The Witch in the Tower, by Júlia Sardà
(Walker Studio, September 2025)

I want to exist in Júlia Sardà’s brain! This book is a visual feast, which reveals new secrets upon each re-read: toads, fungi and cobwebs nestled into every corner. We follow Carmela, who out of unbearable boredom plays Walk Until You Can't Walk Anymore. This leads her to the witch's tower, where together they journey through wondrous rooms. The Circular Library envelops us in a 70s palette of brown, yellow and orange, whilst the Dome of Crystal Prims plunges us into a magnificent rainbow spectrum. Each room brings new realisations, and by the time Carmela reaches the top and gazes at the vast night sky above, she has gained fresh perspective on her everyday frustrations. 

We Are Your Children, by David Roberts
(Two Hoots, May 2025)

The moment I saw this book I knew it was a standout choice for our 2025 Christmas Bibliotherapy: a vibrant, compassionate journey through five decades of LGBTQ+ history. In it, David Roberts, in his inimitable style, traces the evolution of activism and community with clarity and warmth, guiding readers from pre-Stonewall tensions through moments of uprising, creativity, and collective courage. He illuminates the era through expressive artwork and carefully chosen stories, helping young readers understand how people found connection, identity and bravery. The inclusion of an afterword by Juno Dawson adds reflection and resonance, offering space for readers to think about how this history continues to shape the present.

An Anthology of Christmas: The Festive Gift of the Season, by Auriol Bishop
(DK, September 2025)

This is a joyous celebration of the natural wonders of the festive season, blending stunning wildlife photography with cosy, festive illustrations. As the ninth book in the bestselling Children’s Anthologies series, it explores some of the most fascinating Christmassy facts from the natural world and makes a perfect introduction to seasonal traditions for children of all ages. EYFS children will delight in the vibrant illustrations and bold headings, while KS1 and KS2 readers can dive deeper into the weird and wonderful facts. Did you know that wreathing your house in ivy garlands was once believed to ward off goblins? Or that poinsettias are known as la flor de Nochebuena, the flower of Christmas Eve? 

The Merry Christmas Murders, by Alexandra Benedict
(Simon and Schuster Children’s UK, October 2025)

This Christmas, step into an exciting ‘murder mystery’ novel from bestselling author, Alexandra Benedict. ‘The Merry Murders’ is a festive mystery in which the main character, Brooke Parkin, begins a new school and is faced with murder on her first day! One body turns into two, and Brooke and her newly made friends must turn detective… 

The characters in this are deliberately diverse and representative, including autism, ADHD and anxiety. The way that Alexandra Benedict carefully explores this through characterisation and the plot will appeal to many readers; we meet the ‘Neurokinders’, a group of ‘five brains that think in different ways’, who come together to unravel the mystery. It’s a festive mystery with a side of mince pies.

A Poem for every Question, by Brian Bilston, Illustrated by Joe Berger
(Red Shed, September 2025)

Those of us who know young people will be very familiar with the seemingly endless “why-questions-about-practically-anything-stage” that they go through. It is utterly delightful to see the real wonder and curiosity of this period, and I remember it fondly in my own children. Brian Bilston’s “A Poem for Every Question” is exactly the sort of book you want lying around on the kitchen table — or in a primary classroom — ready to spark curiosity at breakfast, bedtime or anywhere in between and answer those constant questions. Bilston takes the big, puzzling, often wobbly questions children ask, such as ‘Why does thunder rumble?’, ‘Is zillion a real number?’ and ‘What are rainbows made of?’ and answers them with warmth, wit and just enough silliness to keep even the fidgetiest reader hooked. One especially delightful poem asks, ‘Why do people hug?’ Bilston playfully replies, ‘Nothing works quite like a cuddle, if you want to un-befuddle,’ and goes on to explain how it helps reduce anxiety. It’s funny, tender and gently reassuring all at once.

Barnaby Unboxed! by The Fan Brothers
(Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, September 2025)

This is the gorgeous and heartfelt sequel to The Barnabus Project by the Fan Brothers - a favourite here at Literacy Tree. Set in the same imaginative world we know and love, it picks up where the first book left off. Barnaby, a ‘Perfect Pet’, waits in the Perfect Pets store, hoping for someone to take him home. Half mouse, half elephant with just a dash of flamingo, he’s instantly endearing. Finally adopted by a little girl, he finds himself with a wonderfully cosy life of shared walks, stories and playtime. But the harmony doesn’t last. When a flashy Barnaby upgrade - the vibrant ‘Rainbow Barnaby’ – hits the shelves, the girl’s attention shifts, leaving Barnaby feeling forgotten. Running away seems like a good option, but things don’t quite go to plan…

Dance of Resistance: The Josephine Baker Story, by Catherine Johnson, illustrated by Katie Hickey(Barrington Stoke, September 2025)

Picking up this book, knowing very little about Josephine Baker, I found myself researching the details of her life in disbelief (including images of her walking a cheetah). An American-born French singer, dancer, actress and civil rights activist who became a spy sounds more like the subject of a fictional, yet highly bingeable, series than a biographical account of someone’s life! She was the first Black woman to do many notable things including star in a motion picture and join the French Resistance. A truly inspirational figure who never gave up even when faced with monumental adversity; everyone should know her story.

