Monday, 12 May 2025

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Dog dreams, dangerous dares and a retold Dracula

Meet a lonely boy who dreams of having a pet dog, learn life lessons from two girls taking online dares to dangerous extremes, revel in a thrilling retelling of evil vampire Dracula, and return to a fantasy world of edible magic with an exciting selection

Age 9 plus
Letters to a Dog
Piers Torday and Alice McKinley

YOUNGSTERS will be lapping up this moving, funny and utterly enchanting story – about a lonely little boy who longs for pet dog – from award-winning author Piers Torday, whose gift for writing magical and meaningful books has captured the hearts of thousands of adoring fans.   In his debut novel for dyslexia-friendly publisher Barrington Stoke, we meet Jamie Monroe, a troubled boy struggling with unhappiness at home and his own emotions, and longing for a dog to be his companion. Jamie is in hospital waiting for a life-changing operation. And to make a difficult time even harder, he’s fallen out with his dad and refuses to speak to him when he comes to visit. In fact, Jamie and his dad haven’t talked much since his mum died, and his dad always says no when Jamie asks if he can have a dog. To keep his spirits up, nurse Shirley suggests he writes a letter to the dog he desperately wants to adopt from the local dogs home. But imagine his surprise when Dog writes back!Torday, whose first book for children, The Last Wild, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Award and nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, focuses on the complexity of family connections with imagination and sensitivity, blending heart and humour to perfection. Given extra warmth and visual power by Alice McKinley’s adorable illustrations, this is a little book with BIG messages. 
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £7.99)

Age 12 plus
I Dare You
Tamsin Winter

HOW far would you go to get yourself noticed online... and how far would you go for a friend? Award-winning author Tamsin Winter tackles the serious topic of online dares with her trademark bold approach, authenticity and humour in this powerful and heartfelt story which has a message that all young teens need to read. Willow and Alma are best friends, sharing a love of the spotlight. All they want is fame and fortune, and Willow is determined that the best way to get it is to go viral. So they start filming dares. Okay, so getting stuck in a basketball hoop doesn’t get them the sort of attention they were hoping for, but as their challenges get more extreme, their fan base grows. Duct-taping themselves to a wall? No-brainer. Eating super-hot chillis? Of course! Waxing an eyebrow off? Super funny! And if they get in a bit of trouble, it’s worth it. But if they really want to prove themselves, they have to go all-out. So they come up with the perfect idea... an idea that causes more than just a bit of trouble, an idea that might destroy not just their ambitions but their entire friendship for good.

Told through a dual narrative, this is an entertaining, cautionary and teen-friendly story about a pursuit of online fame that goes horribly wrong, about a friendship tested to its limits, and the importance of owning up to our mistakes. Winter reveals she felt compelled to write the book after reading news stories about the very real dangers of online dares in which children and teenagers are seriously hurt or killed, and I Dare You is ideal as a starting point for parents and teachers who want to raise discussions on the subject.
(Usborne Publishing, paperback, £8.99)

Age 13 plus
Dracula: A Retelling
Tanya Landman

DRACULA...it’s one of the masterpieces of English literature, Bram Stoker’s nightmarish tale of evil deeds, vampires and insanity that has thrilled and horrified readers since it was first published in 1897. And now Carnegie Medal-winning author Tanya Landman has added this extraordinary Gothic classic to her superb series of retellings for publisher Barrington Stoke, a specialist in super-readable, dyslexia-friendly fiction for children. In a story told through letters, diary entries and newspaper articles, we follow a ship steered by a dead man, encounter a huge black dog springing from its deck, and meet a girl sleepwalking towards disaster. But the action begins when rising young solicitor Jonathan Harker unwittingly helps the mysterious and sinister Transylvanian nobleman, Count Dracula purchase property in London. What he has unleashed is an evil that threatens to destroy the whole of humanity.It’s no surprise that Stoker’s Gothic horror story popularised the vampire theme which has permeated literature and films alike, and now Landman’s stunning retelling – produced in an accessible format – means that that more readers can understand and enjoy it. The perfect introduction to the unforgettable world of Dracula!
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £7.99)

