Best Books This Month – September 2026

Do you know the story of Peter Pan and Captain Hook who lived in Neverland? Did you ever wonder what happened to Neverland and the magical folk who lived there? Well … they are still there. Head towards the second star to the right and carry on until morning and you might just find yourself amongst pirates, mermaids and fairies, living in a magical kingdom where everything is perfect.

Except until recently. People have had things stolen from them (special and personal items) and each group of magical folk are blaming each other and arguing. They need the mystery solving and Neverland needs help!

Meanwhile, Tom, Felix and Daisy find themselves visiting Great Ormond Street hospital regularly. The children each have their own different reasons for being at the hospital, and are somehow thrown together to save Netherland. However, they soon realise that as much as Neverland needs them, they need Neverland – forming a life long friendship and helping each other face their worries and problems.

A fantastic story which fuels the imagination and takes you deeper into Neverland than you have ever been before. The story has reminders of the original characters and story and builds upon it. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and found myself not being able to put the book down, especially as the plot twist was revealed. The story was easy to read and the illustrations through the book added detail.

The story also tackles a difficult topic of childhood cancer and the strain that medical treatment has on the patient and also their friends. I believe that this would make a fantastic class reader in a KS2 class.

Told with real tenderness, this picturebook about remarriage and blended families captures a key moment in a young child’s life. When Ruby and her little sister, Cindy, are asked to be flower girls at Mama’s wedding, Ruby faces big, conflicting feelings about where she belongs as her family dynamic shifts. With gentle support from Granny, her dad Daniel and Mama’s new husband Alex, Ruby comes to see that love doesn’t have to disappear when life moves on; it simply changes and blossoms differently.

This is a beautiful, steady and encouraging story that allows space to validate complex emotions without easy answers. The narrative offers an empathetic look at the quiet courage children need when navigating major transitions or facing new things, and this theme will resonate with many young readers whatever their family setup. There is much solace and comfort to be found in the pages of this beautifully reassuring tale.

The artwork carries a similar warmth, using soft pastel yellows, blues and purples that evoke spring blossoms. These warm and gentle tones merge with a sense of happy celebration, reflecting the hope of new beginnings alongside the safety of family love. We see this also in the recurring symbol of a yellow paper flower that bonds the newly blended family, teaching us that “Love can bloom in different ways.”

A wonderful prompt for discussions around blended families, remarriage and celebrations, Mama’s Wedding is a superb addition to any primary bookshelf.

Cat School ‘Odd Cat Out’ is a heart-warming graphic novel that is perfect for young readers, particularly those interested in cats!

It is a story with strong inclusivity and shares experiences of neurodiversity in a sensitive, child-friendly way. The story offers a unique take on starting school and follows Tangle, Eno and Pelly as they start Cat School. One of the main characters, Pelly, is a neurodivergent kitten who knows she is a little different and tries to hide her true self so that she can fit in. The story explores the challenges of starting school, while ultimately celebrating what makes each of us unique. The book is based on the author’s own experiences of autism and growing up.

The illustrations use a simple white-and-orange colour a warm and calm feel. There are also fun ‘lesson’ pages throughout, marked with a cat-shaped lightbulb, where readers can discover interesting facts about cats, such as learning about yowling – I learnt many new facts about cats in this story! Another interactive touch is the step-by-step guide at the end showing readers how to draw their own cat character.

This is a gentle, positive read for children about starting school and learning about how we are all different. Odd Cat Out is the first book in a planned trilogy; I will certainly be reading the next two!

A bold new adventure in the same vein as his previous series The Beast and the Bethany, in which characters are scrutinised for their conscience even in the midst of doing wicked things. Here, Meggitt-Phillips adopts the conceit from the original RL Stevenson novella, creating an adventure with a supposed descendent of the original Dr Jekyll.

When spoiled and entitled protagonist Henrik Jekyll receives news from a lawyer (a direct descendent of the original Mr Utterson of the original), Gabby Utterson, that he has inherited Jekyll’s Manor, he and his parents sprint off to live in their new mansion. However, the manor is an exaggeration of a haunted house out of control, and before long young Henrik Jekyll is experimenting in the laboratory and creating his own potion leading directly to his inner self – Eddie Hyde. What follows is a dramatic, wild tale of both horror and extreme humour, as Hyde and Jekyll battle for control of the body, and the manor house, and inevitably good vs evil. Somehow managing to be incredibly silly and yet gripping at the same time, this is a tale that pulses with duality.

On the one hand, it delivers a whimsical plot and fairly inane secondary characters, and yet on the other, it seems to want to say something about how complex human beings can be, sometimes needing wickedness to bring out self-awareness and self-correction – feelings of guilt, and even empathy. Either way, readers will relish its delicious embrace of wickedness, rudeness and bad behaviour, all the while recognising the dry humour throughout, and its long-lasting message of the joys of friendship and acting selflessly.

Cinnamon Crumb: The Baking Detective is a delightful and engaging read that’s hard to put down. From the first chapter, the story pulls you in with its charming mystery and wonderfully creative world. The pacing of the book is excellent, with short chapters that make it incredibly easy to keep reading “just one more.”

What really makes this story unique is the author’s imaginative baking theme woven throughout every detail. From the names of the characters to the streets and locations, everything has a fun, baking-inspired twist. This adds a layer of creativity and humour that makes the world feel original and memorable.

Cinnamon Crumb: The Baking Detective is a fantastic book full of charm, creativity and intrigue. With its engaging storyline, brilliant illustrations and clever touches, it’s a truly enjoyable read that leaves you wanting more.