Holiday reads for budding bookworms

2023-07-14 - with CHARLOTTE HEATHCOTE BY EMMA LEE-POTTER AND CHARLOTTE HEATHCOTE

PICTURE BOOKS The Selfish Crab

Anya Glazer OUP, £7.99

Claude lives a blissful life on a beautiful beach with nine other hermit crabs. But hermit crabs swap shells when they outgrow them – and Claude’s is so magnificent that he’s determined to hang on to it at all costs. A summery read with a host of fascinating facts about hermit crabs.

Speak Up!

Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola Puffin, £7.99

Rocket adores books. So, when she learns there isn’t enough money to keep her local library open, she launches a campaign to save it. This heart-warming tale encourages young readers to speak up and make a difference.

Hamster Heroes

Peter Bently and John Bond HarperCollins Children’s, £7.99

Hamsters may be cute but they fight back when alien gerbils and a giant chinchilla go on the warpath. This laugh-out-loud story has jaunty rhyming text and hilarious illustrations.

I’m Going To Be A Princess

Stephanie Taylor and Jade Orlando Nosy Crow, £12.99

When Maya grows up, her sole ambition is to be a princess. So her encouraging mum shows her inspirational alternatives.

5+ The Boy Who Would Be King

Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman HarperCollins Children’s Books, £14.99

This touching fairy story was inspired by King Charles III’s early years – from his passion for the countryside to his miserable time at boarding school. Exquisitely illustrated, it features an imaginary old woman who gives the lonely prince the courage and determination to change the world.

The Secret City

Katya Balen Bloomsbury, £6.99

Clem and friends are mudlarkers who search for treasures that wash up on the shore of the River Thames. But when Clem finds a strange metal ring, it’s the start of a weird and wonderful underwater adventure, featuring a miniature snail with medals made from bottle tops and a porpoise in a pink ball gown.

Emerald And The Ocean Parade

Harriet Muncaster Oxford, £9.99

Life as a mermaid princess doesn’t suit rebellious Emerald or her pet octopus so she’s dreading the annual Ocean Parade. But she learns that being true to herself is the only way to be.

Courage Out Loud

Joseph Coelho and Daniel Gray-Barnett Wide Eyed, £12.99

Twenty-five poems chosen by award-winning poet Joseph Coelho to boost children’s confidence in challenging situations.

9+ The Attack Of The Robot Librarians

Sam Copeland and Jenny Pearson Puffin, £7.99

At Agatha and Lenny’s primary school, tiny robot-owl librarians take charge of class discipline and the children are ordered to pedal bikes in lessons to create free energy. What’s going on? The detective duo investigate in this gripping adventure.

Inside Out & Back Again

Thanhhà Lai Puffin, £7.99

When the Vietnam War breaks out, Hà, 10, and family are forced to flee Saigon for America. The language is difficult, the food is strange and the locals are unfriendly. But Hà discovers the power of hope, love and family in this moving, empathetic and funny verse novel.

Dead Lock

Simon Fox Nosy Crow, £7.99

In an action-packed thriller for readers too young for Lee Child, Archie, 13, gets tangled in a web of deceit after a diamond necklace is stolen and his policeman dad is arrested. Readers will be on the edge of their seats.

Jodie

Hilary McKay Barrington Stoke, £7.99

Loner Jodie is horrified by the prospect of a school residential trip to the middle of nowhere. Excluded and miserable, she hears a dog barking in the distance and escapes to the salt marshes to investigate. An uplifting, dyslexia-friendly ghost story.

The Hare With The Blue Sombrero*

Susannah Macmillan Supernova Edizioni, £16.50

In this beautifully illustrated tale, an Arctic hare is rescued from environmental catastrophe by an adventuress, and left a fortune after she dies. When her lawyer forges a will claiming himself as the sole benefactor, Hare sets out to expose him.

YOUNG ADULT Rhubarb Lemonade

Oskar Kroon Hot Key, £7.99

Life in the city is difficult – Vinga’s dad has walked out and her mum is sad. Then Vinga spends a blissful summer on an island with her beloved grandfather, drinking rhubarb lemonade under the lilac tree, restoring her own dinghy and making a new friend. This coming-of-age story is beautifully observed.

This Summer’s Secrets

Emily Barr Penguin, £8.99

Teenager Senara and her mum lead a quiet life in a Cornish seaside village.

Then, Senara befriends the elderly owner of a mysterious clifftop house and is drawn into a world of wealth, privilege and age-old secrets. An intoxicating mix of mystery, suspense and first love.

Girl, Goddess, Queen

Bea Fitzgerald Penguin, £14.99

This rom-com with a twist is a feminist take on the Greek myth, as feisty Persephone takes drastic action to stop her parents Zeus and Demeter marrying her off to a god she’s never met.

MAKE AND DO Art Is Everywhere

Joe Haddow and Ellie Hawes Uclan, £7.99

Help kids to find their inner artist, whether they want to write, paint, dance or sing, with this accessible, encouraging guide to the joys of creativity. (9-12)

The Bedtime Book Of Impossible Questions

Isabel Thomas and Aaron Cushley Bloomsbury Children’s, £12.99

Inspire budding scientists with this informative introduction to the world, answering kids’ questions about aliens, animals, stars and much more. (7+)