TEN NOT TO MISS Ten titles not to miss Highlights of the Season
Jon Klassen The Rock from the Sky Walker Books, 13 April, hb, £12.99, 9781406395570
Picture books Look up! From the Caldecott
Medal-winning creator of the Hat trilogy comes a deadpan gem that will make you laugh out loud and marvel at Klassen’s visual wizardry. This is a longer- format picture book (96pp), divided into five chapters. Other picture books from Walker include paperbacks of Jessica Love’s Julian at the Wedding and Madame Badobedah by Sophie Dahl and Lauren O’Hara.
Jen Carney The Accidental Diary of B.U.G. Puffin, 15 April, pb, £6.99, 9780241455449
Fiction 7–9 Carney breathes new life into the
illustrated diary format in the first in a major series, acquired in a heated auction. Ten-year- old Billie Upton Green (a.k.a. BUG) chronicles school and family life with an emphasis on diverse families, including that of Billie, who has two mums. Whip-smart observations, a sparky, relatable protagonist and oodles of doodles. The second title will follow in August.
Benjamin Dean Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow S&S Children’s Books, 4 February, pb, £7.99, 9781471199738
Fiction 9–12 Archie is getting used to the “new
normal” since his parents separated, but now things are weirder than ever. When he sees a crumpled flyer fall out of Dad’s pocket, he thinks he may have the answer and sets out on an unforgettable journey to fix his family. One of the most joyful books you’ll read this year, this is a gorgeous début about family, empathy and love.
Phil Earle When the Sky Falls Andersen Press, 3 June, pb, £7.99, 9781783449651
Fiction 9–12 It’s 1940, and Joseph has been
packed off to stay with Mrs F, a gruff woman who owns a run-down city zoo. There Joseph meets Adonis, a huge silverback gorilla, and when the bombs start to fall he must make a terrible choice. This is Earle’s finest novel to date, a hugely powerful Second World War story inspired by true events, full of fierce, gritty truths but also real heart and humanity.
Hannah Gold, Levi Pinfold (illus) The Last Bear HarperCollins Children’s Books, 18 February, hb, £12.99, 9780008411282
Fiction 9–12 On a remote Norwegian
outpost with her scientist father, April meets the last polar bear on the island. He is starving, lonely and a long way from home, and April is determined to save him. My February Book of the Month is an exceptional début full of wonder, with breathtaking art from Kate Greenaway Medal winner Levi Pinfold.
Elle McNicoll Show us Who You Are Knights Of, 4 March, pb, £6.99, 9781913311131
Fiction 9–12 McNicoll follows her acclaimed
début A Kind of Spark with this outstanding new standalone story. Autistic girl Cora becomes caught up in the world of tech company Pomegranate, which is developing Artificial Intelligence to create holograms of real people for their grieving relatives. Digging deeper, she discovers a sinister agenda and resolves to expose the truth. My March Book of the Month.
Faridah Àbíké-Iyimede Ace of Spades Usborne Publishing, 10 June, pb, £8.99, 9781474967532
Fiction 12–16 Welcome to Niveus Private
Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter Aces is exposing the secrets of the school’s only two Black students. The pitch is “‘Gossip Girl’ meets ‘Get Out’”, and it’s every bit as good as that suggests. Written when the author was 19, this début sold for a seven-figure sum in the US.
Marcus Rashford You Are a Champion Macmillan, 27 May, tpb, £9.99, 9781529068177
PSHE & Citizenship
The footballer and child poverty campaigner
makes his children’s books début with an “inspiring, positive and practical” guide to equip children with the tools they need to succeed. The book is created with journalist Carl Anka and psychologist Katie Warriner. The partnership with Macmillan will also include two fiction titles and the launch of the Marcus Rashford Book Club.
Rashmi Sirdeshpande, Adam Hayes (illus) Good News Wren & Rook, 10 June, pb, £7.99, 9781526363381
PSHE & Citizenship
A positive antidote for testing times, this book will help
readers navigate the news and change the way they think about the world for the better, covering everything from climate change and politics to global health, arts, culture and inequality. Wren & Rook’s impressive line-up also includes titles from Juno Dawson, Dr Ranj Singh and Clare Balding.
Dara McAnulty, Barry Falls (illus) Wild Child Macmillan Children’s Books, 8 July, hb, £16.99, 9781529045321
Science The 16-year-old naturalist and
environmental campaigner takes readers on a nature walk, introducing native birds, animals, trees and flowers, and revealing the joy of connecting with the natural world. Dazzling art from Barry Falls brings the natural world vividly to life. McAnulty’s Diary of a Young Naturalist is one of 2020’s breakout titles, winning the Wainwright Prize among others.
February 2021–July 2021
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