A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

When Charles Wallace Murry goes searching through a 'wrinkle in time' for his lost father, he finds himself on an evil planet where all life is enslaved by a huge pulsating brain known as 'It'. Overseen by a mysterious trio of guardian angels, Charles, his sister Meg and friend Calvin must find and free his father.

Themes: fantasy, family, science fiction, other worlds, classic

Perry’s 5 by Gareth P. Jones

It's the scam of the century – well, the school year. Five kids, one exam paper, and one crazy plan. Will Perry be able to pull off his scheme to steal the GCSE maths paper? Or will it all be ruined by the sadistic games teacher with a grudge?

Themes: GCSEs, exams, heist, friendship, quick read

The Phantom X by Kjartan Poskitt

Pit your wits against Professor Fiendish in the Foul Formula Challenge! Chainsaw Charlie and his gruesome gang discover that even the simplest maths can be murderous. But look no further: The Phantom is here to banish algebraic agony - for good!

Themes: non-fiction, algebra, humour

Pit your wits against Professor Fiendish in the Foul Formula Challenge! Chainsaw Charlie and his gruesome gang discover that even the simplest maths can be murderous. But look no further: The Phantom is here to banish algebraic agony - for good!

Themes: non-fiction, algebra, humour

Boy 87 by Ele Fountain

Shif is just an ordinary boy who likes chess, maths and racing his

best friend home from school. But one day, soldiers with guns

come to his door - and he knows that he is no longer safe. Shif is

forced to leave his mother and little sister, and embark on a

dangerous journey.

Themes: refugees, family, survival, empathy

Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths by Maisie Chan

Danny Chung loves drawing more than anything - certainly more than maths, which, according to his dad and everyone else, is what he is 'supposed' to be good at. His life is turned upside down when a surprise that he's been promised turns out to be his little, wrinkly, ex-maths-champion grandmother from China.

Themes: school, family, Chinese culture, creativity

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Milo’s extraordinary voyage takes him into such places as the Land of Expectation, the Doldrums, the Mountains of Ignorance and the Castle in the Air. He meets the weirdest and most unexpected characters (such as Tock, the watchdog, the Gelatinous Giant, and the Threadbare Excuse).

Themes: fantasy, classic, adventure, science fiction

The Fiendish Angletron by Kjartan Poskitt

For readers traumatised by triangles and anxious about angles, the Fiendish Angletron unveils the tools to solve even the most testing of trigonomogeometric tasks. Here to help are some strangely familiar superheroes Supersin, Cosgirl and Tandog.

Themes: non-fiction, angles, trigonometry, humour

Test Trouble by Serena Patel

Arun hates tests, so when his teacher sets a timed maths test for the following week, it's all he can think about. He's beside himself with nerves and does everything he can to get out of it. He stages a protest, considers cheating, and even pretends that he's ill, but as the test looms, Arun spirals into a panic...

Themes: maths, tests, anxiety, quick read, humour

Arun hates tests, so when his teacher sets a timed maths test for the following week, it's all he can think about. He's beside himself with nerves and does everything he can to get out of it. He stages a protest, considers cheating, and even pretends that he's ill, but as the test looms, Arun spirals into a panic...

Themes: maths, tests, anxiety, quick read, humour

The Truth Detective by Tim Harford

The world is often full of bamboozling headlines and numbers that don't add up. And in a world of rising living costs, climate change, fake news and dodgy data, it's hard to get your head round it all. But don't panic. Within these pages you will transform into a Truth Detective.

Themes: non-fiction, data, information literacy, statistics

The Talent Thief by Alex Williams

Wealthy orphans Adam and Cressida Bloom couldn't be less alike. Cressida is invited to perform at Fortescue's festival of young talents and Adam tags along. But once the children arrive at the festival, in a mountain-top hotel, their terrific talents begin to mysteriously disappear.

Themes: family, adventure, mystery, friendship