Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: Faber & Faber

This graphic novel is part of the Peng and Spanners series, which always goes down a treat!

In this volume, the quirky pair of pizza-loving friends set about to solve the mystery of a swamp monster. Like true detectives, they follow the trail, spot clues, interview suspects and generally find themselves in the midst of much hilarity.

Its comic strip style is super appealing and colourful and the story is crammed with jokes and high jinks. This book will fly off the graphic novel shelf and is perfect for fans of the InvestiGators and Sparks in KS1 and KS2.

Dave Pigeon is a hugely likeable character, whose hilarious facial expressions are a real credit to the illustrator Sheena Dempsey. This book, with its speech bubbles, illustrations and manageable chapters, will appeal to children wanting to build independence with their reading.

In this latest edition of the popular series, a lookalike threatens Dave’s authority and before long the two competitive birds have to put their wits to the test to prove who really is…well, Dave!

Dave, our feathered friend, once again delivers on laughs, keeping children wanting to read on.

In a future where humans are enhanced to ensure the survival of society Akaego fights to prevent her power to grow plants from being weaponised by a corrupt regime.

I was going to be a Mechsim. I was going to use my powers to make a difference.

In a near future London, where extreme weather has depleted plant life, sixteen-year-olds must surgically augment an ability to contribute to the new utopian society. Akaego moves to a prestigious academy after the late discovery of her rare ability – she can project a vocal frequency that accelerates plant growth.

As Akaego learns to use her new skill and is chosen for an internship with the mayor she begins to feel like she can change society for the better . . . and it doesn’t hurt that the mayor’s gorgeous son, Joon, seems to be flirting with her. But then the Freestakers, an anti-enhancement group, warn Akaego not to get Augmented.

Can she discover the truth of her ability, find the courage to rebel and keep her power out of the hands of those wishing to control it?

A fabulously winning story about a crocodile who will not be sidelined, from the extraordinary team behind There’s a Tiger on the Train.

Elvis loves the circus life – The thrills, the skills, the treats, the wide-eyed crowds that cheer out loud, the rows of polished seats.

But Sidney, the ringmaster, only lets fluffy and feathery animals perform on stage. Can Elvis the crocodile show his star potential?

Colour and charm pour out of every page of this stunningly illustrated and utterly heartwarming story.

Skin of bark, soul of a hero . . . an astonishing adventure from the bestselling author of The World of Podkin One-Ear.

Albion city is governed by a puppet queen, secretly controlled by Lord Cromwell, and strange magic is afoot as six Guilds all compete to rule it. Although the Leaf Guild is the weakest, no one has reckoned with newcomer Jed Greenleaf’s extraordinary ability to transform into a half-tree, covered over with bark . . . he just needs to learn how to harness that power.

Could he be the hero that the Guild needs to win at the Punchbowl tournament? It just might be that this year Jed can turn over a new leaf in the history books, and bring glory to the decaying Guild and peace to Albion . . .

Beautifully illustrated with full page artwork by leading fantasy illustrator David Wyatt.

Deeply romantic, compulsive and edge-of-your-seat exciting: for fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty and The One Dollar Horse.

When American teenager, Morgan Taylor, arrives to spend the summer with her British cousins, all anyone knows is that an accident has left her scarred inside and out. But Morgan is hiding a secret she’ll do anything to keep.

Then the town’s hottest surfer, Cal Heyward, saves her life and suddenly the truth about her past feels harder than ever to hide.

To escape, Morgan takes a job at a stableyard, hoping that horses will heal her as they’ve done so often before. But everything changes when she’s asked to help Night Dancer, a horse with his own dark history…

The perfect clean teen novel! Bursting with romance, adventure, mystery – and horses – it’s an explosive, unputdownable read.

We are very fond of Tony Bradman’s history-themed fiction, and this new 1941 Blitz adventure is a fantastic addition. It follows the Cobb Street Commandos, a spirited gang of East End children determined to support the war effort in their own way.

The story weaves in details about rationing and the Home Guard, handling wartime themes in a way that will make sense to today’s young readers. The characters are brave and full of pluck, showing the power of community spirit in overcoming hardship.

With an accessible font and well-spaced layout, this is a top recommendation for KS2 pupils who enjoy a history themed read.

Following on from The Children of Castle Rock, and yet easy to read as a standalone, Natasha Farrant revisits Stormy Loch Academy in this new adventure following three more adventurous, determined and sometimes damaged children.

Farrant isn’t afraid to address the relationship between adults and children in her novels, and this is no different. Although there are hints of the children’s friendships, it is really the fragmentation of families, and the misbehaviour of adults that garners the most attention and is deservedly punished, as children once again come out as righteous and brave, seeking justice and truth. Minna, Kass and Tom all have their different family reasons for staying on at Stormy Loch in the school holidays, but when they stumble across teenager Addie hiding out in a nearby valley, their holiday adventures really begin. Why has the teen run away, and what is she trying to draw attention to?

With music and dogs playing their part, and the wildness of Scotland contrasting with the bustle of London, Farrant has written another gripping adventure, with lovely allusions to her previous books’ characters, but also a cast of highly authentic and loveable new characters, from headstrong Minna to doubt-ridden Tom. Children will relish the escapades and freedom, as well as understanding the backgrounds of each character and the motivations for why they act as they do. References to coercive control and abuse resonate but are never too graphic. A fantastic modern quest to discover and reveal the truth.

Seventeen-year-old Neon is about to have sex with his girlfriend, Aria, for the first time. In 24 seconds to be precise. He’s hiding in the bathroom, nervous, wanting to do everything right . . .

Rewind. To 24 minutes earlier where Neon rushes from work, taking the gift of fried chicken to Aria’s house.

Rewind again. To 24 hours earlier when Neon’s big sister has advice about sex which makes him think he probably shouldn’t be listening to his friends.

To 24 days earlier. To 24 weeks earlier. To 24 months earlier, when he and Aria first met.

This tender, sweet, wholesome piece of fiction discusses how to approach first sex, how to respect women, how to be gentle, how to make it about love. It shows us a refreshingly different side to male sexuality.

COME ON A JOURNEY THROUGH CHILDHOOD with this anthology of twenty-two autobiographical stories from the very best writers in the disabled community.

From birthday parties, to navigating the sports field, to being given random free stuff, to juggling hospital visits alongside social lives . . .

These twenty-two true stories capture the highs and lows, the tears and laughter, the friendships and fallouts of growing up with a disability.

Whether you’re disabled yourself, or know someone who is, or want to better understand the experience, this book is a window into the young lives of these disabled writers: their stories, in their own words.

Edited by James Catchpole, Lucy Catchpole and Jen Campbell. With contributions from Ali Abbas, Polly Atkin, Imani Barbarin, Jen Campbell, James Catchpole, Christa Couture, Carly Findlay, M. Leona Godin, Eugene Grant, Jan Grue, Matilda Feyisayo Ibini, Ilya Kaminsky, Sora J. Kasuga, Jessica Kellgren-Fozard, Elle McNicoll, Daniel Sluman, Nina Tame, Rebekah Taussig, Steven Verdile, Alex Wegman, Ashley Harris Whaley and Kendra Winchester. Illustrated by Sophie Kamlish.

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