find his crew and save the day.

• The Edge Chronicles: Stormchaser

  Author: Paul Stewart Illustrator: Chris Riddell
  Publisher: Corgi
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  The second part of the Twig Saga follows Twig as he joins the crew of the Stormchaser in a dangerous quest to collect stormphrax to save the floating city of Sanctaphrax.

• The Edge Chronicles: The Nameless One

  Author: Paul Stewart Illustrator: Chris Riddell
  Publisher: Corgi
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  Fleeing the scene of his father's murder in the city of Great Glade, Cade Quarter smuggles himself onto the Xanth Filatine, a floating skytavern that journeys over the vast landscape of The Deadwoods.

• The Eel Question

  Author: Nicola Davies Illustrator: Beth Holland
  Publisher: Graffeg
  Interest age: 7-10
  Reading age: 7+

  A mythic-feeling story about a girl who lives on the flat marshes, fishing for eels, and soon befriends an otter that will help her flee danger. As ever, Davies’ love of the natural world is obvious, and her writing sings with a dark exuberance.

• The Element in the Room: Investigating the Atomic Ingredients that Make Up Your Home

  Author: Mike Barfield Illustrator: Lauren Humphrey
  Publisher: Laurence King
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  Professor Ohms, a scientific detective, takes you on a journey of discovery around the periodic table. Packed with many weird and wonderful facts, it's perfect for any aspiring scientists (or detectives!). 

• The Elephant

  Author: Peter Carnavas
  Publisher: Pushkin
  Interest age: 6-8
  Reading age: 6+

  Olive's Dad is followed around by a huge grey elephant that only she can see. It makes him sad and quiet, blocking out all the light in his days. Olive knows she has to get rid of the elephant... but how?

• The Elephant and the Bad Baby

  Author: Elfrida Vipont Illustrator: Raymond Briggs
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 1-3
  

  One day, an elephant offers a baby a ride through the town, and the set off on a great adventure.

• The Elephant in the Room

  Author: James Thorp Illustrator: Angus Mackinnon
  Publisher: Templar
  Interest age: 4-6
  Reading age: 5+

  Someone has smashed Father Giant’s favourite china elephant. Who is the culprit? This is a magnificent magical mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end about who the culprit might be.

• The Elephant In The Room

  Author: Holly Goldberg Sloan
  Publisher: Piccadilly
  Interest age: 10-14
  Reading age: 10+

  Sila is lonely. But she’s not the only one and a chance encounter with an unwanted elephant and a wealthy old gentleman proves to be the start of something unexpected. 

• The Elephant Road

  Author: Nicola Davies Illustrator: Annabel Wright
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 6+
  Reading age: 7+

  This story provides an engaging context in which much wider, complex environmental issues are explored.

• The Elephant that Ate the Night

  Author: Bing Bai Illustrator: Yuanyuan Shen
  Publisher: Everything With Words
  Interest age: 3-5
  

  Children and families will enjoy this calming lullaby of a book, with its gentle refrain, muted colours and fairy tale-like charm. It's a great one for children who are scared of the dark, and it's perfect for bedtime and settling down for the night. 

• The Elephant Thief

  Author: Jane Kerr
  Publisher: Chicken House
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 10-12

  This is a fast-paced story, based loosely on a man's real-life journey from Edinburgh to Manchester, while riding an elephant – an event that captivated even Queen Victoria.

• The Elephant's Friend and Other Tales from Ancient India

  Author: Marcia Williams
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 8+

  A foolish greedy lion and a disloyal crocodile are two of the animals who get their just deserts in this quirky and beautifully-presented collection of traditional Indian folk tales.

• The Elites

  Author: Natasha Ngan
  Publisher: Hot Key Books
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 13+

  In a distant future in which wars, riots and environmental crises have changed the world as we know it, 15-year-old Silver is an Elite, specially chosen to guard the city of Neo-Babel

• The Elsewhere Emporium

  Author: Ross MacKenzie
  Publisher: Kelpies
  Interest age: 9-12
  Reading age: 10+

  This cracking sequel to the Blue Peter Book Award-winning The Nowhere Emporium is chock full of magic and invention. Detailed and original, yet never sacrificing the human story for fantasy, this is a fabulous book that will enchant and inspire.

