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This is a story of upheaval and endurance, with Sara’s inventive inner life and kindness at its centre. Her changed circumstances bring loneliness, hunger and cold, alongside friendships and the possibility of renewed happiness.

A twisty teen murder mystery, driven by Emma’s investigation and Sutton’s emerging memories. Expect secrets, suspicion and tense relationships alongside the central question of who killed Sutton.

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.

This is a Christian story about kindness and love, including loving people who are hard to like. Grampa explains these ideas through Little Cub’s questions and relationships.

A family picnic turns tense when Lily feels her younger sister is disrupting her play. Her father’s response and an old journal bring in a practice of wishing kindness towards oneself and others.

This is a speculative story about unusual experiences, medical scrutiny and a meeting shaped by bereavement. Emery’s wish for an ordinary life sits alongside the mystery of her loops.

This is a bleak but ultimately hopeful family story: the children’s resourcefulness and the quiet help they receive are set against hardship and cruelty in their community.

Sticky notes spread around the school, carrying both friendly and cutting messages.

The story combines a household mystery with whimsical fantasy: Henry tries to discover what Harvey’s unusual work means, while music, poetry and kindness shape the characters’ experiences.

A horse’s perspective gives the novel a way to make the treatment of horses central, rather than incidental, to its story.

A treasure hunt, a friendship disagreement and an unexpected return of help shape this undersea adventure.

A high-school social comedy built around a choice: KJ is urged to trade her kindness for popularity with a boy she likes.

Kieran wants to fit in at school, but his cousin Bon becomes a target for teasing. Kieran must choose between acceptance by the other children and standing up for Bon. The story also involves jealousy, family secrets and unexpected kindness; how these strands develop or end is unclear.

This is a mystical traditional tale about care, separation, courage and belonging. Its central transformation links the boy’s imaginative devotion with help from Mother Earth, while the journey towards leadership connects personal bravery with responsibility to his people.

This is a brisk child-centred mystery in which Benjie’s enthusiasm for spying and Pete’s protective actions help uncover burglaries. Suspense comes from the family’s vulnerability and Benjie’s capture, while humour and animal loyalty soften the danger.

An energetic race story where the excitement of competition is balanced by moments of empathy. Its strongest message is that a satisfying result can involve kindness, fair choices and sharing, not simply finishing first.

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.

Expect a fast-moving sea adventure in which Ben and Ned face separation, exploitation, danger and bereavement. Alongside fantasy and historical atmosphere, the story gives considerable weight to compassion and protecting others.

Gertie is pressured to behave badly before the ball, seeks instruction from fairy-tale villains, and instead forms an alliance with the Wolf. The story playfully questions who is truly good or wicked.

A playful magical adventure centred on pottery, crafts and recovering a missing object. It offers a straightforward conflict between Rachel and Kirsty and Jack Frost, with creativity forming the story’s distinctive setting.

A warm animal story about a stray donkey finding care, friendship and a place to belong. Flash’s curiosity, inventions and collecting lead to mishaps as well as helpful discoveries, while the other animals model kindness and practical support.

Expect a humorous, energetic child’s voice alongside genuine family uncertainty. Lucy tries to manage several summer problems, including a peer conflict and concern about whether her parents will divorce.

This is a gentle woodland story about preparing for a storm, helping neighbours and recovering after Badger’s home is damaged. Detailed illustrations and a hopeful rebuilding sequence support shared reading and discussion.

Kate Ferris works towards establishing a riding stable, faces disruption before a show, and must decide how to respond when Melissa’s horse is injured. The story is character-led and centres on Kate’s changing attitude.

A high-stakes fantasy about a young woman whose lethal magical ability has been controlled by authority. It offers questions about self-definition, freedom, trust and whether power can be used justly, alongside graphic violence and emotional darkness.

Expect a comic children’s story built around a problem: an ice-cream truck will not stop for children.

This is a puzzle-led mystery with a spooky turn: Elizabeth explores a remote hotel, works with Freddy on codes and wordplay, and encounters curses, unsettling phenomena and an evil ghost. Personal histories include bereavement and mistreatment, while the story stresses kindness, trust and resisting evil.

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.

Expect a supernatural mystery with spring-break travel, stranded characters, unexplained cattle deaths, a stalking predator and an increasing body count. The story also follows Maggie’s psychic abilities and her attempts to understand what is happening.

A fast-moving science-fiction adventure that places a thoughtful robot between fearful children, human survivors and hostile machines. Its strongest offering is a child-accessible route into questions about personhood, loyalty and moral choices during conflict.

A varied story collection offering Indian folklore, mythology and fables, with recurring interest in cleverness, justice, kindness and survival. The tales can apparently be read separately, while also forming a loose journey.

Choose this for a child who enjoys eerie folktales, unusual friendships and stories that leave some things to imagine. The visual mood is shadowy, but the skull is presented as polite and friendly rather than simply frightening.

A farm hen becomes too tired to lay eggs, is taken home, and receives care while her feathers grow back. Grass, worms, bugs, puddles, friends and freedom mark her new life, followed by an unspecified joyful surprise.

A surreal park story turns one kind act into a chain of extraordinary gifts. Clara’s discovery offers companionship, help and imaginative possibility, while a wish for wealth produces a contrasting consequence.

A friendship begins when two boys meet during a beach trip. The story makes room for difference, uncertainty and everyday kindness, alongside questions, frustrations and confusions.

This is a warm, socially grounded adventure about two girls whose friendship grows after an initially hostile meeting. A herd of cows, family difficulties and community problems combine humour, feeling and an unexpectedly hopeful direction.

This is an imaginative animal adventure with two contrasting protagonists: a calf escaping slaughter and a rejected boy pursuing him. The journey opens questions about compassion, human treatment of animals and how relationships can change thinking.

This is a poignant historical family story about isolation, hardship and perseverance. Its emotional centre is Laura’s longing to help, belong and reunite her family, alongside compassion for a vulnerable turtle.

A gentle Chilean folktale about finding companionship, caring for someone who is not yours to keep, and living through separation. Its sea imagery and illustrations may invite close, unhurried attention.

A whimsical quest combines magical characters, tongue-in-cheek humour and determined friendship with a strong longing for home. Its imaginative surface is interrupted by abrupt, casually narrated violence that may surprise readers expecting gentler fantasy.

A short, visually expressive story about a newcomer, suspicion and the possibility of belonging. Its emotional centre is the contrast between what the animals assume and what they learn about the stranger’s past.

A warm picture-book story about welcoming a mysterious, vulnerable stranger, forming attachment, experiencing sudden separation and extending hospitality to others like him. Its imaginative setting leaves room to discuss belonging without explaining everything about Mister Toots.

A thoughtful friendship story with a suspenseful edge, this novel explores how exclusion, secrets and personal circumstances can affect relationships. Its three narrators encourage empathy, though bullying and isolation may merit preparation or discussion.

This is a spooky rescue adventure centred on a frightened boy trying to protect his brother. Expect cemetery and crypt imagery, supernatural games, riddles and sustained suspense, alongside friendship and compassion.

A warm, imaginative friendship book that treats caring for a ghost as an everyday responsibility. It combines playful instructions and gross-out food details with a broader portrait of companionship lasting through major changes in life.