Fire and Bones

Kathy Reichs 

THE heat is on for forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan when she is called to Washington D.C. to analyse the victims of a mysterious arson attack at an illegal Airbnb in the city suburbs.

The experienced ‘bone’ doctor had misgivings about the job as working at fire scenes is never easy, and those doubts are soon justified when she finds that the site is in Foggy Bottom, a neighbourhood with a colourful history... a history that poses deadly danger in the present.

Fire and Bones – a classy, clever, edge-of-the-seat thriller – is the amazing twenty-third high-stakes murder mystery in US author Kathy Reichs’ brilliantly authentic and addictive Temperance Brennan series which began with Déjà Dead in 1997 and, straight out of the blocks, won the Ellis Award for Best First Novel and became an international bestseller. Since then Reichs (pictured below) – herself a forensic anthropologist – has used her own experiences to bring her viscerally real thrillers to life and was a producer of Fox Television’s long-running, hit TV series, Bones, which is based on her work and her novels.

And her mastery of this superb medical science series retains its powerful appeal as we join Temperance (Tempe) leaving her home in Charlotte, North Carolina, and abandoning – at short notice –  a romantic getaway with her long-term partner Andrew Ryan who is working as a private detective in Montreal.

Tempe, who has spent her career at death scenes and in autopsy rooms, is soon examining the fire site and the remains of the victims, and as the pieces start falling into place, the property’s ownership becomes more and more suspicious.

Sensing that there is a story behind the devastating fire, Tempe agrees to team up with her new ally, the charismatic and forceful television journalist Ivy Doyle. Delving into the past, the two women learn that back in the Thirties and Forties, the home was the hangout of a group of bootleggers and racketeers known as the Foggy Bottom Gang.

Although interesting, this fact seems irrelevant... until the son of one of the gang members is shot dead at his farm in Virginia. When another Foggy Bottom Gang-linked property burns to the ground, claiming one more victim, what might have been coincidence starts to look more like targeted attacks.

And as she and Ivy dig deeper, Tempe’s instincts point towards the obvious... somehow, her

The Festival

Louise Mumford

HOLD on tight, turn up the volume, and head for Solstice, this summer’s red-hot festival where music, mystery ­– and deadly menace – are top of the playlist!

It’s a case of Stephen King’s creepy horror meets the frenzied vibes of Glastonbury as Louise Mumford (pictured below) whisks us away to the remote and sweltering valleys of Wales for a seasonal psychological suspense thriller in which a fun music festival turns into the stuff of nightmares.

Former English teacher Mumford – whose two gripping novels Sleepless and The Safe House were Kindle bestsellers – turns up the heat to boiling point in this tense, locked-room style trip into the heart of a darkness that threatens to engulf two naïve young women on the longest, and hottest, night of the year.

So sit back, pour yourself a long, cool glass of vino, and meet 20-year-old part-time library assistant Libby Corrigan who can’t believe her luck when she wins two tickets to the biggest event of the summer... Solstice, a much sought-after music festival which celebrates the longest day of the year.

Libby’s mother – a woman who had always been unkind and uncaring with her daughter – died from cancer only recently and after a few initial reservations about travelling to the festival, she is persuaded to go by her best friend Dawn.

Eager to escape her problems for a few days, Libby hopes a weekend of sun, fun and festivities along with Dawn will be ‘the start of a whole new her’ and that she will emerge from ‘the shadow’ that had always been cast by her mother.

But what promised to be an exciting trip quickly turns into a head-on meeting with the macabre. The Blake family who own the festival prove to be scarily weird, the scorching heatwave intensifies, the music becomes wilder, and the festival-goers are increasingly unpredictable. And when Dawn goes missing, Libby worries that something terrible has happened to her. As Libby’s past starts to unravel and she learns more about the festival’s dark origins, she begins to fear that something might happen to her too…

With an intriguing and increasingly disturbing mystery bubbling beneath the surface, and a sense of foreboding that grips from the sinister opening chapter right through to the shocking dénouement, this page-turner is music to the ears of readers who love a high concept thriller.

Mumford’s descriptive powers bring extra intensity to an ingeniously imagined festival buried deep in the countryside where the world seems out of kilter, revellers’ phones are silenced, the music is overwhelming, and a claustrophobic atmosphere thick with youthful hormones and hedonism quickly turns poisonous when Dawn disappears.

And as the tension ratchets up, and stories about a woman called Tess Sanderson who went missing at Solstice twenty years ago swirl through the action, a malign brand of folklore is pitched perfectly against the author’s superb evocation of the rampant excitement and sheer self-indulgence of music festivals. Add on the unsettling backdrop of angry locals, and the troubling presence of the Blake family who own and run the festival, and you have the perfect storm for a cracking summer reading escape!
(HQ, paperback, £9.99)

New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Café

Julie Haworth

IF you haven’t yet visited the sleepy, soul-soothing East Sussex village of Blossom Heath, then the clowder of irresistible rescue cats settling in at everyone’s favourite café could be just your cup of tea.

New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Café – a delicious blend of romance with a side order of cats and cosy community vibes – is exciting new women’s fiction writer Julie Haworth’s second warm, romantic and uplifting novel set in this most idyllic, quintessentially English village imaginable.

Haworth (pictured below), who worked as an English teacher for a number of years, wrote last year’s debut novel, Always By Your Side, a celebration of rural life, love and friendship, whilst recovering from Covid in 2020, and it went on to win the Romantic Novelists’ Association Katie Fforde Debut Novel of the Year 2023. And romance fans – and cat lovers – will be in reading heaven when they get their paws on Haworth’s warm, life-affirming and sun-soaked new story which stars a young woman returning to Blossom Heath, the village where she grew up, after her boyfriend of four years shatters her dreams of a happy ever after.

When Tori and her long-term boyfriend Ryan set off a year ago on what was planned to be the ‘adventure of a lifetime’ in Asia, she believed that their future together in Blossom Heath was all mapped out.

But after being unceremoniously dumped and left stranded by Ryan, who is now (unbelievably) telling her he’s ‘not a relationship guy,’ the bottom has fallen out of Tori’s world and she returns to her pretty village and her mum Joyce after the worst week of her life.