• The Emerald Atlas - Books of Beginning 1

  Author: John Stephens
  Publisher: Doubleday Children's Books
  

  This new fantasy adventure will appeal to lovers of Narnia and Harry Potter.Kate, Michael and their younger sister Emma  have spent their childhoods in a succession of cruel orphanages but their lives are changed when they discover they are linked to a magic book with the power to transport them into the past. Readers will enjoy immersing themselves in …

• The Emergency Zoo

  Author: Miriam Halahmy
  Publisher: Alma Books
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  An unusual and atmospheric story set in the run-up to World War II. As London's children prepare for evacuation to the countryside, they are horrified to discover that their beloved pets are due to be put down.

• The Emperor of Absurdia

  Author: Chris Riddell
  Publisher: Pan Macmillan
  Interest age: 4-7
  Reading age: 5+

  The Emperor of Absurdia awakes one morning and can't find his snuggly scarf, so after checking with The Wardrobe Monster, begins to search for it.

• The Emperors New Clothes

  Author: Marcus Sedgwick Illustrator: Alison Jay
  Publisher: Templar
  Interest age: 4-6
  Reading age: 6+

  This is a satirical story about a very vain Emperor who adores beautiful new clothes and has wardrobes full of them!

• The Emperor's New Clothes

  Author: Marina Le Ray
  Publisher: Ladybird Books
  Interest age: 5+
  Reading age: 5+

  The story is told simply, using short sentences and a small number of frequently repeated words

• The Emperor's Underwear

  Author: Laurence Anholt Illustrator: Arthur Robbins
  Publisher: Hachette
  Interest age: 5-10
  Reading age: 7+

  Witty and well illustrated, this is a superb twist on the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes.

• The Empty Stocking

  Author: Richard Curtis Illustrator: Rebecca Cobb
  Publisher: Puffin Books
  Interest age: 4+
  Reading age: 7+

  Award-winning writer and director Richard Curtis turns his hand to picture books in this magical festive story, beautifully illustrated by Rebecca Cobb

• The Enchanted Horse

  Author: Magdalen Nabb Illustrator: Julek Heller
  Publisher: Harper Collins Children’s Books
  Interest age: 8+
  Reading age: 9+

  A magical tale of a little girl whose enduring love brings a very special horse to life. With a traditional feel and timeless quality, it could be a future family favourite.

• The Enchanted Wood

  Author: Enid Blyton
  Publisher: Farshore
  Interest age: 6+
  Reading age: 7+

  When Joe, Beth and Frannie move into a new home, they discover a mysterious wood on their very doorstep.

• The Enduring Ark

  Author: Gita Wolf Illustrator: Joydeb Chitrakar
  Publisher: Tara Books
  Interest age: 4+
  Reading age: 6+

  This striking picture book is a retelling of the story of Noah and the ark.

• The Enemy

  Author: Charlie Higson
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 10+

  When the sickness came, the adults became ill. The lucky ones died but many mutated into brainless, deformed monsters with a seemingly insatiable appetite - for children.

• The Epic Book of Epicness: The world’s most epic facts in pictures

  Author: Adam Frost
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  

  In full colour throughout with great, modern design, this book is extremely well written and fun. Every page is full of genuinely fascinating and unusual facts.

• The Epic Crush of Genie Lo

  Author: F C Yee
  Publisher: Abrams & Chronicle
  Interest age: 12-16
  Reading age: 12+

  It’s a joy that this pacy, funny Buffy The Vampire Slayer meets kung-fu novel is out there: readers will identify with the difficulties of school and family, and love the realistic teen voices and hilarious dialogue.

