100 of the best children's books 2023

Christmas is coming, and Santa has lots of toys to deliver! Find out where he's hiding on Christmas Eve with Can You Find Santa?, a fun interactive book by the illustrator of The Gruffalo, Axel Scheffler. With bold, colourful illustrations and felt flaps for babies to lift as they develop their fine motor skills, Can You Find Santa? would make a fabulous gift for little ones celebrating their first Christmas in 2023. 

Vina is known for her smile; her mum says that sharing it is the best gift she can give. But the day she starts her new school, Vina finds that her smile has mysteriously vanished. As she searches for it all over the school, she learns that sometimes happiness is found in the most unexpected places. With its message of positivity, this book from Dame Floella Benjamin offers a great starting point to help young children to talk about their feelings. 

Dive under the sea with this reimagined interactive edition of the best-loved fairy tale, The Little Mermaid. This board book’s push, pull and turn mechanisms give little hands many surprises to discover as they follow the underwater adventures. Nneka Myers’ bright, bold illustrations of the little mermaid, the prince, the sea witch and many more favourite characters will enchant babies and toddlers as you read the story together. 

A fun touch-and-feel mini-beasts story from Rod Campbell, creator of the preschool lift-the-flap classic, Dear Zoo. Join in the fun by touching a scritchy-scratchy grasshopper, a shiny beetle and even a slimy snail in I'm Not Scary!, an interactive touch-and-feel book, packed full of favourite bugs and minibeasts. But will you be brave enough to touch all the creatures? 

As one of the world’s best-selling children’s authors, Julia Donaldson has met thousands of young readers and her new book stars just some of the children she has met! Set in a magical bookshop, Julia Donaldson's Book of Names celebrates diversity and the joy found within a book’s pages. Young readers will love trying to spot their name amongst the pages or adding it to the dedicated space in the book.

Take a trip to the farm with this brand-new interactive book from Dear Zoo creator, Rod Campbell. With six farm animals that pop out in every spread, fun facts and bright, bold illustrations, My Stand Up Farm Animals captures all the fun of a visit to the farm. Little ones will love naming the animals and bringing them to life as you read the story and discover creatures on every page. 

This installment in the Tales from Acorn Wood series invites little ones to snuggle up, because Dormouse is sniffling and snuffling. She discovers that being ill can be tough, but with lots of rest at home, help from Doctor Stoat and visits from her friends she soon starts to feel better. Little hands can discover what cheers poorly dormouse up by lifting the flaps on every page.

Children of all ages are sure to love Chicken Run sequel Dawn of the Nugget. This action-packed storybook brings the film to life for young fans, with stunning artwork, character profiles and laugh-out-loud text – perfect for reading together. Despite living peacefully away from humans since their escape from Tweedy's farm, Ginger and the gang are drawn back from their island sanctuary when they learn the whole of chicken-kind faces a new and terrible threat.

Take a stroll into the Hundred Acre Wood with this enchanting new Winnie-the-Pooh story. Inspired by A. A. Milne’s classic poem, ‘Us Two’ and featuring best-loved characters such as Christopher Robin, Piglet and Tigger too, this new story by Jeanne Willis has all of the magic of the world of Winnie-the-Pooh. With a rhyming story about the joy of friendship and new illustrations by Mark Burgess, Winnie-the-Pooh and Me would make a wonderful gift for young fans of the honey-loving bear.

The mischievous Mouse King is on a mission to cause Christmas chaos, and only Clara and Fritz Strudel and The Nutcracker can save them! Will they find the magical Sugar Plum Fairy and save everyone’s festive fun in time for Christmas Day? Discover the classic yuletide story this Christmas with Alex T. Smith’s new retelling of The Nutcracker. Written in twenty-four and a half chapters, this book is the perfect way to start a new storytelling advent tradition with your little one. 

After a particularly unlucky moment, Duck has had enough! Heading off to ask Wise Owl why he's so unlucky, he comes across a lonely swan, a hungry fox and a bare tree, all looking for answers of their own. Will Wise Owl's advice help Duck to find his luck after all? And has he just been looking in the wrong place all along? The Duck With No Luck is a funny, uplifting and reassuring tale about how to tackle the ups and downs of life.