As Joyce’s number one helper has just left her busy and popular Cosy Cup Café, Tori puts on her frilly apron to help her mum but, recognising that the café is starting to looking dated and tired, she formulates a plan – inspired by the cat cafés she visited in Tokyo – to give the place a fresh start and a new feline identity. Joyce is not initially

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Alien magic, danger in Pompeii and music maestros

Head far beyond the stars for an out-of-this-world adventure, travel back in time to the ancient town of Pompeii and meet a dog on a mission, discover the world of classical music and its colourful characters as you’ve never before seen them, and marvel at a brave and resourceful kick-ass heroine facing a climate catastrophe in a shining array of summertime books

Age 9 plus
The Others
Sarah Merrett

BUCKLE up and head far beyond the stars for an out-of-this-world adventure that blends a fascinating slice of real-life history with magical realism and some scintillating sci-fi. The Others is an action-packed and imaginatively powerful tale filled with wonder, lovable aliens, a dastardly professor and epic battles, and is the spectacular creation of debut author Sarah Merrett who was inspired by the Guzman Prize and its donor, Frenchwoman Clara Guzman, who died in 1891 and left money in her will for a prize honouring her dead son, Pierre Guzman, an amateur astronomer. The sum of one hundred thousand Francs was to be paid to a person who succeeded in ‘sending a signal to any planet or star, except Mars, and receiving a response.’ The obvious question was ‘why not Mars’?  Clara Guzman’s will didn’t answer the question but it is known that Pierre Guzman believed that life definitely existed on Mars so perhaps the planet was ruled out as being too close... and too easy to contact!

Meet Reuben... he  has never once left his home in a remote observatory where he lives with his astronomer grandma who is determined to win the Guzman Prize by discovering and contacting aliens. He has been told the outside world is forbidden to him because of a rare disease that makes his eyes light sensitive... but that may not be the full story. The problem for Grandma in her hunt for aliens is that she has a competitor... the evil and ruthless professor Pinfield. One day, a mystery airship crash-lands nearby and Grandma goes to investigate. When she doesn’t return, Reuben leaves the observatory and discovers an alien girl whom he calls Blue and takes her back to his home. They set off for the big city to find her alien friends but can Reuben save Blue from the evil professor who is determined to track her down, put her in a cage and claim the Guzman Prize? And who exactly is Reuben? Young readers will be gripped by this thrilling, atmospheric and super-spooky adventure which has danger, mystery and menace at every turn of the page and stars a colourful cast of characters – both alien and human – while exploring themes of loyalty and being true to yourself. A brilliant debut!
(Everything with Words, paperback, £8.99)

Age 9 plus
Delta and the Lost City
Anna Fargher and David Dean

TRAVEL back in time to the ancient city of Pompeii where a pet wolfhound called Delta is on a mission to save her family... before the great volcano Mount Vesuvius buries them all in a catastrophic eruption. Young readers will adore this epic historical thriller from the talented Anna Fargher whose novels – including The Umbrella Mouse and The Fire Cats of London – have earned her a reputation as a leading author of curriculum-linked fiction. Set in the ancient city in the year 79AD, when the earth trembled and Vesuvius prepared to wreak havoc on all those who lived in her orbit, Delta and the Lost City is a dazzling adventure full of danger, daring, real history and a long-ago world brought to life by David Dean’s illustrations.

Young wolfdog Delta lives alongside her family in a villa owned by former army general, Lucius, and has spent her days happily exploring the surrounding olive groves and pasture sof Pompeii. But her life changes when Lucius tells his cruel son-in-law Marcus that he is releasing the household slaves and leaving everything in his will to his daughter Herminia. Lucius is killed and Delta is blamed for the crime. Chained against a wall, Delta is almost given away to soldiers when she manages to escape into the forest. With the help of her eagle friend, Bellona, Delta navigates the tricky terrain full of threatening creatures and thieves outside the ancient city’s walls. But the earth is warning of a much larger threat, and determined to warn her family, Delta must race against time and find them before it’s too late... With the shadow of Vesuvius looming over all the action, this is a fast-paced and thrilling visit to ancient Pompeii as we follow the adventures of an unforgettable dog and revel in an inspirational and heartwarming story of strength and loyalty in the most perilous of times.
(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
Raising the Roof!
Jack Pepper and Michele Bruttomesso

MUSIC maestro, please... and let’s rock! Jack Pepper, radio presenter and one of the UK’s youngest commissioned composers, introduces the world of classical music – and its colourful characters – as you've never before seen them. Informal, raucous and sometimes scandalous, the heroes of classical music are far from the ‘composed’ images that are often used to portray them. So here’s your chance to take a tour of musical history, and learn your timbre from your tempo, your tuba from your cello and your symphony from your concerto while rubbing shoulders with 20 great composers including Bach, Beethoven, child prodigy Mozart, pioneering musician Florence Price, and film score composer Hans Zimmer. Discover unsung trailblazers like Hildegard of Bimgen, Barbara Strozzi, Joseph Bologne, and video games composer Nobuo Uematsu, and find out what it really takes to write a timeless classical hit. Listen as you read, using the playlist inside, with over 40 classical pieces covering 1,000 years of music, and along the way explore the history of classical music, the sounds and key concepts like a symphony, opera and concerto. And the story doesn’t stop there as classical continues to influence music today and future sounds. Easy-to-understand and witty, written with Pepper’s infectious enthusiasm and lavishly illustrated by Italian artist Michele Bruttomesso, Raising the Roof will inspire budding composers and open up the dazzling world of classical music to a new generation.
(Templar Publishing, hardback, £16.99)

Age 9 plus
Reek
Alastair Chisholm and George Caltsoudas

WELCOME to an exciting, all-action adventure set in a (literally!) breathtaking dystopian world, and an intriguing new genre in the dizzying realms of fantasy fiction... cli-fi! Acclaimed author of a raft of big-hit sci-fi adventures, Alastair Chisholm brings his talents to an enthralling and fast-paced middle-grade thriller full of fantastic world-building, and bearing important messages about climate change and environmental concerns. Climate catastrophe has left the people of Earth fighting for oxygen. Sparrow lives in Edinburgh where fresh air has become a commodity controlled by a large and powerful tech corporation after what they call the Reek, a dangerous toxic pollution that now covers the Earth. Axel Brodie, the tech billionaire behind Zephyr Industries, is cashing in as the only supplier of clean air. Sparrow is struggling to help her family survive until her brilliant inventor friend, Miriam Fenn, comes up with a new form of technology that could break Zephyr’s stranglehold on the air supply. But men like Brodie are hard to defeat, and he will do everything – however deadly – in his power to stop Miriam and Sparrow. Who will triumph in this battle to breathe free? Filled with the spectacular black-and-white illustrations of comic artist George Caltsoudas, Chisholm’s cautionary novel features the wonderfully brave and resourceful kick-ass heroine Sparrow who was written off by society but is ready – and brave enough – to save the world. A brilliantly told story with a resonant and timely warning at its heart.
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8 plus
Storm Seal
Sarah Ann Juckes and Sharon King-Chai

