The Way Back Home · Oliver Jeffers

Harpercollins · 9780007182329

Having found an aeroplane in his cupboard a small boy flies up, up and away past planets and stars until he runs out of petrol and crashes into the moon. A friendly Martian helps him come up with a plan to escape back to earth so he can collect his toolbox and return to rescue his new friend. Strange and surreal illustrations are perfect for bringing to life this sparkling intergalactic adventure about the importance of being and having a friend. 2+

Baby Rhino's Escape · Adrienne Kennaway

Happy Cat Books · 9781899248513

A huge flash of lightning sets fire to the plains one day forcing the baby rhino to run down to the river to try to escape the raging flames. He meets many other animals from the African savanna on the way but crocodiles are lurking in the river, hungry ones...

A warmly-illustrated and informative story and a superb introduction to other habitats. 2+

The Bear in the Cave · Michael Rosen

Bloomsbury · 9780747577652

A very happy bear hears the sounds of the city from his quiet home by the sea and decides to find out what city life is like. Buying the ticket and travelling on the train is all very exciting, as is the city. But after a while the bear finds the city a little too noisy and a little too busy - and people are beginning to laugh at him. He feels very sad and alone and longs to escape - until four children find him and show him the way home to the seaside, where he can "splishity splashety splish" by the waves. The illustrations match the rhythmic text perfectly and it is a perfect book for reading aloud, with just the right amount of excitement before a wonderfully calming ending. 0 – 3

The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon · Mini Grey

Red Fox · 9780099475767

Ever wondered what really did happen when the dish of the nursery rhyme ran away with the spoon? They escaped to New York of course and this is their hair-raising story as told by the Spoon, a story packed full of gangsters, high-flying acrobats, bank robbers…and true love. It's a stylishly illustrated story brought to life with witty detail which giggling children will see something new in again and again. 4+

Emil and the Great Escape · Astrid Lindgren

OUP · 9780192727206

Even when he doesn't mean to, little Emil always seem to be getting into bother. This is a timely reissue of a series of well-loved stories. In this favourite collection of escapades Emil has to escape after being locked in a garden shed but it doesn't teach him a lesson as he's soon chasing his little sister up a flagpole. Think Horrid Henry meets Just William then Dennis the Menace. Like them he doesn't mean to cause trouble, it just follows him like a magnet - and it's lots of fun!! 7+

My Granny's Great Escape · Jeremy Strong

Puffin · 9780141322414

A wild and wacky story about Nicholas' barmy granny who has fallen in love with the Hell's Angel next door. Nicholas' dad isn't too happy but, whatever he does to stop her, granny manages to escape using a variety of unlikely getaway vehicles – including of course a motorbike. An outrageously funny read for newly confident readers and one of a series from a phenomenally popular author. 7+

The DFC

An exciting brand new full colour weekly comic for children featuring stories from some of the greatest artists and writers in the world including Philip Pullman, Chris Riddell and Nick Sharatt. It's aiming to be like a printed TV channel broadcasting new episodes of stories in all genres for boys and girls.

• http://www.thedfc.co.uk/

The Wind in the Willows · Kenneth Grahame (with an introduction by Brian Jacques)

Penguin Classics 9780141321134

One of the most celebrated works of classic literature for children, following Mole, Rat, Toad and Badger from one adventure to the next - in gipsy caravans, stolen sports cars, to prison and back to the Wild Wood. A story of animal cunning and human camaraderie, this remains a timeless tale nearly 100 years after its publication. It hasn't dated and remains a tale children can relate to, whether reading themselves or listening to it told. 8 – 12

Stig of the Dump · Clive King

Puffin Classics · 9780140301960

Barney, a lonely eight-year-old boy, goes too near the edge of the chalk-pit, which is now used as a dump for unwanted items. The ground gives way and he falls into the pit - through the roof of the shelter built by Stig, a Stone Age boy. The two become friends and the insight into how other people's rubbish can be useful gives a different perspective on our modern world. This is a wonderful story, now rightly regarded as a modern classic. 8 - 12

The Silver Sword · Ian Serraillier

Red Fox · 9780099439493

This story is based on real events and is an extraordinarily moving account of life during and after the Second World War, when so many families were torn apart. Although the silver sword is only a paper knife, it becomes the symbol of hope and courage which keeps four deserted children alive through the years of Nazi occupation, and afterwards on the exhausting and dangerous journey from war-torn Poland to Switzerland, where they hope to find their parents. This is an excellent holiday read which opens a window onto a different place and time. 8 - 12

