Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: Flying Eye Books

We love Flying Eye’s quality non-fiction books about the incredible places around the world. The Sahara transports readers to one of the planet’s most extreme yet interesting habitats.

Covering vast stretches of North Africa, the Sahara Desert is depicted as a land of resilience. Readers will find out about its formation, its diverse landscapes from mountains and rock structures to dunes and hidden waterways, and its exciting array of wildlife, including camels, scorpions, and even crocodiles.

Readers will also be fascinated to learn about the communities of people that have inhabited the Sahara, from ancient civilisations to modern nomadic groups. With Flying Eye’s signature high production quality, this is an essential addition to any KS2 bookshelf, especially for armchair travellers and geography enthusiasts.

Is It a Seed? is an imaginative picture book that encourages wonder. A young girl and her brother discover an unusual seed, prompting a flurry of speculation about what it might become – from a tiny flower to a giant’s beanstalk.

The story captures something of the wonder of planting seeds for young children, making it a perfect classroom choice for EYFS children learning about growing plants or life cycles.

The bright illustrations vividly depict these potential scenarios imagined as the family plants the seed. The book also gently encourages a connection with the natural world, making it a delightful read-aloud that celebrates curiosity and the magic of growing plants.

Picopaco is a sweet picturebook about a woodpecker who, instead of making o-shaped tree holes to nest in like her peers, builds a unique and quirky house of her own design, even though she is laughed at by the other birds. When a storm destroys most of the nests, Picopaco’s wisdom is required to help rebuild what has been lost.

Illustrated in spring-like tones that sing of new beginnings, this story beautifully champions the power of community, subtly highlighting how working together builds a stronger world.

A great choice for nature lovers and gentle storytimes with young children.

Living with his grandfather and struggling in a new high school, Damian decides to summon his mother’s ghost so he can talk things out – but he blows it and summons Saskia, a scruffy, annoying kid. Trying to settle into his new life, Damian doesn’t need her hanging around trying to ‘help’ him with his crush – but Saskia’s suffering too, and everything they’re both hiding deep down might be just what they both need to get some peace. John Moore and Neetols paint a sweet and hilarious tale of young love amidst grief, where someone’s flaws might be the reason you love them the most.

Learn about 12 keystone species around the world from elephants to wolves, honeybees to beavers. Keystone species are animals or plants that play a crucial role in different habitats and have a huge effect on the environment around them. Entire ecosystems can depend on a single species, and they act as a glue that holds the ecosystem together.? The book will introduce readers to keystone animals across all the five major biomes (aquatic, grassland, forest, desert, and tundra) with facts about wildlife, habitats, and modern conservation practices to protect these species.

Best friends Chiri and Dai stumble into a forgotten realm, tormented by the evil Shadow King who yearns to spread terror and unleash wild magic on everyone. But will these best friends, with the help of the druids, warriors, and magical goats they encounter be able to find their way home? And more importantly, can they evade the darkness that was awoken on their arrival and seal the pathway between worlds before it is too late?

‘Into The Volcano’ is an engaging and informative text full of interesting facts for a Key Stage 2 audience. The book supports the National Curriculum objective of understanding the processes that give rise to key physical features of the world – it describes, in a way that the reader will be able to understand, whilst still using ambitious vocabulary, how and where volcanoes are formed, the different types of volcanoes, as well as discussing their positive and negative effects.

We enjoyed the inclusion of myths and legends inspired by real-life volcanoes, details about books and films that feature volcanoes (both real-life and fictional ones); and stories of artists who have chosen volcanoes as their subject.

Throughout the book, there are fascinating ‘Did you know?’ snippets – for example, did you know that scientists believe that the ‘scream heard piercing through nature’ which inspired Edvard Munch’s world-famous painting ‘The Scream’ was in fact the effects of Krakatau exploding?

This volcano-themed children’s book is a fascinating read from start to finish.

Asta the cat is on a mission: to be the greatest racer her neighbourhood has ever seen. She needs to show those alley cats who the real slow pokes are! And what better opportunity than the Kibble Hill Rally?

Using a bit of ingenuity and a washing machine, Asta’s ready to take on the other racers, but can she compete with Marvin’s souped-up shopping basket or Anton’s sleek sportscar and win the race?

Buckle up for this lively tale from Ricky Trickartt about the importance of getting stuck in, even when your dreams might feel out of reach…

Ever wondered how mosquitoes find you? Or how wasps can build nests up to 5m wide? Or how fleas can jump 150 times their own height? These questions and more are answered in this book that explores the lives of some of the most irritating buzzing, biting and stinging insects. Teaching readers that perhaps these pesky insects might not be so bad after all.

Building her own gadgets in her dad’s repair shop, Juniper Mae is a certified kid wonder. She builds jet packs, socks that keep your feet warm and dry, floating fish bowls. But a slight malfunction with one of her latest inventions causes her to crash-land in the dangerous forests around her city, and there she discovers a whole world of mystery, ancient knights and even a small green tama-tama friend, Albie. Inspired by the Guardian Knights of old, Juniper Mae steps up to the plate when her city is in danger, and when a catastrophic series of events threaten to destroy her home, it’s finally time for Juniper Mae to don her own armour and step into the spotlight.

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Stone Girl Bone Girl

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