Best Primary Books for Children

A popular transport-themed book with oodles of funny things for children to spot and choose between.

Each page is themed around a different type of transport, from buses and trucks to emergency vehicles and rockets, and displays an array of different cartoon examples, while the reader is asked to choose which one they would ride. Added details make the act of choosing on each page fun. On the trains page, for example, a steam train is filled with animals eating spaghetti and doughnuts, while an Elf Express is taking Lego to Santa’s workshop, and a slick intercity train driven by a sloth has a swimming pool carriage but also a wolf disguised in grandma’s clothing.

Children who like ‘You Choose’ style books will enjoy poring over this over and over again, as will transport lovers and fans of funny animal characters. It’s a great book for getting children talking and interacting, or for poring over independently and spotting something new each time.

Godfrey the Frog is a joyful story which teaches children the importance of accepting themselves and being happy with who they are.

Change happens – sometimes quickly, sometimes seemingly not at all. At the beginning of the story, Godfrey transforms from a small egg to developing ‘a pair of lovely arms’ and growing a ‘long, sticky tongue’. Finally, he transforms into a frog. He imagines how his frog-like state may change, creating many images to make a young reader giggle with glee.

Readers see the seasons change around him, but to Godfrey’s frustration, he remains a frog throughout. Godfrey begins to compare himself to the other animals around him – even the snail has a stunning shell and the deer has amazing antlers!

After wishing to be different, he slowly but surely learns that being a frog isn’t so bad after all, teaching children an important life lesson about self-acceptance.

The story concludes with a step-by-step diagram of how a tiny little egg transforms into a frog. A perfect way to teach little ones about life cycles.

Evie is desperate for a dog. She finds a dog that she absolutely loves – Mr Long Dog. Evie’s parents tell Evie, if she can guess how long he is, then she can keep him. Evie spends the rest of the book comparing Mr Long Dog’s length to other things. By the time she thinks she knows how long he is, someone else has taken him home, but the story doesn’t end there.

This book is a wonderful picture book that you could discuss with younger children (EYFS or KS1). The use of the word ‘long’ is repeated throughout the book. This is a great teaching point – how one word can have many different meanings, as well as a way into maths lessons about length and measure.

The book is full of bright and vibrant pictures to tell Evie’s story, except when Mr Long Dog is gone and the pictures become dark, reflecting Evie’s emotions.

A fun dog-themed story for pet lovers and language lovers alike!

A lovely story to read at storytime, with delightful pictures that enhance the story and engage younger children. This is a really lovely, simple, warm book about what it feels like to be different or feel bullied. Through the story, Stanley is encouraged to talk to his dad, to express how he feels through art and not to want to be invisible.

We love this primary picturebook about a tiny spark discovering its place. As Little Glow observes various festivals and celebrations, it witnesses diverse traditions and finds itself able to join in radiating light and community joy.

This book offers wonderful classroom opportunities for exploring community festivals and celebrations, especially celebrations of light. The warm narrative and luminous illustrations lean into different traditions positively and encourage discussions about community and belonging.

Rachel Bright and Jim Field deliver another triumph with The Pandas Who Promised, part of their highly successful series that began with The Lion Inside.

This rhyming, animal story is an absolute joy to read aloud, and it beautifully explores the vital importance of keeping promises, building trust and staying safe. Family bonds are explored, and most children will relate to one or other of the panda cubs, with Popo wishing to stay safe in his family nest and Ketu itching to explore and seek adventure.

Animal lovers will be drawn to this story, and it is likely to spark an interest in finding out more about red pandas and their mountainside habitat.

‘If I were Prime Minister…’ is a feel-good story which looks at how our country is run through the eyes of a kind, thoughtful and playful child.

The story follows a young child’s imagination and their desires for the community and country that they live in. They go through numerous wishes, including changing the sea to water that swallows plastic, making sure everyone has at least two friends, that every garden has a swimming pool and that woolly jumpers would not feel itchy. The real question is, ‘What would you do if you were Prime Minister or Team Captain?’