Escape from Shangri-la · Michael Morpurgo

Egmont · 9781405226707

Cessie's granddad loses his memory after suffering a stroke and moves into the Shangri-La care home. Cessie is fascinated by brief glimpses of his past; a lifeboat, a can of condensed milk. She is determined to help him escape and recover his memory by helping him take the residents on a journey across the channel to find the love of his life. An emotional and moving story of a life lived in World War Two. 9+

Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire · Derek Landy

Harpercollins · 9780007257034

If you've not met the snappy-dressing, wise-cracking skeleton of a dead wizard and his 12 year old sidekick before you're in for a treat. This second adventure puts Skulduggery's detective credentials to the test when Baron Vengeous makes a bloody escape from prison. Soon dead bodies and vampires are appearing all over Ireland. This humorous horror story explodes with witty oneliners, exciting cliffhangers, genuinely gruesome writing and a breathtaking number of impossibly narrow escapes. Definitely the book of the year. 9+

Once · Morris Gleitzman

Puffin · 9780141320632

Felix has been sent to the orphanage for safety but when the Germans arrive and start burning the books in the library Felix knows he must make sure his parents are safe. After escaping the orphanage Felix meets little orphan girl Zelda and a friendly dentist, Barney, who hides and cares for Jewish children. When discovered by Nazi officials however Barney makes the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the children escape to safety. Based on a true story this is a heartrending book of real courage shot through with hope. 9+

Escape from Colditz (Reality Check) · Deborah Chancellor

Barrington Stoke · 9781842994542

Colditz is the most notorious prisoner of war camp in the world and now two men have managed to escape from it. But their adventures are only just beginning as they are forced to flee through occupied Europe in order to have any chance of freedom. 10+ (reading age 8)

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull · George Lucas and Luke Ross

Titan · 9781845767990

The legendary crusader is finally back, this time pitting his wits against inscrutable Soviet agents in a quest for the crystal skull. This graphic novelisation captures all the white knuckle action of the original film as everyone's favourite hero escapes one life-threatening danger after another. 11+

Once Upon A Time In The North · Philip Pullman

David Fickling · 9780385615235

A cowboy western short story set in the far frozen Arctic this is pure escapism detailing the first meeting between the Texan balloonist Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnison the armoured bear. Beautifully written and effortlessly intriguing, Pullman sketches in more of the background to Lyra's world in the His Dark Materials trilogy. The cloth cover, engraved illustrations and cleverly realized, authentic-looking pop out game make this a real treat for fans desperate for the long promised Book of Dust. 11+

The Garbage King · Elizabeth Laird

Macmillan · 9781405019262

While living in an Addis Ababa shanty town after the death of his mother, Mamo is stolen by a child trafficker and sold on to a farmer. After too much cruel treatment Mamo escapes back to the city and teams up with a gang of homeless street boys who show him how to survive on his wits and by depending on each other. An emotional, deeply moving and ultimately hopeful story of courage, loyalty and determination to survive destitution, which you won't forget easily. 11+

Chinese Cinderella · Adeline Yen Mah

Puffin · 9780141304878

The heartrending true story of a young Chinese girl unwanted by her father and cruelly bullied by her vicious stepmother. Banished to boarding school in Hong Kong and then sent away to university in England, Adeline manages to escape the hold her family has over her and manages to make a success of her life as a doctor. Told without a trace of pity, Adeline nevertheless manages to make you feel her every emotion and realize how lucky most of us are with our lives. 11+

Inkheart · Cornelia Funke

Chicken House · 9781904442219

Bookworm Maggie's father Mo is a bookbinder with a magical ability to make the characters escape from the pages of a book and land in their lives whenever he reads a story aloud. Which is fine until one of those characters, the evil ruler Capricorn, determined never to return to his pages again, forces Mo and Maggie to escape to save their lives. Imaginative, magical and brimming with heartstopping excitement and loveable characters this is one of those books to lose yourself in that you simply don't come across very often. Don't miss the sequel, Inkspell, too. 11+

The Star of Kazan · Eva Ibbotson

Macmillan · 9780330418027

Orphan Annika was found in an Austrian church and taken in by the cook and housemaid to a trio of mad professors. Though she is well-looked after and happy there Annika dreams of her beautiful, elegant, wealthy real mother coming to find her. When she does and whisks her off to a castle in Germany Annika realizes the truth about her mean and nasty relatives and struggles to escape her terrible fate. Cruel villains, stolen jewels, loveable eccentrics, big-hearted servants and heart-stopping chases make this a captivating read in the very best storytelling tradition. 11+

