Titles in this preview are published in June
infiltrate the palace, impersonate a princess and carry out an audacious heist. But when the king is unexpectedly murdered, she is forced to recruit the help of Marie, the real princess, and the two begin to unravel a web of lies and deceit that leaves Odile uncertain of who to trust.
Alexandra Sheppard ( 7), Bex Glendining (illus) Alyssa and the Enchanted Forest
Faber, 19th, £7.99, PB, 9780571377466
In this sequel to Alyssa and the Spell Garden, Alyssa accidentally transports herself and her cousins to the Jamaican spell garden. They know they have to get back but the garden is hostile, and they must win it over in order to grow the right ingredients for their spell.
Jacqueline Silvester The Last Wish List Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, 5th, £8.99, PB, 9781398536081
Nadia decides to fulfil some of the activities on the wishlist of her friend Lizzy, who has just died. She sets off to the US and meets Fran, a boy with a big heart and an empty home, and together they take a trip along Route 66.
JL Simmonds Run Away With Me Penguin, 5th, £8.99, PB, 9780241708149
This US-based debut from UK author Simmonds is about two teenage
girls who escape – and find love – when they embark on a road trip across America.
Yejin Suh ( 8) The Last Soldier of Nava Magpie, 19th, £18.99, HB, 9780008683382
In the debut novel from Korean- American author Suh, a Korean
mythology-inspired sapphic fantasy, a young woman with shadow magic is awakened after 1,000 years to heal her nation.
Sarah Underwood Gentlest of Wild Things Electric Monkey, 5th, £9.99, PB, 9780008518110
Two young women – Eirene, who tries to protect her little sister from bride-seeking Leandros, and Lamia, Leandros’ neglected daughter – meet in this LGBTQ+ love story inspired by Greek mythology. Previously published in hardback.
Rebecca Westcott Wish You Dead Scholastic, 5th, £6.99, PB, 9780702318474
Sixteen-year-old Morgana is the most popular girl at Avalon Academy. An ugly encounter with one of her brother’s friends leaves her shaken, so she asks the universe for justice to be served. But is the universe really bending to her will or is someone else behind the resulting attacks? This contemporary teen thriller touches on manifestation and magic, and taps into the ‘baby witch’ TikTok world of Gen Z, says Scholastic.
Graphic novels
Madeleine Finlay, Tom Dearie (illus) Cosmo Park
Flying Eye Books, 5th, £10.99, PB, 9781838741303
Take a trip through the galaxy and learn about tricksy black holes and meteorite storms with this graphic novel guide to the universe we live in from Finlay, the host of the Guardian’s Science Weekly podcast. Engaging, accessible and fun, this is a fantastic introduction to outer space. Flying Eye will also re-release Finlay’s 2021 Beetles for Breakfast, illustrated by Jisu Choi, with the title Weird and Wonderful Ways to Save the Planet (9606).
Paul Gilligan Pluto Rocket: Full Blast Pushkin Children’s, 5th, £8.99, PB, 9781782695561
Pluto Rocket and Joe Pidge return and this time they embark on a rocket-building quest. Third in this early graphic novel series for newly independent readers.
LD Lapinski Kickflip Vol. 1 Hachette Children’s Group, 19th, £12.99, PB, 9781510112537
Elliot is bullied for being different at school and feels at home at the skatepark, where
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everyone presumes they are male. First in a new series of graphic novels about identity, self-acceptance and relationships by Lapinksi, the author of Jamie.
Sneha Pradhan,
Promina Shrestha (illus) Yelp! Yeti! Chaos in Kathmandu
Flying Eye Books, 5th, £9.99, PB, 9781838742256
Dev and his pet cat, Tuna, are ready for a summer of fun, but their plans change
when they encounter a Yeti that ransacks the kitchen and eats all the snacks, and Dev gets the blame. Dev and Tuna set out to catch the Yeti and prove Dev’s innocence at the same time. This first in a series is by Newari creatives and has footnotes explaining Nepali words and foods.
Steve Roberts, Joel Stewart Tangletree Mysteries: Peggy & Stu Hear Something Strange
Hachette Children’s Books, 5th, £7.99, PB, 9781804537190
Peggy and Stu go on two more adventures in their third book. In one they try to work out what is making the strange hooting sound and the other is about strange occurrences at a vegetable competition. For children aged 5+.
Jim Smith 7 8
Genius Kid Goes Viral Faber, 5th, £9.99, PB, 9780571381685
Genius Kid is back and this time he and sidekick Flea are looking at viruses, from the kind that shuts down computers to the snotty type. Second in a series from the author of the bestselling Barry Loser books.
Chanté Timothy Supa Nova Nosy Crow, 5th, £8.99, PB, 9781805130666
Timothy’s first solo project as both author and illustrator is this bright and bold graphic novel about Nova, who thinks she has solved the pollution problem when she invents a plastics-eating monster. But when the monster rampages through the city she realises things are not as simple as she once thought. Exciting and informative, with a kick-ass heroine.
Poetry
Donna Ashworth, Eirinn McGuinness (illus) Words Can Fly
Templar Books, 5th, £16.99, HB, 9781785307171
In her first collection of poetry for children, Ashworth explores family, friendships, school and the world around us, and encourages her readers to develop resilience and a sense of empathy. Templar is publishing as a hardback gift edition with cloth cover adorned with gold foil.
Gaby Morgan Space - Royal Observatory Greenwich Poetry Book
Macmillan Children’s Books, 19th, £14.99, HB, 9781035068265
Macmillan is publishing a collection of poems about space – old and new – to celebrate 350 years of the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
Brian Moses, Mark Elvins (illus) On Poetry Street
Scallywag Press, 5th, £8.99, PB, 9781915252593
Paperback publication of Moses’ collection of 52 poems, created to stimulate the imagination and get the readers’ creative juices flowing. Illustrated in black and white throughout by Elvins.
Gift books Lewis Carroll
Alice Pull-Out Prints Macmillan Children’s Books, 12th, £20, HB, 9781035052844
Macmillan is publishing a number of Alice titles in June to mark the 160th anniversary of the publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, including this selection of 22 prints of Alice illustrations from over the years. Work by original artist Sir John Tenniel features, as do illustrations from Tove Jansson, Chris Riddell, Arthur Rackham and more. Macmillan is also releasing Alice in Wonderland: A Push, Pull, Slide Book by Nadia Gunawan and an edition of the original Alice with a foil cover.
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TITO OLANIYAN
Books Children’s Previews
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