Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Become a little expert in how the country is run! Understand why politics matters and how you can get involved with ALASTAIR CAMPBELL – writer, podcaster and strategist best known for his work as former PM Tony Blair’s spokesman.

What links schools, transport and hospitals? POLITICS! Discover how and why politics is part of everything we do with writer, podcaster and strategist ALASTAIR CAMPBELL. Who is in charge? How are decisions made? What can children do to get involved? Find out all this and more – alongside accessible introductions to parliament, government, voting and debating.

Packed with fun, facts and challenges – perfect for readers aged 6 to 9.

When wild animals stray into the park and get into difficulties, Hassan and his mum are there to help in two heartwarming tales from animal-story maestro Helen Peters.

Dapple the fawn gets carried away exploring the park near the woods where he lives with his mother, Fern. But when Fern comes to find him, she gets tangled in a wire. Can Dapple find someone to help set her free?

Olive the otter loves playing in the river near her home. But when she disobeys her mother and strays out after a rainstorm, Olive gets washed far downstream and lands on the bank in a city park. How will she ever find her way home?

Luckily for Dapple and Olive, Hassan and his mum, a wildlife ranger, live close to the park and can help both little animals back to safety.

Particularly suitable for readers aged 7+ with a reading age of 7.

Chapter bookDyslexia-friendly
dyslexia-friendly

The Shop-Witch’s Quest is a wonderful tale of magic, friendship and adventure. The light-hearted nature of this read, along with the interesting and accessible vocabulary used throughout, would make it perfect for any reader beginning their independent reading journey as an introduction to chapter books, as well as for those who enjoy stories about witches and magic.

In this story, there are a variety of witches with differing occupations, including a garden-witch, a smith-witch and post-witch. Laurel herself is a shop-witch, who helps her parents run the magic shop ‘Witch Wares Emporium’ in the village. There are also witches in the story that do not ride the traditional broomstick and instead use other interesting forms of unexpected flying transportation.

A boy and a bird swap places, but it doesn’t go quite as expected … Support severely struggling readers with this hi-lo fable.

A boy who wants to fly swaps places with a bird who wants to read a book, but who has the better end of the bargain?

Particularly suitable for readers aged 7+ with a reading age of 6.

Paddington Bear has been delighting adults and children alike with his earnest good intentions and humorous misadventures for over sixty years. To celebrate his enduring popularity, seven best-loved classic picture books are brought together in this lavish volume, truly to be treasured!

Paddington is now a major movie star!

Paddington Bear had travelled all the way from Darkest Peru when the Brown family first met him on Paddington station. Since then their lives have never been quite the same… for ordinary things become quite extraordinary when a bear called Paddington is around.

This sumptuous treasury brings together seven of the most popular stories:

Paddington
Paddington at the Zoo
Paddington at the Palace
Paddington in the Garden
Paddington and the Marmalade Maze
Paddington the Artist
Paddington at the Tower

From bestselling author Rob Biddulph comes a magical tale about a boy, his teddy and a very special winter adventure.

Little Fox has gone missing in the park.

The family search high and low, but the teddy can’t be found. Then, one night, a beautiful fox calls at the window, and the young boy decides to follow her. They go on a magical winter adventure: moving through the city, past snowy meadows and icy rivers, until the boy realises the fox has led him to something special, and that she needs his help.

Can the fox help him find his own beloved Little Fox?

Rose and Arthur are preparing to return to the land of Roar for another trip when they have to postpone due to their aunt Chaya and cousin Lila visiting. As the trip prolongs, they find themselves longing to be back in Roar with their best friends (Win and Mitch) exploring their made-up land and riding Dragons. Rose is busying herself writing a book about Roar, which her twin, Arthur, is not allowed to read. After sneaking a peek, Arthur wants to add his own ideas before reading a rather haunting extract about Jago, a wicked Witch King, who steals children and replaces them with stick changelings. Later that night, he hears his baby cousin cry out in the night and goes to comfort her. As he holds her hand, he feels her chubby fingers dig into his hand and feels sticks. Is Jago real and has he managed to sneak out of Roar and take his cousin? They need to get back into Roar and find out what is happening.

After the success of the Land of Roar series, I was really excited to read this book. I was hooked on the story line and found myself staying up late to read another chapter.  The book works as a continuation of the Roar series or as a complete standalone, with the characters and world fully introduced in the first chapter. The story was engaging and the chapters built suspense as we tried to find out if Jago (The Witch King) was alive, whether Rose and Arthur would be successful in becoming Dragon Riders and whether the lost children could be found and returned to the normal states.

The way the story ended allows the author to prepare for another story in the series. I think that this series of books will be a hit with KS2 children and they will be waiting in anticipation for the next in the series.

This is a tale of love, loss and identity. It has magical sparkles of light and humour amongst the serious themes of depression and separation. The Snowman Code is a book about kindness. It may be set in the longest, coldest of winters, but it is warm and tender and would melt even the iciest of hearts. Share it and enjoy its message of love, kindness and togetherness.

Exciting, strange, magical, adventurous and gripping.

My Dog is a beautiful, poignant tale of a boy coming to terms with the loss of his mum and the fast-moving changes that happen as a result of her death.

When Rhys’s mum dies, he has to move from his home. Life is a whirl, and the adults in control of Rhys’s life are focusing on the practicalities with seeming disregard for this young man’s emotional turmoil. On what turns out to be his final visit to his mother’s bedside, Rhys spots a lonely black Labrador under her hospital bed. The only problem is that Rhys has not asked Dad’s permission, so the dog – named Worthington – is a secret, and a rather difficult secret to keep!

When Rhys makes a series of wrong choices, things reach a crisis point. He takes matters into his own hands and flees from the problems that surround him, all the while supported by Worthington, the sounding board for all of Rhys’s thoughts and feelings.

Whilst there is sorrow in this tale, it has moments of brightness, moments of joy and love and even gentle humour. It is a dog-themed tale of hope and unconditional love. Worthington will pull at your heartstrings and stay by your side long after the last pages have been savoured.

A funny, exciting, David vs Goliath adventure with a heart-warming father-son relationship – perfect for fans of Danny the Champion of the World, Millions, and Ratatouille.

The story of one boy and his brilliant burgers!

Benny Burns spends every weekend helping his dad by working at their burger van, parked outside the local football ground. And when Benny finds his grandfather’s old recipe book and begins following its instructions, he starts cooking INCREDIBLE food – so good, in fact, that he attracts the unwanted attention of fast-food giant Bonkers Burgers! and its CEO, Bodley Bonkers.

To Bodley, Benny and his burgers are a threat that must be eliminated… by any means necessary.

And so, along with his dad and his two best friends, Jasper and Mina, Benny must find a way to defeat Bonkers Burgers, help rescue his dad’s business, and share his passion for cooking with the world – a mission that leads to him competing with the world’s greatest chef to cook the best burger.

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