Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: Walker Books Ltd

The Football GOAT: Kane v. Bellingham

Non-fiction

The superstar series full of facts, stats and stories so you can choose which football legend is the Greatest Of All Time! In this epic clash, HARRY KANE and JUDE BELLINGHAM go head-to-head…

Written by Matt Oldfield, the bestselling author of ULTIMATE FOOTBALL HEROES and UNBELIEVABLE FOOTBALL, and Seth Burkett, EX PROFESSIONAL PLAYER.

– Read about how Kane scored in his debut England match
– How Bellingham became Birmingham City’s youngest ever senior player
– That Kane is Tottenham Hotspur and England’s record scorer
– But Bellingham has won more team trophies, including a treble in a single season . . .

It’s a tough competition – are you ready to VOTE FOR THE GOAT?

The perfect gift for football fans, and there’s a whole set to collect!

OUT NOW!
Messi v. Ronaldo
Mbappé v. Haaland
Pelé v. Maradona
Saka v. Yamal
AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER!
2026 World Cup Special: England v. The World

Marty Moose: The Great Stamp-ede

Claire Powell

Chapter book

Full of laugh-out loud humour and perfect for young readers aged 6+, this series is fabulously written and beautifully illustrated.

It’s the day of the annual Fastest Feathers race but poor Marty Moose has a very important parcel to deliver. No time to race for Marty! But of course Marty and Nibbles have many a trial and a thief in their way, and everyone wants the prize of a beautiful shining golden egg – including ferret bandits and a pair of cheating ducks. Will the golden egg reach the finish line before the contestants do? Will the villains get the prize and the glory?

A classic mousey tale of good guy versus bad guy, suited for early readers to laugh their way through.

Mighty Mega Pets: Freaky Food Fiasco!

Gary Northfield

Graphic novel

A laugh-out loud graphic novel with pets.

A strange magical substance has seeped into a pet food warehouse, and now dogs, cats, bunnies and fish all have freaky superpowers – whether they want them or not! The newly-formed Mighty Mega Pets are determined to get to the bottom of the pet food mystery in order to – no pressure – save the world!

This hilarious, action-packed full-colour graphic novel about the perils of power, the importance of teamwork, friendship and standing up to bullies will have 6-12 year olds barking with laughter. And they’ll get tips on how to deal with a cranky tortoise!From Gary Northfield, known for his Julius Zebra books and his comics in The Phoenix and Beano.

Greek Boy

Tony Bradman

We absolutely love Tony Bradman’s historical fiction, and Greek Boy is a fantastic follow-up to highly recommended history favourites like Anglo-Saxon Boy and Viking Boy. Set in Ancient Greece, the story follows an Athenian boy called Nikos who finds himself thrust into the brutal reality of the Greek Navy to prove his family’s loyalty to the city state.

If you don’t mind a bit of blood, guts and gore, this is the one for you. The story explores themes of loyalty and betrayal, while plunging readers straight into the high-octane world of ancient warfare.

Steeped in historical detail and clearly well researched, the story is aided by a helpful historical note about the context. This gripping adventure brings the Ancient Greece curriculum topic to life for Upper KS2.

Bear and Bird: The Secret and Other Stories

Jarvis

Chapter book

Bear and Bird are best friends! And while they don’t always understand each other, they both agree: all they want is to make the other happy. So when Bird has a secret to tell Bear he will not listen – because he is worried he’ll give it away! And when the pair find out they don’t actually like all the same things, they both agree it doesn’t matter, because the thing they like best of all is being friends with each other.

Full of comic mix-ups and misunderstandings, as well as genuine warmth and affection, these four stories are the sixth instalment in this irresistibly charming chapter book series from award-winning creator Jarvis. Bear and Bird’s adventures are perfect to read aloud together, or for children who are ready to start reading by themselves.

Readers can enjoy lots more Bear and Bird adventures! Look out for:
Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories
Bear and Bird: The Stars and Other Stories
Bear and Bird: The Adventure and Other Stories
Bear and Bird: The Stick and Other Stories
Bear and Bird: The Cave and Other Stories
The Cloud: A Bear and Bird picture book

Noura’s Crescent Moon: An Eid Story

Nabila Adani & Zainab Khan

Chapter book

Venturing out after dusk with her family, a child is eager to watch for the new moon that signals the start of Eid ul-Fitr celebrations in this charming picture book debut.

In a light-hearted introduction to Ramadan and Eid, this family-centred tale of anticipation under the stars captures everything from the bustle of a shared meal to the swirling magic of the night sky.

With Ramadan and her first month of fasting almost over, Noura, Mama and Papa are headed to the hills for a moonsighting picnic. It would be truly special if Noura could catch a glimpse of the faint silvery crescent, something even her mother has never managed to do. If the moon stays hidden, that means one more long day before the joyful Eid celebrations begin – bringing with them visits with friends, eating sweets and painting henna on her hands.

Salty Dog and Pals: The Storm & Other Stories

Helen Stephens & Katie Chappell

Chapter book

Join Salty Dog and Pals on their laugh-out-loud seaside adventures in these four-colour illustrated stories – ideal for encouraging independent reading for children aged 5-7.

Written by best pals Katie Chappell and Helen Stephens, these four bright, happy stories explore the warm, funny friendship dynamic between Salty Dog and his best friends Kitty (the cat!) and Bernard (the duck!) who all live together in a little upside-down boat house by the sea. Filled with sea shanties, Highland dancing, howling storms and extravagant bath time routines, life on the island is certainly never dull!

Seven Babies

Forest Xiao

Picturebook

When seven babies turn up on a doorstep in a cardboard box, a day of quiet mayhem begins. There is a lovely, dry humour to the way the babies take over the daily routine (splashing in the bath and helping with the laundry) while the family looks on in bemusement.

This has the feel of a classic. The minimal text lets children lead the way, hunting for witty clues in the pictures. The babies are joyfully portrayed in the illustrations and their expressions and movement will evoke delight.

This is a charming read-together book that flips the script on who is really in charge. Ending with a question about where the box of babies might land next, it is a great choice for a Preschool book corner and a perfect prompt for getting children talking about families, siblings and domestic routines.

Tiny Jenny: Little Fairy, Big Trouble

Briony May Smith

Picturebook

What a stunningly illustrated and beautiful story by Bryony May Smith!

Meet Tiny Jenny – a small, wingless fairy born into Mr & Mrs Wrens nest and brought up as one of their own. All is good until Tiny Jenny starts to question who she is and where she came from. So she sets out in search of those missing fairy wings and her true home.

Tiny Jenny is a strong, bold and feisty female heroine (not the fairy stereotype), who won’t take no for an answer. Mr and Mrs Wren are just as surprised when a tiny, wingless fairy hatches from one of their eggs. But they lovingly name her Tiny Jenny and raise her as their own. She digs up the squirrels’ nuts and blocks up mole hills. Her rebellious nature upsets the forest creatures and she begins to question her roots. But leaving her loving home doesn’t make it right. Only Tiny Jenny can make the changes and begin to realise the error of her ways.

Written with powerful twists and beautiful illustrations of magical woodland scenes, this will be a great classroom addition to share about knowing who you are and what is important to you.

A Surprise for Snail

Petr Horacek

Picturebook

A charming story about friendship and optimism from internationally bestselling author-illustrator Petr Horacek.

It’s Snail’s birthday, and he wants to do something special. He’s always dreamed of seeing the sunset over the sea – but it’s a long way to go. Can his friends help make his dreams come true? A charming and vibrantly illustrated picture book perfect for sharing with young children, from the internationally acclaimed author-illustrator Petr Horacek.

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Publisher: Walker Books Ltd

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