Here’s our selection of top new titles coming out in summer – June, July, and August 2022. These reading recommendations include picture books, early and middle-grade fiction; young adult novels and non-fiction for children aged 5-14. 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, holiday unwinding and summer reading challenges in mind.
Summer 2022 new children’s books – our recommendations
New picture books for summer 2022
Milo’s Monster: A Big Bright Feelings Book by Tom Percival
Lifesize Baby Animals by Sophy Henn
What Do You See When You Look At a Tree? by Emma CarlisleJust Like Grandpa Jazz by Tarah L Gear
Frank’s grandpa has a gift for storytelling and explaining their rich family history and experiences – both positive and negative – with enthusiasm, insight and grace. The bright engaging pictures and lyrical text made this ideal to read and share in KS1. A good book to explore oral and written storytelling in literacy, it’s also a valuable book that explains the concept of migration to younger children in a family orientated and accessible style.
Picture book | Family
The Girl Who Noticed Everything by Jane Porter and Maisie Paradise Shearring
Remixed: An inspiring story about our families by Arree Chung
A New Friend by Lucy Menzies
Blobfish by Olaf Falafel
Strong by Clara Anganuzzi
Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam: Pirates Ahoy! by Tracey Corderoy and Steven Lenton
The Robber Raccoon by Lou Kuenzler
On My Papa’s Shoulders by Niki Daly
I Am Nefertiti by Annemarie AnangNew fiction 5-7 for summer 2022
The Worries: Shara and the Really Big Sleepover by Jion Sheibani
Princesses Break Free by Timothy Knapman
The Smallest Girl in the Class by Justin RobertsNew fiction 7-9 for summer 2022
The Day No One Woke Up by Polly Ho-Yen
Indigo Wilde and the Unknown Wilderness by Pippa Curnick
Can You Feel the Noise? by Stewart FosterIndiana Bones and the Lost Library by Harry Heape
The ruins of Ephesus are the Roman-themed setting for the latest instalment of Indiana Bones and a renewed quest to find the Avenger’s lost treasure. With lots of dialogue and a pacy storyline of surprise and intrigue, children in lower KS2 may well read this in one sitting. A great plot and a satisfying ending will keep readers gripped and left wanting more.
Adventure | Mystery
Little Badman and the Rise of the Punjabi Zombies by Humza Arshad and Henry White
Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tola Okogwu
The Secret School Invasion by Pamela Butchart and Thomas FlinthamNew fiction 9-12 for summer 2022
The Good Turn by Sharna Jackson
My Friend the Octopus by Lindsay Galvin
Stitched Up by Steve Cole
Aubrey and the Terrible Spiders by Horatio Clare
A Flash of Fireflies by Aisha Bushby
The Clockwork Queen by Peter BunzlMia and the Lightcasters by Janelle McCurdy
When Mia’s parents are captured and caged, she is forced to embark on a perilous journey to seek help and rely on her unusual gift for taming the magical wild umbra creature. Refreshing, fun and unputdownable, this is an epic and ambitious adventure with magical and memorable characters. If you want to kickstart your child’s reading this summer, this is the perfect book.
Fantasy | Adventure
Escape to the River Sea by Emma Carroll
Giant by Nicola Skinner
Ali Cross: The Secret Detective by James PattersonNew 12-16 young adult novels for summer 2022
Fight Back by A. M. Dassu
Oxygen Mask: A Graphic Novel by Jason Reynolds
The King is Dead by Benjamin DeanOnce Upon a Fever by Angharad Walker
Siblings Payton and Ani live in a world consumed by strange illnesses and confined in the hospital where their father works to find a cure for their mother’s fever. Venturing outside for the first time, they explore a city world they cannot have imagined. Thought-provoking and timely, Once Upon a Fever thrusts the reader into a highly believable world of mystery, dark forces and moral dilemmas. This exquisitely presented flapped paperback is a joy to read and will appeal to children in KS3. Perfect for discussing in book clubs, it’s an unforgettable novel that will make you question your state of mind. It’s like nothing else you’ll read this year.
Mystery
Zyla & Kai by Kristina Forest
My Own Lightning by Lauren Wolk
Never Forget You by Jamila Gavin
Friends Like These by Meg Rosoff
Tag, You’re Dead by Kathryn Foxfield
Rapunzella, Or, Don’t Touch My Hair by Ella McLeodNew children’s poetry books for summer 2022
Ready for Spaghetti: Funny Poems for Funny Kids by Michael Rosen and Polly Dunbar
Smile Out Loud: 25 Happy Poems by Joseph Coelho
An Imaginary Menagerie: Poems and Drawings by Roger McGoughNew nonfiction children’s books for summer 2022
The World’s Wildest Places: And the People Protecting Them by Lily Dyu
It’s Tough to be Tiny: The secret life of small creatures by Kim Ryall Woolcock and Stacey Thomas
Spies by David Long
Raise Your Voice: Make Yourself Heard in a Noisy World by Nadia Jae
The Sea Below My Toes by Charlotte Guillain
Special Delivery: A Book’s Journey Around the World by Polly Faber
Mythical Science by Rebecca Lewis-Oakes
ABC Pride by Louie Stowell and Elly Barnes
Times Tables Ninja by Sarah Farrell and Andrew Jennings
This page was first published on May 11, 2022, and last updated on .
Summer 2022 new titles – bulk orders and class sets
To buy a pack of all or some of the books in this list, or to order class sets of book(s) in this list, please click the button below to order via uk.bookshop.org, an organisation that supports local bookshops.
Disclosure: If you buy books using the button above, we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.
For more top picks and new books why not read our Book of the month page?
For even more suggestions, see our daily new book recommendations on our Facebook page and our Twitter Feed.
