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book gift guide children 2023

Book Gift Guide Age 5-7

Best Children’s Books for 5-7 Year Olds: Christmas 2023 Gift Guide

Books make for a wonderful choice of Christmas gifts for children and we’re here to help with some top recommendations of children’s books for Christmas 2023.

From timeless bedtime stories and curious information books to festive favourites and glorious gift books, we’ve selected our top recommendations of book gifts for children aged 5-7.  We’ve tried to include something for all tastes – look out for rooftop present deliveries, backpack-wearing penguins, ice-skating adventures and microscopic science in this year’s Christmas Gift Guide for 5- to 7-year-olds.

Whether you are looking for festive twists on classic favourites like You Choose: Christmas or chapter-a-day advent adventures like The Nutcracker and the Mouse King’s Christmas Shenanigans, we hope this guide will fill your little ones with festive cheer. We’ve also included KS1 popular favourites like Einstein the Penguin and classic story books like Pippi Longstocking, as well as information books for curious minds like Atlas of Animal Adventures and beautiful poetry compendiums to treasure, such as A Whale of a Time.

 

The books on this list are also available to purchase from Bookshop or Amazon.

Download Printable PDF – Christmas Gift Book Guide Age 5-7

 

Booklists for KS1

KS1 Booklists (Ages 5-7)

Booklists for Children in Key Stage 1

In educational settings in England and Wales, Key Stage 1 (KS1) usually refers to children in school Years 1 and 2 (ages 5-7).

Our selection of recommended booklists for children in KS1 covers everything from storytime favourites and first chapter books to popular KS1 topics like Weather & Seasons and the Fire of London.

Browse our Reading for Pleasure recommendations or curriculum booklists to find the very best books for children in KS1 to enjoy at home or in the classroom.

Storytime favourite class read-alouds ages 5-7

Recommended Storytime Chapter Books: KS1 (Ages 5-7)

Chapter book

Best Storytime Chapter Books for Key Stage 1 

We have selected a list of storytime chapter books for Year 1 and Year 2 (ages 5-7), which includes books that are particularly well suited for being read out loud to younger children. From the best class readers to favourite bedtime stories, browse our list of brilliant books for capturing the magic storytelling with KS1.

Simple chapter books with a story that continues over short instalments make excellent choices for storytime at this age group. Many of the books we have chosen on this list have memorable characters, integrated illustrations and stories that are tried-and-tested favourites with the 5-7 age range.

Immerse young readers in the enchanting world of storytelling with our carefully chosen chapter books, featuring favourite animal stories like Einstein the Penguin and humorous adventures such as The Legend of Kevin. Explore timeless classics tailored for this age group, including the beloved Mrs Pepperpot and The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark, or stories of family life like the Betsey Biggalow series. Our diverse list is chosen to create an engaging reading experience, fostering both entertainment and literacy development in Key Stage 1.

Discover these thoughtfully selected storytime favourites for KS1, and embark on a journey of lifelong reading joy.

 

Toys

From dolls and teddies to sticks and balls, toys can hold a special place in the hearts of children. It’s no surprise that the topic of toys and games is always a hit with children, who love learning about toys from the past and toys around the world. We’ve put together a selection of the best children’s books about the topic of toys.

Books about dinosaurs

Dinosaur Children’s Books

Best Children’s Books about Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures are often a topic of great interest to children. From the terrific T-Rex to the brilliant Brachiosaurus, we’ve selected a list of recommended children’s books about dinosaurs to help you to dig deep into the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods!

For young kids that love dinosaurs, My Encyclopedia of Very Important Dinosaurs  is bursting with up-to-date facts and discoveries and is easily accessible to young readers or try The Dinosaur Department Store  – a truly wild picture book that will appeal to dino-loving, adventurous children everywhere.

So, if you are looking for recommended dinosaur story books for children, this specially selected reading list for EYFS and KS1 has got you covered…

diverse and inclusive books for KS1

Diverse & Inclusive Books for KS1

Best Diverse Children’s Books for Ages 5-7

Our experts have selected a list of recommended diverse and inclusive books for children in Year 1 and Year 2 (KS1), which feature characters that are traditionally under-represented in children’s books.

This list of the best diverse books for children in Key Stage 1 includes books with minority ethnic main characters, books that celebrate difference and books with representations of cultural diversity, different types of families, physical disabilities, visual impairment and neurodiversity. 

The list includes the story of Faizah as she witnesses her older sister Asiya’s first day of hijab in The Proudest Blue and the celebration of traditional Traveller virtues in Polonius the Pit Pony, as well as the tale of Faruq’s discovery of Caribbean ingredients in Faruq and the Wiri Wiri and Amazing Joe’s story exploring how to respond to disability in You’re So Amazing.

The books selected are chosen to represent a diversity of cultures and experiences that reflect the realities of life for children in modern-day UK classrooms.

You can find Diverse & Inclusive children’s book lists for other primary year groups here:

 

Schools can purchase full packs of our diverse book lists via Peters.

Books about superheroes

Superhero Books

The best superhero stories and superhero themed children’s books

Get ready to bring out your inner hero and zap into adventure mode with our list of recommended children’s books about superheroes. From caped crusaders and vile villains to amazing everyday heroes and heroines, our list of best superhero stories for children shows that superheroes come in all shapes and sizes.

From the classic superhero story Supertato, the unlikely superhero who is on a mission to protect the other vegetables from the Evil Pea and children’s favourite Julia Donaldson’s Superworm, we also include How to Save a Superhero – a heart-warming book with fun characters, rhyming text and a wonderful take-away message about standing up for what’s right, which makes a great addition to the superhero bookshelf.

If you are looking for recommended superhero story books for children, this specially selected reading list for EYFS and KS1 has got you covered…

first chapter books

First Chapter Books

Chapter book

Best First Chapter Books for Children

Finding the right books is essential in helping young readers successfully make the leap into their first chapter books.

On this booklist, we have picked a selection of short, illustrated chapter books that are perfect for children launching into independent reading. This collection of early reader books – with colour illustrations, shorter length and clear formatting – has been picked with those readers in mind who need something to bridge the gap between reading scheme books and lengthier chapter books. 

Invite early readers to delve into tried-and-tested short, illustrated chapter books with favourite characters like Isadora Moon and Claude, providing delightful and imaginative adventures that children can enjoy in a series to read through or collect. Some readers might opt for gentle animal stories like The Little Lost Kitten while others will prefer to embark on exciting fantasy escapades like the pirate-themed Molly Rogers to the Rescue.

This booklist serves as a resource for parents and teachers seeking engaging and developmentally appropriate first chapter books for newly independent readers.

Refugees & Immigration Books KS1

Recommended Children’s Books about Refugees and Immigration 

We’ve put together a list of recommended books about refugees for primary school-aged children. The children’s books on this list can help to explore the refugee experience and the topic of immigration in an age-appropriate way.

NB: This recommended booklist is aimed at children ages 4-7 (KS1). If you are looking for older children’s books for this topic, we have a separate KS2 refugee booklist here.

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