Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Home > Books

Age Group: KS2

Chapter book

When the only way to get at a target is by using a child, MI5 bring in special agents Tom and Zilla to help. When a billionaire businessman builds a private island which seems to jam government satellites, Tom and Zilla must convince his son to invite them for a visit. Can they figure out what’s happening on Island X?

Bloomsbury High Low books encourage and support reading practice by providing gripping, age-appropriate stories for struggling and reluctant readers, those with dyslexia, or those with English as an additional language. Printed on tinted paper and with a dyslexia friendly font, Mission Alert is aimed at readers aged 8+ and has a manageable length (72 pages) and reading age (7+). This collection of stories can be read in any order.

Produced in association with reading experts at CatchUp, a charity which aims to address underachievement caused by literacy and numeracy difficulties.

Chapter book

Monkey and his friends, Zu and Sandy, lived in the Emperor’s Cloud Palace. But they played all sorts of tricks on people, so, as a punishment, the Jade Emperor sent them down to Earth. They can only return if they prove that they can use their magical powers for good. Adventure is never far away!

In The Cursed Village, something is very wrong in Weston. People are living in fear of the half-zombies, half-vampires that are roaming the streets. Can the friends save the village from the monsters?

Bloomsbury High Low books encourage and support reading practice by providing gripping, age-appropriate stories for struggling and reluctant readers, those with dyslexia, or those with English as an additional language. Printed on tinted paper and with a dyslexia friendly font, Skate Monkey is aimed at readers aged 8+ and has a manageable length (72 pages) and reading age (7+). This collection of stories can be read in any order.

Produced in association with reading experts at CatchUp, a charity which aims to address underachievement caused by literacy and numeracy difficulties.

Chapter book

All the kids in school have a pair of Rainbow Boots – well, all of them except Denzil! So he pretends that his are being customised and soon he’s trapped in a web of lies. But are the Rainbow Boots really worth all this hassle? A hilarious school comedy from popular writer Chris Powling with illustrations from the brilliant Jim Field.

Bloomsbury High Low books encourage and support reading practice by providing gripping, age-appropriate stories for struggling and reluctant readers, those with dyslexia, or those with English as an additional language. Printed on tinted paper with a dyslexia friendly font, Rainbow Boots is aimed at readers aged 9+ and has a manageable length (64 pages) and reading age (7+).

Produced in association with reading experts at Catch Up, a charity which aims to address underachievement caused by literacy and numeracy difficulties.

Here at BooksForTopics HQ, we were delighted to be involved in judging the longlist for this year’s Laugh Out Loud Book Awards – also known as the Lollies. Created and managed by Scholastic, the Lollies are now in their sixth year of celebrating the best and funniest children’s books in the UK and Ireland – as voted for by children!

The impressive shortlist from which children could choose was selected by a star-studded judging panel headed by Michael Rosen, and we at BooksForTopics were delighted to see many of our favourites among the winners of these awards.

The winners in the Picturebook and Poetry categories, Wee? It Wasn’t Me! and Yapping Away, are both picks in our 2023 Primary School Gift Guide, while the successful titles in each of the 6-8 and 9-12 age categories, A Monster Ate My Packed Lunch! and The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh, feature on our Year Group Recommended Reads. The winner of the Non-fiction category was Unleash Your Creative Monster: A Children’s Guide to Writing.

You can check out the full shortlist for the 2023 Laugh Out Loud Book Awards below!

Chapter book

A laugh-out-loud young fiction series from bestselling author Joanna Nadin, perfect for fans of Horrid Henry.

According to head teacher Mrs Bottomley-Blunt, 4B is the WORST CLASS IN THE WORLD. She says school is not about footling or fiddle-faddling or FUN. It is about LEARNING and it is high time 4B tried harder to EXCEL at it.

But Stanley and Manjit didn’t LITERALLY mean to flood the toilets when they should have been monitoring the playground. And they definitely didn’t LITERALLY mean to bring a penguin home from the zoo on their school trip. These things just happened even though they had a FOOLPROOF plan to get away with them.

Non-fiction

A funny and accessible guide to creative writing, packed with practical advice, exciting story prompts and a cast of creative monsters. Winner of the Lollies 2023 Book Awards for Non Fiction!

In the pages of Unleash Your Creative Monster, budding writers will sink their teeth into story basics, essential writing tools and the hidden secrets of the wordsmith. Featuring top tips on finding inspiration, how to keep a story moving and beating writer’s block, this essential guide has everything you need to unleash your creative monster.

Non-fiction

Adam himself interviews the dead famous who made names for themselves in history by creating the greatest and most ground-breaking works of fiction ever – many you’ll have heard of, and many you should have heard of! And then discover their most famous stories – as told in the inimitable Corpse Talk style!

Let William Shakespeare keep you on the edge of your seat with Macbeth, Charles Dickens thrill you in Great Expectations, and Mary Shelley send shivers up your spine in Frankenstein. Learn about the greatest stories ever told, and the people who made them up!

Non-fiction

Part of Nosy Crow’s list of publishing in collaboration with the British Museum and developed in consultation with one of the world’s leading experts on the Aztecs.

A kid’s life in the Aztec Age might sound like fun, what with all that brilliant sunny weather and exciting festivals, but actually life for kids could be pretty hard. In this hilarious book, written by award-winning author Chae Strathie, children will learn just how tough life really was, from being jabbed by cactus spikes to snacking on maggots . . . and even wearing jaguar skins!

Probably the first book about the Aztec Age that involves wedgies and skateboards, this is a must read for kids with a passion for horrible history!

Brought to life with rich, humorous illustrations by super-talented Marisa Morea.

Other titles in the series include: Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, Prehistoric Times.

Chapter book

This flagship gift edition illustrated by Lauren Child is a glorious celebratory tribute to the strongest girl in the world in her 75th anniversary year. Pippi Longstocking lives in Villa Villekulla with a horse, a monkey, and a big suitcase full of gold coins. Pippi and her friends Tommy and Annika have the best time together-going to the fair, buying ALL the sweets in the sweet shop, and getting shipwrecked for the weekend. But the fun might stop all too soon if Pippi agrees to go back to sea with her father.

Chapter book

A brand-new Christmas classic adventure about the magic of Santa Claus, set in North London and the North Pole – from the bestselling author of Artemis Fowl

IT ALL STARTED IN CHRISTMAS PAST . . .

It’s been ten years since Santa Claus performed his Christmas duties, but when Juniper Lane discovers the mysterious Niko, who lives in her local London park surrounded by Christmas trees and reindeer that can fly, she steps into a Christmas story like no other.

When Juniper’s mum goes missing and the park comes under threat from an ambitious park keeper, Juniper enlists Niko, who is surely Santa Claus, to help.

As the countdown to Christmas begins, Juniper must find her mother, restore the festive spirit, bring to life the true magic of the season and learn to ride her very own reindeer.

A brand-new festive classic, Juniper’s Christmas is a rip-roaring magical adventure filled with heart and humour – where one girl’s love might just be strong enough to save her family and Father Christmas himself.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Your Review

Stone Girl Bone Girl

review

Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:

Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:

Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?

yes

Curriculum links (if relevant)

Curriculum links (if relevant)

Any other comments

Any other comments