Fantasy, adventure and science
The Longest Night of Charlie Noon, Christopher Edge
Inventive, original storytelling, merging mind-boggling scientific themes with thrillingly beautiful descriptions of the natural world. When Charlie, Dizzy and Johnny get lost in the woodland that borders their village, they will be witness to events that make no sense - night arriving early, strange constellations, snowfall in Summer - events that defy their perception and understanding of time. Past, present and future will diverge and meet - glimpses of their future selves will be revealed and the possibility that every moment is made up of its past and its future will be explored. The ending is magnificent.
Smart Tech, Courage and Friendship
Show Us Who You Are, Elle McNicoll
This is fresh, inventive, magnetic reading. Cora and Adrien's positivity and brilliance blasts out from its pages and their warm friendship is one of the best I have encountered in a children's book in some time. This book sparkles. It is about neurodivergency, being true to who you are and what defines you. It is also just astonishingly good storytelling, with a seriously intriguing plot, involving hologram technology and lots of heart.
Refugees, Hope and Friendship
The Bone Sparrow, Zana Fraillon
Written a few years ago, this is an Amnesty award winning book. The setting is a harsh unforgiving refugee camp in Australia. Subhi, a young Rohingya refugee is the child at the heart of this story. A dreamer and an optimist; armed with a big imagination and the endless hope of childhood. He will meet Jimmie, a sad young girl who has lost her mother, who lives on the Outside. They will become friends and they will share stories and hot chocolate, in a light-filled friendship that is magical. Themes of migration and displacement sit alongside themes of
empathy and courage. 11+