Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

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Emily Haworth-Booth Books

When a King bans the dark completely, installing an artificial sun, and enforcing “anti-dark” laws, it seems like a good idea. The citizens don’t need to worry about monsters, crime, or any of the other scary things that might live in the dark. But what happens when nobody can sleep? Will the citizens revolt?

Waterstones’ Children’s Book Prize 2019, Klaus Flugge Prize 2019 and Independent Bookshop Week Awards 2019

There was once a little boy who was afraid of the dark. There’s nothing unusual about that. Most children are afraid of the dark at one time of another. But this little boy was a Prince, and he decided that when he became King, he would do something about the dark.

He would ban it.

The King Who Banned the Dark is a beautiful and thought-provoking story about how we need the dark in order to enjoy the light.

The Last Tree is an eco-fable for our times, with themes of nature, conserving trees, community and listening to the voices of the young. “Once upon a time, a group of friends were looking for a place to live” – they find a tree, then a forest and make a happy community. However, what begins as building a few cabins and a fire to warm themselves, gradually develops into an insatiable use of all the wood and the construction of a high fence to keep out the wind. Only one last tree remains. The children of each family are told to go and cut it down for their family, quickly, before the neighbours do. But here the children rebel, and we end on an uplifting note of hope for the future, as the fence is dismantled and a new forest planted. Printed on recycled paper and with pictures in soft pencil shading and muted colours, the look of the book suits the important message of the tale. The Last Tree could be useful with all primary age groups, for example in assembly, as the message is accessible to KS1 while leaving room for discussion and debate in KS2.

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Stone Girl Bone Girl

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