Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Author & Illustrators

Chris Vick Books

Sky Dancers

Chapter book

A lyrical 11+ story of dangerous enchantment and sorcery, from Carnegie-shortlisted Chris Vick; perfect for fans of Frances Hardinge.

Hilly Seaborne, fourteen, is an outsider in her new home on the Cornish coast. A skilled acrobat, she is pulled between strange dreams of flying, the call of the sea, and visions of a deserted lighthouse that appears only to her. Magic thickens around Hilly as she begins to uncover tales of strange sightings and unnerving events, alongside her at times frustrating, logic-loving classmate, Lorcan.

As she discovers the truth about her family’s past and her connection to the luminous spirits that roam the coast, deadly elemental forces threaten everything she holds dear. Can Hilly control the irresistible power she feels? Who is Isla, the mysterious girl that lived in the invisible lighthouse long ago? And what are the dark forces stirring deep under the water’s surface?

Girl. Boy. Sea.

Chris Vick

Chapter book

When the boat Bill is on capsizes during a ferocious storm, he becomes separated from his crewmates and ends up adrift in a tiny boat on the endless sea. A few days later, he comes across a girl, Aya, also a survivor of a shipwreck, and they decide that their chances of survival are better together.

As their hopes of being rescued quickly fade, Aya keeps Bill going with tales inspired by Shahrazad. Together they do what they have to do to survive – they learn how to create drinkable water from the interminable ocean, they realise they are going to have to kill to eat, and they try to protect themselves from the devastating heat of the sun. Then, one day, they spot land … but is it going to be the safe haven they have so desperately hoped for?

This is an incredible story of survival against the odds, of finding the inner strength to survive and of the power of friendship.

Shadow Creatures

Chris Vick

Chapter book

There is a wealth of WW2-inspired fiction for KS2 readers and it was refreshing to have a story that is set in a different country than those often written about – in this case Norway.

I really enjoyed the opening to the story, which sets the scene of young Georgy listening to his Grandmother and Grand-Aunt retelling the story of what happened: this makes the reader feel like they are part of the story, listening to Tove and Liva recall what life was like during that time.

The dual narrative throughout the main story offers a chance for children to gain more insight into the two main characters and their emotions, motives and thoughts. This is also what would potentially make it more challenging for LKS2 or less confident readers.

The story also spans the majority of WW2, allowing children to experience a narrative in which characters grow and change throughout.

The Last Whale

Chris Vick

Chapter book

There are 1.3 million great whales left in the Earth’s oceans today. Climate activist Abi and her AI computer Moonlight are on a mission to protect the planet.

When they uncover whale song recordings made by Abi’s great-grandfather, a whale hunter, Moonlight discovers a pattern – the songs are a map to a future that could rescue the whales and rescue the world.