Best Books for Reception (Children Aged 4-5)
NEWLY updated – April 2024!
We’ve hand-picked a list of 50 recommended books to read with 4- and 5-year-olds. Update your class library or home book collections with our list of the best Reception books, covering everything from rhyming frogs and super-greedy monsters to dreams of space travel and expeditions to faraway places. Not to mention the odd heroic potato or post-delivering penguin, too…
The Reception year of primary school is an important phase in children’s literacy development. Our booklist includes popular Reception stories such as Supertato, Oi Frog and Elmer, as well as some lesser-known storytime delights that we highly recommend, like Snail in Space and Blue Monster Wants it All.
This collection of books has been carefully curated by our team of teachers and children’s reading experts, with the help of our Review Panel members, who have tried and tested hundreds of titles in their primary school settings to bring you only the best of the best.
If you’re a parent or teacher looking for what you should read with Reception children, look no further than our Reception reading list. From classic tales and funny read-alouds to new releases and educational reads, we have something to suit every young reader’s interests. Our Reception booklist includes both fiction and non-fiction recommendations to read with children in this age group to encourage a love of books and to develop vocabulary, comprehension skills and creativity.
As well as the Reception booklist below to browse, we’ve also got a printable poster and downloadable checklist for you, and schools can purchase full sets of the books via Peters.
Browse the Reception booklist below or scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.
