What Are You Looking For?

The story turns a disagreement over familiar lunch foods into a friendship conflict, then uses tasting one another’s sandwiches as a route towards changed minds and coming together.

Hillary's efforts to earn friendship through her abilities fail; acceptance comes when her scales change, and her happiness coincides with turning pink again.

This is a relationship-focused story about Mason negotiating friendship, sexual feelings and romantic hopes after Kat wants to leave their encounter behind. His interest then turns towards Colette, an adult several years older than him.

Dit and Emma’s friendship develops amid racial prejudice in 1917 Alabama. When a Black barber is condemned after a trial, they make a daring plan to save him.

A gentle friendship story centred on everyday family life: the girls share meals, chores and play while one of them stays with Violet’s family as an exchange student.

A prehistoric survival adventure follows Dusk, an unusual bat-like creature rejected by his colony. When predators attack, he helps lead survivors towards a new home, while facing questions of belonging and difference.

A child-centred fantasy adventure about friendship across very different ways of life, with a final episode that invites readers to decide what really happened.

Katie’s move and efforts to make friends place her first-love experience within a wider story of adjusting to a new school and family life.

A dark fantasy about a young outcast learning to use her powers, with belonging and loyalty competing against rage, fear and the pull towards harming others.

A lyrical fairy tale with atmospheric illustrations and a cinematic flow. Its central appeal is the developing bond between Maude and Tony.

A colourful animal fable turns the difficulty of fitting into fixed categories into a story about finding belonging, then facing a choice about welcoming others.

A lively, comic animal adventure, with an eccentric family and a cat whose unusual condition drives the plot. Billy’s collecting hobby and the pet-show challenge add extra strands to the story.

The story centres on an unlikely friendship that brings change to a child who has felt lonely. Hugo’s unusual interests and independent ways give the friendship a distinctive character.

An adventure about belonging and independent decision-making, with Wisp’s difficulty reading stars shaping both his relationships and his attempt to migrate.

At its heart, this is a story about a bereaved teenager whose life begins to shift through an unexpected friendship with an adult neighbour.

This is a story about friendship across sharply contrasting family beliefs and values, with the girls’ connection set against wider social divisions.

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 dystopian adventure follows two friends as they uncover a hidden secret. Standish's difficulty with reading and writing is part of his characterisation, alongside his distinct way of seeing the world.

Agustín's yellow shadow sets him apart in a city where everyone else has a black one; nobody invites him to play.

This is a superpower story about pursuing a demanding ambition despite being born without the ability that seems essential to it. An unexpected opportunity shifts the central character’s prospects.

A fantasy quest about belonging and discovering one’s past, set against a conflict in a strange world. Friendship and the attempt to restore balance are central to the stated premise.

A fantasy about belonging and identity, following a young selkie who feels different from his clan and fears he may not transform like them.

This is a friendship story that brings together two boys from families with different customs. It may suit a shared read when you want to talk about friendship across cultural differences.

A friendship story about three very different companions whose contests turn into quarrels, then give way to consideration and appreciation. Instructions for a related whole-body game are included.

This is a coming-of-age story about a young person pursuing creative and educational ambitions amid family expectations, changing relationships and uncertainty about her future.

A lively-sounding fantasy pairs two very different heroines in a cosmic rescue mission, blending magic, adventure and a mathematical idea.

This is a school-and-circus story about fitting in and trying to contribute when you lack an expected skill.

This is a paranormal high-school romance built around Ever’s unusual perceptions and the mystery of Damen’s identity. Her efforts to manage what she experiences shape her relationships and draw her into his world.

A horror premise centres on Blake facing dangerous carnival rides and a challenge with a deadline, alongside concern for his brother.

A fantasy adventure following four bear cubs from different circumstances as their paths lead to a shared destination and a struggle to survive.

The story brings together two bears from contrasting snowy and mountain homes, focusing on their exploration and the friendship that grows when they meet.

This offers a frontier journey with an unusual meeting and an older guide, alongside questions about settlement and the natural world.

This is a wartime family story centred on Ada’s changing sense of identity and the tensions that follow Ruth’s arrival. Its focus is on belonging and moral choices under threat.

A humorous premise pairs Jasper’s interest in business with his wish for a permanent home. The story’s central appeal appears to be a distinctive character seeking acceptance.

A playful fantasy premise centres on Matty’s effort to keep her beloved dragon. Expect goblins, fairies and an unconventional world where being good is not necessarily an advantage.

This is a fantasy adventure built around a stranger whose martial arts set him apart in a magical world. The contest and his unexplained origins provide the central mysteries.

This is a family-and-cousins story about trying to connect across different expectations, with a misunderstanding that strains the relationship before Kanani makes a caring effort.

A comic ghost story built around Frissella's unexpected inability to pass through walls, her doctor's proposed explanation and her stay among unusual fellow ghosts.

This is a socially engaged sports novel: football brings two North American teenagers into contact with marginalised local players, while different experiences of race, class and belonging become increasingly difficult to ignore.

A gentle animal story about a colt who struggles to stand and join the other colts. His mother and a little girl offer care and encouragement, while friendship and acceptance shape his effort to become a runner.

Expect comic superhero-family mishaps rather than a serious account of power. The central contrast is between extraordinary relatives and Suzie, who is described as ordinary, while uncontrolled abilities create household and outdoor hazards.

A friendship-centred coming-of-age story with a strong emotional pull: Véro is drawn into Dolorès’s vivid way of living, then faces unanswered absence and the pain of losing someone important.

A lively superhero story about an overlooked helper finding recognition on his own terms. Its strongest appeal is the combination of visual energy, comic reversals, inventive narration and Nick’s determination to keep contributing.

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.

A warm, comic story about a visitor whose interests do not match his cousins’ expectations. Its emotional movement is from disappointment and hurt towards curiosity, acceptance and shared enjoyment.