Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: Andersen Press

Salat in Secret

Picturebook

An Inclusive Books for Children Top 10 Books for a Diverse Bookshelf!

Find the bravery to celebrate your beliefs and cultural traditions without fear of judgement. When Muhammad turns seven, his father gifts him his very first salat rug to pray with. Muhammad is excited to begin his salat journey, but is more comfortable silently praying in secret, afraid of the judgement he sees his dad receive when he prays in public. Can Muhammad learn to be brave and embrace his salat practice instead of hiding it from the world?

Treacle Town

Brian Conaghan

Chapter book

Winner of the Children’s Books Ireland Awards

Con O’Neill is stuck in a world of brutal gang violence, sectarian vendettas and personal tragedy. The lack of opportunities for him and the rest of his gang is all too apparent. No money. No prospects. A social design that entraps inhabitants of Treacle Towns up and down the country.

Connor is desperate to get away, to find another life where he can experience happiness and fulfilment. When he stumbles upon the new world of slam poetry, Con senses a glimmer of hope – a hope that might just lead to his escape from Treacle Town.

But it won’t be easy.

The Door of No Return

Kwame Alexander

Poetry, Verse novel

Dreams are today’s answers for tomorrow’s questions. Eleven-year-old Kofi Offin has dreams of water, of its urgent whisper that beckons with promises and secrets. He has heard the call on the banks of Upper Kwanta, West Africa, where he lives. He loves these things above all else: his family, the fireside tales of his father’s father, a girl named Ama, and, of course, swimming. But when the unthinkable – a sudden death – occurs during a festival between rival villages, Kofi ends up in a fight for his life. What happens next will send him on a harrowing journey across land and sea, and away from everything he loves. Yet Kofi’s dreams may be the key to his freedom…

A Bear’s Guide to Beekeeping

Alex Griffiths & Pip Cornell

Picturebook

Are you a bear considering keeping your very own bees? Can’t get enough of delicious honey? Then this is the book for you! With invaluable tips such as how to make a tiny crown for your queen bee, you can become a master beekeeper in no time! Learn how to care for your new buzzy friends in easy-to-follow steps – but don’t forget to absolutely never hug the bees. A spoof beekeeping manual for bears from debut author Pip Cornell and rising star Alex G Griffiths.

Papa Penguin

Lindsay Camp & Momoko Abe

Picturebook

The perfect picture book for dads at storytime… Luckily for Sam, Dad’s home just in time for a bedtime story. But tonight there’ll be no aliens or super heroes, instead he’ll tell the tale of Papa Penguin, who loves his beautiful boy-chick very much, even when he’s not always around.

Elmer

David McKee

Picturebook

Making his first appearance in 1968, Elmer the Patchwork Elephant has been entertaining young readers for decades and remains one of the most iconic and well-known children’s book characters of all time.

The Elmer stories feature a bright and multicoloured main character who inspires readers to embrace inclusivity, connect with friends and find joy in celebrating difference.

A classic book for Reception and Early Years children.