Called by the Hills by Anuradha Roy

Daunt Books, £12.99

When novelist Anuradha Roy and her husband stumble upon a derelict cottage in the hill station of Ranikhet, they decide it is where they will now live. Leaving behind the freneticism of Delhi, Roy is initially bemused by the gentle pace of life in the mountains. Before long, however, she is won over: spellbound by the landscape, taken to the heart of her sometimes recalcitrant neighbours and adopted by four mountain dogs and counting.

Over twenty-five years, as Roy becomes accustomed to living among forests where leopards roam freely, she will come to encounter nature at its most fierce, beautiful and vulnerable – and bear witness to the destructive impact of global warming on the alpine ecosystem.

A tender and intimate portrait of a home, a community and a rugged, extraordinary landscape. Written with unsentimental clarity, humour and poignancy, this is an account of profound transformations.

The Golden Monkey Mystery by Piu DasGupta

Nosy Crow, £7.99

When Roma stumbles upon a rare golden monkey, she vows to return it to its hidden home in the Himalayas. But the path is riddled with peril: ruthless bandits, prowling beasts, and the sinister power of the Snakestone – a jewel that stalks her dreams.

To make matters worse, Roma is forced to travel with Max and Arabella, two pampered children who seem more trouble than help. Only a mysterious map offers a chance of success – but with every step, pursuers of the Snakestone draw closer. Can Roma unlock the map’s secret before the jungle swallows them whole?

A thrilling gothic adventure set in the rich and luscious jungles of nineteenth century India.

Everything Amplified by Sarah Lippett & Ziggy Hanaor

Cicada Books, £18.99

Nel is 15 and life is a grind. Somehow Ludo, Nel’s handsome twin brother, seems untouched by it all, gliding effortlessly through life’s complications. Her best friend, Kit and her playlist are pretty much the only things she’s got going for her right now. When Ludo joins a band and Kit starts going out with the guitarist, it feels like even the tiny space Nel has carved out for herself is in peril.

But nothing is forever, and teenage life can turn on a dime. When Nel finds herself taking Ludo’s place in the band, she has to work out whether life outside the shadows is all it’s cracked up to be. A beautiful graphic novel about the complexities of teenage life, the tangles of twinship and the power of music to somehow make sense of it all.

This, My Second Life by Patrick Charnley

Cornerstone, £16.99

After a near-death experience and life-changing injury, twenty-year-old Jago Trevarno goes to stay with his uncle on his small coastal farm a few miles from St Ives in Cornwall. Their existence is a simple one, their lives measured by the span of the days, the rhythms of the seasons and the animals they care for.

But lurking in the shadows is local villain, Bill Sligo, who has designs on Jacob’s farm. Wanting to repay his uncle’s kindness, Jago determines to find out what Bill Sligo is up to. Jago is still vulnerable though, and in pursuing Sligo he delves into a murky world that he is ill-equipped to deal with.

Beautifully written, spare and elegiac, filled with shafts of light and darkness as well as the beauty and harshness of the Cornish landscape, Jago’s journey is one of hope, renewal and resilience as he comes to terms with this, his second life.

Grandad’s World by Michael Foreman

Scholastic, £12.99

Jack’s favourite place to be is with his grandad: walking in the woods, looking after the village pond, listening as Grandpa shows him all the magic of the countryside. Together they watch Mr Fox prowling for mice, owls nesting in the trees and badgers sleeping peacefully in their setts.

But one night, that peace is shattered with a screech of tyres as a monstrous heap of rubbish is emptied into the village pond. Can Jack and his grandad rally the village and clear the pond before it’s too late?

This wonderful tale shows the beautiful connection between two generations and how, working together, they can protect our natural spaces and change the world for the better. A tale of wonder and wisdom from national treasure Michael Foreman.