Graveyard girls, social change and greedy pugs – here are our top book picks for kids this month.

Pig the Winner by Aaron Blabey

Pig was a pug

Oh Pig. He’s greedy and grumpy and so badly behaved – and it’s hard not to love him. Aaron Blabey first introduced readers to Pig’s greediness in Pig the Pug, and then showed us all what a terrible liar Pig is in Pig the Fibber. Now he’s back, and it’s hardly a surprise that apart from his other bad habits, Pig is also a terrible loser (not to mention a terrible winner). Long-suffering sausage dog Colin is forced to play again and again, because to Pig, the only thing that matters is WINNING.

Another hilarious book that’s perfect for reading aloud to 3+.

Hattie Helps Out by Jane Godwin, Davina Bell & Freya Blackwood

Hattie might be small, but she’s got some big ideas about how to help with her dad’s birthday party. When it’s time for her nap, Hattie isn’t tired at all… but poor mum looks like she could do with a snooze!

When the author who brought us What Do You Wish For? and the illustrator of Amy & Louis team up, you know you’re in for a treat. This is a beautiful story that is sure to be a hit at story time.

Be the Change, Make it Happen: Big and Small Ways Kids Can Make a Difference by Bernadette Russell

You’re never too young to make a difference in the world, and with a book like Be the Change, Make it Happen kids will be able to see just how much their decisions can impact the world around them. Inside this book you’ll find eighty exercises that touch on topics like water conservation, recycling and raising money for charity.

Pax by Sarah Pennypacker

After fox kit Pax finds himself afraid and alone, a young boy named Peter rescues him. The two become inseparable, but their carefree lives can’t last forever. Peter’s father is sent off to war, and Peter must go and live with his grandfather… without Pax. After Peter is forced to leave Pax behind, fox and boy embark on a mission to find each other again.

Told in alternate chapters from both Pax and Peter’s points of view, this is a novel that isn’t afraid to explore complex issues while still being a accessible for 10+. Pennypacker’s writing lends another level of beauty to this highly original story. Be warned: it is a tearjerker.

Magrit by Lee Battersby

Magrit’s only friend is Master Puppet – a creature she built from bones and bits of junk. They spend their days roaming the crumbling crypts of their graveyard home, until they find, of all things, a baby. Master Puppet urges Magrit to get rid of the baby, but instead she calls him Bugrat and adopts him as a brother. But as Bugrat starts to grow up, Magrit and Master Puppet come to the realisation that the truth about them will be revealed.

This is a wonderfully original read about the importance of accepting yourself. A must for fans of Neil Gaiman and David Almond.

The Family With Two Front Doors by Anna Ciddor

The Rabinovitches are a family living in 1920s Poland. Nomi’s father is a rabbi, and their days are filled with food and laughter. When Nomi’s older sister learns she’s to be married off she’s nervous – she’s never even met her new husband-to-be.

This is a highly readable and expertly researched historical tale based on Ciddor’s own family. Readers will be transported back to another time and place to the bustling Rabonivitch household which has so many children it needs two doors!