A selection of children's books that feature LGTBQIA+ characters and themes on a yellow background with multicoloured shadows

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Children's reading lists

19 of the best LGBTQIA+ books for kids

Doctor Who: The Target Storybook

A brilliant new collection of spin-off stories from famous episodes throughout the history of Doctor Who - and a new format for the successful Target publishing range.

We’re all stories in the end… 
 
In this exciting collection you’ll find all-new stories spinning off from some of your favourite Doctor Who moments across the history of the series. Learn what happened next, what went on before, and what occurred off-screen in an inventive selection of sequels, side-trips, foreshadowings and first-hand accounts – and look forward too, with a brand new adventure for the Thirteenth Doctor. 
 
Each story expands in thrilling ways upon aspects of Doctor Who’s enduring legend. With contributions from show luminaries past and present – including Colin Baker, Matthew Waterhouse, Vinay Patel, Joy Wilkinson and Terrance Dicks – The Target Storybook is a once-in-a-lifetime tour around the wonders of the Whoniverse.

Max Kowalski Didn't Mean It

'A beautifully written emotional story to make you laugh and cry' - Jacqueline Wilson 
 
The problem with Wales, he thought, was that it was too far away. 
But that was the point. To leave Southend behind. To get so far that no one would think to look for them there. 
 
Max wants to be just like his dad - fun, loud and strong. 
Instead, he always seems to be accidentally getting into fights and breaking things. 
 
But when his dad starts bringing home mysterious boxes, even more mysterious wads of cash starts turning up. 
 
Then Dad disappears. And it's up to Max to look after his sisters until he comes home. 
 
When they run away to a remote village in Wales, he's convinced that no one will find them. 
 
He's Max Kowalski. Of course he can look after three kids with no grownups around! 
 
Although, he can't stop thinking about where Dad really went. And the whispers of a golden dragon, asleep under the Welsh mountains... 
 
A funny and exquisitely written story, perfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson and Ross Welford.

A beautifully written story to make you laugh and cry

Utterly lovely . . . Enid Blyton meets Jacqueline Wilson meets Jenny Nimmo, with all the humour and warmth you'd expect in a Susie Day novel

Sally Nicholls, author of Things a Bright Girl Can Do

If Jacqueline Wilson ganged up with Alan Garner and remixed A Monster Calls, with dragons. Powerful and deep.

Louie Stowell, author of The Dragon in the Library

"Wonderfully diverse and effortlessly entertaining, Susie's books are a must for all school libraries"

Susie Day grew up by the seaside in Penarth, Wales, with a lisp and a really unfortunate choice of first name. 
Between books, she works as a copywriter in Birmingham, crochets ridiculous jumpers and inhales tea. 
Susie now lives in Coventry, England with her partner and a black cat named Pantalaimon.

Max wants to be just like his dad - fun, loud and strong. He loves their trips to the fair and Dad's no-nonsense attitude when Max gets in trouble at school. But everything changes when mysterious boxes and even more mysterious wads of cash start turning up at their house, and when Dad disappears it's up to Max to look after his three sisters until Dad comes home. 
 
Determined to keep the family together, Max takes his sisters to a remote village in Wales, where he's convinced that no one will find them. What Max doesn't expect to find is new friends, new questions, and a very old legend. Just how easy is it to look after three kids with no grown ups around? Where did Dad go, really? And what are the whispers Max keeps hearing, of a golden dragon, asleep under the mountain...?

The Secrets of the Superglue Sisters

Best friends Georgie and Jem aren't just new at school; they're new at being full-time sisters too. Georgie's mum and Jem's dad have finally bought a house together, and they get to share a home at last, just like they always wanted. But being full time sisters is maybe a tiny bit harder than they expected. 
 
At school, there are new friends to make and a new class project to complete. Everyone must write down their deepest secret so that their teacher Miss Eagle can set a giant ball alight and they can all watch their worries disappear. 
 
But the ball of secrets mysteriously disappears and everyone's secrets are revealed. Can Georgie and Jem discover who the secrets thief is and learn how to stick together in their new family?

Best friends Georgie and Jem aren't just new at school; they're new at being full-time sisters too. Georgie's mum and Jem's dad have finally bought a house together, and they get to share a home at last, just like they always wanted. 
 
School is a bit more challenging. Miss Eagle wants the whole class to start a self-esteem project. They'll write their biggest secret on a piece of paper shaped like a cloud and then float them up into the sky on a balloon and their worries will disappear. 
 
Then disaster! The ball of secrets disappears instead! Soon everyone's deepest secrets are being revealed to the whole school.

The Secrets of Sam and Sam

Sam likes being a twin. He likes having two mums. He likes cheese sandwiches and his dog and drawing comics with his friend Pea. He does not like humus - or heights . . . 
 
