In this sequel to The Poison Diaries, Jessamine’s true love, Weed, the strange young man with a secret understanding of the poisonous plants, has mysteriously disappeared. Young adult.

Foxglove, oleander, belladonna, love: in the right dose, everything is a poison. An apothecary’s daughter, Jessamine cares for their garden of medicinal plants; then into her quiet life comes a mysterious young man, Weed. Young adult.

After Uncle Parker wins a Caribbean cruise, the bitterly jealous Bagthorpes are gripped by competition mania, while Grandma starts a riot, Zero becomes the most famous dog in the country and TV crews record the glorious chaos. Age 9+

Jack is fed up with being the only ordinary member of his extraordinarily talented and hilariously eccentric family. When Uncle Parker hatches a madcap scheme to help Jack get noticed, typical Bagthorpe mayhem is sure to follow. Age 9+

Charlie’s class is horrified when their beloved teacher, Mr Merchant, is replaced by awful Mr Carter. When Mr Carter discovers Charlie’s mum is a concert pianist, things get even worse. One of the Cricklepit School books. Age 9+

Sent out of London to avoid a cholera epidemic, a clergyman’s son and daughter become concerned about the children in nearby Drouet’s Academy, a notorious Victorian school for pauper children. Age 9+

This activity book is packed with simple ideas requiring little more than pencils and paper. Using the clear instructions and useful tips, children can play drawing games, make up puzzles and even create a mini movie. Age 8+

In this light-hearted adventure, Lucan falls asleep a free Celt and wakes up a Roman slave. As he travels far from home, making friends and foes, Lucan starts to question everything he thought he knew about the Romans and their vast empire. Age 8+

Matthew thinks his new glasses will make him clever; Geoffrey invents a secret code for talking in class… From a chaotic game of chess to a rainy recess, these tales from the author of Asterix are full of wit and mischief. Age 8+

In the fourth Marsh Road Mysteries adventure, a mummified cat turns up at the junk shop where Andrew’s mum works, and strange things start to happen. Has the shop been cursed? And can Andrew and his friends Piotr, Minnie, Flora and Sylvie solve the case? Age 9+

Alex is sent to buy gloves from Franklin’s Emporium, but after some peculiar events in the shop, the gloves turn her unpleasant cousin into a baby. Alex must act quickly to overcome their magic in this funny, fast-paced story. Age 9+

Fizz is used to playing football with sea lions rather than sitting up straight in a classroom, but no one at school believes he belongs at the circus. How can he ever escape? Fizz faces foolish grown-ups and a devious lookalike in this seriously silly tale. Age 9+

In this well-loved children’s classic, five siblings dig up an ancient sand-fairy – or ‘Psammead’ – and it agrees to grant them one wish per day. They soon discover that wishes can lead to all sorts of trouble. Age 8+

The appeal to children of Benjamin Chaud's The Bear's Song and its sequels The Bear's Sea Escape and The Bear's Surprise are the charming illustrations that invite the reader to search within the richly detailed scenes. This Pelmanism game provides 60 robust cards of characters from the books for young fans to match pairs and test their memories. Age 3+

This ‘museum in book form’ invites you to take a tour of ancient and more recent cultures, presenting 130 artefacts that span a million years. Galleries are organized according to world location, and a timeline shows the age and origin of each object. The fascinating exhibits – from Stone Age hand axes to the moai of Easter Island – are accompanied by detailed descriptions that set them in historical and cultural context. Age 9+

Hammerhead sharks are afraid of the dark, anglerfish wear lipstick and an octopus’s tentacles get tied up in knots when the ocean world is turned upside down. When young readers have delighted in the quirky pictures and funny rhymes, there are suggestions for creating their own books and facts about some of the sea creatures they have encountered. Age 4+

The world is turned on its head in this rhyming picture book for young readers, where polar bears try to fly, hippos play football and meerkats walk on stilts. After enjoying the weird and wonderful animal antics, children are encouraged to imagine their own topsy-turvy day and even write a poem about it. Age 4+

The five teenagers in Anthony Horowitz's series of adventure novels discover that they are ancient magical gatekeepers, reincarnated and equipped with special powers to renew their age-old battle with the mysterious Chaos and the evil Old Ones. Involving occult practices and time travel, and played out across dimensions and around the world, the five-volume saga is an epic struggle between good and evil. Age 12+

This large-format, brightly illustrated picture book, from an award-winning Finnish illustrator and designer, groups words together on ten single-sided pages, in order that they can be displayed on a wall. These posters help young children to recognize numbers, colours, animals, shapes and seasons, and are complemented by clearly presented question pages that encourage observation and understanding. Age 2+

This three-novel collection examines conflict from different perspectives: two boys evacuated to the country in Friend or Foe, Jewish children fleeing the Nazis in Waiting for Anya and animals at the front in War Horse. These stories do not avoid the horrors of battle, but reflect the bravery and heroism of ordinary individuals caught up in events beyond their control. Age 8+

Mrs Large just needs a few minutes to herself in the bath, but her children won’t leave her alone – one wants to play the recorder, another to read to her. Will she ever get a moment to herself? First published over 30 years ago, this is a picture book classic with delightfully humorous illustrations. Age 3+

Each picture book in this set takes a different theme – jungle animals, sleepy animals, baby animals – and features a simple rhyming storyline. Sound effects and animal noises at various points in the texts allow very young readers to participate in the narration. With large, bright, colourful illustrations throughout, each book culminates in a farewell spread, picturing all the animals in the story and the sounds they make. Age 2+

