Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Author & Illustrators

Saviour Pirotta Books

The Golden Horsemen of Baghdad

Chapter book

This fast-paced story is set in the Islamic Golden Age when Baghdad was considered the largest and most dazzling city in the world. Perfect for fans of thrilling adventure. Thirteen-year-old Jabir is hoping to save his family from being made homeless by finding work in Baghdad. Famished after his long journey to the city, Jabir is caught stealing bread and sent to prison. Luckily, one of the guards there notices that he has a gift for carving wooden models and he is released on the orders of the grand caliph Harun al Rashid himself. In return Jabir must carve twelve golden horsemen, a gift from the caliph to the emperor Charlemagne. But someone is determined to stop Jabir from completing the work and he will stop at nothing, not even arson, to achieve his aim. Can Jabir and his friend Yasmina finish the horsemen or will Jabir be sent back to prison?

This exciting and readable adventure story is packed with great characters and insight into Islamic civilisation and the historic culture of the Middle East circa AD 900, a period which is now studied in the National Curriculum.

The Heart Scarab

Jo Lindley & Saviour Pirotta

Chapter book

Renni and Mahu are brothers, but they are complete opposites. When Mahu hatches a plot to rob the tomb of a long-dead general in the Valley of the Kings, Renni is swept into the crime to help his family. But taking the general’s heart scarab sets a much greater chain of events into motion, which are governed by dark and mysterious powers. Will the brothers and their friend Balaal manage to return it before Anubis, the god of death, comes to collect their souls? Or will they, and the general, be cast into the Great Darkness forever?

The Stolen Spear

Davide Ortu & Saviour Pirotta

Chapter book

There has been a gap in the market for Stone Age texts that children in Lower KS2 can access, especially independently. The Stolen Spear fills the gap well as it is easy to read and is ideal for newly confident readers or younger classes. Readers follow the main character’s journey to try and redeem himself and prove himself to others in his village. With further stories following in the series, readers have the opportunity to continue their journey with Wolf if they have enjoyed the story.

We Love Festivals: Chinese New Year

Saviour Pirotta

Non-fiction

An ideal introduction to the celebration of Chinese New Year for children aged 4-7 in Foundation Stage and KS1 classes. This book describes how Chinese people prepare for New Year by cleaning their house and having their hair cut. It shows how people around the world scare the monster Nian away with fireworks and watch the dragon dance in the street.

Attractively designed, its simple text and wonderful full-colour photos make this an essential resource in every Early Years setting. ‘Did You Know?’ boxes highlight interesting and unusual facts about Chinese New Year to give further points for children and adults to discuss. And a chart enables them to work out what Chinese year they were born in.

Mark of the Cyclops (The Ancient Greek Mysteries)

Freya Hartas & Saviour Pirotta

Chapter book

The Ancient Greek Mysteries make up a fun and action-packed series of stories that are perfect for introducing readers in KS2 to the topic of Ancient Greece.

In this story, Young scribe Nico and his new friend Thrax work for Master Ariston, a travelling singer and poet in Ancient Greece. When the pair attend a wedding with their master, a mystery begins to unfold after somebody smashes a valuable wedding vase. When a household slave called Gaia is blamed for the breakage, the pair begin to suspect there is more at play. Nico and Thrax discover a trail of vases all marked with the face of a cyclops. It is up to the two friends to uncover the truth about what the mark of the cyclops means and to save Gaia by proving her innocence.

An exciting and enjoyable Ancient Greece-themed story steeped in historical details. The four stories in the series are: Mark of the Cyclops, Secret of the Oracle, Pirates of Poseidon and Shadow of the Centaurs. The books do follow each other in sequence, but would also work as standalone stories.