This feel-good picture book is a beautifully illustrated story which gets the reader thinking about what they would change if they were in charge. It covers major socio-political themes including the environment, education and immigration in a child-friendly way. The designs of the pages are playful and eye-catching with an easy-to-read font with the words strewn around pictures, making it fun to read and keeping big themes light-hearted to encourage creative and imaginative thinking.

What a great read! This is a superb book to share with one child or a whole class. The inside cover alone is a delight – crammed with emojis showing an array of emotions which children can share and talk about.

The story is written in an informal style and follows a young neurodivergent girl, Gina, as she journeys through the story of Red Riding Hood, fixing mistakes and recounting the facts.

Craig Barr-Martin weaves into the narrative simple everyday strategies that Gina and her supporting adults utilise –  the use of charts to show how she feels, the making of lists to keep her organised and the importance of familiar items when she goes on a journey.

The first reading is fun, the second builds further understanding and the third reveals even more about the way we all think and feel.

Find more fun twists on fairy tales on our new Fairy Tales and Traditional Stories booklist.

It is rare to find a book which gives a completely different and exciting perspective on a historical figure, particularly those aimed at younger readers, so ‘Darwin’s Super-Pooping Worm Spectacular’ is a particularly delightful read.

As the title suggests, the book tells the story of Darwin’s investigations into the humble earthworm. It is clear that the author, Polly Owen, has discovered her passion for this topic as it is written with such an enthusiastic tone; by the end of page one, the reader is already convinced that earthworms are completely awesome!

The book recounts the range of experiments that Darwin is believed to have tried to uncover the mysteries of earthworm senses, from hearing, sight and taste. It is written in a very accessible style, with lots of humour. There is a worm on each double-page spread which gives a little more context and brings the reader back to the historical facts within the story. These small speech bubbles also direct the reader to some of the scientific vocabulary, useful to gather if using the book as a stimulus for writing projects or science discussions.

If you are looking to add a book that is charming, insightful and has more than a few poo-based jokes, then this would be a perfect choice! Key Stage Two children will enjoy the book as much as their Key Stage One peers.

A lyrical, gentle and beautifully told story to help children name, understand and navigate a whole range feelings.

Ravi, like all of us, experiences the full spectrum of emotions from happy, silly and excited through to impatient or angry – and he beautifully articulates how confusing feelings can be as a young child, as sometimes he’s not sure why he feels a certain way or how he will feel next! After an angry outburst, Dad supports Ravi by gazing at the constellations in the night sky and they create their own shapes associated with different memories and feelings – the shape of happiness for Ravi being an astronaut chasing the moon, silliness is playing with the dog and gentleness is a soft hug. Other emotions are then represented allowing Ravi to describe why he was angry after an unkind incident at school, and Dad shows that with time and patience he can feel and work through these challenging experiences.

The link between constellations as an ancient guide and emotions as a guide to our actions is a deep and powerful theme within the story. The themes align with the PSHE curriculum and support the teaching of emotional literacy and developing empathy. This is such a beautiful and heartfelt story, and a really unique way to think about our emotions. It is great to see such a supportive father-son relationship represented too.

Richard O’Neill’s The Can Caravan is a heartwarming celebration of traveller community spirit, inter-generational bonds and homes of different shapes and sizes.

When young Janie’s elderly friend faces losing her home, empathetic Janie devises a plan to build her a new caravan, with a little help from her friends.

This story wonderfully highlights the joy of working together and the power of community action. It subtly champions sustainability and resourcefulness, making it a lovely tale of unity and kindness for children.

Children learning about houses and homes or community values will enjoy this inclusive and uplifting picturebook.

An interesting and evocative picture book, transporting readers to a 1950s Canadian mining town through the eyes of a young boy.

The boy gazes at the sea in the mornings, always aware that his father is working deep below it in the coal mine. This first-person narrative immerses us directly into the boy’s everyday world, steeped in the legacy of a challenging industry.

Sidney Smith’s sweeping illustrations contrast the shimmering seascape with the darkened world of the mine. This visual juxtaposition powerfully highlights the boy’s unspoken future, stirring profound questions about choice as he wonders at his own destiny.

The rhythmic book offers rich opportunities for discussion in Key Stage 2 classrooms about family heritage, community and whether paths are truly inevitable or open to change. A powerful and thought-provoking book.

