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A fantastical adventure pits three friends against a cereal company’s world-taking scheme, with goblin impersonators, faeries and a journey through a space-time rift. The friends aim to rescue the Queen and halt an invasion.

A prehistoric coming-of-age story about exclusion, belonging and Tao's ambition to paint in caves.

This is a high-stakes fantasy adventure built around a group of morally complicated outsiders, a dangerous magical object and uneasy cooperation.

This is a family-centred street-fiction premise, with twin brothers pulled in different directions by ambition, trouble and urgent family needs. Deion’s decision is posed, but its outcome is not given.

This is a relationship-and-future-choice story: Clara’s college opportunity, her boyfriend’s commitment, and her writing ambitions pull her in different directions.

This is an adventure about enterprise, public disagreement and personal consequences. Jacky’s attempt to reshape the Pig and Whistle Inn into a musical-theatre venue brings her into conflict with temperance campaigners, local tensions and the law.

This is a comic school adventure built around a winter charity contest, a child’s wish to impress others, and conspicuous bodily humour. Illness changes George’s plans and gives his friend Alex an important part in the event.

A clear, child-centred novel about a girl whose education and future are threatened by family expectations and coercive power. It offers determination, moral courage and hope alongside serious social injustice.

This is a historical story about storytelling, family responsibility and workers’ lives, following Bella as social and political pressures challenge both her livelihood and her ambition to become a lector.

This is a child-centred historical mystery about uncovering a town’s African-American past. It combines cemetery restoration, family stories, community reticence, and Raisin’s personal consequences after she sneaks out.

This offers a supernatural murder mystery rooted in Prohibition-era New York, alongside folklore, occult ideas, jazz-club life and vivid secondary storylines. Its horror is central rather than incidental.

A lively story about a child whose entrepreneurial idea grows rapidly, testing friendships and responsibilities. It offers an engaging way to think about ambition, persistence and the consequences of taking risks.

A warm football adventure uses Pickles’s humorous viewpoint to explore a family trying to stay together while money problems and housing insecurity affect everyday life.

This is a richly layered historical coming-of-age novel about a book-loving girl negotiating family duty, education, friendship and romance while a murder’s consequences reach into her community.

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 football-centred route into First World War history, this is an emotionally direct story about ambition, enlistment and survival. Its accessible presentation may support readers who want a gripping historical novel without dense prose.

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.

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.

Expect a twisty, atmospheric ghost story with humour, danger and a morally ambiguous central character. Harriet’s pursuit of power drives the tension, while the surrounding friendships and queer romantic thread add warmth and complication.

A story of sporting ambition and family inheritance, shaped by segregation and racial prejudice. Its verse form brings rhythm to Charley’s determination, while historical danger and a consequential choice give the narrative emotional weight.

A clue-heavy ensemble mystery for readers who enjoy solving puzzles alongside characters. Its appeal lies in twists, red herrings, humour and changing partnerships, while its many characters and social tensions may require patient attention.

A morally serious Gothic novel about creation, abandonment, responsibility and revenge, with opportunities to discuss scientific power and the treatment of outsiders alongside unsettling violence.

A young elephant wants to join a lifeboat crew, but his size appears to prevent this. When a storm puts the crew in trouble, Gabriel may be able to help, creating a story about belonging, courage and finding a way to contribute.

A football team gains a famous new coach, but his very demanding regime tests three friends who mainly want to enjoy playing. The central tension is between ambition, pressure and pleasure.

This is a historical school story combining basketball, friendship and a risky practical joke. Manny’s wish to stay connected to his friends leads to invented sports reporting, while wartime uncertainty affects family conversations and everyday choices.

A light mystery built around a singing contest, missing celebrity-linked sunglasses and three friends trying to protect their chance at concert tickets. The investigation sits alongside teamwork and performance.

This is a school-centred relationship story about Gemma balancing an important journalism opportunity with her wish to help classmates romantically through her Jessica Jupiter persona. Expect overlapping social and romantic complications.

This is a lush fantasy adventure about two opposing royals navigating a wish-granting contest. Its pleasures lie in mythic world-building, clever trials, banter and a developing relationship, while unfamiliar folklore terms may require patience.

A school rivalry develops into an uneasy partnership between two boys sharing a name, with questions of reputation, ability and ambition at its centre.

A dark fantasy adventure built around mistaken identity, hidden power and an ancient object. Parallel storylines gradually point towards Dullitch, promising mystery and a larger rescue quest rather than a straightforward standalone confrontation.

An irreverent space adventure combines rubbish collecting, a treasure chase and pirate opposition. Harvey leads an argumentative, chaotic crew through a risky rescue attempt, with the Toxic Spew itself facing possible disposal.

A football series opener about joining a youth-club team and then taking part in matches. It may appeal to readers who enjoy football, club life and friendship.

This is a school-and-belonging story about Jordan moving between a prestigious school and his Washington Heights neighbourhood, while drawing cartoons and questioning how to remain himself across different worlds.

A humorous, poignant coming-of-age story about musical ambition, limited opportunities and a stranger who unsettles a close-knit American town. Franny must decide what possibility, belonging and success mean to her.

A collection of short princess adventures centred on celebrations, dressing up, dreams, friendship and helping others. Its variety offers familiar fairy-tale situations alongside Tiana and Naveen’s frog transformation and Ariel’s rescue of a baby seal.

This is a hopeful story about a girl whose ambitions are obstructed by family problems and caring responsibilities. Her appeal for change grows into a community project, while the seriousness of her father’s drinking remains part of the emotional backdrop.