These zany and engaging works explore history, nature, art, the future and even the mischief of magic! We've included them in this list because each offers something we find uniquely compelling, that we think kids will too! So read on to discover imaginative ways to save the planet, clues to some of our greatest unsolved mysteries, how illusions work, how to break a code, and even why your backyard is the perfect place to begin studying nature.

A Miscellany of Mischief and Magic by Tom Adams & Jasmine Floyd (illus.)

Learn the secrets of infamous magic illusions and tricks and discover the stories of some of history's most notorious hoaxes, pranks, and cons. While some are great fun, others contain a serious lesson ... after all, understanding scams of the past can help protect you in the future. Meet infamous pranksters such as Marcel Duchamp, renowned illusionists and escape artists such as Adelaide Hermann, and cunning con-artists such as George C. Parker.

The themed spreads explore a range of topics such as made-up monsters, alien conspiracies, doctored photos, disguises and pseudonyms, April Fools Day pranks, and much more. If you're feeling mischievous, you can even follow the steps and tips spaced throughout the book to try your hand at some pranks and magic tricks!

Ultrawild by Steve Mushin

Join maverick inventor Steve Mushin as he tackles climate change with an avalanche of mind-bending, scientifically plausible inventions to rewild cities and save the planet. Jump into his brain as he designs habitat-printing robot birds and water-filtering sewer submarines, calculates how far compost cannons can blast seed bombs (over a kilometre), brainstorms biomaterials with scientists and engineers, studies ecosystems and develops a deadly serious plan to transform cities into jungles, rewilding them into carbon-sucking mega-habitats for all species, and as fast as possible.

Through marvellously designed and hilarious engineering ideas, Mushin shares his vision for super-high-tech urban rewilding, covering the science of climate change, futuristic materials and foods, bio reactors, soil, forest ecosystems, mechanical flight, solar thermal power and working out just how fast we could actually turn roads into jungles, absorb carbon and reverse climate change.

Welcome to the Mysteryverse by Clive Gifford & Good Wives & Warriors (illus.)

Why do we dream? How come more people are right-than left-handed? Whats inside a black hole? Science is pretty amazing, but even though we know more about our universe than ever before, there still remain lots of unanswered questions that fascinate and perplex even the greatest scientific minds. These are the unknowns, the paradoxes and the things not fully explained or understood.

This book is a compendium of these riveting unsolved mysteries, that still have us wondering ... How? What? Why? Whisking readers through some of these holes in our scientific knowledge, the accessible and enjoyable book turns to the unanswered questions, what we do know, and some of the best current theories, as well as some of the most far out suggestions! From the personal to the fundamental, to the downright funny.

The Treasure Hunt by Leisa Stewart-Sharpe & Gordy Wright (illus.)

Discover a message in a bottle that appears to be from the ghost of Captain William Kidd - the infamous pirate and now, it would seem, thief! Follow a breadcrumb trail of intriguing clues left by the treasure-hungry thief as he travels the world attempting to steal great historic artefacts, paintings, gold and more. The Treasure Hunt takes you on an epic adventure, where you will find out how to decipher tricky codes and uncover heart-stopping accounts of how famous treasures were lost, found or stolen!

Crack the codes to turn the page and travel from country to country. But be warned - some treasures may never be found ...

A Whole World of Art by Sarah Phillips & Dion Mehaga Bangun Djayasaputra (illus.)

Written by art history teacher Dr Sarah Phillips, A Whole World of Art opens your eyes to a global view of art by taking you on a whirlwind tour around the world and through time. With two companions – a boy and a girl – travel through 25 destinations from the history of art, circling the globe. As they travel, they explore the rich visual canon from each culture they visit through looking at different key works and examine the lives of the artists who created them.

Each spread shows a stunning, edge-to-edge illustrated scene from art history portraying an artist or artists making important artwork within a detailed background. A paragraph of introductory text and small captions around the page give fascinating details about the artists and the time and place in which they lived.

The Observologist by Giselle Clarkson

The Observologist puts over 100 small creatures and features of the natural world under the microscope, piquing our curiosity with only the most interesting facts. Subjects range from slugs, ants and seeds, fungi and flies through to bees and bird poop. But this is no everyday catalogue of creatures. It is an antidote to boredom, an invitation out of the digital world and screentime, an encouragement to observe our environment, with care and curiosity, wherever we are.

Facts combine with comics, detailed illustrations, science and funny stories in this unique, warm and fascinating account of the small things all around us.

Picture Puzzler by Rachel Williams & Ksenia Bakhareva (illus.)

Step inside each picture, where wild things walk – find frogs, big cats and monkeys and birds that can talk. Get lost inside the jungle. Climb a mountain's peak! And solve the secret riddle, buried in the deep. For every hidden creature, there's more to be found. Camouflaged in flora where nature's way abounds.

For all the picture puzzlers, who love a mystery: Go wild within these pages – a natural history!