Recommended reading books for primary & secondary aged children in the UK
S.J. Wills is a British children’s author best known for the teen horror-thriller series Bite Risk, published by Simon & Schuster Children’s UK. Writing for readers 12+, she blends pacey plots with horror and mystery across a contemporary setting.
Before publishing fiction she worked at two London publishers and has been a freelance copy-editor since 2003. She is represented by Kate Shaw at The Shaw Agency.
The Bite Risk series comprises Bite Risk (2023), its sequel Caught Dead (2024), and Cold Blood (2025). The books are available in the UK and the US from Simon & Schuster.
Wills’s work has received notable recognition. Bite Risk was selected in The Guardian’s “best children’s and YA books of 2023”. The title went on to win the Juniper Book Award in 2024 and the Trinity Schools Book Award in 2025, both voted for by young readers.
Cold Blood was published by Simon & Schuster Children’s UK on 24 April 2025 (ISBN 9781398521001).
Edgy stories for 11-14 year olds with titles by Kwame Alexander, Malorie Blackman, Hilary McKay, Jason Rohan, Ele Fountain, Christopher Edge, Catherine Bruton, Derek Landy, Simon James Green, Robert Muchamore, Anne Cassidy & more.
Season 1, Episode 11 of the School Reading List podcast. New book post, 30 great books for June 2023, adventure book picks and transitioning from picture books to short chapter books.
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