The English Führer

Rory Clements

WHEN a mysterious plague rips through a small Cambridgeshire village in the autumn of 1945, fears grow that it could be a biological weapon attack by an unknown and unseen enemy.

Could it be the work of a dangerous Nazi remnant, a covert operation by agents from the Soviet Union... or could it be linked to Unit 731, the sinister Japanese biological warfare research laboratory in Manchuria?

Maverick Cambridge Professor Tom Wilde, who spent three years of the war as a spy with the Office of Strategic Services, America’s wartime intelligence agency, is rapidly learning that there is no such thing as retirement from espionage in the uncertain peace of the post-war period. Although the history books tell us that the Second World War ended in May 1945 in Europe and in the Far East three months later, it was not the end of fascism and many Nazi sympathisers continued to campaign for their beliefs. Add on the dawning realisation that the Red Army’s ‘liberation’ of Eastern European countries merely meant replacing one totalitarian occupation with another, coupled with the infiltration of Britain’s secret services by high-ranking traitors like Kim Philby, Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean and Anthony Blunt, and the stage was set for a new kind of warfare. 

In the seventh book of his acclaimed ‘what if’ historical novels series – which has included Corpus, Nucleus, Nemesis, 
Hitler’s Secret, A Prince and A Spy and The Man in the Bunker – former national newspaper journalist Rory Clements (pictured left) sweeps us back into the life of Tom Wilde, his unconventional half-American, half-Irish history don who has braved death and danger to do his bit for peace and freedom.

And just when Tom thought the moment had arrived when he could put the war behind him and enjoy time with his wife, Lydia, and six-year-old son, Johnny, a new threat arises in a world ‘exhausted by war, desperate for peace – and extremely vulnerable.’

In October of 1945, off the east coast of England, a Japanese submarine surfaces briefly after an epic 18,000 nautical mile journey across the Pacific and the Atlantic, unloads its mysterious cargo and then blows itself to pieces, duty done. Meanwhile, former spy Tom Wilde is enjoying peacetime in Cambridge, settling back into teaching and family life... until a call from senior MI5 boss, Lord ‘Dagger’ Templeman, brings him abruptly out of retirement. As Tom’s wife Lydia warns him, ‘the war might be over for everyone else, but not for Professor Wilde.’

It seems the nearby village of Flowthorpe has been locked down by the military, its residents suddenly blighted by a deadly plague-like illness. No one is allowed in or out and there are rumours that the Nazi machine is still operational, with links to Unit 731, the notorious Japanese

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Family love, storm tides and a plane plot

Be inspired by the moving wartime story of a father and his remarkable son, dive into an unforgettable tale set in an underwater world, join a high-flying mission to stop a dastardly espionage plot, and have your spine tingled by a terrifying Day of the Triffids-inspired thriller as a new collection of children’s books hits the shelves

Age 8 plus
Fritz and Kurt
Jeremy Dronfield and
David Ziggy Greene

THE moving story of the all-consuming love between a father, a son and a brother is explored in this retelling of one of the most inspirational accounts to come out of the Holocaust. Jeremy Dronfield’s bestselling publishing phenomenon, The Boy Who Followed his Father into Auschwitz, was first published to great acclaim in 2019 and acted a reminder of both the best and the worst of humanity, the strength of family ties, and the power of the human spirit. And now Dronfield has adapted for younger readers his almost unbelievable true story of Austrian Jew Fritz Kleinmann who volunteered to follow his father, Gustav, into Auschwitz in 1938 rather than be separated from him.

When everything is taken away from you, love and courage are all you have left. In 1938, the Nazis come to Vienna. They hate anyone who is different, especially Jewish people. Brothers Fritz and Kurt’s family are Jewish, and that puts them in terrible danger. Fritz, along with his father, is taken to a Nazi prison camp, a terrible place, full of fear. When his father is sent to a certain death in Auschwitz, Fritz can’t face losing his beloved Papa and chooses to go with him and fight for survival. Meanwhile, Kurt must go on a frightening journey, all alone, to seek safety on the far side of the world. Fritz and Kurt face unimaginable hardships, and the two brothers wonder if they will ever return home...

Dronfield’s heart-rending and eloquent account of the Kleinmann family’s horrific ordeal – a truly extraordinary story illustrated throughout by David Ziggy Greene – is handled with immense sensitivity without losing sight of the importance of truth and factual honesty. Fritz and Kurt is a tragic and shocking story, with the Kleinmanns’ experiences of the cruelty suffered by Jews in the concentration camps acting as a powerful reminder of the evils of the Nazis, but it is also an enduring and resonant tribute to the unbreakable bonds of family love.
(Puffin, paperback, £8.99)

Age 9 plus
The Storm Swimmer
Clare Weze

DIVE into this glorious middle grade novel from Clare Weze and you won’t want to surface again until the last page – and the tide – has turned! Weze, whose debut children’s book The Lightning Catcher was longlisted for the 2022 CILIP Carnegie Medal, sweeps away her young readers on an unforgettable adventure that travels across the land and under the sea, and has a life-changing friendship at its warm and beating heart. Summer was supposed to be Ginika’s time for fun, friends and fairs, but instead she has been sent to live at the dead-end seaside boarding house which her grandparents run. Even though her parents – who have hit hard times – say it’s just for a little while, she can’t help feeling abandoned and heartbroken to be missing out on everything she loves back home. And then she meets Peri. He leaps and dives through the water like a dolphin and he talks like a burst of bubbles. He’s not exactly a mermaid, but he is certainly a sea dweller and definitely something Ginika has never seen before. 

His family is far away too but unlike Ginika, he loves his independence. As Ginika shows Peri her world of life living on the land rather than in the sea, she starts to feel free as well. They don’t need anyone else when they’ve got each other. But then the lights and noise of the human world start to change Peri. And when things spin out of control, Ginika must be the bravest she has ever been to face her fears and make the hardest decision of her life. Join Ginika and Peri as they dive beneath the waves and walk the lands that will take them into each other’s worlds on an adventure they will never forget and a life-changing friendship.

There may be an ocean of difference in the worlds of Ginika and Peri but Weze’s atmospheric and exquisitely created story fills that gap with an inspirational friendship which has no boundaries when it comes to care, empathy and shared affection. Throw in some very real issues around the angst and uncertainty that comes from financial hardship, and the loan sharks who feed on those who are vulnerable, and you have an original, exciting and magical adventure with some important life lessons swimming very close to the surface. A master storyteller at work!
(Bloomsbury Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
The Wildstorm Curse
Eve Wersocki Morris

CAN a girl with dyslexia find the words that will save her friends? Despite struggling with her reading and spelling as a child, and fearing that she would never be able to read to even a basic standard, Eve Wersocki Morris has never let her dyslexia diagnosis stand in the way of her gift for storytelling. And the proof is in her growing reputation as an exciting author of thrilling, chilling mystery novels full of myths, legends, folklore and fantasy. So experience all that irresistible black magic in The Wildstorm Curse, a dark and dazzling adventure that serves up the same spine-tingling brand of spooky supernatural which won hearts and minds in her critically acclaimed debut novel, The Bird Singers.

