Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: Quarto Publishing PLC

From Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2022–2024, Joseph Coelho, comes this gentle, poetic story about climate change, working together, building communities and living in tune with nature.

On the hottest day of the year, three children watch from their tower block windows as golden leaves drift down to the baking pavement. The trees, tricked by the unseasonal heat, think autumn has arrived. While the grown-ups delight in the sunshine, the children worry for the trees – why isn’t anyone else concerned?

A wise tree shows them how to conjure rain and care for the forest, but by bravely finding a short-term solution, they inspire something much bigger – a long-term commitment from the adults around them. Together, they rediscover the hidden power of nature, setting a topsy-turvy world the right way up, and protecting it for the future.

This moving and hopeful first look at climate change is brought to life by the sweeping, emotive illustrations of Richard Johnson, Coelho’s close collaborator on Our Tower. A beautifully crafted book, it highlights the lesser-known signs of climate change in urban environments, helping children aged 5+ notice the changes happening in the world around them.

This inspiring story reminds children that even small actions can spark big change – and that by working together, we can help protect the world for generations to come.

I Love My Bike tells the story of a girl’s first experience with her bike, and is filled with beautiful illustrations and a heartwarming message of perseverance.

There’s a flame on the frame
and I love how it feels
from my head to my heels
when my feet push the pedals
and the pedals turn the wheels.
I love my bike.

I Love My Bike is a picture book about a daughter learning to ride a bike with the help of her father. It’s also about that exhilarating feeling you get when you succeed at something for the first time as a child. And, most importantly, it’s about learning that when you fall off, the best thing to do is get back on again!

The story is told through wonderful watercolours from critically acclaimed artist Sam Usher, with words from children’s poet Simon Mole.

Celebrating both family relationships and being outdoors, this is the perfect read for families everywhere.

From the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the incredible life of tennis star Rafa Nadal.

Little Rafa was born in Majorca, Spain. Encouraged by his two uncles, he loved playing football and tennis, but found that he particularly excelled at tennis.

At only fifteen years old, he became a professional! Soon, he was ranked as one of the best on the court, and at age twenty-two, he was proclaimed the number one tennis player in the whole world.

Since then, Rafa has won many trophies, including twenty-two Grand Slams. His self-confidence, perseverance and determination are the keys to his success. Today, he is considered one of the best tennis players in history.

In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the inspiring life of Billie Jean King, the tennis star who has dedicated her life to breaking barriers both on and off the tennis court.

Billie Jean began playing tennis at the age of 11. After one of her first tennis lessons, she told her mother, “I’m going to be No. 1 in the world,” a title she would come to hold five times between 1966 and 1972. Twenty years later, she is still today considered one of the most successful women in sport history. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the amazing sportswoman’s life.

Dogs are STUPID.
The End.
Oh. You’re still here?
Fine, I’ll prove it…

From award-winning author–illustrator Fred Blunt comes this fantastically funny, spectacularly silly picture book about everything wrong with dogs, as told by a very stubborn cat.

Are you a cat person or a dog person?

Well, this cat thinks cats are the best and dogs are the absolute worst. I mean, dogs stink, they slobber, they enjoy rolling around in cow poo… need I say more? And why are there so many types of dog, too? Hairy… scary… spotty… Scottie… the list goes on!

But when this confident cat gets a very scary surprise, guess who comes to the rescue? Will our cat finally accept that he might have been wrong about dogs all along?

With bright and hilarious illustrations, this picture book will have kids and grown-ups alike laughing out loud. And whether you’re a cat or dog lover, the heart-warming ending is sure to put a smile on your face.

Learn about the glittering story of Taylor Swift! The talented singer-songwriter who dreamt of sharing her talent with the world.

The perfect gift for every Swiftie in your life, young and old, this powerful book features captivating illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with photos of the star and a detailed profile of her life.

Little Taylor grew up on her family’s Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania. Her life changed at six years old when she attended her first concert. Dancing and singing in the crowd as country musician LeAnn Rimes performed, Taylor fell in love with country music. Some of the kids at school didn’t understand, but Taylor managed to shake it off.

She took her first steps towards stardom by recording a demo of cover songs and sending it to record labels in Nashville, the home of country music. Yet while she enjoyed singing others’ songs, she knew all too well that she needed to express herself in her own words. When she began writing her own lyrics and melodies, her talent for putting feelings into words shone through.

After signing with a record label, she started working on her first album: Taylor Swift. It became very popular, very quickly. Soon, she had earned a number one single on the country music charts.

