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books with disabled characters

Children’s Books with Disabled Characters

Recommended Children’s Books with Disabled Characters

Representation in children’s literature encourages empathy, understanding and belonging. When disabled characters are centred in stories, they can challenge stereotypes, start meaningful conversations, and help every child feel seen.

On this Disabled Characters booklist for primary schools, you will find stories that include characters with diverse experiences, such as those who use mobility aids or who have limb differences. We believe these narratives are vital for reflecting the world around us. We’ve included picture books like Mama Car and Splash by Paralympian swimmer Claire Cashmore and KS2 chapter books like How to Roller-Skate on One Leg and Laura Noakes’ Cosima the Unfortunate Steals a Star.

You may also like to explore our separate booklists exploring children’s books featuring hearing loss, neurodiversity in children’s books and books with characters who have a limb difference, or our broader selection of Diverse & Inclusive children’s books.

This BooksForTopics expert-curated list of titles offers a rich selection of adventures, friendships and family stories, all featuring positive representations of physical disabilities.

reflecting realities 2024 2025

Reflecting Realities Books 2025-2026

Reflecting Realities Booklist

In November 2025, the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) released its eighth annual Reflecting Realities Survey of Ethnic Representation within UK Children’s Literature. The previous report had highlighted a significant drop in the presence of racially minoritised characters in books published for children in the UK and although this year’s report shows a slight increase in comparison, the level has not returned to that prior to last year. 

Titles highlighted in this year’s report include a number that the BooksForTopics community will recognise from our Diverse Children’s Book Lists, as well as our Year Group Recommended Reads, Books of the Month and Curriculum Booklists, such as picturebooks Changing Tides, Can You Find My Eid Presents and Lulu Meets the Bees, and chapter books Bobby Bains Plays a Blinder, Nush and the Stolen Emerald and Paper Dragons: The Fight for the Hidden Realm.

You can read a summary of the 2025 Reflecting Realities Report on our blog, or click here to read the full report.

This booklist features the 38 exemplified texts included in this year’s Reflecting Realities report.

best historical fiction for ks2

Historical Fiction for KS2

Recommended Historical Fiction for Children Aged 7-11 (KS2)

A guide curated by the experts at BooksForTopics.

Bring the past to life with this hand-picked selection of the best historical fiction for children in Key Stage 2! This book list is a portal to different places and times – from stories set in Ancient Greece to Viking books for children and from colonial stories to wartime fiction.

Award-winning historical fiction writer Ally Sherrick features strongly in this list, with books including gunpowder plot-inspired Black Powder, and time-hopping adventure The Buried Crown. Often hailed as the “Queen of Historical Fiction,” Emma Carroll’s writing is also well-represented, with tales including the excavation of Tutankhamun’s tomb in Secrets of a Sun King, and the birth of hot air balloon flight in Sky Chasers. Several of Tom Palmer’s trademark super-readable yet compelling stories also feature, including Over the Line, which weaves football into the First World War, and After the War, inspired by the true story of the “Windermere Boys”.

The breadth of historical periods covered in this expertly curated booklist covers the Bronze Age in The Boy with the Bronze Axe through to the Middle Ages in The Great Phoenix of London, and from 18th-century colonialism in Journey Back to Freedom to the Second World War in Shrapnel Boys.

Featuring bold characters, epic journeys and thrilling adventures, these titles will deepen historical understanding while inspiring curiosity and compassion.

best childrens books about bonfire night fireworks and fire

Bonfire Night, Fireworks & Fire: Children’s Booklist

Best Books about Bonfire Night, Fireworks & Fire Stories for Children

This booklist for young readers explores fire and fireworks – perfect for finding bonfire night stories for children!

The traditions of Bonfire Night have long lit up children’s imaginations with explosive tales of mischief and bravery. Explore the origin story of this annual festival in Mr Fawkes, the King and the Gunpowder Plot, or embark on a hilarious firework-hunting adventure in The Naughtiest Unicorn and the Firework Festival.

Inspired by fire, younger readers will love The Boy on Fire, a picturebook that explores themes of friendship and self-acceptance, while for older readers, My Life on Fire sensitively tackles family upheaval and complex moral issues. Some historical fiction is included, and for more we also have a separate Fire of London Booklist.

With dragons, phoenixes, hedgehogs, cats and even fleas featured, there’s plenty to set alight young imaginations in this list of the best children’s books about bonfire night, fireworks and fire!

best childrens books about remembrance

Remembrance: Children’s Booklist

Best Books about Remembrance for Children

For children, stories can be a powerful way to understand the meaning behind the traditions of remembrance and the history they represent.

This carefully selected list of the best children’s books about remembrance explores themes of courage, loss and memories, from the heartfelt friendship in Stubby and the bravery of a young nurse in Peace Lily, to the poignant symbolism in Poppy Field and Alive with Poppies.

Young readers will also discover tales of wartime families in BLITZ and daring female pilots in Skyward, alongside more contemporary stories of connections to the past, like Owen and the Soldier.

In addition the these Remembrance Day children’s books, we also have separate topic lists of children’s books about World War 2 and World War 1.