Leo and the Octopus is a wonderfully empathetic picture book about Leo, a boy who feels different from his classmates and struggles with overwhelming classroom noise.

Leo’s world shifts when he meets Maya, a colour-changing Giant Pacific Octopus, and their unlikely friendship blossoms beneath the waves. This gentle narrative beautifully captures the profound connection between a boy seeking understanding and a creature who accepts him just as he is.

Chris Nixon’s illustrations are intelligent and evocative, setting sections bustling with pattern and colour against the white space that often surrounds Leo – complementing the story’s sensitive exploration of feelings of disconnection and learning bout different perspectives.

With themes of nature, connection and neurodiversity, this book is invaluable for children who may feel like Leo, assuring them they are not alone, while also a tool to develop greater empathy and understanding in all young readers about different ways of experiencing the world.

A beautiful football-themed picture book, brimming with the palpable excitement of dreams of football success.

Rooted in the award-winning illustrator’s own passion for the game, this picture book story perfectly captures the universal dream of scoring that winning goal. It follows a young player in a small local team who, like many boys and girls reading the book, secretly dreams of one day scoring the ultimate winner at the World Cup final.

This book is about football, but it’s also about dreams and aspirations – and the freedom children should enjoy to dream big and pursue passions and ambitions. The illustrations capture the thrill of the pitch and bring both the dream and reality of enjoying the game together.

It’s a classic football tale that will resonate with any young baller who’s ever dreamt of scoring the wonder goal.

This wonderful illustrated story by Martin Impey details the moving story of one family living in London during World War Two.

The story is told from the perspective of the two children in the family and explains what life was like before the war and then what happens once the war starts. There are specific details included in the book, for example, the exact time the war was announced, what rationing was and what happened during an air raid.

The atmospheric watercolour illustrations complement the story superbly, and put visual storytelling at the centre of the reading experience. The wartime mood set by the nostalgic colour palette combined with the snippets of archived material like letters and broadcasts begin to bring alive a historian’s sense of recreating details of the war from an ageing generation’s living memory and recorded material – an important aspect of historical understanding to grasp for today’s younger readers who are more familiar with the ease of video footage and livestream accounts of news events.

This beautiful and moving book is well researched and rich with detail, making it an excellent addition to any classroom.

In this short, illustrated chapter book, Pedro is an endearing main character. His longing to have an adventure, and the obstacles to achieving that, will strike a chord with many KS1 children. They will be cheering him on, through danger and disappointment, to his enrolment as a fully signed-up member of the Adventuremice team.

 Dino Dad by children’s TV presenter Andy Day is a roaringly appealing chapter book for KS1.

Voiced by the spirited Ruby Roo, the story reveals her dad’s secret role as a “POOPA” (Protector of our Prehistoric Allies) when her sister vanishes.

This book is a fantastic illustrated chapter book for younger children, blending exciting family adventures with fascinating dinosaur facts. Ruby’s journey to a hidden island where she discovers transformation powers makes it a hugely entertaining start to a fun new series that’s sure to be a firm favourite.

For more information, head to our guest blog post from Andy Day, all about Dino Dad and the world of children’s books.

Me and My Brian by Helen Rutter is an engaging and accessible KS2 novel that is ideal for classroom use. Told with warmth and humour, the story explores children’s mental health – particularly ADHD and anxious thinking – in a way that is reassuring, relatable, and easy for children to understand.

The clear narrative voice helps normalise conversations around emotions, worries, and “busy brains,” making it especially useful for PSHE, wellbeing lessons, or guided reading.

The book also highlights the value of intergenerational relationships, showing how children and adults can support one another through listening, empathy, and shared experiences. Practical strategies for managing emotions are woven naturally into the story, encouraging self-reflection without feeling instructional.

Me and My Brain is a thoughtful, inclusive text that opens up meaningful discussion around mental health, self-acceptance, and emotional literacy, making it a valuable addition to any primary or lower secondary classroom.

A lively, humorous mystery that hooks children from the first page, The Great Crisp Robbery is a brilliant class read. The story’s playful tone, fast pace, and relatable school setting make it instantly accessible, while the mystery element encourages prediction, inference, and critical thinking.

