What Are You Looking For?

A comic animal adventure driven by clever schemes and escalating trouble. Mr Fox’s efforts to feed his family widen into a rescue for other hungry animals.

A bleak but lyrical story about siblings navigating unstable care, homelessness and self-invention. Its poems bring attention to the dreams and difficulties of young people without secure homes.

A family story about Floss’s choice to live with her father, whose failing café brings financial strain and upheaval. School friendships add another thread, and the ending is open rather than fully settled.

This is a spooky, folksy fantasy about two girls whose quarrel unleashes a graveyard full of angry ancestors. The story pairs that supernatural danger with questions of friendship, family history and finding a place to belong.

A small gift links children and travellers across the Silk Road, with each person adding to its story. The journey offers a child-sized way into the route’s geography and the different communities along it.

A year of diary entries follows Clem through school and shifting relationships. The book explores attraction, rejected advances, family life and the uncertainty of coming out, in an informal voice.

A lively historical-fantasy mystery for readers interested in baseball: Joe and his father pursue an unresolved question about Babe Ruth while confronting the unusual possibilities and responsibilities of time travel.

A cross-generational mystery unfolds through Henni’s investigation and emails with Leo. Alongside puzzles and friendship, the book examines migration, prejudice, belonging and the pressure placed on people whose home is questioned.

A suspenseful family mystery follows Footer as she investigates what happened after a devastating fire. Her mother’s bipolar disorder and Footer’s uncertainty about her own perceptions make the investigation emotionally complicated.

This offers a plot-led fantasy involving assassination, magic, royal duty, secrets and romance. Its central appeal is the partnership between an ambitious apprentice and a highly dangerous royal agent, while the volume leaves major messages unresolved.

A fast-moving fantasy adventure combines an unusual underground world with a serious rescue mission. Its strongest appeal is likely the combination of sibling care, loyal alliances, prophecy and difficult choices during conflict.

A fast-moving survival adventure places Sam and Delphy in immediate danger from wildfire while their developing friendship becomes central to their effort to reach safety.

This is a comic school story about an overconfident aspiring writer whose contest ambitions meet opposition, embarrassment and competing relationships. Its diary-and-message structure creates a brisk, multi-perspective-feeling reading experience.

This is a wartime story about a child trying to understand occupation, separation and moral choice. Its strongest thread is Marit’s changing view of courage, loyalty and compassion amid danger.

This is a compact Norse fantasy about an overlooked boy who responds to hardship with ingenuity rather than force. Its adventure introduces gods, giants and morally complicated mythology while leaving room to reflect on courage, loss and belonging.

A dark, imaginative adventure for readers who enjoy secret societies, mythological creatures and determined protagonists. Its strongest hooks are the hunter trials, the forest’s threats and Winnie’s effort to reclaim her family’s standing.

This is a richly layered historical coming-of-age novel about a book-loving girl negotiating family duty, education, friendship and romance while a murder’s consequences reach into her community.

A warm, unusual story about an orphan girl and a gorilla forming a family, while facing official scrutiny and prejudice. Its humour and tenderness sit alongside uncertainty about belonging and justice.

A lively read-aloud about a lost dog’s imagined adventures, using rhyme, humour and expressive illustrations to explore survival, landscape, curiosity and the pull of home.

This offers imaginative fantasy alongside sustained questions about Black identity, friendship, prejudice and self-determination. Its dual perspective gives Tavia and Effie distinct forms of identity exploration, though the opening may feel slow before the action intensifies.

This is a character-led wartime coming-of-age story: relationships and growing up receive sustained attention before and during the conflict. Its view extends beyond the front to family life, nursing and shortages in England.

A lively fantasy mystery for readers who enjoy hidden worlds, supernatural beings, competition and surprises. Its emotional centre is Amari’s search for her brother and her movement from feeling like an outsider towards recognising her strengths.

A dark, atmospheric fantasy for readers who enjoy folklore, mystery and psychological unease. Alice’s search for her mother carries questions about trust, belonging and who has the right to shape a story.