• The Ethan I Was Before

  Author: Ali Standish
  Publisher: Orchard Books
  Interest age: 10-13
  Reading age: 10+

  An emotionally powerful story about friendship and grief, family and secrets, with a good dose of mystery and a dramatic, race-against-time conclusion. It's very readable and feels like a future classic.

• The Every Baby Book

  Author: Frann Preston-Gannon
  Publisher: Magic Cat
  Interest age: 1-3
  

  Over the course of one day, we see many different kinds of families engage in the same similar routines: breakfasts, nappy changes, dinners, bedtime. A warm and comforting book with an ultimate message of love and togetherness, which is perfect for bedtime or quieter moments. 

• The Everywhere Bear

  Author: Julia Donaldson Illustrator: Rebecca Cobb
  Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books
  Interest age: 4-5
  

  This picture book about a missing toy bear somehow seems like a classic already - with a lovely whiff of nostalgia about it all, while also feeling very current and gently inclusive.

• The Executioner's Daughter

  Author: Jane Hardstaff
  Publisher: Farshore
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 10+

  The crowds at the Tower of London love nothing better than the grisly spectacle of an execution. But as the executioner's daughter, Moss has seen more than her fair share of horror.

• The Exploding Life of Scarlett Fife

  Author: Maz Evans Illustrator: Chris Jevons
  Publisher: Hodder
  Interest age: 7-11
  Reading age: 8+

  A smart, perceptive and utterly hilarious story of one girl’s BIG FEELINGS and the explosive outcome when she tries to keep them inside.

• The Explorer

  Author: Katherine Rundell Illustrator: Hannah Horn
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  Fred, Con, Lila and little Max’s plane is on the way to Manaus when it falls out of the sky. Now, lost in the Amazon rainforest, they must figure out the basics of survival. Rundell’s writing is exquisite and this story is completely, utterly wonderful.

• The Extinction Trials

  Author: S M Wilson
  Publisher: Usborne
  Interest age: 11-14
  Reading age: 10+

  In Storm and Lincoln’s world, there are two continents... And one is inhabited by vicious, predatory dinosaurs. A tense, brutal fantasy adventure: The Hunger Games meets Jurassic Park.

• The Extincts

  Author: Veronica Cossanteli
  Publisher: Chicken House
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 8+

  George loves helping out at Wormestall Farm, a secret sanctuary for exinct and mythical beasts, where unlikely things are always happening.

• The Extraordinary Life of Katherine Johnson

  Author: Devika Jina Illustrator: Maggie Cole
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 6-11
  Reading age: 7+

  This biography of brilliant mathematician Katherine Johnson charts her life from early childhood to the present day. Beautifully designed, the book also includes a wealth of information about space exploration and aspects of American history.

• The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks

  Author: Katie Kirby
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 12-14
  Reading age: 11+

  Lottie Brooks is just starting secondary school and she's just about ready to die of embarrassment - she hasn't got a bra, her hair is totally wrong, and the whole class has started calling her Cucumber Girl. Just how cringe can one year be? A hilarious tween diary from Katie Kirby.

• The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone

  Author: Jaclyn Moriarty
  Publisher: Guppy Books
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  A wild quest sends Bronte through a magical, whimsical world. Slowly, she discovers how high the stakes are. This book really has everything: skillfully-spun plot, humour and charm, unforgettable characters and poetry in its language.

• The Extremely Weird Thing that Happened in Huggabie Falls

  Author: Adam Cece Illustrator: Andrew Weldon
  Publisher: Text Publishing
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  An utterly nonsensical but engaging romp through the weirdest town in the world, featuring a warty witch, a creepy scientist, vegetarian piranhas and a dastardly plot that could change the town forever.

• The Eyebrows of Doom

  Author: Steve Smallman Illustrator: Miguel Ordonez
  Publisher: Little Tiger
  Interest age: 4-5
  Reading age: 4+

  Dave the bear is innocently sweeping up when th eyebrows of doom latch onto his face and take control. The eyebrows declare their intension to rule the world and proceed to jump from animal to animal in pursuit of their goal. 

