The Day that Everything Changed by Ben Myers

Written in collaboration with a primary school as an Arts Council funded project, the remit in creating this novel was to provide stories that children would want to read. Told from the individual points of view of six children, all of different ages, as well as third-person sections called 'Everyone's Story', it can be read either straight through or by choosing one or more characters to follow. Presumably this structure is designed to make the book accessible to different levels of reader, but it could potentially become confusing.

The story itself has a distinctly environmental, somewhat preachy message, as each of the children has to complete a task - invariably a test on their personal weaknesses - in order to save humanity. This all takes place in what was their school, but is fast disappearing, as 'nature' rises up to reclaim the world in protest at man's mistreatment of it. Very much reminiscent of the meandering stories that filled endless exercise books in my own childhood, I can see how children might well identify on some level with the naïvely constructed characters and far-flung adventures, although more advanced readers may find it all rather patronising.

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Chicken Dance by Jacques Couvillion

In the spirit of 'Holes', with splashes of subtle magical realism, Couvillion's debut is a highly compelling and ultimately uplifting 'rise of the underdog' morality tale. On Horse Island, where nearly everyone is a chicken farmer with an alliterative name, the Schmidt family are relative outsiders, bequeathed their house by an uncle on the condition that they continue to care for its chickens.

Ignored and resented by his parents, Don Schmidt spends most of his home life trying not to annoy his neurotic chicken-hating mother. School isn't much better, until one day he wins a chicken-judging contest and becomes suddenly popular, so that even his parents are forced to notice him.

Meanwhile, Don has accidentally discovered that his name used to be Stanley, and is anxiously following a trail of clues about his past, desperate to find out why it was changed and what exactly his family has been hiding from him. As the truth gradually unfolds, with some cleverly plotted twists and turns, the story becomes ever more enthralling. Don/Stanley is a perfectly constructed hero – humble, naïve, kind and courageous - and you can't help but be consumed by his plight.

I Love You Muddy Bear by Jane Simmons

Mousse the dog loves Muddy Bear almost as much as his best doggy-friend Nut. So when Muddy Bear gets accidentally rolled up into a snowdog, Mousse is distraught and sets off to find him with the help of Nut. Some well-meaning but misguided rabbits send them off on an erroneous mission to confront Big Bear, whom they think might have taken Muddy Bear, but they only succeed in needlessly waking a grumpy Big Bear form hibernation. Eventually Muddy Bear turns up, but not before Mousse has endured a fretful night without him.

The lost toy scenario is one which has been tackled by many a children’s book before, but the winning combination of lovable yet quirky characters, some clever tension building and a heart-warming happy ending make this a pleasantly refreshing take.

Elephant by Petr Horáček

Most children invent an imaginary playmate at some point, and for the little boy in this book, it’s an elephant. But is it imaginary? Just like Bernard’s monster in Not Now Bernard, the parents (or in this case, grandparents) can’t see the child’s unusual companion, and the child gets blamed for all the mess and destruction caused. But this un-named boy enjoys many an adventure with his elephant friend, and eventually the grandparents join in the game.

Softly drawn with grey scribbly skin and a docile friendly face, the elephant is surprisingly inanimate and lacks the personality of his anarchic anthropomorphic forbears - The Tiger Who Came to Tea, The Wild Things or even Bernard’s monster. The repetitious expressions on the human faces also make the characters feel slightly cold and removed, though the illustrations are by no means unpleasant. A simple if rather dispassionate tale, the themes of make believe and making a mess will surely appeal.

The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant

Set in an outwardly innocuous and mostly uneventful German backwater town, The Vanishing of Katharina Linden is an atmospheric, slow-building thriller in which nothing is ever what it seems. Peppered with German phrases and colloquialisms that conjure the spirit of the setting and its people, Helen Grant’s portrayal of place is cleverly and vividly executed.

A sometimes uncomfortably close community of curtain-twitchers and busybodies, everyone knows everyone else’s business in Bad Münsereifel, or thinks they do. For Pia, the schoolgirl infamous and ostracised for having an exploding grandmother, the unfolding of a sinister murder-mystery becomes a welcome obsession on which to focus her frustrated energies. She and the other school pariah, ‘Stink Stefan’ - thrown together by default - team up to try and figure out what is happening to the girls of the town, who keep disappearing.

