CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Wild wonders, magical twins and a seaside mystery

Discover the amazing story of a rewilding project, escape into a dazzling new fantasy series starring twins with magical powers, head off to 1930s Blackpool for an exciting  mystery drama, and share laughter and mischief with a naughty fairy in a super selection of new children’s books

Age 9 plus
Wilding: How to Bring Wildlife Back
Isabella Tree and
Angela Harding

IN 2018, award-winning author and travel writer Isabella Tree published an adult book called Wilding which told the amazing story of a pioneering rewilding project in West Sussex, using free-roaming grazing animals to create new habitats for wildlife. The project was a spectacular leap of faith launched by Tree and her husband, Charlie Burrell, owner of the Knepp Castle Estate, after they were forced to accept that intensive farming on the heavy clay of their land was economically unsustainable. The results were spectacular. Thanks to the introduction of free-roaming cattle, ponies, pigs and deer – proxies of the large animals that once roamed Britain – the 3,500 acre project has seen extraordinary increases in wildlife numbers and diversity in little over a decade. And in a special celebration, which introduces the benefits of rewilding to a younger generation, a new spectacular edition has been published, packed with the extraordinary illustrations of artist Angela Harding.

Knepp is now home to some of the rarest and most beautiful creatures in the UK, including nightingales, kingfishers, turtle doves and peregrine falcons, hazel dormice and harvest mice, scarce chaser dragonflies and purple emperor butterflies. The estate’s ecological success stories include the reintroduction of stork to mainland Britain for the first time in 600 years and the spontaneous return of the large tortoiseshell butterfly which had been officially extinct in Britain for half a century. This beautiful book – illustrated in full colour with Harding’s lino prints and watercolours, and photographs from Knepp – tells readers how to bring wildlife back to where they live with maps, timelines, an in-depth look at rewilding, and spotlight features about native animals including species that have returned and thrive... butterflies, bats, owls and beetles. So whether it’s growing pollinator-friendly flowers on a windowsill, creating an animal superhighway through back gardens down your street, or discovering the connections between species and habitats, this is the perfect inspirational read for a new generation of re-wilders!
(Macmillan Children’s Books, hardback, £20, published on March 7)

Age 9 plus
Artezans: The Forgotten Magic
L.D. Lapinski

TWINS Edward and Elodie Crane are different in every way... Ed is tall, scrawny and a social outcast while Elodie is average height, fat, beautiful and popular. But these adopted twins, who live in the wild wonders of Scotland, do have one shared secret... a powerful magic! If you’re dreaming of an extra special, escapist adventure to welcome the arrival of spring, step into the first book of a thrilling new fantasy series from the creative mind of L.D. Lapinski, author of the critically acclaimed Strangeworlds Travel Agency. And fans will be delighted to hear that magic is back at centre stage in this gripping and timeless tale set in a dark and alluring Land of Dreams and Nightmares where magic is being diluted and only the twins can bring it back. For the last 400 years, magic has been fading and Ed has always feared he won’t have any at all. For sure, he’s part of a powerful magic Artezan family – whose great deeds were once legend – but Ed is adopted. His twin Elodie isn’t so worried but then, everything always seems to work out perfectly for her. So when Ed discovers he does have an Artezan power after all, he’s relieved. And it’s more than he could ever have imagined... in fact, it’s a dream come true. But the problem with dreams is that sometimes they twist themselves into nightmares and with Ed’s new abilities growing by the day, there’s a chance that this nightmare will become all too real... Lapinski’s dazzling new series is a dream come true for fantasy fans... a brilliantly imagined other world, a sprinkling of humour, unforgettable characters, danger, daring and adventure at every turn, and the mesmerising magic of a master storyteller. With universal themes about adoption, self-discovery, finding your place in the world, and the thorny problem of bullying, the Artezans are set to work their magic on the wonderful world of reading!
(Orion Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99, published on February 29)

Age 8 plus
Gracie Fairshaw and the Missing Reel
Susan Brownrigg

LIGHTS, camera, action! There’s plenty of drama at the Winter Gardens – Blackpool’s famous domed and white-tiled entertainment centre – in the third book of Lancashire lass Susan Brownrigg’s brilliant middle-grade detective series. The star of the show is amateur sleuth and trainee reporter Gracie Fairshaw who lives with her brother George and parents in the resort’s Majestic Boarding House in the 1930s, and finds that mystery and skulduggery are never far away. In this exciting new adventure set in 1936, it’s announced that a new movie is being filmed in Blackpool, a dazzling event which turns into a real scoop for The Gazette’s Gracie Fairshaw. Invited to interview the star, Sally Sunshine, Gracie uncovers a plot as thrilling as the one being filmed... someone has stolen a vital film reel. But then a vicious attack is attempted on Sally and in a world of body-doubles, stunts, costumes and make-up, not everything is what it seems. Gracie must go behind the scenes and work out which of the cast and crew can’t be trusted before the shoot comes to a thrilling climax at the town’s cinema. Brownrigg – who set her two earlier books in the series against the backdrop of the 1935 Blackpool illuminations and Blackpool Tower’s professional Children’s Ballet Company – fills her stories with such rich authentic detail and beautifully drawn characters that you can almost taste the fish and chips, smell the sea salt in the air and hear the trams rolling down the promenade. In Gracie, we have an inspirational lead player… a girl with a mild disability, the heart of a lion and big ambitions who is fearless in her pursuit of truth and justice. Add on Brownrigg’s nostalgic and exhilarating evocation of the North West’s most famous resort in its heyday, and a peep behind the scenes of the Blackpool Gazette’s newspapers offices, and you have one of the best children’s mystery series currently on the shelves.
(UCLan Publishing, paperback, £7.99, published on March 7)

Age 9 plus
Hide and Seek: A Bletchley Park Mystery
Rhian Tracey

IT'S wartime and everyone knows that the penalty for breaking the Official Secrets Act is prison or, worse, death by firing squad... even if you’re a child! Three intrepid youngsters – under suspicion of treachery – must solve a perilous mystery in the second book of a gripping adventure series full of secrets, spies and subterfuge from Welsh author Rhian Tracey who was inspired by trips to Bletchley Park – one of the most secret places in Britain during the Second World War – and her own family’s link to the code-breaking centre. Based on true events, this thrilling standalone mystery explores not just the nationally important work of the Bletchley Park staff but how three plucky youngsters – one of them a Jewish refugee –form a close friendship during the adversities of wartime and battle to keep a secret stash of priceless national art works out of enemy hands.