Meet Evie. Evie loves bugs, and they love her. She loves them so much that one day, she brings her favourite outdoor creatures inside so she can spend even more time with them. When the whole family, including her fearsome Great Gran come to stay, Evie’s bugs escape, with hilarious consequences! A big-hearted book about family and following your dreams, this is a fantastic story to read with nature-loving little ones.

Oliver the otter thinks he’s got everything he needs in his wild and wonderful watery home. That is until he meets Ottilie, another otter he encounters amongst the rushes on the riverbank. As Oliver and Ottilie discover the world around them, their friendship grows, and the pair become inseparable. A heartwarming story starring one of the nation’s best-loved native mammals, Pam Ayres’ I am Oliver the Otter celebrates the wonder and diversity of Britain’s beautiful waterways.

All Bert the bowerbird wants is someone to love. After decorating his nest with beautiful flowers, he sits and waits patiently for a companion to cross his path. When enchanting bowerbird Nanette arrives, Bert thinks she’s the bird for him. But, as her demands become increasingly difficult for him to meet, he starts to wonder whether she really is the one he's been waiting for. The new book from Julia Donaldson and Catherine Rayner, creators of The Go-Away Bird, will have the whole family feeling the love.

Luna loves the night sky and its mysteries, but for the rest of her village, the inky blackness is something to be feared thanks to the ferocious dragon they believe lives above them. Wanting to share her love of astronomy, Luna shows them that the Sky Dragon is nothing to fear. An inspiring story of a fearless girl with stars in her eyes, Luna and the Sky Dragon is an inspiring new picture book from the bestselling author of Little Red, Bethan Woollvin. 

When a little boy visits his friend Dan’s house, he meets his fascinating neighbours, including a cook, a pirate and a ghost. In this story we join the little boy and meet the characters on Dan’s street. A fun lift-the-flap book that will help younger children to explore the world around them, Who Lives Here? is the new story from bestselling author and illustrator partnership Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb. 

Tyrone is going to the moon! He’s just got one problem. The rocket ship he is building out of blocks won’t work. When Tyrone gives up, his Grandad Cleveland shows him just how important hard work and determination are, and Tyrone realises that there’s nothing he can’t do. The new story from national treasure Lenny Henry, You Can Do Anything, Tyrone! teaches children the importance of a growth mindset to help them reach their goals. 

Everyone knows no one in the animal kingdom is faster than a cheetah . . . until now! A hilarious new picture book for babies and toddlers, There’s Nothing Faster Than a Cheetah will have the whole family giggling as they follow the jungle race and see if the crafty creatures can outsmart and beat the cheetah. Written by Tom Nicoll and illustrated by Ross Collins, this fun rhyming story is sure to become a family favourite. 

The world’s most incredible Treehouse is back –– and it's even taller this time! Join Andy and Terry as they explore thirteen new levels, jam-packed with everything they need for more fun-filled adventures. There’s a Santa Land with Christmas cheer, an exceedingly noisy level, and even a hall of mysterious mirrors! When Andy, Terry and Jill discover that their evil doppelgangers are trapped inside the mirrors, they must stop them from escaping and causing havoc. If you’re looking for even more Treehouse fun, take a look at this brand new colour edition of the book that started it all, The 13-Storey Treehouse.

A beautiful celebration of the wonder of nature, Wild Child is the new book from author of Diary of a Young Naturalist, Dana McAnulty. With five sections, each focusing on a different habitat, facts about British flora and fauna, and guides for how to spot natural phenomena and make your garden more wildlife-friendly, Wild Child is an essential guide for all young nature lovers.

Tunde is no ordinary kid; he’s a superhero! In this new adventure from comedian and author Lenny Henry, Tunde travels to a top-secret lab to meet other young heroes and find out how he got his powers. As he forms friendships with the other superpowered kids at the facility, they discover that a super evil enemy threatens the world and that only they can save the day. A page-turning story that will make you laugh out loud, Clash of the Super Kids is a must-read for superhero-obsessed young readers.

