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Find out moreFull of the funniest new books, this section has laugh-out-loud fiction, joke books and stories to make you smile. Most of our featured books have expert reviews and the first chapter to download to help you choose your next read.
June 2022 Book of the Month | This is adventure number six for the Bolds, a family of hyenas living happily in Teddington disguised as humans. Let’s hope there will be more too, because there are very few stories more joyful, cheering and entertaining than these and only Paddington to compare for characters as lovable and inspirational. If you’ve read previous Bolds books, you’ll know that they’re always ready to help other animals and to open their doors to those in need. Of course therefore they give homeless aardvark Annika a warm welcome and set out to track down her missing friends, escapees from the same zoo, Charlie the skunk and Fergie the fruit bat. The latter, we discover, have been camping out in Parliament Square with friendly eco-warriors. Can the Bolds find them somewhere permanent (and quieter) to live? This is the Bolds, so of course the answer is yes. Gloriously silly, genuinely heart-warming and beautifully plotted, it all ends with a special party for twins Betty and Bobby Bold, and an ‘au revoir’ to another friend, Fifi, the singing poodle superstar. She promises to return, ‘Wherever life might take me, my heart belongs with the Bolds.’ That will be true for all the dear readers too, this one included.
June 2022 Debut of the Month | Driven by 10-year-old Harvey Small’s entertaining tendency to get into strange scrapes, Hannah Moffat’s delightful debut is Small in name and big on zany antics, with Rory Walker’s detailed illustrations adding to the wacky fun. Harvey’s tenth birthday sees him gifted a pair of stilts, a pair of oversized “sludge-brown dungarees”, a huge green velvet hat, and “absolutely NO football boots”. But, as it turns out, the stilts are going to come in handier than expected. As a result of Harvey getting into a series of unfortunate scrapes – among them accidently killing the school hamster, and setting fire to the headmaster’s trousers – his mum has been struggling to find him a new school. Until now – thanks to the stilts giving a small boy the appearance of someone much bigger, Harvey has been accepted into Madame Bogbrush's School for Gifted Giants. But the trouble is, the giants have a habit of bashing Smalls (AKA humans), so it’s imperative for him to keep his true identity secret. Cue much mayhem and pacey peril…
Romantic love, family love, friend love, and selflove — Ebony LaDelle’s Love Radio debut is an uplifting joy, with two adorable teen characters teetering on the cusp of adulthood while dealing with big problems from the past, and questions about the future. Dani definitely isn’t looking for love. Not after what happened when her former friend left her alone with that college boy. And not when she’s so set on going to college and becoming a writer. A writer with the impact of her heroines, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and bell hooks. Meanwhile, Prince (AKA DJ LoveJones), is obsessed with music, and offers love advice on his hugely popular radio show around caring for his sick mom and adorable little brother Mook. When they meet, the fiery sparks can’t be ignored, so Dani agrees to giving Prince three dates to convince her not to swear off love. Cue a stack of sweetness from Prince (the dates he comes up with are so, so thoughtful), and Dani doing a whole lot of soul-searching. Alongside delivering a beautiful, exhilarating love story, the author weaves in Black history, and shows the power of kids seeing themselves represented in books. It also offers gorgeous representations of family love, support, respect and fun gatherings that allow everyone to thrive. All of which means Love Radio is inspirational, empowering, and super-sweet — what’s not to love?
The second laugh-out-loud adventure for Leonora Bolt, Secret Inventor. Leonora isn't supposed to be building a submarine in a tree. Or turning the local wildlife luminous. In fact, she is supposed to be keeping her head down and drawing no attention - because Leonora Bolt is an inventor in secret. But she can't stop thinking of the clues she found to her missing parents' location. So, deep in hiding in Snorebury, desperately trying to avoid being discovered by her evil uncle, Leonora is hatching a plan. So what if involves launching a homemade submarine into the middle of the ocean, accompanied only by a couple of friends and an otter with particularly sensitive whiskers? For when disaster strikes, Leonora's wackiest plan might just be her most brilliant yet.
