New Fiction January - June 2025
Welcome to the Usborne Fiction Guide for January to June 2025
I am thrilled to share with you this incredible line up of Fiction books from Usborne.
In this guide, we invite you to discover hilarious animal antics in Pia’s Pet Club by award-winning author Serena Patel and illustrator Emma McCann; the latest addictive thriller from breakout YA star Ravena Guron, Mondays Are Murder; and meet the world’s worst monster hunter in Grumpfort, a highly illustrated and hugely funny adventure from debut author-illustrator Jamie Hammond.
On the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, we’re also taking readers back to London in the midst of the Blitz in Under a Fire-Red Sky by Carnegie Medal winner Geraldine McCaughrean and Shrapnel Boys by Lollies Award winner Jenny Pearson.
We hope you enjoy the exciting journeys you go on and all the characters you meet along the way in our new stories out in 2025.
Rebecca Hill
Fic on Editorial Director
Younger Fiction
Pia’s Pet Club
Serena Patel, illustrated by Emma McCann
• A fabulous new illustrated series for 7+ readers.
• Perfect for animal-loving kids, join Pia’s Pet Club for animal adventures, brilliant best friends and laugh-out-loud fun!
• From the award-winning author of the Anisha Accidental Detective series (Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Prize, The Week Junior Book Award, and shortlistings for the British Book Awards and the Lollies).
9781805312437
| PB | 7 years+
available in US or Canada
9781805312468
available in US or Canada
Serena Patel is the author of the Anisha, Accidental Detective series which won the Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Award for Fiction. She lives in the West Midlands with her family and believes all children deserve to feel seen in the stories they read and that books are an important tool for empathy. When she’s not writing, Serena enjoys watching movies, reading and eating cake. Chocolate cake preferred.
Izzy the Inventor
Zanna Davidson, illustrated by Elissa Elwick
• A series of laugh-out-loud chapter books that brings together science, magic and a very lovable unicorn.
• Packed full of illustrations and easy-to-read text, this series is perfect for newly independent readers and fans of Isadora Moon and the Kitty books.
• Every book contains ideas for science experiments and a QR code with links for more to try at home.
Billy and the Mini Monsters
Zanna Davidson, illustrated by Melanie Williamson
• Action-packed, big-hearted comedy adventures for newly independent readers aged 5+ and fans of Claude and Horrid Henry.
• Packed full of colour illustrations, comic strips, speech bubbles and easy-to-read text.
• Billy and the Mini Monsters books have been selected three years in a row for the Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge.
9781803705606
£5.99 | PB | 5 years+
Over 850K copies sold!
Zanna writes fiction and non-fiction for Usborne. Her favourite things to write about are small monsters and talking animals. She used to live in London but now lives in a cottage on the edge of some woods. She is only sorry there
or witches in them.
Zanna writes fic on and non-fic on for Usborne. Her
Younger Middle Grade Fiction Grumpfort
Jamie Hammond, author-illustrator
• A monstrously funny illustrated adventure from super-talented debut author-illustrator Jamie Hammond.
• An instantly engaging story about hunting monsters and finding friends in unexpected places, filled with scares, laughs, fights, booby-traps and unforgettable characters.
• Perfect for fans of Loki and Grimwood.
Meet Mo – the world’s worst monster hunter.
Mo never wanted to be a Warden –protecting Bogfoss from terrifying monsters is way too scary. But when he’s beaten up by a goblin, he knows he has to prove himself.
9781835400951
£7.99 | PB | 8 years+
Not available in US or Canada
So he sets out to catch a monster. Instead he stumbles into GRUMPFORT, a secret monster fortress with a very big problem. The fearsome Grumpsnatcher is kidnapping the other monsters – and suddenly Mo’s on a monster-hunt to stop it!
“Grumpfort is brilliant!
Thoroughly charming.”
Louie Stowell, author of
Louie Stowell, author of Loki
As well as wr ng and illustra ng his own books, Jamie Hammond is a designer of many famous children’s books. He grew up in She eld but now lives in Cambridgeshire with his husband and his pug. GRUMPFORT is his first book, which he wrote to celebrate bravery, friendship, being kind and being unique, and to reflect the characters he wished he’d grown up with.
