Bookmark 02/2023

Stories for Young and Old
These books are bound to take you back to the stories
that grew us into readers.
Text von Christine Modafferi
‘Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.’
This brilliant quote by C. S. Lewis reminds us of the power of children’s
books, and why kids and adults alike should never shy away
from reading a good book, no matter the age range it is intended
for. So in honour of falling in love with the beauty of a good story,
let us take a look at some of the best children’s releases, starting at
the beginning with a little one’s first introduction to stories: picture
books, continuing with middle grade and last but not least, YA
recommendations. Whether you are gifting this to a special child in
your life or nurturing and healing your inner child, these books are
bound to take you back to the stories that grew us into readers.
Aged 4 and up
Friendship, dreams and working together
to create change make for the perfect
picture book.
On a similar note, a strong message of hope
is weaved into the words and illustrations
of Something, Someday. Written by presidential
inaugural poet Amanda Gorman
and illustrated by award-winning illustrator
Christian Robinson, this beautiful book
is about how, however small we may feel in
this messy, complicated world, together we
can make a BIG difference. It is also about
the importance of finding true friendship
and the beauty of hoping, dreaming and
fighting together for change. Who ever said
children’s books cannot change the world?
4+
Something, Someday
Amanda Gorman, Christian
Robinson (illustrator),
Penguin Books UK,
CHF 23.90
4+
What You Need
to Be Warm
Neil Gaiman,
HarperCollins Publishers US,
CHF 23.90
Release Date: 31 October
2023
Aged 8 and up
A brand-new read from the middle-grade
master.
Moving down to books for readers aged
8+, also called middle grade books, we are
starting strong with an author who many
of our readers might recognise from when
they first fell in love with books: Patricia C.
Wrede, author of the bestselling Enchanted
Forest Chronicles series. In her latest release,
The Dark Lord’s Daughter, Kayla, an
ordinary girl, discovers she is actually the
daughter of a dark lord, and gets whisked
off to a fantasy world, along with her adoptive
mother and brother. In complete Patricia
C. Wrede style, Kayla will have to battle
her new society’s expectations surrounding
what a Dark Lady should do, and she has
her own thoughts about how to manage her
new status...
A gorgeous picture book with a strong
message about helping those in need.
And finally, the picture books. Perfect
bedtime stories to read aloud, you are in
for a treat with our last two children’s
recommendations. We often think of Neil
Gaiman as the master of fantasy, but the
prolific UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador’s
pen lends itself to an important cause in this
32-page picture book: helping those who
need a home. With a strong core message
around the ideas of warmth and community,
as well as beautiful illustrations
throughout by some of the biggest names
in publishing, from Chris Riddell and
Benji Davies to Yuliya Gwilym and Nadine
Kaadan, this is the perfect book to set on a
coffee table or to keep you and your little
ones warm at bedtime.
The Dark Lord’s Daughter
Patricia C. Wrede,
Random House US,
CHF 14.90
8+
Illustration from the Book Megamonster
A knee-slappingly funny illustrated
book for reluctant readers.
If you are looking for a fail-safe book that
children aged 8+ will love, Megamonster by
multi-million bestselling author David Walliams
will do the trick. Set in an imaginary
school called The Cruel School, which is
found on an island surrounded by sharks,
welcome to a world where school dinners
are vomit-inducing, lessons include Gabber
language classes and the teachers are truly
horrific! Larker is not at all happy when she
is sent to this strange school, and one teacher
in particular is very suspicious... With
black-and-white illustrations by Tony Ross
throughout, the book makes for a hilarious
read that will win over even reluctant
readers!
8+
Fireborn (2) – Phoenix
and the Frost Palace
Aisling Fowler,
HarperCollins Publishers UK,
CHF 16.90
9+
Megamonster
David Walliams,
HarperCollins Publishers UK,
CHF 16.90
A fantasy adventure for readers who
love imaginative world-building.
Continuing our round-up with another
fantastic fantasy read for middle graders,
let us introduce you to the second book in
the bestselling fantasy series Fireborn by
Aisling Fowler. Featuring journeys to new
lands, an entire witch-clan, a strange darkness,
and a terrible enemy, this is a true fantasy
adventure story, brimming with new
worlds and imaginative world-building.
Join Twelve, who now has the new name
Phoenix, as she uses her powers of fire to
answer a plea for help.
Aged 14 and up
14+
The Scarlet Veil
Shelby Mahurin,
HarperCollins
Publishers UK,
CHF 21.90
High stakes and fast-paced, for readers
looking for a story with edge.
On the topic of morally grey characters
... meet some characters who are especially
good at stealing. However, with
thieving comes serious danger and seventeen-year-old
Ross Quest’s mother has been
kidnapped as a consequence of the life she
and her family lead. Therefore, Ross enters
a competition for thieves. The grand prize?
A granted wish. And her wish is to find her
mother, no matter what it takes. High-octane
and full of twists, turns, betrayal,
action, and suspense, Thieves’ Gambit by
Kayvion Lewis is one of the most highly
anticipated titles of the year.
14+
One of Us Is Back
Karen M. McManus,
Delacorte Press, CHF 16.90
Romantacy and vampires, perfect for
fans of Sarah J Maas.
For YA and romantasy lovers, Shelby Mahurin's
The Scarlet Veil is the first book in a
new duology set in the much-loved Serpent
& Dove world, centring on character Célie,
who has taken on the role of huntress, vowing
to protect the land of Belterra. If the fact
that Sarah J. Maas said this book kept her
‘reading long into the night’ is not enough
for you to pick up this book, let us convince
you to read this by promising: vampires,
a slow-burn romance with a morally grey
love interest, and a murder mystery. This is
the perfect read whether you love fantasy
novels with a gothic atmosphere or are simply
in the mood for vampire nostalgia.
14+
Thieves’ Gambit
Kayvion Lewis,
Simon & Schuster UK,
CHF 18.90
The concluding instalment in the
best-selling series.
To conclude our YA recommendations, we
thought we would end with a bang. And
what could be more of a banger than the
very last book in the One of Us Is... trilogy?
We are back at Bayview High, where its
students just cannot seem to get a break and
secrets hide in every crack of the school
building. This time, one of the Bayview
crew members goes missing and a new
deadly game is in play. The crew will have
to figure out who is behind it this time, so
they can finally end this story once and for
all.
22 Bookmark Magazine Children and young people
Bookmark Magazine
Children and young people
23