Apart from said disapperances, the odd allusion to dubious incidents of the past, and some imparting of spooky local folklore, the first three-quarters of the book ticks along gently without much actual hair-raising. It’s not until right at the end that the pace really picks up and all of a sudden explodes into a startlingly chilling climax, packed with twists and turns and some genuinely stomach-churning moments. Gripping stuff, but not for the faint hearted.

Tessa In Love by Kate Le Vann

A realistically imagined and elegantly evoked ‘first love’ story with an unexpectedly tragic twist, Tessa in Love will pull at the heartstrings of anyone who is experiencing, or has experienced, what it’s like to be sixteen and in love.

Tessa has always been in the shadow of her prettier, more gregarious best friend Matty, never considering herself to be girlfriend material - until she meets Wolfie, a passionate eco-warrior with who she bonds over a fight to save the local woods. Wolfie opens Tessa’s mind to a new way of looking at the world, and as romance blossoms, she begins to come out of herself and grow in confidence. Watching the courtship unfold while its lovers evolve and flourish in each other’s company, one is utterly swept up in the intensity of that blissfully tortuous (and oh so familiar) process.

Then, just as the early uncertainties in the relationship start to give way to comfort and security, tragedy strikes. Whilst volunteering in South America, Wolfie is suddenly and shockingly killed, leaving Tessa devastated. Whilst deeply heartbreaking for both reader and protagonist, this unforseen conclusion is also somehow strangely uplifting. Unlike most teen romances, which invariably disintigrate into bitterness or fade to indifference, this one remains forever preserved as a shiningly perfect moment, untainted by the passage of time and inevitability. Profoundly moving and utterly absorbing, this is the best ‘girlie’ book I’ve read in a long time.

The Great Nursery Rhyme Disaster by David Conway

In this topsy-turvy nursery rhyme world, Little Miss Muffett is bored of her repetitive role, and sick of being intimidated by spiders, so decides to break out of her own story to see what is happening elsewhere.

Bumping into all sorts of well-known characters along the way - including the Grand Old Duke of York, Jack and Jill and The Queen of Hearts - Miss Muffett upsets plots all over the place, causing much chaos in the process.

It’s an amusingly anarchic take on a familiar format, with matchingly madcap illustrations and satisfyingly silly. Inquisitive young minds will no doubt identify with Miss Muffett’s need to explore the unknown, though protective parents may not necessarily approve of her rebellious tendencies.

Miki by Stephen Mackey

Despite its highly accomplished and beguiling illustrations, the presence of both penguins and polar bears in a single environment (a classic schoolboy error) was an immediate turn-off to this otherwise magical tale.

Topographical technicalities aside, Miki is a sweet and ethereal character, whose midwinter wishes take her on a strange underwater voyage where she encounters all kinds of weird and wonderful creatures.

In an unfortunate design flaw, black text on a dark background made bedtime reading difficult on several of the pages - interrupting the pleasantly rhythmic flow of the text. The author/illustrator Stephen Mackey, an established commerical artist, has certainly carved himself a new niche in the children’s picture book market with this enchanting tale - let’s just hope he does his geography homework in future.

Burn My Heart by Beverley Naidoo

A hard-hitting political story that dramatically juxtaposes the contrasting lives of two young boys living in Kenya during the 1950s. Celebrated for her uncompromising treatment of racist issues, Naidoo once again pulls no punches as she explores and exposes the harsh realities of African colonial politics. Told from the point of view of two very different families on either side of the struggle for colonial freedom, Burn My Heart presents an enlightening, sometimes shocking, look at this often overlooked conflict.

Mathew is the son of a wealthy farming family of settlers (called 'wazungu' by the natives), and is friends with a native servant boy, Mugo, who works in his family's kitchen. At first oblivious to the political crisis in their midst, the boys' friendship is gradually fractured by the spiralling unrest.

Through a series of distressing events, each boy has his eyes opened to a complicated, frightening world of oppression and racism, that causes them to re-evaluate their respective beliefs and allegiances. A dark and harrowing ending is followed by a moving and informative afterword, reinforcing the severity of the crisis, and the fact that its repercussions are still felt today.

I'm Not Going Out There! by Paul Bright, illustrated by Ben Cort

What could possibly be scarier than a fire-breathing dragon, a ghost with no head, stubbly witches, or tutu-wearing monsters? An angry sibling of course!

Anyone who has ever hidden from an older brother or sister will identify with this vibrantly illustrated, light-hearted picture book.