A fabled witch, a powerful curse, a monster out for revenge... thirteen-year-old Kallie Tamm can’t wait to spend a week of her summer holidays at the Wildstorm Theatre Camp, and she is determined not to let her dyslexia hold her back from achieving her dream of becoming a playwright. The finale of the whole week is a performance in the local village theatre. But as soon as she arrives, Kallie discovers that the cast will be performing a play written by a 17th century witch, Ellsabet Graveheart, and strange, scary things start happening. Unbeknown to Kallie, a dark shadow is stirring in the woodland near Wildstorm... an ancient and dangerous creature has awoken from a centuries-old slumber, and it is out for revenge, putting Kallie and all of her new friends in grave danger. Can an unlikely hero find the words to save her friends? This is adventure with a capital A, a suspenseful tale about unlikely heroes and the power of storytelling which comes steeped in 17th century witchlore and darkly dangerous demon myths. With its reassuring message that even the best spellers are always the best storytellers, and that ‘true heroes aren’t always the strongest or the most powerful,’ The Wildstorm Curse is empowering, bewitching and page-turningly good!
(Hodder Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
Alice Éclair Spy Extraordinaire:
A Spoonful of Spying
Sarah Todd Taylor

THE heat is on as French baker-cum-spy extraordinaire Alice Éclair embarks on a high-flying mission to stop a dastardly plane plot in the second book of a brilliant mystery series cooked up by Sarah Todd Taylor. Star of the show is Alice Éclair who leads an exciting double life as a baker by day at her mother’s patisserie in Paris and a rather unusual spy by night. And after the breathless adventures on Alice's first mission, A Recipe for Trouble, she is ready to whisk young readers away on a fabulous journey full of daring action and delicious cakes. Inventors and artists from all nations have gathered in Paris for the World Fair. All eyes are on the aeroplane exhibition... these incredible machines will take humanity to new heights! Alice suspects that some of these inventors are in terrible danger but no one believes her until France’s top aeroplane engineer mysteriously disappears. Surrounded by enemy spies, Alice will need to use every trick in the recipe book if she is to keep her friends safe and stop France’s greatest invention from falling into the wrong hands. With a half-baked plan, a dash of daring, and the help of her new espionage partner Claude, Alice must foil the enemy’s devious plot before the whole thing boils over... Ideal as a stand-alone novel, or enjoyed as part of the series, A Spoonful of Spying dishes up the same delicious mix of mouth-watering mystery, super-sleuthing,  cakes baked to perfection, and fast-paced fun and action. Roll on the third course!
(Nosy Crow, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
Albi the Glowing Cow Boy
Georgia Byng and Angela Cogo

CAN a special relationship between a boy and a calf help to give them both a better future? Vegan and animal lover Georgia Byng explores the world of animal agriculture and its impact on the planet in a moving and original novel aimed at encouraging empathy and opening questioning young minds. On a quiet farm in a frosty England, under the glowing light of a magical milk moon, an albino boy calf is born. His name is Albi, and he has no idea how extraordinary he is going to be. Several miles away lives a human boy called Rufus Chumley whose father owns the abbatoir. Rufus is extraordinary in his own way – he has a condition that has made him grow way beyond the size of other children of his age – but he has no friends and no one to love him, not even his parents. Rufus seeks the family he never had and he’ll go to any lengths to find it. Albi and Rufus must each embark on a journey that will take them across continents, showing them things they never believed could be true. But why are they so deeply connected? And will each extraordinary ‘boy’ find what they are searching for? Told through the alternating narratives of Albi and Rufus, Byng’s beautifully atmospheric story – complete with the stunning illustrations of Angela Cogo – is filled with both ethereal beauty, harsh realities... and plenty of food for thought.
(UCLan Publishing, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8 plus
The Mapmakers
Tamzin Merchant

IF magic, maps and marvellous adventures are your route to reading heaven then journey back to the spellbinding world of Cordelia Hatmaker, the inspirational star of actress and now exceptional new storyteller Tamzin Merchant’s stunning novel The Hatmakers. This stunning sequel once again sweeps us away on another wild and imaginative wave of danger, discovery and soaraway fantasy in which Cordelia must try to save the very essence of magic itself. Ever since Cordelia – who comes from a long line of magical milliners – discovered the hidden map in her father Prospero’s precious telescope, she has been searching the streets of London by starlight, trying to uncover its secrets. She’s sure that her missing father is out there somewhere, and that if she follows his map, she will finally discover the truth about his disappearance. What she doesn’t expect is to stumble upon a secret society of Mapmakers... or to learn that magic isn’t limited to the few Maker families, but instead is all around if you just know where to look. Now danger is lurking around every corner and Cordelia must convince the rival Maker families to work together for once... not only to bring her father home, but to save a whole world of magic. With illustrations by Paola Escobar adding extra vibrancy and life to Merchant’s story, and plenty of intriguing twists and turns along the way, The Mapmakers explores the bonds of friendship and family with warmth, insight and an irresistible sense of fun. Magic, charm, heart and humour... perfect middle grade reading for all young adventurers!
(Puffin, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8 plus
The Terror of Hilltop House
Dan Smith and Chris King

THERE'S something seriously scary going on at creepy Hilltop House… and three daring children are determined to discover exactly what it is! Get ready to have your spine well and truly tingled in a terrifying Day of the Triffids-inspired thriller from the pen of Newcastle-based Dan Smith, the award-winning and imaginative author of the exciting Crooked Oak Mysteries series. When Pete, Krish and Nancy read a story in the local paper about weird gunk being found in a field where sheep have gone missing next to Hilltop House, they’re sure there’s a mystery to be investigated. The new research farm at Hilltop is working on the creation of bio-fuels, but when a storm knocks out the power in the local area and something escapes from the farm, it’s clear that the research has gone horribly wrong. Will anyone believe our three smart and intrepid detectives from Crooked Oak Academy, and can the brave trio save the village in their most terrifying adventure yet? Featuring the wonderfully atmospheric black and white illustrations of Chris King, and published in Barrington Stoke’s trademark dyslexia-friendly format, this terrific, fast-paced tale of three youngsters caught up in a secretive plot is packed full of twists and turns, monstrous apparitions and dangerous genetic experiments. Expect thrills, chills and spills… but best read in daylight hours!
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £7.99)

Age 5 plus
Lizzie and Lucky: The Mystery
of the Disappearing Rabbit
Megan Rix and Tim Budgen

ABRACADABRA! Enjoy lots of fun and frolics with young detective Lizzie and her adorable puppy Lucky as they work hard to track down a missing rabbit in their third mystery-solving adventure. Author Megan Rix and illustrator Tim Budgen work their special magic on this enchanting new chapter for a little girl growing up with hearing loss. Drawing on her own experiences of living with partial deafness, Rix blends gentle adventures with fun activities and the basics of sign language to add extra sparkle to her story. Lizzie and Lucky are off to a magic show. But during the performance, a very large and world-famous rabbit called Rudy disappears... and it was not on purpose! Can Lizzie and Lucky find Rudy, get to the bottom of who stole him, and why? Featuring short chapters ideal for new readers, packed with Budgen’s charming and heartwarming illustrations, an adorable Dalmatian pup as a detective sidekick, and some useful tips on caring for pet rabbits, this magical adventure is a dream read for young animal lovers.
(Puffin, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
Dig, Dig Digger
Morag Hood

WHEN you’re fed up of digging down, the only way is up! The highs and lows of being a digger machine are explored with the trademark wit and creative genius of award-winning author and illustrator Morag Hood in her new brilliantly funny picture book. It’s a day like any other at the roadworks when Digger decides she no longer likes digging down into mud, dark and worms. Instead, she wants to dig UP and find sky, stars and adventure! Although up is quite tricky to get to, with some ingenuity and the help of balloons, Digger flies off on a journey of discovery. But what she does find is that adventures aren’t so much fun without friends... so Digger must dig her way home! The earth certainly moves for our daring little digger in this brilliantly funny picture book from an ever-inventive author and illustrator who leaves no stone unturned when it comes to comical and creative thinking. Packed with eye-catching artwork, the clever playfulness and endearing mischievousness that we have come to expect from Hood, and a finger trail spread to follow Digger’s journey, this is story that celebrates the fun and joy of friendship... and is destined to be a favourite with all the family!
(Two Hoots, hardback, £12.99)

