An uplifting and empowering picture book about finding your inner strength when school life gets tough, from the winner of The Great British Bake Off and national treasure, Nadiya Hussain, beautifully illustrated by Ella Bailey.
I love to go to school. Well, most days I do.
There are some days when what I really want
is to stay at home with you.
A touching story about building the courage to overcome bullying, with a powerful reminder to always be kind.
Riku’s family have all achieved something special – and Riku wants to be special too. His dream? To be the world’s first ever flying tiger!
Only Riku’s friend Jim has doubts . . . Tigers don’t have wings. (And Jim should know – he’s a parrot!) But Riku is one determined little tiger. With help from Jim and some feathered friends, will Riku make it off the ground and into the air?
This hilariously funny book from Rikin Parekh celebrates dreams, determination and the power of friendship. It’s a must-read for any little person with BIG ambition!
A funny rhyming story about dealing with change and overcoming worries, from the bestselling creators of The Lion Inside.
In a wonderful place, at the breaking of dawn, where the breezes were soft and the sunshine was warm, a place where the creatures ran wild and played free … A Koala called Kevin clung to a tree.
Meet Kevin. A koala who likes to keep things the same. Exactly the same. But sometimes change comes along whether we like it or not… And, as Kevin discovers, if you step outside your comfort zone and try new things, you might just surprise yourself!
Idris is a child refugee, born into a world of tents and fences. He has known no other life than this. He has no memories of the world outside.
Then the Wisp arrives, floating in on the evening breeze. Everyone who holds it finds their memories reawakened, their hopes of freedom reborn. But what about Idris, who has no memories? What will happen when he holds the magical Wisp?
Storytelling and imagination have the power to offer hope in this extraordinary picture book from the Amnesty CILIP Honour-winning author of The Bone Sparrow, Zana Fraillon, and Kate Greenaway Medal-winning illustrator Grahame Baker Smith.
A beautiful, moving and sensitively told picture book about language barriers, communication and a very young child’s immigrant experience.
When Ronnie moves to a new house, in a new country, he’s excited to make friends. But when he introduces himself to everyone at nursery – “My name is four. I am Ronnie years old.” – the other children can’t help but giggle. His words are all mixed up! Ronnie misses home and laughing with his old friends. But new doesn’t stay that way for long…
This authorial debut from Bulgarian author-illustrator Vyara Boyadjieva is honest and uplifting, with Ronnie ultimately discovering that kindness, and laughter, are universal.
Reds love being red. Yellows love being yellow. And Blues love being blue. The problem is that they just don’t like each other.
But one day, along comes a different colour who likes Reds, Yellows and Blues, and suddenly everything starts to change.
Maybe being different doesn’t mean you can’t be friends …
A very special picture book that supports the adage that there is more that unites us than divides us. Along Came a Different just goes to show how much better we can all be when we come together to find common ground as friends. Every bookshelf should have a copy.
When two kids visit Grandma’s house for their usual visit, they can’t help but think she’s stuffy and no fun at all. Even the dinner she makes is predictable. But when Grandma goes missing and wild animals start popping up around the house, they realise she has a secret…
A gorgeously illustrated picture book about not judging people based on appearances, and the how families can work together to help save the planet, author/illustrator Martin Stanev’s debut book will make a beautiful, and fun, addition to any child’s bookshelf.
Everyone knows that little sisters can be an-noy-ing! So when Ravi gets annoyed with Ruby and breaks her toy car in a rage, everyone goes to bed upset. Ravi wakes up the next morning with a bright red grumpy hat stuck fast on his head! And he can’t get rid of it, no matter how hard he tries… Ravi learns how to swap his grumpy hat for happy socks in this uplifting story about siblings, family life and controlling bad moods.
Best Books for Each Year Group
Each of our Year Group Recommended Reads lists contains 50 books specially picked out for reading for pleasure in each primary year group, from Preschool to Year 6. The lists are designed to provide recommendations of age-appropriate and accessible books across a range of genres and styles. These lists differ from our topic booklists, as the books are purely selected for the purpose of reading for pleasure at each age group.
When we put together each list, we look for a balance across different genres and styles. Some children naturally navigate towards non-fiction, while others find graphic novels or poetry the most enjoyable forms to pick up and read. Each list contains a balance of age-appropriate fiction, picturebooks, non-fiction, poetry and graphic novels, with a handful of novelty or tactile books added in too. We’ve also aimed to collate lists that cater for different reading styles, interest levels, publication dates (you’ll find some true golden oldies as well as brand new titles on each list) and also books that contain a diversity of characters and settings. This way, schools using our lists can offer children access to a wealth of quality reading choices to enjoy.
NB: This is an archive of the 2022 booklists. If you want to most up to date versions, click here.
Tom and Mot are best friends. On their birthday, Tom gives Mot a feather – but could it be a feather from the most spectacular bird in the world? Mot gives Tom a marble – or is it the smallest planet in the universe?
Tom would like to give a whale, a dolphin, a sea monster, an elephant, while Mot would give rivers, mountains, forests and even the sun!
But after a joyful day playing together, what is the best present of all? This beautiful story of imagination and friendship is perfect for sharing.
© BooksForTopics 2015-2024
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