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A dark, imaginative adventure for readers who enjoy secret societies, mythological creatures and determined protagonists. Its strongest hooks are the hunter trials, the forest’s threats and Winnie’s effort to reclaim her family’s standing.

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.

A focused, dual-narrative historical novel about displacement, survival and access to water. Its language is spare, but the experiences include war, deaths and severe deprivation, balanced by perseverance and collective problem-solving.

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.

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.

A comic adventure about an underestimated child confronting a frightening threat, while the adults and children around him face the consequences of past choices. Its imaginative monster story also explores belonging, courage and changing relationships.

This is a survival adventure centred on resilience, resourcefulness, grief and connection with nature. Karana's growing self-sufficiency drives the story, while her isolation and the treatment of Indigenous characters add weight beyond the adventure.

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.

A dark, fast-moving faerie adventure that combines monsters, romance and town danger with more reflective questions about self-invention, family secrets, community complicity and whether apparent gifts or beauty can conceal coercion.

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.

Expect a fast-moving fantasy mystery rooted in a Nigerian village, Yoruba myths and family relationships. Its atmosphere shifts between joy and dread, with danger often suggested rather than directly shown.

This is a serious, emotionally focused novel about returning home, confronting painful memories and imagining a future beyond harmful family dynamics. Flooding and climate danger provide an urgent backdrop, while romantic love adds another strand.

This is a refugee journey told through Sami’s changing circumstances: a familiar life in Damascus gives way to displacement, danger and attempts to rebuild in England. Family bonds, guilt, anxiety, kindness and discrimination shape the experience.

This is a family adventure shaped by sudden loss of security and encounters with people connected to the railway. Its central interest is how the siblings respond to changed circumstances.

A brisk environmental adventure about a reluctant visit becoming a relationship with a grandad, a local stream and its wildlife. Kyle’s growing responsibility gives the story an encouraging focus on courage, care and standing up for a place.

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.

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.

A magical adventure about a reluctant heroine whose new powers arrive alongside political danger. Its strongest offering is a culturally distinctive fantasy centred on Aya’s courage, relationships and growing responsibility.

This is a historical family story about rebuilding after hardship. Ellie’s practical courage, connection with nature and willingness to help others sit alongside grief, difficult choices and uncertainty about what people have experienced.

A gentle but serious rural story in which Spider’s connection with animals gives him purpose and belonging. It presents difference, kindness and courage through a character whose strengths are recognised by those who care for him.

This is a wartime story about a child whose ordinary village life is disrupted by evacuation, military preparations and a missing cat. It combines danger, friendship and a later family connection across generations.

This is a magical rescue adventure featuring talking beavers, a threatening witch, most of the island’s inhabitants imprisoned, spell books and secret passages. It offers imaginative peril alongside friendship, kindness and bravery.