Older Middle Grade Fiction
Alex Neptune, Dragon Champion
David Owen, illustrated by George Ermos
• Alex Neptune is back for his most epic adventure in this fifth and final instalment of the action-packed series – perfect for fans of Percy Jackson and Dragon Realm!
• Filled with friendship, adventure, environmental themes and sea magic.
• The first Alex Neptune adventure was the Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month in August 2022.
Brineblood the pirate is back on the high seas with a dastardly plan – he’s going to steal every drop of sea magic and use it to raise an all-powerful monster from the bottom of the ocean. If Alex, Zoey and Anil can’t stop him, the monster could flood the entire world.
Teaming up with the water dragon, they use a home-made submarine to journey deep into places no human has been before. But they have one crucial problem: Alex has lost his magic. Can he still lead his crew to victory? Or will Haven Bay – and the rest of the world – be lost for good?
9781805316824 £7.99 | PB | 9 years+ Not available in US or Canada
Having worked as a freelance games journalist and taught on a BA Creative Writing course for three years, David Owen’s debut novel, Panther, was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal, and was followed by three further highly acclaimed YA novels. Alex Neptune is his first series for younger readers, born of his love for nail-biting heists, fantastical monsters and heartfelt friendships.
Speedwheels 3000: The Race Against Crime
Jenny Pearson, illustrated by Katie Kear and Nick East
• A non-stop, laugh-out-loud adventure from the queen of storytelling, with an unforgettable cast or characters and bags of heart and humour.
• Jenny Pearson has been shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and was the winner of the Laugh Out Loud Book Award.
Evie Clutterbuck is ready for the adventure of a lifetime!
She’s joining her dad on the Speedwheels 3000 - the most exciting, most famous, most bonkers car race in the whole world, driving through seven countries and competing in challenges in their trusty car, Toots. There are just a few small problems:
• Evie’s not supposed to have snuck into the car boot.
• She and her dad have been accused of stealing £4 million worth of gold.
• Their car is currently dangling off the edge of a cliff. Can Evie solve the mystery of the gold robbery, get the race back on track and connect with her distant dad, so that together they can become the Ultimate Speedwheels Racing Champions?
Jenny Pearson has been awarded six mugs, one fridge magnet, one wall plaque and numerous cards for her role as Best Teacher in the World. When she is not busy being inspirational in the classroom, she would like nothing more than to relax with her two young boys, but she can’t as they view her as a human climbing frame.
Shrapnel Boys
Jenny Pearson
• An explosive new historical novel that illuminates the realities of the Second World War for a new generation, from award-winning author Jenny Pearson.
• A truly child-centred perspective of life at war – encompassing the boredom and excitement as well as the fear in everyday life.
• Publishing to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the end of WW2.
Not available in US or Canada
For Ronnie Smith in 1939, life is full of battles. On the streets, in the sky, at school, at home. When war comes to London, death falls from the sky at night, and he and his friends collect bits of bombs on their way to school in the mornings.
But as war starts to feel normal, his little brother starts acting strangely with new friends and a secret job, and Ronnie worries he’s getting mixed up with some bad people.
Ronnie can’t stop the bombs, but he can try to help his brother by exposing his new gang. But Ronnie isn’t expecting to uncover secrets that could change the fate of the whole war…
“Laughs, adventure, tears, and most importantly... heartJenny is one of the finest storytellers we have.”
Phil Earle, author of When The Sky Falls
Shadowhall Academy: Ghost Story Society
Phil Hickes, illustrated by Keith Robinson
• Ghost stories meet boarding school adventures in this brilliantly spooky new series from the author of Aveline Jones.
• Child-centred, adventure-packed storytelling with unforgettable characters and just the right level of scares.
At the first meeting of the Ghost Story Society, Shadowhall Academy’s newest club, Lilian and her friends are competing to tell each other the most chilling tales. But then a prefect arrives, warning them about a lost spellbook, hidden somewhere within their school, which can make your secrets come to life.
When Lilian finds an old book in the Drama props cupboard filled with the secrets of generations of Shadowhall students, she’s sure it’s the one from the spooky story. Her friends warn her not to mess with dark magic, but Lilian’s never been one to resist an adventure. And when she tells the book her deepest secrets, she can’t imagine the danger it will bring…
9781805314912
£7.99 | PB | 9 years+
Not available in US or Canada
Adia Kelbara and the High Queen’s Curse Isi
Hendrix
• The second book in the addictive and action-packed middle-grade adventure series.