Inspired by the woods around his home, the mighty forests that support our life on Earth, and the Ted Hughes poem which gives this book its title, My Heart Was a Tree is a celebration, and Sir Michael Morpurgo's love letter to trees. There are stories from an ancient olive remembering Odysseus and Penelope, and from a tiny sapling carried by a refugee as a reminder of home – these are poems and stories that will amuse, move and energise families and readers of all ages to appreciate the beauty and wonder of trees.

The InvestiGators are back for their seventh adventure in All Tide Up. When Mango and Brash find the captain of a cruise ship alone at sea without his boat or his passengers, they set out to find out what happened and stop other ships from disappearing too! With full-colour illustrations, hilarious dialogue and themes of resilience and problem-solving, the InvestiGators comic book stories will help young readers develop their confidence and comprehension when reading independently. 

When Marcus and the Breakfast Club Investigators discover someone has been stealing from clubs all over their school, they set out to unmask the thief and get everyone’s stuff back in time for the Art Club’s big show. But with only one clue — a strange card left at every crime scene — the gang have their work cut out for them as they search for the stolen painting. Inspired by footballer and child-poverty campaigner Marcus Rashford’s school days and written in collaboration with Alex Falase-Koya, The Phantom Thief is written for independent readers aged 8 and older.

The Ice Children is an exciting, contemporary, magical mystery adventure. At midnight on a December dawn, five-year-old Finn Albedo is found froze in a city park atop an icy pedestal, his heart beating, yet unresponsive. His sister, Bianca, suspects a vanished, enchanting library book holds answers, but as more children freeze, Bianca's quest for truth leads her into a perilous winter realm. Can she save Finn and the other Ice Children? 

Take a trip to the end of the rainbow in the final magical Peanut Jones adventure story, written and illustrated by Rob Biddulph. When Peanut discovers that the evil Mr White has kidnapped her mum as part of his dastardly plan to wipe out colour from the world, Peanut and her friends set out on a quest to save her. As they journey into the fantastical world of the magical Illustrated City, the friends find themselves in mortal danger and find that only their creativity and friendship will help them save the day. These big-hearted books about staying true to yourself are loved by middle-grade readers worldwide.

An extraordinary fantasy book with an environmental twist and a mystery at its heart. Daisy Thistledown has escaped from boarding school and is trying to find her missing mother. Her search takes her across London and through a hidden doorway into a world bursting with plants and magic: the Greenwild. But it soon becomes clear that all is not well. Can Daisy revive the Greenwild, save our world, and solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance? A botanical genius, a boy who can talk to animals and cat with an attitude are on-hand to help. 

A stunning poetry gift book celebrating the natural world, illustrated by Diana Catchpole. Out There in the Wild celebrates our place in nature. It is packed with poems about everything that lives in the the sea and rivers, on land and in the sky. You will meet eagles and skylarks, tigers and elephants, foxes, rabbits and bats, bees and butterflies and many other natural wonders. These beautiful poems written by Nicola Davies, Dom Conlon and James Carter invite you to consider how we are connected to the wild. We are all nature after all.

After leading the England women’s football team to victory in the European Championship in 2022, Leah Williamson knows a thing or two about being a great leader and how far you can go when you believe in yourself. In You Have the Power, Leah shares her story and her advice for young readers on how they can reach their dreams. Advocating for the importance of finding your strength and following your passions, this is a must-read for everyone this summer. 

Magical cousins Middy and Nathan are inseparable, even if they use their powers differently. For cautious Middy, magic is about patience; for Nathan, it’s about pushing the limits and flying in the face of danger. But when the famous Blackpool Tower disappears on the biggest night of the year, the cousins must set aside their differences and bring it back home in time for the big Christmas light switch on. Following the magical family as they embark on their biggest mission yet, Frank Cottrell-Boyce's new book for independent readers is packed with his trademark laugh-out-loud moments. 

Escape to the River Sea is a brand new adventure book by Emma Caroll, inspired by Eva Ibbotson’s classic masterpiece. Follow World War Two refugee Rosa Sweetman and her new friend Yara as they journey into the depths of the Amazon rainforest, meet all manner of creatures and encounter danger more incredible than they have ever known. Escape to the River Sea is a poetic yet heartbreaking tale of the impact of human beings on our natural world. 

