What Are You Looking For?

A lively fairy-tale reimagining where three heroines encounter magic, danger and friendship. Its central movement is from Rumaysa’s enforced confinement towards escape, shared adventure and protagonists who act as their own rescuers.

This is an action-led story about a young aspiring journalist and friends using a newspaper to investigate a threatened slum. Its strongest appeal is the combination of friendship, initiative and social stakes.

Expect comic poetry about growing up, using exaggerated everyday situations such as sibling conflict, an unwanted shirt and a spider. The collection appears suited to reading aloud and sharing reactions.

A child navigating a new life, missing family and friendship encounters a magical garden whose promises lead towards adventure and a darker fairy-tale atmosphere.

This is a compact first-person adventure combining wartime escape, Himalayan survival and an encounter with a hidden yeti society. Its central imaginative tension is whether Ashley’s influence would help or harm people whose way of life he admires.

This is a thought-provoking premise about a child encountering expectations attached to gender. The school setting gives the story a concrete way to explore fairness, behaviour and assumptions.

A family-centred adventure mystery with imaginative airships and a dangerous journey. Its main appeal is likely the twins’ attempt to discover the truth about their father and the disputed accusation surrounding his expedition.

Expect an eerie, imaginative timeslip story in which Minty investigates a mysterious garden and tries to help two children from different historical periods. Its suspense is closely connected with family distress and compassion.

A discussion-led introduction to values and civic ideas, linking right and wrong with society, justice, democracy, prejudice, discrimination, fairness and equality. It combines explanation with personal experiences and named contributors’ perspectives.

Expect a comic treasure mystery driven by Aisha and her unusually capable dog. Its appeal lies in brisk adventure, puzzles, archaeology and playful language, though some readers may find the opening slow or the pace uneven.

This is a tense, compassionate story about a child taking responsibility in a dangerous society. It combines family survival, Afghan history, women’s restricted freedoms and moments of hope, while leaving Parvana’s immediate future unresolved.

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 tense, emotionally serious survival story follows Ade through a collapsing city while his mother withdraws and neighbours become an unexpected support network. Its strongest offering is a child-centred exploration of vulnerability, responsibility and collective care.

Choose this for a reader who enjoys atmospheric mysteries, eccentric characters, supernatural adventure and comic wordplay. Its central appeal is following clues through an unusual seaside world while Herbie and Violet face escalating danger.

A lively Nigerian boarding-school adventure foregrounding friendship, cultural setting and fair access to education. Jummy’s new experiences offer both familiar school-story pleasures and a perspective shaped by different routines and expectations.

A high-stakes fantasy about two young people facing an oppressive society, dangerous magic and threats to their families. Its strongest focus is courage joined with cultural pride and resistance to injustice.

This is a fast-moving fantasy adventure built around three young characters with different goals. It offers magical creatures, peril and hidden truths about the island and the beliefs surrounding its beasts.

This is a quest fantasy about siblings facing separation, magical danger and inherited family trouble. Its appeal lies in Fairyland, nature-linked magic, riddles, storytelling and a movement from grief and hardship towards courage and hope.

Expect a lively, illustrated fantasy quest built around an underdog team. The story combines dungeon challenges, comic world-building and a friendship arc, while Kit’s impulsive decision creates the central problem.