MIDDLE GRADE (8+)

Read this if you love: historical mysteries, adventure, and stories about friendship!

I enjoyed Nush and the Stolen Emerald so much! A gorgeously written adventure/mystery set in the 1850s, I found Nush such a warm, wonderful protagonist. The settings, from the baking Thar Desert in northwest India to the bleak wintriness of England, were beautifully described, and yet the story was always pacey and exciting. I can’t wait to read more by Jasbinder Bilan!

MIDDLE GRADE (8+)

Read this if you love: exciting polar adventures, funny books, and surprising twists!

I found Maisie vs Antarctica such a joy to read. Maisie as a main character is hilarious and so likeable, and the relationship with her dad is really touching. This story went in some unexpected but brilliant directions, and I found it really hard to put down. I can’t wait for more adventures with Maisie and her dad!

PICTURE BOOK

Read this if you love: dragons, sweet stories, and gorgeous illustrations!

This is such a charming picture book with a wonderful story and the cutest protagonist in Ember the dragon. The illustrations are beautiful with lots of lovely hidden details. I can’t wait to share it with the small people in my life!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: emotional stories, lovely characters, and dogs with velvet ears and eyes like conkers!

I'm so lucky to have read a proof of this gorgeous book. My Dog is a beautifully written, tender exploration of grief and family that broke my heart then stitched it back together and made me laugh and cry, often at the same time. I might be a cat person, but Worthington utterly stole my heart. Coming out next March with HarperCollins Children’s Books, this one will appeal to all animal lovers!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: spine-tingling action, terrifying Gods, and a group of friends on a mission!

I defy anyone not to enjoy The Boy to Beat the Gods. An epic quest with electric action scenes, heartbreak and humour, and some truly wonderful characters. This book is really special and I loved it!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: sibling relationships, cinematic action, and underwater quests!

I loved The Wanderdays, an exciting, fast-paced adventure with a lovely sibling relationship at its heart and an important environmental message packaged in such a fun way. Can't wait to check out Clare Povey's other books!

PICTURE BOOK

Read this if you love: charming stories, beautiful illustrations, and twirly-wiggly dancing!

This is a gorgeous picture book that I shared with my goddaughters (5 and 2), and they loved it. The message is really sweet but important about being yourself and not having to be perfect all the time.

NON-FICTION

Read this if you want to learn about empathy, what it is and how to use it as a superpower!

We’ve Got This! is such an insightful and perceptive book, giving really relatable examples that will help children (and adults) define empathy and learn how to best apply it. The section on neuroplasticity - the way so many regions of our brain light up when we read stories, making reading such an engaging, unique experience - is so fascinating! There's some great advice at the end for grown ups teaching about empathy too.

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: witches, seaside adventures, and cosy, timeless stories!

What a treat to be back in the world of Hedgewitch. One of my favourite children’s series, with a delightful cast of characters and a setting that feels timeless and full of whimsy. Each book is even better than the last. I cannot wait for more!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: exciting mysteries, brilliant friendships, and time-travelling trains!

I enjoyed being back in the world of Aliya so much. This worldbuilding has to be some of my favourite ever, and the Silver Express (a time-travelling train) is an amazing concept and great fun. Can't wait for more!

YOUNGER MIDDLE GRADE (age 7+)

Read this if you love: hilarious adventures, fantasy quests, and cattish kobolds with big personalities!

I loved Starfell; such a delightful, funny read with brilliant illustrations and a fab main character in Willow. I'm super excited for Witchspark next month.

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: witchy stories, whimsical humour, and thoughtful representation!

I really enjoyed Toby and the Silver Blood Witches, a funny, poignant and wonderfully whimsical story. The worldbuilding is so imaginative, and I loved the witches and the whole idea of Little Witchery. The representation for young carers is brilliant too. Really charming!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: heart-warming mysteries, stories about family, and loveable rabbits!

