Format: Chapter book

Bim Blake’s Hot Takes: My Pencil Case Doesn’t Define Me

Chapter book

Bim Blake’s Hot Takes: My Pencil Case Doesn’t Define Me is a funny, relatable and engaging read that would appeal strongly to upper KS2 and KS3 readers.

Through Bim’s witty ‘hot takes’ on school life, friendships and fitting in, the book explores important themes of identity, self-esteem and peer pressure in a way that feels authentic and accessible.

The humorous narrative voice is one of the book’s biggest strengths. Alongside the comedy, there are thoughtful moments that encourage readers to reflect on confidence, belonging and being comfortable with who they are. Other themes include bereavement, puberty and peer pressure and fitting in. All these themes are handled in a gentle, accessible and often humorous way, making the book suitable for upper KS2 readers. In fact, they provide useful opportunities for PSHE discussions around confidence, kindness and accepting differences.

This book would work well in classroom libraries, as an independent read or PSHE discussions around friendships and self-image. Its mix of humour, honesty and relatable experiences makes it a highly enjoyable and meaningful read for those transitioning to secondary school.

The Wild Ones

Steve Cole

Chapter book

This book is a unique take on a survivor story. It’s the story of a group of animals who are trying to find their way because a catastrophic event happens. This book follows the lives of a group of different pets that all live in a pet care centre. They are quite happy and content being looked after by a human until one day their world changes and all the humans are gone. The pets have to look after themselves in a much scarier world.

Their safe haven is then invaded by ‘The Things’. The things are starving and desperate so the pets have to run from their safe place and try to find another. They have lots of different things to overcome from betrayals to drownings as they go on their journey. Finally finding somewhere they can call home.

On this journey, the pets transform into wild animals that no longer rely on a human, but can survive on their own. With plenty of perilous moment, this book is best suited to older primary readers. It is a great story of bravery, determination and friendship, which are all brilliant themes to teach to children.

Help! Aliens Stole My Grandad

Hannah Moffatt & Rory Walker

Chapter book

HELP! ALIEN PIRATES STOLE MY GRANDAD! is an intergalactic adventure that asks a lot of BIG questions:

* Why is Harrison Brown pretending to be the Earthling Prime Minister?

* Who are the Cheddar Moon pirates and where’s their lucky parrot?

* What happens when you fire your dead grandpa’s ashes into space?

One teensy little fib plunges foolhardy ten-year-old Harrison headfirst into a daft and dangerous lunar parrot search. He’ll be plundering from pirates, wrangling space cows and even coming face-to-face with a ghost captain. But if he can’t find the pirates’ missing parrot by bedtime, he’ll be forced to walk the plank… into the BLACK HOLE.

Stone Warriors

Elizabeth Barber

Chapter book

The hunters from the Roaring Bears’ tribe are away, and when they return they find their camp invaded by the fierce Crow’s Claw warriors.

Their people are overpowered and held captive, but one young person, Ekri, manages to escape with a guide, Norak, and they set off to seek help from their friends in other tribes.

With courage and deception, will they be able to outwit the notorious Crow’s Claw before it is too late and the Roaring Bears are destroyed?

Wands Away: Spell Class

Emma Farrarons

Chapter book

Wands Away is a charming early chapter book series. Fans of Isadora Moon will feel right at home with this format, offering a perfectly pitched entry point for newly independent readers.

This story is one of gentle magic. The magical world here is grounded in the everyday, proving that even witches have to deal with back-to-school nerves, lost wellies and soggy school runs! Ramona and her friends are relatable characters who model positive ways to handle worries and puzzles as they learn that patience and practice are the keys to mastering any skill – magic or otherwise. Whether the group is solving scavenger hunt riddles or giving mossy trolls a clean up, the focus remains positively on finding solutions and the strength of working together as a friendship group or community.

We enjoyed the low-peril, high-optimism tone of this short chapter book, and it will prove a real asset to KS1 classrooms, primary libraries or home bookshelves catering for newly independent readers aged 5-8. Emma Farrarons’ joyful purple-and-grey illustrations keep the charm level high. The artwork is full of character, capturing stylish details like oversized glasses and jubilant facial expressions as well as the sparkling energy of the target age group.

High in fun, the plot is packed with celebratory togetherness, like fireworks, water fights and shared hot chocolate moments. With the added fun of spell badges to keep in each book, this is a positive series with high collectability potential.

The Genie Game

Jordan Ifueko

Chapter book

From New York Times bestselling author Jordan Ifueko comes a dazzling middle-grade adventure set in a glitzy, dystopian Los Angeles where a young girl on a mission to save her sister finds herself thrust into a world of genies, magic and mystery.