Before the war started, Ned was resigned to a future working in the family funeral parlour. Then the covert operations at Bletchley Park began and his life was transformed. In 1942, Ned and his mother, who is engaged in secret war work, leave Bletchley Park on a vital mission into the Welsh countryside. Their task is to protect national artwork which is being stored in a slate mine in the remote village of Manod. As long as its whereabouts are secret, they will keep the national treasures safe from the enemy. But not everyone is happy about the arrival of strangers and when it appears that someone in the village is trying to expose the truth, suspicion turns to the newcomers... Ned, his mother, and a young Jewish refugee, Anni. Can Ned, Anni and their friend Harri prove their loyalty to the mission and keep the secret safe? Packed with intrigue, mystery, excitement, a lovable hero dog and some real-life wartime figures, this heartwarming and inspirational story packs a real punch as the children embark on a race to save the nation’s valuable artwork. Add on the dramatic and authentic wartime backdrop, and an old-fashioned, addictive sense of adventure, and you have the perfect history/mystery for young thrill-seekers!
(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £7.99, published on February 29)

Age 7 plus
Stink: Fairy vs Wizard
Jenny McLachlan

STAR author (and now illustrator!) Jenny McLachlan is back with the second book in her cartoon-filled, magical and mischievous Stink series... and it’s definitely not to be sniffed at! Giggles galore are guaranteed as youngsters get up close and personal with Stink, the worst fairy ever... and the writer of the funniest diary-style adventures on the human side of fairyland. But before you read this diary of disaster, here is some stuff you need to know about Stink’s human... a boy called Danny Todd. He’s 11 years old, loves drawing cartoons, has two pet rats called Tony and Noah, and, last but not least, he has a fairy called Stink. Danny’s life hasn’t been the same since REAL fairy Stink flew out of a fairy door, attached herself to his hair and turned his life upside down. In their new adventure together, Stink tries to help Danny with his lead role in the school play, makes a Malteser adventure playground in the science cupboard, and accidentally unleashes a giant, all-powerful, evil wizard into the world. Stink was only aiming to get Danny a reputation for being cool and awesome... where did it all go wrong? Expect a marshmallow beard, a floating cat head and an embarrassing dance Gif as Stink leaves a trail of magical mayhem and side-splitting laughter in her wake. With McLachlan’s gallery of hilarious illustrations putting extra oomph into her wacky and wonderful adventure, this is heaven-scent reading for young mischief-makers!
(Farshore, paperback, £7.99, published on February 29)

Age 7 plus
Grimwood: Attack of the Stink Monster!
Nadia Shireen

YOU can never be too young, or too old, to enjoy a bit of anarchy! Youngsters (and their parents!) will be grinning, guffawing, snorting and sniggering when they get their hands on the third woodland caper in one of the funniest children’s series currently on the market. Grimwood – a sort-of Watership Down with foxes which evokes tears of laughter rather than of sorrow – is the work of author and illustrator Nadia Shireen who has won awards for her picture books and been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. Fully illustrated throughout, the books star two fox cub siblings, Ted and Nancy, who love their new life in Grimwood… the forest where anything (riotous!) can happen. They have made a lot of new friends there – not least bouncy and ferocious rabbit Willow who has a big heart and endless energy – but now a Bigfoot is on the loose and Ted, Nancy, Willow and the rest of the Grimwood gang must embark on their greatest adventure yet to save their home from a nasty, thieving stink monster. Monster hunters are GO! Shireen serves up an irresistible blend of glorious gags, hilarious comedy routines, boundless madcap escapades, and a memorable cast of quirky characters that young readers will love following from first page to last. With a side helping of zany, high-energy black and white illustrations, which bring both the animals and the action to life, the Grimwood series has the legs to run and run.
(Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, paperback, £6.99, published on February 29)

Age 5 plus
Lottie the Little Wonder
Katherine Woodfine and Ella Okstad

NEVER underestimate what little girls can do! The incredible real-life story of tennis superstar Lottie Dod, who won the Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles Championship five times, is the latest Little Gems book in an inspirational women from history series from bestselling Lancaster author Katherine Woodfine. Lottie the Little Wonder, an action-filled, heartfelt tale highlighting the challenges and prejudices that young women faced in the late 19^th century, is the latest super-readable Little Gem from innovative publisher Barrington Stoke… and it’s a real historical gem! The Little Gems books bring together leading authors and illustrators, and a host of clever design and finishing techniques, to create easy-to-read books in a chunky format ideal for little hands, and with some extra reading, jokes and activity fun hiding inside the jacket.

