Must Read Kids Books for September 2025

The PERFECT book for baby’s first Birthday!

Share in the delight of baby’s very first birthday in this gorgeous board book from bestselling creator Cheryl Orsini. From making the first birthday wish to playing in the sea and blowing bubbles, Baby’s First Birthday is effused with Cheryl’s trademark colourful and soft illustrations. Packaged as a hard-wearing board book so perfect for little hands aged 0 to 2.

Step through the wardrobe and learn your numbers from one to ten in this counting adventure based on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe!

This bright and engaging board book introduces young readers to all the magic of C. S. Lewis’s world of Narnia.

Relive the enchanting story of when ordinary girl Sophia Mendoza first meets her magical unicorn, Wildstar, in this brand-new storybook!

Join Sophia on the most magical adventure of a lifetime as she first arrives on Unicorn Island to become a Unicorn Rider and bonds with her very own unicorn. But with the evil Queen Ravenzella back on the island, will Sophia and Wildstar’s bond be strong enough to stop her destroying everything they love?

Packed with beautiful pictures from the hit Netflix show on every page, this is the perfect book for the youngest fans of Unicorn Academy to enjoy Sophia and Wildstar’s story again and again.

Based on the original New York Times bestselling chapter book series by Julie Sykes and Linda Chapman and illustrated by Lucy Truman.

Bobs the puppy LOVES adventuring in the hillside until, one day . . . he gets a painful thorn stuck in his paw!

Luckily, a tiny pixie comes to his rescue, only to leave as quickly as she came. Life goes on and seasons change, but when Pixie needs help, will Bobs be there for her too?

From one of the world’s best-loved storytellers, comes this cosy and heartfelt tale about the big friendships that grow from the smallest acts of kindness.

Wikus besluit om ʼn dagboek te hou vir een belangrike rede: Sy nuutste wetenskaplike eksperiment het, soos al die ander, verskriklik, verskriklik verkeerd geloop. As hy alles begin neerskryf, gaan hy dalk ʼn patroon sien en uitvind wat dit is wat al sy baie belowende eksperimente altyd so skeef laat loop! Eksperiment 24601 het byvoorbeeld begin soos al die ander: met ʼn uitsonderlik-briljante-begaafde-blink idee. Maar die meganiese draak wat hy as troeteldier maak, breek los by die kerkbasaar se pannekoektafel en veroorsaak chaos. Dan maak hy en sy vriendin Violet superhelium en word onverwags deel van ’n lugballonresies. Op sy ouma se tagtigste verjaardagpartytjie besluit Wikus om DIE GROOT PLAN™ in werking te stel. Maar sy vraatformule beland in die verkeerde hande en lei tot pandemonium. Uiteindelik is Wikus die vark in die verhaal, maar daar is darem ’n gelukkige einde. Tot sy volgende eksperiment . . .

Calling all fans of the Harry Potter stories! The POCKET POTTERS are the must-have guides to all of your favourite characters from the wizarding world.

How old was Harry when he first started at Hogwarts? Who gave him the Marauder’s Map, and how big is a Golden Snitch?

Find out all this and much more about Harry Potter! Peek at Harry in his spidery cupboard under the stairs, find out what he buys in Diagon Alley and explore the Gryffindor dormitory. Get set for dragon encounters, Quidditch thrills, secret passwords and a wand from Ollivanders .

Joyfully illustrated, boisterously brilliant, the POCKET POTTERS are collectable, must-have mini-guides to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter stories. Whether you are just starting your reading journey with Harry, or you already know your Nimbus Two Thousand from your Firebolt, each of the POCKET POTTERS is perfect for sharing together or reading alone.

There’s magic and mischief waiting inside! Which of the POCKET POTTERS is your favourite?

The second book in the acclaimed series is now in paperback! From the creators of the Schneider Award-winning books A Friend for Henry and Henry, Like Always, this delightful beginning chapter book about embracing new experiences stars a sweet and sensitive child on the autism spectrum.

It’s Field Trip Day! Henry’s class is excited to visit the museum, but Henry is not so sure. The museum means maybe seeing dinosaurs, Henry’s favorite. But it also means a lot of things that are new: a noisy school bus ride, a building full of echoes and hallways, and plenty of chances to get lost! Will he find something that makes all of this new worth the trip? Come along with Henry in this funny, bighearted tale about trying new things, exploring new places, and finding the courage to make yourself heard.

Imaginative, magical, wildly funny, and with a truly unique world, The Spick and the Span is an extraordinary, exciting fantasy middle grade adventure – perfect for fans of Jessica Townsend’s Nevermoor, Jonathan Stroud’s Lockwood and Co, Diana Wynne Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle, and Terry Pratchett’s Discworld.

Thanks to many generations of careless magicians, the city of Helm is overflowing with magic, which has made it a very dangerous place to live. Leave anything alone for too long and it will transform into something else: your house will turn to gingerbread, your teapot will start pouring pond water or – if you’re really unlucky – your floor will turn to lava.

The magicians liked to pretend it’s them who keep the worst magical hiccups in check, but the real heroes of the whole sorry situation are of a wholly different occupation: equally well known but decidedly less respected.

The heroes of the city of Helm are the cleaners.

Ward, an ambitious twelve-year-old cleaner, wants nothing more than to belong to the League of Cleaners, who will grant him the prestige and popularity he’s been looking for all his life – if only he can pass three near-impossible tests. Struggling toward this goal with a team he doesn’t trust, Ward’s world is upended when his friend disappears and mysterious magic-eating monsters appear all over the city and start tearing holes in the fabric of reality. Suddenly his ambitions are the least of his problems…

Hugely funny and exciting, and with an incredibly imaginative, original story, The Spick and the Span is the unmissable fantasy middle grade debut of 2025 – you’ll never look at magic the same way again…

BLOODTHIRSTY UNICORNS. UNLIKELY HEROES. A MORTAL ENEMY.

