Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Format: Chapter book

Itch

Chapter book

Meet Itch – an accidental, accident-prone hero. Science is his weapon. Elements are his gadgets. All-action adventure perfect for fans of Alex Rider and Young Bond.

Itchingham Lofte – known as Itch – is fourteen, and loves science, especially chemistry. He’s also an element-hunter: he’s collecting all the elements in the periodic table. Which has some interesting and rather destructive results in his bedroom.

Then, Itch makes a discovery. A new element, never seen before. At first no one believes him – but soon someone hears about the strange new rock and wants it for himself. And Itch and his family are catapulted into a breathless adventure with terrifyingly high stakes . . .

The debut novel from BBC radio presenter Simon Mayo.

The Lightning Catcher

Clare Weze

Chapter book

Alfie has noticed a few things since his family moved to Folding Ford. He really misses life in the city. He and his sister don’t exactly fit in here. But the most interesting one is that the weather is bonkers. One frost-covered branch on one tree in the middle of June? A tiny whirlwind in a bucket in the garden? Only in Folding Ford.

Armed with his bike, a notepad and his new best mate Sam, Alfie is going to investigate. His best clue is Nathaniel Clemm … the only thing in town weirder than the weather. When Alfie ‘investigates’ Mr Clemm’s garden, only slightly illegally, he finds a strange box that freezes his trainers and makes his teeth tingle. And when he opens it, only slightly deliberately, something gets out. Something fast, fizzing and sparking with electricity and very, very much alive. But the creature from the box brings trouble of its own, and as barometers and tempers go haywire in Folding Ford, Alfie finds himself at the centre of a perfect storm.

Skellig meets Stranger Things in this funny, heartfelt adventure story perfect for fans of Ross Welford, Christopher Edge and Frank Cottrell Boyce.

The Many Worlds of Albie Bright

Christopher Edge

Chapter book

An extraordinary novel for anyone who’s ever been curious from award-winning author Christopher Edge.

When Albie’s mum dies, it’s natural he should wonder where she’s gone. His parents are both scientists and they usually have all the answers. Dad mutters something about Albie’s mum being alive and with them in a parallel universe.

So Albie finds a box, his mum’s computer and a rotting banana, and sends himself through time and space to find her…

The Eagle of the Ninth

Rosemary Sutcliff

Chapter book

The Ninth Legion marched into the mists of northern Britain – and they were never seen again.

Four thousand men disappeared and their eagle standard was lost. It’s a mystery that’s never been solved, until now.

Marcus has to find out what happened to his father, who led the legion. So he sets out into the unknown, on a quest so dangerous that nobody expects him to return.

The Eagle of the Ninth is heralded as one of the most outstanding children’s books of the twentieth century and has sold over a million copies worldwide. Rosemary Sutcliff writes with such passion and attention to detail that Roman Britain is instantly brought to life and stays with the reader long after the last page has been turned.

Once

Morris Gleitzman

Chapter book

For three years and eight months, Felix has lived in a convent orphanage high in the mountains in Poland. But Felix is different from the other orphans. He is convinced his parents are still alive and will come back to get him. When a group of Nazi soldiers come and burn the nuns’ books, Felix is terrified that his Jewish, bookseller parents will also be in danger. After escaping from the orphanage, Felix embarks on a long and dangerous journey through Nazi occupied Poland, befriending a little orphan girl called Zelda and a kindly dentist, Barney, who hides and cares for Jewish children. But when the Nazis discover them, Barney makes the ultimate sacrifice for the children.

Outlaw

Michael Morpurgo

Chapter book

After a fierce storm, a boy discovers a human skull, buried beneath the roots of an ancient tree. A skull with a legendary story…

Vivid re-imagining of the legendary hero Robin Hood by bestselling author of War Horse.

“Tell the sheriff, tell Sir Guy of Gisbourne, tell everyone in Nottingham, that the Outlaws rule here in Sherwood, that we rule in the king’s name… I am Robin Hood.”

Homeless and lost in a dark, strange forest, young Robin is rescued by a motley crew of misfits. He yearns to avenge his father and seek justice against cruel oppressors, to finally defeat the Sheriff of Nottingham, once and for all.

And through his friends, Robin Hood finds the courage to become a legendary hero.

Crusade

Elizabeth Laird

Chapter book

Crusade is a richly detailed historical adventure, from Carnegie shortlisted author, Elizabeth Laird.

Two boys. Two faiths. One unholy war . . .

When Adam’s mother dies unconfessed, he pledges to save her soul with dust from the Holy Land. Employed as a dog-boy for the local knight, Adam grabs the chance to join the Crusade to reclaim Jerusalem. He burns with determination to strike down the infidel enemy . . .

Salim, a merchant’s son, is leading an uneventful life in the port of Acre – until news arrives that a Crusader attack is imminent. To keep Salim safe, his father buys him an apprenticeship with an esteemed, travelling doctor. But Salim’s employment leads him to the heart of Sultan Saladin’s camp – and into battle against the barbaric and unholy invaders . . .

Arthur: The Seeing Stone

Kevin Crossley-Holland

Chapter book

Medieval life meets Arthurian magic in a novel that transcends boundaries of time and age, appealing to children of 9+ and older readers alike. The winner of the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize and the Smarties Prize bronze award in 2001, this timeless novel is stunningly reissued for a new generation.

The year is 1199, the place the Welsh Marches. Young Arthur de Caldicot is given a magical shining stone in which his legendary namesake is revealed. In 100 short chapters that brilliantly evoke life in a medieval manor, stories of the boy King Arthur begin to echo – and anticipate – the secrets and mysteries that emerge in his own life.

Cue for Treason

Geoffrey Trease

Chapter book

A timeless classic by renowned historical fiction writer Geoffrey Trease, A Cue for Treason is a thrilling adventure set in Elizabethan England.

The novel follows fourteen-year-old Peter Brownrigg, who joins a travelling theatre group and apprentices with William Shakespeare after fleeing a tyrannical lord. Peter uncovers a dangerous plot in a gripping tale of spies, betrayal and treason against Queen Elizabeth herself.

Originally published in 1940, this is a story that remains exciting for today’s readers in KS3 who enjoy historical fiction and is an excellent companion to any study of the Elizabethan era.

A Skinful of Shadows

Frances Hardinge

Chapter book

Frances Hardinge’s historical fantasy A Skinful of Shadows transports readers to the turbulence of the English Civil War.

The tale follows twelve-year-old Makepeace, who has been raised to ward off the restless spirits of the dead. Her abilities are tested when, in a moment of grief, she is possessed by an unexpected spirit: a bear. With this powerful spirit residing within her, Makepeace is thrust into a terrifying new life with her estranged and sinister family.

This multi-layered narrative blends a paranormal mystery with fast-paced historical drama, creating a highly original story for teens that is as beautiful as it is thought-provoking.