Format: Chapter book

Super-Readable Rollercoaster: Phoenix Brothers

Chapter book

This thought-provoking narrative tells the story of ‘Phoenix Brothers’ Amir and Mo, who have recently arrived in England after a perilous journey fleeing from their home country, Iraq.

Amir has lost his home, his family and now his voice; Mo is alone in the world and has experienced unspeakable horrors on his journey. As they rise from the ashes and build a new life in the UK, they discover their talents and find friends who will stand with them even when others stand in their way.

Told through the eyes of Amir, the book subtly and sensitively explores themes of displacement, prejudice, language barriers and the impact of trauma. Amir’s recollections as he prepares for the George Orwell speech competition reveal the challenges and horrors faced by many vulnerable refugee children in their quest for safety and liberty.

Running My Own Race

Abena Eyeson

Chapter book

Kofi’s mum wants him to be ‘somebody’ – she has come to believe that because he’s black, he needs the best education to compete in the real world, and so she makes him do the exams to win a scholarship to a prestigious private school.

Kofi is successful and wins the scholarship, and his mum is overjoyed – in fact, the whole community is proud of him and keeps telling him so. Others keep telling him how fortunate he is, but the problem is he doesn’t feel very lucky – he didn’t want this, and now he just feels pressure from all around. The one good thing about his new school is the athletics club – the coach has spotted his potential, and he has a good chance of competing in the London Schools’ Championships. But Kofi’s mum doesn’t approve of him running (she wants him to focus on his studies), and the school bully will do anything to ruin his chances because he doesn’t want Kofi to outshine him. Kofi’s best friend says that he needs to start standing up for himself, but that’s easier said than done.

Running My Own Race is a book about learning to find your path and having the courage to speak up for what you want. With themes of sports, resilience and prejudice, the book is best suited to lower KS3 or mature KS2 readers. It is an engaging yet easy read from start to finish and will inspire young readers to stand up for what they want and to follow their dreams.

Nate Yu’s Blast from the Past

Maisie Chan

Chapter book

A funny, feel-good story about friendship, hidden histories and diasporic Chinese identity.

KS2 readers of Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths will be pleased to see this latest addition on their bookshelves, and librarians to increase the diversity of their stock.

Funny, uplifting, eye-opening, heart-warming and charming!

Terrible True Tales: The Stone Age

Terry Deary

Chapter book

Terrible True Tales is a selection of four short stories, all set in the Stone Age and previously published separately. The Stone Age stories are well written and make some of the factual information about the Stone Age come to life for the children. The stories are set in different places around the world, including Skara Brae, which is often a topic taught in primary history lessons.

The exciting tales are based on real historical and archaeological evidence, told with Terry Deary‘s imaginative style and dry wit. Each story has a fact file with additional information and activities for the children to complete. With helpful reading notes to extend learning, this book is the perfect springboard for further study of the Stone Age under the Key Stage 2 History Curriculum.

Island of Influencers

Monique Turner

Chapter book

Monique Turner’s debut novel captures the current obsession of today’s teen and young adult audience with the draw of internet fame and fortune, balanced neatly with the negative impact and reality of just how much hard work can be involved in the endless supply of ‘shorts’ that the social media moguls supply.

What appears at first to be a crime thriller quickly transpires to be a light look at a reality game show, but then flips the narrative again as the sinister underbelly of the influencer world is exposed with a glimpse of a dystopian future.

A good story to provoke discussion among teens, this is most likely to appeal just for the joy of reading independently, and the subject combined with a fast pace could make it appealing for those reluctant readers who might otherwise prefer a screen to a book for entertainment.

What Happens Online

Nathanael Lessore

Chapter book

Existor is the most popular guy in school. Fred is the loser with no friends. And nobody knows they’re the same person.

Online, Fred’s alter ego is the best gamer around – constantly on a winning streak, with tonnes of followers, and the confidence to go with it.

