Reading a good book is like eating toasted marshmallows after a cold night’s walk: it leaves you glowing and content without ever leaving the warmth of your bedroom! So, if you’re looking for a good book to fill the cool autumn nights, look no further. Suggested by our site members’ reviews, here are the top five children’s and YA books you really ought to be hauled up with this month.

1. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (teen read)

Would you like to dive into a world full of fantasy and adventure? Well, why not step inside Bardugo’s fantasy world filled with unlikely heros, and set in a criminal underworld. “The characters are carefully and brilliantly crafted, with each of them bringing something essential to the story,” enthused teen reviewer HorseLover3000. “There was never a dull moment, with constant twists and turns!”

Strangely enough, though, it was the realism of Bardugo’s fantasy world which struck reviewer ShadowKissed Hannah: “Six of Crows is an intense and rich whirlwind of a ride which whisks readers from the dangerous and broken streets of Ketterdam to the glistening towers of the Ice Court”. Well that shows maybe you really can’t judge a book by its cover!

2. Railhead by Philip Reeve

If you’re looking for something similarly mysterious but with an inter-planetary dimension, Philip Reeve’s beautifully constructed world, in which beings hop between planets using a train, may be just the ticket. Petty thief Zen Starling gets sent on a mission to steal the mysterious pyxis, and has to disguise his identity as a billionaire’s son in order to get away with it.

“The opening scene drew me in straight away”, revealed reviewer The Vampire’s Assistant. “It is fast paced, the thrilling use of fictional planets is totally unique and you can tell that it is set so far into the future that humans have discovered other universes.”

Minion Potter similarly enjoyed the storyline, but had a particular soft spot for Reeve’s characters. “This book is spectacular with lots of twists and turns. It has amazing characters that inspire, awe and shock you. Zen Starling is an unusual main character, almost like Eoin Colfers’ Artemis Fowl, in that he can make you laugh and be your favourite character, but he has dark ways and bad habits.”

Elsewhere, reviewer That’sMe said the book made him a fantasy convert. “This book is amazing, even though I don’t really enjoy fantasies! I love the way all the trains talk, and yet Philip Reeve hasn’t made it sound remotely cheesy.”

3. Little Stars by Jacqueline Wilson

Have you ever wondered about running away and joining the circus? Well even if so (and even if not), we’ve got a bookish treat for you. In this tale, Hetty and Diamond decide to pack their bags and join the circus music hall. Reviewer Clancy Crew particularly liked the plot, which they described as one of the best Wilson has ever written: “Throughout the book you think you know what’s going to happen next but something big and unexpected happens near the end that changes everything. I couldn’t put it down and I read it in one go!”

Our reviewer also praised the characterisation of the novel: “My favourite character in the book is Diamond because she’s brave when everyone and everything around her is in chaos.”

4. Outsiders by SE Hinton (teen read)

14-year old Ponyboy is considered a hooligan, but in fact he’s hard working and intelligent – and downright unlucky when he gets caught up in a murder. This book beautifully explores class divides and typical adolescent worries – it’s pretty much your original teen coming of age story.

Summing up the effect of the novel, teen reviewer Hemma said: “The Outsiders is gritty, honest and authentic, and a novel that I feel every teenager needs to read. It makes the reader see that at the end of the day, as Ponyboy says, ‘we see the same sunset, and that while we are the ones who create the divides between ourselves, we can also be the ones to challenge them’.”

5. Another Day by David Levithan (teen read)

And finally, how much do appearances matter to you? This book explores the other side of the love story from Every Day, in which A wakes up in a different person’s body each day, and falls in love with a girl called Rhiannon. This book, told from Rhiannon’s perspective, reccounts her experience of falling in love with the person behind the faces.

“This book brought up some great points. Would you love your significant other if he or she was the opposite gender? Or no gender at all? It got me thinking,” pondered teen reviewer ReaderWren, who also felt that Rhiannon’s struggle was realistically portrayed: “Rhiannon’s emotional struggle with her attraction to A-when-A-is-male versus A-when-A-is-female was intriguing. She was conflicted. Could she love A anyways?” I guess you’ll have to read on to find out!

So between spooky murders, disappearances and fantasy worlds, we hope you’ve found something to warm your evenings this autumn.

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