In picture books this month, the superlative Morag Hood returns with Brenda Is a Sheep (Two Hoots), a suspense-filled account of a young sheep who isn’t like the rest, what with her pointy teeth, antipathy to grass and increasing desire to eat her companions. But the flock love Brenda’s unusual approach to sheephood; will their adoration change the predator’s mind? This funny story of a wolf in sheep’s clothing is delightfully deadpan.
There is a lovely warmth saturating Rebecca Cobb’s Hello Friend! (Macmillan), in which a rosy-cheeked protagonist plays zealously with a less enthusiastic pal, building towers, sharing lunch and banging a tambourine. At last, a small farewell smile shows that she has won him over, and the next day he is as excited as she is. A charming look at playground dynamics that effortlessly evokes pre-schooler feelings of being excited and overwhelmed.
Meanwhile, Nadia Shireen’s resourceful heroine Billy returns with her rotund sidekick Fatcat in Billy and the Dragon (Cape). When Fatcat is kidnapped by a fire-breathing dragon, Billy must use all her ingenuity to stage a rescue in this cheerily colourful caper.
For five and up, the late Judith Kerr’s The Curse of the School Rabbit (HarperCollins) demonstrates her unerring ability to capture a child’s matter-of-fact perspective. When Tommy’s family are unexpectedly saddled with Snowflake the school rabbit, a series of comic catastrophes result; will Tommy get his Christmas bike, despite straitened finances and the curse of Snowflake? Kerr’s distinctive pencil illustrations – softly sketched, rather than crisply defined, and full of heart and meaning – convey the funny, chaotic fondness of family life throughout her last story.
Seven-plus readers with a taste for woodland espionage will revel in Agent Weasel and the Fiendish Fox Gang (Hodder), Nick East’s first foray into young fiction as author as well as illustrator. Shaved badger bottoms, collapsed vole holes and rabbit warrens laced with itching powder are surefire indicators that the Fiendish Fox Gang is at work. It’s up to Agent Weasel and Doorkins, his dormouse sidekick, to thwart their plans. Slapstick comedy, flatulent wildlife and prize-winning pumpkins abound in this riotous, enjoyably nonsensical romp.
More irrepressible fun runs through Princess BMX (Chicken House) by Marie Basting, illustrated by Flavia Sorrentino. In the fairytale land of Biscotti, Princess Ava already annoys her dad with her lack of regal decorum – when she finds a portal through to real-life Camden Lock and starts learning BMX stunts, what could possibly go wrong? Evil aunties and fairy godfathers called Nigel combine with a streak of feisty rebellion to create a daft and delicious fantasy.
For eight-plus readers, Sita Brahmachari’s Where the River Runs Gold (Orion) is set in a future where extreme weather and apian extinction have forced children to work as pollinators on sinister Freedom Farms. It is a gorgeous paean to love, art and solidarity in the face of oppression and injustice. As their five-year stint at the Farm begins, will Shifa be able to protect her brother, Themba, and bring him safely home? Vivid and imaginative, evoking hardship, horror and the lushness of the imperilled natural world, this new departure for Brahmachari is poignant and powerful.
From Helen Peters, Anna at War (Nosy Crow) is a gripping, moving piece of historical fiction. As anti-Jewish feeling grows in 1930s Germany, Anna’s parents put her on a train, starting a journey that will take her all the way to England. Anna’s Kentish foster family are kind, but some remain suspicious of the German refugee, especially as the war finds its way to their village. When Anna and her foster siblings discover a frightening secret, it’s the perfect chance for her to prove her loyalty – if she can face the danger.
Finally, for readers of about 10 plus, Jemima Small Versus the Universe (Usborne) by Tamsin Winter is a clear-sighted look at censorious attitudes to larger bodies – especially girls’ bodies. Twelve-year-old Jemima Small is sick of being called Big, especially when she’s enrolled on a healthy eating programme at school (immediately christened Fat Club). She is a brilliant student, so why is everyone so interested in her weight? When she gets the chance to compete on the TV quiz show Brainiacs, she’ll have to contend not just with her school-bully rival but also with her own self-consciousness – will she dare to step into the limelight? Drily funny, packed with the fascinating trivia swirling round Jemima’s head, this touching book gives its readers permission to take up space.
Teenagers roundup
All the Bad Apples
by Moïra Fowley-Doyle, Penguin, £7.99
In the Rys family, rebellious women seem cursed to meet unpleasant fates; on the day 17-year-old Deena comes out as gay, her wild sister Mandy is seen leaping from a cliff. But when Deena starts getting letters from Mandy, guiding her through the histories of Rys “bad apples”, she realises she must find her sister to heal her family’s past. This lyrical, furious examination of victimised, silenced Irish women is compelling.
All the Things We Never Said
by Yasmin Rahman, Hot Key, £7.99
Mehreen is overwhelmed by painful thoughts; Olivia has a terrible secret; Cara has been left paraplegic by an accident. When a website matches the girls in a suicide pact, they don’t expect to grow fond of each other – or to change their minds about dying. But when they do, the website doesn’t want them to back out. A gripping, thought-provoking,sometimes shocking thriller.
Patron Saints of Nothing
by Randy Ribay, Stripes, £7.99
When Jay Reguero learns of his cousin’s death, grief impels him to visit Jun’s home in the Philippines. Jay is determined to find out what happened, despite a close-mouthed family. But as he confronts the dreadful realities of Duterte’s war on drugs, and faces up to his own part in Jun’s death, can he find the answers? A heartbreaking, transporting and original novel.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
by Holly Jackson, Electric Monkey, £7.99
Five years ago, teenager Andie Smith was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh. The police have closed the case, and everyone accepts Sal’s guilt – except Pippa Fitz-Amobi, schoolgirl turned detective, who isn’t so sure. As Pip begins to investigate, turning up the town’s secrets, strange threats start coming her way – who is trying to silence her? A taut, compulsively readable, elegantly plotted thriller.