But offline, Fred’s life is miserable. His dad’s always working, his mum’s struggling, and at school, everyone looks straight through him. Until Existor’s notoriety spreads to his school, and Fred sees an opportunity: everyone listens to what Existor has to say, so why not use that?

Soon, Fred is coming up with outlandish rumours about his classmates, and everyone’s lapping it up. His bullies are shunned, and people are finally taking notice of him. But it’s a slippery slope and Fred struggles to keep track of all the stuff he’s posted as his lies start to wreak unexpected havoc.

Fred will have to answer for his crimes against reality, but will he ever find someone to like him for who he really is?

Dracula & Daughters

Emma Carroll

Chapter book

This is the start of a new gothic adventure series, in which three cousins who are descendants of Dracula form a vampire healing company.

In true Emma Carroll fashion, this story has the reader on tenterhooks throughout, with chases through the dark streets of Temstown, the spine-tingling threat of attack from vengeful creatures and the need for the three brave heroines to complete their dangerous mission before the new moon deadline.

It’s all the more gripping because the identity of trustworthy good guys and shifty villains is obscured. What’s more, as the plot thickens, the readers’ perception only gradually clears, spotting connections between different characters. The way Carroll weaves numerous strands together is extremely satisfying: there’s the scene-setting, which has the reader picturing London in the late 19th Century; the kinship felt by the main characters; the power plays of ambitious, dangerous men; and the knowledge that might lead to both cure and restoration for the wronged.

This is a book that will be devoured by those with an appetite for gruesome fantasy with a historical flavour. Librarians will not need to recommend it for copies to quickly fly off the ‘horror’ shelf.

Adventuremice: Mice, Camera, Action!

Philip Reeve & Sarah McIntyre

Chapter book

The newest sparkling title in the adored Adventuremice series!

Get those cameras rolling – Pedro and co are off to Hollybush! There will be glitz, glam, and an out-of-control otter . . . All in service of ADVENTUREMICE: The Movie!

Wild Magic: Journey of the Lost Elephant

Abiola Bello & Emma McCann

Chapter book

Discover your wild side! Join twins Misha and Ziggy on another magical wildlife adventure in the second book in the WILD MAGIC series. For fans of Leonora Bolt and Space Detectives.

Misha and Ziggy are super excited to be joining their wildlife presenter father on a trip to India, where they’ll be able to test their magical powers all over again. Misha can’t wait to talk to all the fascinating animals she meets and Ziggy is eager to shapeshift into all the amazing animals he sees!

When they plan to map the migration route of an elephant herd, they discover that the elephant calf has gone missing.

Can Misha and Ziggy find the baby elephant and reunite it with its family before its lost forever?

Astrid and the Space Cadets: Danger at the Black Lagoon!

Alex T. Smith

Chapter book

Blast off on an adventure with the Space Cadets! From beloved children’s author-illustrator Alex T. Smith, the bestselling creator of Claude and How Winston Delivered Christmas, comes a funny and fast-paced illustrated adventure through space.

Filled with out-of-this world illustrations on every page, Astrid and the Space Cadets: Danger at the Black Lagoon! is perfect for fans of Grimwood and Bad Guys, and for kids who are ready to read by themselves.

Astrid and the gang are excited to help two scientists track down a mysterious, never before seen fish rumoured to be living on an underwater planet. But it isn’t long before things take a shocking turn when Astrid and the Space Cadets discover that they have been tricked – the scientists are actually infamous Intergalactic Sea Bandits!

Can the gang catch the Sea Bandits and rescue the treasure? It’s going to prove a difficult job especially when they find themselves swallowed whole by one of the Guard Sharks . . .

Join Astrid and the gang on more adventures in Attack of the Snailiens and Race from Planet Peril!

Best Books by Age

Popular Children's Authors

Format: Chapter book

NEWS: BooksforTopics Named Award-Winning Finalist at HSBC & FSB Awards

Child Judges Wanted: Join the First Ever Children’s Booker Prize Panel

Little People, BIG DREAMS: Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara Answers Your Questions!

Subscribe to our newsletter

Your Review