Best Kids' Books 2018
Best new books for children 2018
There's no shortage of ways to celebrate children's literature in London. With state adaptations of our favourite books like Matilda, upcoming exhibitions examining the future of reading, to talks with our favourite authors, London is lit in every sense of the word.
Keep the love of literature alive all year long with our round-up of wonderful new children's books. We've found some of the best new releases to get excited about in 2018, from picture books to YA.
Misunderstood mermaids, fairy assassins, and a brand new picture book from a Pulitzer novelist – don't miss out on these must-reads!
Elmore
Release date: 30 January 2018
Holly Hobbie, author of the acclaimed Toot & Puddle series, is back and better than ever with her new book, Elmore. The porcupine protagonist has a heart of gold, but a hard time making friends. Can the forest community overcome their prickly prejudices and accept this misunderstood mammal?
Click here to order
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls 2
Release date: 28 February 2018
The sequel to super-popular Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls is set to hit bookstores everywhere at the beginning of March. Discover the stories of 100 more women, from Nefertiti to Beyoncé, as told by pioneer self-publishers Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo.
Click here to order
Islandborn
Release date: 13 March 2018
Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Junot Díaz has written a brand new book – and it has pictures. When Lola is asked to draw the Island she was born on, she realises she can't remember what it looks like. Loa embarks on a fantastical trip with the help of her family, friends, and their memories. Given Díaz's penchant for magical realism, we have no doubt this will be a truly stunning adventure.
Click here to pre-order
How to Code a Sandcastle
Release date 15 May 2018
Pearl is a girl on a mission. Determined to make the perfect sandcastle, Pearl and her robot pal Pascal have one last hope: coding. By breaking down the problem into manageable steps, will the visionary pair finally manage to craft the perfect palace?
Click here to pre-order
Julián is a Mermaid
Release date: 22 May 2018
Julián is serving up mermaid realness – but what will his abuela think of the mess he's made? This beautiful story of acceptance is a visual extravaganza, celebrating self-love, individuality, and some serious fashion.
Click here to pre-order
The Cruel Prince
Release date: 2 January 2018
Teen lit sensation Holly Black returns with her most recent novel, The Cruel Prince. The book is the first installation in the Folk of Air Trilogy. The fantastical fairy tale follows the adventures of Jude and her sisters. Abducted to the fairy underworld by the pixies who murdered their parents, the siblings must find a way to beat the sprites at their own game and escape.
Click here to order
Reign of the Fallen
Release date: 23 January 2018
Part fantasy novel, part zombie-esque apocalypse, all around awesome – Reign of the Fallen bends genres and subverts expectations. Odessa finds herself in the middle of a magical conspiracy, as the Dead are being magicked back to life by a member of her tight-night necromancer community.
Click here to order
People Like Us
Release date: 27 February 2018
This psychological private-school thriller is a real page-turner. Protagonist Kay is left a computer-coded scavenger hunt by a murder victim. But, in a Gone Girl twist, the clues seem to implicate Kay as the killer. The masterful debut novel is a must read for suspense fans of all ages.
Click here to order
I Have Lost My Way
Release date: 5 April 2018
Gayle Foran, bestselling author of If I Stay, presents I Have Lost My Way. Told from three different perspectives, the book unfolds over the course of a single day. Singer Freya has lost her voice, besotted Harun plans to run away from home, and a family tragedy has left Nathaniel in New York. A fateful meeting in Central Park brings the three characters together for a touching coming-of-age story about friendship.
Click here to order
Lifel1k3
Release date: 24 April 2018
This imaginative work from Jay Kristoff promises to be one of the most courageous and ostentatious science fiction novels of 2018. Eve is having a hard time: her prized robot gladiator is busted and she's high up on the gangster's most wanted list. Recently, she discovered that she can destroy machines with her thoughts. Unfortunately, so has a group of puritanical fanatics, who are plotting to kill her because of it. Join Eve as she journeys across a dystopian desert with her android companion on this adrenaline fuelled adventure.
