Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK

Rose Blanche was the name of a group of young German citizens who, at their peril, protested against the war. Like them, Rose observes all the changes going on around her which others choose to ignore. She watches as the streets of her small German town fill with soldiers. One day she sees a little boy escaping from the back of a truck, only to be captured by the mayor and shoved back into it. Rose follows the truck to a desolate place out of town, where she discovers many other children, staring hungrily from behind an electric barbed wire fence. She starts bringing the children food, instinctively sensing the need for secrecy, even with her mother. Until the tide of the war turns and soldiers in different uniforms stream in from the East, and Rose and the imprisoned children disappear for ever…

The Fossil Hunter by Kate Winter is a gem of a book. It is a splendid addition for any child learning about Mary Anning, fossils, dinosaurs and what life was like for a working-class woman 200 years ago. The book is hardback, large and begins with a timeline of Mary Anning’s life with page numbers corresponding to different eras.

This eye-catching book is full of facts and perfect to dip into or read altogether. Topics are highlighted, such as the challenge of being a Victorian woman, where recognition for scientific discovery did not happen and the unfairness of this, and why her story is important. Every page has watercolour illustrations which can spread across whole pages, and there are beautiful panoramic fold-out pages where you find out more facts about fossils, dinosaurs or a look into Mary’s cabinet.

This great book to share with children (or any age!) about the inspirational Mary Anning is highly recommended.

Fans of THOR and THE INCREDIBLES will not want to miss this epic superhero adventure with a twist from Radio 1 broadcasters and bestselling authors of KID NORMAL and THE GREAT DREAM ROBBERY.

Super hero. Super DEAD!

It’s just another day at the office for world-famous superhero Doctor Extraordinary as he battles his arch-nemesis Captain Chaos in yet another epic showdown. Unfortunately this one doesn’t quite go to plan and they both get blown up inside a giant robot.

Dr Ex’s number-one-fan, twelve-year-old Sonny Nelson, is devastated. A world without heroes is totally rubbish! But things take an even more extraordinary turn when Doctor Ex returns as a ghost and only Sonny can see him . . .

Adam Kay’s ‘Amy Gets Eaten’ is a gruesome yet hilarious book explaining what happens in our bodies when we eat food. Despite getting eaten, Amy (a positive and chirpy piece of sweetcorn), explains in child-friendly language the journey she takes from the mouth, through the stomach and out again into the toilet. Although told in a narrative style, this is really a non-fiction book that teaches children the science behind some of our human anatomy.

Throughout the story, while travelling through the small intestine, a wise old raisin teaches the reader how different food types help to make your body strong, active and healthy. The children get opportunities to interact with the book and recap, through cartoons, where the sweetcorn has travelled. Readers are also invited to make opinions on the strange food combinations the character of Noah has chosen to eat. My children have read this over and over, and every storytime ends in fits of laughter—a highly recommended short picture book for younger primary children.

Lenny Brown is a beautiful, emotionally uplifting and powerful story. It focuses on Lenny who, due to his mum changing jobs, has to move house and school. In the story, Lenny not only navigates the rollercoaster of change that comes with a new school and new friendships but tackles this as a child who only will speak to his mum and his dog, Rocky.

The book is so sensitively written. The characters draw you in and allow you to consider Lenny’s situation and how he decides to overcome his own challenges. It celebrates friendship and tolerance…and football.

It is a wonderful novel and would be perfect for a KS2 class reader. Many children will share a class with a child like Lenny or have to face their time at primary school with selective mutism. I am Lenny Brown recognises this group of children and opens the conversation about this condition.

Don’t panic, but you’re in danger.

At least, you would be, if Jack Beechwhistle wasn’t around to protect the world from alien attacks, zombie sweet-shop owners, and exploding conkers – with a bit of help from his trusty sidekicks, Colin and Harry (as long as it’s not past Colin and Harry’s bedtime). Their missions are daring, dangerous, and deadly. They even have top-secret headquarters (the shed by the rhubarb patch).

But now Jack’s about to face his most challenging challenge yet. The Attack of the Giant Slugs.

And they’re on their way to Jack’s school – right in the middle of maths!

Lucy and Tom are off for a very special day out at the seaside! But what should they do first?

Join Lucy and Tom as they discover the seaside. From paddling to picnics, to sandcastles and ice cream – they discover everything the seaside has to offer.

With gentle illustrations and easy-to-read text, Lucy and Tom at the Seaside is perfect for summer celebrations. Delighting children for generations, discover this soothing bedtime story.

Trixie Pickle is an arty ‘sort-of-superhero’ and this is her second adventure (the first being Trixie Pickle, Art Avenger). Trixie and her best friend, Beeks, have a lot going on in their lives. First, there is the latest edition of their comic, Blammo, to work on. Then there are the ‘mean girls’ to avoid or they will cause all sorts of trouble for Trixie and Beeks. There is also a new mystery illness doing the rounds; nicknamed ‘Wormwood fever’, it makes the patient very ill and can be briefly summed up by the words ‘it’s coming out both ends’. Could the mystery illness have anything to do with someone Trixie sees dumping toxic waste in the local reservoir? Who is it and can they be stopped? Trixie has a comic to finish, a mystery to solve and enemies to get revenge on . . . but all in an artistic way of course and with plenty of scope for mishap.

Full of fantastic, detailed fact files of the real artists who inspire Trixie and fully illustrated by the author, it was great to discover some artists I hadn’t been aware of before. This is a fast-paced, funny, fact-filled book which will appeal to art lovers, adventure lovers and humour lovers. It would also lend itself extremely well to a variety of art projects based on the artists featured.

Chapter book

As a big fan of Jamie Littler’s previous fantasy series ‘Frostheart’, I was very excited to read this new book. Happily, I was not in the least bit disappointed. There is something about the combination of world-building and Jamie Littler’s illustrations that is enormously attractive and compelling.

The heroine, Juniper Bell, is wonderfully feisty and creative and the book is peopled with vivid characters. Arkspire, the city setting for the story, is a richly imagined world, with real social divides and class issues that ring true for the present day. The magic is both scary and fantastic and the reader sees the glamour fall away from Juniper’s eyes and experience her new understanding that the way things are is not necessarily the way they should be. The heroine is flawed, she argues with her sister and does not always do the right thing. She challenges authority and the ‘religion’ of the city and that is why the reader is drawn to her. The love/hate relationship between siblings was well observed.

I am a fantasy fan and this book seems like the start of another great fantasy series from Jamie Littler.

This book is a fantastic resource with something in it for all primary-school-aged children. The topics are varied – from telling the children what a body is and naming parts of the body, to specific chapters on the heart, lungs, five senses etc. The book is aimed at children from 4+ and would suit this age group well.

Many of the pages contain technical vocabulary but are aimed at Reception and KS1. The explanations and text are very clear but there is also a further level of detail to explore for those children who are interested in science or the human body, or for older children who will still get something from the book.

The illustrations in the book are simple and very effective. They are clearly labelled and easy for children to understand. All in all, this book is perfect for a classroom non-fiction collection.

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