Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Home > Books

Publisher: Hachette Children's Group

Chapter book

Can one tiny bird help to win a world war? Wings of Glory is a funny action-adventure story with a feathery twist, from bestselling children’s author, Dermot O’Leary, with glorious illustrations throughout by Claire Powell.

It’s 1940, and the world is at war. Linus, a swift, has always dreamed of flying with the Royal Bird Force and making a name for himself as a squadron leader. So when he and his sister, Ava, have the opportunity to volunteer, he jumps at the chance.

But it’s a dangerous journey, and Ava goes missing before they manage to reach the airfield for training. Now, Linus has two missions: help the war effort and find his sister.

Linus will face bomber planes, arrogant falcons, and a spy who’s determined to take him down…

He is brave and fast and kind – but can Linus prove that helping win the war is more about the size of your heart than the size of your wings?

Featuring courageous loop-the-loops, top secret plans and more than a smattering of bird poo, this wartime tail will make you laugh and cry – and maybe teach you a thing or two as well.

Chapter book

Come with an Arctic fox on a breathtaking journey … an enthralling story from the bestselling, award-winning creators of Julia and the Shark. With dazzling blue and black illustrations, this is a perfect gift for 9+ fans of The Last Bear and A Wolf Called Wander.

She was very tired.

She lay down, her soft head on her soft paws.

The sunset licked her face.

The snow covered her like a blanket.

Fox wakes, and begins to walk. She crosses ice and snow, over mountains and across frozen oceans, encountering bears and birds beneath the endless daylight of an Arctic summer, navigating a world that is vast, wild and wondrous.
Meanwhile, Leila embarks on a journey of her own – finding her way to the mother who left her. On a breathtaking journey across the sea, Leila rediscovers herself and the mother she thought she’d lost, with help from a determined little fox.

Based on the true story of an Arctic fox who walked from Norway to Canada in seventy-six days, a distance of two thousand miles, this compelling, emotional and beautifully illustrated story is the perfect gift for 9+ readers.

Chapter bookGraphic Novel

Best friends Bumble and Snug are Bugbops – little monsters filled with BIG feelings! Join them and a VERY excited unicorn, in this new, full-colour graphic novel, as they go on a thrilling, funny adventure and learn about the world outside and inside.

Bumble and Snug are in the magical unicorn forest when they get into a spot of trouble. Luckily, they are rescued by a unicorn and together they have the great idea to become superheroes.

Introducing the super buddies! From a runaway ice-cream van to a lost teddy bear, Bumble, Snug and Sparklehoof the unicorn save the day. But not everybody is happy when Sparklehoof gets too excited with his magic.

Bumble and Snug have to come up with a super action plan to stop Sparklehoof. And with a giant kitten on the loose and a jelly city, they will have to work FAST!

Bumble and Snug and the Excited Unicorn is a story about being too excited and how to listen, friendship and magic, and three new SUPERHEROES!

Perfect for readers just starting to enjoy stories independently, for visual readers and for wise kids to share with their grown-ups. For fans of Narwhal and Jelly and Dogman.

Non-fiction

Find out the fascinating stories of ten real-life dragons, the myths and legends surrounding them, their discoveries and how they survive today.

For centuries, dragons have captured our imaginations, guarding troves of treasure and breathing out fire. They appear in many myths and legends from around the world, some soaring through the air on scaly wings; some lurking in caves underground and some diving the depths of the seas and oceans.

While there is, sadly, no such thing as a fire-breathing dragon, there are still dragons alive today in the animal kingdom. One of them can even fly. This book brings together the stories of ten real-life dragons, with fascinating facts mixed with some folklore. There are also tales of how these extraordinary creatures were discovered and about their adaptations for surviving in the wild.

Are you ready for the wildlife safari of a lifetime?

This high-interest approach to the natural world shows the diversity of nature, evolution and adaptation and can be used to support the science curriculum study of living things at key stage two.