Age six months plus
That’s Not My T. Rex...
Fiona Watt and Rachel Wells

MEET five friendly T. Rex as they stomp and snort through the pages of an exciting and especially sparkle-edged new book in Usborne’s award-winning That’s Not My... series, a much-loved favourite with both parents and children. The bestselling touchy-feely series has over 70 titles and has sold over 20 million books worldwide. The simple text, bold, colourful illustrations and tactile patches are irresistible to babies and toddlers who love turning the pages and touching the fun and ‘feely’ patches. Written by Fiona Watt and illustrated by Rachel Wells, this new title features different textured patches on every spread as we discover a colourful array of furry and fuzzy dinosaurs. These board books allow the youngest family members to have a hand in all the fun of reading as they touch the textured patches, follow the story and look for the little white mouse on every page. Specially designed to develop sensory and language awareness, the distinctive That’s Not My… board books really are a vividly visual and hands-on treat for inquisitive babies and toddlers. Touchy-feely genius at a stroke!
(Usborne, board book, £6.99)

The Murders at Fleat House

Lucinda Riley

WHEN the coroner suspects that a notorious sixth form bully has been murdered in his study room at a local fee-paying school, it marks a return to rural Norfolk for high-flying Detective Inspector Jazmine ‘Jazz’ Hunter of the Met Police.

But there are dark secrets buried deep inside historic St Stephen’s School and as Jazz digs deeper into both the past and the present, she confronts not just a baffling mystery but the full force of her own demons. Following the untimely death in 2021 of international bestselling author Lucinda Riley (pictured below) – the remarkable writer of the sensational, time-slip Seven Sisters series which is being planned as a seven-season TV series – her family are continuing to fulfil her vast literary legacy.

The eighth, and final, book of the Seven Sisters sequence has been completed by Riley’s eldest son, Harry Whittaker, and will be published in May, but there is also the excitement of a new and previously unpublished novel… the author’s only crime mystery. Written back in 2006, The Murders at Fleat House is a twisting, turning, suspense-packed story which displays in fine form Riley’s expert grasp of both plot and characterisation, and has been published with only the bare minimum of final edits and rewrites to allow her voice to speak loudly and authentically from the text.

The sudden death of sixth former, Charlie Cavendish, in Fleat House at St Stephen’s – a small, 150-year-old private boarding school in deepest Norfolk – is the ultimate nightmare event that the headmaster, Robert Jones, is very keen to call a tragic accident.

But the local police cannot rule out foul play… epileptic Charlie’s two evening tablets had been deliberately substituted with two aspirin, a drug to which the 18-year-old had a severe allergy and which caused his sudden death when he was alone in his study room. An investigation is ordered and the case prompts the return of 34-year-old DI Jazz Hunter to the force. Jazz has her own personal reasons – not least her divorce

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Wild wonders, money talks and learning to fail

Travel back to the Sixties for a wild and wonderful animal adventure, find answers to all your questions about money, discover how failure can be the key to success, and go monster hunting with a gang of laugh-out-loud friends with a sparkling collection of New Year children’s books

Age 9 plus
Wildoak
C.C. Harrington

INSPIRED by watching a speech by Dr Alan Rabinowitz – an extraordinary big cat conservationist who grew up in the 1960s with a severe stutter but was able to speak freely to animals but not to humans – writer C.C. Harrington put pen to paper for an enthralling middle grade debut novel which has all the ingredients of a modern classic. Wildoak, set in Cornwall during a snowy February in 1963, is a shimmering, simmering tale – packed with haunting and memorable atmospherics ­– and with an emotionally powerful animal/human relationship at its heart... a plot line based on the one time sale of wild animals like baby elephants, jaguars and leopards from stores such as Harrods in London.

Maggie’s stutter makes going to school hard. She will do almost anything to avoid speaking in class... even if that leads to trouble. Sent to stay in the depths of Cornwall with a grandfather she barely knows, Maggie discovers an abandoned snow leopard hiding in the nearby woods. Rumpus was an ‘exotic pet’ from Harrods that proved too wild. Maggie and Rumpus build an understanding, but when the creature is spotted by others, danger follows. Can Maggie believe in herself enough to save the cub in time...  and the ancient forest around them? Told in the alternating voices of Maggie and the snow leopard cub, Wildoak shines a light on the delicate interconnectedness of the human, animal and natural worlds as the bond between troubled Maggie and abandoned cub  is explored with compassion and insight. A wild and wonderful story with a warm heart and a resonant message for a fragile and endangered world.
(Chicken House Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 6 plus
Lift-the-Flap Questions and Answers about Money
Written by Lara Bryan in consultation with Bobby Seagull and illustrated by Marie-Eve Tremblay

UNDERSTANDING money today is so much more than learning about notes and coins... so giving your youngsters an early lesson in finance is guaranteed to pay dividends. Experts say that early learning about money is key to building good money habits, and Lift-the-Flap Questions and Answers about Money – the latest book in an illustrated, award-winning series from independent publisher Usborne – comes packed with practical advice and fun facts to help children discover just how money works. Find out where money comes from, why we have to save, what happens if we click Buy Now, why there are so many different prices, why there are so many bills, what an interest rate is and what value for money means. Simply bursting with answers to all those BIG money questions, from saving up to online safety and what things are really worth, youngsters will love finding answers to important money questions... and some fun ones too like how much does it cost to fly to space! Written by Lara Bryan, alongside money management expert and ambassador for the charity National Numeracy Bobby Seagull, and combined with Marie-Eve Tremblay’s gallery of colourful illustrations, Lift-the-Flap Questions and Answers about Money’s clear, fun and digestible information and special format creates the perfect reading tool for your curious kids. Money talks!
(Usborne, cased board book, £10.99)

Age 12 plus
Failosophy for Teens
Elizabeth Day and Kim Hankinson

YOU can’t win all the time! That’s the message that speaks loud and clear in bestselling author Elizabeth Day’s new illustrated book which helps youngsters to turn failure into success. Billed as a handbook for when things go wrong, Failosophy is full of good advice and sound common sense, and is the ideal game-changing guide to being happier, healthier and succeeding better. Illustrated throughout by Kim Hankinson, Day’s warm, practical and empowering wise words are based on her own experiences and the personal stories of guests on her award-winning podcast How To Fail. Pretty much all of us, she says, would like to feel happier, less anxious, more successful, and at ease with ourselves, and the key may surprise you... failure! Full of creative and inspiring advice on how to talk openly about failure, turn failure into success, build resilience for when life sends you curveballs, and reframe negative thoughts about yourself, Failosophy encourages teens to actually embrace failure and treat it is an opportunity to learn, grow and accept that you are an awesome human being. A book that can’t fail to win hearts!
(Red Shed, paperback, £8.99)

Age 9 plus
All Four Quarters of the Moon
Shirley Marr

THE uncertainties of new beginnings take centre stage in a beautiful, heartwarming novel from Shirley Marr, a first-generation Chinese-Australian author who describes herself as having a Western mind and an Eastern heart. Writing about ‘the space in the middle where both worlds collide,’ Marr bases her stories on her own personal experiences of migration and growing up. The Guos are a very traditional Chinese family and everything so far for 11-year-old Peijing (if she had to sum it up) was a string of small awkward experiences that she hoped would end soon. The night of the Mid-Autumn festival, making mooncakes with her grandmother, Ah-Ma, was the last time Peijing remembers her life being the same. Now facing leaving Singapore and moving to a new home in Australia, a new school and a new language, everything is different. Peijing thinks everything is going to turn out okay as long as they all have each other but cracks are starting to appear in the family. Biju, lovable but annoying, needs Peijing to be the dependable big sister. Ah-Ma keeps forgetting who she is, and her mum and dad, Ma Ma and Ba Ba, are no longer themselves. Peijing has no idea how she’s supposed to cope with the uncertainties of her own world while shouldering the burden of everyone else. If her family are the four quarters of the mooncake, where does she even fit in? Questions of identity, the challenges and culture shock of migration, and the importance of family are all explored in this beautifully imagined and inspirational tale. Add on some fascinating Chinese mythology, and a warm and vibrant sense of sisterhood, and you have a reading treat for anyone struggling to find their place in the world.
(Usborne, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8 plus
Monster Hunting: Monsters Bite Back
Ian Mark and Louis Ghibault