The Stolen Songbird is my favourite book yet by the brilliant Judith Eagle. A compelling mystery with the loveliest characters and a timeless feel - this one melted my heart and made me cry at the end (happy tears)! Loved it and highly recommend her other books too!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: dark fairy-tales, clever twists, and reading with your heart in your mouth!

I absolutely loved The Whisperwicks by Jordan Lees. Eerie, exciting and really surprising, with some of the most unique worldbuilding I’ve ever read - harvesting eye colours, poppets and the terrifying Hangmen being personal favourites. I’m so excited to see where this series goes!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: fantasy worlds you can truly sink into, heart-racing action, and delightful dream creatures!

Dream Hunters by Nazima Pathan was one of my most anticipated books of 2024, and it was even better than I expected. A fast paced, highly imaginative adventure, with gorgeous worldbuilding and lovely illustrations, this is a story that both children and adults will enjoy. My favourite detail has to be the dream creatures, but there are so many aspects of the world to love, and I would happily keep on reading about Mimi and her friends!

YOUNG ADULT

Read this if you love: werewolves, found families, and a great northern setting!

I loved Amie Jordan's All the Hidden Monsters and couldn't put it down. There's so much to enjoy in this book, the imaginative worldbuilding, the paciness and gripping plot, but most of all the fantastic cast of characters. This debut perfectly blends darkness and some shocking twists and turns with surprising warmth. I adored the characters. Sage and Oren are both fascinating and I'm very excited to read more about them, and P is wonderful. I loved how the book really highlighted the importance of friendship as well as romance. I am so looking forward to the sequel in 2025!

YOUNG ADULT

Read this if you love: unique worldbuilding, heart-breaking romance, and twisty dystopian politics!

A brilliant sequel! I loved being back in this world, with such a great cast of characters and two protagonists you can’t help but root for. The worldbuilding in this series is so imaginative and unique!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: spooky stories, video games, and a book that’s like nothing you’ve ever read before!

This is such a good book! I've been really looking forward to The Last Life of Lori Mills by Max Boucherat and it's even better than I anticipated - so creative and clever and a total blast to read. Although it definitely made me want to keep the lights on long after I’d finished!

YOUNG ADULT

Read this if you love: stories in diary form, hilarious teenage antics, and a loveable if chaotic main character!

I spent a delightful weekend reading the brilliant Work It, Lara Bloom by Dee Benson. These books are hilarious and so joyful, and they give me buckets of nostalgia for being a chaotic teenager. Such a fun read!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: animal stories, whimsical hijinks, and dragons!

I loved Ember Spark! A hilarious, imaginative adventure with a whole range of magical animals and a flying bathtub. The illustrations are really lovely too, and the ending made me happy cry.

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: polar adventures, hilarious dialogue, and monstrous cabbages!

Wild and whimsical, delightfully warm and thunderously fast-paced, I adored this one. I’d bought the rest of the series before I was even halfway through!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: epic fantasy, nerve-shredding action, and terrifying monsters!

This is such an incredible end to a truly phenomenal series. Everything I loved about the previous Fireborn books is here but turned up: heart-pounding actions scenes, epic quests, huge emotional stakes and character arcs that are brave and raw, especially for middle grade. I’ve got so much love for this series!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: ghost stories, creepy dolls, and fabulous characters!

This is such a deliciously dark and spooky book with some brilliant characters. It gave me actual chills a few times. Very excited to read the sequel and see where Delores ends up!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: creepy tales, fairies, and stories with two timelines.

I’m a big Emma Carroll fan, and her books are always amazing. I loved the eerie atmosphere in this one, and the duel timeline stories feeding us bits of information. I was riveted and couldn’t wait to unravel all the mysteries.

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: fantastic friendships, a mischievous main character, and heartwarming hijinks!

What a gorgeous sequel! Exciting, funny and so heartwarming with a brilliant mystery and great representation - I adore Cos and her friends, and it made me cry at the end (again!)

