Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

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Picturebooks for Lower KS2

Picturebook

Best Picturebooks for Years 3 and 4

Picturebooks are wonderful for all ages in primary schools and are not to be limited to the younger classrooms alone. As children’s author Kate Cunningham says, “Telling a child that they are too old for a picture book is like telling them that they are too old for chocolate ice cream or computer games“.

In Lower KS2, picturebooks offer a unique opportunity to enjoy the interplay between images and words, as well as being brilliant for opening discussions on important issues like in The Emerald Forest. Others are perfect for exploring new ideas like If I Were Prime Minister, for boosting empathy like It’s a No Money Day and for developing critical thinking like Fearless. Sometimes they simply provide a fun reading experience that caters to a visual appetite that begins to be increasingly excluded from chapter books for the age group – like in Until I Met Dudley and Professional Crocodile.

This list features our top selection of recommended picturebooks that are most suitable for children aged 7-9….

Picturebooks for Upper KS2

Picturebook

Best Picturebooks for Years 5 and 6

Picturebooks are brilliant for all ages in primary schools and are not to be left behind in EYFS and KS1 libraries alone. Shared with older children, the best picturebooks can allow children and adults to share a reading common experience made up of the interplay between the visual and the written word.

In Upper KS2, picturebooks are excellent for opening discussions on important issues like Varmints, for exploring philosophical or political concepts like The Island, for developing empathy and for challenging thinking like I Talk Like A River. Sometimes they simply provide an imaginative reading experience that caters to a visual appetite that is excluded from chapter books offered at this age, like The Midnight Fair. We’ve picked out a list of the best picturebooks that are suitable for children aged 9-11….

NB: If you are looking for more KS2 picturebook recommendations, try Picturebooks for Lower KS2 or Wordless Picturebooks. For even younger readers, head to Storytime Favourites for EYFS.

Wordless Picturebooks

Picturebook

The Best Wordless Picturebooks for Primary School Children

Wordless picture books are like portals to imaginative worlds where stories unfold without a single written word. Instead of relying on text, these books let the illustrations do all the talking. There’s a superb variety of wordless picturebooks available for children in KS1, Ks2 and EYFS, and we’ve picked out some of the best wordless picturebooks for primary-aged children.

More and more teachers are discovering that wordless picture books can inspire incredible literacy learning across the primary age range, right up to Year 6. Books that tell stories through pictures alone can help develop visual literacy, expand the imagination, start discussions about interpretation and give children space to add spoken or written narratives of their own.

From EYFS right through to Year 6, the role of wordless picturebooks in literacy development and imaginative enjoyment is hugely valuable. Wordless picturebooks help to break down language barriers and invite readers of all ages to craft their own stories based on the pictures before them. Curious details and intriguing clues in the illustrations enable the narratives of wordless picturebooks to be open to a range of interpretations – levelling the playing field for every reader to be the storyteller.

From whimsical wordless delights like the adventure of flying frogs in David Wiesner’s award-winning Tuesday to deeper discussion-starters like Duncan Annand’s Caged, this booklist features a selection of the best wordless picturebooks for children aged 4-11.

Shakespeare

Best Children’s Books about Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was a famous British playwright born in 1564. His plays have been performed millions of times around the globe and are still well-loved today.

Primary school children often study simplified versions of the stories from Shakespeare’s plays, with A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest being among the most popular. There are some excellent anthologies of Shakespeare stories retold for children available, such as the illustrated story collection A Stage Full of Shakespeare Stories or the comic-book style Mr Shakespeare’s Plays. There is also a handful of recommended fiction titles with new stories based on characters or settings from Shakespeare’s plays, such as Tempest Terror and A Romeo Roller Coaster.

For non-fiction about Shakespeare’s life and times, try Shakespeare for Everyone or the search-and-find book Shakespeare’s London.

From sonnets and star-crossed lovers to troupes and tragedies, learn all about the famous Bard with our list of the best children’s books about Shakespeare and his plays.

Dyslexia-Friendly Books

Dyslexia-friendly

Booklist: Best Books for Dyslexic Children

On this booklist, we feature a selection of recommended books that have been specially designed for dyslexic readers by the experts at Barrington Stoke. All of the books on this list have a dyslexia-friendly layout, typeface and paperstock, so that even more readers can enjoy them. Scroll down to find the best books for dyslexic readers in KS1, lower KS2 and upper KS2.

