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Murray and Bun: Murray the Explorer

Chapter book

The Murray and Bun series has already proved a massive hit – well loved for its short, line-illustrated chapters, laugh-out-loud humour and endearing but hapless duo of characters. This latest adventure, which works just as well as a standalone, is an absolute gem that crosses the interest range of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and will appeal to older reluctant readers too.

Murray the cat wishes for a quiet life, but a spell accidentally creates a magic cat-flap and turns a sticky bun into a hyperactive rabbit (imaginatively called ‘Bun’). Because of this, Murray is repeatedly dragged into bonkers adventures and more than his share of trouble.

This latest outing delivers an Indiana Jones style energy, sending the unlikely friends into a perilous jungle complete with booby traps, in a race to find a magical ruby before it falls into less desirable hands. The high image-to-text ratio gives the book a race-through feel, offering reluctant or developing readers that crucial sense of satisfaction as they turn the pages at speed. Paired with charming, large-eyed character illustrations that add real warmth to the chaotic visual comedy, you can’t help but root for Murray and Bun through every hilarious stumble.

A fantastic classroom addition that will fly off the shelves and one that children will revisit over and over. Just let me warn you of one thing: you’ll never look at a sticky bun in the same way again!

Dracula & Daughters: School for Slayers

Emma Carroll

Chapter book

Packed full of atmosphere and gothic detail, the second instalment in a brand new adventure series: Dracula & Daughters are back! Can the infamous vampire healing company solve their latest case?

At last . . . Dracula & Daughters are open for business.

Their mission: to heal vampires and keep the streets of Temstown safe.

Trouble is, the new Guildmaster is insisting the city is now vampire-free, and wants Dracula & Daughters to close.

But the undead are still lurking. After a string of strange events at the prestigious Poisonwood School for Boys, frightened pupils start holding vampire slaying lessons in secret.

It’s up to Mina, Buffy and Bella to convince them that slaying isn’t the answer. But when vampires are appearing by the classful, is it already too late?

The granddaughters of Dracula are about to have their healing skills firmly put to the test . . . And are reminded never to underestimate the undead.

9+ readers will devour the atmospheric setting, the vampish powers and the gothic details – including a talking raven – perfect for fans of Murder Most Unladylike, The Swifts and TV show, Wednesday.

Mama’s Wedding

Circle Yuen

Picturebook

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.

There Was an Egyptian in Your School

Bettany Hughes

Non-fiction

This is a super engaging way to introduce children to Egyptian history. Historian Bettany Hughes uses the idea of a treasure box to take the reader through aspects of Egyptian history starting with a particular object. For example, the first item focuses on a pair of decorative slippers belonging to Tutankhamun. However, through this item the reader learns about the lives of Pharaohs, the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, wider Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife and mummification as well as getting a broader context of the Geography of the region too.

Along with the highly illustrated style, the chatty, conversational tone Bettany uses, speaking directly to the reader, is really engaging and she cleverly interweaves the role of a historian into the book, for example hypothesising several possible uses for the slippers based on evidence and inference.

Through the book, the reader learns about several famous figures, including Nefertiti and Cleopatra, as well as the lives of everyday people in Ancient Egypt and it feels like a fresh and relevant take on a well covered history theme.

Serial Chillers: Horror in Hazard

Jennifer Killick

Chapter book

Set in a theme park where every new zone cranks up the tension, Horror in Hazard is another turbo-paced, spooky adventure from Jennifer Killick, one of the most celebrated voices in middle-grade horror.

The story follows Travis and his classmates Zayd, Seline and Danielle, as they head off for a day out at the Apocoland theme park in their home town of Hazard. However, this is a day trip that promises fun but turns out to be loaded with real danger. As the friends face strange happenings, mysteries to solve and sinister powers, they also must survive the increasingly terrifying rides and attractions at the theme park.

