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

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

Age 9 plus
Wildoak
C.C. Harrington

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

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

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

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

Age 12 plus
Failosophy for Teens
Elizabeth Day and Kim Hankinson

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

Age 9 plus
All Four Quarters of the Moon
Shirley Marr

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Age one plus
The Kiss
Eoin McLaughlin and Polly Dunbar

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

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

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

The Other Half

Charlotte Vassell

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Age 3 plus
Elephant Makes a Smell
Illustrated by Mr Griff

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

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

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

(Noodle Juice, board book, £6.99 each) 

Escape to Darling Cove

Holly Hepburn 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Age 8 plus
The Detention Detectives
Lis Jardine

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

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

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

Age 7 plus
Monster Bogey
Anna Brooke and Owen Lindsay

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

Age 8 plus
The Marvellers
Dhonielle Clayton

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

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

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

Age 8 plus
Wished
Lissa Evans

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Age 2 plus
The Worry Jar
Lou John and Jenny Bloomfield

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

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

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

Age from birth
We Are Love
Patricia Hegarty and Thomas Elliott

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

The Witches of Vardø

Anya Bergman

WHILST many history books and fictional dramas have retold the harrowing tales surrounding the 17^th century witch hunts in Britain and Salem, few outside Scandinavia know of the very real and terrible events on the remote island of Vardø in Finnmark in northern Norway.

Between October 1662 and April 1663, a total of twenty women were imprisoned and died as a result of the witchcraft persecutions.... eighteen were burnt at the stake and two were tortured to death.

Using the court testimonies of some of those caught up in this witch trials maelstrom, and blending historical fact with magical realism and vivid Nordic folklore, debut author Anya Bergman (pictured below) brings us an epic, atmospheric and moving novel about prejudice, misogyny, and a group of strong, determined women who refuse to surrender their souls to the cruelty of men. At the heart of the story are three compelling women who, in their very different ways, have failed to meet the rules and expectations of femininity set out by witch-hunting religious zealots, and face the wrath of both state and church.

In the small fishing village of Ekkerøy on Norway’s Varanger Peninsula in 1662, women must be careful about what they say and do at a time when drinking alcohol, having ‘a sharp tongue’ and even dancing can lead to accusations of witchcraft. Local fisherman’s widow Zigri Sigvaldsdatter has never been the same since the death of her husband and beloved only son Axell. She neglects her daughters, Ingeborg, aged sixteen, and twelve-year-old Kirsten, and is often seen smiling and laughing for wealthy merchant’s son Heinrich Brasches. The two girls feast on Brasches’ gifts of

Great Walks on the England Coast Path

Andrew McCloy

IF you’re looking for a new year fresh air fix, or already making plans for your next summer holiday, step into the pages of a glorious, illustrated guide featuring thirty classic England coastal walks.

Great Walks on the England Coast Path is just the latest guide from Kendal-based Cicerone Press which specialises in outdoor activities guidebooks and has a range of nearly 400 books for walking, trekking, climbing, mountaineering and cycling, covering the UK, Europe and other regions of the world.

Written by Andrew McCloy (pictured below), a writer and journalist specialising in walking and the outdoors and an experienced long-distance walker, this large format, glossy guide celebrates the best day and weekend walks on the England Coast Path, England’s newest National Trail, and celebrates the nation’s stunning and diverse shoreline. These hand-picked and varied walks are selected from the best of the 2,800-mile trail along soaring cliff paths, wildlife-filled estuaries, huge golden beaches and atmospheric saltmarshes, and capture the rich heritage and amazing contrasts of England’s coastline.

Locations include Northumberland with its string of coastal castles, the rollercoaster chalk cliffs above the English Channel, East Anglia’s wildlife-rich shores, smugglers’ coves in Cornwall and the vast sandy beaches and dunes of north-west England.

Routes range from 5.5 to over 27 miles, spanning between three hours and two days, and with options for all ages and abilities. They can be accessed by public transport and are walkable year round (weather permitting).

All the route descriptions are also accompanied by 1:50,000 OS map extracts and included in each walk are comprehensive listings of public transport, toilets and places to eat and drink, which highlight the excellent walking infrastructure available in many areas.

Overview information on the terrain, distance and timing helps to make planning easier, a route summary table allows walkers to choose the right route and GPX files are available for free download. And to make the walk even more enjoyable, fascinating snippets of history and geology are interspersed throughout, with useful websites and further reading in the appendices. Capturing the rich heritage and glorious contrasts of England’s coast, and incorporating beautiful photography of the coastline, the guide offers something for everyone and encourages us to explore both well-loved and less well-known parts of the English shoreline.

The sea has defined England’s history and the coast is a dynamic and exciting place to walk so whether your passion is for escape or adventure, geology or nature, castles or culture, these dynamic walks take you on a journey of exhilarating discovery whatever the season.
(Cicerone Press, paperback, £20)