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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
(Farshore, paperback, £6.99)
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)
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
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)
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)
Pick A Story: A Dinosaur Unicorn Robot Adventure
Sarah Coyle and Adam Walker-Parker
(Farshore, paperback, £7.99)
Age 3 plus
Maths Words for Little People: Shapes & Sums
Helen Mortimer and Cristina Trapanese
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)
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)
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)
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)
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