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month June 2022 | A joyful celebration of the great Roald Dahl’s playful spirit and his belief that childhood with all its marvellousness and mischievousness is a time to relish. Quentin Blake’s fabulous illustrations join Dahl’s encouraging phases into a book that abound with appeal to young and old.
One little hot dog does get to play ball in this sunny, funny story. From his vantage point on the hot dog stand, he watches enviously as all the real-life dogs have fun on the beach, digging, fetching, chasing their tails, and he longs to do those things too. Luckily, he is overheard by the Mustard Fairy and with a squirt or two of mustard, she makes his wish come true! Soon Hot Dog is playing on the sand, doing everything he’s always wanted to do, though he needs another helping hand to avoid ending up a dog’s dinner! Magically transformed, Hot Dog is truly adorable and the story is a wonderful helping of silliness, drama and happy every after. A sunshine read if ever there was one.
Two lorries, two cheerful crews, set out from the depot in the morning for a busy day, ‘Empty lorry, load lorry, straight back on the road, lorry’. There’s so much to do and so many other vehicles and drivers they encounter. With its irresistible tongue-exercising rhyming text, most lines only two words long, and bright, busy illustrations, this is a celebration of traffic jam-packed with fun. It will be essential reading for any young transportophile, but just as entertaining for the rest of the family too.
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month June 2022 | Armed with a torch, Rosie Raccoon sets off with her huge swag bag and takes a few sparkling gems from the homes of Bear, Flamingo and Snake and then from all the other houses she passes. The cops are soon after her with their sirens blaring…But, when they catch up with her what do they find? Rosie’s bag is full of junk. She’s been stealing all kinds of shiny old stuff to recycle and turn into new! There’s a good eco message at the heart of this story about the wrongs of taking what is not yours!
Grannies are special, everyone knows that, whether you call yours granny, nana, oma, bibi or abuela, and in this book their grandchildren celebrate them in all their crowning glories. We meet grannies with pets and with jewels, and grannies who make speeches; there are grans who give awards and yes, ones who wear crowns. The accompanying illustrations are full of life and humour, providing delightfully different descriptions to the words. The grannies look gorgeous, each and every one, and it's a book that puts family and love absolutely on a throne.
Half human, half vampire, Isadora Moon is 100% brilliant, especially for those growing in reading confidence. In this story, she’s puzzling about what to do for her class space project so joins her vampire dad for some stargazing. They notice two bright lights falling from the sky and go out to find them, only to discover that the lights they saw weren’t shooting stars but Nova, a Glow Sprite, and her cheeky moon kitten, Pluto, who’s now lost. Can Isadora find Pluto before Nova’s parents notice they’re missing? Readers will wish they lived Isadora’s life, flying into the forest with her family to enjoy an overnight camping trip as they help Nova track down Pluto. Tt all comes to happy ending with Nova and Pluto reunited, and Isadora enjoying a gift of moon cheese, a present from outer space! With their pretty pink and black illustrations and lively adventures, these are deservedly popular, and this is a sparkling addition to the series.
What’s going on at Castle Sideways? First a band of gnomes launch an attack – thwarted by our hero young Knight Sir Louis – then a handsome squire arrives with news of more trouble: apparently the Wild Forest Ogres of Tumblin Klatterbang are also on their way and planning an attack. Time for Knight Sir Louis to step up again, but oh dear, King Burt the Not Bad has banished his knight and appointed the not-quite-as-charming-as-he-seems Squire now Knight Sir Lyme in his place. With the slimy Sir Lyme ensconced in the palace and feeding everyone his seemingly endless supply of green gummy sweets, Louis sets off to find out what’s going on, leaving his friend wizentor Pearlin and her two-headed pet dragon Mac N Cheese to keep an eye on things at home. He’s helped as always by his trusty steed Sir Clunkalot, his sword Dave and friend Reader Catalogue, as well as various gnomes and ogres. It’s all totally bonkers, but brilliantly funny and full of proper characters and rumbustious adventure. Easily as good as the first two books in this hilarious series which is high praise indeed. Short chapters, tons of pictures and unbeatable adventures make this super-readable. One to recommend to fans of Tom Gates or Phoenix Comic adventures.
