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Will Hobbs
Book summary
A fast-moving adventure mixes cousinly competition and outdoor challenges with a science-fiction mystery about a meteorite—and what it may have brought with it.
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Will Hobbs
A fast-moving adventure mixes cousinly competition and outdoor challenges with a science-fiction mystery about a meteorite—and what it may have brought with it.
Scott Snyder, Kyle Higgins, Trevor McCarthy
A Batman mystery combines a threat to Gotham’s bridges with flashbacks to the city’s formation. Dick Grayson is Batman, and other costumed allies take part.
Recommendations
Choose a route in, then open only the collection you want. 2 collections · 4 books.
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A carefully curated collection of children’s books in which grief, bereavement or remembrance is central. Compare how each book handles loss, emotional intensity and continued connection before deciding what suits your child and family values.
2 booksJudith Kerr
Sharon M. Draper
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Rosaria Munda
A dragonrider fantasy with political upheaval at its heart, the story follows two young competitors whose shared past and opposing family histories complicate their choices about power and loyalty.
Margaret Wise Brown
This is a poetic homecoming story, moving from animal families to a sailor and his son. Its central idea is fathers returning to their children, framed as a tribute to fathers serving during the Second World War.
Denene Millner
A family-centred story about June preparing for a church choir solo, with Sunday routines and encouragement from relatives woven into the lead-up.
Viola Jones
The guide describes possible changes after divorce: a teenager may be asked to work or help at home, while spending on shopping or activities may be reduced.
Lisa Rowe Fraustino
A young diarist’s family duties and fear at home are set against the turmoil of witchcraft accusations and trials in her village.
Kersten Hamilton
Glorieta wants her mother remembered and buried with the family. Her efforts bring her into conflict with an aunt over faith and the possibility that her mother is in Hell.
Suzanne Fisher Staples
Shabanu’s betrothal and her sister’s impending marriage sit alongside her own dreams of freedom, making personal choice and family obligation central to the story.
Susan Martins Miller
Tina sees the Ohio River as peaceful and worries about railway safety; Charles values the railway’s power and speed. Their family’s views on slavery and a possible move to Kansas bring the period’s conflicts into family life.
Becca Fitzpatrick, Becca Fritzpatrick
Nora investigates a family mystery while trying to work out whether she can rely on Patch.
Katherine Applegate
A family under financial pressure is at the heart of this story. Jackson’s imaginary cat brings humour and companionship as he faces the possibility that his family’s housing troubles may return.
Jean Reagan
A little girl offers tips for keeping her grandmother entertained, spending time together at the park and getting settled for an overnight visit. The tone is light and affectionate.
Pamela Sykes
Expect a character-led ghost story, with the supernatural mystery intertwined with bereavement, loneliness and the effort to belong in a new family.
Evan Dorkin
A teenage heroine’s strange inheritance draws her into a perilous struggle involving monsters, assassins and a family appeal to join the “family business”.
Marilyn Halvorson
This is a family-and-rodeo story about a boy drawn towards his father’s ambition while afraid of the danger involved. Jana and Layne’s younger sister help him confront that conflict.
J.L. Powers
This is a supernatural coming-of-age story about Adam’s difficult family life and his collision with a hidden world between life and death.
Julia Green
Mia’s pregnancy shapes a story about feeling cornered, leaving home and reconsidering where help might be found, while family relationships and responsibility also come into focus.
Stephanie Dagg
A family’s fortunes change when a company launches a free rival to Ray’s anti-hacker programme. Heather and Ray then face escalating trouble, including a journalist’s kidnapping, a flight from the company and Ray’s capture.
Natasha Preston
A suspense-led story about Scarlett piecing together an obscured childhood while facing the people who want her returned to their group. Romance is part of the premise, alongside danger and questions of trust.
Patricia M Stockland
A family’s beach day is presented as a fun adventure.
Kathryn Smith
This historical romance centres on Anna’s uncertain engagement, family inheritance and growing attraction to Ewan. Her interest in poetry and doubts about love unfold alongside a plot against Ewan.
S. M. Reine
This supernatural story centres on a young werewolf trying to manage dangerous urges while hunters close in. It also brings a love-versus-duty dilemma into the conflict.
Ryan Gattis
This is a story of grief, adjustment and friendship, set against risky bike stunts and activism. Grey and his friends use online attention to challenge prejudice and police pressure, while their choices raise questions about the costs of becoming more visible.
Anna Meriano
A warm-spirited fantasy about a young bruja negotiating family rules and friendship, with returned spirits bringing a magical mystery. Leo’s grief over her mother’s death and her friend Caroline’s bereavement sit alongside the bakery, spellwork and community celebrations.
