Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Age Group: KS3 (Ages 11-14)

Science You Can Eat

Non-fiction

Discover the incredible, edible science that happens every time you cook, bake, or eat with this children’s book that is part-cookbook, part-science reference.

There is a fantastic mix of fun facts and knowledge, context and science experiments for kids in this educational book. The experiments are easy to execute at home with things you have around the kitchen. The instructions are detailed but easy to understand, so some kids could even adventure solo through its pages.

Enjoy the delightful weirdness of tricking your taste buds, making slime taste delicious, investigating some of the strangest flavours around and extracting iron from your cereal!

Science You Can Eat helps your little one understand what’s happening with their food and why. Each page is guaranteed to leave you hungry for more – we’d wager even adults will learn a thing or two from this culinary escapade.

The Many Worlds of Albie Bright

Christopher Edge

Chapter book

An extraordinary novel for anyone who’s ever been curious from award-winning author Christopher Edge.

When Albie’s mum dies, it’s natural he should wonder where she’s gone. His parents are both scientists and they usually have all the answers. Dad mutters something about Albie’s mum being alive and with them in a parallel universe.

So Albie finds a box, his mum’s computer and a rotting banana, and sends himself through time and space to find her…

The Biology Book

Non-fiction

Learn about the most important discoveries and theories of this science in The Biology Book.

Part of the fascinating Big Ideas series, this book tackles tricky topics and themes in a simple and easy to follow format. Learn about Biology in this overview guide to the subject, brilliant for novices looking to find out more and experts wishing to refresh their knowledge alike! The Biology Book brings a fresh and vibrant take on the topic through eye-catching graphics and diagrams to immerse yourself in.

The Biology Book is a captivating introduction to understanding the living world and explaining how its organisms work and interact – whether microbes, mushrooms, or mammals. Here you’ll discover key areas of the life sciences, including ecology, zoology, and biotechnology, through exciting text and bold graphics.

The Chemistry Book

Non-fiction

Discover and understand the key ideas that underpin the core science of chemistry and learn about the great minds who uncovered them

Written in plain English, The Chemistry Book is packed with short, pithy explanations of some of the most historic moments in science, from the birth of atomic theory to the discovery of polyethylene and the development of new vaccine technologies to combat COVID-19. Simple graphics, such as flowcharts and mind maps, support the text and make the explanation of key concepts easy to follow.

Arranged in chronological order, the book covers key themes in the physical and natural sciences, such as geochemistry and the elements. Within each chapter, a series of articles traces the history of scientific thought and introduces the work of the scientists who have shaped the subject such as John Dalton, Marie Curie, Dmitri Mendeleev, Kathleen Lonsdale, and Stephanie Kwolek.

Whether you are new to chemistry, a student of the sciences, or just want to keep up with and understand the latest news and scientific debates, The Chemistry Book is for you.

The Physics Book

Non-fiction

Part of the fascinating Big Ideas series, this book tackles tricky topics and themes in a simple and easy to follow format. Learn about Physics in this overview guide to the subject, brilliant for beginners looking to learn and experts wishing to refresh their knowledge alike! The Physics Book brings a fresh and vibrant take on the topic through eye-catching graphics and diagrams to immerse yourself in.

The Physics Book is the perfect introduction to the science, aimed at adults with an interest in the subject and students wanting to gain more of an overview. Here you’ll discover more than 90 of the most important laws and theories in the history of physics and the great minds behind them. If you’ve ever wondered exactly how physicists formulated and proved groundbreaking abstract concepts, this is the perfect book for you.

Shackleton’s Endurance: An Antarctic Survival Story

Joanna Grochowicz

Chapter book, Non-fiction

Adrift on the Antarctic pack ice with no means of escape and no hope of rescue, Ernest Shackleton and his men are surely doomed.

In August 1914, Ernest Shackleton and his men set sail for Antarctica, where they plan to cross the last uncharted continent on foot. In January 1915, his ship, the Endurance, becomes locked in pack ice. Later, it sinks without a trace.

To survive, Shackleton and his crew of twenty-seven men must undertake a trial even more extreme than their planned crossing of the frozen continent. Their aim is to make it home against tremendous odds, with only lifeboats to cross the heavy seas of the South Atlantic – and the life-saving power of Shackleton’s extraordinary leadership skills.

Beyond the Sky: You and the Universe

Dan Bramall & Dara O’Briain

Non-fiction

UK and Ireland’s best-loved comedian Dara O Briain takes you on a journey from the safety of your comfiest chair to the furthest reaches of space (and beyond!)

So you want to go into space? We humans are perfectly designed for life on Earth. We can walk around, breathe, drink water, eat vegetables, read books, not get poisoned or crushed to death when we go outside – it’s lovely right where we are.)

People have been dreaming about space travel for centuries – there’s something amazing about the idea of leaving our planet behind and setting out to explore the Universe – there’s so much we still don’t know.

The Girl of Ink & Stars

Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Chapter book

Forbidden to leave her island, Isabella dreams of the faraway lands her cartographer father once mapped.

When her friend disappears, she volunteers to guide the search. The world beyond the walls is a monster-filled wasteland – and beneath the dry rivers and smoking mountains, a fire demon is stirring from its sleep.

Soon, following her map, her heart and an ancient myth, Isabella discovers the true end of her journey: to save the island itself.

A beautifully written, multi award-winning story of friendship, discovery, myths and magic for any age – perfect for fans of Philip Pullman, Frances Hardinge or Katherine Rundell

From the author of Julia and the Shark and The Mercies, chosen for the Richard & Judy Book Club

Set in an extensive and stunningly-imagined parallel world imbued with magical realism

A gorgeous gift with intricate star-chart illustrations throughout – a present for young and old, which will stay with you long after reading

The Periodic Table Book

Non-fiction

Packed with more than 1,000 incredible images and full of fascinating facts, this children’s book takes you on a visual and vibrant journey of all the chemical elements that make up our world.

This eye-catching encyclopedia for kids is the perfect guide to the 118 chemical elements of the periodic table, for budding young scientists to explore. It explores the naturally occurring elements, as well as the man-made ones, and explains their properties and uses. This engaging encyclopedia shows the many natural forms of each element, as well as a wide range of both everyday and unexpected objects in which it is found, making each element relevant to the child’s world!

Prisoners of Geography: Our World Explained in 12 Simple Maps

Tim Marshall

Non-fiction

Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year 2019 / Shortlisted for Children’s Travel Book of the Year, Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards 2020

How did the USA become a superpower?
Why do people go to war?
And why are some countries rich while others are so poor?

Find the answers to these questions and many more in this eye-opening book, which uses maps to explain how geography has shaped the history of our world. Discover how the choices of world leaders are swayed by mountains, rivers and seas – and why geography means that history is always repeating itself. This remarkable, unique introduction to world affairs will inspire curious minds everywhere.

A stunning abridged and illustrated edition of the international bestseller Prisoners of Geography, by acclaimed author Tim Marshall.