Ban Ban’s Bakery by Elena Hiroko Magee, Do Re Mi, £12.99
Ban Ban the bunny loves baking with Grandma – but will she be able to turn Dusty Cottage into a bakery of her very own? A cute, enticing picture book full of mouthwatering, pastel-hued treats.
Daddy Is Cleaning by Angel Dike, illustrated by Ebony Glenn, Nosy Crow, £12.99
Baby is helping with laundry, cooking and planting – so Daddy is cleaning, a lot! This tender picture book perfectly evokes the love, humour and exhaustion of managing a day’s chores with an enthusiastic toddler.
Home Is a Hug by Cindy Wume, Post Wave, £12.99
Cut-out, peek-through pages and fun lift-the-flaps combine with sweetly coloured illustrations in this gentle, playful picture book about the warmth and reassurance of home.
Jolly Monster Town: The Party Pickle by Rong Rong, Nosy Crow, £7.99
In Jolly Monster Town, Twiggy the Log Monster is planning her first sleepover, and everything must be perfect. When things start to go awry, Twiggy doesn’t need anyone’s help – or does she? A full-colour, chapter-book romp for 5+ readers, crammed with delightfully offbeat humour.
Aardvark Day by Victoria Gatehouse, illustrated by Kate Lucy Foster, Emma Press, £9.99
As well as aardvarks, this wonder-filled poetry collection from zoologist Gatehouse features the needs of weeds, the two modes of lizards, octopuses’ colour-changing beauty and otters’ pebble pockets, all complemented by Foster’s energetic line drawings.
What Makes a Bird? by Nadeem Perera, illustrated by Montse Galbany, Flying Eye, £14.99
For ornithologists of 6 or 7+, this gorgeous, brightly graphic guide to bird essentials features an array of beaks, birdsong, habitats and nests, described in absorbing and accessible language by a popular wildlife presenter.
The Ministry of Manners by David Solomons, illustrated by Hazem Asif, Picadilly, £7.99
The Ministry of Manners’ laws demand constant, unrelenting politeness – no problem for Alfie, but his sister Margot is an outspoken firebrand. When Margot is taken for re‑education, Alfie teams up with the rebellious Unsilenced in an effort to rescue her, only to uncover the Ministry’s plans to make rebellion impossible. This compelling, thought-provoking dystopian novel will prompt 8+ readers to consider the possible costs of acquiescence and collusion.
Witch Light by Zohra Nabi, S&S, £7.99
Dispatched to a bleak boarding school by her uncle, Cassia Thorne soon detects sinister undercurrents at Ravening Hall. Why are the prefects so unnaturally perfect – and is there any truth to local stories about a witch who eats children’s hearts? Teaming up with misfit Martha Torrent, Cassia must investigate another supernatural conspiracy in this superb 9+ sequel to Deep Dark, rooted in the history of the Pendle witch trials.
Tadpole Summer by Catherine Bruton, Nosy Crow, £7.99
Frog has been Frog since her baby brother Tad was born, smaller and weaker than his sister, but indomitable. As summer begins and Tad’s illness progresses, though, Frog must contemplate an unthinkable future. With Tad in hospital, Frog begins camping in the garden – but how long can she stay there? A beautiful, poignant, magical book for 9+, filled with love, grief and the natural world’s power to nurture hope.
Bím Blake’s Hot Takes – My Pencil Case Doesn’t Define Me by Tolá Okogwu, illustrated by Ariyana Taylor, Puffin, £8.99
Bím Blake has just started high school, but between her annoying older brothers, a regrettable pencil case, mortifying bra-shopping and the impossibly cute new boy, it’s proving an ordeal. And why has her dad started acting so weirdly? A lively, warm, highly illustrated new 9+ diary series, ideal for fans of Geek Girl and Lottie Brook.
Wonderland by Patience Agbabi, Firefly, £9.99
In 1980, when 16-year-old Londoner Tamilola moves to Colwyn Bay, she’s the only one who doesn’t belong – until she discovers the end-of-pier Northern soul club called Wonderland. A gutsy, joyous, effortlessly atmospheric YA verse novel about finding yourself and your people on the dancefloor.
Seyoon and Dean, Unscripted by Sujin Witherspoon, Hot Key, £8.99
Seyoon Shin and Dean Parker both have compelling reasons to sign up for the reboot of Forest Feud, a 20-year-old cult reality TV show featuring wilderness games and a huge cash prize. Despite despising each other, they’re pushed to pretend their strategic alliance is also a romantic one – but surely that’s just for the cameras? A light, swoony, escapist YA romcom, ideal for Jenny Han fans.
The Summer After the Night Before by Lisa Williamson, DFB, £8.99
After a few too many drinks at a party, Molly wakes up in a strange bed. It belongs to Ben, her best friend Rhiannon’s twin brother, who’s always had a crush on her. Molly remembers kissing Ben, but not what happened next. Weaving together the perspectives of Molly, Ben and Rhiannon, Williamson dives deep into ideas of consent, trauma and healthy relationships in this gripping, hard-hitting 14+ novel.
This Boy I Hardly Know by Lisa Heathfield, Andersen, £8.99
Sixteen-year-old Dusty and her little sister Poppy have been through multiple foster placements. Now they’ve been separated, and no one will tell them when – or if – they’ll be reunited. When Dusty meets charismatic Cooper in the children’s home where she’s been dumped, the two of them, determined to find Poppy, decide to run away. Chronicling the pain of being disbelieved, uprooted and silenced, this powerful, moving contemporary YA novel is also a defiant celebration of love.