Thirteen-year-old Valentine Adesanya is desperate to find her missing big sister, Mango. So when a mysterious text from Mango leads her to a boba shop, Valentine follows. But when she arrives, instead of finding her sister, she’s pulled into the Genie Realm, a magical world where kids become ‘genies’ and grant wishes to power the Trio Trust, the mega-corporations secretly running Gloss Angeles.

To escape and rescue Mango, Valentine must compete in the Genie Game: a wish-granting contest where only cleverness, grit and a little chaos will get her to the top. But as she climbs the leaderboard, Valentine uncovers a monstrous secret buried beneath the glittering surface. Has the game been rigged against her since the start? How did the Trio Trust get so powerful? And why do they seem so afraid of Valentine Adesanya?

Jed Greenleaf

David Wyatt & Kieran Larwood

Chapter book

Skin of bark, soul of a hero . . . an astonishing adventure from the bestselling author of The World of Podkin One-Ear.

Albion city is governed by a puppet queen, secretly controlled by Lord Cromwell, and strange magic is afoot as six Guilds all compete to rule it. Although the Leaf Guild is the weakest, no one has reckoned with newcomer Jed Greenleaf’s extraordinary ability to transform into a half-tree, covered over with bark . . . he just needs to learn how to harness that power.

Could he be the hero that the Guild needs to win at the Punchbowl tournament? It just might be that this year Jed can turn over a new leaf in the history books, and bring glory to the decaying Guild and peace to Albion . . .

Beautifully illustrated with full page artwork by leading fantasy illustrator David Wyatt.

How to Steal the Future

Christopher Edge & Pete Lloyd

Chapter book

The Traitors meets the Spider-Verse in this fast-paced, action-packed adventure with mind-bending twists by the bestselling author of Escape Room, Christopher Edge. Perfect for readers of 10+.

‘A writer of genuine originality’ The Guardian

The maze is a dangerous place. The maze is ever-changing. The maze has never been solved.

How to Steal the Future follows twelve-year-old Drew Blake, who faces the ultimate challenge. At the heart of a heavily guarded maze lies a secret – known only as the Avenir – which has the power to unlock the future. Many have tried to steal the Avenir, but no one has ever succeeded. Drew is the latest to try, just like his sister Evie did before him. But Drew has his own secret: he doesn’t care about the Avenir; he must find his sister.

Facing dead ends, traps and double-crosses Drew realizes that the maze holds secrets more dangerous than he ever imagined. Can he find the Avenir and save Evie before it’s too late? His future depends on it . . .

Wild Horse Summer

Lauren St John

Chapter book

Deeply romantic, compulsive and edge-of-your-seat exciting: for fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty and The One Dollar Horse.

When American teenager, Morgan Taylor, arrives to spend the summer with her British cousins, all anyone knows is that an accident has left her scarred inside and out. But Morgan is hiding a secret she’ll do anything to keep.

Then the town’s hottest surfer, Cal Heyward, saves her life and suddenly the truth about her past feels harder than ever to hide.

To escape, Morgan takes a job at a stableyard, hoping that horses will heal her as they’ve done so often before. But everything changes when she’s asked to help Night Dancer, a horse with his own dark history…

The perfect clean teen novel! Bursting with romance, adventure, mystery – and horses – it’s an explosive, unputdownable read.

Captain Sunshine

Alex Milway

Chapter book

A flamboyantly fun illustrated series set on a cruise ship for animals, perfect for 6+ readers!

It’s Bella’s first day onboard as Captain of the Sunshine! Bella was always going to follow in the same seafaring footsteps as her Aunt Bertha the walrus, but commanding a legendary cruise ship like the Sunshine is no easy task. It’s no ordinary ship – it’s a ship bursting with animal passengers! From penguins to rhinos, giraffes to parrots, life is never dull on board the Sunshine.

Bella has a wonderful crew to assist her – from the weathered sea dog Mr Tatou, to the bossy passenger liaison officer Mrs Purrpot the cat, to Flip and Flap, the young penguin entertainment team – but has she really got what it takes to be Captain Sunshine?

Full steam ahead for an unforgettable animal adventure!

The first in an enchanting four-book series from the author of the bestselling and award-winning HOTEL FLAMINGO, fully illustrated in two-colour throughout. Perfect for fans of EINSTEIN THE PENGUIN, KITTY AND THE MOONLIGHT RESCUE, WATTS AND WHISKERTON and MR PENGUIN.

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Format: Chapter book

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