Age 12 plus
The Unofficial Fan Guide to Oasis
Eddie Robson

THE Kings of Britpop, Oasis, are back... and it’s going to be the best reunion ever! The return tour of the biggest band of the 90s is the talk of the music world but for the younger generation, Oasis might not be a familiar name. So ahead of their Live '25 Tour – scheduled to begin on July 4 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff – introduce your youngsters to the rock legends with this unofficial fan guide. Discover the Gallagher brothers’ rise to fame, how family drama interfered, the disastrous break-up, and everything there is to know about the reunion tour. With profiles on all the band members (former and current), their explosive shows, the history of Manchester’s music scene, and Oasis songs to learn on the guitar, this is a must-have book for Oasis fans new and (not-so) old.
(Wren & Rook, paperback, £9.99)

Age 9 plus
The Battle of Farrowfell
Ravena Guron and Alessia Trunfio

WELCOME back to a deliciously imagined fantasy world where edible magic is the hottest commodity for thieves... and the adventures are so wild and entertaining that to miss the fun would be a crime! The Battle of Farrowfell is the fabulous finale of an epic series from Ravena Guron, a British Indian biochemist turned lawyer turned middle grade author who brings her own captivating brand of energy and joy to the genre, and was highly commended in the FAB Prize, created by Faber to help discover new writers and illustrators of colour. At the heart of these tasty, action-packed adventures is twelve-year-old Jude Ripon, the youngest member of a family of magic-stealing masterminds in the town of Farrowfell, and a girl who is set on a (not always easy!) quest to become a true Ripon.

Jude is now living happily with Moorley, Uncle Runie and Spry. But then the Dark Rivers start failing and raw magic is everywhere. The Consortium jumps into action and assures everyone that the situation is under control, but the people they are arresting are never seen again. And anyway, Jude knows better than to trust those in power. Jude and Moorley must find a way to reverse the effects of the raw magic. All their usual leads are sending them to dead ends, until Jude meets a strange boy called Darcius who seems to know far more than he should. Can they resist the temptation of raw magic and save Farrowfell once and for all? Fizzing with comedy and energy, packed to the gills with magic and mystery, and given extra vim and vigour by the black-and-white illustrations of Italian artist Alessia Trunfio, this creative, world-building series has created a head of steam on each outing and the final defence of Farrowfell in its darkest hour will not disappoint!
(Faber Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8 plus
Valley of the Vikings
Liz Kessler

BEING transported into a magical undersea world of mermaids, mythical gods and a scary ocean king is enough to make any child’s imagination take flight, and can only mean one thing... Emily Windsnap, half-girl and half-mermaid, is back and she’s ready for a new adventure! Semi-mer Emily – a girl on land and a mermaid in water – is the creation of Southport-born Liz Kessler who has written over twenty books for children and young adults, including the internationally best-selling Emily Windsnap series. As popular as ever after 20 years, Emily – a brave, fierce, loyal social justice warrior – returns in an exciting new, standalone adventure which carries important messages about looking after our planet.

Neptune and Thor battle for power and their fight upsets the balance of the world. Lightning strikes, curses fly and towering waves swallow a Viking longship and its crew into a watery valley, taking with it the secret of the magical blue crystals. A thousand years later, Emily, a girl who is half-human, half-mermaid, discovers a bangle with a mysterious and beautiful blue crystal. With the help of her human and mer friends, she discovers the truth about the jewel... and the danger the world faces. The team must race against time to persuade the powerful but notoriously selfish gods of sea and sky to make peace with each other, before disaster strikes. Kessler creates a wonderful two-dimensional world for Emily... with a flick and a swish of her mermaid’s tail she moves between a life we can recognise, and another that belongs in the realms of fantasy. Written with warmth and sensitivity, and exploring themes of friendship, power and conservation, this is a treat for Emily Windsnap fans new and old.
(Zephyr, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8 plus
Nora and the Compass of Chaos
Joseph Elliott and Nici Gregory

