Bím Blake’s Hot Takes – My Pencil Case Doesn’t Define Me by Tolá Okogwu, illustrated by Ariyana Taylor, Puffin, £8.99
Bím Blake has just started high school, but between her annoying older brothers, a regrettable pencil case, mortifying bra-shopping and the impossibly cute new boy, it’s proving an ordeal. And why has her dad started acting so weirdly? A lively, warm, highly illustrated new 9+ diary series, ideal for fans of Geek Girl and Lottie Brook.

Wonderland by Patience Agbabi, Firefly, £9.99
In 1980, when 16-year-old Londoner Tamilola moves to Colwyn Bay, she’s the only one who doesn’t belong – until she discovers the end-of-pier Northern soul club called Wonderland. A gutsy, joyous, effortlessly atmospheric YA verse novel about finding yourself and your people on the dancefloor.

Seyoon and Dean, Unscripted by Sujin Witherspoon, Hot Key, £8.99
Seyoon Shin and Dean Parker both have compelling reasons to sign up for the reboot of Forest Feud, a 20-year-old cult reality TV show featuring wilderness games and a huge cash prize. Despite despising each other, they’re pushed to pretend their strategic alliance is also a romantic one – but surely that’s just for the cameras? A light, swoony, escapist YA romcom, ideal for Jenny Han fans.

The Summer After the Night Before by Lisa Williamson, DFB, £8.99
After a few too many drinks at a party, Molly wakes up in a strange bed. It belongs to Ben, her best friend Rhiannon’s twin brother, who’s always had a crush on her. Molly remembers kissing Ben, but not what happened next. Weaving together the perspectives of Molly, Ben and Rhiannon, Williamson dives deep into ideas of consent, trauma and healthy relationships in this gripping, hard-hitting 14+ novel.

This Boy I Hardly Know by Lisa Heathfield, Andersen, £8.99
Sixteen-year-old Dusty and her little sister Poppy have been through multiple foster placements. Now they’ve been separated, and no one will tell them when – or if – they’ll be reunited. When Dusty meets charismatic Cooper in the children’s home where she’s been dumped, the two of them, determined to find Poppy, decide to run away. Chronicling the pain of being disbelieved, uprooted and silenced, this powerful, moving contemporary YA novel is also a defiant celebration of love.

Frank the Monster by Mats Strandberg, illustrated by Sofia Falkenhem, Gecko, £8.99
Frank is scared of monsters after dark – but when he’s nipped by a dog at his birthday party and strange things start to happen, he discovers he has more in common with the night’s secret creatures than he thought. Spare, dry and elegant, with transporting two-colour illustrations, this thoughtful 7+ book is laced with just the right amount of peril.

The House With Chicken Legs Runs Away by Sophie Anderson, Usborne, £8.99
Marinka has lived all her life in a Yaga house, guiding the dead onwards through The Gate to the Stars. Now her beloved home is behaving oddly – and so is the Gate. When House pulls itself apart, Marinka and her friend Benjamin set out on a desperate journey to heal it. But is that what House really wants? Imaginative, warm and touching, this 9+ sequel to Anderson’s beloved debut deals courageously with ideas of growth and change.

Poetry Pizza by Simon Mole, illustrated by Tom McLaughlin, Otter-Barry, £8.99
From baths full of lemonade to invented acronyms, a spell for infinite football skills to Yuri Gagarin’s last wee before blasting off into space, this lively, funny, lyrical poetry collection features subjects to entice a variety of 7+ readers.

The Adventures of Portly the Otter by MG Leonard, illustrated by Polly Dunbar, Farshore, £14.99
Elegantly balancing delight and peril, these stories of a lovable otter pup feature cameos from Toad, Ratty, Badger and Mole – and some unsettling appearances from the Weasels. Dunbar’s adorable illustrations complement this perfect introduction to Wind in the Willows for 8+ (or for younger bedtime listeners).

