A warm, feel-good story for 9+ about taking a leap of faith when life feels wobbly. Perfect for fans of Cathy Cassidy.

Jelly, aged 11, is the life and soul of the classroom. She's popular and great at doing impressions. She's also overweight. She's learned to deal with the put-downs by brushing them off and pretending she finds it all very funny - while making up poems and writing her private worries in a notebook.

Then Lennon arrives, Mum's new boyfriend. He's nice. He treats her mum well, buys her flowers, doesn't let her down. He's the first person to have noticed that Jelly is playing a part. He reads her poems and tells her they're really good. In fact, he'd like to set one to music.

When a talent show is announced at school, Lennon persuades Jelly sing her poem in the contest. But can Jelly find the courage to perform something so personal - especially when Lennon might not always be there to cheer her on?

Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. The bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between: this is the fifth volume of the much-loved HEARTSTOPPER series.

Nick and Charlie are very much in love. They've finally said those three little words, and Charlie has almost persuaded his mum to let him sleep over at Nick's house ... But with Nick going off to university next year, is everything about to change?

By Alice Oseman, winner of the YA Book Prize, Heartstopper encompasses all the small moments of Nick and Charlie's lives that together make up something larger, which speaks to all of us.

Contains discussions around mental health and eating disorders, and sexual references.

New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor author Renée Watson explores friendship, loss, and life with grief in this poignant novel in verse and vignettes.

Sage's thirteenth birthday was supposed to be about movies and treats, staying up late with her best friend and watching the sunrise together. Instead, it was the day her best friend died. Without the person she had to hold her secrets and dream with, Sage is lost. In a counseling group with other girls who have lost someone close to them, she learns that not all losses are the same, and healing isn't predictable. There is sadness, loneliness, anxiety, guilt, pain, love. And even as Sage grieves, new, good things enter her life-and she just may find a way to know that she can feel it all.

In accessible, engaging verse and prose, this is a story of a girl's journey to heal, grow, and forgive herself. To read it is to see how many shades there are in grief, and to know that someone understands.

Movie tie-in edition of the No. 1 New York Times bestseller and Waterstones Children's Book Prize winner, now a major motion picture from Twentieth Century Fox, starring Amandla Stenberg.

Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping novel about one girl's struggle for justice.

For readers who loved Wonder and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time this extraordinary debut will make you laugh and cry.

A story that crosses time and generations, for adventure-loving readers young and old.

“My dad died twice. Once when he was thirty nine and again four years later when he was twelve.”

On Al Chaudhury’s twelfth birthday his beloved Grandpa Byron gives him a letter from Al’s late father. In it Al receives a mission: travel back to 1984 in a secret time machine and save his father’s life.

Al soon discovers that time travel requires daring and imagination. It also requires lies, theft, setting his school on fire and ignoring philosophical advice from Grandpa Byron. All without losing his pet hamster, Alan Shearer…

Time Travelling With a Hamster is a funny, heart-warming race-against-time – and across generations – adventure that you will won’t be able to put down.

As dawn breaks over the African savanna, animals gather to enjoy a refreshing morning bath. Throughout the day, they parade around the waterhole as the sun climbs higher in the sky, the heat intensifies... and the lake gradually dries up. Will everyone get a drink before it’s too late? But just when it seems hope is lost, a clever baby elephant steps in with a big idea to save the day. Perfect for introducing children to the wonders of African wildlife and the importance of precious water in sustaining life.

Oh, how we wished and wished for someone just like you. Someone special to share our home. And the special times, too.

This warm, lyrical picture books tells the story of different adoptive families. It’s the perfect starting point for parents who want to discuss the topic of adoption, and it helps children to understand that every family is special – even though we may not look the same.

The author’s royalties from the sale of this book will be donated to Engo, a nonprofit non-governmental organization that provides support to individuals and families, and is involved in facilitating adoptions and offering support to adoptive families.

Peggy the pug is ready to be the teacher's pet!

It's the end of the summer holidays and the children are heading back to school. But Peggy's best friend, Chloe, is nervous about joining a new class this year. Peggy wishes she could help reassure Chloe. If only she could find a way to go to school too, but dogs aren't allowed . . .

Can Peggy teach them all a lesson?

With adorable black and white illustrations throughout, this heartwarming Peggy the Pug story is perfect for the back to school season.