• Featuring an immersive and inclusive fantasy world.
• Perfect for fans of magical school stories like School for Good and Evil and fast-paced fantasy such as Nevermoor.
Adia Kelbara may have defeated a power-hungry god and saved the world, but now she must face something even more terrifying: her first semester as a student at the Academy of Shamans.
As a mysterious affliction starts to spread, Adia must push her magical abilities to the limit and journey to the tomb of the ancient High Queen in search of answers and a cure.
“SPECTACULAR...I absolutely LOVED it.”
Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs
Jennifer Killick
“Genuinely chilling... Kids are going to love it!”
9781803706566
£7.99 | PB | 9 years+
Not available in US or Canada
9781803706559
“Immersive, funny, clever... I couldn’t put it down!”
A.F. Steadman, author of the Skandar series
“A spellbinding story of empowerment and liberation.” Soman Chainani, author of the School for Good and Evil series
Isi Hendrix is a Pitch Wars 2020 mentee and an Avengers of Colour 2020 mentee. She has degrees in anthropology and psychology from USC and has spent many years living in the Amazon and Gabonese rainforests working with shamanic tribes. She is a Black feminist, avid gardener, and, to the horror of her goat meat-loving Nigerian mother, a vegan since kindergarten.
The Spectaculars: Battle of the Stars
Jodie Garnish, illustrated by Nathan Collins
• A gloriously imaginative, breathtaking, middle-grade adventure series, which celebrates creativity in all its forms.
• The thrilling and magical end to the trilogy, which began with Indie bestseller and Book of the Month, The Spectaculars
• A major middle-grade series, set at a magical boarding school with a theatrical twist. Perfect for fans of Nevermoor, The Train to Impossible Places and Carrie Hope Fletcher.
9781801312554
£7.99 |
There’s danger afoot as Harper and Trick begin their third year at the Wondria, their magical travelling theatre school.
But when a fortune teller predicts danger in Harper’s future, Harper is suddenly pulled into a terrifying battle of powerful magic and sinister figures.
With her friends, Harper must uncover who is behind this - because if they can’t, it will be closing night for the whole of the Hidden Peaks...
Always Angel
Kimberly Whittam
• Gutsy, loyal, and outspoken, Angel is an unforgettable protagonist in the same mould as Tracy Beaker and will have readers rooting for her all the way.
• A sensitive, nuanced, and empathetic portrayal of the effect on teens of peer pressure, the foster system, school behavioural policies and parents with mental health issues.
Not available in US or Canada
£7.99
9781803708072
£7.99 | PB | 9 years+
When thirteen-year old Angel’s mum is sectioned, her life is turned upside down. Passed from one set of foster parents to another, with no word from her mum, her behaviour goes from bad to worse at school as she clashes with her teachers and get into fights.
9781801312561
Jodie Garnish is a playwright and performer, usually based in London. She s died Drama at the Univers of East Anglia before going on to train at Drama S dio London. She has had plays produced at various London theatres and at the Edinburgh Fringe Fes val, which were cr cally acclaimed. Her career as a performer, including in shows designed for young people, has allowed her to shape the world of The Spectaculars, as well as giving her good insight into what young people love.
Not available in USA, Canada and the Philippines
9781803708065
£7.99 | PB | 9 years+
Finally, Angel’s headteacher gives her an ultimatum: turn things around or be expelled.
Determined not to be sent away from her friends, Angel tries her best to redeem herself. The student council fundraiser seems the perfect chance to prove she can behave, and she throws herself into preparations, finding a new love of baking along the way.
Recommended on BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, Children’s Summer Book Club
Shortlisted for Children’s Sports Book of the Year
Praise for Quiet Storm:
“I loved the book…will really appeal to children about to start Year 7.” Cressida Cowell, former Waterstones Children’s Laureate
“A captivating story about shyness and strength, reassuring and empowering.” Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs
“A tender 10+ novel about the challenges of shyness in the bold world of school.” The Guardian
Kimberly has a degree in English with Linguis cs and a Masters degree in Inclusive Educa on and Special Educa onal Needs and Disabil es. She currently works in secondary educa on and is passionate about giving young people in Manchester space on the bookshelf.
