Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Author & Illustrators

Malachy Doyle Books

Chapter book

14-year-old Georgie hasn’t spoken in years.

Withdrawn, isolated and full of rage, no one trusts him and no one gets close to him.

But then he is moved to a new home in the Welsh countryside.

Instead of an empty room with a bare mattress on the floor, he has a proper bed, a music system, a mirror.

There even seems to be someone here who might want to be his friend.

Is this the place where Georgie can finally overcome his fears and start to unlock the secrets of his past?

A raw, gritty, yet hopeful and uplifting story about mental health and the power of care and kindness.

The perfect picture book to introduce children aged 6+ to Rama and Sita and the story of Diwali, with text by award-winning author Malachy Doyle and stunning, colourful illustrations from Christopher Corr.

Rama and Sita live happily in the forest – until Sita is kidnapped by the demon king, Ravana. Can Rama and the monkey king Hanuman follow the trail she has laid for them and save Sita, or will she be lost forever? Whether you’re looking for a Diwali gift or a simple introduction to the Diwali story to share with your children, this beautiful book, now reissued in a larger picture book format, is ideal.

The Miracle of Hanukkah is the perfect picture book to introduce children to the story and traditions of Hanukkah, with text by award-winning author Malachy Doyle and stunning, colourful illustrations from Christopher Corr, the talented team behind Rama and Sita: The Story of Diwali.

King Antiochus has destroyed the temple and city because the Jews won’t worship him instead of God. With no oil left, how will Judah Maccabee and the Jewish people keep the temple’s flame alight?

Whether you’re looking for a gift for Hanukkah or a simple introduction to the story to share with children, this beautiful picture book is ideal.

I first heard about this book when I was in Yorkshire teaching creative writing with Malachy himself – and I instantly fell in love with the picture of the tiger prancing in the moonlight on the cover. Malachy is a wonderful storyteller from Ireland so imagine it with his soft accent making the words dance! It is also a rhyming story so burrows its way into your mind: ‘There’s a quiet, gentle tiger/In the woods below the hill…’ It is also challenges the idea that tigers are scary – quite the opposite in this case – so is the perfect, calming bedtime story for little ones.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Your Review

Stone Girl Bone Girl

review

Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:

Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:

Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?

yes

Curriculum links (if relevant)

Curriculum links (if relevant)

Any other comments

Any other comments