Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Age Group: KS3 (Ages 11-14)

12-year-old Ella Jones has been blind for two years and is navigating her new world with the help of her guide dog Maisie, her sister Poppy and her best friend Finn.

One day, on a visit to central London with her family, a light in the world is suddenly extinguished, causing panic and chaos as people are plunged into pitch black. A pagan god of light, Lugh, has been released from his millennium-old-prison by a shadowy villain and, out for revenge on humans, has brought darkness down on the world. But Ella is the hero the world needs: she is used to living her life in darkness every day, and is able to keep calm and work out a plan to defeat Lugh and return light to the world.

an edge-of-your-seat, wonderfully twisty adventure mystery for fans of Percy Jackson and Skandar.

an empowering, empathetic story showing young people that disabilities do not have to hold them back.

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly
dyslexia-friendly

The List is the story of Jake whose best friend, Denny, is about to move away. But Denny is not just Jake’s best friend, he is his only real friend – it’s always just been the two of them, and Jake can’t imagine what his life will be like without him. It’s the end of an era, and Jake isn’t ready.

Denny doesn’t want to leave, but his mum has got a new job, and he doesn’t have a choice. In the days before Denny is due to leave, he comes up with a list of things he wants to do before he goes. It is a list of things that have gone wrong that he wants to put right, but none of them are going to be easy to achieve. In fact, Jake thinks they’re impossible, but Denny is his best friend, so he agrees to help.

What follows is adventure and mischief and a story of friendships tested and new relationships formed.

This is a short, pacey read for young teens. Although an easy read, it is a realistic portrayal of teenage life and tackles the complexity of being a teenager and the range of emotions that are felt. This book will encourage readers to think about the true value of friendship and the impression people leave on our lives, even at a young age

Kenzie is the least likely participant on a school hillwalking residential trip to the Cairngorms in Scotland: she would much rather be in her school library reading about such things. She doesn’t make friends easily either, so the fact that her class will join year 6 pupils from other schools makes it doubly daunting.

Despite all her best efforts to feign illness and get out of going, she finds herself in a small group with her nemesis Sorley – the class clown – and two strangers. Their guide, Birdy, is an outspoken outdoor enthusiast, but Sorley is uncharacteristically quiet and Kenzie manages an uneasy comradeship with the others.

After a sleep-deprived first night in their camp halfway up a mountain, Kenzie wakes first to find that Birdy is no longer with them – his tent and belongings left behind. The four young companions must find a way to get help, but no one will be looking for them until they fail to make it to the meeting place in two days. They have to find the village that Birdy was leading them towards, even though they aren’t sure of their location and the weather is not on their side. However, it turns out that being lost and alone is the least of their problems.

This would be perfect for mountains or British Isles topics and has themes of conservation, wildlife protection, friendship and courage. It would also be an excellent read for year 6 students transitioning to secondary school.

Geraldine McCaughren’s latest book looks at the choices of four older teenagers as they all decide not to be evacuated with the younger children. With no younger siblings to look after, they all skip out of the train they should have left on to follow their dreams (or avoid their nightmares).

This war-themed book for readers aged 10-14 is no means a jolly “Blitz spirit” novel, but it illustrates beautifully how people can take lightness and joy from each other even in the darkest times.

The character development for each teen is fascinating – as you can imagine, they have to grow up rather quickly as the war begins. Lawrence is convinced he can contribute to the war effort while Franklin is desperate to become a fireman like his father. Gemmy “The Gremlin” is living rough and scavenging in bombed-out homes after escaping an abusive home. Olive somehow ties them all together as the group’s kindness and conscience – a role that becomes increasingly important and difficult as the war grinds on.

I would really recommend this both as a WW2 study of ordinary people and as a coming-of-age novel set against a flame-filled London blitz backdrop.

A book to broaden horizons! Although aimed at KS2 pupils, this information book about neurodiversity and brains is as much for adults as children: parents and teachers will learn, or be gently reminded, about mindful language and changing perceptions of neurodiversity. Do you and your pupils know about sunflower lanyards, identity-first versus person-first language or neuroplasticity?

Scott Evans, a teacher and neurodivergent spokesperson, has created an empowering guide that celebrates the uniqueness of every brain and blends neuroscience with understanding, offering readers an accessible introduction to how the brain works and why neurodiversity matters. The narration speaks directly to the reader, reassuring them that their brains are not only powerful but are extraordinary. All Brains Are Wonderful encourages self-awareness, kindness and curiosity, making it a valuable resource for classrooms and families alike.

The illustrations by The Boy Fitz Hammond are a great match for the text—bright, expressive and inclusive (from freckles to braces to vitiligo) – they bring the science to life, helping to convey the book’s core message: that all people matter.

This quality hardback, with its tactile cover, would grace any school foyer, library or bedroom bookshelf. It conveys a real sense of adventure, shared by the authors and explorers who have experienced Antartica in the raw, thanks to the stunning illustrations and often poetic prose.

