For younger readers, Emma Chichester Clark's 'The Good Deed Dogs' is a heartwarming tale of three good dogs trying to help others, but their efforts keep backfiring with chaotic consequences until they successfully rescue a kitten. The story is exuberantly charming and suitable for early readers.
A poignant picture book, 'Auntie's Bangles', by Dean Atta and Alea Marley, deals with loss, joy, and remembrance through the story of Auntie's jewellery. When Theo and Rama are finally ready to celebrate her memory, they put on her bangles and dance, bringing a sense of closure and happiness.
In 'Grandad's World', Michael Foreman's absorbing picture book follows Jack's wildlife-watching adventures with his grandad in the woods and around the village pond. However, when rubbish starts polluting their water source, it's up to them to put things right.
For younger readers, Jake's adventures with his sister and baby brother are delightful in 'Jake in the Middle' by Michael Catchpool. This engaging chapter book will charm newly independent readers.
Postman Planet, illustrated by Ben Davis, is a laugh-out-loud interstellar caper about a nine-year-old postman who pretends to be the best in the universe with his part-robot dog assistant. Together they must dodge Space Vikings and deliver helium to the Planet of Fluffy Unicorns.
The 'Donut Squad' are back in 'Donut Squad 2: Make a Mess!' by Neill Cameron, this time teaching Li'l Timmy about mindfulness and putting on a show, but their fun is threatened when the aggressively savoury Bagel Battalion tries to banish them from their own book.
'The Golden Monkey Mystery' by Piu DasGupta follows Roma's journey as she discovers a golden monkey near her Indian boarding school. As bandits chase her, and the malign influence of a cursed jewel called the Snakestone haunts her, Roma is determined to return the monkey to its home.
In 'The Experiment' by Rebecca Stead, Nathan begins questioning everything he believes about his alien family when his peers start disappearing. This imaginative story follows him as he navigates an intergalactic mystery and discovers new truths.
'The Monsters at the End of the World' by Rebecca Orwin is a post-apocalyptic story told from Sunny's perspective, who finds out that monsters infesting her town aren't violent but rather misunderstood creatures. But someone in the town has been keeping a monstrous secret all along.
Zubair's journey begins when his granny arrives with an amulet and discovers he can time-travel, trying to fix his parents' failing marriage in 'The Night I Borrowed Time'. However, meddling with the past presents many pitfalls for him.
In 'Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel', Jewell Parker Rhodes brings a hauntingly powerful story of 12-year-old Black boy Jerome who meets the spirit of Emmett Till after being shot by a police officer. This graphic novel treatment is an alternative version of his original novel.
'Arcana: The Lost Heirs' by Sam Prentice-Jones tells the story of Eli, who discovers that other witches exist when he's inducted into the Arcana. A magic society ruled over by mysterious Majors, they face a curse rooted in their history and must break free from it to survive.
'Queen of Faces' by Petra Lord is an ambitious fantasy debut about 17-year-old Ana who trades her dying body for one that's better-suited to her elite school of magic. But as Ana takes on missions to fight against the dark mage Khaiovhe, she has to re-evaluate her loyalties and beliefs.
Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet is a unique take on Little Women, imagining what would happen if Beth were murdered in this modern YA thriller. The story follows Louisa May Alcott's March girls through four different perspectives, full of suspense and intrigue.
Finally, 'Queen of Faces' sets the stage for Petra Lord to delve into more fantastical worlds with her latest book that has all the makings of a bestseller.
A poignant picture book, 'Auntie's Bangles', by Dean Atta and Alea Marley, deals with loss, joy, and remembrance through the story of Auntie's jewellery. When Theo and Rama are finally ready to celebrate her memory, they put on her bangles and dance, bringing a sense of closure and happiness.
In 'Grandad's World', Michael Foreman's absorbing picture book follows Jack's wildlife-watching adventures with his grandad in the woods and around the village pond. However, when rubbish starts polluting their water source, it's up to them to put things right.
For younger readers, Jake's adventures with his sister and baby brother are delightful in 'Jake in the Middle' by Michael Catchpool. This engaging chapter book will charm newly independent readers.
