When Shadows Fall Sita Brahmachari Kai, Orla and Zak grew up together, their days spent on the patch of wilderness in between their homes, a small green space in a sprawling grey city. Music, laughter and friendship bind them together and they have big plans for their future – until Kai’s family suffers a huge loss. Trying to cope […] Environment/Climate Change, Fiction, Friendship, Migration/ Refugees, Personal/social issues AGES: 12-14 AGES: 14+ The Fantastic Book of Feelings Marcia Williams How do you feel today? Whether you’re happy, sad or anything in-between, this book is the perfect guide to understanding and celebrating all your feelings! In colourful comic-strip stories, explore a whole range of emotions and discover ways to cope when any feeling becomes overwhelming. Packed with top tips for mental wellbeing and a first […] Communication, Emotion/ Feelings, Empathy, Friendship, Non-fiction, Personal/social issues, School/ Learning AGES: 7-10 The Remarkable Pigeon Dorien Brouwers When a pigeon visits the aviary, he feels very inferior to all of the other species of birds he encounters, with their colourful plumage and magnificent wingspans. But eventually the pigeon realises that he has something the other birds don’t – his freedom! The Remarkable Pigeon is a thought-provoking and stunningly-illustrated picture book that will […] Animals, Friendship, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Personal/social issues, Picture Books, School/ Learning AGES: 3-7 Sail Dorien Brouwers Out at sea anything can happen: whether trials or triumphs, there are infinite possibilities to explore once we leave the shore. And what lies under the water’s surface, in the darkest depths, can often lead to the most beautiful discoveries. With her gentle wisdom and dynamic art that will sweep you away, remarkable debut talent […] Environment/Climate Change, Fiction, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Nature/ Outdoors, Personal/social issues, Water AGES: 3-7 Magnificent! Laura Dockrill & Ria Dastidar A joyfully illustrated poem about embracing the differences that make us all special! Writer Laura Dockrill‘s rhyming poem is a bold, brave shout-out for all those children who feel they don’t fit in – offering reassurance that it’s difference not sameness, that makes us magnificent. Magnificent! was edited by Emily Ball and art directed by […] Disability, Emotion/ Feelings, Friendship, Personal/social issues, Poetry AGES: 3-7 Indigo Takes Flight Chris Riddell & Krista M. Lambert Indigo has a secret – and it’s growing too big to hide! An enchantingly illustrated tale about coming to terms with who you are, and finding acceptance from those you love. Indigo Takes Flight is a deeply moving parable about the inner conflict involved in coming out as LGBTQ+ to family and friends. […] Adventure, Family, Fiction, Identity, LGBT/ Gender, Personal/social issues AGES: 7-10 In Her Element Jacinta Read & Jamila Gavin Faced with a whole new life far away from home, Sophie finds it hard to make friends – until a shared passion for water helps someone else come to terms with their disability. In Her Element’s deep-dive into Sophie’s world offers a rare opportunity for young readers to see through the eyes of a […] Disability, Emotion/ Feelings, Fiction, Friendship, Personal/social issues, Water AGES: 10-12 Forbidden Anjali Tiwari & Danica Da Silva Pereira Two girls with very different lives are drawn into a passionate friendship — and bound by a desire to break the taboos that divide them. Forbidden is a heartbreaking short story set in India. Forbidden was edited by Clare Whitston and art directed by Holly Fulbrook at Oxford University Press. Forbidden is part of the […] Emotion/ Feelings, Family, Fiction, Friendship, Personal/social issues AGES: 10-12 Good News! Why the World Isn’t As Bad As You Think Adam Hayes & Rashmi Sirdeshpande Pandemics, war, terror, natural disasters – the world seems to be full of bad news and it can all feel, well, a little bit scary. But this is just part of the story. There are in fact tons of great things happening, from robots improving health care and trees healing the planet, to everyday people […] Fiction, Personal/social issues, Self-discovery AGES: 10-12 AGES: 7-10 The Night Bus Hero Onjali Q. Rauf From Onjali Q. Rauf, the award-winning and best-selling author of The Boy at the Back of the Class , comes another incredible story, told with humour and heart. ‘The boy’s an absolute menace.’ ‘He’s a bully. A lost cause!’ ‘Why can’t he be more like his sister?’ I’ve been getting into trouble for as long […] Bullying, Emotion/ Feelings, Fiction, Friendship, Personal/social issues, School/ Learning AGES: 7-10 The Last Chip Duncan Beedie Percy is a little pigeon, and he’s very hungry. Life on the streets is tough, and every time he tries to get hold of a scrap of food, bigger, beefier birds bat him away. He’s about to give up when someone offers him her very last chip. A moving and uplifting story about struggle against […] Animals, Personal/social issues, Picture Books, School/ Learning AGES: 3-7 AGES: 7-10 My Big Mouth Chanté Timonthy & Steven Camden ‘They think I’m cool.’ Dom’s face wrinkled up, ‘Who does? Who cares?’ But I did. I cared. When Dad leaves, ten-year-old Jay has questions. Where has he gone? Why did he go? When no one can give Jay the answers he needs, he makes up his own stories, setting off a chain reaction that sees […] Family, Fiction, Funny, Personal/social issues, School/ Learning AGES: 10-12 AGES: 7-10 Boy, Everywhere A. M. Dassu 13 year old Sami has a good life in Damascus, playing football and computer games with his friends, nagging his parents for new trainers and trying to get time on the iPad. Although he knows there is war in the rest of the country, he never seriously imagines it will reach Damascus. It’s a normal […] Family, Fear, Fiction, Personal/social issues, Politics/human rights, Travel, War AGES: 10-12 AGES: 12-14 Always Here For You Miriam Halahmy 14-year-old Holly is lonely. Holly’s parents are never around after Gran’s Crisis and best friend Amy has moved across the Atlantic to Canada, loved-up with her new boyfriend, Gabe. Holly has no-one to hang out with at school apart from moody Ellen and misfit Tim – Madison and the bezzies barely notice her. Home alone […] Family, Fantasy/ Supernatural, Fiction, Personal/social issues AGES: 10-12 AGES: 7-10 Saving Hanno: A Refugee Boy and His Dog Karin Littlewood & Miriam Halahmy Nine-year-old Rudi and his beloved dog Hanno escape from Nazi Germany, but Rudi soon learns he’ll have to protect Hanno from an entirely new threat in this thrilling reimagining of a little known World War II event. What if you had to leave your dog behind when you fled? Nine-year-old Rudi has a chance to […] Adventure, Fiction, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Historical, Historical Fiction, Personal/social issues, Religion, World Wars 1&2 AGES: 10-12 AGES: 7-10 Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Virus? Maya Oakley What is a virus? What happens inside your body when you get sick? Why can’t we see our friends and family right now? During this global pandemic this little book is a tool to help children and parents talk about tricky subjects and understand what our wonderful immune systems are doing to protect us and […] Communication, Emotion/ Feelings, Family, Fear, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Illness / Hospitals, Learning, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Non-fiction, Personal/social issues, Picture Books, Survival AGES: All-Ages Rose, Interrupted Patrice Lawrence Being a teenager is hard enough, but it’s even harder in a world you’ve never known … Eighteen months ago, 17-year-old Rose and 13-year-old Rudder escaped a strict religious sect with their mum. They are still trying to make sense of the world outside – no more rules about clothes and books, films and […] Family, Fiction, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Personal/social issues, Romantic AGES: 12-14 AGES: 14+ Indigo Donut Patrice Lawrence Seventeen-year-old Indigo has had a tough start in life, having grown up in the care system after her dad killed her mum. Bailey, also seventeen, lives with his parents in Hackney and spends all his time playing guitar or tending to his luscious ginger afro. When Indigo and Bailey meet at sixth form, serious sparks […] Adventure, Crime/ Thriller, Family, Fiction, Friendship, Love, Personal/social issues, Romantic AGES: 14+ Snap Patrice Lawrence When Soraya’s younger brother Farhad runs off into the freezing night, Soraya and her friend, Austin, are in a race against time to find him. High above the streets, Farhad’s guilt closes in. He doesn’t want to be found. A story of two friends, one missing boy and a secret as precious as gold. Family, Fiction, Friendship, Personal/social issues AGES: 