Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: Cicada Books Limited

A brisk guide for the aspirant bike rider all the way from choosing a first bike to techniques for wheelies and bunny hops and the finer points of riding in a group. This multi-layering of information makes this an inspirational read on many levels.

Who doesn’t remember what it feels like to be a young person on a bike. Cycling offers kids an unrivalled freedom and independence. With global cycling trends on a new, post-pandemic high, ever more young people are experiencing the joys of the beautiful machine.

This book is aimed at young people who are already proficient cyclists and are keen to learn more. It explains all the basics: How to choose a bike (types of bike, getting the right fit), basic maintenance (changing a tire, cleaning your bike), cycling techniques (pedalling, gearing, cornering, bunny hops) and next level cycling (competitions and training).

Alongside these informative texts there is a cornucopia of facts and trivia about the unusual habits of famous cyclists, the weirdest, biggest, furthest and longest bikes and journeys, the most useful cycling life-hacks, etc.

Non-fictionPicturebook

Double the numbers to go from 1 to 1,000,000 in 40 pages. A stunning visualization of numbers big and small.

We start with a single tree; 1. As we turn the page, we are presented with a sum doubling the number on the page before it: 1+1 = 2; 2+2 = 4; 4+4 = 8. In this way, we reach a million (actually 1,048,576) within 44 pages.

Each sum is brought to life with a simple graphic illustration in the distinctive style of Sven Völker. The dots form the back of a ladybird, the bubbles in a cup of soda and the water in a swimming pool. On each page, a single neon dot illustrates what one means in the context of the sum.

Gloriously simple in its concept and execution, this is a book that will bring mathematics alive to parents as well as children and will also make a stunning gift book.

This is an engaging way for children to think about the topic of animals becoming endangered. Each page features a different habitat and readers are challenged to search through the beautiful illustrations to find the endangered animals listed art the side. Accompanying the illustrations there is information about each endangered species.

We often get asked about books to support the ‘Awesome Earth’ or ‘Natural Disasters’ topics for schools and we think we may have just found the perfect one.

Earth Shattering Events explores geological and meteorological disasters, with each page dedicated to a different natural event from volcanoes and tsunamis to cyclones and wildfires. Each event is explained in a way that is easy to understand for junior children without compromising on presenting the underlying scientific facts.

A real strength of the book is how highly visual the design is, with appealing diagrams, large illustrations, maps and charts contributing greatly to the reader’s understanding of each topic. Also of high interest are the explanation boxes showing what to do if you get caught in the various disasters and the charts that show how each one is measured.

This is a wonderful book with a high level of appeal and certainly one to recommend for classrooms as a topic book or a really interesting read for pleasure.

This beautiful, quirky, illustrated book begins by explaining what microbes are; giving examples to which most children will be able to relate, such as bacteria and viruses. It then builds on this with new vocabulary and concepts. Throughout the book, the author does not shy away from using scientific vocabulary but explains it in a way that is accessible and interesting to children. A lot of the text is presented as speech bubbles or information ‘blobs’ integrated into the illustrations which keep the reader’s attention and interest.

As the book progresses, the reader is taken on a journey through the human digestive system introducing the roles microbes play in our bodily processes and explaining how they can both keep us healthy and cause us to fall ill. There is a good dose of poo-related information that will capture the attention of even the most reluctant Upper Key Stage Two reader!

There are opportunities in the book for the reader to learn about how the food we choose to eat affects the microbes in our bodies. In addition, we are also prompted to think about issues such as the overuse of antibiotics and how microbe research might well help to solve common health problems in years to come.

This book would be great for building on LKS2 science knowledge or simply enjoyed because it’s a very interesting and fun read!

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