One Sweet Song by Jyoti Rajan Gopal and Sonia Sánchez, Walker, £12.99
A single flute note gradually leads a whole neighbourhood to join in, playing traditional or improvised instruments until their song softly dwindles back to silence. Inspired by musicians who serenaded their neighbours during lockdowns, this meditative picture book, with its swirling, colourful illustrations, is an ode to the power of togetherness.
Quiet by Tom Percival and Richard Jones, Simon & Schuster, £12.99
A little bird is too timid and quiet to make herself heard – until her home’s survival is at stake. Jones’s illustrations vividly bring out the layered textures of woodland and wildlife, with the bird a striking splash of red in this touching story of shyness and courage.
Animal Crackers by Ruby Wright, Rocket Bird, £12.99
Maisie really wants a pet, but her mother says no. When the animals from pictures on her kitchen tins and packets come to life, though, Maisie discovers how much work – and poo scooping – pet ownership involves. An eye-catching, engaging picture-book debut.
I’ll See You in Ijebu by Bunmi Emenanjo, illustrated by Diana Ejaita, Barefoot, £7.99
Eight-year-old Olu is Catholic, but her extended family are Muslim. In this enticing, immersive picture book for readers of 4 or 5+, she travels from Lagos to visit her grandparents for Eid al-Adha. Her richly evoked experience, from sweltering cars and puff-puff hawkers to making pepper soup, will resonate with anyone whose family involves more than one heritage or tradition.
Magic Torch: Explore the Rainforest by Stephanie Stansbie, illustrated by Fabrizio Di Baldo, Little Tiger, £14.99
This accessible, delightful guide to the Amazon rainforest invites readers of 5+ to accompany small narrator Clara and her dog Sparks into the jungle, using the UV torch included to discover hidden creatures among the leaves. Intricate illustration and intriguing child-friendly facts add up to a winner for budding zoologists.
How to Build a Home by George Clarke, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng, Red Shed, £9.99
Ideal for readers of 6+ with an interest in design and construction, this thoughtful guide to architecture provides a brief historical overview, compares materials’ durability and environmental impact, and invites children to invent their own dream homes. From treehouses to skyscrapers, timber to future tech, Clarke’s well-judged text is heightened by Sae-Heng’s bright, flat images.
Finding Hope by Nicola Baker, illustrated by Rachel Dean, Simon & Schuster, £12.99
Ten-year-old Ava isn’t happy to be left at Whistledown Farm while her parents are away; her cousin Tom isn’t thrilled to have her either. As Ava learns the ropes, though, her feelings change, especially when she rescues Hope the lamb. But her mistakes enrage Tom – until the flock faces an outside threat … Readable and real-feeling, this rural adventure for 7+ is a sweet, contemporary successor to Dick King-Smith.
Lottie the Little Wonder by Katherine Woodfine, illustrated by Ella Okstad, Barrington Stoke, £6.99
When she’s told that girls can’t play tennis as well as boys, Charlotte ‘Lottie’ Dod proves otherwise, in a lively account of the real-life tennis star who won the 1887 Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles at 15. A dauntless, inspiring little story for 5+, from a dyslexia-friendly publisher.
Secrets of the Snakestone by Piu DasGupta, Nosy Crow, £7.99
In fin de siècle Paris, Zélie, a Bengali girl sent overseas to work as a maid, is continually accused of witchcraft. But she doesn’t believe in magic – until Jules, a young sewer worker, gives her a golden locket, once home to a cursed ruby called the Snakestone. If Zélie finds the stone, she may find her missing father too; but a fearsome secret society is also on its trail. Featuring gutsy, likable characters, full-throttle action and an atmospheric setting, this 9+ debut marks DasGupta out as an author to watch.
A Drop of Golden Sun by Kate Saunders, Faber, £7.99
When down-to-earth Jenny wins a part in a major film, her life – and her mother’s – will change for ever. The much-missed Kate Saunders’ last book, set in 1973 in an idyllic French chateau, is a deftly fictionalised take on the filming of The Sound of Music, featuring superb characterisation and gentle, melancholy reflections on the impact of war and bereavement. As warm and welcoming as its title, it’s sure to be a hit with 9+ historical fiction fans.
The Untameables by Clare Pollard, illustrated by Reena Makwana, Emma Press, £9.99
In this radical revisiting of the King Arthur story, cruel knights slaughter magical fauna as Camelot’s ordinary people sicken unheeded. Tender-hearted dog-keeper Roan just wants to stay out of trouble, but when his mother gets ill, he decides to race the knights and find the holy grail, accompanied by his brave friend, kitchen hand Elva. Will the unlikely duo succeed in their dangerous undertaking, and will the Grail heal Roan’s mum if they do? Acclaimed poet Pollard’s 9+ fantasy debut is funny, thought-provoking and intensely satisfying.
The Secret of the Moonshard by Struan Murray, illustrated by Vivienne To, Puffin, £7.99
Domino has been imprisoned all her life in a floating laboratory, warned by the Science Barons that one drop of magic will kill her. Discovering that they have lied, she escapes to Abzalaymon, a city filled with undercover magic – but the Barons are in pursuit, for Domino possesses something that will turn the tide in the war between magic and science. This compelling new 9+ fantasy from the Branford Boase-winning Murray features assured world-building, meaty ethical questions and a thrilling arena battle between “thunder lizards”.
The Things We Leave Behind by Clare Furniss, Simon & Schuster, £8.99
In a terrifying near future, London, under a plausibly fascist prime minister and his “Community Guardians”, has become dangerous. When unrest rises, 15-year-old Clem flees the city with her half-sister Billie, attempting to get to Edinburgh – but there are no guarantees of safety. As Clem narrates her story to a stranger, interweaving fairytale, memories and half-truths, she comes to accept both stark reality and fragile new hope in this compulsive, poignant YA dystopia.
Where the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan, Bloomsbury, £14.99
In Ireland, 1846, crops are rotting in the ground, and bright, bookish Nell must work as a scullery maid for Lord Wicken, her family’s callous English landlord. When she meets Johnny, his heir and nephew, she tries to ignore the attraction between them – but as illness runs riot and families starve to pay their rent, tragedy looms. Crossan’s latest YA verse novel is a spare, moving, powerful account of love amid oppression, desperation and fury.
The No-Girlfriend Rule by Christen Randall, Pushkin, £9.99
Hollis wants to share her boyfriend’s passion for tabletop gaming, but his regular group has a strict no-girlfriends rule. When Hollis joins a feminist, LBGTQ-friendly group, though, she isn’t prepared for what she’ll discover about the game, her boyfriend, and herself. This gloriously nerdy YA paean to shared enthusiasm, self-discovery and the best kind of friends also features an adorable queer romance.
King of Dead Things by Nevin Holness, Penguin, £8.99
Three years ago, teenagers Sunny and Max found Eli, and brought him back to Pam’s, a Caribbean takeaway and magical sanctuary in north London. Though Eli remembers nothing, he can heal and steal magic, skills he uses to protect his newfound family. When Eli steals magic from a boy called Malcolm, the two are bound together, compelled to stop Death’s daughter escaping the prison Malcolm’s father put her in years before. Eerie, original and utterly gripping, this superb supernatural YA debut draws richly on Caribbean folklore and tradition.
• This article was amended on 15 March 2024. An earlier version misspelled Piu DasGupta’s name and book title.