So meet Lottie, who was born in Bebington in Cheshire in 1871, won her first Wimbledon title when she was only 15 in the summer of 1887, and remains the youngest ever ladies’ singles champion. Lottie was a multi-sport athlete, winning a silver medal for archery in the 1908 Olympic Games.‘Girls can’t play tennis as well as boys? What a lot of nonsense!’ Lottie is determined to show that girls can be just as good at sports as boys. She runs and jumps and leaps after the ball... playing tennis makes Lottie feel wonderful. And after beating her brothers, she goes on to reach the finals of the most important tennis competition of them all... Wimbledon! Can she continue her winning streak to become the world’s first female sports superstar? Whether your child is a new, struggling, reluctant or dyslexic reader, this celebration of a determined and daring girl from a small northern town will provide both entertainment and empowerment, and with Ella Okstad’s gallery of vibrant and energetic illustrations bringing the action to life, this is the perfect victory parade for sporting superstar Lottie!
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £6.99, published on February 29)

Age 5 plus
Adventuremice: Mice on the Moon
Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre

YOUNGSTERS love these meeces to pieces! The dream team of author Philip Reeve and illustrator Sarah McIntyre pool their talents for the new book in a simply delightful early reader series which has all the fun of TV hit Paw Patrol, and the charm and whimsy of classics like The Wind in the Willows. With its focus on fun, friendship and kindness, Adventuremice features Pedro, a timid little mouse who has proved himself to be brave enough to join the heroic team who protect the Mouse Islands from danger. And here we find Pedro zooming off an out-of-this-world adventure because inventor-mouse Professor Bernard Quatermouse – better known as Millie’s Uncle Bernie – needs help with his latest invention... a big, dangerous rocket! The professor has built a spaceship and he wants the brave and clever Adventuremice to fly it. BOOM! Pedro and his friends blast off into outer space where they become the first mice on the moon... or so they think! Reeve’s lively, heartwarming and fun-filled storytelling delivers all those ingredients that children love – immersive adventures, lovable heroes, reassuring friendships, exciting action and plenty of smiles – and all brought to vibrant, colourful life by McIntyre’s exquisitely characterful illustrations. A warm and whiskery favourite with mouse lovers of every age!
(David Fickling Books, paperback, £6.99, published on March 7)

Age 5 plus
Flying High
Cao Wenxuan and Yu Rong
Translated by Jake Hope and Simone-Davina Monnelly

NO matter how small you are, you can still fly high! That’s the soaring message in this conceptually clever and comforting picture book written by Cao Wenxuan who grew up in rural China and is now a professor of Chinese literature and children’s literature. He was also the first Chinese author to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Author Award, and his beautifully fluid and poetic prose depicts honest, sometimes raw, and often melancholy moments. Flying High, which celebrates the joy to be found in being different with sensitivity and insight, has been flawlessly translated by Jake Hope and Simone-Davina Monnelly, and illustrated by Yu Rong, a Chinese artist now living in the UK whose distinctive artwork brings vitality and zest to the story. ‘Wawa is my best friend, Even when I feel small and low, Wawa still flies high.’ Have you ever felt small and lacking in confidence? One little boy feels sad, angry and upset when the other children say that he’s too small to play with them. Can Wawa the bird find a way to help her friend see that being different can be a strength, and give the child the courage to fly a kite at the town’s festival? Join the pair on an extraordinary and inspiring journey through the wonders of the world, helping to grow understanding and confidence along the way. Ideal for encouraging thoughtful reflection and discussion, and with Yo Rong’s dynamic designs featuring mixed media collage and naturalistic pencil-drawn faces, this is perfect for reading aloud and sharing with younger children.
(UCLan Publishing, paperback, £8.99)

Age 4 plus
The Spaces In Between
Jaspreet Kaur and Manjit Thapp

FIND peace and calm amidst the noise and bustle of the city with this beautiful picture book from award-winning teacher, spoken word poet, writer and activist Jaspreet Kaur and award-winning artist Manjit Thapp. Have you found the spaces in between? The secret places no one else has been? Traffic, roadworks, ambulances! Where do you go when the hustle and bustle of the city gets too much? Follow a little girl and her father as they seek out the secret spaces where they can go to find peace and quiet. With themes of anxiety, fear, kindness and joy, explore how children can find ways of coping with noisy, busy spaces. From the warm embrace of a loved one, finding joy by splashing through puddles and feeling the crunch of autumn leaves on the pavement, The Spaces In Between takes youngsters into the hidden corners that can be found in a busy city. Cleverly created and gorgeously illustrated, this children’s mindfulness poetry has helpful tips and suggestions at the back of the book, and is full of ideas that are accessible to all children... wherever they are in the world.
(Big Picture Press, paperback, £8.99, published on February 29)

Age 3 plus
Maybe Later, Georgie
Luke Scriven

SMILE, say ‘aaah’ and wipe away a surreptitious tear because Luke Scriven – author and illustrator of much-loved picture book The Little Fear – is back to melt our hearts with an adorable picture book about sibling love. All Georgie wants to do is play with his big brother Ed who ALWAYS comes up with the best games and adventures! But recently, all Georgie hears is the same phrase, time and again – ‘Maybe later, Georgie’. Will later ever arrive, will they ever have fun together again... has Ed finally grown up? Scriven, who works traditionally using a mix of watercolour and gouache to create pictures, certainly knows how to win over both children and parents. Written with humour and genuine empathy and tenderness, and brought to life with wonderfully simple but expressive artwork, this celebration of unbreakable brotherly bonds is destined to be a family favourite.
(HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks, paperback, £7.99)

Age 2 plus
Wanna See a Llama?
Simon Philip and Ian Smith

DO you wanna see a llama? Seeing isn’t necessarily believing in another laughter-filled picture book from Simon Philip, author of the award-winning You Must Bring A Hat, and master illustrator Ian Smith, the top team who stole our hearts with Wanna See a Penguin? Enjoy fun all the way as a self-described ‘llama expert’ takes her friend on a chase around the city. They discover wild and wacky animals around every corner... but are any of them really llamas? Llamas are very sociable animals, though, and where there’s one, there’s often more... Young readers will be shouting at the book with delight as more and more llamas gather in the background... until a whole parade of partying llamas is revealed. But will the llama hunters ever find what they’re looking for? Written with Philip’s trademark wit, warmth and exuberance, and harnessing all the fun of the pantomime convention of ‘it’s behind you,’ this action-packed adventure puts fun, friendship and animal recognition at centre stage. Young readers will love following the clues and guessing what each new animal is from the glimpse given in the artwork, before turning the page to find out. And there are fun facts about llamas and all the other fascinating creatures in a fact file at the end of the book. Laughter (in full colour) all the way!
(Oxford University Press, paperback, £7.99, published on March 7)

