Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

The Bicycle

Picturebook

The true story of how a simple act of kindness changed a young refugee’s life – from award-winning author Patricia McCormick with Mevan Babakar.

For generations, Mevan and her family lived in their beloved Kurdistan. But when they are forced to flee by the Iraqi government, Mevan must leave everything behind. Her family travels from country to country in search of safety; and with each stop, Mevan feels more and more alone. Until … a stranger’s gift changes everything.

Based on Mevan Babakar’s own childhood, this is a moving reminder of how powerful just one act of kindness can be.

Brielle and Bear: Once Upon a Time

Salomey Doku

Chapter book

A wonderfully romantic love story perfect for teen readers – the first in a full-colour graphic novel series

Fairytale Rule No.1: All the best fairytales start with ‘Once upon a time . . .’

First-year student Brielle, a daydreamy book lover, knows everything there is to know about fairytales. Returning to the city of Rosebridge four years after moving away, she attends Once Upon a Time University, with the intention of living her fairytale dream. And when she meets Bear, shy vice-captain of the Princes rugby team, at the bookshop where she works, Brielle’s dream is off to a good start.

Determined to forget the past, and with an unexpected new relationship blossoming, Brielle feels she’s finally living the dream. That is, until she discovers that she’s not the only one hiding something . . .

Invisible Dogs

Ruby Wright

Picturebook

When you start school, sometimes you need a best friend (or two).

Ida is so noisy at home, but at school she is so quiet she doesn’t make any friends. Luckily Grandpa knows the best game to cheer her up: invisible shops. Little does he know that Ida will buy two invisible dogs, and those dogs are going to cause chaos!

Lover Birds

Leon Egan

Chapter book

With an irresistible enemies-to-lovers romance, and perfect for fans of Alice Oseman and Becky Albertalli, Lover Birds is a beautifully-written, inclusive and heart-pounding LGBT+ romance.

When Isabel Williams moves to Liverpool, she criticises seemingly everything in Eloise Byrne’s life – her city, her accent, her trademark boldness – so if, when she catches Isabel staring, Eloise feels her pulse race, it must be because they hate each other. It surely couldn’t be for any other reason, could it? Eloise needs to get her ADHD under control in time for A-Levels, but when she meets Isabel, school becomes the least of her concerns. What begins as outright contempt turns into an oddly satisfactory rivalry, but for their rivalry to shift further into romance, their relationship must withstand Isabel’s classism, Eloise’s distrust, and whatever secrets their friends are hiding from them.

With a wonderful cast of characters, an irresistible enemies to lovers, Queer romance, and an incredibly moving and powerful portrayal of ADHD and neurodivergence, Lover Birds is an unmissable debut from an extraordinary new voice in YA fiction.

Colin’s Castle

Holly Swain

Picturebook

When a vegetarian vampire moves into his dream castle, he soon discovers he has an unwanted house guest …

Colin’s new castle is perfect in every way – apart from the DUCK.

The duck pops up when Colin’s in the bath. When he’s watching telly. When he’s ON THE LOO. QUACK!

But where there’s a will, there’s a way. Colin has a PLAN. Will he succeed in banishing Duck from his castle and leading the bird-free life that he dreams of?

The Reappearance of Rachel Price

Holly Jackson

Chapter book

18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness. Rachel is gone, presumed dead.

The case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. But then Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again …

Holly Jackson was ‘BookTok Author of the Year’ at the 2023 TikTok Book Awards.

The Reappearance of Rachel Price was No 1 in the Sunday Times Children’s bestseller listings on Sunday 14/4/2024 and in the New York Times Young Adult Hardcover listings on Wednesday 10/4/2024

What Shall We Do, Blue Kangaroo

Emma Chichester Clark

Picturebook

Blue Kangaroo, a beloved toy, feels a little left out as new toys arrive. Through gentle storytelling, children learn about the enduring nature of love and the importance of expressing emotions, fostering emotional security and self-assurance. And as Blue Kangaroo grows in confidence, so too does Lily. This is such a lovely narrative device for exploring ideas about self-confidence. What little one couldn’t relate to this?

Queerbook

Emily A. Foster & Malcom Mackenzie

Non-fiction

Queerness is everywhere and it always has been. But queer stories, culture and communities have been often hidden …

Queerbook is an invitation to discover and celebrate queer joy, past and present. It’s a whistlestop tour of all the fun (and serious) queer stuff that the foghorn of straight culture drowns out, and that you deserve to know: heroes and histories, science and stories, art, spaces, music, film, TV, fashion – along with jargon-free breakdowns of terms from sexuality and gender identity, to code-switching, intersectionality, bi-erasure, straightwashing, and much, much more.

You don’t need any specific interests to read Queerbook – all you need is curiosity and a desire to learn more about what it means to be LGBTQ+. So, say no to the Straightrix and enter the technicolour world over the rainbow … Ready? Queer we go!

Cover illustration by Madelén Foss

Frank the Pizza

Eoin McLaughlin & Mike Byrne

Picturebook

Frank the pizza is desperate to live his best life. Can he find his way?

Making friends isn’t always easy, and all Frank the Pizza wants is someone to accept him for who he is. So when he gets invited to a birthday party, his parents worry and warn him to be careful … but Frank is already planning his outfit.

At the party, no one seems to get his jokes and he ends up lonely in the corner – until he meets Frances. As the night goes on, these new friends become more daring and suddenly the party takes an unexpected turn. Were Frank’s parents right? Is life dangerous when you’re delicious?

Calling the Whales

Jasbinder Bilan & Skylar White

Chapter book

When a majestic whale is stranded near their Scottish hometown, Tulsi and Satchen must summon all their courage to save it in this thrilling adventure from award-winning author Jasbinder Bilan.

After rowing out to an island near their seaside home, Tulsi and Satchen discover a whale that has been trapped in a fishing net. Determined to try to free the poor creature, they repeatedly dive down into the freezing sea to cut the netting, but eventually, exhausted and with a storm rolling in, they have to admit defeat.

As they head for home to seek help, their boat capsizes in the storm and they’re left clinging to it, dangerously adrift. Just as they think all is lost, help arrives from an unexpected source …

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