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Best Books This Month – October 2025

It’s easy to feel lost in the flood of so many new children’s books available. Each month, our Review Panel reads scores of new books and we highlight five of our recently published favourites.

This month, our panel of experienced teachers, librarians and children’s book experts has carefully selected five outstanding titles for you to read, with a mixture of fiction and fact, and longer and shorter reads to excite young readers.

With the evenings drawing in, those wishing to curl up with a longer read will love The Last Bard from Maz Evans. This welcome return from the author of Who Let the Gods Out tells the fictional story of Shakespeare’s last living relative, who brings to life the characters created by his ancestor. For a shorter read, Alastair Chisholm’s sci-fi mystery Blitzers is a super readable and gripping story which will appeal to fans of any gaming platform.

Equally suited to KS2 independent reading or sharing in class, Stella Caldwell’s Amazing Book of World Mythology is a beautifully illustrated compendium of short, accessible retellings of mythical stories from around the world – also featured on our brand new Mythology for Children Booklist.

For younger readers, The Mushroom of Doom is described by our reviewer as “a remarkably sophisticated picture book”. This story of (failed) revenge is packed with humour that will appeal to young readers and their grown-ups alike!

A great non-fiction pick for readers of all ages, A Day in the Life of Fossils, Fire and Other Fantastic Finds is the latest in this ever popular comic book style series, following titles such as A Day in the Life of an Astronaut, Mars and the Distant Stars and A Day in the Life of a Caveman, a Queen and Everything In Between.

Read on to discover our Review Panel’s top new children’s books for you to read in October 2025.

Schools can also take advantage of our Books of the Month subscription service, enabling schools to receive regular bundles of our Books of the Month selections.

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A Day in the Life of Fossils, Fire and Other Fantastic Finds

Jess Bradley & Mike Barfield

Non-fiction

A Day in the Life of Fossils, Fire and Other Fantastic Finds gives a sweeping journey through the history of discovery in comic book form.

The subjects are wildly and wonderfully diverse in scope and scale. As the introduction states, you can jump in anywhere. Each page tells its own story of a discovery. As with the previous titles in the A Day in the Life series (such as A Day in the Life of an Astronaut, Mars and the Distant Stars and A Day in the Life of a Poo, A Gnu and You), this book stretches the brain in many directions. The examples are drawn from across the sciences, geography and history, and the appealing short-form bursts of information are great for opening windows to new potential interests.

The comic strip format blends well with the jokes that break up the facts. It’s fun and informative, and would be great for social reading times.

The Amazing Book of World Mythology

Stella Caldwell

Short story collection

The Amazing Book of World Mythology offers short and accessible retellings of mythical stories from around the world.

It is pleasing to see the stories grouped not by place of origin but by their themes. This emphasises the commonalities of the global tradition of storytelling and the connections between the stories we have all told and been told. Each of the six themed chapters is divided into four or five stories, which can be read in isolation and are well-suited to reading aloud, whether as a short bedtime story or to a whole class. Each chapter finishes with a double-paged spread introducing more stories, objects or characters relating to the theme, further emphasising the similarities in storytelling across the world.

The book is attractively illustrated, and using a different illustrator for each of the myths is particularly effective. The diversity of the artists and their art styles is an essential part of why the book works so well and how it offers such an effective broadening of horizons. In combination, the quality of the storytelling, the illustrations and the breadth of the stories offered mean this is one of those books that every child should have access to. It’s a perfect addition to any collection of mythology books for children.

The Last Bard

Maz Evans

Chapter book

Maz Evans has crafted a story brimming with humour, heart and unforgettable characters in The Last Bard. From the very first page, readers are swept into a world where friendship and hope shine brightly, even when the odds seem stacked against them.

The premise of the story is a boy (the last living relative of William Shakespeare) with befriends a larger-than-life cast of Shakespeare characters who have jumped right out of the pages of an inherited copy of The Complete Works of Shakespeare.

The main characters are wonderfully drawn; flawed, funny and full of life. Their struggles and triumphs feel real, whether it’s their witty banter, moments of vulnerability or the courage they show when faced with daunting challenges. At its core, this is a story about friendship and hope in dark times. Maz Evans balances these heartfelt themes with her signature humour and fast-paced storytelling, making the book both deeply emotional and entertaining.

The Mushroom of Doom!

Becky Davies & Thomas Elliott

Picturebook

This is a remarkably sophisticated picture book with a great sense of humour on every page, through the words and the pictures.

A story of revenge and how it never pays, filled with humour that an adult can also enjoy, with references to Bond villains and plenty of wordplay (he’s not only the Mushroom of Doom but also a fun guy!). The pictures are entirely in keeping with the zany plot, and giving mushrooms distinct personalities takes skill. A wonderful, ambiguous ending also means there is plenty to discuss in this story. The Mushroom is a stereotypical villain who may, or may not, get his comeuppance and a character who appears to fail to learn from his mistakes and the kindness of others.

It is rare to find a picture book that makes me laugh out loud as this one did. The very idea of a Mushroom as a villain will make readers of all ages intrigued to read the book, and this mushroom did not disappoint.

Blitzers

Alastair Chisholm & Francesca Ficorilli

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Another enjoyable read from the Barrington Stoke team, this story is a welcome addition to the gaming genre and should interest readers who have an interest in any of the major game platforms.

Blitzers are the latest craze: characters in handheld electronic games that fight against each other when their owners join their screens together. Danny is desperate to have one, so when his brother Jay brings one home, he starts to ‘train’ it to become a champion. However, Danny’s Blitzer, Chew Lip, is a bit different to the others and doesn’t want to fight. He is advised to reset it, but Danny takes a different approach, and Chew Lip surprises him. When all the Blitzers suddenly vanish from their screens and the manufacturers declare technical issues, Danny receives a mysterious message, and the hunt is on to find out what is really going on at the Blitzers Inc. headquarters.

There are themes of friendship, self-esteem and celebrating differences, as well as a message of concern regarding ‘big tech’. The story does play with the emotions too: it is genuinely funny in places as Danny tries in vain to make Chew Lip more combative, but there is a sorrowful side to it when the electronic game appears to have feelings and becomes emotional. This book does make you think!