Jennifer Killick balances spine-tingling thrills with wry, laugh-out-loud humour – hitting the mark perfectly for Upper KS2. The spooky factor is finely tuned to quicken heartbeats without pushing most readers into nightmare territory. Fans of the author will appreciate the familiar sharp dialogue, witty insults and friendship group dynamics, with a narrative that feels cool and grounded despite its eerie fantasy-horror elements.

Pitched for Year 5 and Year 6, this is a fantastic choice for classrooms ready for a touch of spookiness. While it forms part of a popular series, it also works as a standalone read, making it an ideal entry point for reluctant readers who crave readable and high-energy stories like Goosebumps.

Fast and fun while ending on an inviting, optimistic note, Horror in Hazard will be an apocalyptically popular hit with thrill seekers.

Little Acorn

Adam Stower

Picturebook

Meet adorable Little Acorn in this gorgeous new picture book from award-winning author/illustrator and creator of the Murray and Bun series, Adam Stower.

Way up high in the treetops, sleeps a happy little acorn. Until one day, he falls to the forest floor with a THUMP!

Dormouse, Bird and Squirrel invite Little Acorn to dance, sing and play. But there’s only one place he wants to be – back in the treetops. The way back is not easy though – especially with a hungry piglet on the loose!

Can Little Acorn’s new friends help him find the courage to step out of his comfort zone and enjoy living in the moment? And will he ever make it back to the top of the tree?

A wonderfully funny and reassuring story about friendship – perfect for children facing new experiences.

Henry Tudor: The Incredible Diaries of Me!

Danny Wallace

Graphic novel

This is a very funny book that focuses on the life of the young Henry VIII in a comic style form. For any reader that enjoys Horrible Histories, this book can be added to your collection. It is also written in a similar style to Horrid Henry…and this Henry is quite horrid in his own right!

Henry is rude and snobby, with author Danny Wallace making the reader laugh at Henry’s antics and attitude. Described as “mostly historical”, this diary will engage readers from the first page! For those that enjoy this book, there is also ‘Royally Rotten’, another diary within the series.

The Christmas Book

Katherine Woodfine & Lizzy Stewart

Chapter book

This is the perfect story to read at Christmas. It is inspired by an Icelandic tradition of giving book as gifts on Christmas Eve. It is a beautifully narrated tale of a boy called Tomas, he is trying to honour his grandfather and make Christmas special. Set against the backdrop of rationing and war-time, this is a wonderful short story to show how Christmas and family traditions kept people full of hope, even during darker days. Katherine Woodfine has created a heart-warming tale with incredible illustrations by Lizzy Stewart.

The Bat Who Didn’t Like the Dark

Steve Small

Picturebook

This picture book follows a little bat who is afraid of the dark. They keep their fear bottled up inside because bats are supposed to like the dark. One day, they get stuck in the dark, where they meet an owl. The owl understands the bat is scared and helps him find his way home, meeting other nocturnal animals along the way. By the end of the story, the little bat has over come his fear with the help of his friends.

This would be a brilliant book for teaching children how to talk about things they are scared of and how our friends can help us with a problem. It would also link with a science topic about nocturnal animals. The illustrations and use of the light and dark contrasts are wonderful.

Grow: Seeds of Wisdom Only Nature Knows

Jess McGeachin

Non-fiction

In this book you’ll find lots of things that grow
Branching ever upward, or tangled deep below …

Watch flowers bloom and ferns unfurl and discover how earth’s garden grows and changes every day.

Featuring flowers, fungi, moss, corals, seaweeds, succulents, grasses, trap plants, trees and so much more, Grow is a beautifully evocative exploration of the ancient, fragrant, spiky, hidden and vibrant wonders of the natural world.

Readers will learn about many kinds of growing things on the earth – and also come away with a gentle message about the importance of growth and change in their own lives.

Nature’s secrets are revealed in this joyful exploration of growing up by the acclaimed author and illustrator of Kind.

Perfect for:
– Reading aloud to kids young and old
– Kids who love plants, flowers and the natural world
– Teachers looking for texts on sustainability and the environment