Discover the full preview listings overleaf (p16-22 )
Fiction 9-12
Holly Surplice ( 4) The Horse Dreamer Chicken House, 9th, £12.99, HB, 9781915947758
4
A young girl called Merryn is struggling after the death of her father and finds solace in both the natural world and a dream-like horse who arrives one day, seemingly made from the woods and the sea . A relationship develops and the horse offers Merryn solace and companionship until she is given a way of reconnecting with the real world and her grieving mother and sisters. This poignant and tender story is told just as much by the illustrations as it is by the words, and will be published with fully integrated artwork throughout.
Teenage & YA
Amber Hamilton ( 6) Seven Deadly Thorns Bloomsbury YA, 28th, £16.99, HB, 9781526680303
In Hamilton’s debut, an entitled prince named Roze Roquelart is ordered
6 Picture books
Annie Booker ( 8) The Great Bear Two Hoots, 9th, £12.99, HB, 9781035028672
The Great Bear has patrolled the oceans, protecting the planet and the
delicate balance of life since the dawn of time, so when a man comes with his polluting fishing boat the bear uses its awesome power to bring equilibrium to the Arctic waters once more. The polar bear is portrayed as both a real animal and an enormous, powerful force that can wrestle humanity away from our polluting machines, teaching us about how to care for our world. A stunningly realised, powerful debut from an exciting new talent.
7 Picture books
Lauren Child ( 7) Charlie and Lola: I Am Wishing Every Minute for Christmas Simon & Schuster Children’s, 9th, £12.99, HB, 9781398542792
9 Fiction 9-12 8
Hannah Gold, Levi Pinfold (illus) The Lone Husky HarperCollins Children’s Books, 23rd, £14.99, HB, 9780008582098 Gold is back in the Arctic in her new novel, in which April signs up for the Polar Race – a long-distance dog sled race across the frozen tundra. Classic Gold themes are here - the friendship between child and animal, the wonder and power of nature, courage and resilience, as well as family, friendship and doing the right thing – making this the perfect book for a child who wants to hunker down with an exciting story on a cold winter’s night.
Simon & Schuster and Child are celebrating 25 years of Charlie and Lola in print with this brand new Christmas story, in which Lola is wishing every minute for Christmas. Charlie, her more sensible older brother, tries to think of some ways for them to pass the time. New readers will relate to that familiar feeling of thinking that Christmas will never come, while older fans will enjoy being back in the company of the iconic sibling duo.
Teenage & YA
Emma Hinds ( 9) Witchlore Usborne, 9th, £8.99, PB, 9781835409589
Orlando is an outcast at school for two reasons. They are a shapeshifter in a college full of witches who cannot control when they shift between male and female forms, and they are blamed for the death of Elizabeth, the girl Orlando loved. But then Orlando meets Bastian, an attractive new student who suggests they use a spell from a legendary shapeshifter grimoire to try to bring Elizabeth back to life. Drolly funny and with a wildly inventive magical system, this is an addictive read.
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to kill Viola Sinclair, whose deadly shadow magic has been discovered. But the formerly obnoxious Roze has an offer for Viola, and he is willing to spare her life if he gets what he wants. This YA hits all the right notes for magical fantasy, with its enemies-to-lovers romance, feisty heroine, dark academia setting and jaw-dropping twist. Publishers worldwide agree: this was one of Bloomsbury’s big hits at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2025.
5 Teenage & YA
Philip Pullman ( 5), Christopher Wormell (illus) The Rose Field: The Book of Dust Volume Three Penguin and David Fickling Books, 23rd, £25, HB, 9780241458693 The final book in The Book of Dust trilogy, this much anticipated novel, The Rose Field, is the culmination of two series, The Book of Dust and His Dark Materials. When readers last met Lyra, she was travelling across the world in search of her daemon, while Malcolm was searching for Lyra. Now, their quests converge in a story that promises to give them answers about Dust, the special roses and imagination.
BRYAN APPLEYARD
JO SITTENFELD
JEN ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY
Books Children’s Previews
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