Top list: Children's books

Greg Heffley and his family are getting out of town.

With the cold weather and the stress of the approaching holiday season, the Heffleys decide to escape to a tropical island resort for some much-needed rest and relaxation. A few days in paradise should do wonders for Greg and his frazzled family.

But the Heffleys soon discover that paradise isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be.

Sun poisoning, stomach troubles, and venomous critters all threaten to ruin the family’s vacation. Can their trip be saved, or will this island getaway end in disaster?

“Combines Alex Rider’s espionage skills with a huge dose of the sarcasm of Artemis Fowl.” —School Library Journal

Can an undercover nerd become a superstar agent? In the first book in the New York Times bestselling Spy School series, Ben Ripley sure hopes so—and his life may depend on it!

Ben Ripley may only be in middle school, but he’s already pegged his dream job: CIA or bust. Unfortunately for him, his personality doesn’t exactly scream “secret agent.” In fact, Ben is so awkward, he can barely get to school and back without a mishap. Because of his innate nerdiness, Ben is not surprised when he is recruited for a magnet school with a focus on science—but he’s entirely shocked to discover that the school is actually a front for a junior CIA academy. Could the CIA really want him?

Summer’s almost over, which means one thing and one thing only: It's Color War time! Color War is the event of the summer, a massive camp-wide competition that divides the campers into two teams: Blue and White. All of the upper campers are hoping they'll be selected as Lieutenant, a team leader position and a huge honor. Jenny's convinced she's got Lieutenant in the bag, being a "Popular Girl" and all. And Play Dough sure hopes he does, too—members of his family have been White-team Lieutenants for generations, and he doesn't want to disappoint them. But when assignments are announced, both Jenny and Play Dough are in for a big surprise.

"'You are sharing the Dark Lord's thoughts and emotions. The Headmaster thinks it inadvisable for this to continue. He wishes me to teach you how to close your mind to the Dark Lord.'"

Dark times have come to Hogwarts. After the Dementors' attack on his cousin Dudley, Harry Potter knows that Voldemort will stop at nothing to find him. There are many who deny the Dark Lord's return, but Harry is not alone: a secret order gathers at Grimmauld Place to fight against the Dark forces. Harry must allow Professor Snape to teach him how to protect himself from Voldemort's savage assaults on his mind. But they are growing stronger by the day and Harry is running out of time...

The Warrior's Principles Never Change... But What If They Are Flawed? The greatest warriors of the land disappeared without a trace. But were they missing, or merely hiding?

Now one young warrior, eager to prove himself, ventures into the nether to earn his place.

But will he come out on top, or will the nether change him in ways he never could have imagined?

Disclaimer: This is not an official Minecraft book and is not authorized or owned by Mojang

Two spud siblings face off in a series of epic challenges in this first “delightful laugh-on-every-page” (Booklist) installment of a hilariously silly graphic novel chapter book series from the bestselling creator of the Narwhal and Jelly books.

Rot is a mutant potato who wakes up feeling great, maybe even…the greatest in the world! But that only makes Rot’s brother Snot the grumpiest in the world. The only solution? An epic contest to prove who is the greatest once and for all, judged by the only impartial party they can find—their small fry little sister, Tot.

But as the stakes get higher through the muddy potato sack race, sacred hot potato roll, and a hilarious laughing contest, their rivalry spirals out of control. Suddenly Rot’s not feeling so spudtacular anymore. Will this tater trio ever be able to determine who the greatest in the world really is?

Minecraft Legends saw the piglins invade the Overworld. Hundreds of years later, could history be about to repeat itself?

Farnum has always been terrified of adventure, content to run his zoo in the safety of the same town he’s lived in for most of his life. But how will he ever expand his zoo without exploring the Overworld in search of new mobs for it?

Piglin Kritten is advisor to the Great Bungus, piglin brute and ruler of a bastion remnant. At least, they were. Now, they’ll do anything to ensure their survival.

What happens when Farnum and Kritten’s worlds collide and the old legends of a piglin invasion appear to be coming true?

