Best Books This Month – July 2026

What a breath of fresh (or should I say stinking air from the Underworld) this book was. I was hooked from the first page and laughed out loud throughout the book. I can see fans of Louie Stowell’s Loki series and Gary Northfield’s Julius Zebra series enjoying this book.

Demise AKA Bonehead is a guardian of the gates to King Hades’ fortress in the Underworld. Demise is bored and wants Hades, God of the Underworld to notice him and he certainly does when Demise causes disaster after disaster because he doesn’t think things through and jumps into situations without a backward glance.

This book is told in a diary style, with Demise’s supervisor, Mort adding his thoughts now and again. With illustrations throughout by Jamie Gregory, we’re taken on a thrilling adventure where danger lurks around every corner. Despite all the jokes and humour, the book does have messages such as ‘Don’t judge a book/person/weird frog-like creature by its cover’ and ‘Do your homework’. Definitely a 5/5 from me.

Waffles & Julius has been a smash hit at our library storytime sessions! Children love the floppy, lolloping Waffles who just wants a hug, and the aloof Julius, who really doesn’t.

The characters jump off the page with fun and silliness. It’s a fantastic book to read aloud and really give the characters voice. The simple line drawings and bright colours by Ed Vere are so attractive and exuberant – there’s no visual clutter at all which means Waffles and Julius tell the whole story with their body language and facial expressions.

Very much recommended for Reception and Y1 classes and for library borrowing.

We are very fond of Tony Bradman’s history-themed fiction, and this new 1941 Blitz adventure is a fantastic addition. It follows the Cobb Street Commandos, a spirited gang of East End children determined to support the war effort in their own way.

The story weaves in details about rationing and the Home Guard, handling wartime themes in a way that will make sense to today’s young readers. The characters are brave and full of pluck, showing the power of community spirit in overcoming hardship.

With an accessible font and well-spaced layout, this is a top recommendation for KS2 pupils who enjoy a history themed read.

Captain Sunshine follows a young girl, Bella Day, through her first days as captain of a luxurious cruise ship, with an assortment of animal characters making up the crew and passengers. As their journey begins, Bella has to find creative solutions to an increasing number of problems to make sure the cruise can continue successfully. Friendship and determination are key themes.

The text is large and well spaced and the chapters are short, making it a particularly good choice for children moving on from phonics readers and looking for comfortable, satisfying chapter books. There are illustrations on every page, with a cute style and a charming limited colour palette. There’s also a map and diagram of the ship included. Set in the same fictional world as the Hotel Flamingo series, this book will appeal to fans of those books and also of series like Adventure Mice, Claude, Rabbit and Bear and Unipiggle.

High above a mountain village, tucked away in the clouds, lies Qing Qing’s indigo workshop. The vibrant blue cloth crafted here is famous far and wide, but only one family knows the ancient secrets hidden within the dye. This charming story is translated from an original Chinese folktale from the Miao culture, about the traditions of batik printing. The narrative focuses on a young girl, Qing Qing, and her family.

The narrative tells us of the history and traditions of batik and its importance to the people. The process begins when the indigo pickers gather the materials from the fields to dye the cloth that special hue of blue, through to the spinning of the material in their home, the tracing of intricate patterns of wax and the dying of the material. Every stage of the process from inception to a range of finished products is detailed and allows a special window into a magical and mystical world which still unfolds every year today.

This story is quite unique and the delicate and enchanting illustrations, invoking a spiritual landscape, and the engaging crafting of the words make this a truly special book, suitable for young readers and adults alike. The end notes were extremely informative expanding on the details of this important cultural heritage. A sheer delight.