A hair-raising gameworld adventure, a dystopian thriller set in Edinburgh and a magical tale involving book jumping are among this month’s highlights

A teen romance centred on Eid, an exploration of toxic masculinity and a thriller from the queen of YA crime are among this month’s highlights

Lauren Child brings a light touch to big issues, Elle McNicoll explores autism – and a secret society is at work in Paris’s sewers

Bashful cats and lonely ponies stalk the pages of this month’s choices

First crushes, Rachel Greenlaw’s YA debut and the story of an improbable affair will make your heart beat faster this month

Time travel lessons, secret underwater schools and careers in demon hunting feature among this month’s selection

Michael Rosen returns with an adventurous French hound, while BBC sport presenter Damian Johnson offers inspiring football stories. Plus, a lion comes to tea and stays

Slapstick murders, a deadly competition between thieves and the very different fortunes of three Victorian-era girls are among this month’s highlights

TV presenter Alice Roberts explores the world of ice age hunter-gatherers, Katherine Rundell brings fantastic beasts to life and Simon Packham tackles classroom anxiety with a thumping plot twist

Rose Tremain and JJ Bola become the latest novelists to turn their hands to writing for young children with tales about a magical metal bird and a boy overcoming his anger

Insects and entomologists inspire two creepy-crawly tales, and a polar bear gets lost in the big smoke

Blockbuster authors Cressida Cowell and Robin Stevens introduce new series, while SF Said returns with a tremendous counterfactual thriller

A magical zebra, fat cats in lockdown and a bus-riding chipmunk star in this month’s round-up

A journey into space and some serious monkey business portray bedtime in a whole new light, while a tiny dot gives a kindly lesson in understanding emotions

Norse gods get a fresh incarnation from Louie Stowell and the multiverse offers up a moral dilemma in Ross Welford’s latest

A twist on counting, a mysterious glass marble and a subway train journey through Seoul inspire ways of looking at the world

Fiona Noble looks back on the year and, below, our critics pick their favourites in each age group

Two outsiders unite to tackle second world war wrongs, and can Ben Okri’s young heroine save her mother?

This month’s best illustrated stories, including a fiendish feline, a haunted house and a boy who finds a polar bear

The latest instalment of a dystopian saga thrills and Stormzy’s #Merky imprint champions national and unsung stars