While there’s certainly no shortage of fart-themed books for children, and no sign that the perennial appeal of parps is waning among contemporary readers, actor and comedian Stephen Mangan’s The Fart that Changed the World is a satisfyingly surreal addition to the canon of flatulence-themed fiction. With crisply comic line drawings by graphic designer and illustrator Anita Mangan, this story of a king whose unexpected fart unexpectedly changes the world is sure-fire way for kids to entertain themselves. What’s more, it’s also excellent for reading aloud (the joys of being read to at an older age should never be underestimated), with a strident, knowing tone of voice that makes it easy - and satisfying - to inject further funniness and drama. On the very morning King Fabian is set to host neighbouring rulers, he emits a morning fart. “Tight and high-pitched like a short, sharp note from a bugle”, this was “a fart like no other in history. This was a fart with consequences…a fart that changed the world.” When Dimmock the royal butler is blamed and confined to the dungeons, the royal household faces a problem, for the butler is the brains behind the crown, not bumbling Fabian. And so it falls to young kitchen hand Frank to step into the breach (or should that be breeches?) as the royal butler, and it falls also to Frank to step up to save Fabian from unfortunate fart-triggered embarrassment.
Telling a time-slip tale of 1980s homophobia and friendship, David Valdes’ You Spin Me Right Round is a thrilling rollercoaster ride of humour and a heart - think Back to the Future with a 21st-century twist. Luis Gonzales, a drama-loving 17-year-old fashionista of Cuban heritage, is his high school’s Student Body President and on the Prom Council, determined to change school policy so he and his boyfriend Cheng can go to prom together - the “opposite gender” guest policy sucks. Reeling from having his dream quashed at a meeting, Luis is transported to a 1985 incarnation of his school, back to when his mom and dad attended. “I’m here, I’m queer, it’s 1985 - get used to it”, Luis announces with bravado, but life for a gay brown teenager in a predominantly white Christian school in the 80’s is far from easy. With time ticking away, and Luiz desperate to find a way to save closeted Chaz from homophobia and get back to his mom and Cheng, readers are in for a trip that’s thought- provoking and funny, with Luiz’s slick, witty voice propelling the drama at breakneck speed.
A little girl introduces us to her magic family, comprising ‘Mama, Mum and me’. At nursery she asks her teacher whether all children have two mums. The teacher asks the class, and the answers are lovely, as the children proudly describe their wonderful families, assigning the adults in their lives all sorts of unusual jobs and quite a few magical powers too. It makes for a very lively, varied, all-embracing story, told through sparky rhymes and in joyful pictures. Overall, too it’s full of love, and that’s where we end, ‘But a family is magic, no matter who is who/ Real and fantastical, they’re full of love for you!’
Hurrah for marvellously magical grannies! This second book in Serena Holly’s glorious Granny Jinks series is a joy for newly independent readers, with Selom Sunu’s characterfully bold illustrations and themes of friendship, self-belief and community adding further depth and delight. What’s more, this story was inspired by Jenny Mayers, the first Black woman to be accepted into the Magic Circle, and shares secrets of a few magic tricks readers can try at home. When Granny Jinks and Jada head to a very important meeting to watch a very important person at the Dalton Green Magic Society (namely, the Luminous Ms Leyla), Jada can tell from the twinkling in her granny’s eyes that Granny Jinks will soon be on her way to performing tricks as marvellous as Ms Leyla’s. When Granny Jinks has doubts, Jada reminds her to “shoot for the moon” and “dream big”. That’s all well and good, until their magical assistant, Luna the cat, seems set on making mischief! With lots of lovely dialogue and a skipping sense of drama, this is a sweetly magical story to encourage independent reading, or share.
