This incredibly visual book is partly a history of the development of all things wheels around the world, and partly a guide to all types of vehicles from bikes to emergency vehicles.

It starts with the Stone Age and ends with predictions for future travel and in between, each and every way a human has moved with the aid of a wheel is described. Each double spread focuses on one aspect of travel, for example, ‘taxis’, and is full of drawings, surrounded by short facts, many puns, comments, questions and even instructions. Any reader young or old will revisit pages and discover something new each time such as when the first motorcycle was built or what spoilers do.

This book is certainly fun: there are drawings of animals as users of the vehicles with many different expressions and quotes and jokes, and the author has fun with the visuals – a chicken being chased by a snake which means the chicken tows a cart more quickly, for example! Although this book could be enjoyed independently by any age, it lends itself beautifully as a book to share and dip into and it is likely that plenty of discussion will arise.

There is so much to look at that this transport-themed book will most likely remain on a favourite browsing choice for some time.

Shifty and Sam are working as chefs aboard the Pawrient Express during its voyage to Venice. The train is full of posh people who all have diamonds and jewels. Also on board, disguised as a porter, is Kitty Le Claw. What is that thieving feline up to this time?

This lovely, rhyming picture book is perfect for young readers. The bright, colourful illustrations are perfect for the story. The story is entertaining and exciting with the great chase when the duo of chefs are in pursuit of Kitty. And what could be more fun than a ride on a steam train? I think this book is perfect for a storytime or bedtime read.

Over The Shop is a wonderfully illustrated and enjoyable wordless picture book that tells the story of the need to find a tenant for the flat above a shop, which has unfortunately fallen into disrepair. The shop itself is run by a grandma and her granddaughter. However much they try, they cannot seem to find a tenant with real vision for the space above the shop, until a couple with big ideas comes along. The fact that this book is wordless means that it would be a great resource to create art, explore through drama and inspire writing opportunities across a whole school or in any individual year group.

There is a theme of kindness, community and acceptance weaved within the story too, which could also be explored and discussed further. The illustrations by Qin Leng are colourful, detailed and symbolise the transformation of not only the accommodation as the story progresses but also the relationships between the characters. They help to bring the characters to life and as a reader, you can infer what the characters are like based on their actions in the drawings, especially that of the young girl. This is a lovely wordless story to share in a primary school setting.

Joe is widely admired for his presence, whether he’s playing on the playground or enjoying a treat – after all, he’s SO AMAZING! Despite his admiration for his athletic friend Simone, Joe constantly receives compliments from onlookers. Wanting to shift the focus to Simone, Joe attempts to blend into the background, only to be mistaken for feeling sorry for himself.

Reluctantly, Joe participates in activities, feeling the pressure to maintain his “Amazing Joe” persona, a struggle that resonates with disabled individuals. As playground visitors gawk and point at his physical disability, Joe becomes exhausted with the attention. Seeking solace, he engages in soccer with a friend and discovers the joy of accomplishment through perseverance.

In this picturebook, the authors skilfully portray strangers’ well-intentioned yet patronizing behaviour through vivid illustrations. The narrative paints a picture of the importance of supportive friendships rather than offering direct strategies for handling uncomfortable interactions. Illustrated with diversity in the character portrayal, the story offers a glimpse into the disability experience.

The first book in the ‘Lizzie and Belle Mysteries’ series sees the young best friends and amateur detectives use their skills to investigate odd goings-on in a theatre, which in turn reveals further mysteries and crimes which they must solve.

Set in Georgian London, this book illuminates the multiracial history of Britain, and the struggles and injustices faced by Black people in a place where many powerful people thrived on keeping slavery alive. It also demonstrates that White people had an important role, as well as responsibility, to offer support to Black anti-slavery activists and to challenge the White slave owners of the time. Many of the characters and events in this book are based on real people and things that happened, and there is a lot of scope to research real stories. The real Elizabeth Sancho was daughter of the African-British writer and abolitionist Ignatius Sancho. Dido Belle was the daughter of Maria, an enslaved young African woman, and John Lindsay – captain in the British Royal Navy.

This is a fantastic mystery story, which could also lead to discussions about race, theatre, slavery and family history.

Author JT Williams also visited our blog to discuss the role of fiction in bringing history to life for children.

