What Are You Looking For?

This is a coming-of-age story about a boy navigating family disruption, curiosity and an unsettling local legend. Its appeal appears to lie in the meeting of everyday summer life with friendship, fear and magical possibility.

The title alone cannot show what reading experience it offers.

A wartime adventure about loyalty and protection: Ronnie is troubled by his brother’s secret work for dangerous people, while bombs fall on London and the boys face choices about whom to trust.

This is an imaginative family-and-adventure story about how feelings, books and language can shape relationships. Its fantasy premise sits alongside a contemporary refugee storyline, offering both playful invention and social questions.

This is a thoughtful story about a child carrying adult responsibilities who finds friendship, creativity and adventure while visiting Italy. An injured otter and the people Jakub meets help broaden his sense of who he is.

This is an intimate, melancholy friendship story in which grief, family love and first romance are closely entwined. Its gradual revelations and ghostly possibility invite emotional attention rather than straightforward plot-following.

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.

A contemporary family story that brings mystery, romance and social pressures together. Its emotional centre is the siblings’ struggle with grief, secrecy, anxiety, poverty and the possibility of finding joy and support.

This is a visually led wartime family story for a primary-school audience, with pictures and words intended to work together.

Birdie offers a historical story about a child seeking belonging after leaving care, set against racism and suspicion. Her friendship with Mr Duke, a pit pony, provides an important strand of connection and care.

A warm, sensory market outing invites children to notice foods, smells, textures, colours and sounds while following Zeki and Mum from stall to stall. The story’s pleasure lies in everyday exploration rather than a dramatic problem or high-stakes plot.

A playful family story turns everyday sharing into a mathematical puzzle. Equal portions are often manageable, but people, accidents and affection resist neat calculation, making fairness both a practical challenge and an emotional one.

A lyrical bedtime story where songs carry Shona from childhood dreams into a later moment caring for her ageing father. It offers Scottish cultural language, imaginative pictures and a strong sense of family continuity.

This is a playful read-aloud about how children can transform a familiar journey into an epic quest. Its main appeal lies in the contrast between ordinary school-morning expectations and richly imagined danger.

A magical, atmospheric fairytale retelling centred on Red’s curiosity, a threatened relationship between village and woodland, and questions about who is treated as dangerous. It combines mystery, grief, disability representation and collective strength.

Treat this as a grief conversation to share, not an automatically gentle choice because it is a picture book.

A promising discussion choice for a reader interested in fairness and resisting other people's expectations.

Consider this for a fantasy reader interested in identity and family expectations; check the religious and supernatural themes against your family's preferences.

Consider this for a teenager interested in family identity and history; make space for questions about parentage and the lasting effects of war.