Age 2 plus
Grandmas Are the Greatest
Ben Faulks and Nia Tudor

EVERY grandma is different...but they’re ALL special! Celebrate one of humankind’s most treasured relationships with this gorgeous picture book from the top team of actor, presenter and children's author Ben Faulks and Carnegie and Klaus Flugge Prize-longlisted freelance illustrator Nia Tudor. ‘Grandmas are the GREATEST- they’re kind and brave and true! Each one of them is SPECIAL and will love YOU through and through.’ Is your grandma an actor or an acrobat? Is she an ambulance driver, an expert chef, or a secret spy? Whatever your grandma does, you can be sure she loves you! Grandmas Are the Greatest is a heartwarming celebration of grandmas everywhere, and the love and friendship they share with their grandchildren. With Faulks’ irresistible romping rhymes and Tudor’s richly detailed and enchanting illustrations, this is the perfect book hug for much-loved grandmas everywhere!
(Bloomsbury Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age one plus
Who’s Cute? & Who’s Sleepy?
Camilla Reid and Nila Aye

ENJOY watching little ones get hands-on with a gorgeous new board book series starring an adorable cast of woodland animals. Written by Camilla Reid – a writer and deviser of award-winning books for early years children including the much-loved Pip and Posy stories – this new series features soft felt flaps on every spread, sturdy pages and a surprise mirror ending. 

So discover who is the cutest little person ever – baby bunny, small mouse or tiny owl – in Who’s Cute? and lift the irresistibly soft felt flaps to discover who is the sleepiest little person ever – small lamb, baby chick or tiny piglet – in Who’s Sleepy? 

Tiny tots will find the answer when they look in the mirror hiding under the final flap! With enchanting and heartwarming illustrations by award-winning artist Nila Aye, these striking books are perfect for sharing with babies and toddlers.
(Macmillan Children’s Books, board books, £7.99 each)

The Fox Wife

Yangsze Choo

‘Humans and things are different species,
and foxes lie between humans and things...’

THE rich, dark and dangerous essence of centuries-old Asian fox folklore wraps itself around readers like an all-enveloping blanket of mystery and imagination in a stunning new novel from American-Chinese author Yangsze Choo whose outstanding debut, The Ghost Bride, was filmed for a Netflix series.

Choo (pictured below) has always been fascinated by the concept of shape-shifting fox women, and the tales written down in ancient Chinese literature of these ‘vixens’ who were often accused of wilfulness, strong emotions and licentious living.

The Fox Wife, a lush and atmospheric tale of supernatural foxes who can transition between human and animal form, provides the thrilling backdrop to a superbly woven tale of love, loss, identity and deadly revenge set in Manchuria in 1908. It was a perilously unstable period when the 300-year-old Qing dynasty was in terminal decline, the Russians and Japanese were busy carving up the northeast of China, and old traditions and beliefs were jostling with the slow dawning of a new and very different world.

Harnessing the alluring legends of the fox spirits – regarded as both celestial beings and life-devouring demons who tempt and beguile humans – Choo sweeps us into the lives and narratives of two parallel characters whose destinies are linked by supernatural fate... and death.  

‘Some people think foxes go around collecting qi, or life force, but nothing could be further than the truth. We are living creatures, just like you, only usually better looking...’

When a young woman is found frozen in the snow outside a restaurant in the icy city of Mukden, the ancient capital of the Manchu dynasty, her death is clouded by rumours of spirit foxes, believed to lure people into peril by transforming into beautiful women and men.

Bao, a 63-year-old detective, who is hired to uncover the woman’s identity, has a reputation as a ‘fixer,’ known for smoothing feelings and arranging deals, but his true ability lies in being able to spot a lie, a strange gift he knows is safer kept secret.

Since childhood, Bao has been intrigued by the fox gods. Whenever he hears them mentioned, ‘it’s as though his chest is the hollow body of a lute, whose strings vibrate to an invisible breeze.’ But fox spirits have remained tantalisingly out of his reach... until perhaps, now.

In Manchuria, meanwhile, Snow is a creature of many secrets but, most of all, she is a mother with an ache in her chest that will never go away, and seeking vengeance for the death of her

Last Chance in Paris

Lynda Marron

CAN an Irish couple’s troubled marriage be put back on track by a weekend in Paris... or will their anniversary trip be a French disaster?

Despite her two degrees in microbiology, debut author Lynda Marron (pictured below) from Cork, always dreamt of writing a novel, and this tender, beautifully woven tale of love, loss, regret and redemption – set amidst the stylish splendour of Parisian landmarks – would seem to be her wish fulfilled to perfection.

Written with the assurance of a seasoned novelist, and brimming with wisdom, warmth and a whole gamut of emotions from tear-jerking poignancy to life-affirming joy, Last Chance in Paris is both a dazzling celebration of the City of Light and a superbly wrought reminder of the healing power of love and friendship. At its heart is an eclectic group of people, each facing their own individual challenges and each on a make-or-break visit to the French capital. And as their paths intersect by fate and chance, their relationships, friendships and marriages, their past and the present all come under life-changing scrutiny.

When her husband Ronan suggested a romantic break in Paris to mark their fifth wedding anniversary, 34-year-old Claire MacNamara felt obliged to say yes but immediately regretted it.

