Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK

Everyone loves little Mrs Pepperpot! This compilation has 20 classic Mrs Pepperpot tales.

Mrs Pepperpot can’t choose when she will shrink to the size of a pepperpot – it just happens.
But whatever she encounters, whether it be a mountain of pancakes, a crafty fox or a monstrous mousetrap, little Mrs Pepperpot will always come out on top.

The Mrs Pepperpot tales are delightful short stories for children, perfect for fans of Dick King-Smith and Enid Blyton.

Betsey Biggalow is here! She may be small but she’s full of bright and shiny ideas about new trainers, winning at marbles and even helping the world! Join Betsey on four short, sun-filled adventures as she learns you don’t have to be big to make a big difference.

This book is one of five short story collections featuring the lively and likeable Betsey Biggalow from Children’s Laureate, Malorie Blackman. Beautifully illustrated by Jamie Smith, these stories are ideal for building confidence in readers aged 7 and over, whether reading aloud or reading alone.

The Hundred-Mile-an-Hour Dog by Jeremy Strong has become a children’s classic!

From The Hundred-Mile-an-Hour Dog to karate princesses and hot cross bottoms, there’s a Jeremy Strong story to suit every child’s sense of humour. Jeremy’s readers range from 7 to teen, perfect for fans of Roald Dahl and Morris Gleitzman.

Streaker is a mixed-up kind of dog…with quite a bit of Ferrari and a large chunk of whirlwind.

Streaker is no ordinary dog. She’s a rocket on four legs with a woof attached, and Trevor has got until the end of the holidays to train her. If he fails, he’ll lose his bet with horrible Charlie Smugg, and something very, very yucky involving frogspawn will happen…

We love this highly original picturebook from Nadia Shireen.

The story is about a bear called Norman, who concocts a plot to get more honey by dressing up as a bee and attending bee school. Children will love Norman’s hilarious attempts to convince his teacher and classmates that he’s a real bee. This is a really funny book with hilarious twists and turns, and ultimately a happy resolution about acceptance and being true to oneself.

The illustrations add to the sheer fun and this book is a real hoot to read aloud. Children love being in on the secret of knowing more than the characters about who Norman really is.

Hugely enjoyable and a big hit with 5-7 year olds.

The Murder Most Unladylike books form a series of children’s murder mystery novels written by Robin Stevens. Popular with children aged 9-12, the stories follow the adventures of two schoolgirls who set up their own detective agency.

Fans of the Murder Most Unladylike series enjoy the stories’ unfolding mysteries told through Hazel’s witty case notes. Readers also love the fast-paced plots with clever twists, the character-centred drama and also the 1930s boarding school setting. The stories deal with important themes like friendship, diversity, loyalty and social class against the backdrop of the murder investigations. Additionally, many children enjoy the collectibility of the series with their rainbow-hued covers and sprayed edges.

This poetry collection for older children from late rap poet and wordsmith Benjamin Zephaniah is a must-have for Year 6. Benjamin Zephaniah‘s role in making poetry accessible to a wider audience of young people is nothing short of outstanding.

The rap style of the poems sings through the rhymical lines, which are brilliant for reading aloud, and the poems are often funny, colloquial in language and sometimes irreverent. There’s a real energy and playfulness to the poems, and hot topics like environmentalism, racism, veganism and politics weave in between bursts of clever wordplay and delightfully silly imagery that will thrill older primary readers.

A laugh-out-loud rumpus woven through a touching story of family and friendship, from the duo behind the popular Charlie Changes into a Chicken series.

If you’ve ever heard a young child asking Siri their questions or scrolled through your family’s Alexa history (from Are you alive? to What’s the best way to get rid of earwax?), you’ll quickly understand the premise for the humour in this story.

This book tells the story of Uma, whose father has barely spoken a word since her mother passed away. Uma’s only real company is next-door neighbour Alan Alan Carrington. One day, after an unlikely alpaca-related incident, Uma comes across a strange earpiece that seems to be able to give the answer to absolutely everything. Or at least, almost everything. What follows is a laugh-out-loud adventure that sees Uma digging deep into her soul to search for answers to questions about her life that she has barely dared to ask before.

Sam Copeland’s writing is characteristically brimming with humour – from bonkers situations and slapstick to puns and witty asides in the footnotes. We loved the characters – particularly the dynamics between Uma and Alan Alan, who are a super duo, and the villainess Stella Daw who is a Cruella De Vil for modern times. The story is also deeply poignant in parts as it explores the themes of family, grief and community. The plot culminates in a riddle to solve deep within a village crypt, and Uma’s intrepid venturing in the underground tunnels beautifully mirrors her own soul-searching as she explores her emotions about her family situation.

This is an absolute winner of a story that has all the right ingredients to be an instant hit with readers in Key Stage 2.

Franky can’t wait to move to his new town – although he wishes he didn’t have to leave his best friend Dani behind.
But everything changes after the storm, when strange green lightning and powerful thunder crash down on the town. From that night on, the kids who live on Franky’s street start to change. One by one, they become a little odd . A little unusual . A little… magical .

Franky’s always wanted to be part of an amazing gang – just like his hero, super-spy Zack Danger! And soon, he realises that there’s real danger in store for himself and his new friends.

And so the Danger Gang is born…

THE SILVER SWORD by Ian Serraillier is an unforgettable World War II survival story.
Although the silver sword was only a paper knife, it became the symbol of hope and courage which kept the Balicki children and their orphan friend Jan alive through the four years of occupation when they had to fend for themselves. And afterwards it inspired them to keep going on the exhausting and dangerous journey from war-torn Poland to Switzerland, where they hoped to find their parents.
Based on true accounts, this is a moving story of life during and after the Second World War.

A deeply thought-provoking and thrilling story, dealing with the themes of mental health issues, isolation and a young boy being a carer for his mother.

When the tower block where the family live is under attack by mysterious plants, Ade’s mother’s anxieties mean that the family is not able to flee. Ade watches the plants attack the tower blocks that surround them, and the threat is growing closer and closer. He realises that his best friend’s tower block is at risk, and he is torn between helping his mother and his best friend. 

Gripping and emotional, this is a greatly exciting and edgy read that will hit the spot for Year 6.

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