New children's books for August 2023
by Sophie Green
Looking for new books for your little ones? Take a look at our brand new children's fiction and non-fiction books for August 2023.
Find more recommendations for children.
The Who's Whonicorn of Sing-Along Unicorns, by Kes Gray and Garry Parsons
Did you know that unicorns love to sing? Here is a laugh-out-loud, read-aloud picture-book guide to the most talented unicorns ever. This funny and surprising follow-up to 'The Who's Whonicorn of Unicorns' is jam-packed with joyful wordplay, hilarious illustrations and the most magical, musical unicorns you've never heard of! It's also an inventive way to encourage children's creativity and imagination.
Borrow The Who's Whonicorn of Sing-Along Unicorns →
Nabil Steals a Penguin, by Nishani Reed and Junissa Bianda
When Pierre the penguin tries Nabil's delicious biriyani rice, Pierre decides to leave the zoo and go home with him! But Nabil will be in BIG TROUBLE if his mum finds out. And Pierre is EVERYWHERE - honking, dancing, bouncing on the bed and making a HUGE bubbly mess in the bathroom. Will Nabil's parents let Pierre stay?
Borrow Nabil Steals a Penguin →
The Princess and the (Greedy) Pea, by Leigh Hodgkinson
There was a green pea who swallowed a sprout. Without a doubt, a Brussels sprout. What's that about? This little pea is so hungry! So hungry that he has swallowed a sprout, slurped down some soup, munched all the bread, wolfed down the pie, gobbled the cake, noshed all the pickle, guzzled the cheese (that made him sneeze), drank all the tea, and then, chomped up the table! And after all that, he needs to have a rest.
But just whose food was he eating? And whose bed is he resting in? Cue one very grumpy, very hungry princess - with a taste for revenge. A highly imaginative modern retelling of fairy-tale classic, 'The Princess and the Pea', and much-loved nursery rhyme, 'There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly', with artwork that is both stylishly detailed and incredibly funny.
Borrow The Princess and the (Greedy) Pea →
The Duck With No Luck, by Gemma Merino
From the author of The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water.
What's a fed-up duck who feels all out of luck supposed to do? Go and ask a wise owl for help, of course! But watch out for the hungry Fox.
Borrow The Duck With No Luck →
The Box Full of Wonders, by Karl Newson and Emily Hamilton
On the day two families move into a new home to start their life together under one roof, an overwhelmed little boy takes refuge in a simple cardboard box. But it's not just any box - it's a pirate ship, or a castle, or a rocket shooting into outer space - the only limit is his imagination. Through creativity and play, the boy learns to share with his new siblings as they create fantastical worlds together.
Borrow The Box Full of Wonders →
Monster Mayhem, by Nadia Shireen
Venture back to Grimwood in the wildly funny third book in Nadia Shireen's anarchic illustrated comedy-adventure series.
Meesh the Bad Demon, by Michelle Lam
How far would you go to save your home - and find yourself? Bullied by the other demons, twelve-year-old Meesh is more likely to be reading magazines from Plumeria City - the fairy realm - and fangirling about the fairy princesses. But when disaster strikes and all of demon-kind is threatened, Meesh must journey to other worlds in search of help.
As luck would have it, she meets a fairy princess right away. Things in the fairy realm aren't so perfect either, though. As Meesh makes surprising new friends and unites a band of outcasts, she learns there's much more to being a demon than she ever realised. And learning to love herself might just uncover the secret to saving her home.
Huxley and Flapjack, by Alan MacDonald and Francesca Gambatesa
Huxley has some pocket money to spend, and where better to spend it than the grand opening of Jollygoods, a new department store in town. But after a mix up with a robber, Huxley is mistaken for a thief. Can Huxley - with a LOT of help from Flapjack - catch the real robber and still make it home in time for tea?
Peril on the Atlantic, by A.M. Howell
First in a new series from the author of The Garden of Lost Secrets.
July, 1936. As the Queen Mary sets sail across the Atlantic, Alice can't wait for the summer of adventure that lies ahead. She's excited to explore the huge ship, with its shops, animals and even celebrities on board. But while Alice's sailor father focuses on winning a prestigious race, she witnesses a shocking attack. Alice and her new friend Sonny start to uncover a dark sabotage plot, and as they investigate gold bars, anonymous notes and lost silk gloves, secrets in their own lives come to the surface.
