Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

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Reluctant Readers Lower KS2

Best Books for Reluctant Readers Aged 7-9 (Year 3 & Year 4)

There’s great joy in finding the right book for the right child, but the journey to get to that point can sometimes be a tricky one. Some children naturally choose books and find it easy to navigate the world of reading for pleasure. Others need a little more encouragement to feel at home in the world of reading and we are often asked to recommend books for reluctant readers in Years 3 and 4 (ages 7-9), either for those who are less confident with reading or for children who have simply not yet caught the ‘reading bug’.

Try offering titles with a high image-to-text ratio like the popular The Bad Guys series or Claude books, offering an instant reading experience that appeals to visual learners. We also recommend that you explore books with high-interest themes like Salah Rules or Space Detectives, addressing hobbies and interests that are likely to captivate readers seeking meaningful reads. For those drawn to real-life stories and relatable worlds that create an easy connection between the reader and the narrative, try The Beach Puppy or Ellie and the Cat. For those who find reading boring, why not introduce a good dose of humour through Rabbit and Bear or Dog Man?

Which books are best for hooking in children who don’t feel interested in reading? We’ve put together a list of some of the best books for reluctant readers in lower KS2…

Books for Upper KS2 Reluctant Readers Aged 9-11

Best Books for Reluctant Readers in Upper KS2

For parents and teachers, there is often pressure and desire to guide every child successfully through the process of learning to read – while making sure it’s fun, enjoyable and a learning journey that will lead to a lifelong love of books. But which books are best for hooking in children who don’t feel interested in reading?

We’ve put together a curated collection of books designed to engage children who can appear reluctant to read for pleasure. At BooksForTopics, we understand the unique challenge of inspiring a love for reading in older primary school students who may be hesitant or less enthusiastic about picking up a book. Our list aims to break down common barriers and offer a diverse range of titles that cater to varied interests and reading abilities.

Try offering titles with a high image-to-text ratio like the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series or The 13-Storey Treehouse, offering an immersive reading experience that appeals to visual learners. We also recommend that you explore books with high-interest themes like Rashford Rules or Gamer, addressing hobbies and interests that are likely to captivate readers seeking meaningful reads. For those drawn to real-life stories and relatable worlds that create an easy connection between the reader and the narrative, try Ella on the Outside. For those who find reading boring, why not introduce a good dose of humour through Grimwood or Iguana Boy Saves the World With a Triple Cheese Pizza?

With something for all different tastes, this selection of our top book choices for engaging reluctant readers in Year 5 and Year 6 is here to help. Schools can purchase full sets of the books from Peters.

Best Children’s Books: Autumn Topic

The Best Children’s Books about Autumn

We love seeing the seasons change, and this Autumn booklist perfectly encapsulates the season for young readers! From kicking up Autumn leaves and collecting conkers to picking pumpkins and spotting nocturnal animals, there are plenty of delights for children to enjoy during Autumn time.

For children who like animal stories, explore the busy Autumn-time activities of squirrels and foxes in The Leaf Thief and Fox’s Favourite Autumn. For stories about windy Autumn weather and falling leaves, try Nick Butterworth’s classic picturebook After the Storm or Emily Gravett’s Tidy.

For those wanting to learn about the changing seasons, try Tree: Seasons Come, Seasons Go or head over to our Weather & Seasons booklist to explore more books about seasonal change.

So cosy up under a blanket and dive into our list of recommended children’s books about Autumn, which is here to take you on a seasonal tour as the evenings draw in and the mornings become frost-filled and crisp…

Chinese New Year – Seasonal Booklist

Best Chinese New Year Books for Children

Whether you are joining the celebrations or exploring the customs and traditions of the Lunar New Year festival, we’ve got the best books to help.

A popular choice of story about Chinese New Year for EYFS and KS1 is I Love Chinese New Year by Eva Wong Nava and Li Xin, which provides an introduction to Chinese New Year traditions for one girl and her family -including the special food, decorations and exciting dragon dance. Another recommended option is Chloe’s Lunar New Year, which explores how Lunar New Year is celebrated in Taiwan and is a lovely story book detailing traditions including new shoes, good-luck oranges, red envelopes and tasty treats.

If you are looking for Chinese New Year children’s books that explore the story of the Chinese Zodiac, Christopher Corr’s The Great Race is a recommended picturebook exploring the traditional story of the great animal race, featuring wonderfully colourful spreads painted in an oriental folk style.

For a non-fiction children’s book that extends beyond China, try Lunar New Year Around the World, which our review panel described as ‘a brightly coloured delight’ containing information and activities to help extend children’s awareness of the global festival.

