Come Back Gosling by Anne Booth & illustrated by David Litchfield (Templar Books – June 2025)
Come Back Gosling by Anne Booth is a beautiful story celebrating books, friendship and growing up. A little girl and her good friend, Gosling, love visiting the library and borrowing books to read in their tree house. They take turns choosing stories and enjoying them together. One day, the little girl slams a book shut and announces she doesn’t like it. The book goes missing and their relationship becomes strained. When Gosling finally finds the book, he realises why the girl is so worried. It’s a book about goslings growing into geese and migrating each autumn. The little girl is worried Gosling will grow up and leave her. What she doesn’t realise is that the gosling loves her and will always come back.
With engaging illustrations by David Litchfield, this book will captivate young readers. Perfect for the autumn term, it gives EYFS and KS1 classes an opportunity to introduce a library routine, share their love of books and learn about the cycles of the seasons.
Millie Fleur Saves the Night by Christy Mandin (Scholastic – July 2025)
There’s something wonderful about being in the complete darkness: creatures, sounds and so many stars. In the town of Garden Glen, the people are afraid of the dark. Lights burn brightly and the dark is pushed away. Everywhere, that is, except at Millie Fleur’s house. She loves the dark. Welcoming it in, she makes moon pies and leads the creatures of the night out of the woods and into her garden. The rest of the townspeople were curious and gather up their courage to get to know the dark.
Portraying the dark as a large, kind creature who wants to meet the other children is a fantastic way to help readers explore their fears and discover all the wonders of the dark. As autumn nights draw in, children will be able to explore the dark with their families with their own moon gardens.
To Catch a Ghost by Rachel Michelle Wilson (Scholastic – July 2025)
When the new boy in school has nothing for show and tell, he knows he needs to come up with something. He decides catching a ghost will solve his problem fast. In this how-to style book, readers learn what they need to know to catch a ghost of their own. Everything’s covered: where to look, types of ghosts, how to approach and the fine art of a ghost trap. This turns out to be the best show and tell ever!
KS1 readers who love to be spooked will adore this book. Just right for the autumn term and the run-up to Hallowe’en, it will make a great model for children’s own “how-to” writing.
How to Train Your Teacher by Bethany Walker & illustrated by Sophie Kent (Scholastic – July 2025)
The first day of school is a momentous day for everyone. How to Train Your Teacher walks children through all the aspects of a Reception classroom: from the morning register to outdoor play, maths lessons and phonics. Flipping the narrative, it’s the teacher who needs help from the children. By answering her questions, helping to tidy up, creating pictures for the walls and keeping an eye on her at playtime, they show care and respect while doing a lot of learning themselves.
This is definitely a book to have on-hand for the first week of school in EYFS. Children will feel comforted by the fact that they’re not the only ones experiencing so many new things and strive to look after their teacher too.
Super Nani and Captain Yaz by Saira Shah & illustrated by Maria Gabriela Gama (Templar Books – June 2025)
Yazmin’s grandmother lives far away. They’ve never met so when Yaz finds out Nani is coming to stay, she can’t wait to get to know her and share her love of action figures. Mum says Nani loves to make dolls so maybe they’ll have something in common. However, when Nani arrives, they run into a problem. Nani only speaks Punjabi while Yaz only speaks English. Through their shared interest, they find a way to communicate and develop a lovely relationship. The power of non-verbal communication combined with perseverance and love creates a beautiful bond.
Super Nani and Captain Yaz would make a great addition to any family book collection. Celebrating multi-generational and cross-cultural relationships, it shows children how special it is to spend time with a grandparent and find a shared interest. There’s a pattern for Nani and Yaz’s Superhero Rag Doll at the back of the book so everyone can have a go. It would be lovely to invite grandparents into school to work on this DT project together.
Shy Girl by JJ Bola & illustrated by Clara Anganuzzi (Simon & Schuster – August 2025)
Shy Girl is the story of a little girl who loves to sing when she’s by herself. Music brings her so much joy. But whenever she’s in front of anyone else, her voice disappears. Worried everyone will laugh, her nerves take over. When her teacher annouces a talent show, she feels too scared to join in. It seems everyone has a special talent, except her. Finally, she summons all of her courage and sings. Finding her confidence allows that joy to come out and her voice to soar.
Shy Girl is such a lovely story. Honest and encouraging, it is sure to help many children realise they’re not alone in their worries. Having my own little girl (now 17) who loves to sing, I know how much joy and confidence can come from finding the freedom to express yourself. I know she’s going to appreciate this book too.
My Sister is a Treasure by Tracy Darnton & illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail (Simon & Schuster – August 2025)
My Sister is a Treasure is a gorgeous book exploring the language we use to describe our little ones. Terms of endearment such as “treasure”, “ray of sunshine”, “precious parcel” and “sweetheart” are taken quite literally by a very caring big sister. As she considers what all these strange names mean, she reveals so many lovely aspects of their relationship.
This would be a very special book to share with a new big sister. Encouraging siblings to cherish their bond, it’s a great opportunity to think about the names their own family call each other and come up with new ones perfect for a new baby.
Super Me by Charissa Coulthard & illustrated by Sam Usher (Simon & Schuster – July 2025)
Super Me tells the story of a little boy who dreams of being a superhero when he grows up. He and his dad decide they should go find a real superhero to ask them how to become “super”. Along the way, they face many challenges but the little boy finds a way through them. In the end, they realise there are heroes all around them. They don’t all wear capes but by being brave, kind and strong, they help others every day.
Children love superheroes but along with all that “saving the day” stuff, there’s a bit of pressure to be something super themselves. Super Me explores what it means to be a hero in the way we help others in need, take the lead and show bravery in tricky situations. Young readers will enjoy the lovely relationship between father and son, dad’s words of wisdom and the boy’s realisation that he’s already super.
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