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: compelling mysteries, stories about family, and beautiful poetry!

I really loved this book. Atmospheric, gorgeously written and so thoughtful with a compelling mystery at its heart. Lena is a wonderful main character, and the difficult situation her family finds themselves in is explored perfectly for a young audience. I was drawn to Bringing Back Kay-Kay by the stunning cover, but it's just as beautiful on the inside.

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: high fantasy, big, loving families, and magic based on the seasons!

Chronicles of Whetherwhy is simultaneously cosy and exciting, with a unique seasonal magic system that will have readers wondering whether they're a spring, summer, autumn or winter (the last, in my case). It's always refreshing to see loving families in middle grade stories as well. The book has a timeless, classic feel but is effortless to read and hard to put down once you start!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: spooky settings, clever twists, and getting a chill down your spine!

I could not put this one down. It was fantastically atmospheric and creepy, with a protagonist I instantly rooted for and a wonderful ending. Loved it!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: cities in the clouds, magic schools, and the idea of flying!

There's so much to love about this story, the gorgeously imagined setting, the loveable characters, a fantastic protagonist in Astrid and a great central mystery. I found myself imagining soaring through the clouds for days after I'd finished reading and wondering what sort of wings I would have if I were a librae. I enjoyed it so much that I listened to the audiobook afterwards, which is beautifully narrated. Very excited for the sequel!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: spooky settings, stories about friendship, and very special magic!

This is a wonderful middle grade fantasy with an eerie, atmospheric setting and some truly innovative worldbuilding. I’m sure everyone who reads Tidemagic will find themselves wondering what their unique gift would be. Can’t wait for more stories with Ista!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: whacky, fast-paced adventures, hilarious characters, and a sentient plant called Bernadette!

This book is brilliant and incredibly fun! A hilarious, chaotic rollercoaster of a story inspired by Greek mythology with characters that you can’t help falling in love with - including a plant! Loved it!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: futuristic technology, stories about friendship, and powerful hair!

Loved this one! The futuristic Nigerian setting is so creative and fun, and Onyeka is a brilliant main character. A magic school story that definitely stands out from the crowd!

YOUNG ADULT

Read this if you love: pirate adventures, romance, and exciting twists and turns!

This book had me hooked from the very beginning. The worldbuilding is gorgeous - I found myself totally immersed, transported to the islands and ocean landscape of Compass and Blade. The characters are complex and well-rounded, especially Mira, and the writing is beautiful, full of sensory details that really evoke the setting, but effortless to read. There are some great twists and turns as well, and my heart was in my mouth as I read the ending. Loved this one, and I'm so excited to see where the story goes in future books!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: time-travel, hilarious characters, and sassy flying carpets!

The Aliya stories are fast becoming one of my favourite middle grade series. Laila Rifaat's worldbuilding is fantastic and so unique. I love getting glimpses of the different eras of Cairo, and the cast of characters across both books is wonderful with a truly menacing villain. Aliya herself is a great, well-rounded protagonist with a really interesting character arc. I defy any readers of fantasy not to fall in love with this brilliant, imaginative world!

YOUNG ADULT

Read this if you love: witches, complicated friendships, and deliciously dark magic.

This book is beautifully written with some unexpected twists and turns. I was gripped by the mystery at first, then found myself drawn more and more into the complex, dark world of magic Cari Thomas has created. Scary in places, with moments of heartbreak and vindictive witchcraft, I loved this one!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: magic schools, powerful friendships, and spectacular twists!

I loved this story more with every chapter. The characters are so likeable and interesting - I adore Warrior, and Cas himself has definitely earned a place in my heart as a great protagonist. The plot is fast paced and unpredictable with some really clever surprises. Most of all, I loved the author's unique imagination. There are so many wonderful details about the school and Wayward, the world's lore and the characters' backstories that I really enjoyed. There's some lovely representation too.

