Cover illustrations © Dave Smith, 2026 It’s often the way in scary books aimed at children that the scares are balanced with humour, but while this combination works for many, there are those…

Harrowmere is a village set deep in foggy boglands where visitors are rare so when Digory Weade, a travelling salesman, arrives with a cartload of glimmering mirrors for sale, many locals are tempted ...

YA horror books for 12 to 13 year olds, chosen and reviewed by Year 8 readers themselves. Tony Jones picks the titles hooking a new generation.

I love a mystery story but after reading a couple of cosy middle grade ones I felt in need of something a little more murdery, and having enjoyed the opener for this series when I read it about a y…

This is the third in the Serial Chillers series, although it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone. As with the other books, the action takes place in Hazard: a small town famous for a sinkhole disaster …

Whilst out searching for scrap, rustheads Kol and Sully find a dormant spaceship, hidden deep beneath the layers of junk. When the sentient ship comes to life, they find that they are not alone. Solen...

At the heart of the maze lies the Avenir, a sort of quantum crystal ball with the power to see the future. Drew Blake faces the challenge of the maze, but not with the intention of stealing the Avenir...

Cover art © Thy Bui While many readers perhaps tend to enjoy creepy reads later in the year, especially around Hallowe’en, for me the real test of whether or not a story is properly scary is …

A financially insecure family’s extended stay at a roadside motel morphs into a desperate bid for survival in this spine-tinglin...

Horror books for 10 year olds that pass the classroom test. Twenty middle grade picks from a librarian's 100 Book Challenge, backed by real pupil reviews.

Cover art by Rory Walker, published by Everything With Words, 28 May 2026, ISBN: 978-1911427506 It takes a hugely talented writer to create a story which combines a poignant undercurrent of dealing…

Cover illustration © Alex Vede, 2026 With more books to choose from than even I can read, the Crookhaven series is one that I might have missed had it not been sold to me by a fellow lover of middl…

Cover artwork by Jeff Nantrup As someone brought up on Star Trek and Doctor Who during the 1970s and 80s, I have seen more than enough stories that have left me with a deep distrust of Artificial I…

Cover illustration © 2026 Keith Robinson Although they might not think so, today’s young readers are spoiled for choice with the titles that are published for them. Long gone are the days whe…

Escapism is a big reason why people read. Kids especially look to escapism to foster their imaginations or even to pull them away from harsh realities. But most

Undercover angel Phoebe Speedwell is more than just a grumpy tween on a seemingly impossible mission - she’s also my way of trying to help young readers understand what makes people tick.After experie...

Children's Author

How to Steal the Future is an exciting page-turner as Drew and Meg race through a shifting maze to save Evie.

Kelly (The First State of Being) and Schrefer (The Brightness Between Us) craft a brisk, unnerving tale that blends technologica...