What Are You Looking For?

A close-quarters story pairs a winter survival predicament with a developing connection between Autumn and Dax, who initially seem very different.

A poetry collection about young people using classic and spoken-word forms to explore identity, relationships, belonging and social issues, with personal narratives connecting poems to lived experience.

A character-led story about grief, guilt and anxiety, balancing painful experiences with humour, friendship and a slowly developing first relationship. Petula’s movement towards connection is central, while Jacob and the therapy group bring different burdens and perspectives.

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.

This is a grief-centred coming-of-age story about a young person negotiating bereavement, separation, travel and fear.

A relationship-focused mystery about secrets, schemes and betrayal, with a strong emotional thread. It may appeal to readers who enjoy friendship tensions and revelations, while fear and mild peril deserve attention.

Choose this for a young reader who enjoys fast-moving fantasy but may also value a story that gives anxiety, friendship and practical coping methods a central role.

This is an emotionally intense survival story about grief, anxiety and changing relationships. Its suspenseful wilderness episodes sit alongside Case’s uncertain understanding of his brother and the difficult process of living after loss.

A gentle, direct introduction to anxiety, depression and loneliness, centred on the beginning of a supportive friendship. It makes talking, seeking help and finding suitable support networks part of the story.

This is a friendship-led coming-of-age romance centred on one adventurous day before graduation. Philadelphia provides the setting while secrets, old relationships and worries about the future put pressure on the group.

A dual-perspective story about two university students trying to belong while managing depression, anxiety, relationships and self-identity. Poetry and late-night journal entries give the book an intimate, emotionally direct form.

A thoughtful contemporary romance about finding ways to communicate, with disability, anxiety, friendship and family relationships treated as substantial parts of the story rather than simple obstacles.

A comic supernatural story about Moth’s half-vampire identity, with friendship at its centre. Its appeal appears to come from an unusual hero, playful vampire details and a mix of awkwardness and adventure.

A queer summer romance uses familiar rom-com patterns to explore commitment, vulnerability and family change. Saoirse’s lively voice sits alongside more serious material involving her mother’s dementia, her father’s remarriage and complicated feelings between the girls.

Choose this for a reader who enjoys a fast, spooky Christmas mystery but also wants characters’ anxiety, grief and family feelings treated as meaningful parts of the story.

This is a contemporary YA story about the costs of being publicly visible: Almond’s online persona brings rewards, but family management, sponsor expectations and hostile online attention strain her sense of self and relationships.

A thoughtful verse novel about a child facing an unwanted move and gradually finding steadiness. Its imaginary-friend narrator gives Ray’s worries a distinct voice while the story broadens towards kindness, refuge and understanding others.

This is a child-centred mystery with suspense and emotional depth. Matthew’s restricted life, observations and growing involvement in the search create a story about connection, courage and how others respond to mental-health difficulties.

This offers a poetic, character-led account of a young person facing anorexia and other mental-health difficulties, with attention to treatment, relationships, bullying and the possibility of accepting help.

This is a tense contemporary story about a Muslim teenager responding to terror, Islamophobia and school bullying. Its central interest is how identity, friendship and collective action can challenge prejudice without making the surrounding hostility feel trivial.

This is a wordless, visually driven story about a boy overwhelmed by worry, school pressures and isolation. Its stark imagery makes inner distress visible, then turns towards sharing feelings and recognising that others struggle too.

This is a mysterious, emotionally serious novel about a child helping a strange being while his family faces a baby’s dangerous illness. Its imaginative uncertainty and lyrical language may appeal to readers who enjoy stories that leave some questions open.

A warm, mystery-shaped family story in which Xanthe investigates Nani’s past with friends, alongside magical visions, archaeological clues and a rooftop garden. It links family care with history, migration, friendship and belonging.

A contemporary family story that brings mystery, romance and social pressures together. Its emotional centre is the siblings’ struggle with grief, secrecy, anxiety, poverty and the possibility of finding joy and support.

This is a thoughtful, emotionally intense coming-of-age story in which the mystery and romance frame Aza’s experience of intrusive thoughts. Friendship, empathy and the effort to keep living with ongoing difficulty matter more than solving the case.

This is a school-transition story about coping with uncertainty. Maggie’s reliance on a twenty-sided die, friendship efforts and concern about a rumoured monster place emotional and social challenges alongside the school setting.

A playful fantasy turns anxious feelings into an unruly pizza, then follows children who work out how to face the problem. Its strongest apparent appeal is comic adventure with a Halloween flavour.