His twin sister Sammie likes being a twin too. She knows that she's perfect best friend material for somebody - the girls in her class just haven't realised yet. And she knows that she's the best Sam - Sam A. 
 
Both Sam and Sammie - and everybody in their lives seems to be keeping secrets - which ones will come out?

Sam likes being a twin. He likes having two mums. He likes cheese sandwiches and his dog and drawing comics with his friend Pea. He does not like humus - or heights . . . 
 
His twin sister Sammie likes being a twin too. She knows that she's perfect best friend material for somebody - the girls in her class just haven't realised yet. And she knows that she's the best Sam - Sam A. 
 
Both Sam and Sammie - and everybody in their lives seems to be keeping secrets - which ones will come out? 
 
Meet the very different twins and their very different problems in this funny, heart-warming story of modern family life for boys and girls.

Pea's Book of Birthdays

Fun, families and secrets in the latest story in this lovely series. Perfect for girls of 8 and above. 
 
It's Pea's birthday, and all the family are gathered around to celebrate. But there's one person missing - her dad. She has never known him, but is the story Mum always told her (the one about Dad being a pirate) really true? What is this mysterious Piratical Father doing now? So begins Pea's quest to track down her dad once and for all . . .

Pea's Book of Holidays

Fun, families and secrets in the latest story in this lovely series. Perfect for girls of 8 and above. 
 
Pea's family are separating for the summer holidays. Big sister, Clover, is off to Drama Camp, Mum is staying at home to finish her new book, and Pea and Tinkerbell are going camping. 
 
But things don't go quite to plan, and Pea finds her summer suddenly filled with Enid Blyton, castles, ghosts and mysteries . . .

Fun, families and secrets in the latest story in this lovely series. Perfect for girls of 8 and above. 
 
Pea's family are separating for the summer holidays. Big sister, Clover, is off to Drama Camp, Mum is staying at home to finish her new book, and Pea and Tinkerbell are going camping. 
 
But things don't go quite to plan, and Pea finds her summer suddenly filled with Enid Blyton, castles, ghosts and mysteries .

Pea's Book of Big Dreams

Eleven-year-old Pea and her wonderfully wacky family are back for their second adventure in this fabulously funny series. 
 
After securing herself a best friend and settling into London life, Pea is now contemplating her future and what exactly she should be when she grows up. Should she be a writer (like Mum)? An artist (like their crazy new au pair Klaudia)? A footballer? A pet therapist? Join Pea as she attempts to find out the answers - with hilarious results!

Pea's Book of Best Friends

When Pea Llewellyn's dizzy but dazzling single mum becomes Marina Cove, author of the bestselling Mermaid Girls books, everything changes. It's time to leave their tiny flat in Tenby for a proper house in London, and a whole new life. 
 
Pea likes the red front door, and the attic bedroom all to herself. She even likes her hideous new school uniform, in a masochistic Malory Towers sort of way. But there's an empty chair beside her in every lesson, and no one seems to want to fill it. In the absence of volunteers, Pea is going to have to acquire herself a best friend . . . 
 
Meet Pea, the girl with a head full of dreams, in this funny and entertaining story where she decides what she wants to be.

The Secrets of Billie Bright

Family; friendships; and fun, diverse, real-life situations and issues. The brand-new book by Susie Day, for girls growing up in a real, modern world . . . 
 
Billie Bright's family is pretty big for one that's got somebody missing. There's Billie who is a girl Billie and eleven and about to go to secondary school. Then there are her three big brothers and her Dad, who also runs the cafe under their flat. Life's loud but Billie likes it, even without her mum there any more. 
 
But with the new school comes having to make new friends and all kinds of other grown-up things to deal with. And at home it feels like all her brothers are keeping secrets from her. So when she decides to do a project on her mum, she has to do all the research herself and ends up finding out all kinds of things she doesn't expect to .

For the 8-12ish set, in a more contemporary vein, Susie Day's THE SECRETS OF BILLIE BRIGHT is marked out by unforced inclusivity, and Day's ability to tackle complex topics without writing an 'issue' book.

There's something deliciously Judy Blume-esque about Day's style - she perfectly describes the mixed angst and bravado of growing up, and her characters are filled with warmth.

What I love most about Susie Day's books is the casual inclusion. She is an expert at creating fictional worlds that truly and positively represent the diverse world kids live in today. And once again, she has aced it! . . . She is awesome at creating characters that you fall in love with; that are creative and intriguing and flawed and wonderful. She writes with such skill and pace and whips you along on a positive and affirming ride.

