This is the beautiful sequel to the widely acclaimed ‘The Last Bear’ by Hannah Gold.

Brave and impetuous, April Wood is drawn back to the Arctic in search of Bear, who she is sure is calling her to return. The magical bond between girl and bear taps into every child’s dream, but Gold also explores themes of grief and loss, and what it means to love enough to let go. Friendship, courage, family bonds and the importance of not judging people on first impressions are also themes powerfully explored in the book.

The narrative is clear about the negative impact of climate change on wildlife in the Arctic – in particular, there is a resonating scene in which April finds a polar bear who has died of starvation. The greatest impact of the book however is that it leaves you with a sense of the incredible natural beauty of the Arctic – as Abi Elphinstone says, it is ‘utterly transporting’ – and the importance of doing all we can to preserve it. April is a fierce advocate for the wildlife of the Arctic. Her voice speaks out strongly in anger over the impacts of climate change, yet the book ends with hope as she realises the power of leading with her heart and her passion on display to inspire others.

Beautiful and moving, Hannah Gold has again produced a treasure of a story not to be missed.

As a 12-year-old orphan, life for Adia has not been easy. Raised by her Aunt and Uncle, in the swamplands as a member of the Igbo tribe, Adia is marked to be an Ogbanje – an evil spirit, thought to bring misfortune on those around her. When Adia mistakenly destroys her village she flees to the Academy of Shamans, hoping to free herself from the curse.

She stumbles upon a greater danger, one that threatens to destroy her entire kingdom. With the help of three unlikely allies, can she learn to control her powers and confront the evil before it is too late…

I was intrigued to delve into the world of Adia Kelbara – a debut novel from Isi Hendrix. The narrative provided a beautiful mix entwining the author’s Igbo heritage and folklore with a fantasy world of deities and magic, while developing Adia from a clumsy, social outcast into a brave yet believably flawed heroine, empowered by and proud of her experiences rather than held back by them. A story of hope, friendship and resilience, I look forward to reading the sequel. Best suited to upper KS2 or lower KS3.

Pip just wants to fit in, he has spent years trying to just blend into the surroundings and it getting quite good at it, with parents like his this has been no easy feat. Pip’s Mum gets a new job and his parents decide to uproot from their life in quiet lives in Norwich and move to the centre of London. Pip’s Dad is beside himself with excitement at the prospect of finally opening his own antique business but Pip dreads starting a new school and being “that” child that everyone stares at yet again.

A strange girl gives him a sinister warning and Pip goes to bed wishing that he could persuade his parents to move back home. Before he gets the chance something happens to his Parents, sapping all of their craziness overnight and for the first time in his life, Pip wishes they would be their old, alternative selves again. What has happened and will they ever be their old selves again?

This is Cat Gray’s second novel aimed at the middle school reader, a mixed up supernatural tale that – in the style of the best whodunnit – introduces a host of characters who could each be the spirit snatcher. Combining this with the sweet tale of friendships, edged with the pain of always feeling an outsider, Gray combines enough action and twists, with sprinkles of dark humour; picking the pace up leaving the reader willing our unlikely hero to solve the mystery before time runs out.

A great gripping read for a class story, sure to appeal to a range of readers and a good source of discussion around bullying, respect and the supernatural.

Ruby Thorn, Roo to all who know her well, thought her world had collapsed when her Mum died two years ago. Roo’s Dad hadn’t taken it well, losing his job and sleeping through the day on the sofa, Roo tried her best to run the house and evade the scrutiny of school and her social worker, always trying to catch her out as her school attendance was patchy at best.

Then one night, with a hammering of the police at the door of their flat, her world, or what remained of it, collapsed entirely. Orphaned and thrust upon her Aunt Joni, a stranger by all accounts, Roo has never felt more alone or unlucky, but even then bad things kept on happening. Suddenly homeless, the unlikely pair make a midnight flit in Joni’s battered camper, only to escape just in time as the camper explodes in a ball of flames, leaving them stranded in the middle of the countryside as the worse snowstorm in recent history sets in. What has the future left in store for them, if there even is one…?