IF you think great-grandmothers are ‘cutesy-wutesy, scarf-knitting old biddies,’ you need to meet super-cool, disco queen Nora who is the shining star of Nora and the Compass of Chaos, the outrageously funny sequel to award-winning author Joseph Elliott and German illustrator Nici Gregory’s hilarious novel Nora and the Map of Mayhem. Featuring anarchy run wild, and a gran who would rather be slapping on some lippy and skinny-dipping in a lake than caring for kids, this explosion of hilarity and hair-raising comedy is another sure-fire winner from start to finish. When Nora is invited to a fancy dress party, she thinks that’s the worst of her problems... until she discovers her friend Grizzler is missing. After finding his boat wrecked, Nora sets off on a wild adventure to try to find him. What she didn’t expect was to find that her great-grandchildren, Atticus and Autumn, have stowed away for the ride! Between dodging fingernail-eating skuttlecrags and wrangling ice-breathing jujugars, there are also whispers of a rogue Monster Hunter on the loose with monstrous plans in motion. With only some wool, a corkscrew and half a pack of sweets in their possession, can the trio stop the true villain before it’s too late? Elliott lets loose a rollicking, raucous riot of mayhem as naughty Nora’s memorable mishaps are brought to joyful life by Gregory’s gallery of rip-roaring, fun-filled illustrations. Don’t miss the ride!
(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age 7 plus
How to Train Your Dragon School: Doom of the Darkwing
Cressida Cowell 

TWENTY years ago, author, illustrator and Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Cressida Cowell, penned her first How to Train Your Dragon novel and created a magical world that became a global bestselling phenomenon. And now she’s back to delight her fans – and a new generation of young readers – with a dazzling spin-off delivering the same winning ingredients of adventure, heroes and dragons, and starring Hiccup, Toothless, Fishlegs and other favourite characters from the original books. So step into the How to Train Your Dragon School where Viking and Dragon Heroes are made! Join Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third and his dragons, Toothless and Windwalker, in their hilarious, hair-raising adventures at the Isle of Berk's Training School and find out why they are BOTTOM in pretty much everything. Disastrous Lesson Number One was The Art of Battle. It was supposed to be a quiet, sensible lesson. Hiccup never meant to get into trouble but things take an unexpected turn along the way and Hiccup and his friends soon find themselves adrift on stormy seas, in a sinking ship, facing imminent doom, in one of their biggest adventures ever. Cowell’s gift for mesmerising world-building and her creation of quirky characters you can see and almost hear is central to this fun-filled, action-packed story which comes with her trademark wit, humour, and richly detailed imaginative powers. Perfectly created for even the most reluctant of readers!
(Hodder Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 7 plus
Marnie Midnight and the Minibeast Mission
Laura Ellen Anderson

MEET up again with an adorable little moth and her magical, miniature world! Laura Ellen Anderson – best-selling creator of the Amelia Fang and colourful Rainbow Grey books – makes a flying return with another hugely imaginative series. Written and gorgeously illustrated by Anderson, these delightful stories star little moth Marnie Midnight who has BIG, out-of-this-world dreams. In her final adventure, the moon-loving moth and her friends are going on a camping trip. Marnie, Floyd and Star snuggle down for a good night’s sleep tucked up inside their leaf sleeping bags. But when they wake up they realise that they are no longer in the meadow… they’re inside a HUMAN HOUSE! As the friends search for a way out of the giant house, they stumble across all sorts of weird and wonderful things, including a very playful cat and a whole swarm of perplexing wasps. Can the friends go on a Minibeast Mission and make it back to school safely? Anderson has become the go-to author for her amazing world-building skills and exquisite artwork and this magical mystery series delivers everything young readers love... quirky characters and humour, warmhearted friendships, exciting adventures, and fascinating facts about the natural world. Add on some extra sparkle, shine and colour – not least the eye-catching orange-sprayed book edges – and it’s fun all the way to the moon and back!
(Farshore, paperback, £7.99)

Age 6 plus
Little Lim and the Golden Treasure
Frann Preston-Gannon

DIVE into a beautiful watery world and discover the magic and wonders of nature! Young readers will love immersing themselves in this heartwarming adventure story about friendship, exploration and nature from award-winning illustrator and designer Frann Preston-Gannon. Nestled between the pink morning sky and the sparkling sea lies a small green island where the story begins... Limpet Pebble is a true explorer so when Tidepool, her little town nestled within a rockpool, organises a Young Explorers competition, Little Lim knows she must win! With the help of her best friend Kai, she sets out to find the most unique shell to submit and prove her worth as an explorer. But with only hours until sunset, Little Lim struggles to find the perfect one. That is until she reads the legend of a long-lost golden shell. Can Little Lim discover the truth behind the story in time to be crowned the best Young Explorer? Brimming with colourful and vibrant illustrations, a stunning gold-foiled cover, and including fascinating facts about the sea world and rockpools, Little Lim and the Golden Treasure is beautiful, inspiring and wonderfully uplifting.
(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £8.99)

