Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

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Reading For Pleasure: 50 Recommended Reads

Best Books for Y4 (Children Aged 8-9)

NEWLY updated – April 2024!

Looking for book recommendations for Year 4 children? Look no further than BooksForTopics.com.

Our experts have assembled a carefully curated list of the top books for 8-9-year-olds, selected by experienced primary teachers, librarians and children’s book experts. Find the best books to top up your Y4 book collection with our hand-picked list of storytime favourites, thought-provoking tales, funny books, picturebooks, graphic novels, poetry collections, non-fiction texts and more. We hope that there will be something for everyone, but do keep your eyes open for magical foxes, Viking cats, wish-granting fifty-pence pieces and a mysterious giant rainforest that grows over the city of London…

Our Year 4 booklist covers a range of genres and themes to cater to a range of children’s reading levels and interests. This booklist includes some of the most popular Year 4 stories such as The Land of Roar, The Boy at the Back of the Class and How to Train Your Dragon as well as some lesser-known storytime delights that we recommend for Y4, like David Almond’s AI-inspired Brand New Boy, Elizabeth Laird’s Song of the Dolphin Boy and the super fun choose-your-own-adventure style mystery The Monster Maker.

The experts at BooksForTopics have hand-picked each book based on merit for its age-appropriateness, quality storytelling, engaging illustrations and ability to challenge children to think imaginatively and creatively.  If you are looking for a recommended reading list for Year 4 children, our specially selected booklist has been carefully designed to match the age, developmental stage and interest level of children in Year 4.

As well as the Y4 reading list below to browse, we’ve also got a printable poster and downloadable checklist for you, and schools can purchase full sets of the books via Peters.

 

year 4 recommended reads printable poster 2024

year 4 recommended reads checklist 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Browse the Y4 booklist below or scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

50 Best Books for Y3 (Children Aged 7-8)

NEWLY updated – April 2024!

We’ve selected 50 top recommended books for Year 3 (children aged seven and eight). Find the best books to level up your Y3 reading collections with our carefully selected list of storytime chapter books, independent reads, funny stories, picturebooks, poetry collections, graphic novels, non-fiction texts and more. There’s something for all tastes, but keep an eye out for ninja princesses, adventuring robots, animal rescues and the odd exploding dragon poo here and there, too…

As well as taking into account which reading trends are currently the most popular with Year 3 children, our team of experts at BooksForTopics loves to put each book through its paces. Each title on our booklist has been chosen based on its age-appropriateness, quality of writing, engaging illustrations and ability to inspire children’s imagination and creativity. Our booklists have been carefully compiled by experts in children’s literature, and we have taken care to ensure that we feature a variety of characters, themes and styles that hook in different types of readers.

This booklist includes popular Year 3 stories such as The Boy Who Grew Dragons, Charlotte’s Web and Varjak Paw, as well as the most popular read-it-yourself choices like Dog Man and The 13-Storey Tree House. We also included some lesser-known storytime delights that we recommend for Y3, like The Wild Robot, the wildlife rescue story A Rabbit Called Clover and the magical story of fairies and forests in Lola and Larch.

If you are looking for recommended reads to capture the attention of your Year 3 children, our specially selected reading list has got you covered with books that have been matched to the age, developmental stage and interest level of children in Year 3.

As well as the Y3 booklist below to browse, we’ve also got a printable poster and downloadable checklist for you, and schools can purchase full sets of the books via Peters.

 

year 3 recommended reads printable poster 2024

year 3 recommended reads checklist 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Browse the Y3 booklist below or scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

Best Books for Year 5 (Children Aged 9-10)

NEWLY updated – April 2024!

Looking for the best Year 5 books? Look no further than BooksForTopics.com. Our primary school reading experts have selected a list of the top 50 recommended books for children aged 9-10. There are so many books to love on this list, but do keep an eye out for houses that walk, moon miners, boarding schools for criminals and a good old polar bear rescue…

Our Year 5 recommended reading list features a diverse range of books from both classic and contemporary authors, carefully chosen to help develop reading fluency, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills. Our list includes popular Y5 books such as Percy Jackson, The Last Bear and Diary of a Wimpy Kid as well as lesser-known gems that are equally delightful, like Always Clementine and Guy Bass’s robot-themed SCRAP.

Our team of experts at BooksForTopics considers several factors to ensure that our booklist features the most suitable book recommendations for Year 5 children. In addition to evaluating the current popularity of books, we carefully assess each title’s appropriateness for the age group, quality of writing, engaging illustrations, and ability to stimulate imagination and creativity. Our curated booklists are compiled by specialists in children’s literature, and we take pride in presenting a diverse range of voices and catering to different types of readers, ensuring that there is something for everyone.

Our curated reading list is designed to capture the attention of Year 5 children, matching their developmental stages and interests. We have also provided accompanying resources to support parents and teachers, including a printable poster, a downloadable checklist, and the option for schools to purchase full sets of the 50 books through Peters.

 

year 5 recommended reads printable poster 2024year 5 recommended reads checklist 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Browse the Y5 booklist below or scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

Best Books for Y2 (Children Aged 6-7)

NEWLY updated – April 2024!