If you want to learn more about Minecraft Legends, check out the official game guide: GUIDE TO MINECRAFT LEGENDS (9780008595012)

As soon as her son Enzo was born, Cindy "knew" that something was wrong. Months of isolation, mistrust and misunderstanding followed... a period of diagnostic wandering typical of rare diseases.

Cindy, Lola and Enzo tell their stories of how a rare disease is a daily struggle for families. It's a battle in which each one of them fights his or her own battle... as mother, sister and patient.

"In the world of rare diseases, this manga becomes a beacon of hope. Through its stories, it highlights the challenges, resilience and victories of families affected by myasthenia gravis. A powerful testament to the strength of the rare disease community. We are grateful to Fondation Ipsen for its essential support."

Michael Wilbur

Director of Operations, EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Europe

"This is the story of three heroes: Enzo, his sister and his mother. Through them, we see courage, strength, solidarity and eternal love."

James A. Levine

MD, PhD, Professor, Fondation Ipsen, President

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

At the age of 20, Céline Gaudet decided to transform her passion for manga into a profession. She left Montreal to take courses under the direction of a Japanese manga teacher, at AAA-Ecole de Manga. She writes under the pseudonym Reptilian.

New for 2024, the unmissable, official novelisation of the third Paddington movie!

In his third big screen outing from Studiocanal, the creators of Wonka and the Harry Potter movies, Paddington and the Browns leave Windsor Gardens to embark on an epic adventure to visit Aunt Lucy at The Home for Retired Bears. There, they find a mystery that sends them on a hilarious and thrilling journey along the Amazon, through the jungle and up to the mountain peaks of Peru.

This wonderful retelling of the cinematic film has been penned by Anna Wilson, based on the story by Paul King, Mark Burton and Simon Farnaby, and the screenplay written by Mark Burton, Jon Foster and James Lamont.

I'll be famous one day, but for now I'm stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons.

Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings like him share the hallways with much bigger kids who are already shaving. But nothing scared Greg more than the moldy piece of cheese on the blacktop.

Can he and his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, make it through the year without getting the Cheese Touch?

Bedtime is about to get a unicorn-sized makeover with “Unicorn Bedtime Stories for Kids”. Replace sheep with sparkly unicorns for the dreamiest sleep ever! Ever tried negotiating with a bedtime rebel without a unicorn mediator?

Dreaming of a bedtime strategy that doesn’t involve a mini bedtime protest?

Wishing for a magical solution that turns bedtime from a rumble into a snuggle-fest?

Get ready to trade bedtime battles for unicorn waltzes with “Unicorn Bedtime Stories for Kids”.

Step into a world where bedtime is a front-row seat to unicorn parades, and dreams are crafted with stardust. After all, who needs bedtime battles when you can have a unicorn cuddle party?

Here are just some of the spellbinding benefits:

Magical Bedtime Rituals: Transform mundane bedtime into a mystical unicorn-themed affair.

Slumber-Inducing Magic: Let the soothing tales of unicorns work their bedtime charm.

Sneaky Wisdom: Deliver life lessons wrapped in glittery unicorn adventures.

And more!

“Unicorn Bedtime Stories for Kids” makes sure that bedtime remains a pleasant and exciting experience, not a nightly negotiation. If you’re excited to have your little one snug as a bug and enchanted by unicorn tales, then this collection of stories is for you!

Ready to ditch the bedtime drama? Grab “Unicorn Bedtime Stories for Kids” now and let the unicorn-led takeover commence!

Katie Brown’s stepsister starts at a new school and discovers her own way to bake in this first book in the Cupcake Diaries: The New Batch chapter book series, the little sister series to the bestselling Cupcake Diaries. Includes black and white illustrations throughout!

Emily Green has to switch to a new school while her old one is being renovated, and she’s devastated when her friends get assigned somewhere else, leaving her totally alone. When she recognizes a girl from her old school, she at least has someone to sit with at lunchtime. But just as Emily is getting comfortable, her school announces a baking contest. Emily has baked before with her stepsister, Katie Brown, who’s well-known for starting the Cupcake Club—but does Emily really want to live in Katie’s shadow?

She’s feeling nervous until Katie advises her to bake cupcakes “The Emily Way,” and Emily starts to realize there’s room for two star bakers in their family!