Age 6 plus
Disney Travel Puzzles
Roland Hall

JOIN your favourite Disney characters for an exciting and entertaining puzzle-packed adventure! Challenge yourself to solve 100 word, logic, number, memory and picture puzzles, all with a delightful holiday twist. Whether you’re travelling by train, flying on an aeroplane, relaxing by the pool or enjoying a cosy getaway, this puzzle book featuring characters such as Lilo and Stitch, Anna and Elsa, Aladdin, Mike and Sulley, will help children to exercise their brains the Disney way. Written by Roland Hall, an author, editor and puzzle setter, and bursting with Disney magic, the compact-sized book is an ideal companion for travel and school holidays and will keep children entertained for hours. The ultimate boredom buster for Disney fans on the go!
(Studio Press, paperback, £6.99)

Age 6 plus
Woodland Explorers Club:
Ajay and the Red-Winged Prince
Ewa Jozefkowicz and Gillian Flint  

AS the nation’s woodlands burst into the blooming life of the spring and summer seasons, discover the wonders of nature and some of the ways we can protect the natural world in the new Forest School adventure from Waterstones Prize shortlisted author Ewa Jozefkowicz. Brimming with friendship, adventure and learning through nature, this inspirational series – packed with Gillian Flint’s fun illustrations – features the Woodland Explorers who solve mysteries and protect the animals of Willow Wish Woods. At Forest School, Woodland Explorer and history-lover Ajay has discovered an amazing old book in the library. It contains a beautiful map of Willow Wish Woods in the 14th century and he knows it’s something special. The book also tells the story of the Red-Winged Prince, who cared for the forest many moons ago and looked after the animals, including wild boar and red squirrels. But when Ajay and the other Woodland Explorers – Benji, Shyla, Trix, Fujiko and Eric – see that the woods are being damaged by a gang of older children who are leaving their rubbish behind, Ajay decides to be brave like the Red-Winged Prince and stand up for what is right. With magic, mystery, forest school fun, a whole natural world to explore, and the added bonus of bird facts and woodland activities to enjoy, youngsters will be pulling on their wellies and heading for the great outdoors!
(Zephyr, paperback, £7.99)

Age 5 plus
Squid Squad
Aoife Dooley

DIVE down and deep to meet the wackiest and weirdest creatures of the ocean in a hilarious, zany and action-packed full-colour graphic novel from award-winning illustrator, writer and comedian Aoife Dooley from Ireland. Stars of the show are naughty best friends Ollie the vampire squid and Zing the toxin-squirting sea bunny and youngsters will need to come up for air when they join them for chaos in deep waters with the rest of their undersea crew! Ollie and Zing live in a town called Nowhere deep under the sea, a place that’s home to the strangest creatures of the ocean... creatures like the stinky Blob, crafty Hypno-snail, and the mysterious Snakey Unicorn Thing. Ollie and Zing's antics with their colourful neighbours always keep things lively, especially when they get the better of dastardly old Thornelius, the thorn-shooting sea slug! Squid Squad contains four hilarious mini episodes, featuring a missing pet sea anemone (who makes a dashing wig), a very mysterious noise, and a magical portal toilet. All brought to life by Dooley’s striking, bold and friendly artwork, the stories are packed with anarchic visual humour and feature a lovable cast of vibrant characters based on real deep-sea animals. A gloriously madcap celebration of imagination, friendship and being unique, and ideal for less confident readers.
(Scholastic, paperback, £9.99)

Age 4 plus
Sea: Activity Book
Selina Wood and Britta Teckentrup

DIVE into the deep blue sea and discover a world beneath the waves with this beautiful ocean-themed sticker activity book based on award-winning illustrator Britta Teckentrup’s acclaimed picture book, Sea. From tiny, graceful seahorses to darting tropical fish, and from electric eels to humpback whales, this utterly absorbing Sea Activity Book features over 200 colourful stickers and hours of entertainment for creative young minds. This latest instalment in the Teckentrup-inspired sticker activity series is packed with mazes, mosaics, wordsearches, puzzles, colouring scenes and lots more. A magical and interactive introduction to the wonders of the ocean!
(Little Tiger Press, paperback, £9.99)

Age 3 plus
Pick a Story: A Wizard Astronaut Pyramid Adventure
Sarah Coyle and Adam Walker-Parker

