Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Format: Chapter book

Set in secondary school, this short and dyslexia-friendly title tells the story of Jay and his quandary over doing what makes him happy or keeping in with his friendship group.

Jay has an interest in computing, and a talent for it too, according to his teacher, Mr Chan, although his friends think it’s for nerds. They have only one interest – football – so when his best friend Noah’s Dad starts a new football club, the pressure on Jay to join in is huge.

Jay knows that he’s not very good at football and would much rather go to Mr Chan’s new Computing Club, but the club falls on the same days as football practice, and Jay is torn between the two. He ends up lying to his friends in order to attend the club, but then an announcement regarding a competition and an amazing prize raises the stakes, and Jay’s web of deceit falls apart.

The characters are believable, with the bonus of seeing from the illustrations that various ethnic groups are represented.  It certainly gets the positive message across that everyone is different, and I could see it being very useful in some football-obsessed classes in my school!

Horrible Histories author Terry Deary presents an exciting collection of tales from the First World War based on thrilling true stories – four books in one! Perfect for history fans (and those who don’t know they’re history fans yet) aged 7+.

The War Game: Flanders, 1914. The German and British soldiers in the trenches make an unofficial Christmas truce, with carols and a football match. But the officers aren’t happy…
The Bomber Balloon: November 1916 – the war on the Home Front. A German Zeppelin crashes during a raid on Essex. Can a constable and a schoolgirl round up the armed air crew?
The Last Flight: France 1917 – the war in the air. An air observer is shot down behind enemy lines and meets the German flying ace, the famous Red Baron.
The Pigeon Spy: Flanders, 1918. The extraordinary true story of a pigeon, a black bird called Cher Ami, who saved nearly 200 lives.

Terry Deary’s Terrible True Tales: First World War explores the First World War through the eyes of children and real people who could have lived at the time. Packed with thoughtful illustrations by James de la Rue, these stories feature real people and take place in some of the most recognisable First World War settings. Featuring notes for the reader to help extend learning and exploration of the historical period.

Terry Deary, author of the hugely popular Horrible Histories series, continues to make history accessible and engaging with this collection of four short stories about the Second World War.

The focus is on everyday life in World War 2 Britain, rather than frontline conflict. There are stories about spies, evacuees, the Home Guard and the black market. Each of the four stories has plucky children at its heart.

The chapters are short, and the stories are pacy, with engaging illustrations throughout. This makes the book ideal for reluctant or newly confident readers. The book will also appeal to non-fiction enthusiasts as the stories are packed full of historical details – from blackouts and air raids to ration books, the Land Army and propaganda slogans. There’s a real mix of locations too, with stories set across the UK.

The stories are exciting with plenty of tension, and there are some moments of comic relief too. Each of the stories is based on true events, and at the end of each story, there’s a historical note providing more context and details.

The first book in an exciting new series from the creator of Isadora Moon, Harriet Muncaster.

Told in diary format and packed with beautiful full-colour illustrations, this is the enchanting story of Wiska Wildflower and her search for friendship at Inkcap’s Academy.

ONE day until I go to my new school.
Eeeek!
It’s called Inkcap’s Academy and it’s in Twitching.
TWITCHING!
Yes, I now live on the completely opposite side of Wiskling Wood to my old school in Acornia, and more importantly, MY FRIENDS…

Wiska Wildflower is relieved when she makes friends with Cleobelle and Primrose on her first day at Inkcap’s Academy.
They love Wiska’s drawings and ask her to help them design matching outfits for a special fashion show in Spellbrooke City.
But the more Wiska gets to know her new friends, the more she feels she must hide her true self and follow their rules.
Can Wiska find the bravery she needs to get her creative spark back and discover true friendship?

Twins Scarlett and Thomas have been learning about the Maya at school.

They even had a go at making hot chocolate from cacao beans.

When Grandad falls ill, the twins know what the perfect cure will be – hot chocolate!

They nervously borrow Grandad’s time machine and travel back to the time of the Mayas.

Scarlett pretends to be a god, and gets taken in by the royal family.

Thomas is not quite so lucky, and ends up playing for his life in a brutal Mayan ball game.

Watch out, Thomas, if you lose, you might be sacrificed to the gods!

How far would you go to find the best hot chocolate?

Hot on the heels of Hunt for the Golden Scarab, the first in M.G.Leonard’s new Time Keys series, comes this epic Viking adventure.

Sim and his cousin Jeopardy have an ability to open doors in time when they tune in to the right frequency with their instruments. What follows is an immersive and seat-of-your-pants odyssey from Norway back to Viking England as the family try to keep the powerful Gjallarhorn out of the hands of the evil Council of Keys.

M.G. Leonard excels at bringing history to life in this series. Her writing is compelling and pacey, and her focus is always on carrying the reader along with the story, never getting bogged down too long in any one moment. For teachers looking for fiction to support and enthuse kids as they learn about history, this series is a winner!

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly
dyslexia-friendly

Cousins Yasmin and Ruby have always been rivals, but both sides of the story are exposed in this cleverly composed clean-teen novella from Karen McCombie.

Ruby can’t stand her “perfect” cousin Yasmin. Yasmin is pretty, popular and has a gorgeous boyfriend Max. She’s set to get excellent grades in her GCSEs and her parents won’t stop going on about how brilliant she is.

Ruby always feel small and hopeless around Yasmin, and whenever she gets any attention, Yasmin tries to make sure the spotlight turns back to her.

Or that’s how Ruby feels anyway. But is there another side to the story?

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly
dyslexia-friendly

A dramatic coach crash forces Hailey to re-examine her relationships with her fellow singing-club members in this gripping drama from queen of teen thrillers Sophie McKenzie.

A singing-club trip ends in disaster when the coach carrying the members spins out of control. Hailey is trapped at the back of the coach with her nemesis Bex, who’s taken the lead role in their latest performance, and handsome Kit, on whom Hailey has a massive crush.

As the coach hangs over the edge of a precipice and Kit escapes to find help, Hailey and Bex have to get over their initial judgements about each other and work together if they are to stand a chance of survival. Will they find a way to safety?

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly
dyslexia-friendly

Josh undertakes some unusual training methods to improve his technique in this fun football story, edited to a reading age of 6.5.

Josh is football mad – and so is his granddad, who used to be a league player. Josh is disappointed when he doesn’t do so well in matches at school, so his granddad comes up with some rather unorthodox training methods to help him. Will Josh make it all the way?

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly
dyslexia-friendly

A boastful teen faces the consequences of showing off in this funny short school story, specially designed for seriously struggling and reluctant teen readers.

Troy loves to show off. He loves to boast about his money and his dad’s new car. Will Troy ever learn his lesson?

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