The highly anticipated second novel from Carnegie shortlisted Dean Atta will not disappoint fans of his unmistakeably authentic and honest #ownvoices debut verse novel The Black Flamingo. Once again drawing on his own experiences, in this case of moving from London to Scotland, this novel revolves around Mack, who is forced to accompany his film maker father and sole parent to Glasgow, leaving behind his slowly blossoming relationship with his first love Karim, a basketball star and the hottest boy in school. Mack is a true romantic, openly and unashamedly gay but with low self esteem and high levels of anxiety. He doubts his busy father’s feelings for him and wonders if his two lifelong friends like him for more than his home cinema. K is very much still in the closet and can offer little reassurance especially at a distance. Meeting Finlay, the super confident gay star of his Dad’s film, and feeling an immediate connection creates a real moral dilemma for Mack. This is a wonderfully multi-layered depiction of complex characters and the verse novel format shows again that it is so well suited to capturing emotions. There is not just a beautiful economy of language but the spacing and layout on the page recreates the drama of each moment perfectly. There is warmth, humour, a real love for Glasgow and a positive celebration of love, diversity and inclusivity in this memorable and hugely engaging novel. A real must have for library collections.
There are lots of laughs at every level in The 143-Storey Treehouse, from the number one Treehouse series from Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton. They've added thirteen new levels to their Treehouse, including a word-o-matic (it knows every word in the whole world!); a recycling depot; a wrecking ball; a deep, dark cave with a real live, fire-breathing dragon; a complaining room; a spooky graveyard (where it's always midnight, even in the middle of the day); and a camping ground where you can have a nice, relaxing camping holiday. Andy's been a bit stressed, so Terry has decided the perfect way for them to relax is to head up to their new camping ground level for a much-needed holiday. But it turns out to be not quite as relaxing as Terry originally planned . . . Terry forgets to pack the tent and the food, their attempt at fishing ends in disaster, the spooky campfire stories are a little too spooky and then, to make matters worse, all of Andy's fellow campers start mysteriously disappearing. Can Andy brave the dark, dark woods and rescue them in time to finish writing their next book? Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up!
Freddy's life is . . . mixed. He's a superpowered robot (YAY!) . . . Who also has to go to school (BOO!). But when Freddy and his pals gets involved in the school science fair, his robot abilities mean he's suddenly the centre of attention! Which Freddy 100% loves. Will Freddy let this brush with fame go to his head? Of course he will! But that might not go down so well with his friends . . .
Billy Smith is ordinary with a capital O, so how on earth does he end up as internet sensation Hashtag OrdinaryBilly, Hashtag Relatabill? All is revealed in The Boy Who Accidentally Got Famous, David Baddiel’s typically funny and engaging new adventure. Billy’s life is changed in totally unexpected ways when TOTALTV TV descend on his school to film reality show School Daze, resulting in him swapping fish finger teas with mum and dad for red carpet film premieres. Sort of anyway… The storyline is deliciously unpredictable, but Baddiel’s depiction of Billy and his friends is as accurate as ever, and his shots at TV producers very funny too. Could that be inspired by real life? Most of us will never know. A great read for anyone who’s ever imagined themselves famous for five minutes.
Environment Award for Children's Literature Winner | This award-winning title from Australia will resonate with young activists everywhere and is a really enjoyable read to boot! Casey, Zeke and Cookie are Green Peas- their own secret activist organisation designed to grab attention for important environmental issues- usually by means of ‘pranks’ or practical jokes, which cause great hilarity to their school mates but certainly get attention. Casey is the pranks mastermind having been trained in pranking from an early age by her delightfully mischievous Grandpa , the mainstay of the family since the death of Casey’s mother Trixie. Trixie passed on her passion for the environment to Casey and also left her a box of cards with Trixie Wu’s Thoughts on …which pop up throughout the book. The Green Peas have to get more serious when the trio discover what the greedy town Mayor is up to, and they must use all their considerable ingenuity to reveal her schemes to an apathetic community and get the plans overturned. These are delightful, diverse and well-rounded characters and the family and friends’ relationships feel authentic and believable. Grandpa’s hearing problems are based upon the author’s own family and some of Grandpa’s anecdotes are true! Casey’s obsession with collecting and using interesting words adds a lovely vocabulary boosting learning opportunity to this fantastic heart-warming, fast paced and funny story, which has a serious message of empowerment for young readers.
