Growing up

If this book doesn’t inspire and encourage your teenager to become a writer, I don’t know what will!

Always Angel represents those who are not always in the spotlight. Whittam gives a voice to her protagonist, Angel, who is living in foster care, and coping with her parent’s mental health problems. Whittam creates a genuine and sincere world in which Angel exists, and writes with flair to present authentic characters. While Angel struggles to hold onto her relationship with her mum, she also must confront toxic friendships, all while competing in the school-wide baking competition. While baking, Angel shines brightly, now all she has to do is avoid lunchtime detention!

This special picturebook deals with the very difficult topic of death in childhood. The story features an angel called Barnabel who longs to become a guiding angel, but the older angels tell him he is too young and that he doesn’t yet understand the Dark Things. The image of a bridge is used to explain what happens after a child dies. A guiding angel meets them at the bridge, helps them across and relieves them of their Dark Things, which are feelings like pain and fear.

Fans of intrigue, escape rooms and reality TV will be delighted with this page-turning thriller. It’s season five of The Escape Game, ‘a feel-good family show, featuring some of the most brilliant minds of the next generation.’ Teams of teenage contestants compete against one another to solve puzzles, and viewers at home can join in on the Domain, trying to figure out the solutions before the show reveals them.

Getting older can be challenging. Seeing someone you love get older can also be challenging. And talking about the realities involved with getting older can sometimes be even more challenging, especially when trying to explain the complex concepts associated with it to children. This picturebook introduces the idea in a friendly and accessible way that will encourage conversation and perhaps even help during times when a bit of additional support is needed.

A prequel story to Angie Thomas’ lauded and adapted The Hate U Give, Concrete Rose follows Starr’s father, Maverick, in his teenage years as he tackles his premature introduction to fatherhood. Its appeal is threefold, deepening the story for fans who read and loved their first foray into Garden Heights, providing another entry point to the Carter family’s chronology, and standing strongly on its own merit as a solo narrative.

Vietnam joins the Our World boardbook series with great pride in this exciting glimpse into life there.

This memoir offers an honest and unfiltered insight into the realities of growing up mixed-race in Ireland. Diop’s heartfelt exploration of his identity, upbringing and connection to his roots takes readers on a journey that transcends borders. His story and experiences are unique, but the issues and revelations he shares will surely resonate with many readers – both young and old, and of any background.

Heartman is the story of a little boy and his father, and how easily we can take those closest to us for granted. Heartman’s superpower is that he never runs out of love. To his young son that does not seem as exciting as the unbelievable superpowers his friends’ superhero parents have. He wishes Heartman was more like Bigger Thanyorz, The Giggler and Wi-Fly.

Roscoe and Ivy want the clean-up monster, their name for the vacuum cleaner, to come out; but first they need to tidy up all of their things. Tidying seems an overwhelming task, everything is jumbled up, Play-Doh is mixed together, and Roscoe is getting out more toys. Slowly they start to put things into labelled boxes, Ivy makes sure the dough lids match the colour in the pots, and finally they’re ready for Mama to bring the clean-up monster out!