IF you like your fairy tales to be monstrously funny then dive into the second rollicking romp in Northern Irish author Ian Mark’s brilliant all-action fantasy series. Mark’s hilarious debut middle grade outing with Monster Hunting brought showers of accolades last year, and this new adventure packs in the same brand of outrageously silly antics and full-on fun entertainment. Promising to turn everything you thought you knew about monsters upside down, Monsters Bite Back stars the same misbehaving monsters and monster hunting team which won every young reader’s heart. So meet Jack, his best friend Nancy and Stoop (a grumpy, 200-year-old monster hunter) as they head to Scotland following reports of some mysterious monsters causing chaos in an ancient abbey. And, who knows, maybe they will catch a glimpse of famous monster Nessie! But when they get there, they find some obstacles in their path... whether that’s the fog goblins, disgruntled ghosts, some very odd loch monsters, and even a rival monster hunting agency. Oh, and there’s also an ancient curse that spells the end of the world as we know it! A monster hunter’s work is never done. Packed with Belgian illustrator Louis Ghibault’s gloriously anarchic illustrations, this laugh-out-loud extravaganza is a delight from the collection of toothsome monsters hidden under the hardback dust cover to the warmth, fun, madness, mayhem and comedy that spills out from every page. You’d me monstrously mad to miss it!
(Farshore, hardback, £12.99)

Age 7 plus
Kate on the Case: The Headline Hoax
Hannah Peck

FEARLESS young reporter Kate is back for an action-packed new adventure and she’s heading to the city for her biggest challenge yet! The third and final story in illustrator Hannah Peck’s debut series as an author once again brings youngsters all the intrigue, excitement and colourful characters of an Agatha Christie classic. With its chapter book format, the Kate on the Case series is ideal for emerging independent readers and is brimming with mystery, comedy, an inspirational heroine, some wonderfully witty wordplay and, in this new adventure, a gallery of vibrant, two-toned neon-yellow illustrations. Kate is thrilled because she has received a VIP invitation to visit the headquarters of The Lookout Post newspaper to help her hero, top reporter Catherine Rodriguez. But Kate’s dream-come-true begins to sour when she discovers that all is not as it should be at the newspaper. Someone has been tampering with the famous newspaper and smeared rubbish all over the stories... literally! Luckily Kate and her mouse friend Rupert are on hand to unravel the mystery. Will Kate be able to make the scoop of the century and prove herself as a Special Correspondent? It's going to take all the courage she's got to catch the culprit. Peck moves into creative overdrive for this cleverly plotted, sleuthing adventure which lets readers share the fun of following clues, picking out suspects and finally solving the case. Mystery, meddling, mayhem... and all before deadline!
(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
Three Epic Adventures of Supertato
Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet

ENJOY a tasty triple helping of Supertato… the most a-peeling veg in the supermarket! Always there when the chips are down, Supertato is a picture book superhero with his eyes firmly fixed on the bad guys and always ready to play out of his skin. His wacky, calorie-consuming adventures amongst fridges, friends and foes have been cooked up by award-winning duo Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet, and if you haven’t already met this swashbuckling spud, then here’s the chance to tuck into three Supertato adventures in one brilliant book. In Supertato, the first delicious story in the series,  our supermarket superhero does battle with a very, very naughty pea who is on the loose and causing mayhem for the other veggies. Can Supertato defeat the evil pea? In Veggies in the Valley of Doom, a night-time game of hide-and-seek turns into an epic treasure hunt when Supertato and the veggies face fearsome foes, the impassable Cactus Canyon and the dangerous Valley of Doom. Will Evil Pea have the last laugh? And in Carnival Catastro-Pea, it’s carnival time in the supermarket and Supertato and the veggies are busy preparing for the big day. It’s set to be a wonderful celebration of colour and fun but Evil Pea is out to spoil the fun again! Can Supertato stop their colourful carnival turning into a catastro-pea?! Big, bold and bright illustrations help these funny, fast-moving vegetable adventures boil over as the spud with superpowers makes mincemeat of the perfidious Evil Pea. A serving of Supertato always leaves little ones hungry for more!
(Simon & Schuster, paperback, £9.99)

Age 3 plus
Frank and Bert: The One
Where Bert Learns to Ride a Bike
Chris Naylor-Ballesteros 

WITH a good friend behind you, life is a downhill ride! Author and illustrator Chris Naylor-Ballesteros steals our hearts again with another freewheeling, fun-filled picture book featuring Frank and Bert, his stellar fox and bear double act. And this time, the dynamic duo are in the saddle for a celebration of the joys, rewards and strength that come from a true friendship. Frank the fox and Bert the bear are the best of friends. Bert is CERTAIN he can ride his bike as well as Frank, but he is very wobbly! And even when they both try riding Frank’s bike, it still goes very wrong. Will the best friends make it all the way down from the big hill? Of course they will! All they need is a little bit of confidence and trust in each other. With its warm heart and infectious sense of fun, this enchanting story – brought to vibrant life by Naylor-Ballesteros’ stunning illustrations with their eye-catching use of colour and visual humour – proves that friendship and caring keep the wheels of life turning. And with giggles guaranteed right through to the last page, and a free Stories Aloud QR code audio recording to enjoy, this is a ride your youngsters won’t want to miss!
(Nosy Crow, paperback, £7.99)

Age 2 plus
I Really Really Love You So
Karl Newson and Duncan Beedie

EVERYONE'S favourite Bush Baby is back... and he’s got a whole lot of love to share with his fans! Dynamic picture book duo – award-winning children’s author Karl Newson and creative illustrator Duncan Beedie – work their special magic on this hilarious and heartwarming sequel to the bestselling I Really, Really Need a Wee. And the star performer once again is the cute and curious Bush Baby who delivers important life lessons and messages about parental love in the most comical and characterful way. So here is Bush Baby, he’s back and he has something really, really important to say... but how?! From climbing a mountain and building a rocket to sailing a stormy sea and wrestling with crocodiles, Newson’s enchanting story is packed with extreme and exciting ways to show a special someone that you love them. But sometimes the simplest way to show that you care (a big hug!) is the best way. Newson and Beedie give their imaginations free flow on this heartfelt and fun-filled rhyming romp that features a bold and vibrant gallery of artwork and has love written right through the centre of every page!
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age one plus
The Kiss
Eoin McLaughlin and Polly Dunbar

