Alphonse, You’re Ruining the Show! by Daisy Hirst, Walker, £12.99
During a sleepover at Granny’s house, Alphonse and Natalie decide to put on their own play – but things go awry when Alphonse isn’t allowed a ticket as well as being in the show. Acutely and affectionately observed, Hirst’s adorable toddler monsters are on spectacular form in this funny, endearing picture book.
Trick or Treat? by Catherine Emmett, illustrated by Laura Brenlla, Oxford, £7.99
A witch is thrilled when a little girl comes trick-or-treating – she’s the last ingredient needed for the witch’s ogre-detection potion. But the sweet child may not be all she seems in this lively Halloween picture book, boasting a hilarious twist.
The Brighter I Shine by Kamee Abrahamian and Lusine Ghukasyan, Lantana, £12.99
On her birthday, an Armenian child decorates her home with rose, mint and sumac, smells dumplings cooking, and remembers her ancestors’ journeys, taken “so that I could be born / very far from home / in a room full of their spirits”. A colourful, poignant picture book about treasuring the stories of those who came before.
Gold Rush by Flora Delargy, Wide Eyed, £16.99
A fascinating, feminist, 7+ exploration of the Klondike gold rush, from the initial discovery by a First Nations woman to the thousands of treasure seekers who shaped the landscape they travelled through, and the tenacious women who built businesses and staked claims. Delargy’s enthralling illustrations range from the minute details of packing lists to glowing, ethereal mountain landscapes.
Spooky Stories illustrated by Lia Visirin, Usborne, £12.99
A splendidly creepy assortment of stories for 7+, featuring retellings of MR James and HG Wells as well as new takes on Bengali and central African folktales.
History’s Most Epic Fibs by Athena Kugblenu, illustrated by Nicole Miles, Wren & Rook, £10.99
From Vikings’ horned helmets to Napoleon’s shortness, history’s suspect sayings, stereotypes and fake news are interrogated in this accessible, humorous and thought-provoking book for 7+, with engaging black-and-white illustrations.
Lockett & Wilde’s Dreadfully Haunting Mysteries: The Ghosts of the Manor by Lucy Strange and Pam Smy, Walker, £10.99
Young Matilda Lockett is used to playing a ghost – her Poor Dead Edna performances are the highlight of Aunt Valentina’s spirit-medium shows. But when they’re invited to Beauchamp Manor to solve a haunting, Matilda is shocked to find she can see ghosts, too. Can she and her spectral new friend Edgar crack the case? First in a series for 8+, this atmospherically illustrated story is comic, cosy and just eerie enough for a satisfying frisson.
Witchspark by Dominique Valente, Usborne, £8.99
Eglantine Bury lives in Huswyvern, an enchanted, sentient house, but if she can’t unlock her magical Witchspark, her unscrupulous uncle will take Hus for himself. Meanwhile, young Princess Victoria fears her uncontrollable magic will lose her the throne … When both girls resort to Miss Hegotty’s banned correspondence course for witches, their fates intertwine in a delightfully madcap 8+ magical adventure.
Mallory Vayle and the Curse of Maggoty Skull by Martin Howard, illustrated by Pete Williamson, Nosy Crow, £7.99
Mallory Vayle is more interested in pony books than communicating with ghosts – until her parents’ carriage plummets off a bridge and she finds herself living in her aunt’s sinister mansion. When she discovers a wicked necromancer has captured her parents’ spirits, Mallory must make a pact with Maggoty, a wig-fixated talking skull, to have any chance of saving them. This riotous 9+ supernatural romp effortlessly blends outrageous humour and genuine creepiness in the perfect Halloween read.
Birdie by JP Rose, Andersen, £7.99
When biracial Birdie leaves her Leeds children’s home to live with her great-aunt, the small Yorkshire Dales community greets her with racist hostility. But when Birdie befriends Mr Duke, the last pit pony in a soon-to-be-closed coal mine, girl and pony form an unbreakable bond – and when Mr Duke is threatened, Birdie will do anything to save his life. Mesmerically gripping and profoundly moving, this 10+ story of adaptation, love and courage is impossible to forget.
Graphic Novel Builder by Edward Ross, Collins, £12.99
A must for young comic artists of 11+, this clear, accessible illustrated guide, featuring an introduction by Alice Oseman, is full of invaluable tips about character development, settings, dialogue-writing and comics history, as well as how to level up your drawing skills.
I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner, Simon & Schuster, £12.99
George has been in love with their best friend, Eleanor, for years – now that Eleanor should start searching for a husband, though, they seem to have no choice but to let her go. George is busy enough, anyway, working to save the family estate. But while Eleanor wants to do everything “right”, she’s never met a man she liked more than George … This sparkling, joyous, Austenian 14+ graphic novel celebrates trans identities and queer love in a regency setting, with meticulously researched historical context at the back.
The Ancient’s Game by Loni Crittenden, Magpie, £16.99
As a descendant of traitors, Kellan is barred from “makecraft” – creating wonders by carving magic into metal – but her adoptive father Edgar has allowed her to develop forbidden skills. Now Kellan can save Edgar from ruin only by competing against the elite and winning a place as a maker’s apprentice, but sinister forces are stalking the contestants in an original, bold, evocative YA fantasy.
Old Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner, Usborne, £8.99
When trans kids Erin and Max leave home for California, their journey is interrupted by a breakdown in the boondocks that turns into a terrifying trap. The locals are intent on sacrificing one of them to a fearsome creature that preys only on girls, and Max and Erin will have to face their deepest fears if they hope to survive. Subversive and scary, with compelling characterisation, this YA horror thriller is a pulse-pounding debut.
