Astrid and the Space Cadets by Alex T Smith Ages 5-7 This author-illustrator’s gorgeous story about a six-year-old who blasts off on space missions every night really is quite the delight to read. Perfect for children who are just beginning to enjoy books independently , it follows Astrid as she is asked to help deal with some giant “snaliens” – enormous snail-like creatures who keep eating the plants. The first in a new (and hopefully long) series, Astrid and the Space Cadets is imagination at its best. (Macmillan, £7.99, out now) A Drop of Golden Sun by Kate Saunders Ages 9-12 Read Next Lionel Shriver’s new novel Mania reads like an outburst on GB News It’s 1973 and 12-year-old Jenny’s very ordinary life is turned upside down when she is cast in a major feature film. Soon she has joined two renowned movie stars and three fellow child actors on a film set in
France. But showbiz life comes with more than just glitz and glamour, teaching Jenny big lessons about life, love, friendship, and growing up. This book is glorious : warm, poignant, nostalgic, and thoroughly readable. Its Costa award-winning author, Kate Saunders, died last year, before it was published, but A Drop of Golden Sun couldn’t be a more fitting testament to a writer of immense talent. (Faber, £7.99, out now) The Whisperwicks by Jordan Lees Ages 9-12 11-year-old Benjamin adores books and is happiest when helping his grandmother run a bookshop . He is also a firm upholder of logic and reason, and certainly doesn’t believe in magic. So when he is sent a mysterious doll one day, and ends up falling into the mystical world of Wreathenwold, no one is more surprised than he is. His adventures in trying to get home again are labyrinthine, filled with unexpected twists and turns. Beautifully illustrated by Vivienne To, The Whisperwicks is an extraordinary, spell-binding read with shades of Philip Pullman and CS Lewis. (Puffin, £14.99, out now) Where the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan Ages 12-16/YA Set in 1846 during Ireland’s The Great Hunger, this is the kind of love story which burrows into your heart. The novel follows Nell, who works as a scullery maid for a rich landowne r, scrubbing and peeling any food that hasn’t rotted in the earth. Upstairs, where she is not allowed to go, is Johnny: the young English nephew of her villainous boss. Their forbidden teenage romance makes for an absorbing read, while the historical context is beautifully rendered. (Bloomsbury, £14.99, out now) The Things We Leave Behind by Clare Furniss Ages 12-16/YA In the dystopian world of The Things We Leave Behind , a totalitarian government in
London has prompted civil unrest and families are being ripped apart. Clem’s is one of them. Now she finds herself as a 16-year-old refugee in
Scotland , having almost lost her life in the treacherous journey she has taken to get there. This gripping, all too believable novel comes with clear lessons about migration, belonging and empathy. (Simon & Schuster, £8.99, out now) Keedie by Elle McNicoll Ages 9-12 McNicoll is an author who has been at the forefront of transforming the representation of neurodivergent children in literature. Her latest, Keedie , is the prequel to her beloved book A Kind of Spark , which centred on a young autistic girl named Addie and is being adapted for TV this summer. Still, Keedie can be read as a standalone, as we follow Addie’s eponymous sister and her own life navigating autism, school, friendships and bullies. It’s another touching and important book. (Knights of Media, £7.99, out 4 April) King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore Ages 12-16/YA Anton is often getting into trouble in school. He can’t help it: he and his
Friends rule Year 9, and he has a reputation to keep up. But his mum is fed up with his behaviour, so signs him up for a local activity group called Happy Campers. This would have been bad enough in itself, but Anton is mortified to find out the school’s “biggest loser” Matthew is also a member. When Matthew saves his life, Anton starts to learn important life lessons. This teen
comedy really is very funny, while also being meaningful and heartwarming. (Hot Key Books, £7.99, out 11 April) Betty Steady and the Toad Witch by Nicky Smith-Dale Ages 5-9 Betty Steady doesn’t need help from anyone – not even to stop the Toad Witch from attacking Wobbly Rock, the faraway realm which our 12-year-old heroine fearlessly protects. Except, perhaps she will learn that she does. Enter her crew, which include a trumpet-playing mouse and a stallion who wears tiger-print cycling shorts. This book is completely wacky but every bit as wonderful, while illustrations from Sarah Horne bring the story to life in technicolour. (Farshore, £6.99, out 25 April) Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm by Ash Bond Ages 9-12 Bond’s debut takes Greek mythology and spins it into a mesmerising fantasy about Peregrine Quinn, who, when the portals that separate our world with Cosmic Realm mysteriously shut down, must rescue her godfather Daedalus. Accompanied by a glorious cast of characters, this pacy adventure will delight fans of Artemis Fowl and Skandar in particular. (Piccadilly Press, £12.99, out 25 April) The Wrong Shoes by Tom Percival Ages 5-9 Will’s shoes are broken, but his family can’t afford to replace them. How much food he eats depends on how much change he can pick up from the floor. He can’t do his homework of making a medieval castle because he has no materials at home to use. The Wrong Shoes is a thoughtful, moving exploration of child poverty, which is sensitively done. Best of all, as part of its campaign, the publisher is teaming up with The National Literacy Trust in order to distribute free copies. (Simon & Schuster, £12.99, out 9 May) The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie by Radhika Sanghani Ages 9-12 Priya has always been good at evading the truth – until one day she suddenly finds herself completely incapable of lying. Without meaning to, she reveals who she has a crush on, spills friends’ secrets and even tells her dad why she dislikes his cooking. It all started when she put on a new bangle, and now she can’t get it off. But this newfound honesty is about to teach her more than she could have imagined. The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie is sweet and funny and full of heart. (Usborne, £7.99, out 9 May) Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald Ages 12-16/YA Banjo and Finlay first met in the care home they grew up in in Glasgow, where they became as close as brothers. Now Finlay, 18, is training to be a nurse and Banjo, 17, is struggling to settle with a new foster family. They also no longer speak to each other since a particular event three years ago that neither want to talk about. This powerful coming-of-age story explores identity, masculinity , found family and friendship, and deserves to be widely read and loved. (Faber, £8.99, out 2 May)