EVERY sleepyhead needs a goodnight kiss when it’s time for bed! Bestselling Irish children’s author Eoin McLaughlin and talented illustrator Polly Dunbar steal hearts and minds again with The Kiss, an exquisitely imagined and illustrated picture book with a clever flip-book format, and featuring a new star pairing, Tiger and Crocodile. With a quarter of a million copies sold in their outstanding Hedgehog & Friends series – all books that spoke loudly to youngsters during the worst of the pandemic lockdowns – this inspirational author and illustrator team are back with the same winning formula of subtle simplicity, gentle humour and tenderness. Tiger was feeling sleepy. As sleepy as sleepy can be... so sleepy only one thing could help. Crocodile was also feeling sleepy. As sleepy as sleepy can be... so sleepy only one thing could help. But the animals along the way don’t seem very helpful. Perhaps it’s those sharp little teeth that they can see when Tiger and Crocodile yawn. Then they see a sharp-toothed shadow... eek! But don’t worry it’s just Daddy Croc and Mummy Tiger, come to kiss their little ones goodnight! McLaughlin’s super-snuggly bedtime story and Dunbar’s enchanting and emotive illustrations provide the perfect celebration of blended families and kindred spirits. A beautiful bedtime story sealed with a kiss!
(Faber Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age one plus
Ways to Say I Love You
Madeleine Cook and Fiona Lee

LOVE conquers all in this warm and cosy picture book from children’s author Madeleine Cook and creative illustrator Fiona Lee. In this beautifully imagined and uplifting exploration of the many ways we express love, young readers watch how children grow, see families immersed in their busy lives, but always finding time and many different ways to say ‘I love you.’  Love can be a word or a hug, it can be a shared experience or activity, being silly together, cheering when you try something new, or simply offering a helping hand and a friendly wave goodbye. Filled with warmth, cosy charm and family togetherness, this beautiful picture book speaks loudly to little ones about the different ways a cross-section of people express their feelings of love, and at the same time reinforcing the notion that love is the one thing we all have in common. A book of love to share and treasure.
(Oxford University Press, paperback, £7.99)

The Other Half

Charlotte Vassell

SAVVY celebrity influencer Clemmie O’Hara has always been an outsider in her wealthy boyfriend Rupert Beauchamp’s loud, aggressively entitled and boorish group of old Oxford friends.

But when poor Clemmie is found murdered on Hampstead Heath after failing to appear at Rupert’s raucous and drug-fuelled 30th birthday party, finding her killer is going to lead an unorthodox police team deep into some of the gang’s dirtiest secrets.

If you like your crime mysteries to have all the complex detective work and exquisitely drawn characters of Agatha Christie, but with an original and insightful voice, an acidly satirical edge, and a decidedly 21^st century vibe, then treat yourself to  Charlotte Vassell’s (pictured below) stunning debut novel. The Other Half does exactly what it says on the cover... delivers a gripping, high-energy police procedural mystery set within a London super-rich milieu in which only a chosen few born into staggering wealth can comfortably exist, and which is pretty much unimaginable to the ‘oiks’ who live on the other side of the class divide. 

It’s a tale of ‘two worlds rubbing shoulders,’ full of wickedly incisive social commentary, plenty of twists and turns, captivating literary allusions, and a cast of goodies and baddies that could only have been conjured up by a writer who also trained to tread the boards.

Ever since being dumped by his beautiful girlfriend Héloise, ‘a sarcastically eyebrowed Parisienne poet who saw beauty in the oddest things,’ Detective Caius Beauchamp has been on a self-improvement spree which includes YouTube yoga and trying to eat obscure varieties of organic squashes.

Smart dresser Caius is even spending his Sunday mornings jogging on Hampstead Heath in the hope that Héloise might take him back, but what he hadn’t reckoned on was stumbling upon a woman’s body on his downhill lap from Parliament Hill.

The victim is Clemmie O’Hara, an Instagram influencer who has been poisoned and her throat cut, and it seems she had been the on/off girlfriend of Rupert Beauchamp (pronounced differently and definitely no relation to a certain detective) whose 30^th birthday party had been a black tie dinner in the upstairs rooms at

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Delicious line-up to give youngsters a taste for reading

★ How do you fancy a book that promises to be irreverent, energetic, visually exciting, fact-packed and laugh-out-loud? Look no further than Noodle Juice, a tasty name in the book world that sounds like a takeaway special but is, in fact, a new publisher of children’s books which believes firmly in the importance of silliness! 

★ On a mission to make young brains ‘fizz,’ Noodle Juice was cooked up by creators Sarah Walden, a children’s book specialist and publishing expert, and Mark Walden, author of the internationally published HIVE and EARTHFALL series, who work on the premise that children today want to see books that compete head to head with the media they enjoy on their screens and devices. 
★ So here is a super selection of vibrant books that aim to amaze, amuse and surprise, as well as disrupting and challenging conventions, and helping little people answer big questions in an increasingly confusing world.

Age 7 plus
All The World’s A Stage
Sarah Walden and Hannah Li

CURTAIN up on a book that puts young readers at centre stage! This super, illustrated exploration of the exciting world of acting is the first book in Noodle Juice’s entertaining Express Yourself series... the perfect inspiration for the next generation of creative young minds. So if you dream of walking the red carpet, are fascinated with special effects, or have a story that you are itching to tell the world, this practical guide to all things stage, film and TV is packed with everything you need to know about working in the theatre or film industry. From the ancient origins of performance to the emerging digital world fusing art and technology, All The World’s A Stage provides an amazing insight into theatre, television and film. The guide showcases the many different roles required to create a blockbuster movie or West End production and then tells you exactly how to do it at home. Learn about famous theatres and follow a timeline of musicals, explore fascinating film genres and exotic locations, and discover the behind-the-scenes magic of stage and screen. Just follow the step-by-step guides and practical tips and in no time you’ll be putting on your own production or shooting your own film. Next stop, Hollywood or London’s West End! With practical tips on making short films and plays, guides to behind-the-scenes roles in TV and Hollywood, and lavishly illustrated throughout by Hannah Li, an award-winning Chinese illustrator based in Manhattan, this dazzling book is the ideal gift for any child who dreams of a life and career in film or stage, and a must-have for classroom libraries.
(Noodle Juice, hardback, £12.99) 

Age 5 plus
What is Philosophy?
Sarah Walden and Katie Rewse

AND if you want to encourage your little ones to start engaging with big ideas, this perfectly pitched Little Book, Big Idea series has some resonant questions and answers. Helping to build foundations for life-long learning by explaining big ideas to little people, this carefully created, illustrated series uses simple language to explain complicated ideas, with each book taking the core questions that relate to each subject and providing answers that make sense to young children. And first book in the series tackles philosophy and asks questions like what does it mean to be human, what is truth, what is good, what makes us happy and what is knowledge? These are all very BIG questions that need exploring at some stage and the book emphasises that the sooner children start to think about the answers, the better the world will be. Each double-page spread explores one question and various answers, and each page is filled with illustrations that inspire positive thinking and make the exploration fresh, engaging and different.

Imaginatively illustrated by Katie Rewse, who is particularly interested in how illustration can be used to inspire positive thinking, and a glossary of important words at the back of the book, What is Philosophy? is perfect for sharing with any inquisitive child.

And in What is Money?, also written by Sarah Walden and illustrated by Katie Rewse, youngsters learn that money makes the world go round and explore topics like who looks after our money, whether money is good, who were the first people to use money, how people earn money, what taxes are, and what is the future of money. Essential reading for youngsters in a world where money talks...
(Noodle Juice, hardback, £9.99 each) 

Age 3 plus
Elephant Makes a Smell
Illustrated by Mr Griff

IT'S hard to always be polite... and even grown-ups sometimes struggle! If you’re eager to show your young children that good manners help to make the world a much nicer place, then Noddle Juice’s pre-school Elephant and Friends Manners series could be just what you’re looking for. Exciting to look at and fun to read, these sturdy board books, with their jaunty rhymes and lovable animal characters, feature madcap, gigglesome stories and carefully concealed messages about thinking about others, and being kind to each other. So join Elephant and his friends on a particularly pongy journey. If it’s not rotten eggs or smelly green slime, then it’s onion breath and stinky socks. Energetic rhyming text will delight young children and it’s guaranteed that they will laugh out loud at the final smell of the book!

