Congratulations, you’ve made it to the first half-term of the year (or, for some, you’re within touching distance now). If you’re lucky enough to teach a bunch of avid bookworms, your class will have already raced through your reading list and will now be awaiting impatiently something new, rather like a set of hungry glowing eyes lurking in the shadows...
If not, you could try to leverage the spooky season to inspire some new readers. Monsters dominate our five recommended reads to look out for this October.
For those of you who can’t get enough of new reads, you can see our really big list of everything else coming out this month below.
Tes’ five to watch
By Linda Bailey
Just in time for Hallowe’en, Bailey explores the life of young Mary Shelley, as she finds escape in books and stories and spends her time dreaming up Frankenstein’s monster. With rich and atmospheric illustrations throughout, Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein is sure to capture the imaginations of potential young writers.
From the publisher: “A riveting and atmospheric picture book about the young woman who wrote one of the greatest horror novels ever written and one of the first works of science fiction, Mary, Who Wrote Frankenstein is an exploration of the process of artistic inspiration that will galvanise readers and writers of all ages.”
By Anna Kemp
Anna Kemp tells a hilarious and vibrant rhyming story of a lonely old monster and the knight who befriends him. There’s a heart-warming message of kindness and acceptance at the book’s core and there are jokes for young and adult readers to discover on each page.
From the publisher: “Monstrous beasts have feelings, too! This lively story of a lonely monster called Dave, who lives all alone in a retirement cave, is a light-hearted reminder that we should treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves - and that we could all do with a bit more monster (and kindness!) in our lives! “
By Jacqueline Wilson
Tracy Beaker is back. Jacqueline Wilson’s continuation of Tracy’s story takes her out of the dumping ground and headfirst into life as a mum. It’s a familiar and nostalgic read for those who fell in love with Tracy’s story 20 years ago when Wilson first introduced the feisty 10-year-old to her readers.
Our review:
“I was delighted that, right from the get-go, we were thrown straight back into the wonderful world of Tracy Beaker, complete with temper tantrums, random bouts of ‘hayfever’ and Tracy’s fiery character!”
Nicole McCracken is Year 5 teacher at Our Lady of Muswell Primary, London
“I very much related to the character because she was a lot like me. She loved books and hated sports day! I read it because I really enjoyed the other Tracy Beaker stories and wanted to find out what happened next. Also, I liked that it has references to other books.”
Bethany, aged 11
By P.G. Bell
This world-hopping adventure is clearly inspired by the escapades of Doctor Who. Intrepid protagonist Suzy has all of the resourcefulness, guts and smarts of the Doctor, and her journey through the impossible places aboard the Impossible Postal Express takes her to a world she could never have dreamed of.
From the publisher: “Suzy is surprised to find a grumpy troll building a railway through her house - especially when a gigantic steam train crashes into her hallway! This is the Impossible Postal Express, the trusty delivery service of the Union of Impossible Places, and Suzy becomes its newest recruit. And with her cursed first package, an Impossible adventure begins…”
By Bobby Seagull
For some, maths can be as scary as any movie monster. To help to alleviate those fears, maths teacher and University Challenge star Bobby Seagull has made it his mission to spread his love of maths to all. He makes maths fun and accessible through his relatable anecdotes and head-scratching puzzles.
From the publisher: “In his absorbing book, Bobby tells the story of his life through numbers and shows the incredible ways maths can make sense of the world around us. From magic shows to rap lyrics, from hobbies to outer space, from fitness to food - Bobby’s infectious enthusiasm for numbers will change how you think about almost everything.”