Rainbow Grey is a funny, smart and creative tale, sprinkled with weather-related characters and places. The characters are not human, but still remain highly relatable; the main characters had friendship issues to deal with, like any children their age, and it’s important for children to be able to recognise things that they might be going through in their own lives in a book. Likewise, the nod to dyslexia when Ray describes letters as being jumbled on the page and later on, when reading from coloured paper was referred to, would resonate with a lot of children…

This best-selling story from acclaimed writer David Almond is a classic choice in Upper KS2/Lower KS3 classrooms and the 25th Anniversary Edition comes with line illustrations and a golden cover.

When Michael moves to his new house, his world begins to unravel. His little sister is born prematurely and is struggling to thrive, his new home and garden are in much need of repair, and his parents have no time, patience or energy for him. His friends now live miles from him and when he does see them, he feels distant and unable to be the friend he once was. Then two chance encounters bring a fresh perspective and focus to his life; Mina, an inquisitive and sometimes outspoken neighbour… and the ‘person’ in the garage.

David Almond’s million-copy bestseller is beautifully brought to life with the soulful addition of Tom De Freston’s artful illustrations. Dark and abstract, they provide a glimpse into the mind’s eye without overtelling the story, enhancing what is already a heart-wrenching, thought-provoking tale and another fabulous source for prediction and discussion.

The story could be challenging for some children and contains mature themes but, if sensitively approached, is a uniquely memorable narrative that engages the imagination in Year 6, and could be a rich launch pad for some incredible fiction writing.

What could you do with an extra hour a day? Ailsa Craig, late to absolutely everything since the day she was born (two weeks late, at midnight), discovers the Magic Hour in the wake of her parents’ split and her house blowing up. Thankfully, she was late for that too.

Chased through a portal into an alternate, magical Edinburgh, Ailsa rapidly finds herself spinning her life around. With the extra time, her grades improve, enemies become (almost) friends, and it’s all just so intriguing and exciting that Ailsa doesn’t realise, at first, that anything too good to be true comes with a cost. And the costs are mounting up in a frightening way.

The Magic Hour is a fast-paced adventure packed with mythology and guided by the scientific method which will appeal to curious children in upper KS2 and Y7. Fans of The Train To Impossible Places, The Nowhere Emporium and Wonderscape will find much to enjoy here in a debut novel where the brakes are most definitely off…

We’re big fans of Elle McNicoll’s books here at BooksForTopics HQ. We were excited to hear that Elle’s newest book takes a firm step into the magical realism genre. Elle says,”This book is a love letter to readers of A Kind of Spark who wanted to see neurodivergent girls with real magical powers. I loved magical books as a child, and still do now, so to have a neurodivergent heroine in a fantastical world, it meant a lot to me to write. I’m thrilled readers are going to meet Ramya.”

At its heart, this is an exciting magical fantasy with a quest to save an endangered town. Ramya is a feisty heroine whose dyspraxia can make her feel misunderstood and disconnected from the world around her. Ramya can also perceive things that most people can’t – seeing through the Glamour that disguises magical creatures. As the story unfolds, Ramya learns to trust her own instincts more, despite feeling weary from a world that fails to give value to the way she is. Her unique way of seeing things is her superpower and her quest confirms to her that her whole unique self is powerful, wonderful and of greater value to the world than she dared to imagine.

Fantasy lovers will enjoy the imaginative cast of magical characters (beware – the fairies in this book are not at all as you might expect) and the idea that a co-existing magical world is thinly veiled all around us is one that has a timeless appeal in children’s literature. Many young readers will relate to Ramya’s struggle to navigate the emotional connections with different family members. We were pleased to see that this is only the beginning of Ramya’s adventures and that there is more to come from the magical world she inhabits, with a sequel due in Spring 2023.

This debut novel from Helen Rutter is inspired by her own son who has a stammer, and it delves into the worries and thoughts that Billy has about having a stammer and how he thinks the outside world will see him because of it.

When eleven-year-old Billy starts Bannerdale secondary school, he wants to fit in and be popular. In fact, he hopes to realise his dream of becoming a comedian and being known throughout the school as ‘Billy Plimpton, the Funniest Boy in School’. One thing stands in his way though – he decides he won’t talk until he’s ‘got rid’ of his stammer.

Each chapter begins with one of Billy’s jokes, and although the issues tackled in the book are serious, it’s a warm and funny read. The story shows that we all have differences, and it is important to accept ourselves as we are.

This is a lovely book with a positive message, as well as being packed with jokes which will make both children and adults laugh.