Publisher: HarperCollins

A Day Off School

Picturebook

A hilarious story full of action and adventure from two highly regarded, award-winning picture-book creators.

When Herbie has the sniffles, he stays home from school. It’s exciting to have time to play Space Blasters and watch cartoons. But, by lunchtime, he starts to wonder what he might be missing at school. What if there’s an extra playtime, a dog on the loose … or even A PIRATE INVASION? Is Herbie missing out on all the action?

A hilarious, action-packed story from the globally bestselling creator of Lost and Found and Here We Are, Oliver Jeffers, and the award-winning illustrator of Chocolate Cake, Kevin Waldron.

Detective Thingy Majiggy

Cecelia Ahern

Chapter book

A funny, magical and hugely original new series from internationally bestselling author Cecelia Ahern.

Mia is ten years old and has just moved to her new foster home with Detective Lucy. And Mia has a secret – she can speak to inanimate objects. That’s not the weird part, though – the amazing thing is that the objects speak back! Hats, toasters, pens – Mia can understand them all.

And with the help of these everyday objects, Mia can SOLVE MYSTERIES! Like for instance – how exactly did a fire start in her new classroom…?

Warm, funny, highly original and illustrated throughout in black and white, this is the start of a brand-new series for 7+ readers by beloved, globally bestselling author Cecelia Ahern.

The Day the Crayons Made Friends

Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers

Picturebook

The crayons are back! If you enjoyed the Day the Crayons quit and sequel, The Day the Crayons came home, then you are in for a treat.

In this book the crayons have seen that there are exciting things going on in the pictures they have been used to draw as well as the toys they have encountered, and quite reasonably, they take the opportunity to leave once again but this time, to meet new friends and engage in exciting activities. The team of Daywalt, as the author, and Jeffers, as the illustrator, lead the reader through a series of letters from each colour crayon sharing their new lives – from firefighters to crime investigators to gardeners to being a monster for toy soldiers to battle.

As with the other books the crayons write letters ‘home’ and this direct voice to the reader allows the child to explore their imaginations, the vocabulary of colour, the use of font and even the crayons’ handwriting skills. The illustrations blend real photo images with crayon drawing providing a powerful but simple, uncluttered accompaniment to the crayons’ letters. The illustrations allow for further discussion and exploration of the scenarios the crayons choose – I particularly like the family tree of the Teal Crayon, who has found their twin.

Children can explore their own drawings, toys and bedroom spaces, where there might be new opportunities for a crayon to meet friends and explore something new. This book holds many possibilities for the parent, teacher and child and is well worth exploring.

Black Beauty by Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo & Tom de Freston

Chapter book

Michael Morpurgo is well loved for his modern animal stories, making him the perfect author to introduce Anna Sewell’s classic horse book to a new generation of readers.

This beautiful new hardback version, with artwork by Tom de Freston, brings a deeply empathetic voice to Black Beauty. The retelling captures the galloping drama of the original, from the stable fire to the backdrop of the Crimean War, while bridling a narrative that will keep modern primary readers hooked all the way by shifting the emphasis onto animal welfare.

A moving retelling of a true children’s classic that is perfect for the Upper KS2 book corner.

The Unlikely Diary of Prince Kal the Alien

Ross Welford

Chapter book

We always enjoy Ross Welford’s dry and intelligent humour, and this diary-style adventure with a difference is a real treat. It follows Prince Kal, a tiny and somewhat haughty royal alien from the Imaginaria Forests, who ends up stranded on a Northumberland beach after a mishap. In his diary, he logs his experiences of encountering the ways of Earth.

Interspersed with humorous observations and comical illustrations, this is an enjoyable blend of science fiction, satire and sharp wit.

Starminster

Megan Hopkins

Chapter book

There is something about a girl being brought up in a rhubarb shed that is instantly interesting and captivating! We only find out why at the end, but it is so compelling and awful and yet at the same time the reader knows there must be a good reason. That is how the story starts and the contrast between the enclosed space and the wide-open spaces is very much in evidence as the story progresses.

As a Londoner I loved the London setting. This is exactly the sort of story I love, combining fantasy and real places and there is even the ubiquitous school to train the students who have magical abilities – in this case wings. The school setting (the Starminster of the title) is actually St Paul’s Cathedral, which is such a fun place for a school.

Suitable for Key Stage 2, this is a wonderful and original story which fantasy lovers (and bird lovers!) will really enjoy.

Time Travelling with a Hamster

Ross Welford

Chapter book

For readers who loved Wonder and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time this extraordinary debut will make you laugh and cry.

A story that crosses time and generations, for adventure-loving readers young and old.

“My dad died twice. Once when he was thirty nine and again four years later when he was twelve.”

On Al Chaudhury’s twelfth birthday his beloved Grandpa Byron gives him a letter from Al’s late father. In it Al receives a mission: travel back to 1984 in a secret time machine and save his father’s life.

Al soon discovers that time travel requires daring and imagination. It also requires lies, theft, setting his school on fire and ignoring philosophical advice from Grandpa Byron. All without losing his pet hamster, Alan Shearer…

Time Travelling With a Hamster is a funny, heart-warming race-against-time – and across generations – adventure that you will won’t be able to put down.

The Offline Diaries

Elizabeth Uviebinene & Yomi Adegoke

Chapter book

A universal story of friendship, falling out and unforgettable characters that will resonate with all readers of 9 and up – from the authors of Slay in Your Lane

Ade is about to start at a new school. She is NOT happy with her stepdad for making them move here. Shanice has been at the school for a year already. Since her mum died, she’s been living with her dad and annoying older brother, spending most of her time outside school in her dad’s hair salon.

When Ade and Shanice meet in the salon, and spot each other’s diaries, an instant friendship is formed, and they start to chat online… but offline is a whole other story!

The Offline Diaries is a fresh, funny and contemporary story of friendship, told in the captivating voices of Ade and Shanice – two utterly unforgettable Year 8 girls who will seize the hearts and imaginations of readers everywhere.

Crow: Thief of Magic

Fiona Dixon

Chapter book

This story is a fresh, new addition to the popular magical world genre and stands out within this with its brilliant world building, dream magic and loyal protagonist.

When Crow is rescued by Victor, the Dreamcatcher, his underworld life with The Reavers seems to be over. Victor teaches him to harness Dream Magic, to create dreams and to develop his own magical abilities. But when Crow finds out his two best friends are alive and he receives a mysterious warning, he is unsure who to trust.

The story is set under the atmospheric countdown to the comet Oros being at its strongest, heightening all things magical and potentially enabling the devastating nightmare, ‘The Mara’ to unleash it’s devastation and despair across the city. This combination of fear and mistrust creates great tension, suspense and pace in the storytelling. Key themes include: friendship, courage, loyalty, magic, the balance between light and dark and moral choices. I particularly like the portrayal and duality of the flawed characters and the relationship between Crow and the sorcerer’s cat Nakima. A superb read aloud.

Absolutely Fine

Emma Chichester Clark

Picturebook

Absolutely Fine is a picture book that carefully explores the themes of emotional wellbeing and having difficult or sad feelings. The story focuses on a young girl called Maudie who says she just wants to be alone. Her animal friends keep checking on her and visiting to check on her but she sends them all away, saying she is “absolutely fine”. Then she comes across a dog who looks rather lonely. He also says he is fine. As the story develops, Maudie realises that you don’t have to pretend to be fine when you are not and she allows her friends in to help her, and in turn, she helps the dog. The story encourages children to acknowledge emotions instead of pretending they are fine. Absolutely Fine encourages friendship, connection and being honest about the difficult feelings people sometimes have.

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Publisher: HarperCollins

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