Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Home > Books

Archives: Books

Chapter book

K-pop meets Freaky Friday in a hilarious body swap adventure for 9+ readers from a Costa-winning author, perfect for fans of Jenny Pearson and David Solomons.

When 11-year-old K-pop obsessed Skylar inexplicably switches bodies with her super strict 71-year-old headteacher, Ms Callus, she’s thrown into a hilarious world of dancing old ladies gone viral and school rules thrown out the window, as she tries to figure out how on earth to swap back! But then the chance to meet her favourite boyband AZ8 in real life changes everything, and Skylar must decide whether her K-pop dream come true is worth risking being stuck as an old lady for ever…

Singing with laugh-out-loud moments, this is a joyful and uplifting tale of friendship, fandom and chasing your dreams.

Chapter book

Uncover tales of ancient beasts, in this beautiful anthology of mythologies

This book introduces children to the thrilling mythological beasts from ancient civilisations. Discover 23 stories accompanied by beautiful, colourful illustrations. Through the incredible storytelling you can learn about fantastic creatures such as the Japanese baku, which had the power to devour nightmares, the wise Egyptian Sphinx, and the fearsome Minotaur who went head-to-head with Theseus in Greek mythology. Featured pages highlight amazing real-life photos of objects, showing how each beast was represented in art.

A perfect, global introduction to the most fascinating stories about legendary creatures from ancient history.

Picturebook

Kids 3 to 6 will be inspired to ask their own big questions after reading about the mysteries that scientists have yet to discover.

This celebration of curiosity is an excellent resource for fostering an interest in STEM.

Sometimes, it seems as if scientists know everything about the world. They’ve recorded the songs of humpback whales, dug up the bones of dinosaurs, and even tracked the storms of Jupiter. But the young scientist in this charming picture book knows there’s so much more to explore, like the answers to questions such as:

Do different trees speak different languages to one another through their tangled rainforest roots?
Do faraway suns have planets like ours, with air and oceans and land?
How do ideas pop into our heads, and where do our questions come from?
What Will I Discover? is an inspiring exploration of curiosity and scientific discovery—and all the great mysteries just waiting for an answer.

Picturebook

A joyful, empowering call to be the hero of your OWN story!

A girl opens up a book looking for the story that’s perfect for HER and tumbles inside. But Goldilocks is not her story, and nor is Jack and the Beanstalk or Little Red Riding Hood… There’s only one thing for it: she’s going to have to write her own story – and this time, SHE will be the hero.

A celebration of the stories we ALL love and the stories we are yet to write, this vivid, irresistible picture book introduces the terrific new partnership of Smriti Halls (bestselling author of I’m Sticking with You illustrated by Steve Small and Rain Before Rainbows illustrated by David Litchfield) and Erika Meza (award-winning illustrator of My Two Border Towns written by David Bowles).

Picturebook

Stitched Up is the heartwarming and fashion-forward novel from author and journalist Joanne O’Connell, perfect for readers of Elle McNicoll and younger fans of Geek Girl.

Cassie has a passion for fashion so when the opportunity to redesign her school uniform comes up Cassie is thrilled. The only problem? She’s stuck between eco-conscious Fern and label-loving Azra.

As the competition heats up, Cassie joins The KnitWits – a local knitting group that immediately makes Cassie feel at home, especially once she sees that it’s secretly attended by the coolest girl at school.

As Cassie’s skills grow, she has to learn to balance Azra’s obsession with trends with her own love of sustainable fashion. But will the pressure cause the ultimate bestie break-up?

Chapter book

“Without you, Kay-Kay, there’s no sun, no warmth, no light. I will find you – my brother, my friend. I will find you and bring you back.”

When Lena’s beloved older brother goes missing at the end of summer camp, the bottom drops out of Lena’s world. The police dismiss Kay-Kay’s disappearance as that of just another teenage runaway, but Lena knows they are wrong. Tired of not being listened to, powerless to reach her parents through their grief and unable to imagine a future without her brother in it, Lena sets off to find him.

As Lena journeys across India to retrace Kay-Kay’s last known steps, she embarks on a parallel journey of discovery. Because it seems there is a side to Kay-Kay she has never known. The more she learns about her brother in the weeks leading up to his disappearance, the more determined Lena is to find him – and to finally be the sister he has so clearly needed. But will she be too late…?

Graphic Novel

Buried amongst the treasures in Professor Brownstone’s vaults, lie a humble collection of books. Filled with legendary stories from his ancestors, they tell of fearless fighters and unlikely heroes.

Chapter book

And we’re going to live here, happily ever after, just like a fairy tale.’

When Dad tells Luna and her little sister Aurora that they’re moving to live in a real tower, it’s almost like they’ve stepped inside a fairytale.

But everything is not as magical as it first seems. The tower needs patching up, Dad still doesn’t have a job and they’re not even allowed in the room up at the very top.

When it’s time to start at their new school, Luna quickly finds a friend, but six-year-old Aurora absolutely hates the children in her class. She prefers to spend her time with her imaginary friend Tansy. Aurora’s make-belief life causes problems for them all – and it seems like Aurora really believes Tansy exists…

Is there really a curse on the tower – and will Luna be able to break it?

A spine-tingling tale from the bestselling Jacqueline Wilson.

Picturebook

All aboard the ship that Jack built for a rollicking picture book adventure.

Jack’s ship has set sail with a precious cargo of gold in the hold, but a whole host of thieves are out to snatch it from under his nose. From the squid that opens the lid and the seal that tries to steal, to the cat and the rat and the whale with its splashy tail, Jack really has his hands full.

With a joyful, rhyming text full of super-catchy repeated lines, this cumulative tale builds and builds to an epic crescendo. Told by Peter Millett and brought to life by Sam Caldwell, bestselling illustrator of Buster Books’ popular picture book Sheldon’s New Shell, this picture book voyage is one readers will want to take again and again.

Picturebook

In the chilly South Pole, a hardworking little penguin named Percy lives next to his post office. But not many residents of the South Pole seem to know it is there. With determination and confidence Percy sets off on a mission to make himself known…

Will he be able to make his dream come true and create a successful business?

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