Whether through fiction, poetry or true stories, this list of the best children’s books about war, remembrance and the poppy symbol will help young readers to understand, reflect and connect with the past in meaningful ways.

best poetry and verse novels for ks3

KS3 Poetry Reading List

Recommended Poetry for KS3

If you are looking for the best poetry to share with KS3 readers, this BooksForTopics expertly curated reading list is here to help!

This poetry booklist for 11-14 year olds features collections which span a range of themes and traditions, from mythological poems in Gods and Monsters to Poems from the Second World War, and from rap in Rhythm and Poetry to Caribbean poetry in Under the Moon & Over the Sea.

This list also includes a great selection of verse novels. Pacey and accessible, this format is ideal for KS3 readers and has seen a surge in popularity in the past few years. Among our verse novel picks are The First Year from Matt Goodfellow, Sarah Crossan’s Moonrise and Joseph Coelho’s The Boy Lost in the Maze.

From inspiring anthologies to powerful verse novels, there’s something for everyone in this list of recommended KS3 poetry.

best books for supporting struggling readers in ks3

KS3 Supporting Struggling Readers

Recommended Books to Support Struggling Readers in KS3

If you are looking for recommended books to support struggling readers in Years 7, 8 and 9, this expertly curated BooksForTopics booklist is here to help! These are books that support reading at lower levels while still featuring stories, illustrations and cover designs that appeal to ages 11-14 –  helping to avoid the need for books that seem ‘too young’.

All of the books on this list are published by Barrington Stoke, whose books are specially designed to be ‘super-readable’ and dyslexia-friendly thanks to their special font, off-white tinted paper and larger spacing that reduces visual stress. Importantly, the books selected feature quality short fiction by bestselling authors and illustrators, enabling KS3 readers to choose books that are appealing in visual style and interest level for their age range while containing text at a lower reading level designed to support reading development.

This Key Stage 3 Barrington Stoke reading list for supporting struggling readers features a huge range of themes, from sci-fi thrillers like Reek to historical fiction like The Mermaid in the Millpond. Relatable reads like My Perfect Cousin and The Mystery of Me feature alongside empathy-building titles like A Sudden Storm and Northern Soul, while books like The Wrong Wheels and Date with Danger offer high-interest themes specially designed to engage reluctant teen readers. Classic stories also feature, with a retelling of Frankenstein and a new, accessible version of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde.

With something for all tastes, the titles on this booklist will help to develop success in reading in even the most reluctant readers.

best books to read in year 9

Year 9: 50 Recommended Reads

​50 Best Books for Year 9 (Children Aged 13-14)

Welcome to BooksForTopics’ recommended reading list for Year 9. If you’re looking for a list of the best books for Year 9, you’ve come to the right place. Our team of experts has selected a list of the 50 best books for Year 9 to read. We’ve tried to include something for all tastes – so look out for mysteries, fantasies and dystopian reads alongside poetry, relatable fiction and books to make you laugh out loud…

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 Y9 booklist includes relatable Y9 reads such as Tamsin Winter’s tale of viral trouble I Dare You, verse novels like Joseph Coelho’s The Boy Lost in the Maze, and timeless classics including The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. This collection also features Y9 historical fiction such as Here Lies Arthur alongside fantasy adventures like A Skinful of Shadows. The non-fiction picks cover everything from Matthew Burton’s back-to-school handbook, Back on Track, to Philippa Gregory’s reclamation of women’s historical roles in her teen edition of Normal Women.

Having quality reading materials to hand can make all the difference as young people continue their reading journeys throughout KS3. Our panel of reading experts, teachers and secondary school librarians helps us to read and review the best titles 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.

This reading list of recommended books for Year 9 is curated by experts to match the developmental stage of 13 to 14-year-olds and to cater to their interests, providing the right level of challenge for Y9s as they grow through the final year of KS3. There is also a downloadable checklist and a printable poster, and schools can purchase full sets of the 50 books through Peters.
Browse the Y9 reading list below or scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

 

best books for year 9      best books for year 9
klaus flugge prize

Klaus Flugge Prize

Now in its tenth year, the Klaus Flugge Prize recognises exciting and promising newcomers to children’s book illustration. Commended by our Review Panel for its “illustrations and quirky characters”, The Cafe at the Edge of the Woods features on this year’s shortlist, alongside Grandad’s Star and the winning title, My Hair is as Long as a River.

For more information about the 2025 Klaus Flugge Prize click here, or scroll down for more details on the shortlisted titles!

best pe and sport books for ks3

KS3 PE & Sport

Recommended Books to Support PE & Sport at KS3

If you are looking for recommended books to support PE & Sport at KS3, this BooksForTopics expertly curated reading list is here to help!

This booklist features a range of themes and formats, including how-to-play books like Sports Academy: Netball, real-life stories like Becoming Muhammad Ali, and books that use sports to inspire all young people, like You Are a Champion and You Have the Power.

There’s also a great choice of chapter books exploring a range of themes through sport, including refugees in Home Ground, family relationships in Tall Story, racial discrimination in Black Brother, Black Brother and growing up in Booked.

From real-life sporting stories to fast-paced on-the-track fiction, this sports booklist has something to offer all KS3 readers.

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