The Prison Runner · Deborah Ellis

OUP · 9780192755483

Diego is a city kid; living in the prison with his mother and his sister, earning pennies to look after them by doing deliveries around the city. One of his friends tempts him into a job he says will make them both rich and help their families but Diego's new life deep in the Bolivian jungle is far from what he imagined and very soon he's desperate to escape the clutches of men who produce drugs for a living... A shocking insight, sympathetically revealed, into the harrowing effects of cocaine production on the South American people. It simply cannot leave you unmoved. 11+

Mates, Dates and Great Escapes · Cathy Hopkins

Piccadilly Press · 9781853409356

Lucy has just broken up with Tony, the boyfriend who put too much pressure on her, so a school trip to Florence seems to offer the perfect escape, especially when she meets a rich American boy who might be just right for helping her forget Tony. One of the best in a much underrated series which takes important issues and packages them perfectly for their girly teenage readers. 12+

Roxy's Baby · Catherine MacPhail

Bloomsbury · 9780747570424

Wild child Roxy is unhappy at home with her new stepfather and when she discovers she's pregnant decides to escape to London. There she is taken in by a mysterious couple offering her a home with other girls in her situation, many from other countries who have little grasp of English. Soon Roxy finds everything is not as it seems there. Mr and Mrs Dyce are farming babies and selling on their organs. The only hope for Roxy and her child is a dangerous escape... All the more shocking for being based on a true story, this is absolutely unputdownable. 12+

The Defender · Alan Gibbons

Orion · 9781842550984

Kenny Kincaid robs a bank and escapes with half a million pounds. Escaping from prison he goes on the run with his young son Ian. He is trying to escape his past, the paramilitaries, the violence, but he can't escape his comrades now intent on revenge and their share of the money, and can't protect his son from the secret which will shatter his childhood. An absolutely compulsive thriller which makes you think again about justice and doing the right thing. 12+

Blinded by the Light · Sherry Ashworth

Harpercollins · 9780007123360

A chance meeting with Kate and Nick on a train leads Joe to a remote farm inhabited by the White Ones. Suddenly Joe realizes he's found what he has been looking for and his life is complete when he falls in love with Bea there. The leader of the White Ones seems convinced Joe is a Perfect though, and things turn dangerous on a trip to the wilds of the Orkneys where Joe comes to his senses and realizes has to escape at all costs. A gripping and disturbing story about the danger of cults. 12+

Escape · Kate Cann

Scholastic · 9780439955713

18 year old Rowan is desperate to get away from her nagging parents and their constant barrage of what are you going to do with the rest of your life questions, and sets off for a gap year in America as a nanny. Confronted with a spoilt brat and a control freaky mother Rowan escapes on a roadtrip of a lifetime with only a pet iguana for company, in search of adventure and the boy of her dreams. Cann really captures the workings of a teenage girl's mind in a hilarious and addictive read. 13+

Prisoner in Alcatraz · Theresa Breslin

Barrington Stoke · 9781842994962

Marty has somehow ended up in Alcatraz; the worst prison in America, the prison no-one ever leaves. His fellow inmates have hatched an escape plan but will it work and dare Marty join them? Perfect for those who find reading tricky, this has just the right amount of danger and excitement to keep the pages turning. 13+ (reading age 8)

Notes from a Small Island · Bill Bryson

Black Swan · 9780552996006

After nearly two decades in Britain, Bryson decided to move back to the USA and insisted on taking one last trip around Britain, a sort of valedictory tour of the green and pleasant island that had so long been his home. His aim was to take stock of modern-day Britain, and to analyze what he loved so much about a country that had produced Marmite, zebra crossings, and peculiar place names. With wit and irreverence, Bill Bryson presents the ludicrous and the endearing in equal measure. The result is a social commentary that conveys the true glory of Britain. 16+

Swahili for the Broken-hearted: Cape Town to Cairo by any means possible · Peter Moore

Bantam Books · 9780553814521

A week after breaking up with his girlfriend and travelling companion, Peter Moore heads off to Africa to lose himself for a while, searching for solitude and anonymity in the face of personal crisis. What follows is the intrepid hero's journey from one end of the Dark Continent to the other through vast game parks, cosmopolitan cities and tiny villages; his adventures and misadventures with a motley cast of characters. A superb and hilarious introduction to contemporary travel writing. 16+