Hari Kumar, Ultimate Superstar by Rashmi Sirdeshpande, illustrated by Mamta Singh, HarperCollins, £7.99
Ten-year-old Hari is determined to achieve stardom at all costs – especially when a school film-making competition offers him his big break. But as his best friends pursue their own ideas and the new kid starts to turn into a villain rather than a sidekick, will Hari’s dream be over before it’s begun? A funny 7+ introduction to an engaging neurodivergent hero, in a welcoming illustrated diary format.

The Last Wolf by Rob Biddulph, Macmillan, £12.99
In the town of Moonhaven, Jax, Jovi, Esau and Fourth love nothing more than creeping out at the full moon, despite the curfew enforced by the sinister Nighthawks. After a rare werewolf attack, though, the children are suspected of involvement and must go on the run. Can they reveal the truth behind the attack – and what Colonel Pike, the Nighthawks’ leader, is planning? Atmospherically illustrated in black-and-white, this fast-paced story is a satisfying, thrilling 8+ adventure.

A Girl’s Guide to Spying by Holly Webb, Rock the Boat, £7.99
When Phyl and Annie join the Girl Guides in 1915, learning knots, morse code and drill, their parents aren’t too keen on their unladylike activities. Then Phyl and another Guide get jobs as War Office messengers – but when an officer goes missing, Phyl uncovers a spy in the midst of MO5 (the precursor to MI5). As she and Annie fight to solve the mystery, will anyone believe them – and can they make a difference to the direction of the war? First in a new series that will appeal to Murder Most Unladylike fans, this is a gripping, believable 9+ historical mystery, full of courage, high stakes and quick wits.

Always Angel by Kimberly Whittam, Usborne, £7.99
Angel has racked up more detentions than any other year 8 student. Despite her track record of poor choices, though, she wants to do well, make friends, and even win the school bake-off. Her mum is unable to care for her, and everything seems overwhelming – is there any chance she can turn things round? An empathetic, moving 9+ contemporary story of challenge and determination.

Gone for Good by Sarah Crossan, Simon & Schuster, £9.99
Grieving and angry, Connie is traumatised when she’s consigned to Silver Lake Academy, a secure facility for troubled teens – then drawn deep into a disturbing conspiracy when she discovers the girl who used to sleep in her bunk is missing without trace. This compelling YA verse-novel thriller is impossible to stop reading.

They Call Her Regret by Channelle Desamours, Bloomsbury, £8.99
Known for her legendary Halloween parties, Simone is holding this year’s beside an isolated lake where Regret, a bereaved, malign spirit, is said to make deadly deals with those who find her. When her best friend’s life is endangered, Simone must decide how far she will go to save her in this unsettling, page-turning supernatural YA mystery.

The Fox Hunt by Caitlin Breeze, Electric Monkey, £16.99
At the University, an ancient pact allows the elite all-male Turnbull Club the power to rule in exchange for a sacrifice to a hidden magical world. Unsophisticated Emma is an unlikely match for Jasper, the club’s glamorous president – and when Turnbull dinners and parties give way to a fox hunt where she’s the quarry, she finds herself ripped from the mortal world and bound to the magical Night City, where she will have to find her own reserves of ferocity and cunning if she wishes to escape. A richly imagined fantasy, elegantly marrying feminist fairytale with dark academia.

The Golden Monkey Mystery by Piu DasGupta, Nosy Crow, £7.99
Aspiring doctor Roma is amazed to discover a golden monkey near her Indian boarding school, far away from its home in Assam. Despite two English children tagging along, bandits on her tail and the malign influence of a cursed jewel called the Snakestone, Roma is determined to return the monkey to where it belongs in this full-tilt, thrilling 8+ historical adventure.

The Experiment by Rebecca Stead, Andersen, £7.99
Eleven-year-old Nathan has always known that he’s from another planet, part of a long-running Earth-based experiment that seems to be coming to an end. But as Nathan’s peers start disappearing and his own family are called back to the Mothership, he begins to question everything he’s believed to be true … An imaginative, humorous coming-of-age sci-fi story for 9+ by an award-winning author.