I love how the book captures the everyday drama of school life – friendships, fairness, and the irresistible temptation of snacks. Children recognise themselves in the characters, and the light‑hearted humour makes it a fun bedtime read.

As a teacher, I appreciate how the text supports key reading skills without feeling heavy-handed. The plot is simple enough for younger readers to follow, yet layered enough to inspire discussion about honesty, consequences and empathy.

The Dog Man books form a wildly popular children’s book series written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey. The series features a half-dog, half-human police officer who fights crime and saves the day in the city.

Written in a graphic novel format with comic-style illustrations and speech bubbles, these books are popular with children aged 6-9. The series has become known for hooking children into reading through visual humour and wacky storylines. Each story in the Dog Man series is told through several short chapters, and the books can be read in any order.

Readers who enjoy Dog Man might also like to explore our Branching Out list of more books like Dog Man.

An enjoyable sports-themed graphic novel recommended for Year 5 and Year 6.

This graphic novel oozes individuality. It’s the story of Astrid, a middle-grade girl on the cusp of adolescence and coping with all the problems that come pre-prescribed.

Roller Girl packs much in: friendship, mother/daughter relationships, being yourself and self-belief (also hair-dye), all under the backdrop of roller derby (to say it’s a sport not for the faint-hearted is an understatement)!

A heart-wrenching true story in graphic novel form, all about life as a refugee. This book is set to restore your faith in real-life happy endings.

This powerfully moving graphic novel is about Omar, an eleven-year-old living with his brother in a Kenyan refugee camp. Despite harsh daily struggles, Omar finds hope, finds enjoyment in football and dreams of a future shaped by education.

This poignant and unforgettable tale is based on a true story, told in a compelling graphic novel format. It’s an essential read, offering profound insights into courage and resilience.

This is an adrenaline-filled rollercoaster ride of a story!

The story begins with a bang and the race is on to find sixteen ‘lightstreams’ hidden across the globe. When the lightstreams have been discovered,  the finders transported to Imagination Island. There, we encounter larger-than-life characters with traits, strengths and weaknesses, who work with, and sometimes against, each other to save the island for generations to come.

The storyline is fast and furious with a hectic romp through puzzles and adventures. The family characters are well construed and Mel Taylor-Bessant paints a clear picture of shy Luca and each of his siblings. The appeal will sit well with years 3 and 4 while the language and some of the content are informal and strong in places, and the pace rarely lets up, perhaps leaning towards older readers too.

Scarlet is having a tricky time at school, friendship-wise and her younger brother is being annoying. She sees an advert for a ‘defender of the universe’ and, although she’s pretty certain it’s a joke, decides to apply anyway. That’s how she ends up meeting a floating boy called Jasper, going aboard an invisible spaceship and meeting an egg-shaped AI robot called Bot. Scarlet now finds herself jointly in charge of defending the entire universe with Jasper, which involves encountering creatures from other planets and also dolphins wearing suits.

This book is laugh-out-loud funny with silly names, made-up words and bonkers chapter titles. This would make a great read-aloud for Year 3. Children who enjoy funny books and adventures will love reading about Scarlet; the chapters are not too long, and there are illustrations scattered throughout.

Pinch Perkins lives in Tricky Dragon Lane in the Crooked Mile magical community within London. Protected by boundary charms from the sight of non-magical Londoners (Humdrums), many witches and wizards live in neighbourhoods across the city.

It soon transpires that Pinch is in more danger than she realises and that ancient, vengeful forces are at work. Her quest becomes a race against time as she meets a series of powerful and nefarious characters in a frantic attempt to save the souls of the curse’s victims before they are lost forever.

This is well set for the follow-up, and I’d be keen to read it as the writing is clever with likeable, engaging or rather dark characters, and there is a definite sense of not having heard the last of a few of them!

Mizzy is a feisty, nearly 13-year-old girl who just happens to have Down Syndrome. She wants to be a marvellous detective, although her family think she’s more like her dad’s (Great) Aunt Jane, the village busybody. To date, she hasn’t solved a single mystery, although that might change when the holidays start. During the holidays, Mizzy stumbles upon Great Aunt Jane’s missing diaries. It transpires that somebody poisoned the old relative, and she didn’t just die in her sleep. What ensues is a comedy-style investigation to rule out relatives.