Click here to pre-order
Keep the love of literature alive all year long with our round-up of wonderful new children's books. We've found some of the best new releases to get excited about in 2018, from picture books to YA.
Misunderstood mermaids, fairy assassins, and a brand new picture book from a Pulitzer novelist – don't miss out on these must-reads!
Elmore
Release date: 30 January 2018
Holly Hobbie, author of the acclaimed Toot & Puddle series, is back and better than ever with her new book, Elmore. The porcupine protagonist has a heart of gold, but a hard time making friends. Can the forest community overcome their prickly prejudices and accept this misunderstood mammal?
Click here to order
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls 2
Release date: 28 February 2018
The sequel to super-popular Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls is set to hit bookstores everywhere at the beginning of March. Discover the stories of 100 more women, from Nefertiti to Beyoncé, as told by pioneer self-publishers Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo.
Click here to order
Islandborn
Release date: 13 March 2018
Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Junot Díaz has written a brand new book – and it has pictures. When Lola is asked to draw the Island she was born on, she realises she can't remember what it looks like. Loa embarks on a fantastical trip with the help of her family, friends, and their memories. Given Díaz's penchant for magical realism, we have no doubt this will be a truly stunning adventure.
Click here to pre-order
How to Code a Sandcastle
Release date 15 May 2018
Pearl is a girl on a mission. Determined to make the perfect sandcastle, Pearl and her robot pal Pascal have one last hope: coding. By breaking down the problem into manageable steps, will the visionary pair finally manage to craft the perfect palace?
Click here to pre-order
Julián is a Mermaid
Release date: 22 May 2018
Julián is serving up mermaid realness – but what will his abuela think of the mess he's made? This beautiful story of acceptance is a visual extravaganza, celebrating self-love, individuality, and some serious fashion.
Click here to pre-order
The Cruel Prince
Release date: 2 January 2018
Teen lit sensation Holly Black returns with her most recent novel, The Cruel Prince. The book is the first installation in the Folk of Air Trilogy. The fantastical fairy tale follows the adventures of Jude and her sisters. Abducted to the fairy underworld by the pixies who murdered their parents, the siblings must find a way to beat the sprites at their own game and escape.
Click here to order
Reign of the Fallen
Release date: 23 January 2018
Part fantasy novel, part zombie-esque apocalypse, all around awesome – Reign of the Fallen bends genres and subverts expectations. Odessa finds herself in the middle of a magical conspiracy, as the Dead are being magicked back to life by a member of her tight-night necromancer community.
Click here to order
People Like Us
Release date: 27 February 2018
This psychological private-school thriller is a real page-turner. Protagonist Kay is left a computer-coded scavenger hunt by a murder victim. But, in a Gone Girl twist, the clues seem to implicate Kay as the killer. The masterful debut novel is a must read for suspense fans of all ages.
Click here to order
I Have Lost My Way
Release date: 5 April 2018
Gayle Foran, bestselling author of If I Stay, presents I Have Lost My Way. Told from three different perspectives, the book unfolds over the course of a single day. Singer Freya has lost her voice, besotted Harun plans to run away from home, and a family tragedy has left Nathaniel in New York. A fateful meeting in Central Park brings the three characters together for a touching coming-of-age story about friendship.
Click here to order
Lifel1k3
Release date: 24 April 2018
This imaginative work from Jay Kristoff promises to be one of the most courageous and ostentatious science fiction novels of 2018. Eve is having a hard time: her prized robot gladiator is busted and she's high up on the gangster's most wanted list. Recently, she discovered that she can destroy machines with her thoughts. Unfortunately, so has a group of puritanical fanatics, who are plotting to kill her because of it. Join Eve as she journeys across a dystopian desert with her android companion on this adrenaline fuelled adventure.
Click here to pre-order