Lauren St John has an impressive back catalogue of children’s fiction and her knowledge of the horses is unquestionable. St John has an impressive ability to weave a mystery adventure, dropping in clues and plot twists along the way, while building a love for Roo and Joni. Her passion for horses is clear, her description of what it feels like to lose yourself in riding is captivating. A real page turner and one that I am already enjoying reading for a second time (this time with my daughter) recognising just how many little clues are cleverly interwoven along the way. Sure to prove a popular class read.

This is a book that is hard to put down and fans of Crater Lake will surely love this tale of a race against time to save the sleepy English town of Shiver Point from an unidentifiable and unnatural being.

Alex, a bit of a loner, and new to Shiver Point, chases down a strange light– possibly a meteorite – in the nearby forest in the middle of the night, hoping that it might provide the means to leave the town that he so dislikes. He is very surprised to see that he is not the only one there – several other ‘loners’ from his school have done the same, all with their own motives. However, they are soon having to work together to work out how to escape from the screams and shadows permeating from the trees. And so the reader is on a rollercoaster ride from the outset. Reluctant as they are to work together, the gang of five soon realise that they are the only ones in the town who see that seemingly unrelated but unusual occurrences, such as the presence of slugs and an unusual smell, are more than coincidences.

As the book progresses, the situation becomes more serious, scary and compelling and ultimately, the town and their families can only be saved by them – if they can work out how to do it in time! The writer, a fan of horror, adeptly intertwines humour within the action, as well as nods to the genre (‘isn’t it always the last one in the line that gets eaten first?’). With short, action-filled chapters, this book would make a great class-reader as well engage any reader who likes to be sitting on the edge of their seat.

A beautiful, wintery story sprinkled with folklore and magic, from much-loved author Sophie Anderson.

Since ‘the incident’ at Claw’s Edge, Tasha has found it hard to trust or let anyone in. She has vowed to stay near home where it is safe and despite a longing to make new friends and much encouragement from her family, her anxiety prevents her from reaching out. That is until she meets Alyana. Created in the first snowfall by Tasha and her Grandpa and modelled on the Snow Girl from his bedtime stories, a wish brings her to life and Alyana and Tasha adventure together through the winter nights, forming a close bond. Not wanting to lose her magical friend, Tasha longs to hold onto the winter, but when the endless snowfall and the freezing temperatures make Grandpa ill, Tasha must find a way for the Spring to come. But to do that, she will need the help of some friends. Can her bond with Alyana help her to be brave?

There is so much love and warmth in this story, despite the wintery setting. The descriptions are so evocative, the elements of folklore and fairytale are beautifully woven into the storytelling as they always are with Sophie Anderson’s writing and the relationships between the characters are so kind and gentle too. The way all the characters support Tasha through her anxiety is sensitively written. They let her take the lead, accept her choices and give her their time, patience and acceptance.

This would make a brilliant class read aloud for the winter months or would make a fantastic text to use as part of a KS2 traditional tales unit, being steeped in Slavic folklore, magic and mythology. Extracts could also be used as writing models, particularly for descriptions of winter landscapes that awaken all the senses.

The front cover says it all, and it’s just as beautiful within!

Oscar wakes up to find his parents have been replaced by a lion. It’s not any old lion either; this one will indulge him with reading his favourite story over and over and letting him eat as many biscuits as he likes. Even stranger, it seems to be able to transform into different animals when it needs to. Best of all, it has a taste for fun.

With the lion as his guide, Oscar has adventure after adventure and the weekend of his life – all within a few miles of his house. Then, just as Benji has learned to trust and appreciate the lion, the weekend comes to an end and their exuberant partnership is over. This time it’s Oscar who is transformed. Now that he understands the world around him that little bit better, rather than grieving what is lost, he celebrates and cherishes what remains.

This is a moving book about seizing the day and looking for the wonder in the familiar weather in nature, museums or, most especially, people. It has the warmth of feeling of the best picture books. Adam Baron is a confident storyteller whose every word is measured and who can subtly manipulate his reader’s emotions without even seeming to try. Big themes are alluded to with such gentle hints that it’s up to the reader to decide how far to investigate them.

The episodic structure of the story would make this little gem a good read aloud for lower Key Stage 2 to help build emotional intelligence and resilience, especially in the face of loss and uncertainty.