15 New Books For Kids To Read This Summer
AGE 4-5
Agent Harrier: This Book Will Self-Destruct by Ben Sanders
There’s no time to lose… Canine inspector Agent Harrier must follow the red wire and defuse the bomb before it’s too late. Will the spy extraordinaire save everyone from being blasted to smithereens? And who planted the wretched bomb in the first place? With mysteries and red herrings around every corner, Harrier’s got to be careful not to bark up the wrong tree, because it seems something fishy might be afoot.
Available here
Dexter Lost his Boo-Woo by Shane Hegarty
Help! Dexter's lost his Boo-Woo and it’s a scary sounding beast! It has fiery eyes and floppy ears, and twenty pointy teeth… Soon the whole town is on the hunt for the Boo-Woo ... Join police officers, firefighters and more in this illustrated, action-packed adventure with an unexpected twist about losing – and finding – your favourite toy.
Available here
Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories by Jarvis
Bear and Bird are best friends. And while they don’t always understand each other, they both agree: all they want is to make the other happy. So, when Bear forgets to pack for a picnic (but pretends that he didn’t), Bird doesn’t let on that she knew all along. And when Bird discovers that Bear has more of a certain talent than she does, well, Bear finds a touching way to make her feel better... Full of mix-ups and comic misunderstandings, this book features four charming stories from award-winning creator Jarvis.
Available here
AGE 6-8
Betty Steady and the Toad Witch by Nicky Smith-Dale
At 12 years old, Betty Steady stands tall and dazzling, and is the Guardian of Wobbly Rock – a faraway kingdom which she protects fearlessly all on her own. But then the Toad Witch literally cuts Betty down to size. Can Betty prevent disaster before the Toad Witch and her evil army launch a terrible attack on Wobbly Rock? And when will she learn that she doesn't have to do everything by herself?
Available here
Monkey King & the World of Myths by Maple Lam
Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, is the mightiest of all beasts. The problem is, he's tired of being feared and hated and is determined to become a god instead. As luck would have it, an ancient evil has returned and is secretly turning everyone into monsters and the gods need a good warrior. They strike a deal with the Monkey King: travel the world and defeat the monsters and they'll make him one of them. Soon the Monkey King is off to Greece, where he gets tasked with pet-sitting, potty-training – and a three-headed dog. Oh, and then there's the whole 'defeat a man-eating Minotaur' mission too...
Available here
Famous Five Colour Short Stories: The Library Mystery by Enid Blyton
This newly created story brings Enid Blyton’s famous characters back to life once more. When the Five see a page ripped from a book, they are soon on the case to find the culprit. But first, there are cakes to be baked and money to be raised for their local library. Will the Five solve the mystery and save the library? This story follows Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy the dog on a special new adventure.
Available here
The Seal on the Beach by Mara Bergman
Maggie is on holiday with her aunt and uncle. Meanwhile her mum waits for Maggie’s baby brother to come home from hospital. On a walk across the wild Norfolk shoreline, Maggie finds a seal pup stranded on the beach. She is the sweetest thing Maggie has ever seen. But without her mum, how will the seal survive? Who will rescue her and will she ever be returned to the sea, and find her family again? Expressed through her vivid dreams and thoughtful actions, Maggie longs for the rescue and survival of this dear little seal pup. And, all the while, she hopes with all her heart to be reunited with her own mum and baby brother again.
Available here
AGE 9-12
The Girl Who Wasn't There by Jacqueline Wilson
When dad tells Luna and her little sister Aurora that they're moving to live in a real tower, it's almost like they've stepped inside a fairytale. But everything is not as magical as it first seems. The tower needs patching up, dad still doesn't have a job and they're not even allowed in the room at the very top. When it's time to start at their new school, Luna quickly finds a friend, but six-year-old Aurora absolutely hates the children in her class. She prefers to spend her time with her imaginary friend Tansy. Aurora's make-belief life causes problems for them all – and it seems like Aurora really believes Tansy exists... Is there really a curse on the tower?
Available here
The Double Life of Ted Amos by Simon James Green
Ted has always wanted to be a popular kid, but due to an embarrassing incident that will not be named, he finds it harder than ever to fit in. But when Ted's parents split up, his whole life changes. Although leaving his best friend Archie behind sucks, Ted is about to discover that staying with his dad might have its perks. Because with a new start, is the chance to re-invent yourself... that's right, Ted can choose his new identity and it's going to be fresh. But can Ted keep up the cool-kid charade, or will his lies catch up with him?
Available here
The Wrong Shoes by Tom Percival
This is a moving and sensitive exploration of the experience of child poverty from leading author and illustrator, Tom Percival. Will has the wrong shoes – he's always known it but doesn't know how to change it. Navigating the difficulties of home and school when you feel you stick out is tough, but finding confidence with the help and empathy of friends can be all you need to see the way.
Available here
The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie by Radhika Sanghani
Priya Shah lies. A lot. She pretends everything in her life is perfect, so she doesn't disappoint anyone. But when she puts on a bangle left to her by her grandmother – the one person she was always honest with – she finds herself unable to tell a lie. Priya is mortified. She tells her dad she hates his cooking, she tells Dan Zhang about her huge crush on him, she shares her best friends' secrets at school. She can't get the bangle off, and she can't stop the truths pouring out of her. As more things go wrong, and Priya's truth-telling spirals out of control, can Priya learn to be honest without hurting the people she loves?
Available here
TEEN & YA
Where the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan
Ireland, 1846. Nell is working as a scullery maid in the kitchen of the Big House. Once she loved school and books and dreaming. Now she is scrubbing, peeling, washing, sweeping for Sir Philip Wicken, the man who owns her home, her family's land, their crops, everything. His dogs are always well fed, even as famine sets in. Upstairs in the Big House, where Nell is forbidden to enter, is Johnny Browning, newly arrived from England: the young nephew who will one day inherit it all. And as hunger and disease run rampant all around them, a spark of life and hope catches light when Nell and Johnny find each other.
Available here
Lie or Die by A. J. Clack
When a casting call is announced for new reality TV show ‘Lie or Die’, Kass is tricked into auditioning by her best friend. Billed as Big Brother meets Mafia, Lie or Die pits contestants against each other as they try to discover who is a murderous agent and who is an innocent player. But when contestants start to turn up dead (the real kind, not the fake kind), Kass realises that not being eliminated and winning the game is the least of her worries. No longer a game of truth and lies, Kass and her friends are in a fight for survival. 'Reality' just got very real.
Available here
The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
Kofi has dreams of water, of its urgent whisper that beckons with promises and secrets. He has heard the call on the banks of Upper Kwanta, West Africa, where he lives. He loves these things above all else: his family, the fireside tales of his father’s father, a girl named Ama, and, of course, swimming. But when the unthinkable – a sudden death – occurs during a festival between rival villages, Kofi ends up in a fight for his life. What happens next will send him on a harrowing journey across land and sea, and away from everything he loves. Yet Kofi’s dreams may be the key to his freedom…
Available here
Hiding Him by Adam Hattan
Fans of Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper series will love this new book by author Adam Hattan. Cameron Hawkins is hopelessly single and longing to escape his village in the arse-end-of-nowhere. That is until a newcomer arrives: Finn. He's tall, dark, obscenely handsome and somewhat of an enigma... Is Finn the answer to Cam's happily ever after? Or will shadows of the past stand in the way of their palpable chemistry? Hiding Him explores coming of age, coming out and hearts coming together.
Available here
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