DECISIONS, decisions, decisions! Being given a choice can be scary and for some youngsters, it can be terrifying. But making choices and decisions is an inevitable part of life so make it fun – and not too easy! – with this sparkling interactive children’s illustrated picture book series where YOU choose the story. Author Sarah Coyle and illustrator Adam Walker-Parker have fun and challenge little ones to start making decisions and enjoy the bigger picture with these super ‘pick your own’ whirlwind adventures. And in this fifth empowering and laugh-out-loud interactive story, youngsters discover not one, but three completely different, fun-filled worlds featuring three childhood favourite themes which were specially selected in a competition involving 250 UK primary schools... space, wizards and the mysterious pyramids of ancient Egypt. Bo’s sister, Kai, has lost her special stick... and he needs YOUR help to find it before she starts to cry! Is the stick lost in space, has a wizard cast a spell on it, or is it buried in an ancient Egyptian pyramid? It’s up to YOU to decide! Each page includes an activity, such as search-and-find, odd-one-out, mazes and more, all woven seamlessly into the stories. And with a different story guaranteed every time the book is read, plus lots of twists and turns, hilarious characters and decisions to make on every page, this is the ideal book to inspire a lifelong love of reading. So what are you waiting for? Come on in and join the fun!
(Farshore, paperback, £7.99)

Age 2 plus
I Could be Eaten by a Shark
Marcela Ferreira and Mark Chambers

SPARE a thought for Louie. He’s scared that he could be eaten by a shark... even though there aren’t any around! Top team, author Marcela Ferreira and illustrator Mark Chambers – who brought us delightful picture book Bear vs Dragon – get their jaws around this funny and cautionary sharp-toothed tale about learning to face your fears.  Meet Louie who one day sees a teeny, tiny baby shark at the beach, and that’s where it all starts. Now everywhere he goes he sees sharks... in the bath, in the park, even down the toilet. With some help from his grandpa (who is very wise), Louie begins to face his fears. After all, he has fireflies to count, new friends to make, and a whole new world to discover. With a laugh-out-loud twist in its tail, this uplifting and inventive story will have little ones grinning at the action, and gawping at the fascinating bonus facts about sharks!
(Oxford University Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age one plus
Mini Pops:
Happy Baby & Growly Tiger
Ruth Symons and Isa Pirracas

LET'S face it... little ones love a pop-up book so introduce them to Happy Baby and Growly Tiger! With six chunky pop-up faces – both human and animal – bursting out from every vibrant double page spread, this adorable new Mini Pops board book series is guaranteed to delight the very youngest readers who have an endless fascination with different faces. 

Clever paper engineering makes these chunky little books surprisingly durable... meaning pop-ups aren’t just for big kids. And these Mini Pops are the perfect balance... just small enough for little ones to easily hold, and just big enough to spring a surprise with every page turn. 

Accompanied by Ruth Symons’ catchy, rhyming, read-aloud text, and Isa Pirracas’ eye-catching illustrations featuring a variety of human emotions, this playful range of books will have babies and toddlers asking for them time and time again!
(Templar Publishing, board books, £6.99 each)

Age one plus
Hippo’s Garden Day
Nicola Kent

LION has a lovely, tidy garden but poor Hippo’s is very overgrown... can YOU help Hippo do the gardening? Full of flaps, wheels and sliders, this interactive board book is a hands-on introduction to the grown-up tasks that fascinate toddlers. Follow Hippo around the garden as he mows the lawn, prunes his bushes, waters the plants, and picks fruit from the trees. Full of flaps, wheels and a slider, this line-up of busy chores for little paws is the work of award-winning author and illustrator Nicola Kent. So roll up your sleeves, turn on the fun and get your little ones using their ‘green fingers’ with this picture perfect exploration of grown-up tasks!
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £7.99)

Age one plus
Who Said Beep?
Becky Davies and Yi-Hsuan Wu

BEEP beep! Was that the hot air balloon? No, it was the truck! Lift the peep-through flaps to find out which vehicle makes each noise with this funny pairings book which has tactile pages and a surprise mirror ending. 

Written by Becky Davies and colourfully illustrated by Yi-Hsuan Wu, this touch-and-feel board book will make children laugh as they learn which noise matches which vehicle. With sturdy flaps to lift and a surprise mirror ending, this is a fun-filled journey through the world of transport!
(Little Tiger Press, board book, £7.99)

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