BOOKS OF THE MONTH

The best new children’s picture books and novels

Not Now, Noor!

By Farhana Islam, illustrated by Nabila Adani When Noor asks the women in her family why they wear hijabs, no one will tell her – until her ammu gives her the answers. Lively and full of fun, this picture book is steeped in love and pride.

The Big Bad Bug By Kate Read

A big, bullying beetle terrorises the other minibeasts in the garden. Will he learn to share? A funny, boldly satisfying picture book from the author of One Fox.

Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories

By Jarvis

These gentle, wittily illustrated stories of mishaps, hurt feelings, fondness and friendship have a timeless, transporting quality, ideal for 5+ readers.

Jamie

By LD Lapinski

Being non-binary has never been a problem for 11-year-old Jamie – until secondary school looms, and the only two options are the boys’ school or the girls’. Jamie and their friends find themselves protesting. Will Jamie ever find the place they belong? A sensitive, moving 9+ story about fighting for acceptance and change.

Thirty Trillion Cells: How Your Body Really Works

By Isabel Thomas, illustrated by Dawn Cooper A gorgeous, in-depth look at the body’s building blocks, for readers of 7+.

The Táin

By Alan Titley, illustrated by Eoin Coveney

This gutsy, vivid, retelling of the seminal Irish myth is perfectly judged for folklore addicts of 8+, with text heightened by brawny illustrations.

Where the River Takes Us

By Lesley Parr

It’s 1974, and Richie and Jason have been recently orphaned. There are power-cuts and a threeday week, and Richie is struggling to pay the bills. When 13-year-old Jason sees a competition that promises a cash prize for a photo of the mysterious Beast of Blaengarw, he and his best friends set off on a quest that will change them for ever. A poignant, funny adventure for 9+, rich in evocative detail.

The Door of No Return

By Kwame Alexander Eleven-year-old Kofi is a dreamer who loves swimming, his elders’ stories and his friend Ama. When a village celebration leads to sudden death, Kofi’s everyday happiness is torn away, leaving only dreams. Set in modern-day Ghana, Alexander’s verse novel for 12+ is a gripping coming-of-age story.

Different for Boys

By Patrick Ness, illustrated by Tea Bendix

Featuring black “redactions” of bad language and Bendix’s elegant, minimalist illustrations, this slim, powerful 14+ story of friendship, attraction and internalised homophobia follows Ant Stevenson and his shifting, complex relationships with three boys at school. A quietly unforgettable book from an award-winning author.

Wild Song

By Candy Gourlay

When Luki’s mountain village in the Philippines receives an invitation from President Roosevelt, asking them to visit the World’s Fair in Missouri, Luki leaps at the chance to defy the village elders. But the US’s welcome doesn’t prove all that she hopes. This YA companion to the acclaimed Bone Talk confirms Gourlay as a brilliantly accomplished and original historical novelist.