12-14 A Dollop of Ghee and a Pot of Wisdom Chitra Soundar Illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy Here is a bunch of dung-dropping, sweet-stealing, luck-jinxing villains! Four stories about young Prince Veera, who, along with his friend Suku, helps his father, the king, solve some of the problems he is having with his subjects. Trickster tales with lots of humour and colour, based on traditional Indian folktales. Fairy tales and folk tales, Faith/ Culture, Family, Fiction, Funny, Personal/social issues AGES: 3-7 Once Upon a Time Sonia Leong Once Upon a Time… stories of our time, the here and now. What challenges do we face when we have to grow up? Look through the eyes of different people as they deal with their personal battles, face the truth and determine their futures. Life’s lessons can only be learnt from living it. Graphic Novel/ Comic, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Personal/social issues AGES: 12-14 Winston Wallaby Can’t Stop Bouncing Kay Al-Ghani Winston Wallaby, like most Wallabies, loves to bounce. However, Winston can’t seem to ever sit still and when he starts school he needs help to concentrate… Luckily his teacher Mrs Calm shows Winston how to settle down and focus his mind in class, and he learns new ways to help him with touch, feel, […] Personal/social issues, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 AGES: 7-10 The Red Beast: Controlling Anger in Children with Asperger’s Syndrome Kay Al-Ghani Deep inside everyone, a red beast lies sleeping. When it is asleep, the red beast is quite small, but when it wakes up, it begins to grow and grow. This is the story of a red beast that was awakened. Rufus is in the school playground when his friend John kicks a […] Family, Friendship, Personal/social issues, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 The Panicosaurus: Managing Anxiety in Children Including Those with Asperger Syndrome Kay Al-Ghani Have you ever felt a sense of dread and worry creeping over you? That might be the Panicosaurus coming out to play… Sometimes the Panicosaurus tricks Mabel’s brain into panicking about certain challenges, such as walking past a big dog on the street or when her favourite teacher is not at school. With […] Emotion/ Feelings, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Personal/social issues, Picture Books AGES: 3-7 Bone Talk Samkad dreams of becoming a mighty headhunter like his father, carrying his own weapons and etching tattoos across his chest to proclaim his greatness as a warrior. His best friend is a girl his age, Little Luki and Little Luki wants to become a mighty warrior too … except in their culture, girls don’t grow […] Adventure, Family, Fiction, Friendship, Grief/Loss, Historical, Historical Fiction, Multicultural/international, Personal/social issues, Politics/human rights, Warriors AGES: 10-12 Hot Like Fire Valerie Bloom When de July sun hot like fire, Den I have jus' one desire, To run down to de shop an' buy a Kisko pop. Fear, Grief/Loss, Personal/social issues, Poetry, School/ Learning AGES: 3-7 More of Me Kathryn Evans Teva’s life seems normal: school, friends, boyfriend. But at home she hides an impossible secret: Eleven other Tevas. Family, Fiction, Friendship, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Identity, Personal/social issues AGES: 10-12 Killing Honour Bali Rai A powerful, hard-hitting teen thriller on the controversial topic of honour killing by multi-award-winning author Bali Rai. The Lovely Bones meets East is East. Crime/ Thriller, Fiction, Mystery/murder, Personal/social issues, Politics/human rights, Religion AGES: 12-14 AGES: 14+ Hurricane Wills Sally Grindley There's a hurricane smashing, trashing, bashing through our house. CRASH! BANG! WALLOP! The doors are slamming, chairs are falling, cushions are flying, feet running, voices shouting, STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP! Family, Fiction, Personal/social issues, Special Needs AGES: 7-10 Looking for JJ Anne Cassidy THREE CHILDREN WALKED AWAY FROM THE EDGE OF TOWN ONE DAY – BUT ONLY TWO OF THEM CAME BACK… Emotion/ Feelings, Family, Fiction, Friendship, Identity, Mystery/murder, Personal/social issues AGES: 12-14 AGES: 14+ I Have a Right to be a Child Sarah Ardizzone I am a child... But do I have rights? Family, Fiction, Growing Up & the Facts of Life, Personal/social issues, Picture Books, Politics/human rights, War AGES: 3-7 AGES: All-Ages