Postman Planet, illustrated by Ben Davis, is a laugh-out-loud interstellar caper about a nine-year-old postman who pretends to be the best in the universe with his part-robot dog assistant. Together they must dodge Space Vikings and deliver helium to the Planet of Fluffy Unicorns.
The 'Donut Squad' are back in 'Donut Squad 2: Make a Mess!' by Neill Cameron, this time teaching Li'l Timmy about mindfulness and putting on a show, but their fun is threatened when the aggressively savoury Bagel Battalion tries to banish them from their own book.
'The Golden Monkey Mystery' by Piu DasGupta follows Roma's journey as she discovers a golden monkey near her Indian boarding school. As bandits chase her, and the malign influence of a cursed jewel called the Snakestone haunts her, Roma is determined to return the monkey to its home.
In 'The Experiment' by Rebecca Stead, Nathan begins questioning everything he believes about his alien family when his peers start disappearing. This imaginative story follows him as he navigates an intergalactic mystery and discovers new truths.
'The Monsters at the End of the World' by Rebecca Orwin is a post-apocalyptic story told from Sunny's perspective, who finds out that monsters infesting her town aren't violent but rather misunderstood creatures. But someone in the town has been keeping a monstrous secret all along.
Zubair's journey begins when his granny arrives with an amulet and discovers he can time-travel, trying to fix his parents' failing marriage in 'The Night I Borrowed Time'. However, meddling with the past presents many pitfalls for him.
In 'Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel', Jewell Parker Rhodes brings a hauntingly powerful story of 12-year-old Black boy Jerome who meets the spirit of Emmett Till after being shot by a police officer. This graphic novel treatment is an alternative version of his original novel.
'Arcana: The Lost Heirs' by Sam Prentice-Jones tells the story of Eli, who discovers that other witches exist when he's inducted into the Arcana. A magic society ruled over by mysterious Majors, they face a curse rooted in their history and must break free from it to survive.
'Queen of Faces' by Petra Lord is an ambitious fantasy debut about 17-year-old Ana who trades her dying body for one that's better-suited to her elite school of magic. But as Ana takes on missions to fight against the dark mage Khaiovhe, she has to re-evaluate her loyalties and beliefs.
Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet is a unique take on Little Women, imagining what would happen if Beth were murdered in this modern YA thriller. The story follows Louisa May Alcott's March girls through four different perspectives, full of suspense and intrigue.
Finally, 'Queen of Faces' sets the stage for Petra Lord to delve into more fantastical worlds with her latest book that has all the makings of a bestseller.
oh man i just read like half these books and i'm totally in love 
with Postman Planet Ben Davis is such a genius illustrator 
the way he draws space vikings is just iconic 
she can totally hold her own with baby bro in tow 
what a great sibling dynamic 
it's like she's got this inner strength that i need more of in my life 
sunny in The Monsters at the End of the World is literally my spirit animal 
just trying to navigate this crazy world and figure out where i belong 
I'm loving this bunch of new pics books & chapter books for younger readers! 
. The storytelling across these titles exhibits a notable capacity for emotional resonance, tackling complex themes such as loss, mindfulness, and self-discovery with remarkable nuance 
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and it's sooo good!! Roma's journey is like, whoa 
I loved how she tries to solve the mystery while being chased by bandits and dealing with the Snakestone curse 
It's like a mix of Indiana Jones and Harry Potter, right? 
I'm literally so hyped about 'The Golden Monkey Mystery' and 'Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel', they're both dealing with such important topics like environmentalism and social justice in a way that's relatable to kids. And I love how 'Donut Squad 2: Make a Mess!' is all about mindfulness and self-expression, it's so needed in our chaotic world right now 
. But what really caught my eye was 'The Monsters at the End of the World', the idea of monsters being misunderstood creatures is just genius 
! And can we talk about how beautiful the illustrations are for all these books? 
I'm definitely adding them to my wish list ASAP 
There are stories for everyone here, no matter what age or interests you have. I love that 'Auntie's Bangles' tackles some tough topics like loss and remembrance in a way that's relatable and uplifting 
It's great to see these books celebrating creativity, kindness, and empathy. Keep reading, everyone! 