Every children’s book released this month
1-7 October
A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs
Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo
Magnus Chase: 9 from the Nine Worlds by Rick Riordan
Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters by Andrea Beaty
An Anty-War Story by Tony Ross
AWOL 2 by Andrew Lane
Bombs and Blackberries by Julia Donaldson
Christmas Dinner of Souls by Ross Montgomery
Cinderella by Katie Haworth
Counting Blessings by Emma Dodd
Death in the Spotlight by Robin Stevens
Feminists Don’t Wear Pink (and other lies) by Scarlett Curtis
Flamingo Boy by Michael Morpurgo
Flower Fairies of the Autumn by Cicely Mary Barker
Flower Fairies of the Winter by Cicely Mary Barker
Flying Fergus 9 by Sir Chris Hoy
Funky Chickens by Benjamin Zephaniah
Good Day, Good Night by Margaret Wise Brown
Goodnight, Max the Brave by Ed Vere
Hampstead the Hamster by Michael Rosen
Heroes by David Long
How the Whale Became and Other Tales of the Early World by Ted Hughes
Huber Horatio: How to Raise Your Grown-Ups by Lauren Child
I Was Made For You by David Lucas
Magnus Chase by Rick Riordan
Mary and Frankenstein by Linda Bailey
Matchstick Monkey: Colours by Ladybird
Michael Rosen’s Book of Very Silly Poems by Michael Rosen
Mole’s Star by Britta Teckentrup
My Bed is an Air Balloon by Julia Copus
No Fixed Address by Susin Nielesn
Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
Peter Rabbit: A Winter’s Tale by Beatrix Potter
Saving Species by Jess French
Stubby: A True Story of Friendship by Michael Foreman
Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Monster by Rhiannon Fielding
The Bandit Queen by Natalia O’Hara
The Battle of the Labyrinth: The Graphic Novel by Rick Riordan
The Fire Stallion by Stacy Gregg
The Key to Flambards by Linda Newbery
The Mighty Mince Pie Massacre by Mark Lowery
The Night Before the Night Before Christmas by Kes Gray
The Pug Who Wanted to be a Unicorn by Bella Swift
The Rescue of Bunny Wunny by Emma Chichester Clark
The Summoner’s Handbook by Taran Matharu
The T-Rex Who Lost His Specs by Jeanne Willis
The Way Home For Wolf by Rachel Bright
8-14 October
Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich, Justin Paul, Steven Leveson, Benj Pasek
The La’lun by J N Harris
Ghost by Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore
Green Noise by Jean Sprackland
Sex and Relationships by Ana Claybourne
Six of Crows: Collector’s Edition by Leigh Bardugo
Vampire by Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore
What Size Is It? By Jackie Walter
15-22 October
Glimmer Of Hope by March for our Lives
She Wants It by Jill Soloway
A Christmas Carol by Tony Mitton
Bedtime Stories by Margaret Mayo
Expelled by James Patterson
Here Come the Llamas by Pat-a-Cake
Horrid Henry’s Hike by Tony Ross
Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment by James Patterson
Mice of the Round Table 3 by Julie Leung
My Hamster Is An Astronaut by Dave Lowe
My Hamster’s Got Talent by Dave Lowe
The Big Race by David Barrow
The Boy Oliver by Oliver Jeffers
The Little Inventors’ Handbook by Dominic Wilcox and Katherine Mengardon
The Rift Coda by Amy S. Foster
What Would The Spice Girls Do? By Lauren Bravo
Infamous by Alyson Noel
23-31 October
1.5 Billion Transport Vehicles on the World’s Roads by Ben Hubbard
7.6 Billion People Living in the Countries of the World by Ben Hubbard
Great Granny by Ann Bryant
Invasion of the Botty Snatchers by Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore
It’s My Body by Louise Spilsbury
Keep Off the Grass by Katie Dale
My Dad’s in Prison by Jackie Walter
Rainbow Street by Lynne Rickards
Robin Hamster by Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore
The Dinosaur Bone by Elizabeth Dale
The Life-Changing Magic of Numbers by Bobby Seagull
The Very Worst Wizard by Elizabeth Dale
The Worm and the Bird by Coralie Bickford-Smith
World of Flowers by Johanna Basford
Diary of a Brilliant Kid: Top Secret Guide to Awesomeness by Andy Cope, Gavin Oattes, Will Hussey
Have Sword, Will Travel by Garth Nix & Sean Williams
Let Sleeping Dragons Lie by Garth Nix & Sean Williams
Me Mam. Me Dad. Me by Malcom Duffy
The Snow Angel by Lauren St John
Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend
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