COPING with the challenges that come from change is explored with exquisite sensitivity in this inspirational seaside story of family and hope from Sarah Ann Juckes whose YA debut, Outside, was nominated for the Carnegie Medal Award in 2020. In a critically acclaimed partnership, Juckes’ heartfelt novel is illustrated by award-winning Sharon King-Chai and stars a young girl trying to protect her family and her community, and learning that not all changes are bad. Martha was raised on her nana’s stories. Even if no one else believes them, Martha knows that they’re magic. Now those stories are helping Martha hold things together when everything around her is falling apart... out-of-towners moving into her family’s old house, her nana’s mysterious illness, and the tourists flooding the town who don’t seem to care about the sea or the animals that it is home to. But Martha has found one creature who understands... a black seal pup that seems to appear whenever Martha needs it most. Could she be the key to fixing everything that’s wrong, or will Martha need to fight her way through the storm by herself? Juckes’ beautifully created and imagined novel gently explores the dilemma of Martha who is struggling with grief and the changes around her, but finds both courage and her voice beneath the waves. Brimming with emotion, hope and tenderness... a joy to read.
(Simon & Schuster Children's Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 7 plus
World of Sport
Lawrence Alexander and Violeta Noy

THE wonderful world of sport awaits you! From football to fencing and even the wacky Dutch sport of fierljeppen (a combination of long jump and pole vault!), explore the most exhilarating sports played throughout history. Written by author and freelance journalist Lawrence Alexander, and gorgeously illustrated by Spanish artist Violeta Noy, this brilliant book is bursting with colour and fascinating facts, and is part of the World of... series which looks at what we have in common, and celebrates our differences. Discover mind-boggling records from around the globe and meet the sport superstars who turned ordinary games into extraordinary triumphs. Find out which sports were played at the very first Olympic Games, what the different colour jerseys mean in the Tour de France, and how to throw a gumboot. Everywhere on our planet where people can be found, there are different sports that we love to play and compete in. Learn about ball sports, gymnastics, athletics, water sports, extreme sports and how each sport came to be, where in the world it originated and, most importantly, how to play. Featuring more than 100 adrenaline-pumping sports from every corner of the globe, this high-energy, inspirational book is guaranteed to make you work up a sweat!
(Templar Publishing, hardback, £14.99)

Age 7 plus
Kyan Green Battles the Multiverse
Colm Field and David Wilkerson

WHEN your mission is to save not just one world but a multitude of them, you really do need to get a move on! Welcome back to the fast and furious life of Kyan Green, the multiverse hero who is FAST becoming the shining star of a thrill-on-every-page action series from debut author Colm Field. These exciting, high-octane multiverse adventures are loaded with friendship, questions of loyalty, a fine line in humour, and some real-life challenges which help to keep the characters grounded in their worlds of gripping fantasy. Kyan Green is getting the hang of racing through the multiverse in the Infinite Race. If he’s driving a bubble-butt car through a giant's cereal bowl or riding on the back of a cosmic critter, he can't be beaten. But when the mysterious infinity racer Spider Ace charges Kyan and his friends with a mission that has them hurtling from one universe to the next, it couldn’t be more dangerous. Together the gang must race from world to world, seeking out the multiverse doubles of Kyan's devious landlord Mr Stringer and facing off in battles that could tip the balance between good and evil. Lose a single battle, and every single parallel dimension could be in jeopardy! With David Wilkerson’s superb illustrations bringing all the epic action to life, and another high stakes are multiverse task for Kyan and his pals, this edge-of-the-seat outing is ideal for both young readers and keen gamers.
(Bloomsbury Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 6 plus
How to Save a Life
Dr Ronx and Ashton Attzs

BE prepared for any accident or emergency, and learn how to save a life with the irrepressible emergency medicine doctor and CBBC presenter Dr Ronx as your teacher! How to Save a Life is the fifth book in a children’s illustrated and inspirational non-fiction Little Experts series written by a line-up of well-known personalities who are bringing their experience and knowledge to younger readers. These experts are all famous for their incredible know-how and passion for their subjects, and now they have made it their mission to share that knowledge in these beautifully illustrated books which come packed with fascinating facts, easy-to-understand introductions to key non-fiction topics, colourful pictures, and include a helpful glossary to explain words and phrases. So join Dr Ronx and learn how to feel confident and ready for nearly any situation, from nosebleeds and burns to choking and the recovery position. Discover information about basic first aid, CPR, asthma attacks, heavy bleeding and allergic reactions, and meet some children whose first-aid skills have saved lives. With colourful, playful and inclusive artwork by illustrator Ashton Attzs on every page, this is life-saving skills made fun! An entertaining and educational series to empower and inspire a new generation of experts.
(Red Shed, hardback, £9.99)

Age 3 plus
The Boy Who Painted The World
Tom McLaughlin

GRAB a paintbrush and be inspired to find your hidden ‘creative’ with a joyful exploration of artistic expression and imaginative play alongside the multi-talented, bestselling author and illustrator Tom McLaughlin. Creativity, making mistakes and drawing scribbly dinosaurs all grab the spotlight in a picture book full of fun, colour... and artwork of course! When a boy stumbles into a blank book, he thinks it looks very empty... until he meets a determined paintbrush. Although the boy is certain that he can't draw or paint, he's encouraged to try... and the results are surprising. An ordinary square can become a dumper truck, and a messy blob of paint can become a Messy-saurus (that’s the aforementioned scribbly sort of dinosaur!). In fact, it soon becomes clear that anything can be turned into something. With a bit of imagination, the possibilities are endless! There is so much to enjoy in this delightfully positive and entertaining picture book... bright, bold illustrations, an inspirational, high-energy story that counters perfectionism and embraces mistakes, a spread of activity ideas at the back of the book, and important messages about the sheer power of possibilities.
(Oxford University Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
Banana Hunt
Suzy Senior and Josh Cleland

LITTLE ones will be going bananas for a simply ‘apeeling’ search-and-find picture book from the top team of rhyming queen Suzy Senior and US illustrator Josh Cleland. Bernardo the chimp is on the hunt for some fun and what could be better than a banana hunt?! Hidden under rocks and tucked in socks, Bernardo stashes bananas everywhere, ready for his Auntie Dot to find. She searches the rainforest high and low for every banana but before long, they realise that Bernardo has hidden a few too many! After lots of squishy, icky banana chaos, an exhausted Auntie Dot and Bernardo slowly head back. Except what is THAT up ahead on the track? Can Bernardo save them from the grizzly bear? Perhaps too many bananas could be helpful after all... With Senior’s joyous read-aloud and laugh-out-loud rhyming romp, a host of hidden pink bananas to spot on every spread, and all brought to life by Cleland’s super-colourful and brilliantly bananas illustrations, this is the fruitiest story ever to come out of the jungle!
(Templar Publishing, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
The Boy, the Troll and the Chalk
Anne Booth and David Litchfield