The History of We, by Nikkolas Smith
(Oneworld Publications, September 2025)

This breathtaking book written and illustrated by Nikkolas Smith tells the beginning of our very own inception, the start of our family tree. Not just mine, not just yours, but ours. The oldest fossils ever unearthed show that the first humans were born in Africa. Smith transports us on a journey through wonderful paintings: brush strokes that evoke the movement, the curiosity, and the beauty of our beginnings. His words written in poetic prose, weave through his captivating paintings, telling the story of how we started connecting words to communicate, how we began our artistic ways; using our creative expression to create new styles and new sounds that became music. He shows us that our bodies danced, that we learned to “river-fly”, and we built; our minds explored, discovered, healed and sailed.

When The Sky falls: the graphic novel, by Phil Earle and adapted and illustrated by Fred Fordham
(Anderson Press, October 2025)

When the Sky Falls was The Times Children’s Book of the Year in 2021, and it’s one of those novels that can open your eyes and shift your thinking about a period in history you might have believed you already understood. Phil Earle was praised for his gritty depiction of life in London during the Blitz, and his story of Joseph, a twelve-year-old boy sent to live in London with Mrs F - a zookeeper who has plenty of her own problems to contend with - is a hard-hitting read. As a novel, it’s a heartbreaking narrative of loss and yet a beautiful story of hope and bravery.

Something Earle does extremely well is write from the perspective of a child who has had a rough ride, and he portrays anger and unfairness so effectively that you cannot help but recognise the frustrations; any angry teenager will see themselves in his characters (Being Billy, Saving Daisy should be in every secondary school library).

Cloud Boy, written and illustrated by Gregg Stobbs
(Oxford University Press, February 2025)

Cloud Boy is a beautiful picture book, written and illustrated by Greg Stobbs. It introduces a young boy named Bobby who, whenever he becomes distracted, begins to float - drawn upward by all the sights, sounds and smells around him. His family and friends try various ways to keep him grounded, but the story gently reveals that perhaps the solution isn’t to tether Bobby, but rather to understand how his mind works, embrace it and change their ways to be more inclusive. The illustrations bring the story to life, and the vivid colours and bold patterns bring a whimsical sense of energy to each page.

Secrets of the Stars, by Alicia Klepeis and illustrated by Jennifer Falkner
(Neon Squid, October 2025)

Upon opening the book, you are greeted by a world map that immediately invites you on an enchanting journey across the globe. Each short story then introduces you to fascinating night animals native to different continents marked on the map, blending adventurous fiction with educational discovery. The book is not only filled with engaging nighttime tales, but it also offers a wealth of interesting facts about each animal at the end of every story. My favourite short story has to be Who Glows There? A story where a wonderful glowing pineapple fish explores the depths of the Indian ocean at nighttime. Stunning illustrations, adventurous narratives, and captivating animal facts make this a delightful book to read and a wonderful gift for any occasion. This Christmas, I will be gifting this book to my nephew.

The Lone Husky by Hannah Gold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold
(Harper Collin’s Children’s Books, October 2025)

Every single word upon every single page was perfection in this new book by Hannah Gold. The third in the ‘Bear’ trilogy, there’s the cosiness that comes from the familiar where we reconnect with April. But there’s also such a deepening of the characters and their development. Set on Svalbard, April and her father – along with Maria, his lovely girlfriend, have now permanently settled. April knows that Bear needs the space to hunt and feed, but loneliness and the need for connection with the natural world sets in until it is assuaged by the appearance of a gentle yet skittish husky. Of course, Bear is - and always will be - April’s best friend but there’s room in her heart for the dog who is no longer deemed good for sleigh pulling. What to call him though? She tries several names, but none feel quite right… ‘That was the thing about names. Sometimes they didn’t just fit who you were now – they fit who you were destined to become.’ And then it comes to her: Blaze. 

Firefly by Robert Macfarlane and illustrated by Luke Adam Hawker
(Magic Cat Publishing, October 2025)

Have you ever held a book in your hands and been reluctant to open it? Treasured its feel and been wonderstruck at its cover? Well, the moment I saw Firefly, I knew I was clasping a piece of magic. I wished I had unearthed it from folds of delicate tissue paper or uncovered it beneath shimmering, decorative shreds at the bottom of a specially-wrapped gift box - for it is a hardback splendour to be savoured...

You feel its soft, cloth-bound cloak, the colour of the night sky, and linger. You tilt its cover, unleashing shimmering copper glints of extraordinary images and script – it glows. Time slows. Allow it to before you enter the book's world of hope and dreams.