And in Zebra Won’t Wear Spots, we meet Zebra and her friends on a particularly spotty adventure. If she’s not dripping wet or very chilly, then she’s feeling left out or being rather rude. Will Zebra ever learn to love spots?

Using playful rhyme, friendly animal characters to explore recognisable emotions, likes and dislikes, and the different moods which we all experience, each book explains a specific area of manners to help little people realise that life is easier when we’re all being polite!

(Noodle Juice, board book, £6.99 each) 

Escape to Darling Cove

Holly Hepburn 

CELEBRITY photographer Logan Silk has escaped London for the anonymity of a holiday cottage on the tiny island of Ennisfarne just off the Northumberland coast. It’s his chance to stay ‘under the radar’ for a few months to avoid unwelcome press pack publicity over the split with his girlfriend... but he hadn’t reckoned on an unfortunate first meeting with his cottage’s owner. Will Logan’s ‘escape’ be over almost before it’s begun?

Think tide-rippled sands, silvery seas and the diverse wildlife of this untamed and beautiful coastal region, and you have the glorious setting for an irresistible ‘getaway’ with Holly Hepburn (pictured below), author of a raft of feel-good fiction like Coming Home to Brightwater Bay and the Star and Sixpence series.

Originally published as four e-book novellas, and now brought together in one bright and beautiful book, Escape to Darling Cove is a joyful, heartwarming and romance-filled treat which is ideal for sweeping away the worries and woes of winter. Eve Darling has always lived on Ennisfarne, an idyllic island just off the coast of Northumberland with a population of just 250 people and only accessible when tides are low. And it’s here she runs a bar overlooking Darling Cove, a heavenly horseshoe-shaped beach named after her seafaring ancestors whose links to the Farne Islands stretch back centuries.

Logan Silk, meanwhile, is a famous photographer who is glad to leave behind the bright lights of London after a difficult break-up with his celebrity girlfriend Suki... a story that the tabloid press would love to learn more about.

Desperate to evade the limelight, he has rented a cottage at Darling Cove under a false name in the hope of anonymity but, as a photographer, Logan is immediately spellbound by its natural, unspoilt beauty and the feeling of ‘stepping back in time.’

Unaware who Logan is, Eve doesn’t get off to the best start with her tenant. On his first walk along the beach, Eve’s over-exuberant chocolate Labrador Huxley knocks him clean off his feet, along with his large and very expensive camera.

Assuming he is a day-tripper ‘thinking he was David Bailey,’ Eve immediately crosses swords with the angry, truculent Logan, convinced that despite his dark good looks, he’s the type who is used to other people jumping to his commands. It’s only when Logan’s true identity is revealed, and his cover blown, that Eve realises her new tenant isn’t quite the man she thought he was... is it too late to start again?

There are so many star roles in this gorgeous tale of misunderstandings, mishaps, friendship and community that readers will be hard pushed to select a favourite, but the turbulent blossoming of the relationship between lovely Eve and hard-to-read Logan undoubtedly takes centre stage. And

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Murder most foul, a comedy pick and marvellous magic

As a new year dawns and a fresh and funny collection of books arrive on the shelves, join a group of misfits on the trail of a classroom killer, enjoy some green and gruesome giggles with a truly revolting schoolboy, fly high to a magic school in the clouds, and meet an alien chicken 

Age 8 plus
The Detention Detectives
Lis Jardine

WHEN your passions are fantasy, children’s fiction and Golden Age crime, what could be better for a debut author than conjuring up a good, old-fashioned murder mystery set in a high school? Misfits and murder most foul meet in this clever, comical and clue-packed adventure in a sparkling new series from Lis Jardine who grew up in London and the Black Country and now works as a secondary school librarian near Bristol. Using her experience in schools, and with an addictive, up-tempo prose and lively dialogue that children will recognise and love, Jardine’s dazzling debut is brimming with skulduggery, secrets and some super entertaining sleuthing.

Twelve-year-old Jonno Archer never wanted to change schools so he’s very much the reluctant new kid at Hanbridge High and putting in zero effort to make new friends. In fact, he’s determined to get in as much trouble as possible to convince his parents to move back to their old home town. What he never expected was to find the dead body of a PE teacher on his first day and he reckons it will get him into deep, deep trouble. Maybe the answer is to try to solve the mystery of who did it. Meanwhile, Lydia is a reporter for the school newspaper and she will stop at nothing to get to the truth of a story. So, of course, she can’t resist the chance to investigate the circumstances around the murder of the teacher... if anything is going to make front page news, it’s this! And Daniel has a lot of responsibilities as a young carer helping to look after his mum, so he finds comfort from his love of sci-fi shows and stories. He wants to help Jonno and Lydia find the real culprit because the first suspect in the case is someone close to his family. They may not be friends but they are about to become... the Detention Detectives.

This brilliant, laugh-out-loud romp has a special kind of child appeal as Jardine delivers all those important junior murder mystery tropes – a fast-paced plot, oodles of action, giggles galore, quirky characters, and a very relatable school setting. Youngsters will also love the challenge of following the clues to uncover the villainous villain, and all the while enjoying the unexpected, and blossoming, friendship between out three very different detectives. Sometimes school can be dead good fun...
(Puffin, paperback, £7.99)

Age 7 plus
Monster Bogey
Anna Brooke and Owen Lindsay

SOME books are just the perfect pick for your youngsters... and they certainly won’t be turning up their noses at this wickedly funny debut novel from exciting new talent Anna Brooke. Starring secret nose-picker Frank and his terrifying tale of all things revolting, Monster Bogey promises to be one of 2023’s best middle grade comedies. From its content warning of bogey, towers, squelchy monsters, slug goo and slimy moats, to the gruesome, gooey finale and handy nose-picker’s guide to bogeys, this brilliant book is guaranteed to leave readers’ pals green with envy. So meet Frank, the boy with his finger permanently up his nozzle, who wants to tell you ‘a right slimer of a tale.’ Frank has a secret... he picks his nose. And, worse, he saves his bogeys, rolling them into little balls, storing them in his pocket and emptying them into the wood-panelled cupboard in his bedroom at his spooky, rundown home, Snozzle Castle. We all know that’s gross but gooliemaloolie, he did NOT deserve this! Struck by lightning one stormy night, his tower of greenies comes alive, turning into a terrifying bogey monster that escapes into the night. Now Frank and his best friend – animal-loving Tiffany and her four daredevil pet slugs – must catch the creature before the villagers of Honkerty find out! Frank, Tiffany and the heroic slugs have their work cut out as they negotiate a neighbour so wicked she’ll give you the willy-willy-woo-woos, Snozzle Castle’s eerie secret chambers, and a cabaret-singing spider. And if that wasn’t enough to get you giggling, add on Owen Lindsay’s outrageously wacky illustrations, and the bogey glossary that includes a chumpglump (a small cluster, like a bunch of grapes), a tickletoot (light and feathery) and a brittleberry (crisp and fragile), and you have a must-pick for all youngsters with a nose for trouble!
(Chicken House, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8 plus
The Marvellers
Dhonielle Clayton

