The Must Read Book list is one of our annual selections of the best fiction for primary schools chosen by librarians from the Schools Library Service and primary and secondary schools, and is a suggested list to buy for your school library.
For fiction for years 3 and 4, take a look at our Takeoff! booklist.
The book list represents a selection of the best new fiction first published in paperback within the last year, and covers a diverse range of subjects, genres, authors and interests.
Titles from the 2024 Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Tower Hamlets Book Award short list. Don’t forget to register for this event!
Posters for the 2024 booklists will be delivered to subscribing schools
Please contact the library for any further information.
See the full list of books
| Title | Author | Blurb |
| Koku Akanbi and the Heart of Midnight | Adebisi, Maria Motunrayo | Kòkú, having spent his early years in Nigeria, now lives in the UK with Uncle Tunji. After a disastrous museum trip, his uncle sends him to reconnect with his roots in Olori. However, upon arrival, Kòkú finds himself thrust into a foreign culture and tribal conflict. He discovers he must save the night and its mystical beings from the ruling Ogun tribe’s schemes, despite his small stature and illness. |
| Time to Shine at the River School | Adeyinka, Sabine | As the new term begins at the River School, Jummy and her friends notice the once-beloved Shine-Shine River smells terrible and the egrets have vanished. Despite the distractions of school life—house rivalries, new friendships, and a corn-planting contest—Jummy’s house faces a water shortage. Investigating the mystery leads them to uncover secrets and test their trust in others. Through their adventures, they prove that school children can make a difference. |
| The Song Walker | Bethell, Zillah | In the heart of the desert, a young girl awakens with no memory of her identity, clad in a singular shoe and a mysterious black dress, clutching a heavy case. She encounters Tarni, who is embarking on her own enigmatic journey. As they traverse the expansive Australian Outback, seeking answers, they must confront not only the mysteries of their pasts but also the secrets they carry within themselves. |
| Squire and Knight | Chantler, Scott | A young squire faces mysteries, monsters, and magic, while his inept knight takes credit. Squire, is often overlooked by the brawny Sir Kelton and finds himself in a cursed village with a demonic dragon. As Kelton rides off to slay a beast, Squire stays behind, uncovering strange secrets about the town. |
| Call me Lion | Chester, Camilla | In the midst of a Luton heatwave, ten-year-old Leo finds solace in dancing during the holidays, but loneliness pervades his days. When he befriends his new neighbor, Richa, who is outgoing and understanding, Leo’s world brightens. However, Leo grapples with Selective Mutism, unable to speak outside his family. Despite this, Richa accepts him wholeheartedly, sharing her own struggles. Their friendship blossoms, as they navigate loneliness, confront bullies, and conquer fears together. Richa and Leo’s journey is a heartwarming tale of transformation and the power of true friendship. |
| Aubrey and the Terrible Spiders | Clare, Horatio | In a world where children rule, there’s something terrible lurking in the woods and hero Aubrey must confront the Spiders and work out whose side they’re really on… |
| Attack of the Robot Librarians | Copeland, Sam | As a new year begins at Little Strangehaven Primary, the weirdness continues. Laser-eyed robot librarians enforce class discipline, pedal-powered desks appear, and mysterious activities unfold in the cellar. Spy-detectives Tuchus and Topps suspect Pamela Stranglebum and her company, Minerva Industries, are behind it all. With their Scottish gargoyle friend Gregor, Lenny and Agatha embark on a mission to uncover the truth before it’s too late. |
| Finding my Voice | Dooley, Aoife | Frankie is autistic and she’s a little nervous about starting her new secondary school. Everything is going well, she even starts playing in a rock band, but then bullies try to ruin it all. |
| Black Hole Cinema Club | Edge, Christopher | When Lucas and his friends gather at the local cinema for a movie marathon, they’re sucked into an unexpected adventure as a jet-black tidal wave emerges from the screen. From secret hideouts to prehistoric monsters, they embark on perilous missions, questioning if these movies are more than just fiction. With the fate of the world at stake, they must become heroes before the credits roll. |