THE creativity of art, the power of imagination, and the healing wonders of kindness also work their special kind of magic in a moving picture book from acclaimed author Anne Booth and award-winning author and illustrator David Litchfield. Everybody knew that a big fierce troll lived in the cave. ‘Leave me alone!’ it yelled. So everybody did. Only one child cannot turn their back on the troll at the edge of the playground. One day, he takes his chalks up to the mouth of the cave, draws a flower with every petal coloured in but one, and leaves the chalk behind. The next day, the flower has been completed. Day-by-day, the boy and the troll finish each other’s drawings until they each draw a portrait, showing a boy holding hands with a fierce, scary troll. ‘But you’re not a troll,’ says the boy. ‘You're a boy – just like me.’ Patience, kindness and the power of art win out in the end and the two boys wordlessly draw together. Soon all the other children gather to join in with the game and everyone forgets that there was a troll inside the cave because outside the cave, there is so much to draw. Isolation and difficult emotions are banished in this beautiful story which delicately embodies the philosophy of art therapy. Litchfield’s dazzling, textured artwork brings life and colour to Booth’s tale of hope and friendship. A joyful celebration of pavement art that is sure to have little ones reaching for their own chalks!
(Templar Publishing, hardback, £12.99)

Age 3 plus
Imagine a Time
Penny Harrison and Jennifer Goldsmith

‘Imagine a time when all the world stops, when all of the clocks no longer tick-tock and all of the maps are starting to fade, as the need to be somewhere drifts far away.’

IN a fast-paced, hectic world, it’s sometimes good to slow down and forget all the hurry and bustle. Penny Harrison, a children’s author and journalist who lives in Melbourne and is more than happy to describe herself as an ‘experienced daydreamer,’ lets loose her imagination on a glorious picture book celebration of nature’s healing powers and a timely reminder for us all to drop our pace of life. Illustrated with an ethereal beauty and a soft and soothing colour palette by Jennifer Goldsmith, Imagine a Time brings an array of families and children enjoying time together in the great outdoors and enjoying the unfurling of nature with ‘its calm, healing wings.’ The perfect summertime read to encourage us all to find peace in the natural world.
(New Frontier Publishing, hardback, £12.99)

Age 3 plus
Two People Can
Blessing Musariri and
Maisie Paradise Shearring

ONE of the greatest traumas for a child is losing a much-loved parent and it’s a theme that lies at the gentle heart of a captivating and lyrical picture book from award-winning Zimbabwean poet Blessing Musariri and Hull-based artist Maisie Paradise Shearring. Moving and uplifting at the same time, Two People Can explores the impact on a young boy after the departure of his dad. His father has gone and Shingai and his mum are all alone and feeling lost. Shingai can’t contain the whirlwind of anger and sadness inside any more. He needs to let his feelings out so he chops the heads off flowers in the garden, paints the leaves on plants in the house, and throws cushions off the couch. It’s only when his mum confesses that she feels the same and starts throwing things on to the floor that Shingai is forced to stop, think carefully about what they are both doing and realise that at least he and mum still have each other. Musariri’s stunning story, about the complex range of emotions which a child experiences when a parent leaves or dies, is told from the perspective of a young boy and sensitively illustrated by Shearring. Part of Kumusha Books, a new globally inclusive, empathy-led list of children’s books, this inspirational story about overcoming sadness with hope, love and empathy is ideal for helping youngsters to understand their feelings and find a way to face the future.
(Kumusha Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age one plus
Little Bear Lost
Jane Hissey

CUDDLE up close for the return of Jane Hissey’s beloved Old Bear and a teddy bear picnic adventure with a hilarious hiccup! Little Bear Lost is part of Hissey’s acclaimed Old Bear books and the much-loved, BAFTA award-winning TV series, Old Bear and Friends. Old Bear himself was given to Hissey by her grandmother when she was born and he has travelled the world with her, visiting schools, libraries and literary events, becoming increasingly worn and threadbare but still recognisable to millions of adoring readers. In this this newly refreshed teddy-bear classic, we find Old Bear counting ‘One, two, three, four’ as the toys begin to play hide-and-seek. But one little toy has hidden himself so well that he completely disappears! Where could Little Bear be? Join Old Bear, Bramwell Brown, Rabbit and Duck as they set off on an adventure to find their missing friend. Nostalgia, the warmth of true friendship, and the joys of childhood shine out from each page in this beautiful paperback edition of Hissey’s adorable story. Stunning, photo-realistic artwork blends with a funny, reassuring text, making this a teddy bear tale to love and treasure forever.
(Templar Publishing, paperback, £7.99)

The Lost Lover

Karen Swan

IN the course of just one fateful year, the life of young dreamer Flora MacQueen on the remote Island of St Kilda will change far beyond the destiny she had always thought was mapped out for her from birth.

With her lustrous black hair, ‘appled cheeks’ and flashing green eyes, feisty Flora is noted for her captivating beauty, and the arrival of two wealthy young men on a visiting yacht is set to bring the awakening of an unexpected love... and a heartbreaking tragedy.

After the runaway success of smash-hit reads, The Last Summer and The Stolen Hour – the first two books of a historical Wild Isle series from bestselling author and master storyteller Karen Swan (pictured below) – this third visit to St Kilda in the wind-battered Outer Hebrides, in the months before its real-life permanent evacuation in the summer of 1930, will be Gaelic music to the ears of an army of fans. With sweeping and deliciously romantic stories at their heart, these epic tales of endurance, hardship, and love against the odds were inspired by Swan’s own family history and the unique history of St Kilda, a small island in a remote archipelago which towers out of the storm-tossed waters of the Atlantic, and is now an uninhabited seabird haven and World Heritage Site.

And after leaving her readers with cliffhanger endings and a mysterious death still unsolved in previous visits, Swan is back to her island of secrets for another gripping chapter in the lives and loves of three young friends – Effie Gillies, Mhairi MacKinnon and Flora MacQueen – whose individual stories are told in parallel time, but whose fortunes and misfortunes tell different tales.

Eighteen-year-old Flora has always dreamt of more than her tough life on the small Scottish island of St Kilda but her bleak future seems suddenly brighter in August of 1929 when one of the visiting tourist ships drops anchor in the bay causing ripples of excitement on the island.

St Kilda’s famous beauty soon catches the eye of the two visiting adventurers, Edward Rushton, a restless spirit, and his friend, James Callaghan, a wealthy businessman and keen fossil-hunter. Both men are bewitched by barefoot Flora who ‘drink her in like a cool glass of water’ but only one of them wins her heart. It’s the start of a brief and torrid love affair – the kind that Flora had always longed for – but the man she has fallen for is leaving to take part in a British Arctic Expedition that will take him far, far away for the next year.

