What Are You Looking For?

This is a high-stakes survival story about three teenagers fleeing danger, with friendship and hope providing emotional counterweights to fear, loss and an uncertain journey.

Choose this for a young reader who enjoys fast-moving fantasy but may also value a story that gives anxiety, friendship and practical coping methods a central role.

A lively story about a girl whose good intentions and creative plans repeatedly misfire, then turn towards friendship, family, performance and the possibility of being recognised for who she is.

This is an emotionally intense survival story about grief, anxiety and changing relationships. Its suspenseful wilderness episodes sit alongside Case’s uncertain understanding of his brother and the difficult process of living after loss.

This is an ocean adventure about attempting something others doubt, preparing carefully, coping with difficult conditions and discovering capability. It also brings ocean wildlife and pollution into the story through Lucy’s classmates.

A gentle environmental story about a small, quiet character whose observations are initially overlooked. Whisper’s eventual advocacy involves friends, creativity and persuasion rather than simply becoming louder.

A playful, illustrated story that uses rhyme and a small central character to explore dreams, fears and courage. Its chapter structure may support reading aloud in short sittings and revisiting key ideas together.

A warm, focused story about family, Muslim identity and responding to unkindness. It offers a child’s-eye view of hijab through sisters whose pride and solidarity remain central when classmates make hurtful comments.

This is a warm but perilous time-slip adventure about a child coping with frightening family circumstances. Its emotional centre is the growing trust between two boys who must care for one another while trying to return home.

This is a fantasy adventure combining K-pop performance culture, martial-arts action and supernatural danger. Its emotional centre is a friendship group learning to work together while facing fears that affect them and others.

Expect an energetic fantasy quest combining Caribbean-inspired folklore, spirits, gemstones and magical battles with a warm friendship story. The central characters face fear, grief, abandonment and morally difficult decisions while trying to protect their island.

This is a fast-moving virtual-reality adventure with a capable but vulnerable protagonist, combining tournament gameplay with a mystery about a threatening player and technology’s real-world consequences.

A reflective story of two girls connected through dreams, grief and a Welsh poem. Its interest lies in the developing bond between contemporary school life and an imagined medieval world.

Ben’s OCD is represented through counting, tapping, blinking, colour rules and fears that dreadful things will happen. The story also follows friendship, school transition and family strain, with support beginning to help him regain control.

This is a child-centred mystery with suspense and emotional depth. Matthew’s restricted life, observations and growing involvement in the search create a story about connection, courage and how others respond to mental-health difficulties.

Expect a fast-moving fantasy adventure built around a race, inventive magical creatures and a quest to help family. Its emotional centre is a quiet child learning to recognise his own capabilities.

Expect a brisk, spooky adventure led by a frightened but determined child. The book foregrounds mystery, supernatural danger and emotional bonds rather than realistic horror, with hope alongside its darker elements.

This is a lively, illustrated adventure centred on a very worried boy who must respond when a neighbour announces a plan to destroy the world. Its humour turns danger into exaggerated, often absurd comedy.

This is a dark, emotionally demanding story about reclaiming identity amid bullying, grief, family strain and a public suicide attempt. Its unusual, darkly comic voice gives Angie's inner life considerable force.

This is a fast-moving fantasy adventure about a vulnerable child, a remarkable instrument and adults who seek to exploit its power. Its central appeal is the tension between healing as a gift and healing as something others may exploit.

This is a peril-focused magical adventure about a young hero developing powers while resisting a dangerous opponent. Its appeal appears to lie in courage, friendship, nature and a contest for survival.

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.