Don’t miss this epic final adventure in the number 1 bestselling SKANDAR series, for fans of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Eragon and Impossible Creatures. 

Skandar is in hiding after the Chaos Cup where Rex Manning revealed a game-changing secret. But as Rex prepares to invade the Mainland, the Islanders are not sure who to trust.

With one of Skandar’s closest friends now fighting for the enemy, Skandar must build new alliances – including an uneasy truce with Kenna. To defeat Rex, Skandar and his friends will need to look back to the origins of the Island, and harness the full power of their elemental magic.

Can Skandar become the leader he needs to be – to save the Mainland and the heart of the Island itself?

Get ready for unlikely heroes, elemental magic, sky battles, ancient secrets and ferocious unicorns in this highly anticipated adventure that will keep you reading after lights out!

A grieving family. A decaying house. A babysitter with a monstrous secret. Nothing on Gloam Island is quite what it seems…

Gwen doesn’t need anyone to help her look after her younger siblings. And she isn’t fooled by the beautiful babysitter with the hungry eyes and sharp teeth. But everyone else is. So if Gwen wants Esme Laverne gone, she’ll have to handle it herself.

As Esme’s power grows, Gwen must embrace her deepest fears before she can defeat the monster in her home for good.

Because as everyone knows, it’s impossible to be brave unless you’re already afraid.

Moedverloor word deur ’n verskriklike droogte geteister. Die dorp is verlate – behalwe vir Koot Marais, die apteker, en sy gesin. Maar in die vyfde jaar van die droogte beland Katisja op hulle voorstoep – gewapen met slegs haar rooi sambreel en onmoontlike oplossings vir allerhande onmoontlike probleme. Met oom Koot se botteltjies kruie kry sy Dysie die koei om liters melk per dag te gee, Christoffel die hen om eiers te lê en Petronella die haan om vrolik te kraai. Sy grawe uintjies uit en maak wonderlike disse. Sy brou ook honderd-drie-en-twintig bottels gemmerbier. En wat volg, is suiwer maltrap-avontuur, van Moedverloor tot anderkant die Berg van Beloftes: met ontploffende drankies, singende Agtertrekkers, tweeling-fortuinvertellers, geheimsinnige wakiste, verlore kinders, en ’n skouspelagtige lugontsnapping in ʼn sigeuner-karavaan!

Heloise begin graad elf by Presidentpark, waar sy weer met laerskoolvriende Jermaine en Robin kontak maak. Daar ontmoet sy AB, die skool se “bad boy”, wat ook in haar kunsklas is. Wanneer hulle kunsonderwyser skielik bedank, stel AB vir Heloise voor aan sy ouma, die bekende beeldhouer Heike Leibig. Heloise ontdek dat AB vernoem is na Abelard van die middeleeuse liefdesverhaal Heloise en Abelard. Heike daag Heloise uit om haar idee van kuns te heroorweeg en vertel haar van die einste Heloise, Heike se middeleeuse heldin, wat saam met haar geliefde Abelard in Parys se oudste begraafplaas lê. Toeval? “Kuns is stories. Snot en trane, liefde en lag, lig en skadu. Kuns en die lewe kan mens nie van mekaar losmaak nie,” vertel Heike daardie eerste middag vir Heloise.  Intussen kom die skool se debutantebal nader. Jermaine oortuig Heloise om deel te neem aan die groot onthulling wat hy beplan. Die verhaal verweef temas van aanvaarding, oorgawe en die kuns van die lewe en liefde.

From the No. 1 international bestselling author of Powerless, comes a beautiful and heart-wrenching story set in the Kingdom of Ilya. 
 
Mara never intended to set foot in Ilya again. But when the king makes a life-altering decision, her interest is piqued, and Death is determined to understand Kitt Azer’s mind if he is destined to join her in the Mors.
 
Spending time with the king while observing the castle’s inhabitants reminds Mara that there is more to life than just death. There is love. But even the purest of intentions spur revenge and the pursuit of power. And fate will have its way with all of them – to live, to rule, to love and, most certainly, to die…

Sink your teeth into this thrilling Black vampire romantasy!

Hidden in our world, a society of vampires originating in Africa, can only feed from select human bloodlines. Each bloodline represents a House more cutthroat than the next. To ensure peaceful co-existence and inherit their legacy, human children of these families must study at an elite university before choosing a vampire companion.

Lost Heiress, Kidan Adane grew up far from Uxlay University. She is obsessively protective, mildly nihilistic, and willing to do anything to save her loved ones. When her sister, June, disappears, Kidan is convinced a vampire stole her – the alluring yet dangerous Susenyos Sagad, the same vampire bound to her own House.

To stay in Uxlay, Kidan must study an arcane philosophy, work with four enigmatic students, and survive living with Susenyos – even as he does everything to drive her away. It doesn’t matter that Susenyos’ violence speaks to her own and tempts Kidan to surrender to a life of darkness. She must find her sister and kill him at all costs.

When a murder mirroring June’s disappearance shakes Uxlay, Kidan sinks further into the ruthless underworld of vampires, risking her very soul. Here, she discovers a centuries-old threat. And June could be at the very centre of it.

The Cruel Prince meets Ninth House in this dangerously romantic dark academia debut, where a lost heiress must infiltrate a secret society and live with the vampire she suspects kidnapped her sister.