Mizzy reminded me of a young Miss Marple. Mizzy talks about how her Down Syndrome affects her (spelling, lack of direction), and this book could be used to teach empathy and awareness.

An interesting mystery that made me laugh out loud at times. I would recommend this book to fans of Melissa Savage, Enid Blyton and Lauren Child.

Hot on the heels of their award-winning, multiple middle-grade book series spanning beetles, trains and birds, M.G. Leonard is back, launching a new action-packed, time-travelling adventure series with an initial foray into Egyptology.

Sim lives with his mother, Callidora, in a flat above the museum of Sir John Soane. One evening, while Sim and his mum are training in the museum, they hear voices approaching. Callidora pales and opens a door in the museum, rushing Sim inside, opening a world of questions that even she can’t avoid forever.

Underpinned by historical fact, a tale of adventure, lies, trust and time travel unfolds, sweeping you along with twists and turns that keep you gripped and wanting to read on.

A brilliant book to accompany any unit on Ancient Egypt, readers will look forward to discovering what, where and when Sim, Jeopardy and Nelson will get up to next in this promising series.

My Dog is a beautiful, poignant tale of a boy coming to terms with the loss of his mum and the fast-moving changes that happen as a result of her death.

When Rhys’s mum dies, he has to move from his home. Life is a whirl, and the adults in control of Rhys’s life are focusing on the practicalities with seeming disregard for this young man’s emotional turmoil. On what turns out to be his final visit to his mother’s bedside, Rhys spots a lonely black Labrador under her hospital bed. The only problem is that Rhys has not asked Dad’s permission, so the dog – named Worthington – is a secret, and a rather difficult secret to keep!

When Rhys makes a series of wrong choices, things reach a crisis point. He takes matters into his own hands and flees from the problems that surround him, all the while supported by Worthington, the sounding board for all of Rhys’s thoughts and feelings.

Whilst there is sorrow in this tale, it has moments of brightness, moments of joy and love and even gentle humour. It is a dog-themed tale of hope and unconditional love. Worthington will pull at your heartstrings and stay by your side long after the last pages have been savoured.

This is the children’s edition of Amy Jeffs’ Storyland, which is a rich collection of myths and legends from Britain. Children in Key Stage 2 are likely to be familiar with stories from Greek mythology or Roman legends, but this short story collection looks closer to home for the myths and legends of Britain – including stories of giants, dragons and wizards.

It’s interesting to ponder and discuss how people from the past understood the world around them through stories. A good challenge for readers looking to learn about Britain’s literary heritage or an entertaining read for those who love fantasy and mythology, the stories are well-written and have been made accessible for children, with illustrations bringing them to life.

Tom Palmer creates a compelling historical story set in the Fells of the Lake District during World War II.

Dealing with issues such as PTSD and desertion, this book could have been a very difficult read, and yet it never strays into that. Almost instantly, the reader cares about Tarn, the main character and what life was like in the North during the War. The story also captures the hardships of farming communities as well as the suspicions and fears of the time.

Palmer always researches his stories meticulously, and this shows. Barrington Stoke books might be an accessible read, but this is not less of a story or indeed less of anything. The simplicity of the text makes it all the more impressive that this story is a compelling and interesting read that is hard to put down.

It is a book full of kindness and shows village life in the past clearly for us city dwellers. Above all, it is a book about humanity and what it means to be part of a war and a village.

This is a fun school adventure which will appeal to fans of Pamela Butchart and Serena Patel. The story centres around Mina and her friends and their fears as they hear rumours of a spooky phantom that’s said to haunt the venue for their school camping trip.

The text is large, with wide-spaced lines and generous illustrations and some playful typesetting for emphasis, which all help with appealing to those children put off by extensive blocks of dense text. The authentic portrayal of Mina’s Bangladeshi family adds a layer of interest to the story.

This will be particularly popular with lower KS2 in a school library and will also be enjoyed by some of the older children looking for a lighter, entertaining read.

