Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: Graffeg Limited

Zac and Jac

Chapter book

Nine-year-old Jac sees his father as a hero, but when Jac joins a local football team with his best friend Zac, things start to get a bit weird at home. It’s not until a group of professional footballers come into school to talk about racism that Jac realises what his father’s problem could be. After a traumatic turn of events, Jac learns of the difficulties faced by Zac’s grandparents and the Windrush Generation and becomes determined to help to make a change in society, starting with his own family.

The Shy Book

Howard Pearlstein & James Munro

Picturebook

A book wants to be read, it really does, but it has a problem. It’s feeling shy. It’s also worried that the reader will find it silly or, worse, boring. So the book recommends that the reader choose a different book, because surely another book will be better. But what if the reader keeps going?

April’s Garden

Catalina Echeverri & Isla McGuckin

Picturebook

April and her mother have been housed in temporary accommodation. Promised a brighter future by her mother, April finds her life there to be filled with things that are old, broken and impersonal. She longs for her own things and for some beauty in her life but experiences only frustration and disappointment until one day she plants some seeds.

Watch Them Grow!

James Carter & James Munro

Non-fiction, Poetry

Watch them Grow! is a fun, rhyming text exploring some of nature’s unique life cycles, including frogs, starlings, moths, turtles and more.

I am an Artist

Kertu Sillaste

Picturebook

Translated from the original Estonian, I am an Artist presents the everyday life of John, informed by the author’s own experiences as a practicing artist.

During the story, John explores a range of different mediums, including drawing, sculpture, painting, photography and more, introducing children to various art forms and inspiring them to think creatively. The book is also a perfect way to open up discussions about how different people find and develop their creative process.

By examining the various challenges and worries John faces, as well as his successes, from always seeking approval to the joys of seeing works of art come to life, I am an Artist sensitively balances the different aspects of the profession to present it as an exciting and varied career option for children, as well as encouraging conversations about their own goals.

The Torch

Hannah Rounding & Jon Roberts

Picturebook

Accompanied by Myles, her assistance dog, Lilly sets off from Gran ny’s house to explore. First she walks through the garden, then sh e visits the seashore. But when she comes to the big cave at the e nd of the beach her acute hearing means she is scared of the loud noise when she drops her torch. And what’s that creature she can h ear coming towards her?…

This Is How the Change Begins

Nicola Davies

Poetry

This is How the Change Begins is a collection of six illuminating poems inspired by the growing threat of climate change. From a consideration of our carbon footprints by way of Islamic mathematician Alhazen, the impact shifting weather conditions are having and will continue to have on our events and celebrations and the choices we have to make to turn the tide, these remarkable poems brilliantly confront the recognisable realities of the climate crisis with bold and lyrical language. Including background notes on the themes behind them, each poem has been typographically designed and arranged to best communicate these essential messages.

Tell Me a Dragon

Jackie Morris

Picturebook

With stunning pictures and lyrical words, this is a book to savour and read time after time. A proper feast for the eyes and an utter delight to share and read aloud. A story that will keep you dreaming of dragons for years to come.

Enchanting, beautiful, evocative, imaginative and poetic.

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves

Julia Rawlinson & Tiphanie Beeke

Picturebook

As the Autumn season sets in, Fletcher is very worried – his beautiful tree has begun to loose all of its leaves. Whatever Fletcher attempts to do to save them, it’s simply no use. When the final leaf falls, Fletcher feels hopeless… until he returns the next day to a glorious sight. A tender, uplifting tale about acceptance and hope for the future.

Through the Eyes of Me

Hannah Rounding & Jon Roberts

Picturebook

Jon Roberts’ debut work for children is a sensitive portrayal of life as a child with Autism, narrated by 4-year old Kya, who guides readers through her likes and dislikes and all the nuances of her character. Utilising colourful text and illustration and inspired by his experiences of raising his own daughter with the condition, it is an ideal tool for encouraging an understanding of Autism for both children and their families.

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Publisher: Graffeg Limited

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