Madeleine L'Engle
Sixteen-year-old Polly is working at a conference in Cyprus while trying to come to terms with emotionally tumultuous events before her arrival and relationships with old and new friends.
Elizabeth C. Bunce
This is a richly situated fairy-tale retelling centred on Charlotte’s determined efforts to keep the mill. It combines family relationships, village lore and a supernatural mystery.
Paul Morton
A magpie takes Splodge along with a shiny object, prompting Bug Belly and the other froglets to attempt a rescue. Their route brings dangers from owls and snakes; Bug Belly relies on an inventive plan and gadgets.
Patricia Reilly Giff
This is a family-and-horses story about a child adjusting to a new home and wanting her abilities to be recognised. It also follows a filly’s journey towards a new home.
Nikki Grimes
Poems and paintings show a child observing his father’s prayers and reflecting on their relationship. Prayer is presented as a recurring part of family life, and the collection centres on Christian faith.
Gretchen Griffith
This illustrated story centres on a child adjusting to a move between countries. Christmas and family traditions shape Eduardo’s gradual experience of finding home in his new surroundings.
Caroline B. Cooney
Family ties and identity sit at the centre of Janie's story, alongside an unexpected responsibility for supporting her mother and handling family finances.
Monique Polak
A Holocaust novel centred on a teenager confronting camp life and her father’s involvement in Nazi propaganda. It also follows her thoughts about friendship, romance, family and religion.
Eric Walters
Will is reluctant to spend a school-assignment day at his father’s office, doubting his father will make time for him. The novel is set around the September 11 attacks and follows changes in Will’s life and relationships.
Alison Rattle
This historical mystery pairs Violet’s hopes for a more exciting life with a family mystery and a series of murders. As girls go missing and being murdered, Violet suspects Joseph may be hiding a terrible secret.
Jennifer L. Holm
Turtle’s new life brings family secrets, scams and a treasure hunt into an adventure set against hard times in 1930s Florida.
Timothée de Fombelle
A family’s exile and Toby’s escape set up a pursuit in a world contained within a great oak Tree.
Sandra Markle
A rainy walk turns into a close-up encounter with migrating toads and people helping them cross a road towards ponds. The book joins a family story with information about migration and human-made roads.
Carol Otis Hurst
This family story pairs bereavement, a difficult move and money worries with a ghostly mystery. The siblings’ search for answers unfolds alongside their adjustment to a new home.
Zilpha Keatley Snyder
A lonely boy and a curious new friend explore a mansion and try to stop someone stealing a long-lost family treasure.
Stanton L. Jones
This is a shared-reading introduction to reproduction and sexuality, combining explanations of pregnancy and birth with a Christian account of the body and family.
Bill Condon
A reluctant visit turns into a growing friendship between Stephen and his great-aunt. Fishing, cricket and climbing trees shape the stay, alongside a secret Lola entrusts to him.
Natalie Fast
Jillian faces a move, a changed family and summer camp, then gets a break from camp and makes a new friend through catsitting. Neighbour-watching leads her and Emily towards a mystery and an attempt to help.
Leslie McFarlane
Expect a fast-moving detective adventure, with a missing father, a magician’s trick and a pursuit of spies. The brothers are joined by their friend Chet as the investigation stretches from a lighthouse to Scotland.
Rick Riordan
A myth-inspired fantasy quest combines danger from waking Egyptian gods with Carter and Sadie’s search for answers about their family. Their reunion begins after a long separation.
Sharon Siamon
A horse-centred mystery adventure, with Sophie and Liv searching for a missing herd after their grandfather’s stallion is badly injured. The ranch setting brings encounters with rattlesnakes and a varied local cast.
Susan K. Marlow
A ranch-centred story about Andi’s hopes for work with horses and her family, disrupted by a cousin who resists ranch responsibilities.
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Mog dies, watches her family mourn, and helps a new kitten settle before moving on into the sun. The story combines grief with humour and a gentle, imaginative afterlife. It offers a way to talk about remembering a pet, death, mourning and continuing family life, while still potentially feeling upsetting.
Jayde Perkin
This is a direct, emotionally serious story about a child living through her mother’s death. It offers language for grief, shows that support can coexist with loneliness, and uses a familiar garment to represent continuing love and memory.
A curated collection of children’s books about setbacks, recovery, perseverance, courage and growth. Compare how each book handles difficulty before choosing what fits your child, timing and family values.
2 booksLinda Sue Park
A focused, dual-narrative historical novel about displacement, survival and access to water. Its language is spare, but the experiences include war, deaths and severe deprivation, balanced by perseverance and collective problem-solving.
Paul Stewart
A gentle story about moving from a very small comfort zone into wider experiences. Mabel’s journey offers opportunities to discuss fear, curiosity, confidence, changing seasons and supporting someone who is hesitant.