A wonderfully silly and gloriously bonkers adventure that introduces the brilliantly funny heroine, Betty Steady.

Bustling with quirky characters, clever wordplay and outrageous situations, this book plunges readers into a world of surreal humour, where Mr Gum meets Starfell. When Betty lands herself in trouble, she finds herself shrunken and trapped by the mischievous Toad Witch, who plans to take over Wobbly Rock.

This story is a riot from start to finish, perfectly matched by Sarah Horne’s exuberant illustrations. This is a series that will fondly appeal to humour-loving readers in KS2.

Sebastian and his two best friends, Lina and Étienne become stranded on a desert island and it’s all Sebastian’s fault. The three friends won a school competition to take part in an environmental summer camp where they would learn how to protect the planet. Sebastian became particularly competitive with the other children at the camp, and before they knew it, there they were, shipwrecked and alone on another island. Headstrong Lina soon takes charge, determined that they won’t make the same mistakes as the children in ‘The Lord of the Flies’ and Sebastian sets out to gain his military dad’s approval.

Told from Sebastian’s point of view, the chapter headings are a series of ‘survival tips’ based on things he’s learnt along the way. The story is full of humour, wit and several animal companions, but it also carries a lovely message about friendship and working together to overcome difficulties.

This is a great adventure story by popular children’s author Jenny Pearson, suitable for Year 4 and up. It will also be loved by fans of humorous stories.

This is a thought-provoking story about school friendships, bullying and the transition to secondary school.

The story follows the trials and tribulations of Sam in Year 6, who overhears his friends Fin, Cal and Jay saying that they won’t be putting his name on their ‘friends list’ for the Year 7 tutor group in their new secondary school.

When Fin, Cal, Jay and their families go to Barcelona without him during half-term, Sam strikes up a rather one-sided friendship with Zak Monroe – a new boy in the year group who has already been dubbed ‘weird’ by his peers. As Sam increasingly tries to disassociate himself from anything and anyone that his old friends make fun of, he realises that he is trying to change to please them and that there are more important issues at stake.

There are many different threads to this story that children struggling with change and friendships might empathise with. Transition to a new school is a big part, but also self-belief, resilience, anxieties, acceptance of differences and challenging stereotypes.

“The Shape of Rainbows” is a lively poetry collection by Neal Zetter, written with KS2 readers in mind. The poems range from the playful to the relatable and reflective.

The accessible language makes the poems enjoyable for children to read independently, while many also lend themselves perfectly to classroom use as engaging lesson starters or discussion prompts.

Zetter blends humour with insight, offering laugh-out-loud moments alongside thought-provoking themes. Poems such as “Temper,” “My Many Mes,” and “Two Mums” introduce real-life topics that children can connect with, making this collection both entertaining and meaningful.

On Poetry Street provides 52 poems, one for each week of the year.

The book begins with Brian Moses welcoming readers with a ‘simple test’ for seeing whether they are ‘hooked on words’ and can create poetry for themselves. He then invites readers to ‘walk down poetry street’ with him, introducing them to the spectacular range of poems ahead.

In this collection, the opportunities for writing poetry or engaging children in oracy opportunities are endless. There is so much playfulness and creativity on each page. This collection of poems feels to be written with fun at its centre, while also providing scaffolding for budding poets to write their own. You can see why Brian Moses is one of Britain’s favourite children’s poets. A must for every classroom bookshelf or for a teacher to keep on their desk to read aloud and inject the joy of poetry into the classroom every day.

This is an extraordinary verse novel about the final year of primary school, told through poetry. The verse captures the character of Year 6 pupil Nate as he navigates issues of school, family illness, emotions, change and friendships. Year 6 is a difficult year for many children, and whilst they are unlikely to have it quite as difficult as Nate, the book still captures some of that flavour, including the run-up to SATs, friendship issues and anxiety during a time when a sense of big changes is in the air.

Through his powerful verses, ex-primary school teacher Matt Goodfellow pays testament to the impact of a great teacher in supporting pupils through this time as well as the power of words and writing to help manage big emotions.

This is a very emotional and immersive story. A mature child will be able to ‘read between the lines’ and understand the text at a deeper level, even in Year 6. A great Y6  transition read!

