Scarlet: Defender of the Universe Written by James Davis and illustrated by Dotty Sutton Published by Harpercollins Are you sitting comfortably? Are you fantasising about bamboo? Do you have black and white fur? Are you huge and cute and cuddly-looking? Well, put this book down, because you are a panda, and this is not a book for pandas. … Continue reading Middle Grade Must Reads – August 2026 (Part Three)
Questers Academy: The Box of Locks Written by Sam Hay Published by Firefly Press Twelve-year-old Tom Friday was never meant to be a museum-guarding, artefact-finding, super-brave explorer. But he gets embroiled in an adventure with twelve-year-old Lisha and her aunt, who is a special agent working for the Natural History Museum to protect and retrieve powerful … Continue reading Middle Grade Must Reads – August 2026 (Part Two)
Dragonflare Written by Jamie Hammond You are invited to compete in the Wingrider Trials on Dragonflare Island! Do you have what it takes to become a dragon rider, solve the puzzles and find the treasure? Flynn definitely doesn't. So, when a dragon kidnaps him to be her partner in the trials, things get complicated. Now … Continue reading Middle Grade Must Reads – August 2026 (Part One)
Rules for Vampires 2: Ghosts Bite Back Written by Alex Foulkes Published by Simon & Schuster I loved book 1 so I couldn’t wait to revisit these characters. A vampire and a ghost being friends is unheard of. It makes no sense. The two factions have despised one another for all eternity. But . . . Leo the vampire … Continue reading Middle Grade Must Reads – June 2026 (Part Two)
The Big Bad Wolf Murder Written by P. G. Bell Published by Usborne I adore this author and series - the first book in the series The Beanstalk murder was one of my all time favourite books so I was looking forward to reading this one. At twelve years old, Ruby Calvino is the youngest human … Continue reading Middle Grade Must Reads – May 2026
Tomorrow's Ghost Written by Tanya Landman Published by Walker Books This was amazing from the first page. Haunted by the past, can Anna rewrite the future? 1976: Twelve-year-old Anna, bored and lonely away from her friends for the summer, finds herself dreaming about a girl from 1919 – a neglected and lonely girl living in a … Continue reading Middle Grade Must Reads -April 2026
When I Became Your Mummy Written by Susannah Shane Illustrated by Britta Teckentrup Published by Nosy Crow This title has previously been published in paperback, but alas it has now also become available as a board book which is awesome because the chunkier form makes it perfect for babies and toddlers to enjoy, and what … Continue reading Making Mother’s Day special with little ones
The Carnegies, the UK’s longest running book awards for children run by the UK’s library association, CILIP, announced their 2026 shortlists at the London Book Fair yesterday afternoon. The award celebrates outstanding reading experiences in both Writing and Illustration categories and are unique in being judged by librarians – and what better award to celebrate … Continue reading 2026 Carnegie Medal shortlist announced
Written by Amelia Giudici Published by Andersen Press Cover design by Philip Harris Since starting this blog in 2019 I have read so many books, and it only now occurs to me to do some sort of official BookBound award for those that truly are the creme de la creme of children's literature. The cause … Continue reading Anya and the light above the Ocean
Nora Nightsky Written by Rebecca Lewis-Oakes Published by Scholastic I was lucky enough to have been sent a sample booklet of this book which left me wanting to read the entire book. Nora Nightsky is a star - literally. Her glamorous mum is the North Star, and their dazzling family works hard, bringing to life the … Continue reading Middle Grade Must Read – February 2026 (Part Two)
