Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: Barrington Stoke Ltd

Supernan’s Day Out

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

An unexpected family secret has hilarious consequences in this action-packed story from Phil Earle and illustrator Steve May – perfect for superhero fans.

Plane crashes, robberies and fires were not what Stanley was expecting on a day out at the seaside with his nan and the other residents of her care home! Nan doesn’t know about his superpowers, so Super Stan can’t step in to help as it would blow his cover.

Luckily, though, another mysterious superhero seems to be on hand, saving the day. But who could it possibly be?

D-Day Dog

Tom Palmer

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Thinking and talking about war with children is difficult. Is war exciting? Are all soldiers brave? Is playing war games violent? When is killing other people justified?

These are the sorts of questions raised by Jack, the eleven year old boy at the centre of Tom Palmer’s new story, D-Day Dog. Jack’s dad is a reserve soldier about to be called up to Afghanistan and Jack couldn’t be more proud. At school, the class is preparing for a trip to Normandy to visit the site of the D-Day landings and Jack is already really excited.

But as Jack learns more about war, through learning about the life of his new Syrian classmate Kasandra and reading about WW2 Private Emile Corteil and his dog Glen, he begins to question everything he thought he knew about war.

This is such an important book to read to all children who are learning about war and the impact it has on the lives of the people and animals involved. Through the voice of Jack, Tom Palmer sensitively yet unflinchingly discusses the consequences and emotions involved in warfare. Brilliantly researched, the book is full of fascinating facts which are woven together to create a truly moving and gripping read.

Dyslexia-friendly in a clear, uncluttered font, this is a must-read for all 9-12-year-olds, not just in this year on the commemoration of the D-Day landings. Reading aloud to a whole class would allow the children to discuss the plot and the questions as they are unveiled through the story. It would also work well as a read-alone book or one to read at bedtime. But, do leave time for conversations afterwards. The ideas and issues contained within this simple and compelling story are too important to gloss over.

Survival in Space

David Long & Stefano Tambellini

Dyslexia-friendly

April 1970: Apollo 13 was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It should have been the third manned Apollo mission to land on the moon. But when an explosion on board damaged the spacecraft, it became a perilous and near-impossible fight for survival. The crew on board travelled further into space than any other humans before them … In this gripping retelling of the astonishing Apollo 13 mission, David Long shows how courage, determination and teamwork succeeded in beating all odds to bring the spacecraft home. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 8+.

The Invasion of Crooked Oak

Chris King & Dan Smith

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

The Invasion of Crooked Oak is a fast-paced adventure that will appeal to older KS2 children. It is the first instalment of the stories set in the town of Crooked Oak. Children who love horror stories like Crater Lake or Goosebumps will be thrilled to discover this quick and accessible read.

Strange things are happening in the town of Crooked Oak. People have started to behave oddly and the zombie-like symptoms seem to be spreading through the town. As Nancy and her friends Pete and Krish get stuck into the mystery, something scary is spreading its tendrils across the town. Can the friends get to the root of the mystery before time runs out?

As ever with Barrington Stoke books, this is an accessible book, printed with clear text on a coloured background that is specially formatted to cater for dyslexic readers. The illustrations by Chris King really add to the atmospheric mood of the book and also draw upon the details contained in the descriptive writing.

The children we read this to absolutely loved the story and moaned at the end of each session when it was time to finish. Each chapter finished on a cliffhanger, so it left them eagerly anticipating the next instalment. This short and spooky read was a definite hit with Year 6!

The Beach Puppy

Ellie Snowdon & Holly Webb

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Ruby’s dad has arrived home with a wonderful surprise – Coco the sausage dog puppy! And when the family go on holiday to the seaside, of course Coco will be coming too. The beach is a thrilling place for a dog – so many sights, smells and holes to dig! Ruby and Coco can’t wait to spend the day splashing in the waves and playing in the sand. But disaster strikes when Coco disappears. Suddenly she’s lost and all alone on the huge, busy beach … Will she ever find her way back to Ruby?

Worldwide bestseller Holly Webb makes her Barrington Stoke debut with a truly adorable sausage-dog tale!

Football Crazy

Michael Broad & Tony Bradman

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Danny and his mates Jamil and Lewis are over the moon when football legend Jock Ramsey agrees to coach their team. For the first time ever the Rovers might have a chance of winning something! But Ramsey’s a tough coach. They train every night, and Saturdays too. It’s a lot of pressure for lads who just like a kickabout in the park. Can Danny, Lewis and Jamil survive the pressure and stay football crazy – in a good way? A brand-new 4u2read edition of a fun and light-hearted football story from reluctant-reader favourite Tony Bradman. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 7+.

Over the Line

Ollie Cuthbertson & Tom Palmer

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

It’s the proudest moment of Jack’s life – his debut as a professional footballer. Now he has a chance to achieve his dream of playing for his country. But it’s 1914 and the world is at war. Talk of sportsmen’s cowardice leads to the formation of a Footballers’ Battalion and Jack has little choice but to join up. The promise of a Cup in Flanders offers a glimmer of hope, but Jack and his teammates will have to survive a waking nightmare if they are ever to play again. A stunning new edition of Tom Palmer’s bestselling novel based on the true story of WWI war hero and footballing legend Jack Cock.

The Animals of Madame Malone’s Music Hall

Ellie Snowdon & Laura Wood

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Laura’s own book The Animals of Madame Malone’s Music Hall is a charming tale of believing in one’s self and the importance of community, with a cast of creative creatures taking centre stage and a super-readable and dyslexia-friendly format.

Summer by the seaside with Gran isn’t exactly what Callie expected. Instead of sunshine and ice cream, she’s stuck helping Gran’s drama group save their local theatre. Worst of all, they’ve asked her to star in their play. But when she goes exploring backstage, Callie stumbles into an altogether different world another theatre, run by a wise fox and her troupe of talking animals. And the strangest part of all? Callie’s set to play the lead in their show too. Forced to face her fears will Callie be up to the challenge of saving Madame Malone’s Music Hall?

Wildly imaginative with an unusual array of animal characters and a sensitive message of self-belief, this uplifting story will appeal to animal lovers and fans of the theatre alike. (Ages 8+ / ‘super-readable ‘ format).

The Unlucky Eleven

Phil Earle & Steve May

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Ridiculous injuries … strange illnesses … cancelled games … Everything’s going wrong for the Saints this season, and Stanley’s team-mates believe they finally know why. Their football kit is cursed! But the team’s attempts to break the curse take things from bad to worse. Soon, they’re ready to call it quits. Stanley’s still got some tricks up his sleeve … but will his curse-cracking ideas save the team in time for the last game of the season?

Ellie and the Cat

Malorie Blackman & Matt Robertson

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Malorie Blackman’s excellent story entertains with humour, perfectly matched with Matt Robinson’s illustrations which superbly bring Ellie and her animal chums to life. There are themes of friendship, resilience, self-belief, problem solving. The inter-generational relationship between Ellie and her Grandma develops into something quite heart-warming too. Published by Barrington Stoke, on cream paper in a dyslexia friendly font, this is pitched to appeal to KS2 children with a younger reading age. The short engaging chapters and overall compact length (75 pages) make this a brilliant accessible read…