• The Fabulous Fairies ABC

  Author: Nancy Trott
  Publisher: Koala Books
  Interest age: 4 months+
  Reading age: 2+

  This is a sparkly, magical ABC - perhaps one for the girls!

• The Fabulous Foskett Family Circus

  Author: John Yeoman Illustrator: Quentin Blake
  Publisher: Andersen Press
  Interest age: 2+
  Reading age: 5+

  A simple rhyme introduces each exuberant personality from the Fabulous Foskett Family Circus.

• The Fabulous Phartlehorn Affair

  Author: M L Peel Illustrator: Hannah Shaw
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 8-11
  Reading age: 8+

  Bruno Pockley is an extraordinary boy with an extraordinary musical talent.

• The Fairytale Hairdresser and Cinderella

  Author: Abie Longstaff
  Publisher: Picture Corgi
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 6+

  Fabulous hairdresser to the fairy-tale stars Kittie helps Cinderella meet her Prince in this fun and light-hearted reworking of a favourite fairy story.

• The Fairytale Hairdresser and Father Christmas

  Author: Abie Longstaff Illustrator: Lauren Beard
  Publisher: Picture Corgi
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 5+

  It's Christmas Eve, but someone has stolen all the presents - Christmas will be ruined!

• The Fairytale Hairdresser and the Sugar Plum Fairy

  Author: Abie Longstaff Illustrator: Lauren Beard
  Publisher: Picture Corgi
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 5-8

  A retelling of The Nutcracker in an ever-growing series of picturebooks for KS1 girls.

• The Falconer

  Author: Elizabeth May
  Publisher: Gollancz
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 13+

  Eighteenth century Edinburgh and a dark faerie underworld collide in this fast-moving, gripping Steampunk fantasy romance.

• The Falconer's Knot

  Author: Mary Hoffman
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 11+

  Romance, art, monasticism and murder in Umbria, 1316. Hoffman has specialised in creating atmospheric historical novels, filled with intrigue...

• The Fall

  Author: Anthony McGowan
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 8+

  Mog isn’t one of the popular crowd, but at least he manages to get by without being troubled much by the bullies...

• The Fall

  Author: Bethany Griffin
  Publisher: Hachette Children's Books
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 9+

  A creepy and unsettling psychological thriller based on Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher.

• The Familiars: Animal Wizardry

  Author: Adam Epstein and Andrew Jacobson
  Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
  Interest age: 8+
  Reading age: 8+

  Orphaned alley cat Aldwyn is bought by Jack, a likeable young wizard, and has a home and family at last. But when Jack is kidnapped, Aldwyn and his fellow familiars must rescue him.

• The Family Book

  Author: Todd Parr
  Publisher: Little Brown & Company
  Interest age: 3-6
  Reading age: 5-8

  A joyous picture book about the importance of family and all the strength it can give you, this celebrates family in all its wonderful, diverse glory. The message is subtle, but a crucial one: every family is special and the only thing that matters is love. 

• The Family From One End Street

  Author: Eve Garnett
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  Eve Garnett's brilliant depiction of a large, close-knit family and their hilarious escapades is every bit as funny and charming today as it was when it was published in the 1930s.

• The Famishing Vanishing Mahoosive Mammoth

  Author: Hollie Hughes Illustrator: Leigh Hodgkinson
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 4-7
  Reading age: 6+

  Mammoth has a problem. He's terribly hungry. His tiny friend Bug brings him food, but one gulp later, it's gone - and Mammoth is gloomy and starving, all over again. A charming, comical, rhyming tale of two unlikely friends.

• The Faraway Truth

  Author: Janae Marks
  Publisher: Chicken House
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 8+

  Zoe has never met her father, who is in prison for life. But what if he was innocent? When a letter arrives, she sets out on a quest to clear his name.

• The Fault in Our Stars

  Author: John Green
  Publisher: Penguin Children's Books
  Interest age: 14+
  Reading age: 13+

  John Green tackles the subject of teenage cancer with sensitivity in this witty, life-affirming young adult romance.

