Welcome to our monthly book recommendations post for April! Both health and house have improved, which means we’re back to our regular recommendations. Take a look below at what we were reading over the previous month!
Fiction
Super Questers – Mission: River Crest Rescue – written by Paul Ian Cross, illustrated by Katie Kear and Cherie Zamazing (pub. QuestFriendz)
After the wonderful success of the Super Questers Interactive STEM stories with stickers, now comes the first Super Questers chapter book.
This illustrated short story is ideal for newly confident readers and follows best friends Lilli, Leo, and Bea on their first adventure into Questland as they try to stop the evil scheme of Mortifer, the villainous goblin gardener.
With fun facts, problems to solve, codes to break, and even some simple experiments, this story allows children to become part of the Super Questers team.
We love to see nonfiction and fiction mix, so this brilliant science-filled adventure is a real treat!
How To Roller-Skate With One Leg – Ella Dove and Jennifer Jamieson (pub. Orchard Books)
After the accident on an October day in Year 7, Maya Bright’s life changed completely. Now she’s going back to school – but with a prosthetic leg.
Maya may have lost her leg, but she’s still Maya and she’s got a list of life goals to complete. And no-one is going to stop her!
Full of courage, determination, set-backs, friendship, humour, and a huge dollop of heart, this is a book you’re never going to forget.
Time Tub Travellers and the Silk Thief – Claire Linney (pub. Maryland Press)
Zula wants to prove that Black people like her were a part of Tudor England, and her aunt’s antique shop is a good place to start.
But Zula and her friend Milo get more than just a picture of a Black Tudor weaver when an antique bathtub turns out to be more than it seems…
What they get instead is an exciting, roller-coaster historical adventure, full of the smells and sounds of Tudor London and a rather nasty child catcher!
This is a great debut that shines a light on the little-known Black people living in England in Tudor times.
Non-fiction
The World At Night – Ben Lerwill and Paula Bossio (pub. Buster Books)
In this eye-catching book, children will discover what goes on in the world when most of us are asleep.
Starting as day passes into night, it looks at how and why we get day and night, as well as constellations in the night sky.
It also looks at what animals are active in a number of global habitats after dark, including cities, as well as touching on the devastating effect light pollution can have.
All-in-all, a fascinating read that will make you think about the world – at night!
University of Cambridge: Think Big: Secrets Of Bees – Ben Hoare and Nina Chakrabarti (pub. Nosy Crow)
This is the first title in the new science series for children, ‘Think Big’.
Written in collaboration with Cambridge University Botanic Garden, it tells you all you need to know about the truly amazing insects that are bees.
With clear text and bright illustrations, it covers everything from what a bee is and how many types of bees there are, to what they do for us and how we can help them.
This is a must for any bee-lover, and will be a fantastic, informational addition to school libraries and studies on nature.
Wrecked: A Deep Dive Into the World’s Most Famous Shipwrecks – Rebecca Siegel and Howard Gray (pub. Welbeck Children’s Books)
Shipwrecks have always fascinated the public, and children no less than adults.
This new title covers just a few of the three million wrecks that are believed to exist around the world, from ships from 400 BCE and 13th century, all the way into lost aircraft in the 20th century, both in the sea and on land.
With evocative illustrations, it looks at the causes of shipwrecks, how investigations are carried out, shipwrecks as habitats, the treasure to be found, and the ship graveyard in North America’s aptly-named Lake Erie. A fascinating read!
Graphic novels/Picture books
Dadbot – Jack Noel (pub. Piccadilly Press)
The summer holidays have started, but Josh and Daisy are already bored. With Mum and Dad always working, things don’t look promising until they buy a broken robot from Doctor Egg at a car boot sale.
When a lightning storm brings it to life, Dadbot is born! But now Doctor Egg wants him back…
A fantastically funny new graphic series for younger fans filled with jokes aplenty – and watch out for Dadbot’s incredible butt!
Brenda’s Revenge – Sarah Tagholm and Laurie Stansfield (pub. Rocket Bird Books)
The first thing you need to know on opening this boldly illustrated picture book, is that Brenda is a cat!
Although she is certainly loved by her owner, she finds herself being treated in a way no self respecting cat wants to be. Do her hair, dress her up, teach her how to eat, write and exercise…no wonder Brenda looks glum.
One day her owner goes to play with the new neighbour and finds being dressed up, force-fed and hosed down isn’t a lot of fun. Has Brenda’s owner learnt her lesson though? Unfortunately not! So it’s time for Brenda’s revenge.
A wonderful book about having respect for others – including your pets!
That’s it for April’s recommendations, with lots of fun stories and amazing facts. Join us on Threads, Bluesky, or Twitter/X, and let us know what you’ve been reading!
If any of the books have grabbed your attention, then you can pick up a copy of them via our recommendations list below.
(Disclosure: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.)
If you’re looking for more book round-ups, check out our previous reviews here.