This is a tender, nature-centred story about a boy’s bond with a seal and his grandfather. Its strongest offering is emotional range: delight in the sea sits alongside physical danger, disappearance, the grandfather’s absence and the passage of generations.

This is a humorous but unsettling story about whether an android’s fear, jealousy and desires indicate genuine feeling. Ivy’s viewpoint makes ordinary human behaviour seem strange, inviting empathy and close attention.

This offers a tense journey story alongside a close account of sibling care. Clem’s storytelling, memories and uncertain perspective add emotional depth, while the political setting invites reflection on belonging, surveillance, displacement and how families preserve hope under pressure.

This is a child-centred school story told from a hamster’s viewpoint. Its appeal lies in observing pupils and families through Humphrey’s perspective, with plans to address problems and a generally gentle tone.

A lively school-and-family story about handling change, friendship and unfair treatment through humour and imagination. Omar’s Muslim identity is part of everyday life, not a separate lesson.

A strongly atmospheric horror adventure centred on a young carer who must recognise danger, face frightening experiences and reconnect her family after bereavement. Its emotional focus is grief and resilience as much as supernatural menace.

This is a free-verse school story about friendship changing, family crisis and finding a way to express difficult feelings. Nate’s love of reading and writing becomes important as he faces anger, worry and transition.

This is a heartfelt speculative romance about two teenagers whose connection reaches across time. It pairs contemporary family difficulties and first love with reincarnation, mysterious music and imagined past and future lives.

This is a suspenseful historical story about family separation and friendship under political pressure. The documentary-style sections let readers see events through children’s eyes while gradually revealing the risks surrounding their attempts to stay connected.

This is a mysterious, emotionally serious novel about a child helping a strange being while his family faces a baby’s dangerous illness. Its imaginative uncertainty and lyrical language may appeal to readers who enjoy stories that leave some questions open.

A gentle, episodic story about meeting fear with curiosity. Plop’s conversations introduce several ways of understanding darkness, alongside owl facts and moments of comic mishap as he learns to manage a new experience.

This is an emotionally layered YA novel about two Muslim Somali girls whose difficult family circumstances bring them together. Its central movement is from resentment and isolation towards understanding, with school, faith, culture and community shaping their experiences.

This is a reflective story about losing a familiar home and friendship, then slowly finding steadiness elsewhere. Its poem-by-poem structure gives Diana’s changing feelings room to emerge through observations, notes and everyday family moments.

This is a suspenseful clan drama about uncovering hidden wrongdoing while friendships and loyalties are tested. It combines investigation with battles, a forbidden relationship, grief and a change in leadership.

This is a poetic survival story in which creative expression and learning become ways for Amira to retain possibility after violence and displacement. Its emotional force comes from contrasting family love, community life and profound loss.

This is a grief-centred coming-of-age story about surviving a friend’s suicide and finding ways to reconnect with life. Its emotional movement includes painful loss alongside family support, friendship, art, and possible first love.

A faith-centred historical adventure about rebuilding Jerusalem, political danger and a young person discovering where he belongs. Expect biblical themes, journeys, opposition and an emphasis on courage, loyalty and service.

This is a historical adventure about secrecy, obligation and family pressure. Moose’s unusual home places him close to dangerous prisoners, while Capone’s unexplained intervention turns a family favour into a troubling personal demand.

This is a comic family story about children learning to see beyond their grandmother’s intimidating manner. Its linked episodes mix practical hardship, rule-breaking schemes and generosity, with the relationship developing across successive summers.

A lively mythological quest with humour, friendship and a strong sense of movement. Its distinctive idea is that Magnus’s decisive challenge is met through words, healing and understanding rather than fighting alone.

This is a family-centred historical novel about Black children growing up amid racism and hardship. Its conflicts involve a death sentence, racial identity, land ownership, voting rights, work, community pressure and the effort to preserve dignity.

A parent-preview choice for a teenager ready to discuss unequal relationships, grief and financial pressure.