• The Fearsome Beastie

  Author: Giles Paley-Phillips
  Publisher: Maverick
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 6+

  Children quake in the darkness as they hear the terrifying roar of the fearsome beastie as it searches for food...

• The Feathered Man

  Author: Jeremy De Quidt
  Publisher: David Fickling Books
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 10+

  Long ago in a German town, Klaus, the tooth-puller’s boy, sees his master steal a diamond from the teeth of a dead man in the wicked Frau Drecht’s lodging house.

• The Fellowship of The Ring

  Author: JRR Tolkein
  Publisher: HarperCollins
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 12+

  The first part of J R R Tolkien's epic masterpiece The Lord of the Rings, this is the story of young hobbit Frodo Baggins, who finds himself faced with an immense and terrible duty.

• The Ferry Birds

  Author: Helen Dunmore Illustrator: Rebecca Cobb
  Publisher: Mabecron Books
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 6+

  Dunmore has spun a magical story to show how a small boy in a remote island setting who misses his Dad is reassured by a make-believe trip to visit him in the Far North.

• The Film of Our Life

  Author: Maite Carranza Illustrator: Iratxe López de Munáin Translator: Laura McGloughlin from Catalan
  Publisher: Editorial Cruïlla
  

  When crisis strikes, a girl convinces her brother that they are the stars of a film to protect him from the harsh realities of their new life.

  Twelve-year-old Olívia Tancredi lives in Barcelona with her actress mother Íngrid and her little brother Tim. When Íngrid can't find work, money to pay the bills runs out, their furniture is repossessed, and they are …

• The Fintastic Diary of Darcy Dolphin

  Author: Sam Watkins Illustrator: Vicky Barker
  Publisher: Farshore
  Interest age: 6+
  Reading age: 7-9

  Darcy might be a dolphin, but her daily life at school and home will be incredibly relatable to primary school children.

• The Fire Chronicle

  Author: John Stephens
  Publisher: Doubleday
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 9+

  The second in the Books of Beginning fantasy series continues the story of Kate, Michael and Emma.

• The Fire-Eaters

  Author: David Almond
  Publisher: Hachette
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 9+

  When Bobby begins a new school and endures sadistic cruelty at the hands of his new teachers, he is drawn away from his old friends and towards newcomer Daniel.

• The Firework Maker's Daughter

  Author: Philip Pullman
  Publisher: Random House
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 7+

  A fantasy adventure story of a determined girl called Lila.

• The First Case

  Author: Ulf Nilsson Illustrator: Gitte Spee
  Publisher: Gecko Press
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 9

  A warm, delightful story, charming and perceptive, with appealing whimsical illustrations.

• The First Christmas

  Author: Jan Pienkowski
  Publisher: Penguin
  Interest age: 4+
  Reading age: 6+

  Jan Pienkowski's silhouette illustrations lend an air of mystery and drama to this text, taken from the King James Bible.

• The First Egg Hunt

  Author: Adam & Charlotte Guillain and Pippa Curnick
  Publisher: Farshore
  Interest age: 4-6
  Reading age: 5+

  This original take on how Easter egg hunts really started is a fun, rhyming tale, with plenty of humorous detail in Pippa Curnick’s bright and lovable illustrations. The message is that working as a team is the best way forward.

• The First Noel: A Christmas Pop-Up

  Author: Jan Pienkowski
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 6-11
  Reading age: 6+

  From the moment that Mary conceives Jesus to his birth in a humble stable, the Nativity is depicted simply and with great beauty in this five double-page spread pop-up book. A delightful gift book. 

• The Fish Who Could Wish

  Author: John Bush Illustrator: Korky Paul
  Publisher: Oxford University Press
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 5+

  Deep in the ocean lives a very special fish whose wishes come true.

• The Five of Us

  Author: Quentin Blake
  Publisher: Tate Publishing
  Interest age: 5+
  Reading age: 4+

  This book is testament to Blake's belief that all children need to be able find themselves in books.