Winter seas now separate the lovers but the enforced evacuation of St Kilda the following summer promises to reunite them... until tragedy strikes and Flora’s dreams are shattered. Heartbroken and needing to support her family who are now on the mainland, despairing Flora knows her beauty is her only currency and a chance meeting offers hope in the world beyond ‘the blue line’ of the ocean.

Soon she is the toast of clubs and night life in glamorous Paris and, thanks to her exceptional singing voice, fame and fortune are hers for the taking.... but she knows only too well by now that rich men make empty promises. And then a scandal erupts back home in Scotland, and Flora is implicated, along with her friends, Effie and Mhairi. And as dark secrets come to light, it is a lie by a fellow islander that changes everything...

Seamlessly weaving together the dynamic stories of three young women across various locations and timelines is just one of the many talents of an author who has a well-earned reputation as the queen of epic romances. Immaculately researched and told with the exciting sense of time and place that we have come to expect from this accomplished writer, The Lost Lover once again brings vibrant life to the fascinating island of St Kilda, with its unforgiving climate, grinding hand-to-mouth existence, and socially complex tight-knit community, and then carries us onward to the contrasting glitz and glamour of pre-war Paris.

With echoes of Effie and Mhairi’s stories drifting enticingly across the action, Flora’s rags-to-riches journey through love, tragedy and new beginnings takes centre stage, but as the spectre of returning to St Kilda and being forced to evacuate the only home that the islanders have ever known draws inexorably closer, the tension builds with each turn of the page.

Expect a gripping plot that celebrates the unbreakable bonds of friendship and family, but also explores the heart-rending challenges of loss and grief, and teems with secrets and island superstitions as we travel with Flora, alongside her close friends Mhairi and Effie, into an unknown and uncharted future.

And with another jaw-dropping, trademark cliffhanger leaving Swan’s addicted readers already counting down to the final, thrilling trip to St Kilda, this passion-filled four-book odyssey – with its exhilarating backdrop, core murder mystery, and torrid tales of loves lost and found – is now set fair for one last truly epic chapter which will pull together all the intriguing strands of an unforgettable story. Don’t miss the boat!
(Macmillan, hardback, £16.99)

The Revenge of Rita Marsh

Nilesha Chauvet

THE moral dilemma of choosing between delivering justice for a heinous crime and taking a very personal revenge never seemed more visceral than in the pages of exciting British Indian author Nilesha Chauvet’s dark and breathtakingly powerful debut novel.

The Revenge of Rita Marsh – which has already won a prestigious London Writers Award – is a superbly plotted and intensely emotional tale with a complex woman at its heart... a woman who cares for the elderly by day and is an online vigilante by night, hunting down the faceless predators who target vulnerable girls.

And as a former philosophy and theology student, an ordained interfaith minister, and Managing Director of the GOOD Agency, which helps charities to raise millions of pounds for good causes, Chauvet (pictured below) has her own deeply-held interest in helping other people. But it’s when our intriguing protagonist, who poses a young girl to ensnare online paedophiles, finds her work coming too close to home that this heart-pounding thriller takes off into morally grey territory as the best of motives have unexpected and terrifying consequences.

‘I’ll get them in the end, I always do. I’ll hunt them down, one by one. I know who they are, I know where they live. But they will never really know me.’

Rita Marsh is a good person. By day, she is an ordinary small business owner running her late parents’ London care home, looking after the elderly and infirm. But by night, she’s a vigilante operating in a small team called Raven Justice, and posing as a young girl online.

She snares the men who try to prey on her, exposing them for what they are. She’s a force for good in a country whose justice system is crumbling and each time she follows a ‘dirty trail’ and corners a child groomer, Rita feels ‘a wave, a slow creep of satisfaction’ that she saved a child, and in so doing, ‘reclaimed a small but important part of myself.’

Rita has successfully kept her two lives separate for years, but when a former classmate returns from the past to tell her a secret which dates back to their school days, her two worlds start to collide. With both of her selves unravelling, Rita will have to choose between justice and vengeance. Will she remain a protector and force for good... or will she become someone to fear?

Chauvet proves to be a clever and masterful storyteller as this heart-pounding thriller fearlessly explores and exposes some of the darkest and most disturbing corners of paedophile crime, and asks whether those who hunt will eventually – or is that inevitably – fall prey to the transgressions for which they hold others to account.

In Rita we have a determined moral crusader, a woman whose life is ‘an elaborate juggling act’ but who won’t give up fighting for ‘the ones who cannot protect themselves’ and is more than prepared to take the law into her own hands. Brimming with edge-of-the-seat tension, powerful emotions and psychological insight, The Revenge of Rita Marsh is one of 2024’s most impressive and thought-provoking debuts.
(Faber & Faber, hardback, £16.99)

Seven Lively Suspects

Katy Watson

IF you’re looking for that perfect beach read, indulge your senses in a delightful contemporary murder mystery which dishes up all the vibes and va-va-voom of the much-loved Golden Age of crime writing.

Seven Lively Suspects is the third sleuthing treat in debut author Kate Watson’s (pictured below) entertaining Three Dahlias series which delivers vintage-style mysteries, and stars three rival actresses who have all played fictional 1930s detective Dahlia Lively on screen and are now making a name for themselves as the Three Dahlias and solving real-life murders.

So meet national treasure Rosalind King from the original movies, Caro Hooper, the TV Dahlia for thirteen seasons, and ex-child star Posy Starling who came fresh out of the fame wilderness and took on the Dahlia mantle for a brand new movie.

It’s been five years since Dahlia fan Scott Baker was arrested for a murder that had eerie echoes of one of Lettice Davenport’s famous detective Dahlia Lively books. But now a true crime podcast wants to re-open the cold case, convinced that the police got it wrong... and they want Rosalind, Caro and Posy, the three Dahlias, to help them to prove that they’re right.

The murder of aspiring crime writer Victoria Denby created a sensation at the time with the public’s imagination hooked by the detail of a paper dahlia placed beside the body, just like in one of Dahlia Lively’s fictional cases. There were fears that a copycat killer was at large in the peaceful town of Market Foxleigh. Despite the tabloids’ fearmongering, the police quickly arrested Victoria’s friend and fellow writer, Scott Baker, and when it emerged that he had also been accused of stalking Dahlia actress Caro Hooper, it seemed like an open and shut case.

Most people have forgotten the case but this baking hot summer, a crime writing festival is being staged in Market Foxleigh, and the guests of honour are the Three Dahlias themselves. The three women had anticipated a weekend of cream teas, awards dinners and warm white wine but before long they’re sleuthing together once again. Can they help to find the real killer?

