Best Books This Month – February 2026

A highly illustrated diary-style story that will appeal to fans of Tom Gates, Wimpy Kid or Loki.

To begin with, I found myself curious to know how the events which loom so large in Hari’s mind – particularly the film competition and his friendship with schoolmates – would unfold. His doodle-filled diary was a perfect way to view the drama from his perspective; ‘drama’ being the right word for someone with ADHD and autistic traits for whom small things can prompt BIG feelings.

We have teacher Mr Gill to thank for suggesting that Hari keep a journal. More than that, I enjoyed getting an inside look into a mind – one who is aware that he’s neuro-divergent and is not ashamed to admit it, but who, nonetheless, struggles sometimes with expectations, noise, deadlines, focus and relationships. Just as well his BFFs, Rahim and Lily are non-judgmental and forgiving, which is more than can be said for Martin the bully. But what of new boy Cameron? Whose side is he on? And will he help or hinder Hari’s bid to become a Bollywood superstar?

Read it and see, all those who love a good laugh, KS2 children especially.

This phenomenally gripping story is set in a recognisable community in which there is one stark difference from our own: each month on the full moon, the entire community must stay indoors in case of a werewolf attack, even though the last fully evidenced attack was more than 40 years ago.

With a nod to the experience of lockdowns, Biddulph shows what it’s like when fear is ramped up or exaggerated from a false or skewed occurrence. His main characters are highly relatable: twins, Jax and Jovi, one of whom has a ‘werewolf’ gene, and their two friends, Fourth and Esau, one of whom has a difficult home environment and another who needs a wheelchair to get around. Their friendship works in a dynamic way, with authentic dialogue and real camaraderie.

As well as the plot, which draws upon ideas such as how power corrupts, how fear-mongering works, and the importance of evidence-based science, Biddulph shows his understanding of the modern child reader, with immensely short, bite-sized chapters and phenomenal illustrations throughout. With a fast-paced story, good twists and a clever premise, this is quite rightly going to appeal to lots of readers. Highly recommended.

This beautiful picture book does so much in just a few pages. It is a book about home, about feeling connected – to people and to our past. It is also hopeful, looking to map a bright future.

When a little girl leaves behind her Granny and dog to move to a new home in a different country, everything feels strange and unfamiliar. To help navigate her new surroundings, Mum creates a map of the local area for her. But she still feels far from the family she has left behind, so the little girl extends the map to include them.

With the help of her friends and family, the map grows and grows, and everything starts to feel closer and more connected, helping her to develop resilience in challenging times and to show her that change isn’t always bad. She even develops the map to manifest a better future for all.

There are fantastic curriculum links to this book, and teachers will feel inspired to use it in Geography (e.g. creating your own local area maps) and in PSHE to learn about navigating change and challenges. It could also be used when thinking about Climate Change and a vision for the future.

This fast-paced, joyous, laugh-out-loud text is a must for any library. Fans of graphic novels, history, or both will find the chaos of this text addictive and hard to put down.

It tells the tale of Tiny Hercules, a jam-jar-sized version of a well-known mythic hero who has to navigate their way through a series of twelve epic quests to make his way home. The re-imagined mythical adventure is full of twists, turns and laugh-out-loud moments that would be perfect for young readers or those who love comic humour.

This was a hit when I placed it in the school library; children were attracted from the outset by the cover and illustrations, and it has been checked out every week since. The last few pages offer instructions on how to draw Tiny Hercules and tease the beginning of the sequel due for publication in 2026. A great addition to any graphic novel collection!

A powerful WW2 animal rescue adventure from the author of the well-loved story book Pax.

This book explores what it is to be brave, what it means to have a family, and uncovers a part of the horrific Nazi practices – the Lebensborn – that is little known about or explored, particularly in children’s literature.

Lucas is a character full of quiet courage and resilience who has a strong sense of justice. This leads him from rescuing kittens from drowning to joining the resistance, passing messages within his occupied town in France. After witnessing Gestapo dragging Jewish children from a house they were sheltering in and other atrocities, he takes matters into his own hands and both Lucas and his friend Alice must attempt the most daring escape of all to rescue more than themselves from the Nazi occupiers.

Sensitive topics are discussed in relation to WW2 and this is suitable for mature KS2 or KS3 pupils. With poignant and moving storytelling, this is a narrative that will stay with the reader long after they finish.