Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: Penguin Random House Children's UK

A hilarious story telling the tale of Mrs Armitage and her dog, Breakspear. Instead of enjoying a simple bicycle ride, the eccentric Mrs Armitage is constantly looking for ways of upgrading her bike. Soon it barely resembles a bicycle at all! A big hit with KS1.

When Duffy Driver leaves the brakes off, the Little Red Train sets off down the track without him! Duffy tries everything he can think of to catch up with the train, with a little help from a tractor, some horses, a boat and a helicopter.

An enjoyable story to read over and over again, and preschoolers will enjoy the gently unfolding journey narrative as well as relishing the chance to join in with the train noises and to spot all of the many details on the pages.

As a disgruntled CJ and his grandmother make their way on the bus from church to the soup kitchen, she shows him, with quiet, insightful wisdom, how to appreciate the beauty of their neighbourhood and of the diverse characters that share it with them.
5 individual words to describe the book: kindness, empathy, community, gratitude and inclusive.

This classic picture book, by the popular author John Birningham, is a story about sharing and helping others. The simple storyline follows a repeated structure and is accompanied by detailed illustrations. A great read for younger classes.

Clean Up! is the second picture book from Nathan Byron and Dapo Adeola, and acts as a sequel to their mightily popular debut book Look Up!. The story follows a young girl called Rocket, who goes to visit her Grammy and Grampy in Jamaica. However, when Rocket stumbles upon a baby turtle trapped in some plastic on the beach, she begins to realise how pollution is ruining this once perfect island. Determined to make a change, Rocket sets about on a mission to give the beach a thorough clean up!

This picture book was an absolute pleasure to read and delivered a delightful story with a powerful message to match. As a teacher, I believe this book is deserving of a spot in any school as it offers so much in terms of the themes which link to caring for the environment and encouraging children to take the lead from Rocket in being bringers of change. I love that even the youngest children will see the example Rocket sets and be inspired to act with the same passion and desire as Rocket does to change the world for the better.

The illustrations in this book are fantastic and Adeola does a superb job at making this book so visually enjoyable and bringing the protagonist of Rocket to life. Rocket is a character that will be seen as a role model for readers and her enthusiasm is infectious. I am certain this book will replicate the positive reception that its predecessor Look Up! had, and deservedly so.

A popular choice with EYFS and KS1, this is the story of a little boy who asks for a bucket for his birthday. Billy fills his bucket with water and his parents fail to believe him when he says that it contains wonderful creatures from the ocean. That is, until Dad decides to borrow the bucket to wash his car!

Introduce children to the wonders, history, culture and customs of the United Kingdom with The Big Book of the UK. Learn about the sport of “dwile flonking”, find out where black diamonds come from, ,eet the supernatural animal that haunts the Scottish Highlands and discover the British sweets that helped Hillary and Tenzing scale Everest. Filled with facts about wildlife, food, sports, geography, language and some very silly place names, this book will help you uncover national secrets and unearth local legends from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Follow the adventures of young Katie Morag, who lives on the Scottish Island Of Struay. These endearing stories, which have now been turned into a popular CBBC series, will help children learn about the ups and downs of coastal life on a small island.

A hurricane is on it’s way . . . And Betsey can’t wait! Join her as she helps prepare for the storm, is entered into a very strange contest, and even attempts to eat a MONSTER hamburger in four fabulously funny adventures. This book is one of five collections featuring Betsey Biggalow from Children’s Laureate, Malorie Blackman. Beautifully illustrated by Jamie Smith, these stories are ideal for building confidence in young readers, whether reading aloud or alone.

This is the story of Tomas, whose father is a climbing guide in the Swiss mountains. When his father disappears, Tomas worries that a mountain monster called the Brockenspectre might be at work and sets about to brave the treacherous mountain terrains to find his father before it is too late. Covering themes of family relationships and grief, this is a gripping story for upper KS2.

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