 After the tragedy they have been through, how can one weekend in Paris save their marriage? But, on the other hand, the visit may be the ‘jolt’ they need to hit that ‘reset button.’ But Claire and Ronan aren’t the only ones hoping that Paris will help to turn their lives around. Big-shot movie producer, Harrison (Harry) D. Carter from Hollywood, is full of guilt and ‘the ache

Island in the Sun

Katie Fforde

A TRIP to the Caribbean island of Dominica to track down a rare archaeological stone for her father should have been a treat for Cass, who is happy to revisit a place she loves.

But the remote island has been hit by a powerful hurricane, leaving destruction its wake, and Cass’s visit will not just test her personal resilience and bravery, but take her down a rocky road of self-discovery.

Escape to a beautiful (but in this case battered) landscape across the seas in popular author Katie Fforde’s love letter to Dominica... a tale of intrigue and romance inspired by her own family history and experiences in Dominica, and in particular those of her cousin, Dr Lennox Honeychurch, an anthropologist and writer of numerous books on the history of the island.

Packed with the breathtaking dangers and dramas of an island population coping with the aftermath of a fierce hurricane, and Fforde’s trademark cast of eclectic characters, this is the perfect antidote to the tail end of winter. Convinced that her divorced parents will never accept her dreams of becoming an artist because they believe there is no future in it, Cass is giving herself a final summer of freedom before starting a course to become a teacher.

When her famous, professional photographer father Howard invites her to his home in a remote corner of Scotland, he asks her if she will travel to Dominica to fulfil a promise he made years ago to an old friend, and she can’t see a reason to say no, particularly as she fell in love with the island on a visit some years ago. Howard wants her to photograph a petroglyph, a rock with figures carved into it, dating back to prehistoric times. He has a map showing how to get to the site, but a photograph of it could potentially help the island benefit from a competition prize worth thousands of pounds.

Accompanying Cass on the journey will be the ruggedly handsome ’hotshot journalist’ Ranulph who is a neighbour of her father and has his own connections to Dominica but when they arrive

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Foster love, first crushes and a vengeful goblin

Enjoy a big-hearted story about a young boy’s life with foster ‘siblings,’ share experiences with mixed-up teens facing the challenges of friendship and first crushes, enter a dark, dangerous and magical world in a super new gamebook adventure, and discover how everyone can help to save the planet in a selection of new books

Age 8 plus
The Day My Dog Got Famous
Jen Carney

AS a child, you need a big heart and an accepting nature to share your home with an ever-changing cycle of foster ‘siblings,’ and that’s a theme that Jen Carney captures perfectly with her own big heart in the first of a delightfully funny and inclusive trilogy. Lancashire-based author and illustrator Carney is noted for her contemporary, laugh-out-loud, middle grade fiction that celebrates diversity and modern families. Highly illustrated throughout, her books tell stories with family and friendships at their heart. And here – inspired by her foster carer sister – she explores some of the emotions that birth-children in blended families go through when new foster siblings arrive... and depart.

So first off, there are few things you should know about Ferris Foster: 1. He’s the cartooning genius behind ASTOUNDOG (star of The Hoot, available exclusively in his school playground) 2. His best friend is his actual dog Aldo who is anything but astounding 3. He’s had thirteen foster brothers and eight foster sisters and now he’s about to meet his new foster sister Tia for the first time 4. His nemesis is his totally annoying neighbour Destiny Dean. And when Destiny boasts about videos of her dog, Princess Foo-Foo, going viral, Ferris foolishly claims that Aldo can easily become a bigger internet star. There's just one problem... Aldo has about as much talent as a teaspoon. Then Ferris and Tia accidentally film Aldo doing what looks like an amazing trick. Will Aldo finally live up to the name of his comic book alter-ego and wow the world with his skills... or is this about to be the biggest epic fail ever? This funny, uplifting, dog-tastic adventure is packed with comic strips and cartoons that will make everyone giggle, but it is also a reminder of the power of honesty, and the importance of family... in whatever shape or form that might be.
(Puffin, paperback, £7.99)

Age 10 plus
Cross My Heart and Never Lie
Nora Dåsnes

A BOOK written for any girl who has ever felt ‘alone in all the madness of growing up’ is almost 100 per cent guaranteed to hit a chord with mixed up, muddled up tweenie youngsters.  Written first in the author and illustrator Nora Dåsnes’ Norwegian, Cross My Heart and Never Lie has been translated into English by Matt Bagguley and is an unmissable, relatable and heartwarming graphic tale focusing on the universal topics of friendship and first crushes. Tuva is starting seventh grade, and her checklist of goals includes writing a diary, getting a cool look, building the best fort in the woods with her BFFs, and sharing everything with them. But when she starts school, nothing is how she hoped it would be. Seventh grade has split her friends into rival factions... Team Linnea and the girls who fall in love, and Team Bao and the girls who are still playing. Linnea has a boyfriend while Bao hates everything related to feelings. Worst of all, Tuva is expected to choose a side! Then Mariam shows up and suddenly things begin to make a little more sense. But with all her friends fighting, this is one part of growing up that Tuva isn’t quite sure how to share. Packed with stunning, full-colour illustrations and engaging diary-style hand lettering, Cross My Heart and Never Lie speaks loudly about positive and inclusive representation of a range of diverse and LGBTQ+ identities. A warm, wise and wonderful coming-of-age odyssey.
(Farshore, paperback, £10.99)

Age 9 plus
Usborne Adventure Gamebooks:
The Goblin’s Revenge
Andy Prentice and Tom Knight