Susie writes books that I would have loved to have read as a child . . . Wonderfully diverse and effortlessly entertaining Susie's books are a must for all school libraries, offering an ideal transition for children getting ready to move on to secondary school.

So lovely and diverse and just awesome. Such a wonderful read. Book equivalent of hugs with a cup of tea and rich tea biscuits.

Family; friendships; and fun, diverse, real-life situations and issues. The brand-new book by Susie Day, for girls growing up in a real, modern world . . . 
 
Billie Bright's family is pretty big for one that's got somebody missing. There's Billie who is a girl Billie and eleven and about to go to secondary school. Then there are her three big brothers and her Dad, who also runs the cafe under their flat. Life's loud but Billie likes it, even without her mum there any more. 
 
But with the new school comes having to make new friends and all kinds of other grown-up things to deal with. And at home it feels like all her brothers are keeping secrets from her. So when she decides to do a project on her mum, she has to do all the research herself and ends up finding out all kinds of things she doesn't expect to.

Friendship, familes, fun and secrets in this brand-new story about modern life from Susie Day.

Susie Day grew up in Penarth, Wales, with a lisp and a really unfortunate choice of first name. 
 
She has had lots of jobs, including guiding tourists and professional nappy-changing - but she always wanted to be a writer. Her first book, Whump! in which Bill falls 632 miles down a manhole, won the BBC Talent Children's fiction prize, and was published in 2004. 
 
Susie now lives in Oxford, England, and eats a lot of cake and drinks a lot of tea.

Fun, families and secrets in the latest story in this lovely series. Perfect for girls of 8 and above.

A side-splittingly funny 21st-century take on Enid Blyton's escapist fun

Pea's family are separating for the summer holidays. Big sister, Clover, is off to Drama Camp, Mum is staying at home to finish her new book, and Pea and Tinkerbell are going camping. 
 
But things don't go quite to plan, and Pea finds her summer suddenly filled with Enid Blyton, castles, ghosts and mysteries . . .

Susie Day grew up in Penarth, Wales, with a lisp and a really unfortunate choice of first name. 
 
She has had lots of jobs, including guiding tourists and professional nappy-changing - but she always wanted to be a writer. Her first book, Whump! in which Bill falls 632 miles down a manhole, won the BBC Talent Children's fiction prize, and was published in 2004. 
 
Susie now lives in Oxford, England, and eats a lot of cake and drinks a lot of tea.

It's Pea's birthday, and all the family are gathered around to celebrate. But there's one person missing - her dad. She has never known him, but is the story Mum always told her (the one about Dad being a pirate) really true? What is this mysterious Piratical Father doing now? So begins Pea's quest to track down her dad once and for all . . .

Meet Pea, the girl with a head full of dreams, in this funny and entertaining story where she decides what she wants to be.

A funny and reassuring read, tackling issues very gently

Girls who love a quirky family will enjoy Pea's Book of Best Friends by Susie Day . . . Sweet and funny.

Susie Day grew up in Penarth, Wales, with a lisp and a really unfortunate choice of first name. 
 
She has had lots of jobs, including guiding tourists and professional nappy-changing - but she always wanted to be a writer. Her first book, Whump! in which Bill falls 632 miles down a manhole, won the BBC Talent Children's fiction prize, and was published in 2004. 
 
Susie now lives in Oxford, England, and eats a lot of cake and drinks a lot of tea.

Prepare to meet fiction's newest heroine - Pea! The first in a fresh and funny new series for girls aged 8+

If you love Jacqueline Wilson and Cathy Cassidy, you'll love this gigglesome tale. A story about making friends, quirky families and new schools.

The first in the Pea series is a modern classic in the making, with stunning characters, really engaging prose, and a lovely plot. Massively recommended!

When Pea Llewellyn's dizzy but dazzling single mum becomes Marina Cove, author of the bestselling Mermaid Girls books, everything changes. It's time to leave their tiny flat in Tenby for a proper house in London, and a whole new life. 
 
Pea likes the red front door, and the attic bedroom all to herself. She even likes her hideous new school uniform, in a masochistic Malory Towers sort of way. But there's an empty chair beside her in every lesson, and no one seems to want to fill it. In the absence of volunteers, Pea is going to have to acquire herself a best friend . . .

Susie Day

Robin Boyden

The Team TARDIS Diaries, Volume 2

Something has gone wrong with time, and the Doctor - alongside her friends Yaz, Ryan and Graham - is determined to investigate. The trail leads to a dusty mining town at Hallowe'en - and something scary is lying in wait for them ... 
 
The second in a new series of illustrated adventures for the Thirteenth Doctor, as portrayed by Jodie Whittaker!

Doctor Who: Ghost Town

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19 of the best LGBTQIA+ books for kids

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