‘This book is my heart made into words.’
DHONIELLE Clayton, an American author whose first love is magic, transports youngsters into her specially and lovingly created Marvellerverse, a fantastical world for all youngsters who, like her, have grown up feeling ‘invisible’ but crave magic and adventure. So if mesmerising magic is your first love too, immerse yourself in this thrilling, empowering story, Clayton’s middle grade debut novel and the first instalment of a major new series. Eleven-year-old Ella Durand, a Black girl from New Orleans, is the first Conjuror to attend the elite Arcanum Training Institute, a magic school in the clouds for Marvellers... gifted ones from around the world who can perform magical feats. Ella discovers that being the first isn’t easy but she finds friendship in fellow misfits Brigit, a girl who hates magic, and Jason, a boy with a fondness for magical creatures, as well as support from her Elixirs teacher, Masterji Thakur. Then the notorious Ace of Anarchy escapes prison, supposedly with a Conjuror’s aid, and Ella finds herself as the prime suspect. Worse, Masterji Thakur mysteriously disappears while away on a research trip. With the help of her friends and her own growing powers, Ella must find a way to clear her family’s name and track down her mentor before it’s too late. Marvellverse proves to be a wondrous, world-building invention, a place full of rich, exciting and diverse characters where secrets abound, all cultural traditions mix together and Ella must work hard if she is ever to fit in. Clayton delivers an enthralling adventure filled with courage, love, wit and warmth whilst exploring themes of family, prejudice, bullying, acceptance, and learning to take responsibility. Prepare to be swept away!
(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
Bertie and the Alien Chicken
Jenny Pearson and Aleksei Bitskoff

AN alien chicken with a bit of an attitude problem? Only the ‘super miraculous’ Jenny Pearson, the children’s author whose debut novel, The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates, was shortlisted for the Costa Children's Book of the Year 2020, could bring youngsters another wildly imaginative and heartfelt story. Bertie is NOT looking forward to spending the summer holidays on stinky Long Bottom Farm. But things take an interesting turn when he encounters Nugget, the alien chicken. Nugget’s mission is to find the Earth’s most important resource and transport it back to Nurgle 7, and he needs Bertie’s help. But what could the Earth’s most valuable resource be, and can they find it in time to stop the Nurgles exterminating the Earth?! Published in Barrington Stoke’s trademark dyslexia-friendly format, and blending Pearson’s fresh and authentic brand of laugh-out-loud fun with heartfelt themes of friendship, family and understanding and the comical illustrations of Aleksei Bitskoff, this wise, witty and wonderful adventure is truly out of this world!
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8 plus
Wished
Lissa Evans

MAGIC is the word when it comes to Lissa Evans’ dazzling, laugh-out-loud children’s books… addictive stories which always seem to capture the spirit and anarchy of joyful youth. And this heartwarming and rib-tickling story of friendship, following your dreams and celebrating the power of the imagination is everything that a young reader could have wished. Ed and his younger sister Roo are faced with the most boring half-term holiday in history… five days spent in the company of their elderly neighbour Miss Filey and her ancient, smelly cat called Attlee. Ed declares he would rather spend the week in the shed, or even in the middle of a car park, but when they find a box of birthday candles in a cupboard in Miss Filey’s house, their world is changed completely. These are no ordinary candles because every single one of them comes with a wish. There’s only one problem… some of those wishes actually belong to someone else. It’s little wonder that Evans’ novels have been shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award, Carnegie Medal, and Branford Boase Award. Wished is one of her classics… hilariously funny but instinctively kind, entertaining and eminently wise... and stars a grumpy, demanding cat who could well merit his own story!
(David Fickling Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 7 plus
Bunny vs Monkey: Multiverse Mix-Up
Jamie Smart

GET ready for more side-splitting laughs as Bunny and Monkey bounce back in an exhilarating remastered comic-book series that delivers all the comedy and chaos of the daffy duo’s helter-skelter world! This outrageously funny series from comic genius Jamie Smart collects together Bunny vs Monkey’s adventures and misadventures in a never before published book form with an easy-to-read, chunky format featuring over 240 pages of fast and furry-ous exuberant fun. The books are part of the Phoenix Presents series, published by David Fickling Books in partnership with The Phoenix comic. The partnership goes from strength to strength and much of that success is due to Smart’s extraordinarily talents. In this latest adventure, featuring everyone’s favourite pint-sized pair, portals to parallel dimensions open up and the gang meet different versions of themselves... a whole universe of Bunnies! Evil Pig! Baby Bunny vs Baby Monkey! The gang end up travelling to the very ends of existence, but will they make it back home to the Woods? One thing's for sure… giggles are guaranteed! Outrageously funny and fabulously illustrated, these manic, high-energy stories were just made for reluctant readers who like their books to come with plenty of comic-strip pictures and loads of laughs. Madcap antics for your action kids!
(David Fickling Books, paperback, £9.99)

Age 6 plus
Space Blasters: Suzie and the Moon Bugs
Katie and Kevin Tsang and Amy Nguyen

STRAP yourself in for a thrill ride because Suzie Wen is back to save the universe! Suzie – an extraordinary girl who loves gadgets and inventing things (even if her inventions don’t always turn out how she expects!) – is the star of a super space-themed adventure series from bestselling husband and wife team Katie and Kevin Tsang. With the fabulous illustrations of Amy Nguyen bringing all the action to life, this awesome and laughter-packed series is fun, accessible and has STEM themes woven throughout, including real mind-bending space facts and pages from Suzie’s inventors’ notebook. After a massive invention mishap, Suzie can’t believe her luck because she is now the newest crew member living on board the space ship from her favourite TV show Space Blasters. It means she gets to explore the galaxy on the spaceship and meet lots of aliens. But when Suzie and her friends crash land on a mystery jungle planet, they face an infestation of moon bugs! It’s up to Suzie and the crew to fix their spaceship, defeat an evil Queen AND save the universe! With its highly illustrated story, plenty of fascinating facts to enjoy, and all the madcap antics of Suzie and her quirky crew, this brilliant series is guaranteed to leave youngsters over the moon!
(Farshore, paperback, £6.99)

Age 6 plus
Puppy Club: Coco Settles In
Catherine Jacob and Rachael Saunders

ANIMAL magic comes adorably alive in the second book of a fresh and fun early reader series from author Catherine Jacob and illustrator Rachael Saunders. Packed with puppy love, gorgeous illustrations and a cast of characters that youngsters will take to their hearts, these are the ideal books to bridge the leap from picture books to chapter books. Jaya and her friends Willow, Daniel, Elsa, Arlo and Harper are all navigating the ups and downs of life with a brand-new puppy.  Elsa loves her gorgeous puppy Coco but her family’s two cats aren’t so welcoming. They chase the terrified pup all over the house! And to make things worse, Coco is chewing everything and Mum is stressed out. Luckily, the friends have created their own Puppy Club and are on hand to help. And soon Operation Friendship is underway, with plans to keep Coco out of trouble and help her bond with the cats. But with each day seeming to bring a new disaster, Elsa can’t help worrying … what if Mum has second thoughts about keeping the puppy? Full of heartwarming friendships, fascinating facts and helpful training hints, this is puppy heaven for all young animal lovers!
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £5.99)

Age 5 plus
Two Sides
Polly Ho-Yen and Binny Talib

WHEN picture books are too babyish and middle grade books too hard, here’s the perfect in-between book for newly independent young readers. This beautifully illustrated full-colour story is not just pleasing to the eye but carries subtle messages about friendship and kindness that are guaranteed to win the hearts of little ones. Written by Polly Ho-Yen and illustrated by Binny Talib, Two Sides introduced us to Lula and Lenka who are best friends and total opposites… Lula is a dog person and Lenka is a cat person, Lula is super messy and Lenka is neat and tidy, Lula likes talking to people and Lenka likes watching people. But despite their differences, together they make the perfect pair. Until the day that everything goes wrong and suddenly the girls are no longer friends. What started as a day like any other ends with Lula and Lenka ignoring each other and sitting on opposite sides of the classroom.  As the days go by, Lula makes a new friend who talks almost as much as she does, while Lenka just plays on her own. In spite of feeling lonely, neither one is prepared to listen or forgive… or to say sorry. Will it be this way forever? Ho-Yen’s gentle and thoughtful story, perfectly pitched at the five to eight age group, explores themes of friendship and the importance of listening and keeping an open mind, while Taleb’s contemporary, colourful and characterful illustrations bring all the action to vivid life. A beautiful, beguiling story to read, love and treasure!
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £5.99)

