Sheena Wilkinson

Judith Eagle is well established as a writer of middle grade adventures with a classic feel, and fans will be delighted with her excellent fourth novel, The Stolen Songbird. The songbird of the title is a painting, one of a series of three whose theft is at the centre of this lively tale. Part heist, part family mystery, The Stolen Songbird bounds along with great verve, plenty of twists, but also a lot of heart and compassion.

Joseph Coelho is justly celebrated as a poet, performer and champion of children’s reading and writing. The Girl Who Became a Tree, described as ‘a story in poems,’ is a twisty, heartfelt tale which weaves together the Greek legend of Daphne, turned into a tree to avoid the attentions of the god Apollo, and a modern story of loss, memory and acceptance.