Full-colour photographs combined with illustrations make this a beautiful and fascinating introduction to real-life dragons around the world.

Simon has arrived in New Delhi, India,on the start of his journey to Corbett National Park and intowetlands, desert, and low-lying dry forest beyond. He’s searching for the endangered Bengal tiger. But early on, the trip doesn’t go according to plan, when Simon is involved in a car crash …

Simon Chapman, winner of the Blue Peter Book Award, brings geography to life, and his Expedition Diaries are a great way to introduce the world’s biomes and habitats to children, direct from someone who’s actually been in them – sometimes up to his neck! These books are perfect for sparking interest in this key school topic.

Non-fiction

Around 4,000 years ago, the Indus Valley was home to a great civilisation. Find out about the mysterious rulers of the Indus Valley, their splendid cities and their flushing toilets.

How were the cities of the Indus Valley built? What were homes like? What food did people eat? What gods were worshipped?

This book helps children at Key Stage 2 discover the answers to these and other fascinating questions. It also recommends sites on the Internet and sources in their local library where they can find out more about the Indus Valley.

Packed with fascinating information, the Explore! series inspires children’s curiosity to find out more about the past. A great tool for readers age 8+ or teachers looking for books to support the curriculum.

Non-fiction

Take a look at the wackier side of history!

Who were the Shang people? Why did they LOVE mud and moths? And just what made the Shang such fearsome warriors? A Question of History: The Shang Civilisation answers all these questions and much more.

With an engaging question and answer format, this series draws young readers into the fascinating, sometimes gruesome, world of famous peoples and civilisations through history. Each spread opens with a simple question, opening up an exploration of an aspect of the life of a people or civilisation and busting some popular myths along the way!

The lively lay-out is supported by annotated photos and cartoons, making history fun and accessible for readers aged 8+.

Non-fiction

Ancient Sumer looks at one of the most fascinating and advanced ancient civilisations. Through structures as imposing as a ziggurat or objects as simple as a stone seal, readers aged 9 and up gain a picture of who was whom in the ancient Middle East and how the civilisation in which they lived really worked.

Perfect for Key Stage 2, each book in the Great Civilisations series approaches its subject through a scene-setting spread about Who/where were the… It then introduces the achievements of the chosen civilisation through 12 structures or objects, each of which illustrates a key aspect or theme. Writing, architecture, industry, warfare, transport and learning are all covered in the same simple, colourful and engaging way. Fact boxes and panels present incidental information and point the reader to the importance of parallel developments in other parts of the world.

Non-fiction

Today, the Indus Valley Civilisation is known mainly through the ruins of its cities and the artefacts its people made. Ancient objects enable us to step back into the world of the people who made them. This book combines facts about the inhabitants of the Indus Valley with photographs of the artefacts they left behind to present a full picture of life at the time.

Chapter book

Beautifully moving and breathtakingly original, this is a story of bravery and second chances, for readers aged 9+.

When 12-year-old Eleanor Newton dies in an accident, she finds herself journeying down a mysterious river that takes her to The Underworld. She apprehensively embarks on her “afterlife” at Eventide House, a boarding school of sorts for children who have died.

The Underworld is captivating: always sunny and warm but also fractured. Strange things have been happening to Ellie since she arrived: she knows something isn’t right, and she doesn’t want to be there. She desperately wants to get back to the world of The Living to meet her new baby brother, even if it means being a ghost.

Can Ellie find a way out of the Underworld? And who – or what – will she be if she does?

The Lovely Dark is another breathtakingly original story from Matthew Fox, author of The Sky Over Rebecca. Set in the modern world, it features themes of life after a pandemic, mental health and grief, all handled with real lightness of touch.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Your Review

Stone Girl Bone Girl

review

Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:

Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:

Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?

yes

Curriculum links (if relevant)

Curriculum links (if relevant)

Any other comments

Any other comments