From award-winning and beloved children's author Elizabeth Laird comes a stunning edition of The Garbage King, with a cover illustration by Zeamanuel Abera, an author letter and additional content from the author, including discussion notes. Inspired by the true story of an Ethiopian childhood lived on the edge of destitution, it takes you on an unforgettable emotional journey.

When Mamo's mother dies, he is abandoned in the shanties of Addis Ababa. Stolen by a child-trafficker and sold to a farmer, he is cruelly treated. Escaping back to the city, he meets another, very different runaway. Dani is rich, educated - and fleeing his tyrannical father. Together they join a gang of homeless street boys who survive only by mutual bonds of trust and total dependence on each other.

In the moving and compelling debut novel from Benjamin Zephaniah, a young man's life is completely changed when his face is badly scarred in a car accident.

Martin seems to have it all. He's cool, funny, and he's the undisputed leader of the Gang of Three, who roam their East London estate during the holidays looking for fun. But one night after the Gang leave a late night rap club, Martin accepts a ride from Pete, a Raider's Posse gang member. Too late, he realises that the car is stolen, and that the police are after them.

What happens next will change Martin's life and looks, and show him the true meaning of strength, courage, discrimination and friendship

"A joyous ode to inclusion, realised in the most delightful, uplifting way." - Cerrie Burnell YOU CAN...be brave, challenge yourself, overcome your fears, be kind, be brilliant...be YOU! Come on an amazing journey with 14 children as they grow from birth to 18 years old, learning new skills, exploring new worlds, standing up for their own and others' rights - and following their dreams. Created with real children, who sent messages of empathy, reassurance and hope, You Can! will inspire young people of all ages to be empowered and believe in themselves. This is a ground-breaking book from author and co-founder of Inclusive Minds, Alexandra Strick, with an astonishing, visual narrative by international picture book star, Steve Antony.

Ross Molloy just wants to be normal. He doesn't want to lose his hair, or wear a weird hat, or deal with the disappearing friends who don't know what to say to 'the cancer kid'. But with his recent diagnosis of a rare eye cancer, simply blending in is no longer an option. Ross - and his friends and his family - all need to work out how to deal with this devastating challenge that Life has thrown down. Maybe Batpig can come to the rescue?

Based on Rob Harrell's own real life experience with eye cancer, and including amazing comic-strip artwork, this poignant and authentic novel is unforgettable, hilarious and uplifting.

Twelve-year-old Mizzy dreams of being a detective and she won't let anything stand in her way ― not her reputation for tall tales, or her embarrassing fear of escalators, and definitely not her Down syndrome. Dumped for the summer with cousins who've outgrown her, Mizzy feels even more sidelined than usual. But when she discovers Great Aunt Jane's diaries in a locked wardrobe in their spare room, and realises her aunt didn't die in her sleep but under suspicious circumstances, everything changes. What's more … someone in the family appears to have been involved. Under the guise of a family-tree project for school, and armed with a brand new set of Pipsqueak markers, Mizzy grabs the chance to prove herself to her cousins ― and the world.

JOIN THE TEAM. SAVE THE WORLD. Join twin geniuses Jacob and Kira on an out-of-this-world mission to protect the planet in the second book in the Transcendent series. Jacob and Kira have been launched into space by a top-secret agency called Transcendent. Their mission? Finish work on an invention with the power to clean up the Earth and stop climate change for good. But they soon lose all communication with mission control and discover that a mysterious creature is closing in on them. Meanwhile, an evil billionaire is determined to get rid of Transcendent so he can unleash a terrifying, mind-bending technology on the planet. With two disasters looming, how will Jacob and Kira save the day when everything is at stake? Two kids, one top-secret agency and an epic mission to save the world.

Seventeen-year-old Leopold Berry is seeing weird things around Los Angeles. A man who pops a tooth into a parking meter. A glowing trapdoor in a parking lot. A half-mechanical raccoon with its tail on fire that just won’t leave him alone. Every hallucinatory moment seems plucked from a cheesy 1990s fantasy TV show called Max's Adventures in Sunderworld—and that’s because they are.

Not a good sign.

In the blurry weeks after his mother’s death, a young Leopold discovered VHS tapes of its one and only season in a box headed for the trash—and soon became obsessed. Losing himself in Sunder was the best way to avoid two things: grieving his mother and being a chronic disappointment to his overbearing father. But when the strange visions return—at the worst possible time on the worst possible day—Leopold turns to his best friend Emmet for help. Together they discover that Sunder is much more than just an old TV show, and that Los Angeles is far stranger than they ever imagined. And soon, he’ll realize that not only is Sunderworld real, but it’s in grave danger.