As satisfying (and sweet) as the confectionary its unforgettable protagonist is an expert on, Jessica Scott-Whyte’s The Asparagus Bunch tells the chock-full-of-charm story of Leon and his fellow neurodiverse friends. Refreshing and endlessly insightful on Leon’s autism spectrum disorder, it’s a funny, thought-provoking delight. Confectionary aficionado Leon is 4779 days old (“13 years and 1 month, if you’re mathematically challenged”), and lives with his mum Caroline who works at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. “Most people think I’ve got an attitude problem,” he acknowledges, but Caroline isn’t most people, and neither are the friends he makes at his sixth new school, which he joins as Dr Snot diagnoses him with autism spectrum disorder. After being shown round school by creative, kind dyslexic Tanya, and meeting loveable bee keeper Lawrence, who’s also neurodiverse, the three form The Asparagus Bunch club, subverting how Leon was mocked for having “asparagus” (he’s also called “ass-burger”). When the Bunch resolve to tackle the school bully, Leon decides revenge is a dish best served salty in the form of Scandinavian salmiakki confectionary, until Dr Snot advises against it. With Leon being a self-professed “man with a fork in a world of soup”, there are misunderstandings and fallings-out between friends and family. But above all, there’s empathy, comedy and a joyful sense of life being about “making the most of what comes along,” in the wise words of Dr Snot.
Peggy is an apologetic pigeon. She always assumes she's in the wrong. Even when she's the one getting bullied. But Cynthia, an older female seagull, gives her the necessary skills to stand up for herself. This hilarious tale from award-winning author Wendy Meddour contains an important message about the importance of being assertive. Carmen Saldana's illustrations are full of personality and humour.
There were so many things that Tortoise wanted to do. So many games to play and rocks to climb. Oops. Tortoise was stuck. Being stuck made Tortoise cross. Tortoise is not having a good day and now he's stuck in a hole and and is far too cross for hugs. Hedgehog sits and waits and then makes Tortoise laugh - taking the time to let the moment pass, and acknowledge how Tortoise feels.
A hilarious whodunit adventure for readers aged 9+ from the author of Escape from Camp Boring. Full of mishaps, mayhem and Tom Mitchell's trademark wit, When Things Went Wild is also a timely call to protect our environment and its wildlife. When Kit's family move to a crumbling house in the Scottish Highlands, he's got a lot to deal with - terrible Wi-Fi, a new school in the middle of nowhere, and, as always, his annoying little brother, Jack. But it's not until the brothers find a strange object on the moors that Kit's problems really begin. A policewoman comes knocking, and the boys learn that they have found a tracker that has been removed from the leg of a golden eagle. The illegal killing of these majestic birds is all too common, and now a pair of nesting eagles are under threat. Kit and Jack start to investigate, soon joined by Tamora - the most popular girl in school - and her younger sister, Bea. Who is trying to harm the eagles, and why? Chief suspects are landowner Lord Cavendish, local farmer McNab and sinister game keeper Mosby. Can the city kids cope with the country - and catch the culprit?
This high-octane and uproariously funny graphic novel follows Barb the Brave on another high stakes quest. Perfect for readers aged 6+ and fans of Bunny Vs Monkey, Disney's Brave and Dav Pilkey's Dog Man. Barb is a Berzerker, one of an elite crew of warriors who protect the land of Bailiwick from the scourge of monsters. The evil Witch Head has captured all of the adult Berzerkers. Cue Barb to the rescue! But she's not alone - Barb's got her own amateur crew of wannabe zerks, made up of farmers, monsters, and her best pal Porkchop the yeti. This ragtag gang must infiltrate Maug Horn, the monster capital, and find Franny Fire Fingers, who they hope will lead them to the Wise Wizards and the power to fight Witch Head. But when Barb's powerful Shadow Blade sword is no match for the evil she encounters, Barb must learn that her true power comes from her own heart. Join Barb on her second spellbinding adventure to save the day once again.