‘The Super Skeleton’ is an engaging and accessible non-fiction book that’s perfect for younger children learning about the human body. While many books on the subject are often aimed at older readers, this book presents the fascinating world of skeletons in a way that’s simple, fun, and easy to understand for primary school children.

The book is a fantastic resource for the human body topic, offering clear, colourful pictures and diagrams that bring the skeleton to life. The simple yet effective text introduces key scientific vocabulary, helping young learners build their knowledge in an approachable way. Brief definitions of important terms on some pages further enhance the learning experience, making this a great resource for reinforcing core concepts.

Overall, ‘The Super Skeleton’ is a wonderful, child-friendly introduction to the world of bones and bodies, making it an ideal choice for teachers and parents looking to introduce children to science in a fun and informative way.

We highly recommend DK’s ‘My Very Important Encyclopedia’ series, which also features volumes on dinosaurs, oceans and sport. It is not easy to find comprehensive non-fiction books that are suitable for the younger age range, but the spacious pages, simplified text and high ratio of images (both photographs and illustrations) make this is a brilliant choice for Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 children.

Each page in this animal book features a different animal, giving information in simple language with bright colours, speech bubbles and text boxes to break up the information into bite-sized chunks.  It feels like a real encyclopedia, but is perfectly pitched for the youngest readers without having any overwhelming chunks of text or overly complicated diagrams.

This absolutely super young non-fiction series will become a go-to for animal-loving children who are curious to learn more.

Baroness Floella Benjamin offers her own story of the 6000-mile journey from Trinidad to England, told for the youngest children in a picture book called Coming to England – An Inspiring True Story About the Windrush Generation.

The story explores and celebrates what it means to be a British person with Black Caribbean heritage, as well as opening doors to learning about the impact of Operation Windrush and experiences of racism. Speaking about the background to the book, Baroness Floella says,”Britain has always been a nation that’s evolved due to different races coming in, from as far back as you can go. I hope Coming to England makes people of colour feel worthy, appreciated and that they belong and that it makes white people say, ‘That could be me, what would it be like if I moved somewhere else?’.”

Meet the Microbes is a captivating insight into the tiny creatures that live under our noses and have a massive impact on our lives despite only being visible through a powerful microscope. Through the colourful and lively pages, children will meet a succession of cartoon microbes and learn all about them. They will learn about where they can be found and how they multiply; how they survive in the most extreme of conditions; the jobs that they do and how they might be beneficial to our future.

By the end of the book, they will have reached an understanding that microbes can be both good and bad for our bodies and how we can avoid spreading the less desirable ones. They will be fascinated to find out that mould is formed from microbes and that some of their favourite foods such as yoghurt, fluffy bread and cheese would not exist without them. The language is accessible to younger readers and concepts are explained clearly.

This book would be an excellent accompaniment to science topics on human bodies or just a great addition to the non-fiction, reading for pleasure offer in the school library.

This is an unusual illustrated non-fiction book all about food and eating around the world. This book goes beyond the usual sections one might expect to find in a non-fiction book about food. There are pages about eating utensils, smelly food, specific foods such as bananas and noodles and spices. Each page uses rich descriptive language and manages to conjure up the smells, tastes and sights of unusual food from around the world.

What is particularly useful are the handy phonetic pronunciation guides for each food. The list of different countries covered is diverse and includes countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Peru and Albania. Helpfully, at the end of the book, there is a world map with all of the 69 countries mentioned highlighted.

The book is simply illustrated with bold and clear pictures of the food and of children eating and enjoying food. On the final pages, there is mention of climate change and how food will change in the future, including some interesting insect-eating illustrations here.

The language will appeal to children in KS1, being both engaging but also clear and informative. The book provides interesting general facts, such as how many varieties of rice there are, but also unusual and specific examples that illustrate the general facts, including a variety of rice dishes from around the world.

Zara Rutherford’s I Flew Around the World is an incredibly inspiring true story, chronicling her astonishing journey as the youngest female pilot to fly solo around the globe. This book is an illustrated account of ambition and determination in a record-breaking aviation achievement. The story is bound to capture the interest of any junior children fascinated by flight, adventure and exploration.