Certain he’s finally been chosen for greatness, Leopold risks everything to claim his destiny, save the world of his childhood dreams, and prove once and for all that he’s not the disappointment his father believes him to be. But when everything goes terribly, horribly, excruciatingly wrong, Leopold’s disappointments prove to be more extraordinary than he ever could have imagined.

How do you battle darkness when no one believes in you—not even yourself?

Welcome to Sunderworld.

Far out to sea and deep below the whispering waves lives a merman called Nen. Nen spends his days exploring his underwater kingdom, but something is missing: his heart is empty. So, Nen ventures to the forbidden world above and it is here that he meets Ernest, a lonely fisherman. But can two people from different worlds be together and what will happen when a terrifying storm gathers? A lyrical, beautiful celebration of love, acceptance and faith, with a gentle message about how we treat our oceans, and each other.

When Cerys’ best friend and secret crush Jake moves to a new college, she realises she’s running out of time to take their relationship from platonic to romantic. She’ll do anything to get out of Jake’s friendzone, even if that means diving into the huge fantasy fandom he loves so much.

But when Jake introduces Cerys to his shiny new friend Max, who goes to all the conventions and loves a costume, she realises she’ll need to do a lot more to grab Jake’s attention than just read a few fanfics.

Can Cerys convince Jake they should become the new couple to ship? Or will he see straight through her cosplay?

A fandom-centric romcom about self-confidence and the power of finding the people who just get you, DO YOU SHIP IT is a beautifully lighthearted YA from bestselling author Beth Reekles, perfect for fans of Holly Bourne, Jenny Han, and Lynn Painter.

Rorisang and her twin brother Mo must start the school year at a new school after their mom decides that the family needs to get out of their comfort zone.

The twins have attended the school across the road since they were toddlers. All their friends are there, and their dad is best friends with the headmaster. The new school is far from their house, the extramural activities that are on offer are unfamiliar and the ones that Rorisang used to excel at in her old school is dominated by kids far better than her.

Luckily Rorisang makes new friends quickly, learns to play softball and performs a praise poem at the Eisteddfod. She even survives the long trips in the car with her pest of a brother!

A heartwarming story that celebrates family and friendship and finding your voice amidst change. The book is also available in isiZulu and Afrikaans.

Sy is Helena Bosman van ’n piepklein dorpie doer ver in die Noord-Kaap, maar Oupa en Oumie noem haar sommer Vaselinetjie. Sy is hulle veldbosengeltjie, hulle hart se punt. Tot Vaselinetjie tien jaar oud is en die Welsyn haar laat wegstuur na die kosskool in Gauteng – die weeshuis waar Madiba se weggooikinders bly.

Dis ’n vreemde, harde, gevaarlike wêreld van skomgatkinders, kwaai huistannies en ’n hardvogtige, onregverdige koshuisvader; van entjies rook, hare laat afskeer en planne maak om te whallap. Waar niemand oor jou traak nie, en waar jy ook leer om oor niemand te traak nie.

Maar soos die maande jare word, kruis een naam telkens Vaselinetjie se pad: Texan Kirby. En daardie naam loop reguit na haar hart.

**Film weergawe van boek in teaters 22 September 2017

A novel in verse about teenage love and friendships, lost and found. Daisy can feel like a solo act at home. On the outside of her twin brothers’ intense relationship, she leans towards her parents, particularly her father, for support. As a passionate classical musician, she is not wildly popular at school, but she has one close friend and a life filled with musical performance. Her life is turned upside down when her boyfriend suddenly breaks up with her, and Daisy is left disconnected from her one true love, music. When she makes a new friend at school, mysterious Flora, Daisy finds a glimmer of peace in her chaotic life. Just as everything seems to be getting better, they all fall apart. Family tensions heighten as Daisy’s dad falls ill and Daisy needs to decide should she find her way back to who she was or look towards who she is going to become.

The beloved cult classic about family, friendship and first love, from award-winning author Benjamin Alire Sáenz. This lyrical novel will enrapture readers of Adam Silvera (They Both Die at the End), The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Call me by your Name.

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison.

Dante is a know-it-all who has a unique perspective on life.