CHOICES, choices… do you dare to enter a dark and magical world and choose your own danger-packed adventure? This classic adventure gamebook from Usborne is packed with exciting challenges, choices and decisions which will delight a new generation of thrill-seeking youngsters who want to put their own skills and imagination into play. Written by Andy Prentice, and spectacularly illustrated throughout by Tom Knight, The Goblin’s Revenge is the latest atmospheric and enthralling adventure in a series which grips readers from beginning to end and brings together picture puzzles, exciting dice-based combat and a story in which the hero is YOU. In The Goblin’s Revenge, we discover that the evil sorcerer Darkmoon has the kingdom in his grip and the only hope of stopping him is a treacherous quest to try to find the last remaining rebels and help them end his reign. With a horde of undead warriors on your trail and a series of blood-curdling challenges ahead of you, it would be a terrifying task for anyone... but you're just a goblin, which makes things even more challenging. From this point onwards, you are in control of an epic adventure full of emotion and humour. Prepare for menacing monsters, ghostly magic and a thrilling race against time in this spectacular mission. But remember, every choice is yours, and your survival depends on the decisions you make. Full of choices to make, each one leading to different adventures and endings, this dark and sweeping story, with its fiendish picture puzzles, is perfect for all fans of gaming and fantasy role-playing games.
(Usborne, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
Toxic
Mitch Johnson

SAVING the planet is all in a day’s work for three intrepid youngsters in a dazzling and danger-filled new novel from Mitch Johnson, an award-winning writer of children's books whose debut novel, Kick, was endorsed by Amnesty International UK for its portrayal of children’s rights. In this all-action rainforest adventure, the stakes are high as the hunt is on to find a rare frog with a life-changing secret. Billionaire beauty mogul Anura Hegarty has pledged to acquire as much of the rainforest as possible to preserve it. But when armed guards appear and bring in portable terrariums to capture wildlife, Jessica and her friend Renata realise something much more sinister is going on. The rainforest holds a frog with a secret to staying young forever, and Jessica and Renata know they must find and save it first. Together with Briony-Rose, the girls journey deeper into the rainforest. Danger and betrayal lurk in every corner, and soon they are running for their lives, dodging blow darts and falling into traps. Will the children make it out of the forest alive? This fantastic, race-against-time battle to survive long enough to find the frog will have young readers leaping eagerly from page to page. With thrills and chills at every turn, and three inspirational heroes to cheer for, this is the ideal read for all daring adventurers!
(Orion Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
The Pirate’s Dragon
Liz Flanagan

PUT fire into the tail end of winter with the mesmerising conclusion to Yorkshire writer Liz Flanagan’s thrilling Legends of the Sky fantasy trilogy which brought us the much acclaimed Dragon Daughter and then second book, Rise of the Shadow Dragons. Inspired by many of the beautiful places she has visited, these dazzling stories sweep youngsters into a magic land of dragons and evil deeds where thrilling adventures spring to life with tension, danger, fast-paced action, fiery friendships and daring dragon riders. In The Pirate’s Dragon, we are swept away to the island of Arcosi where we meet up once again with Milla, the former servant girl who is now a princess after discovering her hidden past and her true destiny as a dragonrider.  Serina lives on a separate island to Raff Sparrowhawk , whose mother Malena was once Queen of the Pirates, and each believes the other’s people to be their sworn enemy. Forced together in dramatic circumstances, they become unlikely friends while caring for their young dragons. But when Serina’s home, family, and all the dragons of Arcosi are threatened, can Raff and Serina persuade their families to work together? It will take faith, forgiveness and courage to save the dragons! Flanagan has a true gift for superbly imagined and richly detailed world building, and this breathtaking finale to a dazzling and much-loved fantasy series is packed with bravery, danger, powerful emotions and the unbreakable bonds of family and friendship. Don’t miss it!
(UCLan Publishing, paperback, £8.99)

Age 9 plus
The Second-Hand Boy
Jennifer Lane

LOSING a best friend can often be a big deal for children, and a writer who knows that well is Greater Manchester-based author and freelance nature writer Jennifer Lane. As Children’s Mental Health Week draws to a close, Lane’s timely new novel, The Second-Hand Boy, is a reminder of the struggles and anxieties that youngsters of all ages can experience.  As someone who battled with her own childhood anxiety issues, Lane brings us the tale of Billy who fears that the school bullies will come for him now that his best friend and protector Marty is moving away. With Marty gone, Billy finds himself all alone and his world comes crashing down around him. Between avoiding the bullies and looking after Mum, there seems to be no escape from his problems. However, when his Mum, who has her own mental health problems, gives him a second-hand copy of Philippa Pearce’s classic time-slip novel, Tom’s Midnight Garden, everything changes. Billy now has a new friend called James, the previous owner of the book who liked to scrawl messages in the margins. And soon Billy finds himself drawn into an icy world of parallel universes where things aren’t quite as they seem. Expect imaginary friends with evil intentions and new friendships in unexpected place as Billy learns that he must overcome his fear of being different and conquer his demons if he is to grow and take control of his life. An alluring blend of real life and one boy’s fantasies, this is a story that offers both reassurance and fun.
(UCLan Publishing, paperback, £8.99)

Age 7 plus
Don't Panic! We CAN Save The Planet!
James Campbell and Rob Jones

FIND out how cow-farts are wrecking the world and help blow away some of the worries about climate change with this hilarious antidote to the fear factor from comedian, award-winning author and eco-activist James Campbell. Don't Panic! We CAN Save The Planet – a spin-off to the bestselling Funny Life Of series – is a hands-on and fun guide to saving the world which shows how together, families and children can stop being eco-worriers and start being eco-warriors. From plastic fish and fast fashion to earthships and eco-protests, this funny and informative guide contains everything children need to understand what is causing climate change. Filled with fascinating facts explaining climate change and how it can be actively tackled by working together, this light-hearted look at the problems facing planet Earth is ideal for educating and comforting children who have become sad and scared about climate change. With Rob Jones’ super-funny and richly detailed illustrations putting the action into pictures, this brilliant book teaches children what fossils fuels actually are and reveals how a story about one grandpa’s fateful fall into a poo chute could teach us a lot about the climate crisis. Campbell, who lives off-grid, owns a compost loo and is passionate about demystifying the importance of saving the planet for children, says: ‘Children are worried about pollution, animals going extinct and the climate crisis. Truly, we have enough resources and if we start now, there is just enough time – so we need to get on with it. From weeing on a compost heap to starting an eco-club, every family and every child can do something to help save the planet!’
(Bloomsbury Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 5 plus
Mind and Me: Going To Bat
Sunita Chawdhary

