How Book Censorship Creeps into UK Schools and How to Respond | Series 1, Episode 38
Season 1, Episode 38 of the School Reading List podcast. New book post, 30 great books for February 2026 and how book censorship is creeping into UK schools.
Recommended reading books for primary & secondary aged children in the UK
C. M. Lewis writes children’s fiction for middle-grade readers. Her work blends quest storytelling with mythic elements and focuses on courage, friendship and responsibility.
Her debut novel, Quill and the Last Generation, is the opening title in a fantasy series for ages 9–12. Drawing on Welsh mythology and folklore, the story follows twelve-year-old Quill as he confronts a world in peril and discovers his place within an unfolding legend. The book is published by Macmillan Children’s Books.
Quill and the Last Generation is illustrated by Marina Vidal and is presented as a paperback for young readers. Bibliographic listings note publication in January 2026 with the paperback ISBN 9781035060610 and a projected length in the region of 288 pages. Coverage in children’s book outlets highlights the novel’s suitability for upper primary readers and its mix of adventure, myth and moral choices.
Lewis’s series positions contemporary children at the heart of a high-stakes fantasy rooted in traditional motifs, signalling further instalments to follow.
Most recent publication milestone: Quill and the Last Generation, Macmillan Children’s Books, January 2026.
Season 1, Episode 38 of the School Reading List podcast. New book post, 30 great books for February 2026 and how book censorship is creeping into UK schools.
January 2026’s book club includes titles by Smriti Halls, Nicola Davies, Ella McLeod, Javi De Castro, Craig Steele, Rowan Foxwood, Sufiya Ahmed, Rebecca Orwin, Emma Green, C. M. Lewis, Steve Cole, Monique Turner, Katie Bernet, Sarah Brill, and Sam Prentice-Jones.
Here’s our selection of top new titles coming out in spring 2026. These reading recommendations include picture books, early and middle-grade fiction; young adult novels and non-fiction.
Quill and the Last Generation is a thrilling page-turner, following twelve-year-old Quill as he discovers his destiny, faces dragons, and must restore light and warmth to a world lost to perpetual winter.
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Our latest reading national curriculum year group recommended reading lists:
Picture books for the under 5s | Books for Reception | Books for Year 1 | Books for Year 2 | Books for Year 3 | Books for Year 4 | Books for Year 5 | Books for Year 6 | Books for Year 7 | Books for Year 8 | Books for Year 9 | Books for Year 10 | Books for Year 11