Format: Chapter book

Reckless

Chapter book

With more than 60 million views on TikTok, the second heart-racing instalment in this bestselling and sizzling fantasy romance trilogy. Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing and The Hunger Games.

The kingdom of Ilya is in turmoil…

After surviving the Purging Trials, Ordinary-born Paedyn Gray has killed the King, and kickstarted a Resistance throughout the land. Now she’s running from the one person she had wanted to run to.

Kai Azer is now Ilya’s Enforcer, loyal to his brother Kitt, the new King. He has vowed to find Paedyn and bring her to justice.

Across the deadly Scorches, and deep into the hostile city of Dor, Kai pursues the one person he wishes he didn’t have to. But in a city without Elites, the balance between the hunter and hunted shifts – and the battle between duty and desire is deadly.

Be swept away by this bestselling, dagger-to-the-throat romantasy trilogy taking the world by storm.

Netta Becker and the Timeline Crime

Jennifer Claessen

Chapter book

A mysterious labyrinth. A desperate king. A rebellious princess.

Being stuck in a crumbling old villa in Crete with her annoying, history-obsessed little brother Remy isn’t exactly Netta’s idea of a fun summer holiday. But before she can even get bored, Netta starts having very real dreams where she is dragged back thousands of years to Ancient Greece. Here, King Minos is preparing for the opening of his precious labyrinth, and there are rumours that a monster lurks inside.

As Netta becomes more drawn to the past, her present-day self starts slipping away. Netta and Remy must figure out what is pulling her back before they run out of time – and if they don’t solve the puzzle soon, Netta might just become history herself.

SuperQuesters Mission: River Crest Rescue

Chapter book

SuperQuesters Mission: River Crest Rescue is an exciting and imaginative chapter book blending fantasy, problem-solving and real-world science into an action-packed adventure. This story is a perfect launchpad for curious young readers who are ready to explore STEM in a fun, creative way.

The story follows three friends who discover a mysterious board game that transports them to the magical world of Questland. There, they become their superhero alter egos. Their mission? To save the village of River Crest from the villainous Mortifer and his mischievous Beaver Bots and Dragonfly Drones. But to win, they’ll need to use science, logic and teamwork.

One of the standout strengths of this book is how seamlessly it weaves STEM learning into the story. Whether it’s solving codes, learning about animal habitats, or understanding plant biology, readers are encouraged to think like scientists and problem-solvers. The interactive puzzles and real-life experiments sprinkled throughout the book keep the learning hands-on and engaging without ever slowing the pace of the adventure.

The clear layout, helpful glossary and visual elements make it especially well-suited for confident readers transitioning into chapter books.

Felix and the Future Agency

Paddy Donnelly & Rachel Morrisroe

Chapter book

Get ready to join magical new hero Felix Green on an edge-of-your-seat adventure at the FUTURE AGENCY.
Perfect for fans of Percy Jackson and Skandar . . .

Felix Green has a talent – a talent that often gets him into A LOT of trouble – he can forsee the future. And he’s not the only one! When his latest prediction comes true, he soon finds himself whisked off to join the secret underground Future Agency. Here he starts to learn the tools to protect the country from the natural disasters set to befall it – summoning animal star constellations down from the sky, dream weaving and speaking to ghosts. When a dark spectre infiltrates the Future Agency, only Felix can unmask the culprit and save the agency from destruction . . .

A Flash of Neon

Sophie Cameron

Chapter book

Laurie loves stories. She loves reading them in her mums’ bookshop in their small Scottish town. She loves sharing them with new readers. She also loves telling stories about people she’s not yet met and places she’s not yet been. But when one of these people comes crashing into Laurie’s world, it turns her whole life upside down.

Neon is the boy Laurie’s been dreaming of for the last six months, and he’s exactly as she had created him – down to his ability to play any instrument he picks up. And when he steps off the train and into Laurie’s world, he teaches her what it means to be real.

A fantastical story about imagination and friendship from the award-winning author of AWAY WITH WORDS.

Fear Files: Hide and Seek

Christopher Edge

Chapter book

This story makes you rethink the simple game from your childhood (even adulthood) of ‘Hide and Seek’- who knew it could be so frightening?

You are greeted immediately with the suspense in this book with the sharing of the category ratings for the Fear Files. The one you are about to read is deemed as a Level 4 Rated File-which is a ‘Beyond Fear’ category. This is enough to make you realise that you are in for a thrill. The layout of the book is a mixture of written case notes and short chapters. You will find phrases circled and notes made for evidence, making it feel like you are investigating this case yourself.

Who thought the phrase ‘Ready or not, here I come.’ would instil such terror in someone? This is a book that I did not dare to read at bedtime, yet I loved being terrified by the storyline. In particular, a statue is found with its hands covering its eyes, which reminded me of an episode of Doctor Who, in which statues move when you are not looking-a shiver certainly went down my spine! I cannot wait for the next instalment…

The Museum of Lost Umbrellas

Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick

Chapter book

From the moment orphaned Dilly arrives on Ollipest Island to live with her grand-Aunt Florence, whom she has never met before, she can sense that there is something unusual about the place, yet she feels strangely connected to it – the storybook cottage is comforting and her aunt is kind, although for some reason distant, and she immediately feels like somehow she belongs.

Dilly quickly starts to notice some very strange happenings on the island, and when she and her new friend Callum decide to go to the reopening of a local museum, things become even more bizarre, and the pair find themselves on a quest to uncover the mysteries of this strange island. What follows is a fast-paced, fantastical adventure where time is critical and the stakes are high.

With mystery, fantasy and adventure rolled into one, The Museum of Lost Umbrellas is an engaging read from start to finish, and it is sure to capture the imagination of KS2 readers. The use of rich, vivid and descriptive language creates a strong sensory experience, and readers will find themselves transported into the fantasy world. I cannot wait for the next book in series!

Super-Readable Rollercoaster: Phoenix Brothers

Sita Brahmachari

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

There are many links in this complex, but simply written, story – links between: the present day and the past; Chinese and British culture; fantasy and reality. They all intermingle. Jirou the ghost’s search for peace over his betrayal of Ping An mirrors modern boy Nate’s behaviour towards former friend Leighton, being reconciled with and to Chinese family and heritage and the notion of secrets needing to be uncovered and understood rather than causing hurt.

The ant facts at the beginning of every chapter, which sometimes link very obviously to the story, are interesting. Chapter 19 is a good example: ants releasing a ‘death pheromone’ being like the job of Chinese Labour Corps service personnel in World War I, moving bodies away from the battlefield trenches. The book could link into the WWI curriculum topic, offering a different perspective – that of people from a Chinese background who signed up to help the British war effort.

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.

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Format: Chapter book

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