We all know there are major, overlapping, global crises ahead of humanity: climate change, mass migration, new warfare, big tech, further pandemics, authoritarian capitalism. Rather than be daunted, this book charts a way that we can respond. With expertise from his work at the highest levels of international politics, education, activism and business, Tom Fletcher offers a practical manifesto that can help us transform the way we learn, live, and work together. There was also a spate of thefts this year, often of mythical beings. Alongside David Owen’s Alex Neptune: Dragon Thief and Sophie Anderson’s The Thief Who Sang Storms came AF Steadman’s hit Skandar and the Unicorn Thief (Simon & Schuster), which refreshingly recast those angelic horses as vicious, unpredictable beasts and introduced a school for unicorn riders. In the high-octane Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun, a young Londoner discovers her superpowers

Thankfully, my life is so much more stable now. It’s not just that I am writing books, but having kids changed my life. Now I’m eating better, exercising and sleeping more. I need to look after myself so I can look after my kids. Melinda Salisbury, author of the ‘intoxicating’ Her Dark Wings. Photograph: Alicia Canter/The Guardian

TOM FLETCHER

To thrive in the twenty-first century, we all need to understand the challenges coming our way. And start adapting, now. My parents never pushed me in any direction, but they were keen to invest in my passions. I started at Sylvia Young theatre school when I was nine – an amazing experience that totally defined me as a person. I’d compare it to Hogwarts, but instead of magic you do music. I hadn’t had a great time at primary school – I was the odd one out for loving performing while everyone else did football – so to fit in finally was great. After theatre school I was auditioning to be in a lot of boybands and it was wearing me out, so much so that I nearly didn’t go to the Busted audition. In the end, my mum convinced me. I got in, but a few days later they called to say they wanted it to be a trio. So I was out. Having that opportunity taken away from me was totally devastating and embarrassing, but it made me realise how much I wanted to be in a band. Fletcher said: “I am over the moon to be bringing two of my biggest passions together in this joint Space Band release! I had a blast bringing the story to life, recording songs from the book with life-long friends and bandmates McFly. Space Band is a really personal book for me, inspired by my own experiences of being in a band, so this album has brought it even closer to my heart. It’s been amazing to share it with Danny, Harry and Dougie and we can’t wait to take readers interstellar when we lift off this October.”

Magnificent’: The Zebra’s Great Escape by Katherine Rundell and Sara Ogilvie. Illustration: Sara Ogilvie Vibrant explorations of humans and how we live now came in the form of Marvellous Body by Jane Wilsher and Andrés Lozano (What on Earth), a lively look at human anatomy complete with a magic lens for nosying at our inner workings, and I Am the Subway by Kim Hyo-eun (Scribble; translated by Deborah Smith), a poetic journey through the Korean subway, narrated by the train itself. Meanwhile, Britannica’s Word of the Day, a lovely little chocolate box-size square book, gleefully winds its way through the English language dishing out daily definitions of words such as “razzmatazz” to nourish young minds. The most original use of the educational setting, however, relocated one coming-of-age tale to a speculatively fictitious Nigeria. In Tolá Okogwu’s high-octane Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun (Simon & Schuster), young Londoner Onyeka discovers her superpowers, but is soon drawn into a web of deceit. McFly’s Tom Fletcher will be releasing an album to coincide with the publication of his latest children’s book Space Band (Puffin) this autumn. The album has been written by Fletcher, produced by Jones and performed by McFly. It features upbeat pop songs including “Nothing Rhymes with Sausage”, “Pigeon” and “Loner”. Puffin said the music will “offer a unique, multi-dimensional reading experience for children, with lyrics from the songs included throughout the book”. TikTok will give followers an exclusive first listen to lead single “Nothing Rhymes with Sausage” today (31st August) with the song available to stream on all platforms from 2nd September.While promising careers were launched with debuts such as Mariajo Ilustrajo’s Flooded (Quarto), sadly we also lost some master storytellers. Nobody captured the splendid chaos of family life, our infant devotion to teddies, pebbles or dens, quite like Shirley Hughes, beloved creator of Alfie and Dogger. And our first Christmas without the author of The Snowman, Raymond Briggs, feels bittersweet indeed. So as we celebrate another brilliant year of new books, let us never forget the joy of curling up with a classic.