Recommended reading books for primary & secondary aged children in the UK
Mina Fears is a young adult author whose debut novel blends epic fantasy with strands of West African folklore and history. She writes for teen readers and focuses on power, loyalty and contested truths within court and family settings.
Fears earned a BA and an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University and works professionally in corporate communications. Her first novel, The Scorpion Queen, is published by Flatiron Books/Macmillan and by Pan Macmillan in the UK. Inspired by a Malian fairy tale, the story follows Amie and Princess Mariama within the Mali Empire, where suitors face lethal trials and alliances are tested.
The Scorpion Queen was first published on 28 January 2025.
Fairy tales for children and teens with books by books by Hans Christian Andersen, The Brothers Grimm, Isabel Otter, Michael Rosen, Sophie Anderson, Sally Gardner, Konnie Huq, Richard Ayoade, Radiya Hafiza, and Trish Cooke.
Here’s our selection of top new titles coming out in Spring 2025. These reading recommendations include picture books, early and middle-grade fiction; young adult novels and non-fiction.
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