Top-Notch Non-Fiction

Best Non-Fiction Books for Children

It’s time to celebrate all things factual with our selection of recommended children’s non-fiction books for readers who have a passion for information and knowledge. We’ve picked out non-fiction books filled with interesting facts and strong visual elements to keep young readers engaged, informed and entertained.

Dive into a world where young minds uncover the marvels of our planet, encounter fascinating creatures, decode the mysteries of science, draw inspiration from extraordinary individuals and embrace the richness of diverse cultures. Each carefully chosen book on this list serves as a portal to knowledge and an invitation for readers to discover more about the world around them.

We’ve put together a list of our favourite non-fiction books for children, grouped into age categories of 3-5, 5-7, 7-9 and 9-11. You can purchase each age group’s non-fiction pack from Peters.

First Chapter Books

Chapter book

Best First Chapter Books for Children

Finding the right books is essential in helping young readers successfully make the leap into their first chapter books.

On this booklist, we have picked a selection of short, illustrated chapter books that are perfect for children launching into independent reading. This collection of early reader books – with colour illustrations, shorter length and clear formatting – has been picked with those readers in mind who need something to bridge the gap between reading scheme books and lengthier chapter books.

Invite early readers to delve into tried-and-tested short, illustrated chapter books with favourite characters like Isadora Moon and Claude, providing delightful and imaginative adventures that children can enjoy in a series to read through or collect. Some readers might opt for gentle animal stories like The Little Lost Kitten while others will prefer to embark on exciting fantasy escapades like the pirate-themed Molly Rogers to the Rescue.

This booklist serves as a resource for parents and teachers seeking engaging and developmentally appropriate first chapter books for newly independent readers.

Primary Poetry Booklist

Recommended Poetry Books for Primary Children in KS2, KS1 and EYFS

On this primary poetry booklist, we have picked a selection of quality poetry books recommended for children aged 3-11. Scroll down to find the best children’s poetry collections recommended for EYFS, KS1 and KS2.

At BooksForTopics, we think that poetry is a superpower! It’s the fastest way to inject rhythm, language play and brilliant vocabulary into children’s lives – as well as empathy and consideration of different perspectives (where else can children imagine being a pebble, or a caterpillar, or a stranger arriving on a shore?). Far from being a dusty genre, primary poetry is immediate, imaginative and one of the best tools for boosting reading in the classroom.

This poetry booklist is your essential resource for finding high-quality poetry books for every primary age and stage. Whether you need an anthology packed with giggles for two-minute read-aloud slots like Whale of a Time, a collection to inspire a curriculum topic like A First Book of Dinosaurs, nature poetry like I Hear the Trees or engaging poetry on real-life themes like Overheard in a Tower Block, you’ll find it here. We also have separate booklists for poetry for KS3 and KS2 verse novels.

Explore our expertly curated booklists and let’s bring the wonder of poetry to every child.

Back to School Picturebooks

Recommended Books For Children Going Back To School

As children return to the classroom in September, books about mental health, class transitions and coping with change are more important than ever.

We’ve handpicked a list of back-to-school book recommendations to share with children returning to a new class – grouped into themes of community, being yourself, starting something new, big feelings, friendship and fun.

For books about first-day-back nerves, try Geoffrey Gets the Jitters or Find Your Happy. For stories about starting a new class, try The Friendship Bench or Mooncat and Me, or for more friendship-boosting stories, we recommend I’m Going to Make a Friend and The Blue Umbrella.

For icebreaking books to bring classroom laughter, try You Say Ooh I Say Ahh, or for something to inspire classroom projects on the first week back, we recommend Mixed or The Dot.

Our separate booklists of All About Me topic books and community-themed picturebooks will help, too, but for books about uniqueness, be absolutely sure not to miss Can I Build Another Me?. Additionally, The Best You will encourage pupils to be the best versions of themselves, while The Smile and All Are Welcome will help to boost discussions on how to make the classroom community a better place.

Class Transitions

Class Transitions Booklist

Moving up a class can be a big deal for many children and transition days are a wonderful opportunity for teachers to break the ice and get to know a new class.

With transition day just around the corner, we’ve handpicked a list of picture book recommendations to share with children to prepare for move up day or a class transition – grouped into themes of being yourself, starting a new class, community, togetherness and friendship as well as books that provide inspiration for transition day art projects and icebreakers.