Watson, who spent her teenage holidays reading paperback Agatha Christies, always dreamt of writing her own crime novel and these The Three Dahlias mysteries are the perfect celebration of the Golden Age crime she loved so dearly.

Set against the alluring backdrop of a crime fiction festival in in the picturesque Cotswolds, this cold case thriller in the midst of a steamy English summer packs in all the favourite tropes of a vintage mystery, and then adds a delectable modern twist. Cosy crime with a glitzy glow!
(Constable, hardback, £16.99)

The Children Left Behind

Eliza Morton

IT might be five years since the Second World War ended but the daily grind in Liverpool is tough for families who have lost loved ones, and whose lives and homes were ripped apart by the devastation of heavy enemy bombing raids.

But amidst the rubble, one young woman is determined to fight for a brighter future and help rebuild the city she knows and loves ... unless the hand of fickle fate gets in her way.

If a gripping blend of romance, heartfelt emotions and post-war intrigue is your perfect reading recipe, then head off to Liverpool again with actress Eliza Morton (pictured below) for a deliciously nostalgic saga for summer nights.

Morton – better known as Elizabeth Morton and married to actor Peter Davison of Doctor Who fame – has a keen eye for drama and her childhood years in Liverpool have armed her with a love and in-depth knowledge of both the city and what makes its people tick. And after success with The Orphans from Liverpool Lane, she returns with The Children Left Behind, the second book in her Liverpool Orphans trilogy, and another gripping, poignant tale, this time set against the backdrop of the Festival of Britain and the hardships brought about by the rebuilding of the city which had seen a third of all its houses destroyed or damaged.

In November of 1940, the bombs are raining down on Liverpool but feisty seven-year-old Alice Lacey and her two best friends, Bob and Matty, have disobeyed their parents by going up Everton Hill to watch the sky set on fire.

Ten years later, the three remain friends, and Bob is now Alice’s sweetheart. He would marry her tomorrow but Alice has ambitions to better herself and she finally leaves her factory job to work as a secretary for architects firm Hedley and Worboys, dreaming of a better future and playing some small part in rebuilding Liverpool.

But not everyone is as hopeful as Alice. ‘What Hitler started, the Corporation is finishing off,’ some are saying. Families are being ripped apart, whole streets are being demolished, friends and neighbours are being separated, and some children find themselves with nowhere to go but the orphanage. These children are given the unkind name, ‘Orphans of the Living’ and when Alice’s father dies and her mother struggles to cope, Alice is horrified to see her younger brothers and sister facing the same fate. And, to make matters worse, Bob has returned with unsettling news after running away to sea... and when Alice turns to Matty and they begin to fall in love, it seems he is harbouring a secret.

The Children Left Behind packs a real emotional punch as Morton brings us a gritty but also heartwarming and uplifting story which was inspired by her own grandmother, a widowed mother of ten, and the many other Liverpool families which saw children split up from their parents and siblings, and communities forced to separate. Filled with the nostalgia that has become a hallmark of Morton’s moving sagas, a cast of colourful Liverpool characters, love in its many guises, and the rich detail of life in the aftermath of war, readers follow a young woman determined  to achieve her ambitions.

With the realities of Liverpool’s post-war rebuilding operation placed firmly at centre stage, a strong sense of family and community, and the author’s warmth and humorous affection for her home city shining through all the drama and emotion, this is a trip ‘up north’ you wouldn’t want to miss!
(Pan, paperback, £8.99)

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Schoolgirl giggles, sporting chances and musical milkshakes

Enjoy the awkwardness of first love with an adorable teen, meet a youngster finding her courage on the football field, discover the silly, strange and totally hilarious world of music and escape to a magical island where anything you imagine comes to life in a super summer selection of new children’s books

Age 9 plus
The Majorly Awkward BFF Dramas of Lottie Brooks
Katie Kirby

‘New year, new diary, new multipack of KitKat Chunkys and a new BOYFRIEND!!!!
Could life get ANY better?!?!?!’

IF the reference to KitKat Chunkys hasn’t already given the game away, welcome back to the gloriously chaotic world of Lottie Brooks as Katie Kirby – an author with her finger firmly on the pulse of girls in those the unique (and notoriously awkward!) ‘tweenage’ years ­– returns with a laugh-out-loud feast of fun. The Majorly Awkward BFF Dramas of Lottie Brooks is the sixth book in Kirby’s hilarious and relatable tales of Lottie’s adventures and misadventures... part of a runaway successful series that is being devoured by an army of young readers (many in the ‘reluctant’ category) who lap up the extremely embarrassing antics of the irrepressible schoolgirl. Kirby, who writes and illustrates this perfectly pitched series, has a natural gift for finding humour in recognisable, everyday challenges, and the mega-funny Lottie Brooks books capture all the giggle-worthy and cringe-inducing essence of this often intensely self-conscious pre and early-teen time of life.

And here is Lottie writing her New Year diary and celebrating that at long last she and Daniel are an official couple and everything seems to be going brilliantly (except for Amber being increasingly mean and jealous, but what’s new there?) Meanwhile, annoying younger brother Toby’s New Year's resolution is to get a dog, and for once Lottie and him see eye to eye. Before you know it, Pot Noodle, the cockapoo, becomes the newest member of the Brooks family. He’s VERY cute but also not toilet trained AT ALL. Lottie soon finds having a new boyfriend and a new dog means she has little time for anyone else, leaving her best friends pretty upset. How is Lottie meant to keep everybody happy and stop Pot Noodle from pooing on the carpet?! And will she be forced to choose between her BFFs and her new boyfriend?

Youngsters will love meeting up again with Lottie as she navigates the pitfalls and perils of growing up in this fantastically funny and yet wonderfully life-affirming new chapter of her madcap journey through first love, troublesome friends, trying family members, pre-teen politics, and a seemingly  endless series of embarrassing moments. Guaranteed to have young teens giggling, gasping and cringing all the way through the school term!
(Puffin, hardback, £14.99)

Age 9 plus
Back of the Net
Eve Ainsworth and Luna Valentine

A YOUNG footballer who finds the courage to take to the field, despite her fears of being bullied, has a starring role in this heartwarming and uplifting new book from award-winning author Eve Ainsworth who often puts soccer at the heart of her stories. Ainsworth, an award-winning and Carnegie Medal-nominated author, has used the exciting history of Lancashire’s real-life Dick, Kerr Ladies FC – the team of ordinary factory girls from Preston who made footballing history during the First World War – in her creative books and this sensitively told, contemporary tale about a girl who suffers from psoriasis, a painful and itchy skin condition, once again looks to female footballers as her inspiration. Eva’s football skills make her stand out while playing at break-time at school, so her friends can’t understand why she’s reluctant to join them in playing for their local team, the Lightmoor Lionesses. Horribly bullied at her last school due to her psoriasis, Eva is terrified that the same thing will happen again if her new friends find out. Her instinct is to hide away, but can she find the courage to take to the field and play the game she loves? Published in Barrington Stoke’s dyslexia-friendly format, the story of Eva’s battle to overcome her fears is brought to life by Luna Valentine’s lively illustrations, and will certainly score a winning goal with football fans and any youngsters facing their own challenges with psoriasis, anxiety and lack of confidence.
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8 plus
Make Some Noise
The Horne Section

