What Are You Looking For?

This is a holiday mystery built around a family trip, uneasy new neighbours and a possible link between strangers and unexplained money.

This is an adventure about a missing young horse, a search across rugged country and two sisters’ wish to establish their place there. Tracking and horse-riding are part of the search.

The story follows CC as she considers her future, guided by an ancient book, alongside children from different backgrounds. Its historical notes may add context to the adventure.

This is an adventure built around a shift from exploration to an urgent rescue mission, with climate change and Greenlandic culture among the expedition’s stated interests.

A fantasy quest puts a timid sister in an unfamiliar role: seeking a cure while facing dangers she feels unready for. Sisterly devotion and the search for courage are central.

This adventure novel centres on Johnny, Kaspar and Johnny’s new friendship with Lizziebeth, an American heiress.

This is a branching, spooky adventure built around choices, rather than a single fixed route; readers can explore more than 20 different endings.

This is a dinosaur adventure centred on Jan and Tim following an injured Apatosaurus into a cave.

A fantasy quest centres on a girl whose unusual ability to understand dragons may help her find a way to aid someone she loves.

This is a supernatural romance-and-horror story in which a dangerous, addictive substance threatens Kaylee’s friends and draws her and Nash into trying to stop its spread.

This is a supernatural suspense story about Jane’s encounter with a threatening presence from the past, with her young aunt taking on the struggle to protect her.

This is an adventure story set against a family bereavement: Chad, Kate and their father try to build a new life while travelling for their company.

A suspenseful family mystery follows Footer as she investigates what happened after a devastating fire. Her mother’s bipolar disorder and Footer’s uncertainty about her own perceptions make the investigation emotionally complicated.

This is a fast-moving disaster story centred on children confronting a hurricane’s danger, while also carrying family worries, illness and efforts to reach or help people and animals.

A good choice to explore alongside a reader who enjoys imaginative fantasy with an emotionally unsettled protagonist. Its strongest interest appears to lie in how magical danger intersects with loneliness, family belonging and friendship.

Expect an outward-looking wilderness adventure that moves from wildlife and sea-kayaking to suspense involving a ship and possible migrant smuggling. Aaron’s crush, family comparisons and changing relationships add a personal strand.

This is a brisk child-centred mystery in which Benjie’s enthusiasm for spying and Pete’s protective actions help uncover burglaries. Suspense comes from the family’s vulnerability and Benjie’s capture, while humour and animal loyalty soften the danger.

This is a tense survival adventure built around separation, environmental danger and competing attempts to reach safety. Its strongest through-line is how young characters organise, protect more vulnerable people and respond to threats.

A festive princess adventure turns from anticipation of presents to responding to theft and hardship. Its central movement is towards generosity, practical help and a Christian understanding of Christmas.

A ghostly quest combines danger, memory and moral choices. Riley’s efforts to free her friends and other spirits give the story an emphasis on understanding rather than defeating pain by force.

This is an atmospheric supernatural mystery about identity, family neglect and an attempt to change a dangerous future. Its humour sits alongside isolation, approaching evil and difficult family relationships.

This is a playful Christmas Nativity retelling that turns a crowded, noisy birth setting into a bedtime problem. Its main movement is from disruption to shared calm, combining repeated goodnight language with wonder, humour and affectionate family care.

A magical rescue story about two girls drawn into Fairyland, where missing rainbow fairies and Jack Frost’s threat create the central problem. The Land of Sweets adds a playful setting to the adventure.

This is a mystery-adventure centred on friendship, a vulnerable dog and hidden secrets. Its appeal lies in discovery and urgency, with supernatural-sounding settings and danger shaping the action.

A reassuring story about losing a treasured comfort object, nighttime fears and becoming more understanding towards a younger sibling. Bella’s growing bravery is shown through a concrete family problem rather than through a lecture.

This is a character-led fantasy about recovery, political negotiation and widening loyalties. Chaol’s treatment and Nesryn’s separate path give Antica importance beyond scenery, while romance and the approaching wider conflict develop alongside them.

A fast-moving mystery-adventure about children building a home together while uncovering secrets around a missing billionaire, a threatening uncle and a possibly real sword-wielding protector.

This volume combines bereavement and strained trust with a supernatural tournament confrontation. Its strongest emphasis appears to be action, escalating power and combat, while the emotional consequences of Genkai’s death remain important.

This is a suspenseful historical fantasy combining Victorian London, faerie politics, street survival and a contested magical object. It offers a determined heroine, an improvised family and frequent crises, though some readers may find events implausible or the plot difficult to follow.

Expect a comic supernatural adventure in which an ordinary boy faces an intrusive demon, difficult bargains and dangerous consequences. Beneath the jokes, the book raises questions about good intentions, evil and moral responsibility.

A tea-centred fantasy of competition, palace intrigue and family devotion. Ning’s search for a cure gives the plot emotional urgency, while brewing, tasting and reading ingredients become ways to investigate danger and negotiate power.

Its emotional centre is the search for a new meaning of home.

A thoughtful verse novel about the upheaval of starting secondary school. Nate encounters friendship, rules, family change, anger and conflict, while a returning figure from the past makes life more complicated.

This is a fast-moving mystery-romance centred on recovery, guilt and uncertain trust. Its atmosphere combines a summer setting with disturbing discoveries, while journal flashbacks gradually disclose the protagonist’s past.

This is an action-led coming-of-age story about a troubled child entering an extraordinary spy-training organisation. It offers perseverance, teamwork and personal change alongside danger, bereavement, coercion and language some families may wish to discuss.

A gentle adoption story that acknowledges frightening beginnings, uncertainty about change and lingering sadness or anger, while offering comfort through foster carers, social-worker support and a loving adoptive family.

A friendship-focused YA fantasy in which a varied group of young characters face dangerous, action-packed moments. Its emotional emphasis falls on empathy, trust and choosing to stand by one another rather than on graphic or gruesome detail.

A magical historical-fantasy adventure about identity, family and friendship, with mysteries uncovered through flashbacks. Expect spells, Fairyland, talking animals, shapeshifting and a curse rather than a realistic everyday setting.

A gentle Chilean folktale about finding companionship, caring for someone who is not yours to keep, and living through separation. Its sea imagery and illustrations may invite close, unhurried attention.

A tense story about girls seeking safety and belonging under Sol’s control. As new relationships and demands unsettle the cabin, the book follows questions of loyalty, selfhood, survival and whether protection can become coercion.

This combines a fast-moving school-and-woods thriller with questions about ecological responsibility and engineered life. Its suspense is paired with empathy for children, adults and even people who behave harmfully.

This is a gentle beach adventure about a character whose plans repeatedly go wrong, then improve through friendship and a calming activity. Its central interest is recognising strong feelings and responding with compassion.

This is a wartime survival adventure combining danger, horses and displaced children. Its central appeal is resourceful young protagonists protecting vulnerable beings, while the historical setting brings serious questions about war, loss and responsibility.

This is an atmospheric historical mystery combining family upheaval, friendship, a much-loved rabbit and art theft. Its central puzzle offers adventure, while Caro’s changing circumstances create an emotional thread alongside the investigation.

A fast-moving historical fantasy that places a child and a growing phoenix inside the Great Fire of London. Maps, historical events and an imagined creature create an adventurous route through danger, trust and responsibility.