The latest book in this Super Questers series continues in its successful marrying of adventure and STEM learning for younger readers. In Mission: Desert Danger by Dr Paul Ian Cross, illustrated by…

Today I am pleased to be taking part in the blog tour marking the publication of the second in the Super Questers series of chapter books, Rainforest Magic. Paul Ian Cross is an award winning autho…

At a ceremony last night, at the Artworkers’ Guild in London, it was announced that Emma Farrarons is the winner of the 2025 Klaus Flugge Prize awarded to the most exciting and promising newc…

Tom Palmer’s debut picture book bears all the hallmarks of his award winning historical novels for children, balancing comprehensive research and historical facts with an empathetic and acces…

Starvation is spreading across Gaza. Supplies are exhausted, and more lives are being lost each day. Pope Leo has appealed for “an immediate halt to the barbarity of the war.” Email your MP to call...

A picture of patience; first days at school; a cruise ship detective; a terrible storm; time travellers; rebels in love and more

Uncorrected proof cover, publisher David Fickling Books, September 2025, ISBN: 978-1788453516 My Name is Jodie Jones is the most exceptional first hand narrative that I have read this year. The mai…

Schools across the country have now broken up for the summer holidays and if you are looking for ways to encourage children to enjoy books and stories I hope that some of the books and links I am s…

Cover illustration by Christopher Park © Usborne Publishing Limited, 2025 We all know that for anyone who is less enthusiastic about reading, finding the right book or series of books can make all …

Cover image by Ben Joel Price, publisher Rock the Boat, 14 August 2025, ISBN: 978-0861549528 Think of every possible synonym for spooky, multiply by ten, and you will get somewhere close to the fee…

Come Back Gosling by Anne Booth & illustrated by David Litchfield (Templar Books – June 2025) Come Back Gosling by Anne Booth is a beautiful story celebrating books, friendship and growin…

Felix and the Future Agency by Rachel Morrisroe & illustrated by Paddy Donnelly (Simon & Schuster – May 2025) Being able to know the future might seem like a totally amazing skill to …

Cover image by Thy Bui, publisher Pushkin Press/Pushkin Children’s Books, 14 August 2025, ISBN: 978-1782695189 The Changeling Child is the enthralling follow up to H.S. Norup’s 2023 novel Int…

Debut author Margaret McDonald added the Branford Boase to her impressive list of awards at a thoroughly enjoyable ceremony held at the Centre for Literacy for Primary Education earlier this week. …

Cover image by Margaux Carpentier, published by Walker Books, 1 May 2025, ISBN: 978-1529507522 Heroines of the Ancient World is an excellent non-fiction title written by classicist and historian, H…

Created exclusively for SLA members, our carefully curated book lists will help you to build collections that engage the children and young people you support, across all their varied interests, learn...

Welcome to my final round up of children’s book news for this academic year. What a lot of awards news there has been! I’ve tried to include as many of the winners and shortlists as possible …

Regular readers of this blog will already be aware that I rate the Zeki series highly. More importantly, my 2 year old grandson adores these stories of a little boy and his daily life. Published by…

Seven years in creation this beautiful illustrated book by award winning author and illustrator Tull Suwannakit is a coming of age story of resilience and hope. Told in a blend of graphic nove…

When I am asked to justify why I enjoy reading children’s books one of the many reasons I give is that a well written story for a young audience frequently contains the best aspects of humani…

An introduction to graphic novels highlighting friendship and fun, time travel to Ancient Greece and a historical adventure of family and magic make up this latest selection of children’s boo…

Recent research indicates that there has been a decline in both children’s reading for pleasure and the frequency of parents reading aloud to children. For some, sharing books is no longer se…

Although stories of vampires existed long before it was written, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is undoubtedly the book that most people would immediately associate with the undead. One of those class…

The Elixir by Lindsay Gavin illustrated by Kristina Kister A thrilling mix of history, sorcery and invention, Lindsay Galvin’s first novella for Barrington Stoke is a wonderful example of the…

The first in a brand new series for newly confident readers, the welcome return of an old favourite, a ghostly train ride back in time and how to overcome the difficulties of being a young carer feature in this look at some newly published fiction for primary age readers. Ava Spark: Hello, I'm Here! by Alex Field illustrated by Joanna Bartel…

Written by disabled journalist and mother of two Cathy Reay this guide is written with warmth, understanding and practical positivity. Although chiefly directed at youngsters with a disability to h…

Andy Shepherd’s The Boy Who Grew Dragons series has a charm and warmth that endeared it to many. School librarians happily recommended the books to both teachers and parents and the stories r…

Welcome to this roundup of what has been happening in the world of children’s books over the last month. Lots of awards news this time! It’s always fascinating to compare the different …

Welcome to this roundup of what has been happening in the world of children's books over the last month. Lots of awards news this time! It's always fascinating to compare the different short and longlists and it can be a good way of catching up on some gems you may have missed. As the last month has been a particularly busy one personally I know I will have missed some events that are taking place and I have not included the regular look at reviews either but I do hope that what is included here will be helpful.

Andy Shepherd's The Boy Who Grew Dragons series has a charm and warmth that endeared it to many. School librarians happily recommended the books to both teachers and parents and the stories rapidly became regularly shared in lower KS2 classrooms. When her brand new series was announced last year some may have wondered if these new stories could match the popularity of her first books.