DID you know that music releases endorphins? Endorphins make cows relax more and make more milk, so... music = milkshakes! Welcome to the silly, strange and totally hilarious world of music alongside The Horne Section, a comedy musical band led by comedian and frontman Alex Horne, creator and host of the hit Bafta-winning TV series Taskmaster. Garnering their musical knowledge and their talent for making audiences laugh, the Horne Section – who also have their own critically acclaimed ‘musical sitcom’ on Channel 4 – bring youngsters this mind-blowing guide to all things music. Packed with bizarre tales, absurd history, and unbelievable facts, this this cornucopia of musical oddments and oddities can help anyone become a sound-making sensation. Find answers to those all-important questions, such as do I need to be able to read music to play music, why is cabbage the key to musical genius, which is the fartiest of all the instruments, and how can you write your own catchy song? Best of all, you can discover which song has the funniest lyrics of all time. Band leader Alex Horne has also added some special tasks throughout the book, ensuring that readers will be making their own music in no time at all (and that’s without even leaving the house!) Everything you need to know to be a music genius!
(Puffin, hardback, £14.99)

Age 9 plus
Three Cheers for the River School
Sabine Adeyinka

RETURN to the joys of lovely, lively schoolgirl Jummy’s mystery-filled adventures at the amazing River School in the third book of a sparkling middle grade fiction debut from Sabine Adeyinka who was born in England to a Nigerian father and Jamaican mother, and grew up in Nigeria. Using her own exciting experiences of her memorable time in boarding school, Adeyinka brings youngsters vibrant and resonant stories that explore issues of justice, class and poverty. Jummy was overjoyed when she won a place at the illustrious River School, the finest girls’ boarding school in southern Nigeria. Situated by the Shine-Shine River, the school is everything Jummy dreamt of, with friendly girls, midnight feasts and sporting prizes. Now Jummy is looking forward to playing football, only to discover that the new head is banning it! Instead, the girls must host an inter-school music competition which the rival boys’school is likely to win. With River School pride at stake, Jummy and her team must come up with a new game plan... and fast. Discovered through publisher Chicken House Books’ open submissions, Adeyinka delivers a glorious mix of boarding school dramas in vibrant 1990s Nigeria and intriguing mysteries with both heart and hope. With the stunning, colourful backdrop and an inspirational and irrepressible heroine, Jummy’s adventures at the River School can’t help but enchant readers both young and old.
(Chicken House, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8 plus
Race to Imagination Island
Mel Taylor-Bessent and Alessandro D’Urso

HEAD off to a magical island where anything you imagine comes to life! Mel Taylor-Bessent, author of the much-loved The Christmas Carrolls, sets her creative powers loose on the first book of a thrilling new illustrated and collectable fantasy action adventure series. With friendship, humour, incredible world-building, and a colourful cast of characters who must complete a series of challenges to win a very special Race, there is fun all the way on this wild and wacky ride to Imagination Island. Observers, dreamers, inventors, explorers! The time has come for four children to be crowned the new Protectors of Imagination Island. Children all over the world scour the globe in search of lightstreams (portals) to the magical island where anything they imagine comes to life. To become a Protector, they must compete in teams and complete a series of challenges to prove they have what it takes. Dreamy 10-year-old Luca is afraid of everything, not least the lightstream he stumbles into by accident. Imagination Island is everything that he’s terrified of. But there’s no way out. So he hits on a plan. Work out how to come LAST, and get sent home. That’s what he really wants... isn’t it? Hold on tight and get ready to meet a skateboard train, a spinning map room, magical storms, a neon jungle, a rap battle and a sword-wielding sloth as imaginations run riot in this brilliantly inventive adventure brought to life by Alessandro D’Urso’s vibrant illustrations. Don’t stop reading until the race is won!
(Farshore, paperback, £7.99)

Age 5 plus
Otto The Top Dog
Catherine Rayner

IF cute canines pluck at your heartstrings, then indulge your senses in this enchanting dog-fest picture book from CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal winner Catherine Rayner. Based on author and artist Rayner’s own pet dachshund called Otto and filled with the magic of her luminous, richly expressive and painterly illustrations, this enchanting story starring a sausage dog who just can’t say No will have readers oohing and aahing from first page to last. Meet Otto. He loves a lot of things – bone-shaped treats, sniffing and daily walks – but nothing more than his beloved basket, and he’s more than happy to share! But after Otto invites one of his friends to share his comfy basket, word quickly spreads around the neighbourhood. Soon he’s sharing his cosy bed with all the dogs in the area, and even taking in the local strays! Before he knows it, everyone is having the best sleep in his beloved basket... everyone but Otto! Will Otto ever get his basket back to himself? And will he still like it if he does? With a delightfully funny tale about kindness, sharing, and learning to be confident (plus a gentle reminder that while it’s fun to share, sometimes too much of a good thing isn’t so great!), Otto The Top Dog is ideal for reading aloud, perusing the gallery of gorgeous dogs... and gifting to dog lovers young and old.
(Macmillan Children’s Books, hardcover, £12.99)

Age 5 plus
Watts & Whiskerton: Buried Bones and Troublesome Treasure
Meg McLaren

THE best things come in threes... and this adorable cat-and-dog detective duo are the shining stars of a mystery and mischief-filled new trilogy from Waterstones Children’s Book Prize-shortlisted author and illustrator Meg McLaren. Highly illustrated throughout in child-friendly tones of red and grey, the adventures of Watts & Whiskerton are doggedly delightful and purr-fectly fun for emerging young readers. Watts doesn’t think he’s got what it takes to be a great detective like his parents. So when they jet off on their next case, he decides to take a holiday at Whiskerton Manor instead. But there, Watts befriends Pearl Whiskerton, a curious cat with a nose for mysteries, who persuades him to help her investigate a series of strange goings on at the manor. Who has been upending the precious rose bushes? And where did the amazing dinosaur bones dug up on the grounds come from? It looks like the two things might be connected. But can this dog and cat detective duo solve the mystery? With comic-style illustrations and a story bursting with sleuthing and skulduggery, Watts and Whiskerton’s adventures are guaranteed to steal every reader’s heart!
(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £6.99)

