Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

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Best children’s books about Diwali 

The Hindu festival of lights is an engaging and colourful topic, which you can bring to life with this hand-picked selection of titles. This list of the best books about Diwali for primary school children features richly-illustrated picturebooks alongside fact-packed non-fiction and activity books.

2023 Reading is Magic Festival: Monday 2nd – Friday 6th October

Back for its fourth year, the Reading is Magic Festival brings a unique programme of free, digital events directly into classrooms around the world. This exciting, inclusive collaboration brings together Europe’s largest dedicated children’s literature festival – Bath Children’s Literature Festival – with literary festivals from around the world.

Here at BooksForTopics, we are delighted to be an official ambassador for the 2023 Reading is Magic Festival, which will present a world-class line-up of best-selling writers – including several who have appeared in our Year Group Recommended Reads lists, like Laura Ellen Anderson, BB Alston, Helen Rutter and Cressida Cowell – whose Children’s Laureate Charter was the inspiration for the Reading is Magic Festival.

Many of our favourite authors, poets and illustrators will be among those featured this year, and this booklist highlights some of their key titles.

We’re so excited for the inaugural The Week Junior Book Awards, sponsored by Bookily from National Book Tokens, and in partnership with The Bookseller and World Book Day!

The recently-revealed shortlist features a host of fabulous reads for children of all ages, many by some of our favourite authors. Among the Fiction picks for younger readers are several writers who have appeared in our Year Group Recommended Reads lists, like Harriet Muncaster, Nadia Shireen and Serena Patel, who are nominated for Isadora Moon Under the Sea, Grimwood and Anisha, Accidental Detective: Holiday Adventure respectively. The Fiction choices for older readers include our previous Books of The Month picks TygerLike a Charm and Grandpa Frank’s Great Big Bucket List.

Alongside the Fiction and Non-fiction awards, there will also be recognition for an Illustrated Book, with contenders including Bunny vs Monkey: Rise of the Maniacal Badger and Peanut Jones and the Twelve Portals – both by illustrators whose work we’ve always enjoyed. The Audiobook category includes authors such as Malorie Blackman and David Walliams – with narrators including well-known actors, authors and even a pop star – while The Week Junior readers will be voting for their choice of Cover of the Year from a vibrant and striking selection.

Check out the full shortlist for the 2023 The Week Junior Book Awards here!

Best Children’s Books About Summer

As the weather warms up and the summer holidays beckon, why not celebrate this season of sunshine and adventures with some Summer-themed books for children?

From classic seaside tales like Lucy and Tom at the Seaside and The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch, to laugh out loud stories of animal adventures like You Can’t Take an Elephant on Holiday and The Great Hamster Getaway, our selection has something for everyone to enjoy. This Summer booklist is recommended for parents, teachers and librarians looking to inspire a love of reading and a thirst for adventure in young children.

Get ready to dip your toes in and explore the sights, sounds and smells of the summertime with our list of recommended children’s books about Summer.

Autism Awareness Booklist

Browse our booklist of recommended children’s books that foster awareness and understanding of autism. Our selection of books offers a range of perspectives on neurodiversity, exploring different experiences of autism including personal accounts and experiences of supporting family and friends. Books and stories can play an important role in raising awareness and promoting understanding towards autistic individuals as well as celebrating their strengths and talents and allowing children with autism to be represented in stories written by authors with similar experiences.

Our booklist is designed for anyone seeking to promote diversity and inclusion in their personal or school settings, including parents, teachers, and those looking for personal development. This varied booklist of picturebooks, chapter books and graphic novels includes relatable stories for autistic children, as well as books that help all children to understand what it is like for autistic people to navigate a world that isn’t always designed with them in mind and stories designed to celebrate neurodiversity.

​50 Best Books for Year 6 (Ages 10-11)

Welcome to BooksForTopics’ recommended reading list for Year 6. If you’re looking for a list of the best books for children in Year 6, you’ve come to the right place. Our team of experts has selected a list of 50 recommended books for children aged 10-11,  including storytime read-alouds, edge-of-your-seat thrillers, issue-based stories, laugh-out-loud books, picturebooks, graphic novels, poetry and non-fiction. We’ve tried to include something for all tastes – but look out for legendary sea monsters, Wundrous societies, clocks that strike thirteen and the scariest school detention ever…

With a mix of classic and contemporary titles, our selection of recommended reads is designed to provide children with a diverse range of literature that will encourage them to become lifelong readers. Our list includes popular Y6 titles such as Amari and the Night Brothers, Murder Most Unladylike and Holes as well as lesser-known treasures that are equally delightful, like Emmy Levels Up and Mystery of the Night Watchers.

Our panel of reading experts, primary teachers and librarians helps us to read and review our books in order to select the best books to recommend to each year group. Along with evaluating the current popularity of books, we carefully assess each title on the merit of its age-appropriateness, quality of writing and illustrations, and ability to stimulate imagination, critical thinking and creativity. We compile our booklists through the expertise of specialists in children’s literature, enabling us to showcase a diverse range of voices that cater to readers of all types, ensuring that there is a book for everyone.

This list of recommended books for Year 6 children is curated to match their developmental stage and cater to their interests, as they grow through their final year of primary school and prepare for the step up to secondary. There is also a downloadable checklist and a printable poster, and schools can purchase full sets of the 50 books through Peters.

Scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

Best Books for Year 5 (Ages 9-10)

Looking for the best Year 5 recommended reading list? Look no further than BooksForTopics.com. Our primary school reading experts have selected a list of the top 50 recommended books for children aged 9-10. There are so many books to love on this list, but do keep an eye out for houses that walk, alien cats, buried Roman treasure hoards and a good old polar bear rescue…

Our Year 5 recommended reading list features a diverse range of books from both classic and contemporary authors, carefully chosen to help develop reading fluency, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills. Our list includes popular Y5 titles such as Percy Jackson, The Last Bear and Diary of a Wimpy Kid as well as lesser-known gems that are equally delightful, like My Life as a Cat and The Cooking Club Detectives.

Our team of experts at BooksForTopics considers several factors to ensure that our booklist features the very most suitable book recommendations for Year 5 children. In addition to evaluating the current popularity of books, we carefully assess each title’s appropriateness for the age group, quality of writing, engaging illustrations, and ability to stimulate imagination and creativity. Our curated booklists are compiled by specialists in children’s literature, and we take pride in presenting a diverse range of voices and catering to different types of readers, ensuring that there is something for everyone.

Our curated reading list is designed to capture the attention of Year 5 children, matching their developmental stage and interests. We have also provided accompanying resources to support parents and teachers, including a printable poster, a downloadable checklist, and the option for schools to purchase full sets of the 50 books through Peters.

Scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

Best Books for Y4 (Ages 8-9)

Looking for book recommendations for Year 4 children? Look no further than BooksForTopics.com.

Our website offers a carefully curated list of the top books for 8-9-year-olds, selected by expert primary teachers and librarians. Find the best books to top up your Y4 book collection with our hand-picked list of storytime favourites, thought-provoking tales, funny books, picturebooks, graphic novels, poetry collections, non-fiction texts and more. We hope that there will be something for everyone, but do keep your eyes open for magical cats, crime-busting pigeons, wish-granting fifty-pence pieces and the odd day of the week that mysteriously vanishes from memory…

Our Year 4 booklist covers a range of genres, from fiction to non-fiction, poetry, and picture books, in order to cater to a range of children’s reading levels and interests. The team of experts at BooksForTopics has hand-picked each book based on merit for its age-appropriateness, quality storytelling, engaging illustrations and ability to challenge children to think imaginatively and creatively. Whether you have children who love to read about fantasy worlds and animal adventures, young readers curious about science fiction and real-life hero stories, or reluctant readers looking to be hooked by funny stories or highly illustrated books, our recommended reads offer something for all tastes.

If you are looking for a recommended reading list for Year 4 children, our specially selected ‘best of the best’ booklist has got you covered with favourite books that have all been carefully matched to the age, developmental stage and interest level of children in Year 4.

As well as the Y4 booklist below to browse, we’ve also got a printable poster and downloadable checklist for you, and schools can purchase full sets of the books via Peters.

Scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

50 Best Books for Y3 (Ages 7-8)

We’ve selected 50 top recommended books for Year 3 (children aged seven and eight). Find the best books to level up your Y3 reading collections with our carefully selected list of storytime chapter books, independent reads, funny stories, picturebooks, poetry collections, graphic novels, non-fiction texts and more. There’s something for all tastes, but keep an eye out for ninja cats, adventuring polar bears, intrepid explorers and the odd exploding dragon poo here and there, too…

We understand that choosing the right books for children can be a daunting task, which is why we have curated a list of high-quality and engaging books that are especially suited for Year 3 children. Our selection of books includes themes such as adventure, friendship, animals, mystery, and lots of laugh-out-loud favourites too.

As well as taking into account which books are currently the most popular with Y3 children, our team of experts at BooksForTopics loves to put each book through its paces. Each title on our booklist has been chosen based on its age-appropriateness, quality of writing, engaging illustrations and ability to spark children’s imagination and creativity. Our booklists have been carefully compiled by experts in children’s literature, and we have taken care to ensure that they reflect the diversity of voices and experiences that make up our society as well as making sure the books we feature include ones that hook in different types of readers.

So, if you are looking for recommended reads to capture the attention of your Year 3 children, our specially selected reading list has got you covered with books that have been matched to the age, developmental stage and interest level of children in Year 3.

As well as the Y3 booklist below to browse, we’ve also got a printable poster and downloadable checklist for you, and schools can purchase full sets of the books via Peters.

Scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

Best Books for Y2 (Ages 6-7)

Our team has hand-picked 50 recommended books for Year 2 (children aged six and seven). Find the best books to top up your Y2 reading collections with our selection of storytime picturebooks, chapter books, funny stories, illustrated poetry collections, non-fiction texts and more. Keep an eye out for the odd mad-cap babysitter with rainbow hair, ferocious pirate dinosaurs and biscuit-loving flying ponies along the way…

We understand that finding the perfect book for children can be a challenging task, which is why we have carefully curated a list of recommended reads especially suited for Year 2 children. Our selection of books includes themes such as adventure, friendship, animals, mystery, and lots of laugh-out-loud favourites too.

The team of experts at BooksForTopics has hand-picked each book based on its age-appropriateness, quality content, engaging illustrations and ability to spark children’s imagination and creativity. Whether you have children who love to read about magical worlds, inspiring characters, real-life heroes or funny stories, our recommended reads offer something for everyone.

So, if you are looking for top recommended books for your Year 2 children, our specially selected reading list has got you covered with books that have all been carefully matched to the age, developmental stage and interest level of children in Year 2.

As well as the Y2 booklist below to browse, we’ve also got a printable poster and downloadable checklist for you, and schools can purchase full sets of the books via Peters.

Scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

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