DOGS AND BEARS by Max Porter Illustrated by Dorothée de Monfreid (Faber £7.99, 32pp)

This first children’s title from award-winning Porter is a brilliant blend of moral message, surreal humour and wildly funny illustrations.

The narrator hates ‘brawling’ but loves saying the word out loud, immediately encouraging children to join in.

The brawling arises from constant fights between groups of dogs and bears (bears hate the way dogs dress and cook) until, during one bust-up, tons of squid, sucked up by a storm, fall from the sky.

When the animals band together to return them to the sea, they discover the joy of harmony (well, they still enjoy a bit of rough and tumble). Who is the narrator? Wait until the last page . . . Witty and wise. Age 3+

INTO THIN AIR by S. E. Durrant (Nosy Crow £7.99, 256pp)

Eleven-year-old Luna is a maths genius who wants to become an astronaut while her skateboarding sister, Jade, is more outgoing and popular.

When their science-loving father disappears, Luna is convinced he’ll return to watch the International Space Station pass their house in ten days’ time but confesses her doubts to her only friend, Casey.

When threatening men turn up at the house and it’s obvious that Dad isn’t ‘visiting Nan’, as their mother claims, the children pool their skills to find him.

With a realistic background of financial insecurity and latchkey kids, this is a gripping mystery and a story of emotional resilience. 8+

TRAITORS’ NEST by Frances Hardinge (First Ink £16.99, 448pp)

Hardinge’s skill is blending mythology and magic with authentic historical detail and this complex medieval adventure also explores power and who wields it. In another world, unnamed players move castles around the land like chess pieces but wherever they land, the local villagers must serve them.

When 15-year-old Burr’s family suffers a tragedy because of a new overlord, he rebels but then the castle is moved with him and his sisters inside.

Who is the mysterious heiress and what is the significance of the Magpie Maiden? Can they harness the Great Game for good? It’s absorbing, thought- provoking and full of twists that will keep fans gripped. 14+