MIND how you go! Join the dynamic double act known as Mind and Me in the second book of a funny, perceptive and reassuring series from doctor, and also author and illustrator, Sunita Chawdhary. These gentle and relatable stories are the ideal introduction to discussions with young children about mental wellbeing and managing anxieties. In this new adventure, it’s the start of a new term and Maya is excited to join the cricket club at school and share the good news with her Grandpa in India. But between juggling sports superstars, the big green monster, and her mum coming to coach the team, she has a lot to handle. And on top of that, Mind thinks they’ve forgotten something important… like sending that letter to Grandpa. Can Maya and Mind work together to get it all sorted out before the big cricket game? These engaging and clever adventures star Mind as the voice in Maya’s head, reflecting her ideas and emotions. Mind is very active and can be quite noisy which is sometimes helpful but sometimes a hindrance! With warm-hearted, mindfulness stories and lively illustrations that give focus to thoughts, the books are perfect for reading aloud at bedtime or in class, giving adults and children a prompt to talk about emotions. Mental health lessons for children in the most helpful and entertaining way!  
(Knights Of, paperback, £5.99)

Age 4 plus
How I Feel: 40 Wellbeing Activities for Kids
Becky Goddard-Hill and Assia Ieradi

GROWING up isn’t easy, particularly when it comes to negotiating a whole host of complex emotions, so help young children through this baffling maze of feelings with a fun and reassuring activity book. Packed with activities to help children feel happier, calmer, kinder and braver, this invaluable book is written by children’s therapist and emotional wellbeing author, Becky Goddard-Hill, and given extra special child appeal by Assia Ieradi’s colourful gallery of empathetic animal characters. The fun, simple activities are designed to give parents, carers and children the tools to cope with a whole range of different emotions. Go on a happiness hunt, play animal charades, feed your worry monster, and do the cushion walk! How I Feel encourages children to talk about feelings through play, making them easier to understand and helping children to choose how to react to them, and to create strategies to make them feel more in control. And with tips for grown-ups to spark conversations and give advice, this is the perfect book to share with your little ones.
(Collins, paperback, £9.99)

Age 2 plus
PLEASE!
Simon Philip and Nathan Reed

A SIMON Philip adventure always takes some licking and this cautionary tale – with the magic word ‘please’ at its soft centre – is guaranteed to scoop plenty of plaudits! Philip is one of the comedy kings of picture books and this anarchic rhyming romp – perfectly matched with Nathan Reed’s high-energy and wonderfully detailed illustrations – zones in on the importance of saying please with a giant dollop of pure comic madness. You probably know it’s good manners to ALWAYS say ‘please’ when asking for something. But when Bill forgets this very simple rule at the ice-cream van, the consequences are wackier than he could ever have imagined. Join Bill on a laugh-out-loud adventure featuring spaceships, jungle tigers, mountain yaks, fairytale castles and a whole host of alien toads as he learns that saying ‘PLEASE’ should never be forgotten! With an addictive sense of youthful joy running through every page, Reed’s dazzling artwork and Philip’s trademark wit and verve, this ‘pleasing’ story is set to become a firm family favourite!
(Bloomsbury Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 2 plus
Once Upon a Storytime
Gareth Peter and Natelle Quek

SETTLE down together at bedtime with this beautiful picture book that transports little ones to dazzling, dreamy adventures... and the wonderful world of sleep! Written with love and heartfelt emotions by Gareth Peter, the author of My Daddies!, and lavishly illustrated by Natelle Quek, a Malaysian-born illustrator now living in England, Once Upon a Storytime is an uplifting homage to the power of the stories we love most, and the way they bring us together. Nia loves stories about dragons and unicorns, brave princesses and faraway lands. Every night, Mum tucks her into bed and they lose themselves in another wonderful adventure. But what if, Nia asks, she gets kidnapped by a wicked witch? Or locked up by a terrible beast in a tower? Or stuck at the top of a beanstalk with a grouchy giant? Would Mum come and rescue her? The answer to that is … ‘yes, always.’ Filled with colour, warmth and gentle reassurance, this alluring picture book is both a fantastical adventure and a big hug for bedtime!
(Bloomsbury Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 2 plus
No Matter What: 25^th Anniversary Edition
Debi Gliori

‘I’ll always love you no matter what...’ 

STEEP yourself in the beautiful words and pictures of award-winning writer and illustrator Debi Gliori’s classic, heartfelt picture book No Matter What, which has been repackaged and sealed with love for a new generation to enjoy. Gliori’s warm, reassuring and irresistible story about unconditional love is perfect for comforting little ones, and this glorious 25^th Anniversary Edition retains and enhances all the exquisite colour, poignancy and vibrancy of the original. ‘I’ll always love you no matter what...’ says Large. ‘No matter what?’ Small asks. But what if he turns into a bug, or a crocodile, or even a grizzly bear? Small has all sorts of questions about love, and Large reassures him that her love will never, ever run out... no matter what. Gliori’s reassuring beautifully told and illustrated story has been setting little ones’ big worries to rest for twenty-five years and it’s easy to see why. Soothing and sensual, this gorgeous edition includes never-before-seen sketches and a special letter from the author that will delight readers young and old.
(Bloomsbury Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

The Shadow Network

Deborah Swift

NOT every hard-fought fight of the Second World War took place on battlefields across the globe... some were waged in absolute secrecy and were far more subtle.