A wonderful audiobook of the fresh retelling of the classic Disney film, 'Frozen'. An audiobook enriched with sound effects and music. A new way to enjoy a Disney classic!

From award-winning author Marilyn Singer comes a funny Level 1 Ready-to-Read about a poodle whose hair won’t stop growing!

Poodle coming, poodle going.

Poodle’s curly hair is growing.

Poodle’s eyes are hardly showing.

Like the grass, that dog needs mowing!

Come see Poodle’s hair grow and grow and grow in this delightful rhyming book that beginning readers will love reading again and again.

While Tina is studying for an exam with Alex, Bibi becomes friends with Connie. What a surprise that she has just come from Hungary and is supposed to say hello to Bibi from Mikosch! He talked so much about the Martins Farm and Bibi that Connie wanted to spend the rest of the holidays here. But why didn't she give Bibi the letter her wrote for her?

Top-secret Children's Spy Agency newest recruit, Asha Joshi is back with a brand new mission. Asha is suspicious when evil teenage trillionaire Shelly Belly proposes to cut down all the trees in Asha’s favourite park to make room for CyberOaks: the new tech trees. Asha’s a top coder and super spy so she should be able to face robot security parrots, navigate a suspicious internship and travel to Shelly's super-confidential base in Scotland to crack the case. Will Asha and her robo-hamster sidekick Tumble be able to protect the park and save the day?

The story is a great way to engage young readers in coding and critical-thinking as it combines STEM with exciting adventures. It is mapped onto key National Curriculum Computing KS1 and KS2 concepts including algorithms, conditionals and debugging.

Meet the loveable and rambunctious puppy, Bo Davis, in this first book of the Good Dog series! When Bo loses something important, his search takes him all over the farm.

Springtime has arrived at the Davis Family Farm! Spring showers lead to muddy hijinks for a young pup named Bo. But when Bo loses his dog tag, he gets serious and enlists all of his barnyard pals to help him find it. From horse stalls to chicken coops to grazing fields and beyond, Bo’s adventure takes him all over the farm, introducing a cast of friends and frenemies.

With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Good Dog chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.

Grab your superhero capes and join Catboy, Owlette, and Gekko as they chase down Night Ninja and his Ninjalinos!

Defeating the villain with ease, the PJ Masks become overconfident in their abilities and soon find themselves in deep trouble as Night Ninja secretly plots to acquire PJ powers for himself!

Will the PJ Masks be able to outsmart Night Ninja once again?

PJ Masks™ and associated trademarks are owned by eOne/Hasbro and used under license from Hasbro. © 2023 Hasbro

PJ Masks™ and associated trademarks are owned by eOne/Hasbro and used under license from Hasbro. © 2021 Hasbro

This atmospheric thriller, full of daring stunts and sinister villains, is perfect escapism for 9+ readers.

Mouse, a foundling, loves her pieced-together family at the Moth Theatre fiercely. When their leading man, Walter, is wrongly arrested for murder, Mouse swears she'll free him. But another member of the cast has a secret identity - as a ruthless killer. As Mouse's investigation leads her ever closer to their true, deadly nature, can she outwit them without losing everything she holds dear?

A masterfully told adventure from the acclaimed author of The Boy Who Flew and Murder in Midwinter, Mouse Heart is ideal for fans of Philip Pullman, Katherine Rundell and Philip Reeve.

A New York Public Library Best Book for Kids 2024

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Discover the tiny, fascinating world of nurse logs in this first book in an illuminating picture book series that explores how even the smallest habitats play big roles in nature.

Once there stood a giant fir tree that stretched to the sun. One stormy day, a great gust came. The tree creaked, and cracked, and collapsed! And the tree’s new life as a nurse log began...

When old trees fall to the forest floor, they can take centuries to decompose, becoming home to all sorts of organisms along the way. These nurse logs are unique ecosystems that support hundreds of rare and important plants, creatures, and fungi. They provide nutrients for tree seedlings, hideaways for animals, shelters in the winter, and protection from the elements. With snappy text and lush illustrations, this book invites curious readers to step into a tiny ecosystem that’s truly like no other.