• The Flask

  Author: Nicky Singer
  Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 11+

  When her new baby brothers are born critically ill, Jess becomes convinced that the strange and beautiful flask in Aunt Edie's desk has the power to help them.

• The Flute

  Author: Ken Wilson-Max and Catell Ronca
  Publisher: Tiny Owl
  Interest age: 0-3
  

  In a bright meadow full of fruit and flowers, a boy plays a flute that sounds full of magic. This poetic book is the second in a series of books for babies and toddlers about musical instruments from around the world and how they make us feel and move. 

• The Fly

  Author: Petr Horacek
  Publisher: Walker Books
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 7+

  Energetic illustrations and some lift-the-flap sections add interest as the humble housefly buzzes through this lively book

• The Flyaway Blanket

  Author: Allan Peterkin Illustrator: Emmeline Pidgen
  Publisher: Magination Press
  Interest age: 2+
  Reading age: 5+

  Soft pastel illustrations accompany this gentle tale about a much-loved comfort blanket

• The Foggy Foggy Forest

  Author: Nick Sharratt
  Publisher: Walker
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 5+

  Who's lurking in the foggy forest? Look through the trees and guess the shapes to find out.

• The Foreshadowing

  Author: Marcus Sedgwick
  Publisher: Hachette
  Interest age: 12+
  Reading age: 12+

  17-year-old Sasha travels to France as a volunteer nurse in an attempt to rescue her beloved brother Tom from a terrible death. But can she really change the future?

• The Fork, The Witch, and The Worm: Tales from Alagaësia

  Author: Christopher Paolini with Angela Paolini
  Publisher: Puffin
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  This volume comprises three new short stories set in the fictional world of Alagaësia, the setting for the Eragon books: Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr and Inheritance. Existing fans will adore the extra world- and character-building that this book lends.

   

• The Four Branches of the Mabinogi

  Author: Siân Lewis Illustrator: Valériane Leblond
  Publisher: Rily
  Interest age: 7-11
  Reading age: 8+

  Enchanting, engrossing and beautifully illustrated, this is a wonderfully accessible retelling of the most ancient of recorded legends, and a great introduction to the ancient storytelling heritage of Wales.

• The Four Seasons of Lucy McKenzie

  Author: Kirsty Murray
  Publisher: Allen and Unwin
  Interest age: 9-13
  Reading age: 9+

  An engrossing fantasy adventure that will appeal to a wide audience.

• The Fourth Horseman

  Author: Kate Thompson
  Publisher: Random House
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 8+

  What will happen when the fourth and final rider appears, will his appearance signal the end of the world?

• The Fowl Twins

  Author: Eoin Colfer
  Publisher: HarperCollins
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  The Fowl twins are completely unlike each other, but they make the perfect team when the evil ACRONYM attacks them. Readers will find a well-developed fantasy world with a plot that is full of clever, satisfying twists and turns. 

• The Fox and the Ghost King

  Author: Michael Morpurgo Illustrator: Michael Foreman
  Publisher: Harper Collins
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 8+

  This sweet story weaves Morpurgo's effortless storytelling with ancient and very recent history: Leicester City's win of the Premiership title. Beautiful illustrations make it a lovely gift: football fans, history fans and fox fans are all taken care of here.

• The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle

  Author: Victoria Williamson
  Publisher: Kelpies
  Interest age: 10-14
  Reading age: 9+

  Told in dual narrative, this story follows Reema and Caylin as they negotiate a shaky friendship: one, an asylum seeker from Syria, and the other, a girl whose mum is struggling to cope. A truly excellent and ultimately uplifting book with plenty of heart.

• The Frank Show

  Author: David Mackintosh
  Publisher: HarperCollins
  Interest age: 4+
  Reading age: 7+

  A clever and thoughtful picture book showing how much fun the older generation can be and the valuable contribution they can make to young lives.