Written in rhyming, rhythmic verses, young readers will enjoy anticipating and joining in with the refrain 'I'm not going out there!' on every page, as an assortment of potential menaces in the child's bedroom are eventually upstaged by the ultimate peril – a shrieking sister with a spider in her shoe!

Wheelie Girl by by Miriam Latimer

Wheelie Girl is Molly - a little girl with a big complex. Her insecurities are somewhat justified by the fact that she has wheels for feet. Struggling to keep pace with the everyday activities of her peers, and overwhelmed by frustration at the limitations of her predicament, she exclaims “I can't do ANYTHING!”, and is about to give up trying, when her wheels actually come in handy for once.

Molly's friends are bursting with praise when she is the only one who can catch up with Rufus the dog, returning him to his grateful owner. Much like Rudolph (the Red Nose Reindeer) before her, Molly discovers that sometimes it pays to be different. A rather obvious metaphor for disability, Wheelie Girl is nevertheless an entertaining and reassuring tale, with striking illustrations and a lively text layout that keeps the story moving.

Mr Pusskins by Sam Lloyd

In many ways, this is a classic morality tale that reminds the reader to 'count your blessings' and 'the grass isn't always greener...'. But it is also a witty and compelling story about a cantankerous, ungrateful cat, Mr Pusskins, who, bored of his owner's stories and constant fussing, decides to leave home in search of adventure.

As the honoured guardian of my very own contrary fluffy ginger cat, I was both highly amused and duly impressed at the author's convincing portrayal of feline characteristics. Lloyd succeeds in capturing the fickle, indifferent attitude that most cat-people will instantly recognise.

The illustrations have a slightly manic, almost child-like quality to them, and yet at the same time capture a range of expressions and emotions beautifully. From indifference at Emily's attentions, to glee at his escape and subsequent rebellious antics, to tragic self-pity when he realises that street life is not all it's cracked up to be, to his eventual remorse and contrition, Mr Pusskins' changing demeanour is perfectly delivered.

A happy ending, when Mr Pusskins is reunited with an ecstatic Emily, gives the tale a welcome feel-good factor which reassures the reader that it's never too late to say sorry.

Wibbly Pig's Silly Big Bear by Mick Inkpen

The latest Wibbly Pig story maintains the subtle simplicity of what has become a favourite character series, this time offering a touchingly hearfelt message: that being kind and fun is just as valid as being clever and coordinated.

The chemistry between Wibbly Pig and his silly big bear leaps off the page via Inkpen's expressive illustrations. WP's resigned reactions to his bear's inability to eat peas, put pyjamas on properly, or indeed undertake the most routine tasks with any efficiency, turn to joy as we learn that he can jump...crash...and bash and is enthusastic.

The humourous text has a pleasing rhythm to it, with emphasised words on each page that children will delight in shouting out, as this is one story they will surely be learning off by heart.

Delilah Darling is in the Library by Jeanne Wills, illustrated by Rosie Reeve

Has Clarice Bean got competition? Not quite... 'Delilah' makes no bones about jumping on the Bean bandwagon, most obviously in the layout and quirky text-design which scream 'CB wannabe'. Delilah is also a feisty, somewhat contrary female character, but with perhaps less of the off-the-wall humour which makes CB so appealing. On the upside, Reeve's trademark pastel colours and soft edges make the illustrations strikingly different to Lauren Child's modern, angular style, and lend the character Delilah her own distinct personality. The story itself takes place in the library, where Delilah makes a nuisance of herself, spinning tall stories from her overactive imagination. Despite my initial cynicism over the blatant stylistic imitation, I have to admit that 'Delilah' is an entertaining read, energetically written and attractively illustrated.

When Anna Slept Over by Jane Godwin

This early-reader tackles the subject of staying away from home for the first time, and takes into consideration all the things that might worry a child, not least the matter of whether to take their comforter along. Any child who has a special toy or blanket, from which they cannot bear to be parted, will identify with this situation – the fear of ridicule set against the emotional attachment to the thing. While the story is reassuringly familiar, its telling is rather mundane, perhaps intentionally so, as the writing style is almost like that of a child describing their own experience. I cannot imagine this being a book which would stand repeated readings, but it may be helpful in dealing with this specific issue.

