Books

36. ‘There’s A Boy Just Like Me’ by Frasier Cox (Little Tiger Press, €5.99) 2+ Ten-year-old Frasier Cox won a competition with this thoughtprovoking tale of two boys who share the same passions and dreams... except one is a refugee facing a much less certain future. Winningly illustrated by Alison Brown, Frasier’s story reminds us that deep down, we’re all the same. Available at thebookpeople.co.uk.

37. ‘Am I Yours?’ by Alex Latimer (Oxford, €9.79) 2+ Can T-Rex, Triceratops and other prehistoric pals help a lost little egg home before the sun sets? A heart-warming story about belonging and community, and an ideal introduction to some of the oldest inhabitants of our planet.

38. ‘Steve, Terror Of The Seas’ by Megan Brewis (Oxford, €9.79) 2+ Dive into this funny and informative tale about Steve, who can’t understand why all the ocean’s creatures are so frightened of him. With stylish illustrations and pages packed with facts about Steve and his special friend, it’s a total delight.

39. ‘My Colourful Chameleon’ by Leonie Roberts (QED, €8.39) 2+ Debut author Roberts’s rhyming text pairs perfectly with Mike Byrne’s illustrations in a charming story about a girl and her pet chameleon. Sure to be a hit with youngsters who will love trying to spot the creature on every page.

40. ‘A Sailor Went To Sea, Sea, Sea’ by Sarah Webb and Steve McCarthy (O’Brien Press, €16.99) 6+ There’s cockles, mussels, owls, pussycats and a whole lot more in this beguiling book of popular Irish childhood rhymes, wonderfully illustrated by McCarthy.

41. ‘Bee Boy’ by Tony De Saulles (Oxford, €9.80) 7+ Early independent readers should look no further than this lifeaffirming story about Melvin, a boy who is bullied at school by nasty Norman, but finds solace in the bees he keeps on the roof of his building. The book is abuzz with bee facts, and de Saulles’s yellow-and-black illustrations make it a joy.

42. ‘The Boy Who Grew Dragons’ by Andy Shepherd (Piccadilly Press, €8.40) 7+ What if dragon fruits actually contained baby dragons? That’s the premise of Shepherd’s charming debut. Sara Ogilvie’s illustrations help tell the story of Tomas, who is astonished to discover a dragon in his room after taking the fruit home.

43. ‘Kat Wolfe Investigates’ by Lauren St John (Macmillan, €9.80) 9+ The thrilling start to a new series following animal-mad Kat, who has just moved to the Dorset coast and set up a pet-sitting agency. When her parrot-owning client vanishes, it’s up to Kat and new friend Harper to solve the mystery. 44. ‘Rugby Heroes’ by Gerard Siggins (O’Brien Press, €8.99) 8+ Siggins’s Rugby Spirit series has been one of the most popular homegrown children’s sagas and Rugby Heroes, detailing another rollicking adventure for Eoin Madden, is perfect for any sports mad youngster. Also keep an eye out for the author’s new series Atlantis United coming next month.

45. ‘A Sky Painted Gold’ by Laura Wood (Scholastic, €11.20) 14+ Wood’s YA debut is perfect for glamoursoaked summer escapism. Set in the Twenties, the novel follows Lou as she is swept up in an whirlwind of moonlit cocktail parties when the enigmatic young owners of the grand Cardew house arrive for the summer. But is their life all that it seems?