Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Author & Illustrators

Steve Cole Books

The Wild Ones

Chapter book

This book is a unique take on a survivor story. It’s the story of a group of animals who are trying to find their way because a catastrophic event happens. This book follows the lives of a group of different pets that all live in a pet care centre. They are quite happy and content being looked after by a human until one day their world changes and all the humans are gone. The pets have to look after themselves in a much scarier world.

Their safe haven is then invaded by ‘The Things’. The things are starving and desperate so the pets have to run from their safe place and try to find another. They have lots of different things to overcome from betrayals to drownings as they go on their journey. Finally finding somewhere they can call home.

On this journey, the pets transform into wild animals that no longer rely on a human, but can survive on their own. With plenty of perilous moment, this book is best suited to older primary readers. It is a great story of bravery, determination and friendship, which are all brilliant themes to teach to children.

New You For Ever

Chris King & Steve Cole

Chapter book

‘New You For Ever’ is a futuristic thriller where artificial intelligence has taken over the world – a world that is suffering from the devastating effects of climate change – a world where extreme measures are being explored to solve the climate crisis.

The ‘New You Foundation’ is giving people the chance to turn themselves into a Pleeka – a replica of their own body with their personality and memories uploaded but importantly a body that can live forever without using up scarce resources such as food and water. Advocates of the Foundation are calling for everyone to turn Pleeka to take the strain off Earth, and influencers and celebrities are jumping on the bandwagon.

Anders and his dad are journalists reporting on the Foundation. But Anders becomes suspicious about the true intentions of the organisation and he is determined to discover the truth.

This is an easy gripping read, which explores an extreme future scarily based on reality. It will certainly make you think!

Stitched Up!

Oriol Vidal & Steve Cole

Chapter book

The horrific real-life cost of fast fashion is exposed in this gripping tale of survival from bestselling author Steve Cole.

When twelve-year-old Hanh is offered a job as a shop assistant in Hanoi, she sees it as a chance to earn money to send back to her family living in poverty in rural Vietnam. But on her arrival in the city, she soon learns that the job offer was a lie and finds herself working in virtual slavery in an illegal garment factory.

Life in this sweatshop is a daily hell of long hours, little rest, poor food and regular violence. Hanh is desperate to escape, but when an opportunity arises will she be able to find the courage to take a dangerous chance?

Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8. Please note that this book contains mature content.

Astrosaurs: Mission to Infinity

Álex López & Steve Cole & Tobey Cole

Graphic novel

A brand-new full-colour look for the bestselling Astrosaurs series. This fun and vivid graphic novel blasts off with Teggs and the crew for three short astronomical space adventures!

Full of colourful and vibrant illustrations to accompany the comic book storyline, lovers of graphic novels are in for a blast of a ride. This hilarious story is full of one-liners to tempt, tickle and tantalise. Full of powerful pongs to egg-cellent explosions, these missions never quite go to plan! And so you MUST read on to discover if the Astrosaurs are there to save the day!

World Burn Down

Oriol Vidal & Steve Cole

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Carlos’s mother works for IBAMA, Brazil’s Environmental Authority. As head of a specially trained task force, her role is to protect the Amazon from the farmers, loggers and miners who are illegally destroying the precious rainforest. It’s a dangerous role and when she upsets some of these land-grabbers, they decide to teach her a lesson by kidnapping her son, Carlos.

Taken deep into the Amazon, Carlos manages to escape his captors only to find himself trapped by the fast-moving fires. Will he be able to outrun the flames as the world around him burns to the ground? The terrifying reality of illegal deforestation and the destruction of the rainforest is revealed in this powerful and gripping Amazonian adventure from bestselling author Steve Cole. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 8+.

Mr Dog And The Kitten Catastrophe

Ben Fogle & Nikolas Ilic & Steve Cole

Chapter book

A brand new young fiction series by TV broadcaster and intrepid explorer Ben Fogle, inspired by his real-life animal experiences…

Co-written with best-selling children’s author Steve Cole.

When Mr Dog meets a reckless young wildcat called Angus in the woods he soon makes an important discovery – a whole group of exotic animals are being held in captivity.

Mr Dog wants to help them – but will Angus charge in and turn a rescue into a kitten catastrophe?

Astrosaurs: Riddle of the Raptors

Steve Cole

Chapter book

Meet Captain Teggs Stegosaur and the crew of the amazing spaceship DSS Sauropod as the ASTROSAURS fight evil across the galaxy!

Flesh-chomping raptors have kidnapped two top dino athletes. With the Great Dinosaur Games about to start, Teggs and his friends must race to the rescue. But there’s more to the raptors’ plot than meets the eye…