Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Home > Books

Age Group: KS2

Chapter book

Ed Clayton is a liar. It started when his dad went to prison and now he can’t seem to stop. When his younger brother, Sam, goes missing one day, nobody believes Ed when he says he can’t remember what happened.

He’s used to going without, but living without his brother is impossible. With the police and press asking questions and friends turning against the family, Ed is left trying to find Sam with only the help of his new neighbour, Fallon.

When the two stumble on a secret that even Ed could never have imagined, it’s up to the liar to uncover the truth . . .

A sensitive and engaging fourth novel about brotherhood, hardship and being yourself from the multi-award-winning author, Kim Slater.

Chapter book

A thrilling and empowering WWII adventure about the French resistance and their British allies, with a determined, Muslim heroine. Perfect for fans of Michael Morpurgo and Emma Carroll, and those looking for diverse historical fiction.

July, 1941. Rosina Raja is half-Indian and half-English. She has always lived in India, so when her mother passes away and she moves to England (where it rains all the time) she is miserable and doesn’t have any friends. Life changes dramatically for Rosie when she discovers that her army captain father is actually a spy for the British government. She can’t bear to be left behind so she stows away in his plane.

Finding herself in occupied France, Rosie is soon drawn into the struggle against the Nazis. With new allies and new enemies at every turn, she must help her father complete his mission, and more importantly… make sure they both get home alive.

Chapter book

In the wake of a tempest hitting her town, Morwenna is left to take care of a stranger washed ashore.

The storm is just another of many that have plagued the town for years – people blame the tide singers, legendary sea people who are said to charm storms with their singing.

Morwenna has never believed the tales, but when she is left alone with the stranger, she realises this is no ordinary girl. Can the stories be true? Can the girl control the tides with nothing more than her voice?

Her arrival brings danger of a different kind, and Morwenna must draw on all the courage she has in order to stop a conflict that could destroy her home…

Chapter book

Grace and her friends must protect a newly hatched dragon from mysterious evildoers. When Grace moves to Hong Kong with her mum and new stepdad, her biggest concern is making friends at her fancy new boarding school.

But when a mysterious old woman gifts her a dragon egg during a field trip, Grace discovers that the wonderful stories of dragons she heard when she was a young girl might actually be real – especially when the egg hatches overnight.

The dragon has immense powers that Grace has yet to understand. And that puts them both in danger from mysterious forces intent on abusing the dragon’s power. And now it’s up to Grace and her school friends to uncover the sinister plot threatening the entire city!

An epic dragon fantasy series for 8+ readers!

Graphic Novel

Written by scientist and environmental activist Trang Nguyen, Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear is an inspirational graphic-novel adventure, based on a true story about a young conservationist who overcomes the odds to save a sun bear.

When Chang discovers a bear farm near her home in Vietnam, she decides to do everything she can to save wild animals – by becoming a conservationist! After teaching herself survival skills and learning all she can about the rainforest, Chang is finally accepted as a rescue centre volunteer. But her toughest challenge yet comes when she makes a vow to return Sorya – the sun bear she raised from infancy – back to the wild. Because despite being a different species, Sorya is Chang’s best friend. And letting a friend go is never easy, even when it’s the right thing to do.

With breathtaking graphic-novel style illustrations by award-winning manga artist Jeet Zdung, Chang’s daring story is for any young reader, animal lover, and intrepid explorer who’s ready for adventure!

Chapter book

Nature-loving Timi is unsettled by the arrival of a new sibling and turns to tending a tree growing in his local library. But there is something magical about the tree and it is growing FAST… and the library is going to close. Can Timi save the library and his tree, and maybe bring his community closer together along the way? A charming early reader for ages 5-8, filled with black-and-white illustrations.

Chapter book

Lewis loves football more than anything else in the world, so he’s thrilled when his talent is spotted by a local coach.

But there are some big obstacles in his way. His mum doesn’t want him to have anything to do with the game because of what happened to his dad on the pitch. And even if Lewis can persuade her to let him give it a go, there’s no way they can afford the kit.

Can Lewis beat the odds to have a chance of following his dream?

Picturebook

A cinematic journey through the Seoul subway that masterfully portrays the many unique lives we travel alongside whenever we take the train. A poetic translation of the bestselling Korean picture book.

Accompanied by the constant, rumbling ba-dum ba-dum of its passage through the city, the subway has stories to tell. Between sunrise and sunset, it welcomes and farewells people, and holds them — along with their joys, hopes, fears, and memories — in its embrace.

Originally published in Korean and brought to English-speaking audiences with the help of renowned translator Deborah Smith (The Vegetarian), I Am the Subway vividly reflects the shared humanity that can be found in crowded metropolitan cities.

Translated by Deborah Smith.

Chapter book

Join Max’s quest to become a knight in this laugh-out-loud New York Times bestselling adventure!

Max wants to be a knight – too bad that dream is about as likely as finding a friendly dragon. But when Max’s uncle Budrick is kidnapped by the cruel King Gastley, Max has to act . . . and fast! Joined by a band of brave adventurers – the Midknights – Max sets out on a thrilling quest: to save uncle Budrick and restore the realm of Byjovia to its former glory!

Chapter book

Chaos and mayhem reign as Izzy and her friends take on another hilarious (mis)adventure. There’s no such thing as an ordinary day at school when they’re around… Izzy and her friends overhear their head teacher talking about “missing treasure” and “running out of time”. They know this means there’s TREASURE buried in the school somewhere and that Mr Graves wants it all for himself. So Jodi says they’ve got to find it first, and they should start by searching the staffroom. After seeing things they will never forget, they head to the basement. Gary Petrie’s dad is working down there and he’s seen something SHINY! So they send Zach’s cat down with a camera strapped to her head and study the footage carefully. What they see is SHOCKING and CHANGES EVERYTHING. It’s not treasure in the basement, it’s a BEAST with SHINING EYES and it’s coming to get them! RUN!!!

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