These three gentle, beautifully illustrated stories feature Alfie and his good friend Grandma. A missing tortoise is disguised as a stone, Alfie goes exploring indoors and Alfie and Grandma help a lost sheep. A map at the back of the book shows Grandma’s house, so that readers can spot locations that feature in the story. Age 3+

In Kate Saunders’ award-winning sequel to E Nesbit’s Five Children and It, the First World War is breaking out and, while Anthea is at Art School, Cyril is heading off to war. With the original protagonists all grown up, the action falls to their younger siblings, Lamb and Edie. When the Psammead – an ancient, magical sand fairy – appears for the first time in ten years, their adventures really begin. Age 9+

Cherry is swept out to sea and encounters ghosts from a mine; two children rescue a strange old man caught in an animal trap… Five mystical, sometimes dark, short stories are connected by their location: Zennor, on the coast at the edge of Britain. With beautiful colour illustrations, these are haunting, magical tales. Age 9+

Every child makes drawings of simple houses and many are inspired to sketch dream homes when they are older. This drawing and colouring book focuses interest on architecture and famous buildings, such as the Empire State Building and the Gherkin, as well as interior features such as lighting and furniture. Using accessible, simple line art, the pages include dot-to-dots, sketches to colour in and drawing challenges. Ages 7–13.

Mia is up bright and early, but Poka is still sleeping. Mia tries everything to get Poka out of bed, but when they finally reach the pond she is far too tired to play.

Mia is scared by something at the bottom of the garden. She plucks up courage to investigate and discovers a shivering spider. Can Mia find a way to help the spider keep warm?

Mia is bored at home, so Poka suggests a trip to the cinema. Things don’t quite go as planned, however, when Mia insists her eight dolls must come with them.

Mia wants to play football, but training is hard and the boys on the team aren’t friendly. At home she practises and practises. What will happen when she plays her first match?

Fake eyes on a butterfly’s wings mean predators mistake it for an owl; the octopus changes colour to blend in with the seabed… Animals are hidden on the colour spreads, and jump out when illuminated from behind. Contrasting black-and-white pages reveal the secrets of each creature’s camouflage, while a guide at the back locates their habitats. Age 3+

Unfold this pocket-sized edition of Kipling’s classic story to discover twelve beautifully illustrated pop-up scenes. Short extracts from the book introduce young readers to Mowgli, Baloo and other well-loved characters. Slipcased. Age 5+.

Strange dreams come to life in this rhyming storybook. Bee-hunting snakes, tree-climbing penguins and glow-in-the-dark zebras live on the wild island of Turvytops, alongside sweet-tasting rainbows and ice-cream mountains. Age 2+

The extraordinary adventures of the original Mr Benn (he later became a TV personality) always begin in a costume shop. This time, he tries on a clown suit and joins a circus. First published in 1980. Age 5+

A whole host of animals move into the little wooden house in the woods. They live very happily together, until bear comes along and things start to go badly wrong... Age 2+

England’s Henry VIII, Africa’s Queen Nzinga Mbande and Aztec Emperor Montezuma II are rated, alongside other world rulers, for cunning, ruthlessness and more. Who is the hardest nut of all? Age 7+

Over 100 historical figures feature on these colour-coded, cut-out cards. Players choose a category and pit one personality against another to find out who holds the toughest card. Age 7+

In this 30-year-old children’s classic, poorly Jo watches the comings and goings of her friendly urban neighbourhood while she waits for her mum to come home with a surprise. Age 3+

This warm and witty handbook for girls who already have a little sister, or are thinking of getting one, has information on everything from good tickling spots to sharing and tidying up. Age 3+

It takes a particularly hard nut to trek across Australia, reach the North Pole, or be blasted into space. Who is the most daring and courageous explorer? Age 7+

Discover who fought hardest in the Battle of Waterloo, the First World War or the Russian Revolution. Many warriors are rated here, and the toughest nuts may surprise you. Age 7+

Caterpillars, dinosaurs, trains, boats and the naughty step feature in this engaging collection of over 50 simple verses, designed to help young readers discover the delights of poetry. Age 3+

Would you prefer a mouse for a mum or a hamster for a sister? There are four options for each pet-related question, with humorous illustrations and interesting facts about every choice. Age 4+

Match the Deadly Enemies, Name That Viking, or play Greek Monsters and Ladders… This activity book offers plenty of inventive quizzes and games, and provides a wealth of interesting facts. Age 7+

The epic tale of a Swiss family’s shipwreck and their survival on an uncharted tropical island has been a bestseller since it was published in 1812. What started as a bedtime story for Pastor Wyss’ own four sons, aiming to teach them about nature, survival, self-reliance and cooperation, is now a classic of children’s literature. This abridged version is read by Jonathan Keeble. Naxos Junior Classics.

The Rubik’s-cube core of the world’s most important computer has been stolen, and it’s the reader’s mission to recover it. Rather than reading from front to back, young adventurers must use their knowledge of shape, geometry and patterns – as well as their common sense – to solve the puzzles and plot their own unique path through the story. Age 7+

With basic instructions at the start of the book and a library of stitches at the back, this book enables children to tackle 17 different sewing ideas, ranging from simple Rainbow Bunting to the Clip Clop Pony string-puppet, or the more practical Patchwork Blanket. Patterns are provided to copy, or trace and cut out, and while some projects can be made with a sewing machine, all can be completed by hand.

Originally published as Our Old Nursery Rhymes in London in 1911, this collection of 30 perennial favourites was illustrated by the Dutch artist Henriette Willebeek Le Mair (1889–1966). Framed in decorated cartouches, and in delicate, muted colours, her watercolours feature carefully observed children at play (often drawn from life, as Henriette ran a private nursery), set in landscapes or interiors that are full of interest.