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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Children’s
by James Lovegrove
The Line They Drew Through Us by Hiba Noor Khan (Andersen Press)
The partition of India in 1947 shatters the lives of three friends — Jahan, Ravi and Lakshmi — all born on the same day 12 years earlier. Khan eloquently conjures up the sights, sounds and smells of her book’s period setting while showing how comradeship can transcend the ravages of religion and politics.
The Mystery of the Thinking Rabbit by Clarice Lispector, translated by Benjamin Moser (NYRB Kids)
Brazilian author Lispector (1920-77) wrote this picture book to amuse her rabbit-loving son. Originally published in 1967, and newly translated into English by Moser, with illustrations by Kammal João, its tale of a pet rabbit who keeps escaping captivity in order to discover the world is wry, elusive and utterly charming.
Wildlands by Brogen Murphy (Puffin)
A quarter of a century from now, a large swath of Britain has been extensively rewilded, complete with predators such as wolves and lynx. Stranded in this hazardous nature reserve are two sisters, Astrid and Indie. Their struggle to survive and learn how to co-operate makes for a vivid, memorable eco-adventure.
My Dog by Olivia Wakeford (HarperCollins)
After young Rhys’s mother dies, he moves in with his estranged father. Accompanying him is his black Labrador, Worthington, whose existence he must keep secret. To say any more about the plot would be to ruin the surprises in a novel that explores the subject of grief with marvellous sensitivity.
Please Don’t Read the Footnotes Please by Rob Walton (The Emma Press)
The micro-stories in this collection, none of them more than a few pages long, are festooned with footnotes commenting on the action and the language used. Walton puts a comic spin on everyday events while he bombards the reader with jokes, observations and other fourth-wall-breaking antics. Irrepressibly silly fun.
Summer Books 2025
All this week, FT writers and critics share their favourites. Some highlights are:
Monday: Business by Andrew Hill
Tuesday: Environment by Pilita Clark
Wednesday: Economics by Martin Wolf
Thursday: Fiction by Maria Crawford
Friday: Politics by Gideon Rachman
Saturday: Critics’ picks
Young Adult
by Suzi Feay
Children of the Night by M A Bennett (Welbeck)
A sequel to the Frankenstein-themed Young Gothic, here the four teenage creatives are invited to Bran Castle, home of Dracula, by Necker, their previous undead host, who seems intent on re-enacting Stoker’s novel. Since the quartet’s supernatural abilities can be seen as symbolising neurodivergence, Bennett gives the classics a modern twist.
Not That Kind of Hero by Alexia Casale (Faber)
Orla is naturally self-effacing, happy to help her single mum and to defer to her ambitious step-sibling Roks. Cajoled into joining a prestigious acting course, she’s still unwilling to take centre stage, until a fellow student inspires her. But the soul-baring required in class risks revealing family secrets she’s sworn to conceal.
Let the Light In by Jenny Downham and Louis Hill (David Fickling Books)
Since their dad’s death and their mum’s collapse, siblings Leah and Charlie are floundering. Charlie, a gifted artist, becomes ensnared in a gang, while Leah is dating a troubled married man. A collaboration between prizewinning author Downham and her son, the novel alternates male and female voices to terrific effect.
Under a Fire-Red Sky by Geraldine McCaughrean (Usborne)
At the outbreak of the second world war, four teenagers opt to stay in Greenwich rather than be evacuated, a decision that puts “The Meridians”, as they dub themselves, in the path of German bombers. McCaughrean spares no detail of the horrors of the Blitz in a stunning tale inspired by the wartime experiences of her firefighter father.
Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel (Guppy Books)
Dragged on a weekend trip by his father and pregnant stepmother, resentful Xavier wakes up in a facsimile cottage in a changed landscape. The Oak family cope well in their dome-enclosed Eden, until others arrive with very different values. Racism, divisive politics, conspiracy theories and the environment all feature in a spellbinding and chilling fable.
Tell us what you think
Will you be taking any of these books on your summer holiday this year? Which ones? And what titles have we missed? Let us know in the comments below
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