Age 3 plus:
Mr Men Little Miss: Feeling Sad & Find Calm
Roger Hargreaves

JUST because you’re little doesn’t mean you don’t have BIG emotions! Inspire, uplift and empower your pre-schoolers with an entertaining, educational and collectible illustrated Mr Men and Little Miss ‘Discover You’ series which helps little ones unpack big feelings. Roger Hargreaves’ eternally popular Mr Men and Little Miss are the ideal characters to help children understand their own – sometimes puzzling – emotions and how to manage them. With engaging questions to encourage conversations and some tips from favourite characters to help children develop their emotional intelligence, these small, carefully created books gently explore big feelings with sensitivity and thought, allowing room for discussion, engagement and fun. In Mr Men Little Miss: Feeling Sad, a thoughtful and engaging Mr Men Little Miss story about recognising and coping with sadness, we meet Little Miss Curious who approaches life with many questions and some confusion, while Mr Jelly is scared to engage with much of what life has to offer. They both feel sad sometimes but, with help from their friends, they start to understand more about their different emotions.

In Mr Men Little Miss: Find Calm, an uplifting and engaging story about finding calm by living in the moment, Little Miss Busy is always very busy, dashing here and there with many things to do, while Mr Calm takes a calmer, more mindful approach to life. Can he help Little Miss Busy to do the same? The Mr Men and Little Miss are the perfect characters to help children understand a bit more about their own emotions and how to manage them. With colourful characters on every page, and gentle, reassuring messages about feelings and emotions, these clever little books are perfect additions to any home, nursery or school.
(Farshore, paperback, £4.99 each)

Age 3 plus
The Beasts Beneath Our Feet
James Carter and Alisa Kosareva

‘Beneath our feet way deep and down
are beasts asleep in the cold, dark ground.’
MEET a croc-like beast with pointy teeth, the biggest bug that ever buzzed on Earth, and a giant dragonfly that once soared across the sky in a big, colourful and mightily magnificent book from award-winning poet James Carter and illustrator Alisa Kosareva. The Beasts Beneath Our Feet is a feast of fun and facts as young readers dig down through the layers of the Earth and travel back in time. And in that murky world with little light, there are all sorts of beasts to discover – ­trilobites that scuttled and crawled, a herd of roaming woolly mammoths, and munching, crunching dinosaurs like giant T. Rex and diplodocus with its whip-like tail. Children will love unearthing nature’s secrets as they take a tour of the fossils and skeletons found beneath the ground. Carter’s rhyming prehistoric adventure is guaranteed to enthral and inspire while Kosareva’s breathtaking and stylish illustrations bring to life the prehistoric world buried beneath our feet. The perfect, poetic introduction to natural history.
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
Pick A Story: A Dinosaur Unicorn Robot Adventure
Sarah Coyle and Adam Walker-Parker

DECISIONS, decisions, decisions! Being given a choice can be scary and for some youngsters, it can be terrifying. But making choices and decisions are an inevitable part of life so make it fun – and not too easy! – with this sparkling interactive children’s illustrated picture book series where YOU choose the story. Author Sarah Coyle and illustrator Adam Walker-Parker have fun and challenge little ones to start making decisions and enjoy the bigger picture with these super ‘pick your own’ whirlwind adventures. And in the second empowering, mouth-watering and laugh-out-loud interactive story, youngsters discover not one, but three fun-filled worlds where you can discover dinosaurs, robots and unicorns. So meet Gwen... it’s her birthday but, oh no, the birthday cake that Dad has been busy making has disappeared. That’s weird and Gwen needs your help to find it! Has the cake been stolen by dinosaurs, snatched by robots or secretly carried off by unicorns? It’s up to you to decide! With a different story guaranteed every time the book is read, some tasty twists and turns, a cast of delicious characters and decisions to make on every page, this is the ideal book to inspire a lifelong love of reading. So what are you waiting for? Come on in and join the fun, and look out for Pick a Story: A Pirate Alien Jungle Adventure.
(Farshore, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
Maths Words for Little People: Shapes & Sums
Helen Mortimer and Cristina Trapanese

YOU can count on Oxford University Press to make learning fun with this brilliant series of books which makes maths both friendly and inspirational. Maths Words for Little People is a new series of little books which aim to build children’s confidence with mathematical vocabulary and ideas, and provide a foundation for learning in a way that feels good. Written by Helen Mortimer and illustrated by Cristina Trapanese, the same winning team as Big Words for Little People, the books are special not just because they focus on maths in a child-friendly way, but because the Oxford book boffins pack them with educational goodness that helps children develop and grow.

In Shapes, we meet shape words that you can use every day in activities like making cookies. Shapes are everywhere when we bake and paint... big, small, circles, squares, and stripes and patterns. 

And in Sums, youngsters are asked if they like to work things out and find the answer and are encouraged to discover first shapes words in the garden. Playing in the garden, they learn, is the perfect way to find out about more, less, adding, counting and signs. 

Published in sturdy hardback, packed with fun characters, engaging questions and activities, and Trapanese’s playful artwork, the books are the perfect size and shape for sharing and reading together whilst exploring and enjoying the different concepts of maths.
(Oxford University Press, hardback, £5.99 each)

Age 2 plus
The Worry Jar
Lou John and Jenny Bloomfield

‘Everybody has worries. And worrying
about them makes them worse.’
THE words of a little girl’s granny ring loud and true in a beautiful, reassuring picture book from author Lou John and illustrator Jenny Bloomfield. Managing worries is hard for everyone but it can seem like a mountain to climb for little ones so help build their confidence and teach them a simple but effective coping method with this heartwarming and uplifting story. Frida worries all the time. Big worries, small worries, and all-the-time worries. Her worries feel heavy, just like the pebbles she collects every day. Some days, Frida’s worries become the only thing she can think about but then, one day, her granny teaches her an ingenious way to keep her worries in check with a jar full of worry pebbles. And Frida finally feels the weight of her fears slip away. With John’s cleverly created and gentle story, and Bloomfield's beautifully observed illustrations bringing Frida’s feelings and experiences vividly to life, this is a must-have book for school, nursery and home.
(Oxford University Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age from birth
Don’t Mix Up My Dinosaur
Rosamund Lloyd and Spencer Wilson

DO you have a favourite dinosaur... and would you like to make your own dinosaur friends? Little ones will roar with delight when they get their paws on this colourful and creative board book from Little Tiger Press. With its chunky pages full of Spencer Wilson’s big, bold illustrations, this gorgeous mix-and-match book lets babies and toddlers spin the wheel and find a tail for each of the dinosaurs. The built-in wheel contains different touch-and-feel panels for little hands to explore and is perfect for developing hand-eye coordination. With five options to choose from, and the fun of spinning the wheel, this dino delight is guaranteed to be a hands-down winner!
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £7.99)

Age from birth
We Are Love
Patricia Hegarty and Thomas Elliott

THEY say love makes the world go round and it certainly delivers a powerful message in this beautifully created board book which blends words, wisdom, warmth and animal wonders in a glorious bedtime wind-down. Love steals the show as a menagerie of parent animals and their babies show just what can be achieved from the strength to be found in love and caring. From scurrying squirrels to playful penguins and diving dolphins, love can be found everywhere we look! With Patricia Hegarty’s heartwarming, rhyming verse, clever, shaped pages that help to tell the story, and Thomas Elliott’s adorable illustrations, this is a book just made for sharing!
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £7.99)