The Lone Husky by Hannah Gold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold, HarperCollins, £14.99
Returning to the Arctic landscape of her bestselling The Lost Bear, Gold’s thrilling new story follows her dauntless heroine April on a long-distance race across the tundra, kitted out with only basic supplies, a brave team of huskies and Blaze, a rescued dog with a traumatic past who may be April’s best hope. An instantly compelling delight for 9+ readers who love animal adventures.

Phoenix Brothers by Sita Brahmachari, Oxford, £8.99
Amir has weathered extraordinary suffering to survive his journey from Iraq to Britain; now he and Mo, another unaccompanied child refugee, are trying to rebuild their lives. But when Amir enters a prestigious public speaking competition, not everyone wants to hear the story he has to tell. A spare, moving story for 11+, of courage, resilience and the bonds forged by adversity.

Time Lions and the Chrono-Loop by Martin Seneviratne and Krystal Sutherland, Bonnier, £7.99
When genius 12-year-old twins Pearl and Patrick build a time machine, they fall foul of TIME (The Interdimensional Misconduct Enquiry) by upsetting the course of history – but their unique skill set is soon needed to undo greater chronological wrongs. Part Spy Kids, part Artemis Fowl, this fast-paced 9+ romp boasts sensitive, thoughtful character development.

Swanfall by Sophie Kirtley, Bloomsbury, £7.99
Pip loves the birds on the wetlands around his cottage, especially the Arctic swans that return every winter. This year, though, something is different, as Pip finds a strange book and hears mysterious whispers that lead him to new friends and the discovery of an ancient curse. This snowy, atmospheric revisiting of the Children of Lir is an utterly absorbing 8+ fantasy.

The Girl Who Raced the World by Nat Harrison, Bonnier, £12.99
Losing her beloved mother, Maggie is left adrift in London with only a letter addressed to “Passepartout” for guidance. But Passepartout is employed by Mr Phileas Fogg, who has just accepted a wager to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days – and attempting to deliver the letter will precipitate Maggie into an impossible race against time. This warm-hearted, exciting 9+ debut revisits Jules Verne’s classic from a delightful new perspective.

The Last Bard by Maz Evans, Chicken House, £12.99
Clearing out his grandfather’s seaside flat isn’t exactly a relaxing holiday for Will Davenant. When he inherits his grandfather’s Complete Works of Shakespeare, however, he finds unexpected help inside – four lively Shakespearean characters, ready to help Will, his mum and his new friends take charge of their own stories. Funny, energetic and moving, this 9+ standalone from the author of Who Let the Gods Out? encourages hope and resilience, even in the toughest times.

The Superhero’s First Aid Manual by Dr Punam Krishan, illustrated by Hannah Li, DK, £12.99
An invaluable resource for readers of 7+, this bright, calming, straightforwardly accessible guide details exactly what to do in accident and emergency situations.

The Unexplained: Ghosts by Adam Allsuch Boardman, Flying Eye, £10.99
Marrying bold graphic illustrations and intriguing pared-back text, this collection of hauntings from different countries, cultures and historical periods will enthral ghost enthusiasts of 8+.

The Unfamous Diaries of Daisy Brewster: The Frenemies by Jenny Valentine, illustrated by Hannah McCaffery, Simon & Schuster, £7.99
Daisy Brewster hopes to win a lead role in her drama club’s next production – but when her annoying cousin Maxxy, an actual TV star, pays an unexpected visit, will she crush all Daisy’s dreams? A witty, engaging diary-format story about family, ambition and the pitfalls of fame, ideal for 8+ fans of Dork Diaries.

Spirit Warriors by Ashley Thorpe, Usborne, £7.99
When Evie’s magical island home is ravaged by evil ghouls, her best friend Arthur’s soul is swapped into a cat’s body. Now Evie and Arthur must team up with apprentice shaman Cai to switch their bodies back – and prevent the evil Blackheart Man destroying the barrier between the living and the dead. A compulsively readable 9+ fantasy adventure, richly laced with Jamaican folklore and genuine terror.