| Trixie Pixie: Toxic Takedown | Falafel, Olaf | As a strange sickness sweeps through Wormwood Town, suspicions arise about the water source. Trixie Pickle, the Art Avenger, harnesses the power of art to uncover the truth behind the town reservoir mystery. Amidst school boredom, comic creation with her friend Beeks, and tackling local bullies, Trixie finds inspiration from artistic legends like Botticelli, Damien Hirst, and Kehinde Wiley to triumph in her investigation. |
| The Rescue of Ravenswood | Farrant, Natasha | Bea and Raffy live in Ravenwood, a historic house in northern England with a cherished treehouse in the ancient woods. Their idyllic summer is disrupted when Noa arrives, Bea’s parents plan to leave, and Uncle Jack wants to sell his share of the house, threatening their beloved ash tree. Despite internal conflicts, the children unite to protect their home and preserve what they hold dear. |
| the Boy in the Smoke | Faturoti, Rachel | Isaiah, despite being clever and popular, faces tough times as his family struggles financially after his father’s accident. Ashamed of their situation, he seeks to make money by representing his school at a Victorian exhibition. Discovering his tower block’s history as a former workhouse, Isaiah stumbles upon a time portal and befriends a boy named Jacob from the 1830s. As he uncovers Jacob’s peril, Isaiah grapples with the moral dilemma of altering the past to save his friend. |
| Most Haunted Theatres | Fielding, Yvette | Join ghost-hunting expert Yvette Fielding and her Most Haunted team as they explore Britain’s haunted theatres, revealing chilling tales such as the father of clowns, Charles Macklin’s ghost, and the tragic ballerina’s lingering spirit. |
| The Case of the Lighthouse Intruder | Getten, Kereen | Fayson and her mother struggle financially in their small Jamaican apartment. When she visits her affluent cousins on a nearby island, Fayson is drawn into a mystery: a shadowy figure appears at the lighthouse each evening. With her detective dreams in mind, Fayson investigates, but faces unexpected challenges from a local child. Through her journey, she learns that true wealth lies in love, kindness, and friendship, not money. |
| Ace and the Animal Heroes: The Big Farm Rescue | Gill, JB | Ace’s life takes a dramatic turn when he inherits a run-down farm from a long-lost relative. Equipped with magical wellies that allow him to communicate with animals, Ace must confront the villainous Councillor Crabbington, who threatens to shut down the farm. With the aid of his animal friends and newfound ally, Ace races to save the farm from impending doom. |
| The Final Year | Goodfellow, Matt ; Todd-Stanton, Joe | Ten-year-old Nate lives with his mum and younger brothers, Jax and Dylan. Nate’s best friend PS is moved to a different class, leaving Nate upset. Nate’s nemesis, Turner, becomes friends with PS, adding to Nate’s frustration. However, Nate finds solace in writing, encouraged by his teacher Mr. Joshua. When Dylan falls ill and is hospitalized, Nate’s world is shaken, and he must navigate his emotions and fears. |
| The Lonely Book | Grehan, Meg | A magical bookshop that always has a book for everyone, no matter what, suddenly has a book in it that doesn’t seem to have an owner – it’s lonely. Annie has to help it and her beloved bookshop and the answer might be closer to home than she thinks. |
| Signs of Survival: A Memoir of the Holocaust | Hartman, Renee & Greene, Joshua M. | In 1940s Czechoslovakia, Jewish sisters Renee and Herta faced imminent danger during the Holocaust. As the sole hearing member, Renee alerted her family to approaching Nazis. After their parents’ tragic capture, the sisters fled, eventually landing in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Relying on sign language and each other, they navigated sickness and starvation, fighting for survival in the face of despair. |
| Stitch | Kenny, Padraig | Stitch and his friend Henry Oaf, owe their existence to the brilliant Professor Hardacre. However, when the professor’s nefarious nephew takes control, Henry becomes the target of his twisted experiments. Determined to evade capture, Stitch and Henry must navigate a world where they’re viewed as monsters. Will they outwit their captor and find acceptance in a world they were never meant for? |
