September is often a time of change: the start of a new school year for many; new routines, maybe  new teachers or even starting a new school altogether. The nights that draw in earlier than just a few weeks before is the perfect time for cosying up with a good book but so is having a new class in a shiny new school year. The books we’ve selected for this month’s all have scope for exploring change, new beginnings and navigating friendship and belonging (with a dollop of mythology thrown in for good measure!) Wishing all of our schools a productive, fun and successful year ahead.

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The Grand Bug Hotel, by Ziggy Hanaor and Ollie Silvester

Graphic novel 
(Cicada Books, September 17th 2026)

Debut graphic novel for Silvester, with the hint of a nod to The Grand Budapest Hotel, this is such a fun read with a gentleness to the narrative too with the portrayal of a healthy friendship. 

Best friends Vex and Bo are holidaying at a hotel that appears, at first look, rather fancy. And it is: to a point … but everything unravels fairly soon after the friends arrive. They can’t locate their bedroom; their luggage has gone missing and a whole host of other things go wrong. The termite infestation doesn’t help, either! 

This is a hilarious, lively tale where readers are treated to a visual feast on each page with the kitchen scene being a particular favourite of ours: there’s something very comical indeed about an irate chef who also happens to be a bug of some sort … he isn’t best pleased when the adventurous pair appear (accidentally, of course) in the hotel’s bustling kitchen and out he chases them with a tirade of ‘nincompoops’ and ‘buffoons’!

Brilliantly designed with highly detailed illustration, thoughtful choices about how much in the way of writing there should be on each page and an extremely visually pleasing use of pink and green with added sparkle to the front cover! Perfect for children in year 2/lower KS2.

When the Birds Wake Up, by Jessica Mary Ellis 

Verse novel
(David Fickling Books, September 10th 2026)

Oh gosh this is a weepy one. Ellis’ debut is visceral, sophisticated and acutely observes themes of loneliness, grief and huge change. Pear has had a really difficult time at school: she has yet to find her people and the other children pick on Pear. Her ears - she perceives - are huge and it is this that she feels is the main cause of her being ostracised. When Pear’s Grandma is diagnosed with dementia and her parents decide to move in with grandma so that they can care for her, Pear’s life is upended. This means moving school. Grandma is her best friend so living with her is no hardship but as the disease progresses, Pear must adapt while also watching her parents navigate the grief too. But comfort and friendship comes in many forms: a rescue dog who has been saved from a fire is nursed back to health by Pear… or is it really Pear who is being healed? There’s also Reece: another child who - like Pear - feels invisible and alone. There blossoms a beautiful friendship. Themes of loss, grief, and isolation are expertly explored and navigated through verse and a series of letters to the protagonist’s ‘friend’ Annie. But so too are hope, warmth and friendship. 

This debut joins the ranks of the incredible verse novels that we’ve seen in recent years and we think it’s perfect for children in upper key stage 2 or for younger children if reading with an adult.

The Chairs, by Britta Teckentrup

Illustrated Novella
(Prestel, September 8th 2026)

One day, a chair appears in a clearing in the forest. Then another chair appears. Then even more. Badger is the first discover these chairs and takes a seat, thinking to himself what a beautiful and peaceful place he’s found. Soon, he is joined by another creature. Then another and another. Everyone is welcome! The chairs become a place to share stories of each other’s day; a place to connect and reflect. It has become a community. But then everything changes. With the appearance of exclusionary signage - first banning elephants,  which is laughable really seeing as there aren’t actually any elephants in the forest; then banning red squirrels… 

This is simply visually stunning and a hugely powerful read. The way that the animals hold their nerve and the way one animal in particular learns that the only way to be accepted is to accept others. We think that an independent reader in year 2/ 3 would really enjoy this as a first, short chapter book. But we also think that it might work well as a whole school text: really powerful discussions could be had around this.

Cinnamon Crumb, Baking Detective: The Great Cake Caper, by Harry Woodgate 

Illustrated novel
(Usborne Publishing Ltd, September 10th 2026)

This brand new series, brought to us by beloved Harry Woodgate, is deliciously written. Cinnamon Crumb lives in ‘Marzipan’ – a town with a long history of baking. Her own family has a long history of baking, too, but Cinnamon doesn’t appear to have a natural talent for baking. This proves to be useful, however, when she is asked in secret by not one but two bakers in the town to help identify a saboteur: someone has been trying to work their way to the top spot in the town’s annual cake competition in the hopes of winning the coveted Twelve Tier Crown. Working undercover as an apprentice, Cinnamon becomes embroiled in an adventure of daring … and doing battle with vats of buttercream; flying wodges of cake and uncertainty. The puns Harry uses are genius: they clearly have an excellent knowledge of patisserie, pasties and profiteroles. And as you might imagine for an award-winner author/illustrator, the illustrations are brilliant: slightly cartoon-esque, hugely detailed and the literal icing on the cake to this mystery. Perhaps the cherry on the top, though, is the opportunity for children to be able to see themselves and others with an astute portrayal of a child who has Tourette syndrome; representation of a non-binary person; self-questioning around jealously and confidence and navigating friendship…. gloriously powerful. Oh and let’s not forget Snickerdoodle, Cinnamon’s dog: the perfect sidekick!

The humour, cosy crime and characters are all so well crafted and we see this series being a huge hit with a wide range of readers in key stage 2: there’s genuinely something for everyone.

Myths and Legends: The Heroes, Gods and Monsters who shaped our history, by Frances Durkin and illustrated by Nur Ventura

Illustrated non-fiction 
(b small, September 3rd 2026)

We’re not sure whether we’ve encountered such an eclectic collection of mythical creatures than the collection in this beautifully illustrated new book. There’s Scandinavian goddess, Ràn - goddess of the sea. She, her husband and their 9 children make the waves that sweep sailors to their deaths. There’s the tragic tale of Mexican goddess, Llorona: her husband left her and so afraid was she that he would try to take her children away, she drowned them… there’s Loki, Lancelot, Freyja and Frankenstein…

And the best bits are all of activities readers can get stuck into such as making a thunderstorm and becoming an oral story teller. Perfect for children in KS2 and we’d highly recommend having copies in non-fiction libraries across a schools.

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