Geraldine McCaughrean
Teen Fiction Under a Fire-Red Sky
• New from Geraldine McCaughrean, the two-times winner of the Carnegie Medal, comes an explosive historical novel set in London in WWII.
• Publishing to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII in Europe.
Four young people sit in a train carriage waiting to be evacuated. They don’t want to go. One by one, they climb out of the carriage window and return to South London where they try to stay alive.
Franklin is desperate to join the Fire Brigade even though he’s underage.
Gemmy’s discovery in a burned-out house changes the course of her life.
Olive rescues an injured German pilot and tries to take care of him.
Lawrence is secretly building an aircraft which will determine his fate.
Can the four survive as the bombs dropping on London turn the sky fire-red?
9781836040774
£8.99 | PB | 12 years+
Not available in US or Canada
“McCaughrean writes extraordinary books.” The Sunday Times
Geraldine McCaughrean is one of today’s most successful and highly regarded children’s authors. She has won the CILIP Carnegie Medal twice: first in 1988 with A Pack of Lies and again in 2018 with Where the World Ends. She’s won the IBW Book Award 2018, the Whitbread Children’s Book Award three times, the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, the Smarties Bronze Award four times, the prestigious U.S. Printz Award and the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award. Geraldine lives in Berkshire with her husband John and the lingering shades of all those characters she has invented in her books.
I Dare You
Tamsin Winter
• New from Tamsin Winter, the award-winning Queen of Teen, inspired by dangerous real-life TikTok trends.
• An unforgettable story about friendship tested to its limits, the pursuit of online fame that goes horribly wrong, and the importance of owning up to our mistakes.
• Perfect for fans of Holly Smale’s Geek Girl and Jacqueline Wilson.
9781805075721
£7.99 |
Not available in US or Canada
Willow and Alma are BFFs, sharing a love of the spotlight. All they want is fame and fortune, and Willow is determined that the best way to get it is to go viral on TikTok. So they start filming dares.
As their challenges get more extreme, their fan base grows. Duct-taping themselves to a wall? No-brainer. Eating super-hot chillis? Of course! Waxing an eyebrow off? Super funny!
But if they really want to prove themselves, they have to go all-out. So they come up with the perfect idea. An idea that might destroy not just their ambitions but their entire friendship for good.
Young Adult Fiction
“Brave, honest, and heart-breakingly funny.”
Ben Miller
“Loved it...so uplifting and empowering - so, so good.”
Cathy Cassidy
Tamsin Winter grew up in a tiny village in Northamptonshire where there was nothing to do. She spent her childhood reading books and writing stories, mostly about cats. She has a degree in English literature and creative writing, and has been teaching, travelling the world and daydreaming for most of her adult life. She currently lives in Leicestershire with her son.
Mondays Are Murder
Ravena Guron
• Slick, highly commercial and expertly plotted, perfect for fans of Karen M. McManus and Holly Jackson.
• From the bestselling author of This Book Kills comes a deadly new YA thriller of murder, mystery, and mind-blowing twists.
• This Book Kills was the bestselling YA debut thriller of 2023.
Seventeen-year-old Kay left her sleepy hometown after the devastating death of her friend, Ivy. But when her parents go on holiday without her, Kay is forced to come back to stay with her cousin. And her return comes with a bang. Because when Kay arrives, it’s to find an anonymous letter on her bed.
The letter tells her that there will be a thrill on Tuesday, a wreckage on Wednesday, treachery on Thursday, a fire on Friday, sabotage on Saturday, a stabbing on Sunday, and… …her murder on Monday.
If Kay can’t figure out who is behind the threats, the worst day of the week is about to get deadly.
9781805075707
£8.99 | PB | 12 years+ Not available in US or Canada
“A crisp, Christie-esque detective story told in lively multiple voices, perfect for Holly Jackson fans.” The Guardian
A born and bred Londoner, Ravena writes MG and YA, usually featuring anti-heroines or snarky narrators. Growing up she always read the last page of books first, but discovering Agatha Christie in her early teens stopped that habit, igniting a love of twisty murder-mysteries with jaw-dropping endings the reader never saw coming. Ravena is a lawyer with a degree in biochemistry and hopes to use the knowledge gained from her experiences to plot the perfect murder (for a book, of course!).
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