Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: Barrington Stoke Ltd

Sheep School

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.

Budgie

David Barrow & Joseph Coelho

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

A lost little budgie brings together a young neighbour and his seemingly grumpy older neighbour in this touching Little Gem from award-winner and Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho.

Mr Buxton is always having a go at Miles and his friends for climbing the trees outside their tower block. Miles thinks he’s just a grumpy old man but when he finds a lost little budgie, Miles also discovers that he and Mr Buxton have more in common than he could ever have imagined.

What It Was Like to be a Viking

David Long & Stefano Tambellini

Dyslexia-friendly, Non-fiction

The Vikings were a terrifying force that changed history across the globe – from Canada all the way to Iraq. But they were merchants as well as marauders, explorers as well as adventurers. The greatest seafarers and shipbuilders of their age, they were also skilled metalworkers and artists, farmers and fishermen, healers and herders. They were even democrats who established the world’s oldest surviving parliament. Award-winning writer David Long’s concise but wide-ranging account brings their fascinating civilisation into focus, explaining what Viking life was actually like as well as considering their lingering influence throughout the world.

Song of the River

Gill Lewis & Zanna Goldhawk

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Cari and her mum both miss Dad after he’s killed in a road accident. For Cari’s mum, a new start in a cottage by the river where they can open a tea shop seems a positive way to move on; for Cari, it’s just another painful wrench. When a devastating flood follows a storm, it looks like a disaster to them both. Cari’s the one to realise that there’s no path back, only forwards.

Struggling to rebuild their home and their livelihood, she and her mum hear of a plan to reintroduce beavers to the area. Conservationists believe they may hold the key to regulating flood waters and protecting the village but there is intense local opposition. Cari is stung to action. Can she persuade the community to give beavers a chance? And if she does, will the plan work?

Gill Lewis writes so powerfully of the natural world and the need to work with it rather than against it, to balance the needs of communities and the landscapes they inhabit. This moving story from Barrington Stoke uses deliberately accessible language but handles the themes of loss and grief with sensitivity and depth. The themes of rewilding, conservation and environmental change are both topical and challenging.

The book could be used to provoke thoughtful discussions about resilience and courage as well as to build reading stamina and nurture an interest in the natural world. It would fit well alongside topics on rivers, climate change and environmental responsibility and would lead naturally to work on persuasive writing. This is a good book to recommend to children who love animal stories.

Good Dog Lion

Alexander McCall Smith & David Dean

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

A beautiful, heartwarming story set in Africa about a young boy and his yearning for a pet dog. From internationally bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith. Timo and his mother do not have much money – in fact, they have almost none. But that does not matter too much, because Timo has his mother and she has him. They have their little house. They have friends and neighbours. They have the world about them. All of that can be enough for happiness. There is one more thing, though, that Timo would like to have …A dog! High quality cream paper and a special easy-to-read font ensure a smooth read for all.

The Lion Roars

Alan Gibbons & Chris Chalik

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Jimi dreams of playing in the all-white kit of the Lions of Senegal but he can’t see how his dream will ever come true. Even though he is the best footballer in the region, the bigger boys never let him play with them. But can he change their minds? With huge support from his family, Jimi finds that there is nothing that he can’t achieve!Interwoven with lots of facts about the history of African football and African-born footballing superstars such as Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto, Patrick Viera and Yaya Toure, this book is ideal to engage reluctant reading football fans. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 8+.

The Tide Singer

August Ro & Eloise Williams

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

In the wake of a tempest hitting her town, Morwenna is left to take care of a stranger washed ashore.

The storm is just another of many that have plagued the town for years – people blame the tide singers, legendary sea people who are said to charm storms with their singing.

Morwenna has never believed the tales, but when she is left alone with the stranger, she realises this is no ordinary girl. Can the stories be true? Can the girl control the tides with nothing more than her voice?

Her arrival brings danger of a different kind, and Morwenna must draw on all the courage she has in order to stop a conflict that could destroy her home…

Sidney Makes a Wish

Jess Rose & Lisa Thompson

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Friendship appears where it’s least expected in this heartwarming Little Gem from award-winning author Lisa Thompson.

When Sidney spots a wishing well in the long grass on his way to school, he thinks he might have found the answer to the problems he’s having with his friend Billy. If he can just wish for exactly the right thing, then surely Billy will want to be friends with him again?

But as Sidney makes his wishes, what he doesn’t realise is that the friend he’s longing for has been beside him all the time …

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Publisher: Barrington Stoke Ltd

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