Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: Pushkin Children's Books

Wide Eye

Chapter book

Welcome, believers! Welcome, skeptics! Welcome, wishy-washers!

Most people don’t believe in the Wide Eye monster, but ten-year-old Meridian knows better. Every summer she helps run her grandpa’s quirky lakeside museum, collecting evidence that Wide Eye is real!

But while tracking the monster, Meridian uncovers a new mystery. It starts with an old family secret: one that her grandpa refuses to explain. And the more Meridian hunts for answers, the more she suspects that the truth is bound to Wide Eye itself…

Wildful

Kengo Kurimoto

Graphic novel

A beautiful graphic novel about nature and dealing with grief, perfect for fans of The Secret Garden, October, October and Greenwild.

Nothing’s been the same since Gran passed away. Mum is too sad to leave the house, so Poppy has started taking her dog Pepper for walks around the neighbourhood.

When Poppy discovers a forgotten patch of woodland and meets a new friend, she learns that you can find magic in the wild – if you know where to look, what to listen for and how to wait… but can Poppy help her mum see it too?

Fake

Ele Fountain

Chapter book

In a digital world it’s hard to know what’s real.

Imagine a world where your only friends are virtual, and big tech companies control access to food, healthcare and leisure.

This is Jess’s world.

But when she turns fourteen, Jess can go to school with other children for the first time.

Most of them hate the ‘real’ world, but Jess begins to question whether the digital world is ‘perfect’ after all.

Back home, her sister Chloe’s life-saving medication is getting ever more expensive.

Determined to help, Jess risks everything by using skills forbidden in the cyber-world, only to stumble on something explosive.

Something that will turn her whole world upside down.

It’s up to Jess to figure out exactly what is real, and what is fake – Chloe’s survival depends on it.

What Feelings Do When No One is Looking

Aleksandra Zajac & Tina Oziewicz

Picturebook

Curiosity climbs to the highest branch of a tree. Joy bounces on a trampoline. Gratitude warms you like a woolly jumper…

What Feelings Do When No One’s Looking is a stunning, charming and brilliantly inventive picturebook about the feelings that live inside us, sure to provoke many fascinating conversations with any child.

Thirst

Darren Simpson

Chapter book

Nobody talks about the strange happenings in Maimsbury. No one speaks of the hooded figures glimpsed in the woods, nor the children’s game that went so horribly wrong. But most of all, nobody dares whisper their doubts about the river they have worshipped for centuries.

Like everyone in Maimsbury, Gorse is used to the sacrifices made every spring to the River Yeelde. The life of a farm animal – in return for a year of plenty – seems a fair trade. That is, until a tragedy leads Gorse to a blood-curdling discovery.

Because this year is a Brim Year, and after giving so much, the river needs more than an animal’s life to sate its thirst…

Humans

John Devolle

Non-fiction, Picturebook

A simple and factual picture book to share with younger children, filled with colourful images to capture attention.A great way to hook children into science in KS1 and KS2.

This book will make children laugh and inform them all about humans and all about themselves, and what makes us special. A fun and easy-to-read book for a range of ages, with some topic-specific vocabulary to explore and use as a teaching point.

It would also be suitable to link to other curriculum areas such as Design and Technology, music and PSHE. Part of a series, so there are other books to explore if this one captures your attention.

The Snow Fox and the Long, Long Night

Marieke ten Berge

Picturebook

The enchanting story of an arctic fox’s journey back to its mother, inspired by a Sami folk tale.

A little arctic fox is lost in the dark, polar night.

With the help of a friendly bear, and the Northern Lights to guide her, can she find her way back home?

Translated by Michele Hutchison.

Dim Sum Palace

X Fang

Picturebook

A little girl’s love of dim sum spills over into her dreams, taking her on a fantastical food-filled adventure.

Liddy is too excited to sleep! Tomorrow she’s going to the Dim Sum palace with her family, so when a tempting smell wafts into her bedroom, she has no choice but to follow it…

Inspired by childhood memories of epic dim sum feasts, X. Fang’s glorious picture book is a delicious adventure with a loving helping of food, family and culture.

The Twelve

Liz Hyder & Tom de Freston

Chapter book

It’s supposed to be a treat for Kit, a winter holiday by the coast with her sister Libby and their mum. But when Libby vanishes into thin air, and no one else remembers her, Kit is faced with a new reality – one in which her sister never existed.

Then she meets Story, a local boy who remembers Libby perfectly. Together they embark on a journey beyond their wildest imagination into a world steeped in ancient folklore. Can Kit and Story uncover the secret of the Twelve and rescue Libby before Time runs out?

The Case of the Lighthouse Intruder

Kereen Getten & Leah Jacobs-Gordon

Chapter book

The mystery genre is incredibly popular with Key Stage 2 children, and The Case of the Lighthouse Intruder by Kereen Getten offers an evocative detective adventure.

Fayson is an aspiring detective who dreams of solving grand cases, but finds herself plunged into a real-life case during a holiday with her mysterious cousins. Fayson feels out of place with their wealthy lifestyle, yearning for the simpler, more honest life she shares with her mother.

As Fayson cleverly unravels the mystery on the island, the narrative also sensitively explores themes of social class, wealth, happiness and family values. The story could prompt discussion with KS2 children around challenging societal expectations and the meaning of belonging. A thrilling and thought-provoking mystery!

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Publisher: Pushkin Children's Books

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