This colour-illustrated information text bubbles with insights into Zara’s meticulous preparations, the various places she touched down and the various experiences she encountered.  It’s a superb resource for KS2, particularly for those keen on non-fiction or seeking a contemporary female role model in STEM, offering a real-life testament to chasing ambitions and flying high!

‘Into The Volcano’ is an engaging and informative text full of interesting facts for a Key Stage 2 audience. The book supports the National Curriculum objective of understanding the processes that give rise to key physical features of the world – it describes, in a way that the reader will be able to understand, whilst still using ambitious vocabulary, how and where volcanoes are formed, the different types of volcanoes, as well as discussing their positive and negative effects.

We enjoyed the inclusion of myths and legends inspired by real-life volcanoes, details about books and films that feature volcanoes (both real-life and fictional ones); and stories of artists who have chosen volcanoes as their subject.

Throughout the book, there are fascinating ‘Did you know?’ snippets – for example, did you know that scientists believe that the ‘scream heard piercing through nature’ which inspired Edvard Munch’s world-famous painting ‘The Scream’ was in fact the effects of Krakatau exploding?

This volcano-themed children’s book is a fascinating read from start to finish.

Colourfully illustrated, ‘Robots’ begins with a timeline of the history of robots, going back much further than you might think. The book then goes through what a robot is and the difference between robots and AI. It clearly explains how different types of robots work – from robots that can help the environment to those that are designed to move around, as well as those that can help with farming.

This engineering-themed non-fiction book also provides information about the different jobs that robots can do, such as assisting in factories and hospitals. Finally, the book covers the ethics of robots as well as what the future of robotics might be. There is a handy glossary at the back explaining some of the more technical vocabulary associated with robots.

A fabulous read for KS2 children and a great book to have in the classroom as AI becomes more a part of everyday life.

This exciting and unique book by Bear Grylls is perfect for young explorers and any children who crave adventure. Not only is it packed full of interesting survival tips which you would expect from Bear Grylls, but it also offers the reader the chance to go on their own expedition over and over again, with different adventures and outcomes.

Readers are encouraged to use their brain, adapt and think on the go, choosing their next move on their route to survival! Bear Grylls offers advice on choosing the right survival equipment, assessing the weather and terrain, finding food and shelter and understanding the animals that you might meet along the way.

Whilst we hope our children won’t ever be stranded in the mountains, forest or waters, we know that having read this book they will be well prepared for all eventualities and will have enjoyed every step of their ultimate expedition!

Flying Eye has built a reputation for publishing high-quality non-fiction for children and I Ate Sunshine For Breakfast is no exception. Its subtitle – A Celebration of Plants Around the World – is fitting, as the whole book bursts with colour, information and adoration.

The book is split into four main parts: All About Plants, World of Plants, From Breakfast Until Bedtime and The Power of Plants. Sections within these parts range from covering large concepts such as plants’ roles in food chains and food webs, down to the interesting details about how plants help us look after our teeth. There are various “DIY” investigations and experiments to try such as making invisible ink and creating bottle gardens. The book is visually stunning throughout and playfully illustrated as a flying insect pops up frequently to guide us through it all. I Ate Sunshine For Breakfast strikes a great balance between the everyday uses and marvels of plants and the science within this. 

Plants play a large role in the primary Science curriculum, and so this appealing book is a gem that could be dipped into again and again in KS2.

Marcus Rashford’s You Are a Champion is an inspiring and positive guide from a well-loved football star. Drawing on the highs and lows of his time both on and off the pitch, Rashford shares his journey of building self-confidence and resilience, encouraging readers to focus on making a positive impact on themselves and others.

This accessible book empowers young people to persevere, reframe negative thoughts and believe in themselves. A compelling read for KS2 or KS3, it is packed with key messages of believing that you can make a positive difference.

Real-Life Mysteries is an engaging, inquiry-rich non‑fiction text that invites children to explore unexplained phenomena through a critical, evidence-based lens. Martineau presents mysteries such as strange creatures, puzzling events and unusual natural phenomena, but always grounds the discussion in scientific thinking and scepticism.

For the classroom, it offers a powerful springboard into research skills, critical literacy and evaluating sources.