What Are You Looking For?

A first-person account of a life-changing injury and a return to competitive surfing, alongside reflections on faith, family and surfing itself.

This is a historical account of rescue during the Holocaust, focused on Sendlerowa and the people who helped her. The book’s central emphasis appears to be courage and assistance.

A historical account of Fred V. Cherry’s capture and prolonged imprisonment in Hanoi, focused on the ordeal of captivity and the qualities tested by it.

A concise historical account centres on Parks’s refusal and places it in the civil rights movement. The book also uses cut-paper images alongside Nikki Giovanni’s text.

Consider it for a child curious about inventions or the history behind familiar attractions; its biographical focus offers a person-centred entry into engineering.

A true-life account of Carter’s long search for King Tut’s tomb, set against his earlier fascination with Egyptian artefacts and his work in archaeology.

Expect an outdoor adventure centred on a dog’s determination to find her team, rather than an account of the race rules or a factual guide to the Iditarod.

This is a career-focused biography, moving between Olympic milestones and Phelps’s early experiences. Its emphasis is on persistence and achievement rather than a broad account of his life.

This is an illustrated biography about Alcott’s determination to serve during the Civil War, her nursing of wounded soldiers, serious illness, and the way those experiences informed Hospital Sketches and Little Women.

This is a concise, illustrated Christian biography combining life events with Calvin’s writings, ministry, theology and sixteenth-century setting. It includes personal relationships, bereavement and illness, while presenting Calvin within a distinctly Reformed understanding of church history.

A faith-centred biography that presents Isobel Kuhn’s personal change and missionary journey as an adventurous, challenging life story.

A purposeful, visually striking account of collective action for water, combining biography, environmental concern, Indigenous language and spiritual practice. Its central invitation is to consider how people might show respect for water and act on that responsibility.

A portrait of Chanel’s rise in fashion sits alongside discussion of poverty, prejudice, self-invention and wartime controversy. The book offers achievements and faults together rather than presenting an uncomplicated style icon.

A focused sports profile of Michelle Kwan, linking competition, injury and disappointment with continued achievement. It offers a compact account of an athlete’s setbacks and successes, accompanied by high-action photographs.

A historically grounded creative-life story in which the origins of Curious George are closely tied to a Jewish couple’s flight from wartime Europe. Its strongest elements are human connection, artistic work, and a tense escape.

A visually presented introduction to Hispanic and Latino American figures whose work spans culture, public life, science, sport and the arts. It offers short life sketches rather than one continuous narrative.

A lively introduction to Franklin’s changing roles, from printer and experimenter to civic organiser and statesman. It presents a broad historical journey supported by period images and reference material, with perseverance and inventive thinking prominent in the portrait.

This offers an accessible introduction to a pioneering doctor and inventor, combining a poetic life story with scientific and historical detail. Its strongest appeal is the connection between personal ambition, medical discovery and wider questions of equality.

A lively introduction to people presented as admirable for different reasons, from persistence and kindness to peace activism. Its short portraits can spark curiosity, though they offer little context for weighing each person’s whole life.

This is an informational collection of women’s wartime experiences, spanning roles such as medical work, journalism, resistance and revolutionary activity. It presents participation on multiple sides of the Vietnam War rather than treating the conflict as an all-male story.

This is a visually rich wartime memoir about service, segregation, friendship and artistic persistence.

This is an encouraging, practical exploration of how practice, perseverance, support and learning from mistakes may help people develop skills. Its central message is hopeful, though the emphasis on becoming “awesome” can make achievement feel like the main measure of success.

A true, illustrated account of a boy who wonders how things work, teaches himself from old science books and builds a windmill for his drought-ravaged village. The emphasis is on persistence and practical invention.

Readers get a varied set of true survival accounts, from exploration and shipwreck to accidents and medical crises, with illustrations highlighting pivotal moments. The emphasis is on extraordinary ordeals rather than one continuous narrative.

A lively introduction to women’s contributions across history and different fields, presented through colourful illustrations, short profiles, facts and quotations. Its page-by-page structure supports dipping in, revisiting individual figures and noticing links between personal achievement and wider social change.

This is a serious memoir about a child navigating poverty, school exclusion, racism and violent home relationships. Alongside distressing experiences, it includes friendship, sibling joy, Abuela’s influence and moments of perseverance.

A lively guide for children who enjoy practical discovery, linking real expedition experiences with achievable activities close to home. Its emphasis is on learning by trying: outdoor skills, observation, planning and cooperation rather than simply reading about distant adventures.

This is a practical guide to brains, wellbeing and learning, inviting children to explore ideas through facts, questions, quizzes and activities rather than simply reading explanations.

Expect a bleak flooded setting, solitary travel, danger from other young people and a determined search for family. The ending is described as positive, although the journey is repeatedly presented as harrowing and gloomy.

This is an informational, community-focused account of turning discarded plastic into purses. Its angle links environmental action with persistence, collective work and economic empowerment rather than presenting rubbish only as a problem.

Choose this for a lively introduction to a prominent women’s footballer, especially if the reader enjoys football facts, cartoons, quizzes and stories about recovering from setbacks.

A lively, illustrated football biography follows Salah from childhood in Egypt through youth football, setbacks and European success. Quizzes, facts, jokes and commentary add activity alongside the biographical storytelling.

A true story follows Jennie from childhood through meeting Abram, love, his death and her search for courage. It links fear and bravery while showing grief as part of continuing life.

A lively first encounter with Greek mythology: ten short, illustrated adventures introduce heroes, monsters, magical objects and transformations. The collection prioritises memorable action and recognisable figures, making it suitable for sharing aloud or dipping into story by story.

This is a personal and historical account of migration, family separation, reunion and racism. Its emotional movement includes joy, fear, sadness and determination, with illustrations or presentation contrasting Trinidad and England.

A fast-moving magical quest gives Chompa a determined central role while opening discussion of Indian and South Asian folklore, colonial power and cultural loss. The journey spans India and London, with friendship and new skills supporting her search.

A dramatic piece of narrative nonfiction about Blondin’s repeated Niagara tightrope crossings, it combines historical events with page-turning suspense. The visual presentation makes the falls, height and risky feats central to the reading experience.

This is a child-focused historical account of persecution, concealment and courage during the Holocaust. Its central contrast is between a community’s ridicule of Anton and his decision to protect Jewish neighbours at great personal risk.

A visually rich life story about a pioneering pilot and writer: adventurous flights, difficult conditions and wartime service lead towards Saint-Exupéry’s literary work, while the illustrations invite close attention beyond the basic biography.

This is a factual, story-led collection about animals involved in wartime. It combines rescue, communication, morale and service with a gentle, sometimes uplifting presentation, while acknowledging that some animals died.

A research-led collection of women’s lives, showing how interests, strengths, creativity and perseverance connected with achievements in technical and design fields. It combines biography, historical context, interviews and practical encouragement.

This offers a lively introduction to Tchaikovsky through travel, family adventure and listening. Its distinctive feature is the meeting of his music with American ragtime, spirituals and folk traditions.

A football-centred story about ambition, exclusion and family support, alongside factual material about African football and celebrated players.

Three true animal-rescue accounts centre on a dog, dolphins and gorillas. The book combines lively episodes with photographs, sidebars and fun facts, presenting animals as capable participants in dramatic encounters involving trains, sharks and a zoo enclosure.

A historical account of Yoshitsune’s difficult upbringing and military rise, combining personal adversity with rebellion, combat and family rivalry.

A true, illustrated account of a boy who wonders how things work, teaches himself from old science books and builds a windmill for his drought-ravaged village. The emphasis is on persistence and practical invention.