| Safiyyah’s War | Khan, Hiba Noor | As war approaches Europe, Safiyyah’s life in Paris at the Grand Mosque remains peaceful. However, as the conflict encroaches, the city undergoes drastic changes: refugees arrive, wealthy Parisians leave, and German soldiers impose restrictions. Safiyyah observes the worsening conditions and discovers signs of rebellion within her community. Despite the risks, she resolves to take action. |
| Dread Wood: Fright Bite | Killick, Jennifer | Colette’s birthday celebration takes a chilling turn at Neon Perch’s escape room, where the game taps into each player’s deepest fears. Locked in with terrifying creatures, including giant rats, the friends face a nightmarish ordeal they never anticipated. |
| Jamie | Lapinski, L.D. | Jamie is non binary, but what do they do when they have to choose a secondary school, and they only seem to have room for grils or boys? Does Jamie have to choose? |
| The Case of the Chaos Monster | Lawrence, Patrice | After an orchestra explodes, London’s music disappears and a monstrous threat emerges. Detectives must track down the thief through iconic landmarks and dark streets to save the city. |
| Moon Flight | Lewis, Gill | Tilbury Twitch-Whiskers, seventh-born rat of his litter, resides in Tilbury Docks with his doting mother. Each year, ratlings attempt to unlock the Gilded Cage to return the cursed diamond, the Cursed Night. This year, Tilbury and his sister, witness Tilbury’s success in opening the cage, sparking their adventure to the City in the Clouds, fraught with danger and excitement. |
| Wider than the Sea | Molloy, Serena | Ró struggles with reading and avoids speaking in class, finding solace in drawing and her friendship with Sunny the dolphin. Her home life is tense, with her parents constantly arguing or ignoring each other. Ró hides her difficulties from her parents, fearing she’s the cause of their unhappiness. As her friend The Bean gains popularity for his athletic prowess, Ró feels increasingly isolated, especially when Sunny goes missing. |
| Ink Girls | Nijkamp, Marieke and Bi, Sylvia | 11-year-old Cinzia is a printer’s apprentice. She adores Mestra Aronne for taking her in—most guilds don’t have room for apprentices with a crippled leg—and she loves life in the raggedy workshop, where secrets and stories are always circulating. So when Mestra Aronne is imprisoned for publishing accusations against the ruling family, Cinzia will do anything to prove that Mestra Aronne only told the truth. |
| Fablehouse | Norry, E.L. | When Heather arrives at Fablehouse children’s home, she finally finds a safe haven and genuine friends. Exploring the ancient woodlands with her newfound companions, they encounter Palamedes, a Black Knight from King Arthur’s court. As the children and staff start behaving oddly, Heather and her friends, known as The Roamers, must confront the dark forces lurking beneath Fablehouse to protect their home and its inhabitants. |
| The Silver Road | O’Hart, Sinead | One stormy night, Rose encounters a massive ice giant made of hailstones who gives her a strange reddish stone before disappearing. Seeking guidance from her elderly friends Nellie and Gracie, Rose learns of a hidden world of magic beneath her feet on the Silver Road. Realizing the stone’s destructive potential in the wrong hands, Rose vows to protect it. However, when she faces bullying and escalating dangers, Rose’s quest becomes an epic struggle to save both the stone and her world. |
| Last Girl in | Parkinson, Cheryl Diane | Kerry-Ann’s passion for cricket runs deep, thanks to her Jamaican grandpa’s early teachings. When elite players try to exclude her and her team from the local club, Kerry-Ann devises a bold plan to overcome their challenges. In a magical time-slip adventure, she learns about her grandparents’ struggles as part of the Windrush generation, inspiring her to fight for fairness and continue enjoying the game they both cheris |
| City of Stolen Magic | Pathak, Nazneen Ahmed | In 1855 India, under British rule, people born with magic are disappearing. When Chompa’s mother, Ammi, is kidnapped, Chompa enlists the help of Ammi’s friend Mohsin to find her. Their search takes them from rural India to London’s East End, where they uncover a plot by businessman Sir Clive Devaynes to exploit magic for power and wealth. |