Age 5 plus
Astrid and the Space Cadets!
Race from Planet Peril!
Alex T. Smith

BLAST off on the second thrilling adventure with the supersonic Space Cadets! It’s another mission seemingly impossible for Astrid Atomic and her pals, Beryl, Professor Quackers and Zoink, in a new space outing with much-loved author and illustrator Alex T. Smith. This fast-paced, out-of-this-world, early reader series, which takes youngsters on wild, fun-filled journeys through the Milky Way, is filled with Smith’s bold, funny and quirky illustrations. Astrid Atomic is a six-year-old human girl but unlike other six-year-olds who go to bed to sleep, Astrid gets up again when the lights are off, the coast is clear and she hears the Space Cadet siren, puts on her Astrid uniform and blasts off on board the spaceship Stardust. And in this new adventure, Astrid and her Space Cadet best friends have been given an important mission from the Chief... to retrieve the special trophy for the Supersonic Saturn Race. Tonight they will have to fly under boiling hot lava waterfalls, zoom through fields of flaming flowers, and sneak past a big, toothy, scary space monster! But things go from bad to worse when they realise that the naughty Dr Boris Uranus is on their tail. Will they get to the trophy before time runs out? The perfect series for kids who love all-action adventures and are ready to read by themselves.
(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 4 plus
Lighthouse and the Little Boat
Katie Frawley and Ben Mantle

THERE won’t be a dry eye in the house when parent-readers turn the last page of this beautiful, allegorical picture book about a wise lighthouse guiding a young boat through the turbulent waters of life. A sweet, tender, and touching tale, Lighthouse and the Little Boat is a subtle take on parenting and growing up, and was created by children’s author Katie Frawley, and illustrator and animator Ben Mantle. Once, there was a lighthouse. She stood proud and steady, strong and bright. In fair weather and in foul, she towered over the waters and guided ships to safe harbour. The lighthouse stands by the sea and keeps everything in her sight safe and sound. And when a little boat named Brightness appears in her harbour, Lighthouse offers to watch out for her. But, as Brightness becomes more confident and daring, she sails further out than Lighthouse can see. When a big storm hits, will Lighthouse be able to protect Brightness? Frawley’s delightful story shines a light on the natural energy and exuberance of youth and the tempering warmth, love and caution of a parent. Brought to glorious life by Mantle’s charming artwork, which is filled with colourful, nautical shades and highlights the fast-changing moods of the sea, this gorgeous book is one to love and treasure.
(Quill Tree Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 3 plus
Billie’s Buzz
Alison Brown

SIX legs, four wings, no limits... bees are amazing and without them, we wouldn’t have so many fabulous flowers! There’s a real buzz around a gorgeous new, honey-flavoured picture book from author, illustrator and Queen of Cute, Alison Brown. Meet Billie, a bee with BIG ambition! When the Festival of Talents comes to town, Billie is determined to show off her skills. She’s intelligent! She’s cute! She’s agile! But Billie’s new human friend has a bit of advice... don’t use your wings because some people are funny about bees. Can Billie share her talents without revealing her true identity? Young readers will be making a beeline for this delightfully funny celebration of bees, and reminders about the importance of bee-ing your true self. With its fun-filled introduction to the superstars of the insect world – including some fascinating, bonus bee facts – and Brown’s warm and wonderful illustrations, this is the perfect book for young children who are nervous of bees or learning about their unique importance in the natural world.
(Farshore, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
Dig, Dig, Dinosaur
Anjali Goswami and Maggie Li

TAKE your little dinosaur fans on an exciting fossil-hunting adventure in the pages of an intriguing peep-through picture book from Professor Anjali Goswami, Research Leader at the Natural History Museum in London, and Maggie Li, an illustrator with a passion for the natural world. After leading expeditions searching for fossils all over the world, dinosaur expert Goswami loves inspiring people to explore, study and protect nature, and hopes that everyone will get out and get their hands dirty while learning more about the planet. Join three little explorers searching for dinosaurs. Can they find something REALLY BIG? In Dig, Dig, Dinosaur, little ones will enjoy peering through the pages to find all kinds of fossils, discover which dinosaur they came from, and then uncover a final, HUGE surprise with an amazing fold-out ending featuring a giant diplodocus! With bones, horns, claws and jaws on every page, and Li’s rich and colourful artwork bringing the action to life, this is a dino delight for your own little fossil hunters!
(Nosy Crow, paperback, £7.99)

Age 2 plus
Godfrey is a Frog
Alex Latimer

RIBBIT, ribbit, ribbit! Little ones will be jumping for joy when they get to grips with this delightful picture book charting the ups and downs of a frog’s life cycle. There’s no shortage of leaps and laughs in this warm and affirming story about self-acceptance from talented writer and illustrator Alex Latimer who is based in Cape Town, South Africa. Godfrey used to be an egg, then he was a tadpole. Now, Godfrey is a frog. He changed quickly and it was all very exciting. He’s waiting for the next change... but it seems there isn’t one. Is this it? Godfrey thinks. It's not very exciting. Bear has wonderful claws, Deer has impressive antlers, Heron has majestic wings. Godfrey buries himself in the mud and hides away from the world. He doesn't want to be just a boring old frog. Can Brinley the minnow, Radcliffe the snail, and Penelope the shrimp convince Godfrey that a frog is a pretty special thing to be? With a gallery of creative and characterful illustrations, a witty narrative featuring a cast of colourful creatures, and brimming with Latimer’s classic deadpan humour, this playful and informative picture book is a reminder that friendship is one of life’s most important building blocks.
(Oxford University Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age one plus
Bea’s Bad Day
Tom Percival

BE open, be honest, be you! That’s the message that speaks loud, clear (and without being preachy!) in the eighth book of author and illustrator Tom Percival’s hugely popular Big Bright Feelings series for little people. This beautifully emotive and resonant series is a great starting point for discussions about mental and emotional health, positive self-image, building self-confidence and managing feelings... and ideal for gentle bedtime reading. In this eighth book in the series, a reassuring and funny story about dealing with disappointment, we meet Bea who just can’t wait for her birthday. There are only three days to go, and everything is going to be perfect! But then snow begins to block the roads and everything begins to go wrong. With no party, no cards, and maybe even no cake, can Bea find a way to be OK... even in the middle of a really bad day? With its comforting story and gallery of bold and emotive illustrations, Bea’s Bad Day is the ideal springboard for talking to children about setting expectations and finding balance amidst disappointment. Also available in the Big Bright Feelings series, which has won the hearts of adults and children alike, are Ruby’s Worry, Perfectly Norman, Ravi’s Roar, Meesha Makes Friends, Tilda Tries Again, Milo’s Monster and Finn’s Little Fibs.
(Bloomsbury Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)