Deborah Swift, the bestselling Lancashire-based author of a whole raft of dazzling historical novels, turns back the clock to those crucial early years of the conflict as Britain developed pioneering new strategies to target and disrupt the onslaught of the Nazi war machine.

Swift (pictured below), who lives in Warton, near Carnforth, used to work backstage as a scenographer in many North-West theatres, including Liverpool Playhouse and the Duke’s Theatre, Lancaster, and it is her imaginative flair, and keen eye for drama and authenticity, that is making this superb Secret Agent Series so viscerally real and exciting. The Shadow Network – the second gripping book in the series – was inspired by the wartime Radio Aspidistra campaign which used a Sussex-based, high-powered, mainly underground transmitter (nicknamed Aspidistra after a popular song by Gracie Fields) to send out ‘fake news’ radio station broadcasts to unsuspecting Germans.

It was a classic use of ‘black propaganda,’ an important tool which aimed to undermine the Nazis’ own effective propaganda, and was led by the newly formed Political Warfare Executive under the direction of Tom Sefton Delmer, a British journalist of Australian heritage who was born in Berlin and spoke fluent German.

Harnessing this fascinating backdrop of wartime radio with a cast of real and fictional characters, Swift brings us an enthralling and heart-pounding tale of spies, subterfuge, treachery and immense courage as a young, half-Jewish German woman must sacrifice everything to uncover the truth. When student

The Happiest Ever After

Milly Johnson

WHEN you feel like you’ve lost all that you once held dear, is it still possible to find that elusive happy ever after? Life, as we all know, is a patchwork quilt of fortunes and misfortunes, and there is no writer better at unpicking the stitches of what makes us human than down-to-earth , Barnsley born-and-bred Milly Johnson, one of the best-loved and most successful women’s fiction writers in the UK.

Her heartwarming, funny and uplifting novels – which exquisitely nail the importance of female friendship, family, community and the magic that comes from kindness – never fail to strike a chord with her army of adoring readers.

But this seasoned and sensitive author – with her trademark no-nonsense northern humour and honesty, and ability to write about real people and real issues – is not afraid to peer into some dark corners and explore more than just life’s fuzzy feel-goods. A firm believer that there is too much ‘snobbery’ about romantic fiction, with some seeing it as ‘lesser’ than other genres, Johnson (pictured below) declares proudly that love-centred stories are as deftly plotted as crime novels, and as beautifully written as literary novels.

And to prove her very valid point, she casts her own special brand of stardust over this warm, witty and wonderfully woven tale of a young woman who – under the most unexpected circumstances – finds herself living the life she yearned for, even though it might not actually belong to her.

Polly Potter is only in her mid-thirties but she is merely surviving, and certainly not thriving. She used to love her job as a successful business consultant, helping struggling companies to pull back from the brink of closure, but then her mentor died and her new boss decided to steal and repackage her ideas... and make her life hell.

Polly also used to love her partner Chris but now almost everything he says and does irks her, and she can’t forget that he cheated on her and has done very little since to repair the ever-growing chasm in their eight-year relationship. The only place where her life is working is on the

Our Fair Lily

Rosie Goodwin

AS the dark days of winter start to ebb and spring draws ever nearer, Rosie Goodwin, one of Britain’s best-loved saga queens, conjures up her storytelling magic for the first book in a brand-new Flower Girls series.

A former social worker and foster mother, four-million-copy bestselling author Goodwin (pictured below) has penned over forty beautiful, heartwarming sagas, exploring life and love in days gone by. She was also awarded the rights to follow three of the late, great Tyneside writer Catherine Cookson’s trilogies with her own sequels.

And now she’s back to win our hearts again with a gritty and drama-filled tale which stars a young parlour maid whose life changes overnight when she is called on to go far beyond the duties of a household servant.

In Warwickshire in 1875, Lily Moon, the local miner’s daughter, spends her days as a parlour maid for Lord and Lady Bellingham at Oakley Manor on the outskirts of Nuneaton. She has always been happy with her lot in life and never expected more. But that changes when she temporarily becomes lady’s maid to the Bellinghams’ daughter, Lady Arabella, who is pregnant with the illegitimate child of her army captain lover and about to be unhappily married off to Lord Lumley, a man twice her age.

When Arabella suddenly disappears and Lily is left holding the two-day-old baby, the Bellinghams deny any link to the child and tell Lily to leave her on the steps of the workhouse. 

But Lily Moon is made of strong stuff and between her and her sick mother Sara, they know they must give a home to sweet baby Anastasia (Annie) and bring her up despite their own limited means.

It is only Arabella’s brother Louis, the handsome son and heir of the estate, who shows any interest in the child and through his kindness, a friendship forms between him and Lily... or perhaps more than a friendship if the village gossips are to be believed.

Lily knows she is no match for Louis... a humble pit girl could never steal the heart of the lord of the manor. They must both deny their feelings and exist as they are... from two very different worlds. But when Lily is called to Paris to try to bring Arabella home to her family, a new opportunity emerges which could change her life forever. Could she dare to believe that she could be more than just a parlour maid?

It’s no surprise that Goodwin is one of the most borrowed authors from UK libraries and here she packs in all those human events and emotions – births and deaths, loves and losses, good people and bad people – that have made her novels so beloved by readers over the decades.

Lily’s journey from humble miner’s daughter to the chance of a new life far from home proves to be a gripping emotional rollercoaster ride with plot twists aplenty and a story full of intrigue and heartache but also friendship, resilience and love. Full of Goodwin’s wisdom and warmth, Our Fair Lily is a romantic gem and the first book to blossom in what promises to be a colourful new series.  
(Zaffre, hardback, £14.99)