| The Twig Man | Rasoul, Sana | A year has passed since Ari’s older sister, Lana, vanished. But Ari knows the truth: she was taken by the Twig Man, a terrifying creature lurking in the woods for a century. With no one believing him, Ari takes it upon himself to rescue Lana before it’s too late. However, time is running out as Ari finds himself next on the Twig Man’s sinister list. |
| The Piano at the Station | Rutter, Helen | Lacey spends most of her time in isolation at school thanks to her quick tongue and even quicker temper, but when new music teacher Mr Day introduces her to a piano, Lacey’s life starts to change, but what happens when her family find out about her music? |
| The Legend of Ghastly Jack Crowheart | Schauer, Loretta | Life at the Squawking Mackerel Inn is miserable for Lil, burdened with messy tasks and constant bullying. But when the notorious Rotten Bob Hatchet and his gang terrorize travelers, Lil teams up with a new friend, Ned, and a cantankerous crow, to concoct a plan. Armed with odd items from the lost property cupboard, revolting dumplings, and knicker elastic, they create the legend of Ghastly Jack Crowheart, the Demon Highwayman, to fend off Rotten Bob. |
| Ajay and the Jaipur Moon | Shah, Varsha | Ajay and his friends run their own newspaper, but struggling are struggling with sales. When a meteor crashes in India with a large prize for its discovery, they see an opportunity to change their fortunes. Billionaire Mrs. Surya offers not only cash but also access to her secret space program. Determined to win, the friends head to Jaipur, but they soon uncover secrets beyond their imagination. |
| Rani Reports on the Missing Millions | Shewhorak, Gabrielle and Satish | Ten-year-old Rani eagerly anticipates her nani’s visit from Mauritius, hoping she’ll inspire her junior journalist competition entry. On Nani’s arrival, they stumble upon a treacherous treasure hunt organized by an eccentric millionaire. Seeing it as the perfect article topic, Rani and Nani join the race to solve the clues. However, they face fierce competition, including the missteps of wannabe journalist Lexi. Can Rani and Nani crack the puzzle before time runs out? |
| Gunhild | Tornager, Fred | Gunhild, a fire Jotun raised among humans, dreams of becoming a god despite widespread doubt. As she navigates Norse mythology and encounters famous gods like Odin and Thor, her determination and alliance with the mischievous Loki propel her forward. Facing foes and winning allies, Gunhild fights smart to achieve her dream against all odds. |
| The Prisoner of Bhopal | Walker, Tim | On his tenth birthday, Amil discovers a secret First World War journal hidden in a trunk, revealing a shared magical gift with his great-grandfather: they can read the wind. As the journal’s pages come to life, they uncover the mystery behind Amil’s presence and face a catastrophic event when poison gas leaks from a pesticide plant into the air above Bhopal. |
| The Storm Swimmer | Weze, Clare | Ginika is sent her to live with her grandparents by the sea, where she initially struggles with homesickness. However, she befriends Peri, a boy who lives in the sea and communicates in a unique language. Their secret friendship flourishes until Peri’s health deteriorates due to human noise and lights. With only her new friend Ted in the know, Ginika faces a daunting challenge in helping Peri without revealing his existence. |
| Doughnuts, Thieves and Chimpanzees | Wharton, Alex | Alex Wharton’s latest poetry collection, penned during his tenure as Children’s Laureate Wales, 2023-2025, is a delightful blend of humor and playfulness. From poems about emotions to ones featuring mice, school, and monsters, there’s even a quirky piece about a horse on the loo! With rhythmic rhymes, catchy rhythms, and even rap and song, these verses are perfect for lively readings. Wharton, a seasoned spoken word poet, aims to ignite a passion for poetry in young minds by demystifying various poetic forms like haiku and limericks and providing ample examples. |
| Quiet Storm | Whittam, Kimberly | Storm has always been in the shadow of her best friend Zarrish. As Zarrish moves on to new interests and friends, Storm feels left behind. When Storm breaks the school’s sprinting record, she discovers a passion for sports and the teamwork it entails. Through experiences of rejection and embarrassment, Storm learns the importance of lifting each other up, ultimately finding her voice and courage to pursue her interests. |
