Browns Best New Books for April 2024
2nd April 2024
Every month we carefully select our favourites from the fabulous new titles on offer. It’s April! Spring is well and truly here (we hope!), the clocks have sprung forward and we are all (again, hopefully) enjoying a bit more sun. April, of course, also has some fantastic new books published so grab some chocolate eggs (if you have any left!) and take inspiration from our picks for this month.
Check back next month for our picks of the new books May has to offer.
Adult Non-Fiction
Reading Lessons
Atherton, Carol
Hardback
Many of us will have clear (and maybe polarising!) memories of some of the books we looked at during English lessons at school. I still retain a deep affection for some of the books I studied (Shakespeare’s Othello stands out) and shudder slightly when thinking about others (the works of Chaucer in particular!).
Often, the same books, poems and plays are studied year-after-year in schools with reading lists and texts for exam syllabus sometimes remaining unchanged for long periods. Whilst the books may not change, the significance and relevance can be different for each new class as students discover these texts for the first time. English teacher and department head Carol Atherton invites us to look at some of these familiar texts and think about how they have shaped our beliefs and values as well as considering the many ways that literature can improve our lives. A wonderful and warm look at some of our most studied texts and a reflection on teaching and the huge importance of literature. Perfect for anyone who has ever taught or been taught English Literature and a vital look at the importance of the subject.
More DetailsAdult Fiction
Close to Home
Magee, Michael
Paperback / softback
After completing his degree in English Literature Sean has returned to Belfast to find that jobs are few and far between and his friends are still wanting to party hard; one night Sean makes a mistake and finds himself on trial for assault. Close to Home examines how Sean comes to terms with what he has done and examines how he navigates the structures of his life and past, exploring themes of class, family and expectation.
Now in paperback, this is a beautifully written and moving account of Belfast after The Troubles, poverty, generational trauma and masculinity. Compared by readers to both Booker Prize winning Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart and Louise Kennedy’s brilliant Trespasses (Winner of The British Book Awards Debut prize), Close to Home has been nominated for many awards, including The Young Writer of the Year and The Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize, and won The Nero Book Award for Debut Fiction. This is a wonderfully written, moving and confident debut from an author who we can’t wait to read again.
More DetailsChildren’s Non-Fiction
Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales
Cawthorne, Catherine
Paperback / softback
We all love fairy stories but they can leave us with some big questions – Would a princess really be able to feel a pea under all those mattresses? Could a wolf actually blow down a house made of straw? How would you build a gingerbread house big enough to live in? Personally, I have always wondered why nobody else in the kingdom had the same size feet as Cinderella – would she really have been the only person who could wear the missing shoe?
The Big Bad Wolf is on a mission to debunk some of the myths in fairy tales using science (and clear his name in the process!). This hilarious and brilliant book cleverly combines STEM topics with some of the favourite fairy tales that we all know and love. With lots of super-cool science facts throughout as well as fantastic and funny illustrations this is a great book for KS1 and all curious kids. A brilliant new look at science using familiar stories that will have you thinking about these tales in a whole new way – I mean, can you really dance the night away in shoes made of glass?!
Children’s Fiction
The Letter with the Golden Stamp
Rauf, Onjali Q.
Paperback / softback
10-year-old Audrey has a secret. Nobody, not her friends, teachers or even her neighbours know that Audrey is a carer, not only her younger siblings but for her disabled mum as well. Audrey is a nurse and doctor for mam, the family food-shopper, medicine collector and story-reader as well as being an amazing actress who hides all this from those around her. When Mam gets even sicker, Audrey decides it’s time to take action to prevent the family being separated. A gripping, fraught and sometimes hilarious adventure that features a journey from Wales to London, a new neighbour behaving suspiciously and an important role for the postal service.
Onjali Q Rauf’s books always tackle some of the difficult issues that face children today in a warm, witty and thought-provoking way. The Boy At The Back of the Class won multiple awards and continues to be a firm favourite with readers of all ages; in this latest book Onjali Q. Rauf deals with the subject of young carers whose struggles may often go unnoticed by those around them. The Letter With The Golden Stamp is told with trademark sensitivity and humour with wonderfully drawn characters and hope at the centre. Another wonderful book from a hugely gifted author who deserves her place on every Primary school shelf.
More Details