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A tense frontier survival adventure in which three children evade outlaws, endure severe hardship and discover treasure. It offers resourcefulness, loyalty and historical setting alongside frightening danger, bereavement and family separation.

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.

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 is an adventurous, emotionally charged animal-led quest. It offers talking animals, friendship and humour alongside a bleak altered world, separated families, imprisonment, disease and threats to survival. The ending appears to open into a continuing story rather than resolving every possibility.

This is an action-led coming-of-age story about a troubled child entering an extraordinary spy-training organisation. It offers perseverance, teamwork and personal change alongside danger, bereavement, coercion and language some families may wish to discuss.

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.

This is a historical mystery about a child navigating wartime separation, an unwelcoming household and unanswered questions. Gardens, hothouses and a Suffolk estate provide a vivid setting for secrets, suspicion and friendship.

A clue-driven historical adventure centred on a determined violinist, with friendship and perseverance alongside bereavement, abandonment, deception and threats. Its journey spans India, the sea voyage and Victorian England.

A lively historical-fantasy mystery follows two young detectives through Parisian streets and sewers. Its strongest appeal is the blend of family questions, magical folklore, riddles, danger and a richly used city setting, with Zélie and Jules sharing the adventure.

A historical adventure rooted in the early-20th-century Philippines, following Amihan and Mariposa as they respond to official policy and try to return to Culion. Its emotional centre is family love and friendship.

This is a survival adventure that places a frightened, newly blind boy in prolonged dependence on Timothy. Its strongest material concerns trust, practical resilience and the painful unlearning of racial prejudice.

A lively, voice-led coming-of-age novel combining humour and friendship with family strain, social pressure and gang-related danger. Lemar’s art and relationships offer warmth, but the story also reaches a killing and difficult choices.

A warm, strongly moral story about an orphaned girl, changing homes and the relationships she forms. Its emotional centre is the contrast between Heidi’s mountain life and her unhappiness in Frankfurt.

A lively, joke-filled spy adventure in which Vi confronts family upheaval alongside super-villains. Expect gadgets, secrets, action and emotional pressure, with the family situation driving her determination.

Rumaysa’s search for her parents leads into a magical adventure involving a queen, traditional fairy-tale figures and unusual creatures. The story combines danger, humour and a heroine who takes an active, compassionate role.

A tense wartime adventure about a young Muslim protagonist whose family and community face Nazi occupation. Safiyyah undertakes dangerous errands, while the mosque becomes a place of sanctuary for persecuted Jewish people.

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 an imaginative, quest-shaped fantasy with a dark circus setting, unusual beings and a strong emphasis on loyalty. Its emotional centre is children helping one another through danger and uncertainty.

A high-stakes fantasy conclusion about siblings and allies confronting invasion, separation and frightening creatures. Its strongest apparent draws are courage, family bonds and a large, quest-like conflict.

A wintry fantasy adventure about a loved child facing separation, danger and responsibility. Its strongest apparent offerings are imaginative world-building, loyalty to family and the possibility of restoring goodwill, though the resolution is not shown.

A wilderness adventure about a boy and a dog whose friendship is built through loyalty, determination and mutual help. It may appeal to readers who enjoy animal companions and stories of resilience.

A fantasy adventure about two friends separated between fairy and human worlds, each facing different responsibilities. Its central tension is whether they can protect people and relationships while conflict between humans and fairies grows.

This is a supernatural school story about identity, transition and moral courage. Its central appeal is Zoey’s unusual place among fledglings, alongside friendship and a conflict involving power used improperly.

A supernatural mystery about a teenager confronting deep fears while searching for his missing mother. It combines coastal horror, strange allies and escalating danger, with family loss and courage at its emotional centre.