Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Chapter book

Stranded in the wild with nothing but a hatchet, Brian must learn to survive or perish in this gripping tale of resilience and self-discovery.

Brian is a city boy, not used to living rough. But when his plane crash-lands in the Canadian wilderness, he is left with nothing but a hatchet and a fierce determination to stay alive. Hatchet, the riveting story of a young boy’s struggle against the elements, has captured the hearts of readers for decades.

Now, Brian must learn to find food, make shelter, and brave the untamed wilderness – all while battling the loneliness and despair of being utterly alone. Gary Paulsen’s powerful survival story is a must-read for any fan of adventure, coming-of-age tales, or young adult fiction. Perfect for 12-year-olds and up, Hatchet is a timeless classic that explores the depths of human endurance in the face of unforgiving nature.

This sci-fi comedy classic wasn’t initially written for children, but so many young readers still fall in love with this pop-culture series between the ages of 12 and 17.

Perfectly ordinary Arthur Dent is surprised to learn that his best friend Ford Prefect isn’t from Guildford, but actually from Beletegeuse, and that Earth is about to be destroyed to make way for a new hyperspace bypass. The pair flee the planet and set off on a wild series of bizarre, hilarious adventures that will appeal to sci-lovers and fans of silly humour.

Douglas Adams’s Hitchhiker novels are imaginative and very funny. This edition, which is illustrated by former Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell, is brought to life with line illustrations that capture the spirit of quirky adventure perfectly.

A big-hearted small-town romance from bestselling, award-winning author Elle McNicoll. Some Like it Cold is perfect for fans of Alice Oseman, Beth Reekles and Gilmore Girls.

After a long absence, 18-year-old Jasper is finally heading home for the holidays – and she’s keeping secrets.

Arthur, a budding filmmaker, is turning the town of Lake Pristine into a small town story worthy of the big screen. His plans are disrupted by the arrival of the town’s golden girl – the antagonist of his school days; a girl he’s never forgotten.

Jasper Montgomery is back in Lake Pristine for one reason: to say goodbye. But before long small-town tensions start to rise, and a certain brooding film buff starts to look like a very big reason to stay . . .

The perfect story to get lost in, Some Like it Cold centres Jasper as an autistic heroine in a cosy YA romance that will melt your heart, from the bestselling author of A Kind of Spark.

Crusade is a richly detailed historical adventure, from Carnegie shortlisted author, Elizabeth Laird.

Two boys. Two faiths. One unholy war . . .

When Adam’s mother dies unconfessed, he pledges to save her soul with dust from the Holy Land. Employed as a dog-boy for the local knight, Adam grabs the chance to join the Crusade to reclaim Jerusalem. He burns with determination to strike down the infidel enemy . . .

Salim, a merchant’s son, is leading an uneventful life in the port of Acre – until news arrives that a Crusader attack is imminent. To keep Salim safe, his father buys him an apprenticeship with an esteemed, travelling doctor. But Salim’s employment leads him to the heart of Sultan Saladin’s camp – and into battle against the barbaric and unholy invaders . . .

Frances Hardinge’s historical fantasy A Skinful of Shadows transports readers to the turbulence of the English Civil War.

The tale follows twelve-year-old Makepeace, who has been raised to ward off the restless spirits of the dead. Her abilities are tested when, in a moment of grief, she is possessed by an unexpected spirit: a bear. With this powerful spirit residing within her, Makepeace is thrust into a terrifying new life with her estranged and sinister family.

This multi-layered narrative blends a paranormal mystery with fast-paced historical drama, creating a highly original story for teens that is as beautiful as it is thought-provoking.

They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.
Now we rise . . .

Zélie remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. When different clans ruled – Burners igniting flames, Tiders beckoning waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoning forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, anyone with powers was targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has a chance to bring back magic to her people and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must learn to harness her powers and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where strange creatures prowl, and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to come to terms with the strength of her magic – and her growing feelings for an enemy . . .

Fourteen year old Calum Brooks has big dreams. One day, he’ll escape this boring life and write movies, proper ones, with massive budgets and A-list stars. For now though, he’s stuck coping alone while his dad works away, writing scripts in his head and trying to stay ‘in’ with his gang of mates at school, who don’t like new kids, especially foreign ones.

But when his father invites his new Polish girlfriend and her son, Sergei, to move in, Calum’s life is turned upside down. He’s actually sharing a room with ‘the enemy’! How’s he going to explain that to his mates? Yet when Calum is knocked down in a hit and run and breaks both legs, everything changes.

Trapped at home, Calum and Sergei slowly start to understand each other, and even work together to investigate a series of break-ins at the local community centre. But Calum can’t help feeling like Sergei’s hiding something. Is he really trying to help, or cover up his own involvement in the crime?

928 Miles from Home is a powerful new story from the multi-award-winning author of Smart and A Seven-Letter Word, Kim Slater.

Mira Levenson is bursting with excitement as she flies to India to stay with her aunt and cousin for the first time. As soon as she lands Mira is hurled into the sweltering heat and a place full of new sights, sounds, and deeply buried family secrets . . . From the moment Mira meets Janu she feels an instant connection. He becomes her guide, showing her both the beauty and the chaos of Kolkata. Nothing is as she imagined it – and suddenly home feels a long way away.

Before Mira leaves India she is determined to uncover the truth about her family, whatever it takes, and she must also make a decision that will break someone’s heart.

Push, pull and slide the tabs to play in the Busy Tennis match! Serve the ball, have a rally then win the match point. Meet 12 famous tennis heroes too!

Young children will love playing with this bright and colourful board book with gentle rhyming text, lots to spot and talk about, and wonderful illustrations by Jayri Gómez.

Listen along to an audio recording of this story by scanning the QR code on the back cover.

Discover more activities in the Busy Book series: Busy Football, Busy Bikes and Busy Swimming.

Discover the number one YA bestseller! Emily Varga’s debut For She is Wrath is the epic romantasy about a girl escaped from prison and hell-bent on revenge, and the boy she loved who put her there.

Betrayed by her ex-lover and falsely imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit, Dania counts down the days until she can exact her revenge – if only she didn’t have a life sentence to serve with no hope of release.

But when a fellow prisoner lands in the middle of her cell with a proposition and the keys to a dangerous Jinn treasure, Dania takes the chance to escape and pursue her path of vengeance. Armed with all the power she could want and a brand-new identity, Dania enacts a plan to bring down those who betrayed her and her family.

But the one person standing in her way is the very man who signed her life away in the first place, and retribution becomes a complicated game of cat and mouse. Because sometimes betrayal isn’t as simple as it seems and revenge certainly isn’t as easy – not when your heart is involved.

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