It’s factually fascinating, as well as comical in places (for example the wanted poster for Carol’s lost toy mouse; not to mention fish whose appearance is laughable, and talk of Weddell seals sounding like an electronic orchestra), and is dotted with references to famous names (e.g. Shackleton) and literature (e.g. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner) and traditions (e.g. reverencing Neptune).

In addition to using a range of scientific vocabulary (e.g. anthropogenic, isobars, pertinacity), the book also evokes a response which invites rich description: impressive, sculpted, surreal, perilous, dazzling, ethereal, opalescent and immense. At times, you want to be there, in a place ‘so dry that, when you walk on rocks, they tinkle like fairies’ bells,’ but at others (in a Force 11 gale), you’re glad you’re not.

These features, together with its visual appeal, make Into the Ice a great prompt for storytelling and, although it appeals to a wide age range, it is a peephole into the world of deserts and explorers, which are covered in the KS1 curriculum. It concludes with an urgent message for us all – we must take care of Antarctica!

A middle-grade fantasy featuring a British-Indian protagonist with ADHD. Eleven-year-old Vanya Vallen can talk to books. But more importantly, the books talk back.

When her family is attacked by a monster she believed only existed in legends, Vanya discovers that her parents have been keeping secrets, and that monsters do exist. Soon, she is whisked off to the enchanted school of Auramere, where she joins the ranks of archwitches and archivists.

Auramere is full of magic – and monsters. And the Wild Hunt is on the prowl. It’s up to Vanya to unmask its leader and stop them from destroying the only place she’s ever truly belonged.

This is a thought-provoking story about school friendships, bullying and the transition to secondary school.

The story follows the trials and tribulations of Sam in Year 6, who overhears his friends Fin, Cal and Jay saying that they won’t be putting his name on their ‘friends list’ for the Year 7 tutor group in their new secondary school.

When Fin, Cal, Jay and their families go to Barcelona without him during half-term, Sam strikes up a rather one-sided friendship with Zak Monroe – a new boy in the year group who has already been dubbed ‘weird’ by his peers. As Sam increasingly tries to disassociate himself from anything and anyone that his old friends make fun of, he realises that he is trying to change to please them and that there are more important issues at stake.

There are many different threads to this story that children struggling with change and friendships might empathise with. Transition to a new school is a big part, but also self-belief, resilience, anxieties, acceptance of differences and challenging stereotypes.

PoetryVerse novel

Written in verse. Ronny moves out of London after his friend is attacked, but he struggles to fit into his new town until he discovers spoken word.

Powerful, empathetic, raw, inspiring and creative!

Part of a Story That Started Before Me is an extraordinary new collection of poems chosen by acclaimed spoken-word performer and social commentator George the Poet.

Taking readers on a thought-provoking poetical journey through Black British history, the anthology brings together some of the most exciting wordsmiths from across the diaspora and fascinating era-by-era notes from historian Dr Christienna Fryar.

From Africans in Roman Britannia to the first Black actor to play Othello on stage, from Malcolm X’s visit to the West Midlands to highlighting an organizer of the UK’s first Gay Pride, this important collection reveals unsung people and events from our past to recognize the intrinsic impact they’ve had on Britain today.

Featuring: Abi Simms, Adesayo Talabi, AFLO. the poet, Amina Jama, Anu Balofin, Ashley Hickson-Lovence, Becksy Becks, Benjamin Zephaniah, Bridget Minamore, Cara Thompson, Casey Bailey, Deanna Rodger, Derek Walcott, Dorothea Smartt, Dzifa Benson, Edward Kamau Brathwaite, Eno Mfon, Evan the Poet, Fred D’Aguiar, FULAANI onda 3s, George The Poet, Grace Nichols, Henry Stone, Highwater Ell aka Elliott Henry, Ife Grillo, Inua Ellams, Irenosen Okojie, Isaiah Hull, Jade LB, Jeffrey Boakye, Jenny Mitchell, Jeremiah Brown, John Agard, Joseph Coelho, Jude Yawson, Kat Francois, Keith Jarrett, Kelechi Okafor, M. NourbeSe Philip, Malika Booker, Michael Groce, Miles Chambers, Muneera Pilgrim, Nick Makoha, Nii Ayikwei Parkes, Nile Faure-Bryan, Olaudah Equiano, Olivette Otele, Patience Agbabi, Peter deGraft-Johnson aka The Repeat Beat Poet, Phillis Wheatley, Priss Nash, Rakaya Fetuga, Raymond Antrobus, Reece Williams, Safiya Kamaria Kinshasha, Samuel King, Sophia Thakur, Stretch the Top Boy, Thembe Mvula, Theresa Lola, Tré Ventour, Vanessa Kisuule, Wretch 32 and Zena Edwards.

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