Welcome to our monthly book recommendations for May 2026! Whether you’re looking for wacky antics, dashing adventure, super-powered pets or poems about…bugs? We’ve got you covered in what we’ve been reading over the past month!
Fiction
Scare B’n’B – Catherine Doyle and Rachael Dean (pub. Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
If you enjoy the TV show Ghosts (or for those a bit older, Rent-A-Ghost), then this new series will be a treat! Although at least one of the ghosts is far from friendly or full of humorous pranks…
Ted thinks that the worst thing about his parents’ plan to turn a crumbling manor into a luxury hotel is having to be near his evil step-sister Frankie. That’s until he meets the long-dead occupants of his new home.
The last Duke of Snoring has no intention of having his home turned into a hotel and will do anything to stop it. Can the warring step-siblings join forces to stop the Duke, or will the dream hotel crash in flames?
A brilliantly fun and fast-paced spooky read for children 8+, with just the right amount of menace to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. The black and white illustrations perfectly capture the well defined characters and we can’t wait for the second book, Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun, out this Autumn!
Ninja Bunnies vs the Big Bad Fox – Alex Patrick and Jake Hopkins (pub. Orchard Books)
Don’t miss this first book in a new series of highly-illustrated books for young readers.
When two bunnies, Clover and Sage, are cornered by the Big Bad Fox and his minions, their days look numbered! Suddenly the masked Ninja Bunnies cartwheel, flip and kick their way to the rescue, before offering the young ones a chance to become new recruits.
But do Clover and Sage have the patience to master the ninja moves and help stop their classmates becoming tonight’s menu?
We love the style of the drawings; despite being all done in shades of black/greys and oranges, it feels incredibly colourful. With lively bunny characters and weaponised carrots, this series is sure to be a big hit – Ninja Bunnies vs the Owl of Doom comes out later this year!
Spyglass: Mastermind of Mayhem – David Solomons and Miguel Diaz Rivas (pub. Nosy Crow)
Move over James Bond, there’s a new spy on the block – Stickland, Adam Stickland. He just also happens to be a 13-year-old school boy, and Mr Fixit/Corner Shop keeper at his parent’s holiday park, GoldenCliff.
When Adam and his friends accidentally reveal the whereabouts of an ex-MI6 spymaster, the last thing they expect is to find themselves pursued by a real supervillain and his gang of hoods intent on taking over the world.
This is a non-stop hilarious spy spoof, full of puns, unbelievable and outrageous gadgets, daring deeds, pets, and three brave friends who are not prepared to surrender. Enjoy a breath-taking adventure and spot the references to classic spy films along the way!
Watch out for the return of Adam and friends in Coldfinger, out in October.
Jolly Monster Town: The Party Pickle – Rong Rong (pub. Nosy Crow)
Welcome to Jolly Monster Town, the brightly-illustrated new monster book for young readers!
Twiggy the Log Monster is going to hold a sleepover party and wants everything to be perfect, but her plans go awry when her friend mistakenly eats all the food. Twiggy is intent on sorting things out by herself, but can she do it all without help? And should she?
This is such a lovely gentle story about friendship and supporting each other, with cute characters that young readers are sure to fall in love with. We think they would make gorgeous plushies too!
Non-Fiction
A Heist Before Bedtime – Reverend Richard Coles and Eve O’Brien (pub. Wren & Rook)
Dive into the world of crime with this wonderfully engaging collection of true crime short stories for older juniors.
From the long-ago infamous Gunpowder Plot to the bungled Millennium Dome Diamond Heist in 2000, this book takes us through crimes you might already know, and those you might not. Who knew Einstein’s brain was nicked? Or that Maple Syrup would be worth stealing? They’ve even included a simple hoax perpetrated by children that fooled the world for over 60 years! Some are clever, if almost unbelievable…buy the Eiffel Tower anyone?
The 12 stories are all written with the wit and charm you would expect from Coles (known for his fun adult mysteries), and together with the cartoon-like pictures make it a light and entertaining read.
Woodlore – Kevin Parr and Anja Sušanj (pub. Magic Cat Publishing)
A glorious feast of information and gorgeous illustrations that takes you on a walk through the forest throughout the year, with a particular focus on the majestic oak tree.
This book doesn’t just look at the seasonal changes and natural life, but also dips into the mythology, traditions, celebrations and legendary creatures linked to the world of the woodland.
It’s ideal for all those who are looking for something beyond a straightforward nature book, and who want to be inspired by the wonders of the woods.
A First Book Of Bugs: 30 Poems About Insects and Minibeasts – Simon Mole and Adam Ming (pub. Walker Books)
An unusual one to find in the non-fiction section, this is a wonderful collection of short poems full of fascinating facts about bugs!
Each entry covers a double-page with big, bold illustrations of each bug, or in the case of Pond Life there are three: the water boatman, the great diving beetle and the pond skater.
Not all of the poems included look just at a specific bug; some like ‘Part Of the Job’ highlight why part of an insect’s job is actually to be eaten and what creatures depend on that aspect of a bug’s life.
It’s a really novel way to deliver factual information, and could easily be used to enhance any minibeast topic for younger children up to 7.
Graphics/Picture Books
Mighty Mega Pets: Freaky Food Fiasco! – Gary Northfield (pub. Walker Books)
It’s great to see another new full-colour graphic novel series hit the shelves by the brilliant cartoonist Gary Northfield, creator of Julius Zebra and many more.
When your breakfast glows, you know something strange is going on – and that’s exactly what happens to Elsie’s pets: Daisy the dog, Ginger the cat and Bubbles the goldfish.
Now, not only does the neighbour’s cat have laser eyes, but Elsie’s pets have developed freaky superpowers too! Little do they know that it’s part of a grand scheme to take over the world…and it will be up to them to stop it.
This hilariously zany story full of crazy characters moves at breakneck speed, and is ideal for Bunny vs Monkey fans, or anyone who likes to see pets with weird, unbelievable abilities.
It’s absolutely fantastic, and we can’t wait for the next instalment, Dino Duck Disaster!
Sticky Mildred – Alastair Chisholm and Rikin Parekh (pub. Walker Books)
Mildred hates baths, but loves being icky and sticky, and she’s on a mission to find the stickiest things in the world! The problem is as Mildred gets stickier, so everything starts to stick to her. Not just sticky food, but traffic cones, Mum and Dad and much, much more until she’s surrounded by a huge sticky ball.
A wonderful laugh-out-loud tale of the perils of getting too dirty, with bright expressive illustrations that capture all of Mildred’s yucky, chaotic mess and those caught up in it.
Spoiler Alert: Mildred does end up clean, and even gets to like not being sticky all the time!
That’s it for May’s recommendations – join us on Threads/Instagram, 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.