When fog threatens the boat's journey, and dangerous enemies show themselves, Alice and Sonny are in their own race to solve all the mysteries unfolding. But what they discover might change both their lives forever.
Borrow Peril on the Atlantic →
Monster in the Woods, by Dave Shelton
Rumour has it that there's a monster in the woods. But why doesn't anyone do something about it? Frith is determined to save the day, and with her hard-working dad, younger brother, Spuggy, and dog (called Cabbage), Frith will travel to the big city to convince the king that something must be done. Along the way, she'll encounter a big wise head, a mysterious squirrel, and discover that, perhaps, not all is as it seems.
Koku Akanbi and the Heart of Midnight, by Maria Ḿotúnráyò Adébísí
After cynical thirteen year-old orphan Koku accidentally releases a demon on a trip to the British Museum, his uncle sends him to Olori, the West African land of origins, for the summer. Cursed with a weird name and an illness to match, Koku thinks life can't get any worse. His sickle cell anaemia has always left him feeling unwanted and powerless, and now he's being parcelled off to a country he barely remembers. But when Koku arrives in Olori, he finds himself in a land of endless sun and powerful magical tribes - and on the wrong side of a war.
Borrow Koku Akanbi and the Heart of Midnight →
The Vanquishers, by Kalynn Bayron
In the world of the Vanquishers, vampires were history - until now. Malika 'Boog' Wilson and her best friends have grown up idolising The Vanquishers, a group of heroic vampire hunters who wiped out the last horde of the undead decades ago. Nowadays, most people don't take even the most basic vampire precautions - the days of garlic wreaths and early curfews are long gone - but Boog's parents still follow the old rules, much to her embarrassment.
When a friend goes missing, Boog isn't sure what to think. Could it be the school counsellor, Mr Rupert, who definitely seems to be hiding something? Or could it be something more dangerous? Boog is determined to save her friend, but is she ready to admit vampires might not be vanquished after all? No one ever expected the Vanquishers to return, but if their town needs protection from the undead, Boog knows who to call.
How to Spaghettify Your Dog, and Other Science Secrets of the Universe, by Hiba Noor Khan
Have you ever wondered how to slow down time? Or what would happen if the Earth stopped spinning? Or whether you'd be OK if you fell into a black hole? Well, wonder no more. This book, by former physics teacher and UKLA longlisted author Hiba Noor Khan, is bursting with fascinating physics facts that will explain everything you want to know, and more, about the curiosities of our cosmos.
Borrow How to Spaghettify Your Dog →
The Hidden World of Magical Creatures, by Maz Evans and Robert Ingpen
From the author of Who Let the Gods Out?.
Featuring 28 magical and mythical creatures and monsters from all over the world, this book will tell you where these creatures dwell, how to spot one, and how to keep yourself safe.
Borrow The Hidden World of Magical Creatures →
World Kitchen, by Abigail Wheatley and Chaaya Prabhat
This heartfelt book features a unique collection of recipes contributed by families from around the world. Each recipe has an introduction featuring the family who contributed it, and simple, step-by-step instructions, all illustrated in a bold, graphic-novel style.
The Book of Time, by Clive Gifford and Teo Georgiev
Did you know that a zeptosecond is a trillionth of a billionth of a second? Or that the US once had 144 different time zones? Or that across your lifetime, you'll spend about 33 years in bed? Discover more questions, answers, and theories in this bumper book all about the past, present, future, and beyond!
Brilliant Black British History, by Atinuke and Kingsley Nebechi
Did you know that the first people who settled on the grey-green islands of Great Britain were Black? How about that some of the Roman soldiers who invaded and even ruled Britain were Black, too? After that there were Black Tudors, Georgians and Victorians. In this easy-to-read, chronological journey through our shared history, Atinuke brings her experience as an oral storyteller to carry readers through the fascinating history of Black people in Britain. The incredible journey through time is brought to life through illustrated scenes, detailed maps, and timelines created by illustrator Kingsley Nebechi.