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A collection of true childhood stories, written by children and adults recalling their own childhoods. They touch on friendship, choices and qualities including honesty, kindness, forgiveness and perseverance, with cartoon strips featuring the Souper Kids.

Hillary's efforts to earn friendship through her abilities fail; acceptance comes when her scales change, and her happiness coincides with turning pink again.

This is a cycling road-trip story about three schoolmates whose public journey brings friendship and national attention. Its plot combines social-media fame with self-acceptance and humour.

A humorous story about an unconventional cat, a boy’s loyalty and the unexpected role of reading practice.

Bethany’s summer centres on weight-loss pressure, family tensions and unrequited affection. A failed fad diet and a clash at camp lead her to leave, only for the hoped-for escape to prove less simple or healing than she expects.

A reflective, illustrated story told in short conversations rather than continuous prose. Its appeal lies in pausing over the friends’ thoughts and the drawings, and returning to individual pages as well as reading from cover to cover.

At its centre is Pattyn’s search for where she belongs, as family ties, faith and her feelings about being loved come into question.

A verse-led coming-of-age story about the gap between Addie’s outspoken public self and her more vulnerable inner thoughts.

A colourful animal fable turns the difficulty of fitting into fixed categories into a story about finding belonging, then facing a choice about welcoming others.

A fantasy about belonging and identity, following a young selkie who feels different from his clan and fears he may not transform like them.

A fantasy mystery pairs Cat’s investigation of a strange egg with Marianne’s decision about her own magic, while family secrets and disruptive spells complicate their efforts.

This is a family-centred fantasy in which Eleanor returns to relatives who are strange and frightening to her, then tries to keep them together. Belonging and acceptance are central.

This instalment centres on belonging and shared territory, with uncertainty about whether the Clans can maintain their fragile balance. It offers a community-level conflict rather than a clear account of how that tension resolves.

This is a coming-of-age story about Nick's emerging romance with Bobby and the gap between his private self and a public image shaped by others.

The premise links Adam's upheaval with the possibility of finding freedom in letting go.

This is a story about the gap between public admiration and genuine understanding. Multiple memories build a picture of Joel, while the community’s difficulty accepting him shapes the tragedy of his life and legacy.

A supernatural romance and conflict story, with Layla's divided heritage shaping her sense of belonging and complicating whom she can trust.

This is a character-led story about a teenager whose certainty that he will fly sets him apart from people close to him; whether his wings appear remains an open question.

Its central appeal is choice: readers shape the story and encounter consequences. The scenarios focus on navigating friendships, social standing and self-consciousness rather than providing a straightforward account of school life.

A lively paranormal story combines family rivalry, possible magical inheritance, romance and a heroine learning to accept herself. Its darker turns involve fear, coercion and physical threat, so the tone is not consistently light.

A gentle animal story about a colt who struggles to stand and join the other colts. His mother and a little girl offer care and encouragement, while friendship and acceptance shape his effort to become a runner.

A culturally rooted fantasy adventure combining Filipino mythology, humour, friendship and a quest involving a stolen soul key. It places grief and family longing alongside supernatural peril, while presenting courage, empathy, gratitude and teamwork as important values.

This is a light, episodic school fantasy in which magical animals appear from Ms Plum’s cupboard and become catalysts for pupils’ changing behaviour, confidence, friendships and worries.

This is a fantasy road-trip sequel about life after saving the world: Simon, Baz and Penny face new danger while struggling with identity, relationships and the aftermath of earlier events.

A high-energy monster adventure with an unusual science-fiction premise. Expect multiple plot strands, London under threat, a genetically altered dinosaur, nanobots and fantastical elements, rather than a restrained or technically rigorous science-fiction story.

This is an intense, visually symbolic story about shame, identity and survival. Its painful experiences are balanced by friendship and a hopeful possibility of acceptance, without suggesting that every difficulty has been resolved.

A character-led story about grief, guilt and anxiety, balancing painful experiences with humour, friendship and a slowly developing first relationship. Petula’s movement towards connection is central, while Jacob and the therapy group bring different burdens and perspectives.

A warm, comic story about a visitor whose interests do not match his cousins’ expectations. Its emotional movement is from disappointment and hurt towards curiosity, acceptance and shared enjoyment.

A thoughtful fairy-tale adventure about a girl whose exceptional singing cannot protect her from shame, manipulation or unfair judgement. Its strongest thread is Aza’s movement towards belonging and self-worth, though beauty remains a powerful force in the story.

This is a reflective family story about a child adjusting to a parent’s imprisonment, a confession that changes her understanding, and relatives whose lives have moved on. Its central interest is emotional change rather than action, with forgiveness presented as part of Glennis’s eventual development.

This is a teen coming-of-age story about a perfectionist girl pursuing a prom date while coping with parental restrictions, social awkwardness, appearance worries, friendship and questions about faith.

This is a supernatural friendship story about a young person who is uncomfortable with an unusual ability while helping a troubled spirit. Music, family relationships, self-acceptance and a neighbour’s abandoned house shape the situation.

This is a short magical football story centred on loneliness, family support and social change. Its central tension comes from Timmy being treated differently before and after demonstrating an unusual ability.

This is a serious verse novel about friendship under pressure. It offers a close view of BJ’s insecurity, the pull of social acceptance, and how rumours and prejudice can intensify a painful situation.

This is an emotionally engaging school story centred on a bright child whose thoughts are overlooked because she cannot communicate conventionally. It offers sustained attention to dignity, family advocacy, friendship and the consequences of assumptions.

This is a character-led story about trying on a new identity, seeking acceptance and discovering that gossip can involve people close to home. Its central tensions combine workplace belonging with changing family relationships.

This is a gothic teen romance about an outsider drawn to a mysterious family, with a vampire question at its centre. Its main appeal is atmosphere, romantic fascination and a story about finding belonging beyond surface judgement.

This is a creepy, story-rich fantasy about a young writer using imagination under pressure. Its strongest appeal is the blend of escape adventure, friendship and attention to how stories are made.

A lively comic adventure that may make reading feel playful and social, especially through visual storytelling, absurd humour and drawing prompts. Its energetic action and deliberately rough language sit alongside kindness, loyalty and forgiveness.

A heartfelt time-travel adventure about a boy trying to understand and help his grandfather, with humour alongside grief, family upheaval and the unsettling effects of Alzheimer’s.

This novel follows a mixed-heritage teenager negotiating family ties, cultural belonging and other people’s expectations. It offers a story about identity that places personal uncertainty alongside racial prejudice and changing relationships.

This is a fast-moving paranormal adventure centred on belonging, friendship, family rescue and a threat to reality. Its journey spans Brazil, China, India and other locations while Jeni learns about an unexpected role.

This is a story about enjoying an unexpected passion and resisting pressure to conform. Arthur’s dancing becomes a way for the group to reconsider its assumptions, with acceptance, apology and friendship central to the resolution.

This is a character-led story about self-image, belonging and change, balancing daydreams with a developing real-world adventure. Zoe’s family relationships, friendship and connection to the nursery provide the main emotional setting.

This is a coming-of-age journey about a famous actor and four fans confronting private fears, changing relationships and the difference between a public image and a real person.

A flamboyant, funny theatrical story about identity and belonging, it follows Tiny through family life, friendship, coming out and romantic disappointments. The musical-script structure gives personal experiences an exuberant public voice while making room for vulnerability and reflection.