Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Age Group: KS3 (Ages 11-14)

A book drawing together mythological poems – classic and brand-new – from around the world, illustrated throughout in black and white by award-winning former children’s laureate Chris Riddell. Compiled by bestselling anthologist Ana Sampson, with an introduction by Natalie Haynes, author of Stone Blind.

People all over the world have always told each other stories. And from the very earliest times, many of these stories were told in verse. This collection of poems includes retellings and reimaginings of Roman, Greek, Egyptian, Norse, Celtic, Aztec, Japanese and Inuit mythology.

You will meet gods, monsters, tricksters, heroes, magical creatures and objects, magicians and spirits, including Medusa, Icarus, Loki, Osiris, the Minotaur, Pegasus, Bunyip, Kukulcan, Cerberus, Beowulf and Mjolnir, and there are footnotes to shine a light on the stories themselves.

An award-winning collection of poetry vividly evoking the experience of living in the Caribbean – and of leaving for other lands.

This prestigious anthology, which won the 2003 CLPE Poetry Award, conjures up the sights and sounds, tastes and tales of the Caribbean; the experience of living there – and of leaving for other lands. A companion to the acclaimed A Caribbean Dozen, this book contains more than fifty poems by over thirty poets, including John Agard, Grace Nichols, James Berry, Valerie Bloom and Benjamin Zephaniah.

The classic collection of poetry from the author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Maya Angelou’s poetry – lyrical and dramatic, exuberant and playful – speaks of love, longing, partings; of Saturday night partying, and the smells and sounds of Southern cities; of freedom and shattered dreams.

A stunning book containing 150 bold, brave and beautiful poems by women – from classic, well-loved poets to innovative and bold modern voices. From suffragettes to school girls, from spoken word superstars to civil rights activists, from aristocratic ladies to kitchen maids, these are voices that deserve to be heard.

Collected by anthologist Ana Sampson, ‘She is Fierce: Brave, Bold and Beautiful Poems by Women’ contains an inclusive array of voices, from modern and contemporary poets. Immerse yourself in poems from Maya Angelou, Nikita Gill, Wendy Cope, Ysra Daley-Ward, Emily Bronte, Carol Ann Duffy, Fleur Adcock, Liz Berry, Jackie Kay, Hollie McNish, Imtiaz Dharker, Helen Dunmore, Emily Dickinson, Mary Oliver, Christina Rossetti, Margaret Atwood and Dorothy Parker, to name but a few!

Featuring short biographies of each poet, She is Fierce is a stunning collection and an essential addition to any bookshelf.

Recommended Books to Support Struggling Readers in KS3

If you are looking for recommended books to support struggling readers in Years 7, 8 and 9, this expertly curated BooksForTopics booklist is here to help! These are books that support reading at lower levels while still featuring stories, illustrations and cover designs that appeal to ages 11-14 –  helping to avoid the need for books that seem ‘too young’.

All of the books on this list are published by Barrington Stoke, whose books are specially designed to be ‘super-readable’ and dyslexia-friendly thanks to their special font, off-white tinted paper and larger spacing that reduces visual stress. Importantly, the books selected feature quality short fiction by bestselling authors and illustrators, enabling KS3 readers to choose books that are appealing in visual style and interest level for their age range while containing text at a lower reading level designed to support reading development.

This Key Stage 3 Barrington Stoke reading list for supporting struggling readers features a huge range of themes, from sci-fi thrillers like Reek to historical fiction like The Mermaid in the Millpond. Relatable reads like My Perfect Cousin and The Mystery of Me feature alongside empathy-building titles like A Sudden Storm and Northern Soul, while books like The Wrong Wheels and Date with Danger offer high-interest themes specially designed to engage reluctant teen readers. Classic stories also feature, with a retelling of Frankenstein and a new, accessible version of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde.

With something for all tastes, the titles on this booklist will help to develop success in reading in even the most reluctant readers.

​50 Best Books for Year 9 (Children Aged 13-14)

Updated for 2026

Welcome to the recommended reading list for Year 9. If you’re looking for a list of the best books for Year 9, you’ve come to the right place. Our team of experts has selected a list of the 50 best books for Year 9 to read. We’ve tried to include something for all tastes – so look out for mysteries, fantasies and dystopian reads alongside poetry, relatable fiction and books to make you laugh out loud…

best books for year 9With a mix of classic and contemporary titles, this selection of recommended reads is designed to provide children with a diverse range of literature that will encourage them to become lifelong readers.

This Y9 booklist includes relatable Y9 reads such as Tamsin Winter’s tale of viral trouble, I Dare You, verse novels like Joseph Coelho’s The Boy Lost in the Maze, and timeless classics including The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. This collection also features Y9 historical fiction, such as Here Lies Arthur, alongside fantasy adventures like A Skinful of Shadows. The non-fiction picks cover everything from Matthew Burton’s back-to-school handbook, Back on Track, to Philippa Gregory’s reclamation of women’s historical roles in her teen edition of Normal Women.

Having quality reading materials to hand can make all the difference as young people continue their reading journeys throughout KS3. Our panel of reading experts, teachers and secondary school librarians helps us to read and review the best titles to recommend to each year group. Along with evaluating the current popularity of books, we carefully assess each title on the merit of its age-appropriateness, quality of writing and illustrations, and ability to stimulate imagination, critical thinking and creativity.

This reading list of recommended books for Year 9 is curated by experts to match the developmental stage of 13 to 14-year-olds and to cater to their interests, providing the right level of challenge for Y9s as they grow through the final year of KS3. There is also a downloadable checklist and a printable poster, and schools can purchase full sets of the 50 books through Peters.
Browse the Y9 reading list below or scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

Shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag 2020 Readers Awards

‘With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . . The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. ‘Cuz tonight I’m delivering,’ raps twelve-year-old Josh Bell. Thanks to their dad, he and his twin brother, Jordan, are kings on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood – he’s got mad beats, too, which help him find his rhythm when it’s all on the line.

See the Bell family in a whole new light through Dawud Anyabwile’s dynamic illustrations as the brothers’ winning season unfolds, and the world as they know it begins to change.

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly
dyslexia-friendly

Cousins Yasmin and Ruby have always been rivals, but both sides of the story are exposed in this cleverly composed clean-teen novella from Karen McCombie.

Ruby can’t stand her “perfect” cousin Yasmin. Yasmin is pretty, popular and has a gorgeous boyfriend Max. She’s set to get excellent grades in her GCSEs and her parents won’t stop going on about how brilliant she is.

Ruby always feel small and hopeless around Yasmin, and whenever she gets any attention, Yasmin tries to make sure the spotlight turns back to her.

Or that’s how Ruby feels anyway. But is there another side to the story?

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly
dyslexia-friendly

A dramatic coach crash forces Hailey to re-examine her relationships with her fellow singing-club members in this gripping drama from queen of teen thrillers Sophie McKenzie.

A singing-club trip ends in disaster when the coach carrying the members spins out of control. Hailey is trapped at the back of the coach with her nemesis Bex, who’s taken the lead role in their latest performance, and handsome Kit, on whom Hailey has a massive crush.

As the coach hangs over the edge of a precipice and Kit escapes to find help, Hailey and Bex have to get over their initial judgements about each other and work together if they are to stand a chance of survival. Will they find a way to safety?

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly
dyslexia-friendly

Josh undertakes some unusual training methods to improve his technique in this fun football story, edited to a reading age of 6.5.

Josh is football mad – and so is his granddad, who used to be a league player. Josh is disappointed when he doesn’t do so well in matches at school, so his granddad comes up with some rather unorthodox training methods to help him. Will Josh make it all the way?

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