Books of the Year 2019


Welcome to a new year! What do we have to look forward to in 2019? We asked leading children’s books editors to tell us about the books they are most excited to be published (in 100 words only). Here’s the list:


Maggie Lehrman, executive editor, Amulet Books and Abrams Books for Young Readers: Actor and writer Thomas Lennon has delved into his Irish ancestry to create a hilarious world of law-breaking leprechauns, sly faerie folk, and other magical perils in the exciting new middle grade novel, Ronan Boyle and the Bridge of Riddles. Ronan may be the youngest and lowliest recruit of the secret garda (the Irish police force that handles the misdeeds of numerous magical creatures), but he’ll do anything to save his parents and prove they were unjustly imprisoned—even venture into the most dangerous parks of Tir Na Nog.


Charlie Sheppard, Publishing Director, Andersen Press: I didn’t come into this business to make people cry, but some books just can’t help affecting people. When Sadness Comes to Call is one such book. It seems to have touched and moved everyone who has worked on it. It is never too soon to start talking to children about emotions and mental health. It is never too soon to give children the tools they need to help them understand those around them and express their own feelings. I wish I had had this book to offer my children when they needed it. I’m glad it will be out there for others.


Sam Hutchinson, b small publishing: We’ve been working with confidence coach, Natalie Costa, to create a new series of books to encourage confidence and build self- esteem. The series is called Level Headers and one of the first titles, Stretch Your Confidence, is out in August 2019.


Neil Coombe, Manager of Black Library Publishing: 2019 will see us publish our first ever children’s books, so we have a massive year ahead of us. I am hugely excited about Attack of the Necron, book one (of six) in our Warhammer Adventures: Warped Galaxies series, written by the well-known children’s author Cavan Scott. The book includes illustrations and is a perfect introduction for younger readers (age 8+) to the science fiction-based Warhammer 40,000 universe.The story is full of danger, heroism, aliens, thrills and spills as we follow our three child protagonists setting out on their action-packed adventures.


Polly Whybrow, Editor (Picture Books), Bloomsbury


Children’s Books: The Girl and the Dinosaur by Hollie Hughes and Sarah Massini is one of those very rare and special books where the words and pictures take you on a magical journey far beyond the page. Marianne doesn’t have friends her own age, instead she hunts for fossils to build a very special sort of companion. And then one night, the wishing stars burn bright and a her dinosaur friend might just be waking . . . Truly breathtaking illustrations accompany a timeless story to create the perfect picture book.


Sharon Hutton, Publishing Director (Non Fiction),


Bloomsbury Children’s Books: In May we publish a breathtaking story about two unlikely heroes and their most amazing adventure. Everest: The Remarkable Story of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay is captivatingly written by Alexandra Stewart and beautifully


illustrated by the award-winning, Joe Todd-Stanton. This narrative tells how two men battled frost-biting temperatures, tumbling ice rocks, powerful winds and death-defying ridges to be the first to triumphantly reach the top of the world’s highest mountain. With a brilliant introduction by the greatest living explorer of our time, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, it’s a story not to be missed.


Hannah Sandford, Commissioning Editor (Fiction), Bloomsbury Children’s Books: The Monster Who Wasn’t is the first in a deeply magical trilogy from Australian debut TC Shelley, whose warm, witty way with words will enchant fans of Sophie Anderson and Jessica Townsend. It tells the story of a creature who is strange and unique. When he hatches down in the vast lair where monsters dwell, he looks like a human boy – much to everyone’s disgust. Even the gargoyles who adopt him and nickname him ‘Imp’ only want him to steal chocolate. But little does Imp know that Thunderguts, king of the ogres, has a great destiny in mind for him…


Zoe Griffiths, Senior Commissioning Editor (YA Fiction), Bloomsbury Children’s Books: A new book from Sarah Crossan is always cause for celebration! Sarah is completely incomparable and May 2019 sees the publication of Toffee, her outstanding next verse novel which explores mental health. It focuses on the friendship between Marla, a woman with dementia struggling to remember, and Allison, a runaway desperate to forget her past. The incredible bond that they develop helps each of them discover who they truly are. Sarah’s books always fill me with such light. This is bold, brave and beautiful.


Hannah Rolls, Commissioning Editor, Bloomsbury


Education: Next year more or less everyone I know will be getting a copy of Midnight Feasts, a wonderful anthology by A.F. Harrold, for Christmas. Beautifully illustrated in full colour by rising star Katy Riddell (daughter of former Children’s Laureate, Chris Riddell), this delicious anthology brings together work from a broad range of poets – from A.E. Houseman to Sabrina Mahfouz. Whether you’re in the mood for jelly baby or a jelabi, these poems will satisfy any craving!


Janet Phillips, Editor, Bodleian Library Publishing: I’ve chosen The Princess Who Hid in a Tree by Jackie Holderness, illustrated by Alan Marks. This highly unusual book is a saint’s life, beautifully retold by Jackie as a fast-paced adventure story. The saint in question – or rather feisty young heroine – is a princess named Frideswide. As soon as I saw Alan’s first roughs for the book, showing Frideswide half-way up a tree, hair streaming out in the wind, with the river Thames below, I knew we had something special in our hands. I couldn’t be happier with how the book has turned out, a lovely balance of exquisite illustration and fine storytelling.


Emma Matthewson, Publishing Director, Bonnier Zaffre: One of the many books we are excited to be publishing is Yasmin Rahman’s All The Things We Never Said. With Mehreen, Olivia and Cara, Yasmin has created three unforgettable teenage girls who


Books for Keeps No.234 January 2019 3


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