Enter a world full of magic and mystery in This Dark Descent, a new YA fantasy adventure inspired by Jewish folklore. When Mikira Rusell’s father is imprisoned and she’s left to pay his debts, she only has one option to help save herself and her family — enter one of the world’s most dangerous cross-country horse races and compete to win prize money beyond her wildest dreams. Unable to survive the journey alone, she recruits enchanter Ari and trainer Reid, who both vow to stick by her side. But as the trio embark on the most challenging journey of their lives, will they stay together, or will their conflicting goals threaten to tear them apart? 

Chloe Green wants to be a winner. Her moms have moved her from SoCal to Alabama for high school, and she has had to spend four years navigating gossips and the puritans who run Willowgrove Christian Academy. She is determined to win valedictorian, and only prom queen Shara Wheeler stands in her way. But, a month before they graduate, Shara kisses Chloe and disappears. Chloe launches an investigation with some fellow students –  quarterback Smith and bad boy Rory. Could it be there's more to Shara than meets the eye? 

Life is full of glamour and privilege for the students at Argyle Prep, an elite LA private school, until one fateful day. When one of the school's students is killed in a shocking car crash, the other three passengers will do anything to stop the truth from getting out. As secrets threaten to be revealed, Argyle Prep becomes a hotbed of rumour and scandal as the mystery of what caused the accident is slowly uncovered. The Headmaster’s List by Melissa de la Cruz is the YA thriller everyone will be obsessed with this summer. 

Coming out as non-binary to their family was hard for Ben De Backer. Thrown out of the house, Ben is forced to move in with their older sister, who they haven’t seen in years, and to a new school. Trying to keep their head down, Ben isn’t looking for friendship until they meet Nathan, who helps Ben to navigate the new normal. As their relationship flourishes, the pair realise they might be more than friends, and for Ben, a happier life finally feels within reach. A tale of bravery and being true to yourself, I Wish You All the Best is this year’s most authentic and heartwarming YA-debut. 

Romance is the last thing on Dylan Tang’s mind right now. Between high school and working to win a mooncake contest to save his aunt’s Chinese takeout business, he doesn’t have a moment to catch his breath, let alone look for love. That is until Theo Somers comes along. Wealthy, charismatic, and looking for a fake date for his family party, Dylan agrees to help Theo out. But soon, he realises that he’s falling for his new friend. Will Dylan be able to juggle family, school and love, or will it all go wrong? This touching YA queer romance will have you hooked this summer.

A feel-good YA graphic novel romance about a hot-headed ice hockey player who asks for temper management lessons from the cool, calm boy in drama club. When Alix punches her mean-girl teammate Lindsay, her future in ice hockey is on the line. Alix needs to learn how to control this anger, and she is sure Ezra, the cool and collected theater kid, is the answer. So she asks for his help. But as they hang out and start getting closer, Alix learns that there is more to Ezra than the calm front he puts on. And that maybe this friendship could become something more.

The Urban Promise Prep school isn’t a regular high school. Bound by strict rules and extreme discipline, the prestigious programme guarantees its students the chance to go to college and escape the destiny of many others growing up around them. When the school’s principal is murdered, the police hone in on three students, J.B., Ramón, and Trey, as prime suspects, who must fight to find the killer and clear their names. A gripping thriller about how often the system fails young Black and Latinx men in America, Promise Boys is one of this year’s most talked about YA novels. 

Introduce young readers to Douglas Adams’ hilarious Hitcherhiker’s Guide with this brand new edition of the second book in the series. Illustrated by the award-winning Chris Riddell and featuring Adams’ classic comedy prose, in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe Arthur Dent and the Heart of Gold crew embark on a mission to reach Milliways for breakfast. Join them as they dodge Vogons, avoid the evilest world in the Galaxy and try to remember if they have a breakfast reservation. Young science-fiction fans will love this classic series.  

Frances Hardinge expertly weaves together mythology and mystery in a meticulously-detailed world besieged by curses. If you must travel to the country of Raddith, then be prepared. Bring a mosquito net for the lowlands, and a warm coat for the hills or mountains. Perhaps you will decide that all the stories of the Wilds and the Raddith cursers were invented to entertain tourists. And at night, when you see a many-legged shape scuttle across the ceiling of your bedchamber, you will tell yourself that it is a spider, and only a spider . . . It is not . . .