When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they develop a special friendship – the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about the universe, themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

This incredibly moving and powerful Printz Honor Book follows two teen boys learning to open themselves up to love, despite the world being against them.

Gabby en haar niggie Georgia lyk baie na mekaar met hulle krullerige hare, hoë wangbene en vol lippe, en toe hulle jonger was, was hulle onafskeidbaar. Maar iewers het hulle vreemdelinge vir mekaar geword en al wat hulle nou in gemeen het, is die bloed in hulle are.

Toe die matriekgroep van Barkley-Wes op ’n toer na Kaapstad vertrek, ontdek Gabby dat Georgia se dagboek in haar rugsak is. Hulle ma’s het vir hulle identiese blou dagboeke vir hulle gekoop, en hulle deel ’n kamer, so dit kon maklik gebeur het dat sy die verkeerde dagboek ingepak het. Dit beteken waarskynlik ook dat háár dagboek in Georgia se besit is.

Kort voor lank kry Gabby se nuuskierigheid die oorhand en begin sy Georgia se dagboek lees. Wanneer Georgia daarvan uitvind, breek ’n volskaalse niggie-oorlog uit wat nie eens Kaapstad se besienswaardighede of hulle vriende se pogings om raad te gee, kan keer nie.

Gaan Gabby se verraad die niggies nog verder uitmekaar dryf of sal dit dalk daartoe lei dat hulle mekaar beter begin verstaan?

This mystery thriller by the Number One bestselling author of The Inheritance Games is a gripping story of high stakes, betrayal, and unpredictable twists. Perfect for fans of A Good Girls Guide to Murder.

Any problem can be fixed for a price . . .

When Tess Kendrick is sent to stay with her older sister in Washington D.C., she has no idea that Ivy is the capitol’s go-to “fixer,” a person who can make powerful people’s scandals disappear with a snap of her fingers. Tess never thought she and Ivy had much in common, but when she enrolls at the exclusive Hardwicke School, she soon finds herself thrust into the role of high school fixer, solving problems for the children of the D.C. elite.

But secrets pile up as each sister lives a double life, and their worlds come crashing together when a scandal from the halls of Hardwicke reaches Capitol Hill. As the stakes turn deadly, Tess must uncover who’s behind the power play before she becomes a target herself.

Don’t miss the sequel, Lessons in Power!

Grace, Isa, and Everett used to be an inseparable trio before their love lives became a tangled mess. For starters, Grace is secretly in love with Everett, who used to go out with Isa before breaking her heart in the infamous Freshman Year Fracture. And, oh yeah, no one knows that Isa has been hanging out with James, Grace’s brother―and if Grace finds out, it could ruin their friendship.

With graduation fast approaching, Grace decides an unsanctioned senior skip day in Philadelphia might be just what they need to fix things. All she has to do is convince Isa to help her kidnap Everett and outmaneuver James, who’s certain his sister is up to something.

In an epic day that includes racing up the famous Rocky steps, taste-testing Philly's finest cheesesteaks, and even crashing a wedding, their secrets are bound to collide. But can their hearts withstand the wreckage?

Four friends. One day off. A whole heap of trouble – this is the perfect love story for readers to escape with this summer and ticks all the boxes for fans of Carley Fortune, Lynn Painter and Emily Henry.

Rorisang en haar tweelingbroer, Mo, moet die skooljaar by ’n nuwe skool begin nadat hulle ma besluit het dat die gesin uit hulle gemaksone moet kom.

Die tweeling is al sedert hulle kleuters was in die skool oorkant die pad. Al hulle vriende is daar en die skoolhoof is hulle pa se beste vriend. Die nuwe skool is ver van hulle huis af en soggens sit hulle in die verkeer vas. Die buitemuurse aktiwiteite wat aangebied word, is dinge waarvan Rorisang nog nooit eens gehoor het nie, en alhoewel sy goed gevaar het in atletiek in haar ou skool, verloor sy ver teen haar nuwe klasmaats.

Maar gelukkig maak sy sommer vinnig vriende, leer hoe om sagtebal te speel en neem deel aan die Eisteddfod. Sy oorleef selfs die lang ritte in die motor saam met haar irriterende broer deur speellyste saam te speel wat in elke lid van die gesin se musieksmaak val!

’n Storie oor die belangrikheid van vriendskap en familie en om jou stem te vind te midde van verandering.

Die boek is ook beskikbaar in isiZulu en Engels.