Greater Gains by K.M. Peyton

Very much in the tradition of Jane Austen, Greater Gains is essentially a story of passion and longing, set against the backdrop of 19th Century rural Norfolk. The heroine, Clara Bywater, starts out poor, widowed, and pregnant by one of two possible fathers, neither of which is her dead husband. As if Clara’s problems weren’t enough for her long suffering parents, her sister Ellen is then transported to Australia, for accidentally killing a man. Such dramatic beginnings give way to a more gently-paced plot of romantic entanglement and family duties. Clara marries a man she does not love in order to save her brother, whilst secretly pining for a long-lost love, and only finds solace in her beloved horses. Greater Gains is the sequel to Small Gains, but it can be enjoyed perfectly well as as stand-alone novel, thanks to the author’s skill at subtly weaving in the backstory. I found myself more intrigued by Ellen’s antipodean subplot (of which there is little), than Clara’s constant domestic vexations, but was nevertheless curiously absorbed by the colourful characters and engaging dialogue. Romantically-inclined teenagers with a penchant for ponies will particularly enjoy this spirited historical drama.

The Saddest King by Chris Wormell

A land in which everyone is happy all the time seems too good to be true...and it is. The people of this charming fable must feign constant happiness by order of the crown, until one day a little boy decides he needs a good cry, and is summoned before the king to explain himself. Wormell's rustic, almost unfinished illustrations give his imagined land a fantastical, fairy-tale feel, and the king first appears as a somewhat sinister figure, with an eerily fixed smile on a dis-proportionally large face. The little boy appeals to the king, whose permanent grimace turns out to be nothing but a mask, under which he hides his true sadness. Moved by the boy's honesty, the king realises that it's alright to be sad sometimes, and that it is better to express your true feelings than bottle them up. A worthy sentiment indeed, especially so for boy readers, who may feel less self-conscious about showing emotions having read this heartening tale.

Soul Eater by Michelle Paver

The third title in this much-hyped prehistoric adventure series plunges its protagonists sharply into turmoil once again, as the hero Torak's beloved Wolf is kidnapped in a dramatic opening scene, by a ring of villains with an evil plan to take over the forest. Torak is understandably distraught at this turn of events, and sets out to rescue his pack brother, with little idea as to the scale of his undertaking. He and Renn must venture into the far north, an unfamiliar world of ice and other unknown dangers. Helped by the White Fox clan, they endure horrific ordeals to find Wolf, soon realising that saving him is the least of their worries, when unimaginable evil is now at large.

Into her carefully crafted narrative, Paver weaves subtle character development, particularly with Wolf, who is changing from playful cub to world-wise warrior. As they see each other through numerous close-shaves, Torak and Renn's bond grows deeper, and they too are growing up fast. Following a frantically tense climax in which the looming evil is for the time being forestalled, Torak mulls the future, tainted by his dark experiences. Elegantly written and imaginatively executed, Soul Eater is darker and edgier than the first two books, stepping up the pace of this excellent series, and promising plenty more adventure to come.

Flotsam & Jetsam by Tanya Landman, illustrated by Ruth Rivers

Flotsam and Jetsam are quirky characters made of wood and string, conjured by the fleeting imagination of a child in a boat - who thinks he sees faces on some floating debris. But long after the child has forgotten this passing fancy, the characters take on a life of their own. A propitiously magical start gives way to a rather more mundane story of the everyday comings and goings of this eccentric pair, as they build a life amongst the detritus on the beach where they are washed up, and befriend a hermit crab who they find in a Sainsbury's carrier bag. I can't help feeling there was potential for more humour in this surreal set-up, which also promised more than it ultimately delivered in the way of magic and adventure. Nevertheless, a sweetly dreamlike tale which may well inspire young imaginations.

Is It Because? by Tony Ross

The familiarity of Tony Ross's charmingly chaotic illustrations makes the potential awkwardness of his chosen subject matter somehow easier to swallow, in this simple poem about a common childhood problem. When a little boy asks his dog: “Pepe, is it because he's got silly names?..Is it because he's no good at games?...” and so on, we are initially oblivious as to the reason for his musing. It's not until the final few pages that we discover the boy is being bullied, and is in fact pondering over his tormentor's motives. Ross's refreshingly alternative morality tale boldly advocates a more philosophical approach to the too-often seemingly black-and-white issue of bullying, and by keeping it simple, cleverly avoids the usual patronising tone of other such 'issue' based books.