A Hans Christian Andersen tale smartly recast for modern children
MG Leonard’s latest novel, The Ice Children, takes Andersen’s classic The Snow Queen and infuses it with quickfire prose and new characters

MG Leonard’s latest novel, The Ice Children, takes Andersen’s classic The Snow Queen and infuses it with quickfire prose and new characters
Many of our great works of literature are admired rather than read. But which justify the hours spent slogging – and which can be skipped?
Remembrance Sunday brings to mind the poet’s war sonnets, the beauty of which outshines their dated sentiments
The Scottish author overcame a tough childhood to become a major literary talent. Now he has won the £40,000 David Cohen Prize
Our critics pick the perfect Christmas gifts for every reader, from page-turners to politics
Face your fears! Make this the year you finally gets to grips with the Metaverse, incoming asteroids – and torture-happy wasps
This year's best poetry collections were filled with wild fantasies – from Greek myths and robot birds to a book narrated by an eyeball
From the footpaths of Scotland to the refugee trails of Mexico, travel books this year provide food for thought – and a prod out the door
From Frans de Waal’s Different to Lucy Cooke’s Bitch, 2022's brainiest non-fiction used zoology to re-examine what it means to be human
From Bono's heartfelt riffs to Jarvis Cocker’s bin bags, music books went maverick this year
This year's crop of books tackled war, climate change, the natural world – and the quiet beauty of sitting in a sunny park
From the integration of Islam to the brief reign of Prime Minister Liz Truss, this year's best politics books defended liberal ideals
Publisher David Campbell on how Mick Jagger helped Everyman rise from the ashes, the biggest threat to children reading and superfan Madonna
Many of our great works of literature are admired rather than read. But which justify the hours spent slogging – and which can be skipped?
Mark Seliger spent a decade capturing unexpected and unforgettable images of Hollywood royalty – and set up the ultimate Oscars photobooth
The theory that history is defined by alpha males feels unfashionable and offensive – but Ridley Scott's Napoleon proves we can’t let it go
This exclusive extract from his Westminster diaries reveals the spectacular breakdown of relations and rising bitterness between the two PMs
Remembrance Sunday brings to mind the poet’s war sonnets, the beauty of which outshines their dated sentiments
The Scottish author overcame a tough childhood to become a major literary talent. Now he has won the £40,000 David Cohen Prize
At a time when 85% of photojournalists are men, a new book offers an alternative perspective. Here, seven contributors introduce their shots
We remember some of the greatest talents from the arts world who have passed away this year
MG Leonard’s latest novel, The Ice Children, takes Andersen’s classic The Snow Queen and infuses it with quickfire prose and new characters
A Really Short Journey Through the Body offers children a series of fascinating and varied, albeit sometimes overly brisk, scientific facts
Sophie Anderson’s The Snow Girl, featuring a brave girl and her magical friend, successfully marries an old tale and a modern sensibility
In 1911, sisters Sally and Bridget sail from Ireland to New York in search of opportunity, in Judi Curtin's Sally in the City of Dreams
No overt messages or morals, just everyday lessons, in gem of collaboration
The Football School Encyclopedia, by Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttelton, covers not only tactics and sports science but quirks of English history
Tidily illustrated and stuffed with facts, Encyclopedia Infographica gives the lie to the idea that children need the internet to learn
The comedian talks about composing, coming out and taking on his Little Britain co-star David Walliams in the world of children's books
Our critics' guide to the best reads to take away with you
100 years ago, Cicely Mary Barker combined botany with make-believe – and created a publishing phenomenon
Queen Elizabeth II was visited by two very special bears, and the matchgirls went on strike, in this year's crop of writing for children
Her new novel, It Starts With Us, blends Brontë-esque brooding, Fifty Shades of Grey steaminess and a deeply troubling domestic abuse plot
Dusty libraries, long-haired youths writing poetry, candlelight rituals… TikTok’s love for old books is driving a publishing bonanza
The actress-turned-novelist's follow-up to Love and Other Thought Experiments is unexpected: a crime novel about an experimental school
The bestselling author explains why she worries that coronavirus restrictions has deprived a generation of vital experiences
The theory that history is defined by alpha males feels unfashionable and offensive – but Ridley Scott's Napoleon proves we can’t let it go
Tania Branigan's Red Memory uncovers powerful testimony from families torn apart in Mao's China. Is the country doomed to more of the same?
The former Culture Secretary spends 350 pages hunting for a conspiracy in The Plot: The Political Assassination of Boris Johnson
In a weighty new memoir, the star reveals her long friendship with Charles – and that he once found her ‘devastatingly attractive’