Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Author & Illustrators

David Solomons Books

The Ministry of Manners

Chapter book

This is a cleverly thought out dystopian story imagining what the world could be like with no freedom or privacy and an authoritarian regime controls every part of your life.

Society has broken down in the world due to a lack of manners, courtesy and respect. The Ministry of Manners now controls every aspect of daily life. All spoken and written communication is monitored and life has become a performance for the authorities.

The story follows quiet and well-behaved Alfie, his older sister Margot, who has rebellion in her heart, and their parents, who both work in minor roles for the Ministry. Then rumours surface about The Unsilenced – a group of rebels who are challenging the Ministry with disruptive acts and we hear of The Harmoniser – an AI system built to reshape human behaviour and render people hollow, passive and obedient. To Alfie’s horror, Margot’s resistance flags her to the Ministry and she is taken to a Manners Retreat for personality recalibration, and Dad turns out to be the Harmoniser project leader.

This would be wonderful read-aloud with tense plot moments interspersed with humour, and a set up for a sequel at the end. There’s even a section at the back to explain how a collapsing society had led to a takeover by The Ministry of Manners.

Spyglass: Mastermind of Mayhem

David Solomons & Miguel Diaz Rivas

Chapter book

Spyglass: Mastermind of Mayhem is a fast-paced and highly entertaining spy adventure that would be a huge hit with upper Key Stage 2 readers. Packed with gadgets, humour and action, the story follows Adam and his friends as they become caught up in a dangerous mission involving an ex-MI6 inventor, a supervillain and a series of wildly inventive gadgets.

The book’s humour is one of its biggest strengths, with plenty of puns, silly moments and comic inventions that keep the tone fun and engaging throughout. At the same time, the story has enough suspense and action to keep readers hooked, making it especially appealing to children who enjoy adventurous, fast-moving plots. The illustrations also help break up the text and add to the energy of the story. Themes of friendship, teamwork, bravery and problem-solving run throughout the novel and the likeable group of main characters make it easy for readers to become invested in the adventure.

The book would work well as a class read for Years 5 and 6, particularly for readers who enjoy spy stories, comedy or gadget-filled adventures in the style of James Bond or Johnny English. This would also be an excellent choice for reluctant readers thanks to its accessible style, short chapters and constant sense of excitement. Overall, it is a funny, imaginative and highly readable adventure that is likely to become a popular addition to classroom and library shelves.

A Beginner’s Guide to Ruling the Galaxy

David Solomons

Chapter book

David Solomons’ science fiction adventures are laugh-out-loud funny and have won several book awards. In this latest, Gavin finds himself with the fate of the world in his hands. The new girl at school, Niki, is really getting on his nerves, following him everywhere and declaring that she has never seen anyone so cosmically insignificant. He doesn’t believe her assertion that she is a galactic princess, trying to evade her warring, alien despot parents.

However, a series of surreal events including being taken hostage by a talking bounty hunter cat called Cupcake, soon make him change his mind. To avoid Earth being obliterated, Gavin must help Niki’s crew repair her spaceship as well as try and bring her parents together again.

Family and friendship are at the heart of this story. Gavin is fostered but worried that he is about to be moved on again, ousted by the baby he calls the Tiny Horror. Although Niki may seem to live a privileged life as a princess, her parents are fighting, forcing her to choose between them. Despite her annoying behaviour, Gavin realises he will miss Niki if she leaves whilst she has come to understand that families can grow from other relationships.

Hilarious and ultimately heartwarming, with inventive detail, this will appeal to readers in upper KS2.

My Brother is a Superhero

David Solomons

Chapter book

Luke is a comic-mad eleven-year old who shares a treehouse with his geeky older brother, Zack. Luke’ s only mistake is to go for a wee right at the wrong time. While he’s gone, an alien gives his undeserving, never-read-a-comic-in-his-life brother superpowers and then tells him to save the universe. Luke is massively annoyed about this, but when Zack is kidnapped by his arch-nemesis, Luke and his friends have only five days to find him and save the world…

Books don’t come much funnier than these! Packed with heart and soul, this series is perfect for fans of David Baddiel and David Walliams.

My Brother Is a Superhero was the winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2016.