Next, she released her second album, a country-pop record named Fearless, it was a hit, and suddenly everyone knew her name. She won a Grammy and started to write more pop music for her albums – all the while keeping storytelling at the centre of her work. Several albums and sell-out world tours followed. Despite the obstacles in her way, Taylor has always stood up for what she believes in and always believed in herself!

Seriously Happy is a highly practical self-help guide exploring 10 life-changing lessons based on teachings of the ancient philosophers.

YA readers are encouraged to discover how Stoicism can improve your mental resilience; the calming, meditative influence of Zen; the decision-making prowess of Aristotle or the confidence-boosting ideas of the Cynic philosophers.

As a young man, author Ben Aldridge struggled with debilitating anxiety and self-doubt, until he discovered Stoicism and other philosophies which helped him restore balance, peace and contentment in his life. In this book, Ben shares over 20 practical challenges rooted in ancient philosophy that will power up your focus and confidence, improve your critical thinking, build mental resilience, and embrace happiness. The text is accompanied by gorgeous illustrations by Michelle Brackenborough.

The challenges are based on ancient philosophical ideas – such as ‘shame attacking’, facing your fears, and appreciating the small things in life – as well as the ancient arts of Tai-Chi, Qi-Gong and meditation. Seriously Happy shows how to harness the power of ancient philosophies to deal with the real-world stress and anxieties of today.

The pain and anger of grief are explored in this beautiful picture book. For those readers familiar with the ‘Hare-Shaped Hole’ you can expect the same level of sensitivity and respect for young readers as was found in that book. Whilst it addresses the same issue of death, dying and loss, it begins in a different place. It begins with the description of a wise, kind and fair character, Gerda the bear and only then reveals Gerda’s past, in which she has lost a friend, carer and confidante – Orlo the bear – when Gerda was young.

The book is suitable for KS1 and children in KS2 who need to talk about issues of death. With a teacher or parent’s guidance and sensitivity, this positioning of the character of Gerda can support discussion about the positive impact of a person’s life on those around them. What is often not discussed about grief is the huge anger and resentment that can be felt by those who will be left behind. The book shows this anger when Orlo becomes ill and knows they do not have long to live. The beautiful illustrations guide the reader to understanding that this anger is normal and a part of grief that begins even before death. This book provides a really helpful starting point to support children who are experiencing the pain of illness, death and grief within their circle of family and friends.

This was meant to be a journal of my quest to find the sea nomads, but a few days ago something happened that turned my world upside down . . . You are about to read an adventure story so real you’ll be able to taste the salt water on your lips. I don’t know how it will end but I’ll keep writing this journal as long as I’m able. One day I hope I can give it to you.

After he’s flung from a ferry after seeing something so dangerous he would be killed for his silence, the Unknown Adventurer washes up on a deserted island. Completely alone, he puts his survival skills to the test and begins the journal he promised his younger siblings he would write. But after a while he notices that it is not all what it seems on the island and something mysterious lies across the lagoon. Something he must investigate.

Take a deep breath. You are about to enter dangerous waters.

This is a thrilling tale of survival, friendship and underwater discovery that transports you to remote seas that whisper of ancient legends you can only begin to imagine.

Presented like an artist’s journal, with handwritten sections, smudged notes and stuck-in pages and illustrated in breathtaking detail, this is a story that will spark a sense of adventure in every reader. A new exhilarating book from the Unknown Adventurer, author of The Lost Book of Adventure and Journey to the Last River.

Boost your child’s growing vocabulary with 75 hilariously illustrated poems from Colette Hiller, author of the critically acclaimed kids’ poetry book The B on Your Thumb.

Each poem in this funny, funky book teaches a specific important word, as well as its meaning and spelling, in an innovative and accessible format that kids will love. Using rhythm and wordplay, the poems help build a colossal vocabulary, thinking skills and literacy – without kids even noticing! But most of all, this book delights young readers with the joy and silliness of the English language.

Building a colossal vocabulary has never felt so natural, or so much fun! Each word in this collection is defined in a simple rhyme. Using rhythm, humour and logic, each word’s meaning is made clear and accessible. Kids will want to try them out straight away: it’s a ready-to-use collection! You and your kids will love:

Rolling rhymes that will be chanted again and again
Fun and quirky drawings that bring these educational poems to life
Holistic learning premise from Colette Hiller, skilled in writing educational poetry for children

From Ambiguous to Zealous, the words in this book are for 7-to-12-year-olds. It may seem inconceivable for one book to encompass such a wide age span! But in fact, inconceivable – and all the other words in this book – were selected from vocabulary lists intended for older children, so that younger children can challenge themselves and discover a wealth of great new words!

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