Our picks of the best children's books coming out in Summer 2021

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Here’s our selection of top new titles coming out in summer – June, July, and August 2021. These reading recommendations include picture books, early and middle-grade fiction; young adult novels and non-fiction for children aged 5-12. The titles below are books that (at the time of writing) are now due to be released this summer – in time for the autumn term in UK schools. These books have been chosen with classroom teaching, school libraries, home learning and lockdown reading in mind.

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Summer 2021 new children’s books – our recommendations

New picture books for summer 2021

Lisette’s Green Sock by Catharina Valckx

Grandma’s House of Rules by Henry Blackshaw

The Secret Lives of Dragons by Professor Zoya Agnis and Alexander Utkin

Nen and the Lonely Fisherman by Ian Eagleton and James Mayhew

This beautiful reworking of the Little Mermaid tale sees Ernest, a fisherman, saved by Nen, a merman, in this atmospheric and life-affirming story of loneliness, danger, perseverance and love. With beautiful illustrations and evocative language, this is an ideal text to read and discuss with children in years 1-4.

BIG by Sav Akyuz

Shu Lin’s Grandpa by Matt Goodfellow and Yu Rong

Somewhere by Jeanne Willis and Anastasia Suvorova

The Sea by Piret Raud

Mr Tiger by Davide Cali and Miguel Tanco

The Lost Child of Chernobyl by Helen Bate

New fiction 5-7 for summer 2021

The Three Happy Lions by Louise Fatio and Roger Duvoisin

The third in the Lion series of republished classic French children’s picture books sees the two lion parents speculate as to what their new cub might become when he grows up. With beautiful, detailed artwork and a sprinkling of French words, this is a terrifically engaging book to share, discuss and explore with younger children.

Tea Party Parade by Nick Sharratt

The Library Book by Gabby Dawnay and Ian Morris

Scribbly: A Real Imaginary Friend Tale by Ged Adamson

New fiction 7-9 for summer 2021

Let’s Tell a Story: Space Adventure by Lily Murray and Grace Boruch

A Sliver of Moon and a Shard of Truth by Chitra Soundar and Uma Krishnaswamy

A Gladiator Stole My Lunchbox by Thiago de Moraes

Pizazz vs Perfecto by Sophy Henn

Indigo Wilde and the Creatures at Jellybean Crescent by Pippa Curnick

A Monster Ate My Packed Lunch! by Pamela Butchart

New fiction 9-12 for summer 2021

When the Sky Falls by Phil Earle

The Great (Food) Bank Heist by Onjali Q. Rauf

Arctic Star by Tom Palmer

Something I Said by Ben Bailey Smith

The Small Things by Lisa Thompson

Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths by Maisie Chan

The Cartoons that Came to Life by Tom Ellen and Phil Corbett

When Finn’s notebook is destroyed by bullies, he not only loses his drawings and ideas but his confidence to create more. That’s until he wakes up to find his cartoon characters have come to life! However, they quickly cause chaos and Finn has to race against time to return them to their own world. Highly recommended for reluctant readers in KS2.

Felix Unlimited by Andrew Norriss

The House on the Edge by Alex Cotter

The Royal Rebel: The Life of Suffragette Princess Sophia Duleep Singh by Bali Rai

New 12-16 young adult novels for summer 2021

Afterlove
by Tanya Byrne

Three Bullets by Melvin Burgess

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price

Our Beautiful Game by Lou Kuenzler

When 12-year-old Polly is expected to stay at home and help with the housework all she wants to do is play football. And with all the older boys and men joining up to fight in WW1, suddenly there’s even more opportunity to play in a real team. Inspired by true stories and the rise of women’s football in the aftermath of WW1, this story with strong females characters is a gripping read for pupils in KS3.