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: warm families, whimsical magic, and fast-paced adventure!

This is such a delightful story, full of whimsy and great worldbuilding. I loved the cast of characters, and I found myself laughing out loud a bunch of times. I’m so thrilled there are two sequels to jump into!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: emotional stories, exciting polar adventures, and animal-human friendships!

I’m late to discover this one, but what a beautiful, moving story with such a powerful message! I adored April and Bear’s relationship, and the ending made me cry.

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: big, zany families, murder mysteries, and laughing a lot!

What a fantastic read. Hilarious, darkly witty, super imaginative and a total page-turner. It’s definitely Knives Out for kids, and I’m dying to read more!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: deadly unicorns, stories about friendship, and heart-pounding action!

An absolutely cracking sequel. I can’t believe this book is even better than the first! I love the world of Skandar - it’s so detailed and exciting, and the characters’ journeys are fascinating. Loved it!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: escaping into rich fantasy worlds, goats with a lot of personality, and spiky sorcerers!

This is a gorgeous book, beautifully written, with some of my favourite characters I’ve read in middle grade. I found myself drawn into the world more with every chapter and was desperate for the story to never end.

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: stories about loving families, spooky dreams, and summer camps!

This book has stayed with me ever since I read it. Unafraid to be dark in places, but very warm with a central family that I instantly cared about - the magic system is really different and fun, and the story went in some truly unexpected directions. I’m very excited to find out what happens next!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: exhilarating action, underwater magic schools, and very cool dragons!

I fell in love with this book so quickly! The world building is phenomenal, so intricate and imaginative. Any reader could lose themselves in the twists and turns of Hok Woh - a magical underwater realm. From jellyfish with adorable personalities, to breathtaking actions scenes and a fantastic protagonist in Zhi Ging, and that’s not even mentioning dragons - this is a book for any lover of middle grade fantasy!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: globe-trotting adventures, clever magic systems, and rich world-building!

This book grabbed me from the earliest pages and wouldn’t let go! Heart-breaking in places with propulsive action, a villain to despise, and a determined protagonist in Chompa - this is such a brave and exhilarating story with a lot to say!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: short stories, solving puzzles, and murder at Christmas!

A lovely compilation of stories, this book covers a wide range of genres, all with a festive atmosphere. I had great fun reading each addition. My favourite has to be No Piste for the Wicked by E.L. Norry!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: stories set in WW2, clever twists, and daring spies/detectives!

I gobbled up the most recent entry in Robin Steven’s fantastic Ministry of Unladylike Activity series. It’s one of my favourite stories yet with a really clever murder mystery to solve and three brilliant and wildly different protagonists. Their burgeoning friendship is one of my favourite parts of the book, and it was delightful to see so many wonderful characters cameo too!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: a feisty main character, hilarious action, and a brilliant Victorian setting!

I really enjoyed this book. A fun and pacey adventure with wonderful characters and a great sense of humour. I love a late Victorian setting, and Her Majesty's League uses it brilliantly. This story has stayed with me ever since reading it and is one I frequently think about revisiting. Just a blast to read and the cover is fab!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: witches, stories about friendship, and a cosy setting with a touch of darkness!

I was so excited to return to the world of Hedgely in Skye McKenna’s second installment in the Hedgewitch series. Cassie is a wonderful protagonist, surrounded by warm characters (apart from Ivy) and a brilliant setting. I loved the juxtaposition of the charming, cosy village and the wildness of the Hedge - and there are mysteries in this series that I can’t wait to unravel!

MIDDLE GRADE (age 8+)

Read this if you love: wintery fairytales, emotional stories, and mysterious sweets!

The Frost Fair is a beautiful exploration of grief packaged in a wintery fairytale. Dark and spooky as well as whimsical, I couldn’t stop turning the pages, desperate to find out what would happen. I loved the friendship that developed between Thomasina and Anne!