• The Frog Prince Continued

  Author: Jon Scieszka
  Publisher: Penguin
  Interest age: 4+
  Reading age: 4+

  After the Princess kissed the frog, he turned into a handsome prince, and they lived happily ever after… or did they?

• The Front Room

  Author: Michelle Magorian Illustrator: Vladimir Stankovic
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 7+

  Hannah and her brother Benjy are on holiday. But instead of relaxing, Hannah is terrified: convinced there's something dreadful in her room. The suspense builds chillingly in this pared-down, atmospheric ghost story.

• The Frozen Sea

  Author: Piers Torday
  Publisher: Quercus Children's Books
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  This brilliant sequel to The Lost Magician is a nail-biting adventure of twists and turns from award-winning author Piers Torday. Readers will flit between hiding under the covers during battle scenes to laughing hysterically at the antics of Jewel's hamster, Fizz. 

• The Funny Life of Pets

  Author: James Campbell Illustrator: Rob Jones
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 8-11
  Reading age: 8+

  Is it fiction or non-fiction? You decide! This highly interactive book mixes together real and made-up facts about pets, with hilarious results. Packed with cartoon-style illustrations, The Funny Life of Pets is a comical take on how to choose and care for a pet.

• The Funny Life of Sharks

  Author: James Campbell Illustrator: Rob Jones
  Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 8+

  This is a non-fiction book with a difference: not only is it bursting with a wealth of fascinating information about sharks, such as their appearance, habitat and diet, but it also contains an amusing array of untruths and daft anecdotes about totally unconnected topics. 

• The Funny Life of Teachers

  Author: James Campbell Illustrator: Rob Jones
  Publisher: Bloomsbury
  Interest age: 9-12
  Reading age: 9+

  You shouldn’t believe everything you read in this imaginative and inventive ‘guide’ to anything and (almost) everything related to school and teachers!

  Packed with cartoon-style illustrations, this highly interactive book mixes together real and made-up facts about school and teachers, with hilarious results. Topics include the different types of teachers an…

• The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussy-Cat

  Author: Julia Donaldson Illustrator: Charlotte Voake
  Publisher: Puffin Books
  Interest age: 3+
  Reading age: 6+

  At the end of Edward Lear's much loved poem, the happily married Owl and the Pussy-cat are dancing hand-in-hand on the edge of the sand... but what happened next?

• The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit

  Author: Emma Thompson Illustrator: Eleanor Taylor
  Publisher: Frederick Warne
  Interest age: 2+
  Reading age: 6+

  Oscar-winning actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson has turned her hand to children's books in this new continuation of Peter Rabbit's adventures.

• The Fury

  Author:
  Publisher: Faber Children's Books
  Interest age: 15+
  Reading age: 13+

  Cal, Brick and Daisy are three very different teenagers, living very different lives, but one horrific day they are thrown together in unimaginable circumstances.

• The Galloping Ghost

  Author:
  Publisher: Catnip
  Interest age: 7+
  Reading age: 7+

  This gently humorous chapter book was shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2009; black and white line drawings add to its appeal and the length is perfect for emerging readers.

• The Game of Finger Worms

  Author: Hervé Tullet
  Publisher: Phaidon
  Interest age: 0+
  Reading age: 5+

  This lovely new series of baby books includes games with art, patterns and light, all designed to get very young children to have fun with exploring and using their imagination.

• The Game of Lines

  Author: Hervé Tullet
  Publisher: Phaidon
  Interest age: 0-5
  

  Learn how to create crazy patterns and have fun with all the combinations you can create!

• The Game of Tops and Tails

  Author: Hervé Tullet
  Publisher: Phaidon
  Interest age: 0-5
  

  The Game of Tops and Tails is a book to inspire the imagination.

• The Garbage King

  Author: Elizabeth Laird
  Publisher: Macmillan Children's books
  Interest age: 10+
  Reading age: 10+

  This pacy coming-of-age adventure concentrates on the private hopes, dreams and feelings that drive its characters along, but also keeps enough sense of the gritty realities of street life.

