Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Format: Dyslexia-friendly

Elisabeth and the Box of Colours

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Elisabeth loves to paint, just like her papa. She spends hours making her own pictures of everything she sees – and the more colourful, the better!

But when she goes away to school, she finds herself in a world of grey: grey buildings, grey uniforms, grey rooms. She misses Papa and all the colours of home. And one winter morning, she gets some terrible news that makes her days darker than ever before. Will Elisabeth be able to find the colour and joy in her life again?

A touching tale about friendship, family and finding joy in the darkest of times. Inspired by the childhood of French portrait artist Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun.

The Little Lost Kitten

Abigail Hookham & Holly Webb

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Lucy and her dad are still feeling sad about the loss of their lovely cat Patch, who had been part of their family for such a long time. So when a little lost kitten turns up in their garden, Lucy doesn’t want to tell her dad in case it upsets him. But she grows to love the little kitten and he doesn’t seem to have a home, so Lucy is really upset when he disappears and finally she has to tell her dad the truth. Will her dad be able to help Lucy find the little kitten and can they offer him a new home?

We Are Not Frogs!

Michael Morpurgo & Sam Usher

Dyslexia-friendly, Picturebook

The frogs always beat the toads at long jump but the toads don’t mind – anything for a quiet life. But then the children and Mutt the dog come in search of some good jumpers, and the toads see an opportunity to get their own back. Soon the poor frogs have been gathered up and put in an ice-cream tub, and they’re hopping mad! Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 5+

Hurly Burly: Macbeth Mayhem

Mark Beech & Ross Montgomery

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Fair is foul and foul is fair … bestseller Ross Montgomery returns with a laugh-out-loud, perfectly pitched introduction to Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Beth has been looking forward to the Prizegiving Assembly all year. She’s won best-behaved pupil two years in a row and is confident that she’ll triumph again for a third time.

But as preparations continue for the ceremony, which includes a performance of Macbeth by the drama club, Beth finds out that she’s been pipped to the post by not one but two of her classmates, leaving her in third place.

Beth cannot bear to lose, so she channels her inner Macbeth and will stop at nothing to tarnish the reputation of her competitors. But as she puts her dastardly plans into action, she realises that villainy comes at a high cost!

Fortune’s Fools: A Romeo Roller Coaster!

Mark Beech & Ross Montgomery

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Top school athletes Dom and Blake have been best friends for ever – B and D, D-Dog and B-Unit, the Cool Combo … But with Sports Day approaching, their friendship is suddenly under threat. Mr Fortune, their headmaster, has pitted the school houses against each other by naming them after characters from his favourite Shakespearean play, Romeo and Juliet. With Dom in Montague House facing Blake from Capulet House, will B and D end the day as mortal enemies or will brotherly love prevail?

Prepare for Sports Day carnage as the Montagues and Capulets battle it out for the House Medal in this laugh-out-loud Shakespeare-inspired drama from Ross Montgomery!

Finding Her Feet

Eve Ainsworth & Luna Valentine

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Lily has always felt she’s on the edge. On the edge of friendship groups and the edge of her own life, looking in. Until one day a teacher inspires her to join the local girls’ football team. Lily usually finds school difficult because she’s shy and anxious, but now begins to find her feet, quite literally, playing football. Her confidence soars, and finally she feels she’s part of a team. Despite a teammate and her inner demons putting her progress in jeopardy, she overcomes the mental challenges and succeeds.

This is a fantastic and well-crafted book. I especially enjoyed the history of women’s football, which was referred to after each chapter. Each chapter had a subchapter on icons of women’s football as well as the journey women have had to go through to be taken more seriously, but not yet as seriously as men, on the pitch.

This inspiring book is accessible from age 7 upwards, written in a dyslexia-friendly format with easy vocabulary for all to comprehend. This is a book to be read independently or with their families and one that will inspire future footballers, whether girls or boys, for a long time to come.

Ted Rules the World

Cate James & Frank Cottrell Boyce

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Ted thinks there’s something fishy going on. Ever since his birthday when he got a special loyalty card at the local shop, all his great ideas are being thought of by the new Prime Minister too. Now there’s laws about walking to school and everyone has Mondays off! Could the shop’s market research lady have anything to do with it? And if Ted has become a Leader, shouldn’t he start thinking up proper laws to save the world…

A hilarious comedy caper from Frank Cottrell-Boyce, now in a format particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 7+.

Sheep School

Marisa Morea & Ross Montgomery

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

A thwarted thespian must use his talents to save his flock from a woolly situation in this hilarious gem from bestselling children’s author Ross Montgomery.

William the lamb just can’t stand still. His feet are always tapping, ready to dance, and he loves nothing more than bursting into song. But his talents aren’t always appreciated at Sheep School. Cast out of the flock, he wanders miserably away only to witness the rest of the sheep being captured by the Big Bad Wolf. Can William find a way to put his artistic skills to use to save the day?

The Day My Family Disappeared

Jo Simmons & Lee Cosgrove

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Home Alone meets Adrian Mole in this hilarious madcap adventure from the bestselling author of I Swapped My Brother on the Internet.

Bob Bunyon is fed up. In a family full of artists and performers, he’s the one with no talent, the one bypassed by the creativity gene – and his four siblings just won’t let him forget it. Finally sick of being taunted for being so “normal”, Bob wishes that his family would all just disappear, but he doesn’t really expect his wish to come true!

When he wakes the next day to find everyone gone, Bob’s initial delight quickly turns to worry. Does he have supernatural powers? Is he the only survivor of a zombie apocalypse or an alien invasion?

Gathering all his courage, and employing survival skills learned from TV endurance shows, Bob sets out to find his missing family …

Operation Banana

Tania Rex & Tony Bradman

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

World War 2 is the setting for this short, dyslexia-friendly chapter book and is a common history topic in schools. Many of the great books for primary-aged children set in this era may be too challenging for some readers and so this book enables children to catch a glimpse of life during the war and also learn about some of the important features of life: rationing; schools; the changing roles of adults; evacuation and the black market (through the unique storyline of a girl trying to get hold of a banana in times when all food was in short supply).

The focus of the story is a young girl’s concern and care for her mum at a time of great stress and strain on family life, where dad is away fighting in the war and mum has taken on a new job, working long hours in the factory. There are many parallels that the modern reader could draw with their own experiences. The print is clear without too many words on the page.

Author Tony Bradman also visited our blog recently to talk about why there should always be a gap on the shelf for books that help readers see the bigger picture of the war from a new lens.

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Format: Dyslexia-friendly

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