Meet Mo Merrydrew - independent young woman, Mini Battenberg fan, president of the debating society - and reluctant vampire queen ... Fifteen-year-old Mo Merrydrew isn't exactly expecting to be asked to be Vampire Queen of Great Britain when she's cycling home from school one wet Tuesday evening. Apparently, she is 'the Chosen One'. Aside from being uncomfortable with the idea of unelected power (not very democratic), there's the blood drinking to consider (Mo is a vegetarian), and frankly it's just not really the sort of role Mo's looking for (she wants to aim for a real job in politics). But - if you're Vampire Queen, you probably don't have to do PE any more, and when the dreamy Luca, a vampire familiar, turns up, it all suddenly starts to look a bit more appealing ... Geek Girl meets Buffy in a brilliantly funny new teen series from bestselling author Jo Simmons
One boy's mission to take down a team of super-villains, with the help of his boring, dishcloth-selling grandad? When Jesse's grandad wins tickets to a retirement cruise and offers to bring Jesse along, Jesse is not exactly thrilled. A boat load of old age pensioners?! No thanks. Not to mention that he's pretty sure his parents are going to be talking about a D.I.V.O.R.C.E. while he's safely out of the way. But from the moment the pair arrive on the cruise ship, it's a different story. Mysterious cat burglars, crime lords and smugglers all seem to be on board and odder than that, Gramps knows them all! When an attempted murder occurs, Jesse decides it's time to find out what they're hiding, and catch the villain responsible. But Gramps might be hiding the biggest secret of all. Can Jesse unravel the mystery, before time runs out? A hilarious adventure with heart for fans of The Worst Holiday Ever and Gangsta Granny featuring a gorgeous intergenerational relationship between a boy and his grandad, who is determined to reconnect with his family before illness intervenes. Brought to life with fabulous illustrations throughout - this package will delight readers.
Little Dinah the diplodocus is a whizz at everything – you name it, she nails it, from singing to spelling, baking to ballet. She’s a great friend too, always cheering everyone on and providing help with it’s needed. But then Dinah enters a surfing competition and finally discovers something she can’t dino-do. Time for her friends to give her a big dino-cuddle and before you know it, she’s back on the board again showing us all how it’s dino-done, ie. by picking yourself up and having fun. It’s a lesson we all need and dino-delivered with style and lots of colour. Little Dinah is a fun and inspiring companion and this is an entertaining and positive story.
Raffleton Grey is as bored as a hamster can be. He wants to go to the fair - but he's stuck in his cage. There's only one thing for it. Get ready for the most exciting hamster getaway in history! Freedom means new friendships and tasty ice cream and fairground rides. But as night falls, things begin to get a bit scary. Perhaps home isn't so bad after all - especially if you have a new friend by your side. This hilarious rhyming adventure is perfect for reading (and laughing!) out loud - a fun-packed summertime getaway that's irresistible to readers both big and small!
Neon Gallop is trying to be a normal as possible when her family move to a new home. But her best plans all go wrong when, using a green lipstick he had found in goo, she opens a portal to the UNIverse. It’s a secret real where real unicorns live…All those horses with horns and rainbow hair are just fake unicorns who were invented to put humans off the scent. .. Prepare to be challenged on everything you have ever known about unicorns in this hugely enjoyable fantasy extravaganza.
Time for another Little Badman adventure. This time, Humza, Umer and Wendy must face The Undead. Welcome to Big School. Humza Khan - aka Little Badman, Eggington's greatest rapper - might have finally met his match. Evil teacher geniuses and giant killer hamsters (see previous Little Badman adventures for details) are nothing compared to starting a new school. He's already been out rap-battled by the school bully, laughed at by his classmates. Oh, and we haven't even mentioned the ancient magical orb causing havoc and very possibly leading to world destruction. At least Humza has found someone to help with his homework. It's just a shame this friend isn't exactly alive.
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