Picture books
Penguin Huddle
By Ross Montgomery, illustrated by Sarah Warburton
It’s so cold one night that a snuggling heap of penguins are frozen into a great big penguin ice pop. So they head to the city for help in this utterly charming story.
(£7.99, Walker)
How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?
By Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen
More to the point, what if you don’t have a chimney? Does Santa come under the door? Or out of the tap? Wry words and laugh-out-loud illustrations reveal a message that warms the heart.
(£12.99, Walker)
The Search For The Giant Arctic Jellyfish
By Chloe Savage
Dr Morley is sailing to find a creature that everyone knows, but no one has ever seen. In this ravishingly beautiful book, the Northern Lights dance, orca play and a giant jellyfish is hiding beneath the waves, only just out of sight.
(£7.99, Walker)
If It’s Christmas and You Know It
By Katrina Charman, illustrated by Angie Rozelaar
Pick a tree, bake a cake and give a gift with this bright board book, with sliding panels perfect for little fingers. Toddlers and young children will love peeking into the oven and opening pretty presents.
(£6.99, Nosy Crow)
Younger readers
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King’s Christmas Shenanigans
By Alex T Smith
The Mouse King has stolen the key to the Kingdom of Sweets – can Clara and Fritz stop him? Perhaps, with the help of their new friend the Nutcracker… Familiar characters dance into new life in this lavish hardback.
(£15.99, Macmillan Children’s)
Step Father Christmas
By LD Lapinski
Ten-year-old Harper has noticed that there is something rather festive about Mum’s new boyfriend, Nick. Something more than a bit Christmassy… Soon, snow is falling, and there’s a reindeer on the roof! But will her mum listen? With 25 chapters, this is one to be read every night in December.
(£7.99, Orion Children’s)
The Taming of the Cat
By Helen Cooper
Brie the mouse has been caught by a cat called Gorgonzola. To save his life, he must tell a story – the best he has ever told. With the feel of a modern classic, this enchanting story is illustrated by its prize-winning author.
(£14.99, Faber)
Keisha Jones Takes on the World
By Natalie Denny, illustrated by Chanté Timothy
Since when has it been OK to say girls are worth less than boys? Eight-year-old Keisha Jones is on a mission to make things right. This fabulously sparky new heroine will have young readers rooting for her.
(£6.99, Little Tiger)
Older readers
Impossible Creatures
By Katherine Rundell
When Christopher rescues the world’s last griffin, he finds himself hurled into the Archipelago, the home of dragons, mermaids and Mal, a girl whose coat gives her the power of flight. An extraordinary story from one of today’s finest writers.
(£14.99, Bloomsbury Children’s)
Cosima Unfortunate Steals a Star
By Laura Noakes
Cosima has spent her life in the Home For Unfortunate Girls, a place for children who are disabled or different. Now the famed explorer Lord Fitzroy is planning to adopt her and her best friends, Pearl, Mary and Diya. Will Cosima ever find her parents? A diamond heist, a quest and a touching tale of friendship all in one captivating, inclusive story, set in 1899.
(£7.99, HarperCollins Children’s)
In the Shadow of the Wolf Queen
By Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Ysolda and Hari’s parents are dead, but they have always felt safe in Glaw Wood. When Hari vanishes, Ysolda finds herself on a desperate mission to bring her home. Animals and ancient magic thrill in the first of a new trilogy.
(£14.99, Orion)
The Ice Children
By MG Leonard
As December begins, little Finn is found alone in the park. His heart is beating, but he has frozen solid. As more children turn to ice, Finn’s sister, Bianca, sets out to save them. But time is short in this glittering adventure.
(£12.99, Macmillan Children’s)
Teen and YA
Island of Whispers
By Frances Hardinge, illustrated by Emily Gravett
In a world where the Dead can linger, it is Milo’s father’s job to ferry them away. But when his dad dies, Milo becomes the Ferryman. Is it more than he can take? A dazzling coming-of-age story by the Costa-winning author.
(£14.99, Two Hoots)
Girl, Goddess, Queen
By Bea Fitzgerald
A political pawn, kidnapped by Hades to be his bride? Yeah, not likely! Forget everything you’ve heard about the Greek goddess Persephone, because it’s time for her to set the record straight. Fresh, funny and fierce, Greek mythology gets real in this snappy romcom that gives ancient legends a contemporary spin.
(£14.99, Penguin)
You Could Be So Pretty
By Holly Bourne
Belle is a Pretty. Joni is an Objectionable. For girls can be one or the other – but is there a third way? Desperately relevant and wildly readable, this powerful dystopia will drag older teens from their screens.
(£8.99, Usborne)
Kicked Out
By AM Dassu
Ali has big plans for the holidays. He is going to hang out with Sami in their mate Mark’s pool. But then their friend Aadam is accused of theft… A vital book exploring racism, friendship and the refugee experience.
(£7.99, Old Barn Books)
Non-fiction
Storyland – Children’s Edition
By Amy Jeffs
Meet dragons and giants, goddesses and kings in these tales, which bring to life the ancient myths and legends of the British landscape. Sail with Trojans, ride Scottish stags and watch Stonehenge rise.
(£14.99, Wren and Rook)
A Very Curious Christmas
By Maddie Moate
What do people around the world eat for Christmas dinner? How do cranberries grow? One of our foremost science educators, Moate fills this book with genuinely interesting facts and a host of festive activities to brighten up dark afternoons – who knew that with just a bit of folding and some glue, an old magazine could turn into a Christmas tree?
(£14.99, Puffin)
The Good Luck Book
By Heather Alexander
What are superstitions, where do they come from and why do we still have them? This quirky book goes back in time and around the world to explain why we wish on stars, cross our fingers and avoid the number 13.
(£16.99, DK Children)
The Stories and Secrets of Colours
By Susie Brooks, illustrated by Sirjana Kaur
Did you know that a squid’s blood is blue? Or that in all cultures, red was the first colour to be named after black and white? This vivid book has facts about all the colours of the rainbow, and many more besides.
(£14.99, Macmillan Children’s)