From firecrackers and fortune cookies to stories of the great animal race, browse this list of recommended children’s books about Chinese New Year to help you to bring the festival to life in the classroom…

Books About Easter

Best Easter Books for Children

Our Easter booklist features books that celebrate the traditional Easter Story as well as stories about springtime, new life, Easter bunnies and chocolate egg hunts. Enjoy our egg-cellent selection of the best children’s books for Easter time, featuring cracking stories to be given as Easter gifts or to snuggle down with after a busy morning of egg-hunting…

Christmas Books (EYFS/KS1)

Best Christmas Books for Children Aged 4-7

Our curated list of the best children’s books about Christmas features books that celebrate the traditional Christmas Story as well as stories about the joy of gift-giving, magical snowmen and winter celebrations.

Find awe and wonder in gentle Christmas-time stories like Leah’s Star, a beautifully illustrated tale that captures the essence of the Nativity from a child’s perspective. For young readers eager to let their imaginations soar at the idea of Santa’s workshop, Kid Christmas promises a delightful journey filled with imagination and a good dose of festive kindness. Enjoy the warmth of family traditions with I Love You More than Christmas, a touching story that celebrates the spirit of giving and the joy of togetherness.

Whether you’re seeking tales of festive traditions or recommended Christmas children’s books that capture the essence of the season, get into the festive spirit with our hand-picked recommendations of children’s books all about Christmas. We ho-ho-hope you like these Christmas stories just as much as we do!

NB: This is a Christmas booklist aimed at children in EYFS and KS1 (ages 4-7). You may also be looking for our Christmas Booklist for KS2 or our Christmas Gift Guides.

Superhero Books

The best superhero stories and superhero themed children’s books

Get ready to bring out your inner hero and zap into adventure mode with our list of recommended children’s books about superheroes. From caped crusaders and vile villains to amazing everyday heroes and heroines, our list of best superhero stories for children shows that superheroes come in all shapes and sizes.

From the classic superhero story Supertato, the unlikely superhero who is on a mission to protect the other vegetables from the Evil Pea and children’s favourite Julia Donaldson’s Superworm, we also include How to Save a Superhero – a heart-warming book with fun characters, rhyming text and a wonderful take-away message about standing up for what’s right, which makes a great addition to the superhero bookshelf.

If you are looking for recommended superhero story books for children, this specially selected reading list for EYFS and KS1 has got you covered…

Football Books for Children

Best Football Books for Children (2026 Guide by Age)

Curated by the BooksForTopics Team | Updated 2026.

Football books are hugely popular with young readers from the earliest years all through primary school. From soccer superstars to famous fouls, there’s no end of football facts and figures to absorb in our collection of non-fiction and children’s fiction books about the beautiful game.

This list features characters of different shapes and sizes, genders and nationalities enjoying football. If you are looking specifically for girls’ and women’s football, we also have a girls’ football booklist.

We’ve put together a list of the best children’s books about football that are bound to kick-start your book collection and score big with young football fans, plus a free downloadable poster sharing top football reads.

Finding the Best Football Books for Children: A Quick Guide

Not sure where to start? Use these categories to find the best fit for your reader:

For Reluctant Readers: Look for our Dyslexia-Friendly or super-readable picks, like The Unlucky Eleven or Football Mad, which use specialist fonts and fast-paced plots to build reading confidence.
For Picture Book Fans: Younger readers will love the rhyme and rhythm of Kicking a Ball or the imaginative moon-match in Planet Football.
For Aspiring Players: We selected titles like Football School and She Shoots, She Scores! specifically because they offer genuine tips on skills, tactics and how the professional game really works.
For History Buffs: Discover the true story of the WWI Footballers’ Battalion in Over the Line or the origins of the women’s game in Lily and the Rockets.
Best Series for Younger Readers (5–9): Try the highly readable Football Superstars series – the gold standard for simple, highly illustrated chapter books that get children reading independently.
Best Series for Older Readers (9–12): The Jamie Johnson books (The Kick Off) and the information-packed Ultimate Football Heroes biographies offer the depth and collectibility that KS2 readers enjoy.
For the Stat-Obsessed: Beyond player biographies, look for the Football School Encyclopedia for deep-dives into the science of the game, or Football School Facts for Every Day of the Year for bite-sized trivia and record-breaking infographics.

Olympics & Paralympics

Best Children’s Books about the Olympic and Paralympic Games

Now’s the time to inspire young readers with books all about the Olympic and Paralympic Games! From pentathlons and Paralympians to javelins and judo, there are plenty of facts and figures to be inspired by in our medal-worthy selection of top children’s books about the Olympic games…

If you are looking for more sports-themed books for children, check out our Sports KS1 or Sports KS2 booklists.

Graphic Novels for Children in Upper KS2

Graphic novel

Booklist: Best Graphic Novels for Children Aged 9-11

Graphic novels are longer stories written and illustrated in the style of a comic, combining a sequence of engaging visual elements that drive the plot, coupled with short pockets of text in the form of captions and dialogue. The format has seen a burst in popularity in recent years, and these books are seeing an increasing demand in primary schools. We’ve picked out a list of brilliant graphic novels that are most suitable for children aged 9-11…