• The Garden of Lost Secrets

  Author: A. M. Howell
  Publisher: Usborne
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  A beautifully written story full of mystery and family secrets, set in Edwardian England against the backdrop of the First World War.

• The Genius Aged 8¼

  Author: Jeremy Strong Illustrator: Jamie Smith
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke
  Interest age: 6+
  Reading age: 8+

  Alfie's parents are very silly, and it's no time at all until young Alfie shows common sense beyond his years. Soon, he is headteacher, town mayor and prime minister of the country - all before his ninth birthday. Giggles and guffaws aplenty.

• The Get Rich Quick Club

  Author: Rose Impey
  Publisher: Orchard Books
  Interest age: 9-12
  Reading age: 9+

  Banksy is dedicated to his ambition to become mega-rich through his various money-making schemes. His business partners - and next-door neighbours - are the Baxter Brothers. Billy has boundless confidence and enthusiasm, and Sam is six going on sixty. And then there's Dingdong, their cousin, who is reluctantly allowed to join in, especially if she can help t…

• The Getaway

  Author: Ed Vere
  Publisher: Penguin
  Interest age: 4+
  Reading age: 6+

  Notorious cheese thief Fingers McGraw is on the run (or rather, on the moped) from chief law enforcer The Elephant.

• The Ghost Box

  Author: Catherine Fisher
  Publisher: Barrington Stoke
  Interest age: 11+
  Reading age: 8+

  This spooky thriller is a short and simple read ideal for reluctant and struggling readers.

• The Ghost Bride

  Author: Yangsze Choo
  Publisher: Hot Key Books
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 13+

  Set in 1890s Malaysia, this is the story of seventeen-year-old Li Lan, whose quiet life with her father is dramatically altered when he returns one evening with a proposition for her. 

• The Ghost of Gosswater

  Author: Lucy Strange
  Publisher: Chicken House
  Interest age: 9-11
  Reading age: 9+

  Agatha is cast out of her family home by her cruel cousin and sent to live with a man she has never met. Could a ghostly figure at the window be the key to unlocking Agatha's past and finding out who she really is?

• The Ghost of the Trenches

  Author: Helen Watts and Taffy Thomas
  Publisher: A&C Black
  Interest age: 9+
  Reading age: 9+

  This slim volume includes 14 'war stories' made up of poems, songs and re-tellings of ghostly sightings and mysterious coincidences, themed around World War One.

• The Ghosts and Jamal

  Author: Bridget Blankley
  Publisher: Hope Road Publishing
  Interest age: 12-18
  Reading age: 12+

  Jamal wakes to find that everyone in his West African village have been killed. He alone has survived because of how others perceive his epilepsy. This is a powerful, moving and mesmerising story, set in a violent world and seen through a 13-year-old's eyes. 

• The Ghosts of Creakie Hall: Ace Ghosts

  Author: Tony Ross
  Publisher: Catnip Publishing Ltd
  Interest age: 6-10
  Reading age: 8+

  Creakie Hall is falling down but there is no money in the bank so Aunt Gardenia Bogey-Mandeville needs to come up with a money-making scheme pretty quickly...

• The Ghosts of Heaven

  Author: Marcus Sedgwick
  Publisher: Indigo
  Interest age: 13+
  Reading age: 12+

  The Ghosts of Heaven is an excellent book that will open up new avenues of thought and future reading and introduces teenage readers to a more inventive understanding of storytelling.

• The Giant of Jum

  Author: Elli Woollard and Benji Davies
  Publisher: Macmillan
  Interest age: 3-6
  Reading age: 5+

  The illustrations brim with jokes and delightful details, the rhyming text is breezy fun, and the line between darkly gruesome and good-hearted is deftly maintained.

• The Giant Turnip

  Author: Henriette Barkow Illustrator: Richard Johnson
  Publisher: Mantra Lingua
  Interest age: 2+
  Reading age: 6+

  The children in Miss Honeywood's class decide to grow vegetables in their school garden. What a shock they get when they discover a huge turnip that they are unable to move.