Our team has hand-picked 50 recommended books for Year 2 (children aged six and seven). Find the best books to top up your Y2 reading collections with our selection of storytime picturebooks, chapter books, funny stories, illustrated poetry collections, non-fiction texts and more. Keep an eye out for the odd mad-cap babysitter with rainbow hair, aliens in jam factories and texting-obsessed goats along the way…

We understand that finding the perfect book for children can be challenging, so we have carefully curated a list of recommended reads especially suited for Year 2 children. Our selection of books includes themes such as adventure, friendship, animals, mystery, and lots of laugh-out-loud favourites too.

The experts at BooksForTopics have hand-picked each book based on its age-appropriateness, quality content, engaging illustrations and ability to spark children’s imagination and creativity. This booklist includes popular Year 2 stories such as The Proudest BlueFlat Stanley and Traction Man, as well as some lesser-known storytime delights that we recommend for Y2, like The Eyebrows of DoomEinstein the Penguin and Jory John’s hilarious gadget-obsessed spud, The Couch Potato.

So, if you are looking for top recommended books for your Year 2 children, our specially selected reading list has got you covered with books that have all been carefully matched to the age, developmental stage and interest level of children in Year 2.

As well as the Y2 booklist below to browse, we’ve also got a printable poster and downloadable checklist for you, and schools can purchase full sets of the books via Peters.

 

year 2 recommended reads printable poster 2024

year 2 recommended reads checklist 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Browse the Y2 booklist below or scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

Best Books for Year 1 (Children Aged 5-6)

NEWLY updated – April 2024!

Our team has selected the 50 best books for 5 and 6 year olds in Year 1. Top up your Year 1 reading collections with our hand-picked list of recommended storytime favourites, laugh-out-loud picture books, animal stories, early chapter books, illustrated poetry collections, non-fiction texts and more.

This list of recommended reads for Year 1 includes fiction and non-fiction books that cover a variety of themes. From classic stories to modern adventures, our collection is curated to cater to the interests and reading levels of children ages 5 and 6. This booklist includes popular Year 1 stories such as The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark, Look Up! and Fantastic Mr Fox. as well as some lesser-known storytime delights that we highly recommend, like The Smart CookieAdventuremice and Matt Carr’s hilarious eight-legged secret agent, Spyder.

At BooksForTopics, we believe reading is essential to a child’s development, and Year 1 forms a very important stage in a child’s reading journey. That’s why our expert team has put together this list especially for Y1 children, with stories at just the right level. Whether your children are confident readers or just starting out on their reading journey, our selection of books is designed to encourage a love of reading that will last all through primary school and beyond.

As well as the Year 1 booklist, we’ve also got a printable poster and downloadable checklist for you. Schools can purchase full sets of the books via Peters.

 

year 1 recommended reads printable poster 2024

year 1 recommended reads checklist 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Browse the Y1 booklist below or scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

Best Books for Preschoolers (Children Aged 3-4)

NEWLY updated – April 2024!

Browse this list of 50 recommended books for 3- and 4-year-olds. Top up your preschool or nursery book collections with our hand-picked selection of classic stories, laugh-out-loud picture books, animal tales, poetry books, non-fiction for curious minds and more…

As parents and teachers, we know how important it is to foster a love of reading in children from a young age. Reading with nursery and preschool children not only helps with language development but also encourages imagination and creativity. Our booklist includes popular preschool stories such as Owl Babies, Aliens Love Underpants and The Tiger Who Came to Tea, as well as some lesser-known storytime delights that we highly recommend, like Mavis the Bravest and Eat Your Peas.

Handpicked by teachers and children’s reading experts, our preschool reading list is designed to help those looking for the best quality and age-appropriate books to make reading time engaging for nursery or preschool children. Join your little ones on a journey through some of the best books for preschoolers available today.

As well as the booklist below to browse, we’ve also got a printable poster and downloadable checklist for you, and schools can purchase full sets of the books via Peters.

 

preschool recommended reads printable poster 2024     preschool recommended reads checklist 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Browse the preschool booklist below or scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

Best Books for Reception (Children Aged 4-5)

NEWLY updated – April 2024!

We’ve hand-picked a list of 50 recommended books to read with 4- and 5-year-olds. Update your class library or home book collections with our list of the best Reception books, covering everything from rhyming frogs and super-greedy monsters to dreams of space travel and expeditions to faraway places. Not to mention the odd heroic potato or post-delivering penguin, too…

The Reception year of primary school is an important phase in children’s literacy development. Our booklist includes popular Reception stories such as Supertato, Oi Frog and Elmer, as well as some lesser-known storytime delights that we highly recommend, like Snail in Space and Blue Monster Wants it All.

This collection of books has been carefully curated by our team of teachers and children’s reading experts, with the help of our Review Panel members, who have tried and tested hundreds of titles in their primary school settings to bring you only the best of the best.

If you’re a parent or teacher looking for what you should read with Reception children, look no further than our Reception reading list. From classic tales and funny read-alouds to new releases and educational reads, we have something to suit every young reader’s interests. Our Reception booklist includes both fiction and non-fiction recommendations to read with children in this age group to encourage a love of books and to develop vocabulary, comprehension skills and creativity.

As well as the Reception booklist below to browse, we’ve also got a printable poster and downloadable checklist for you, and schools can purchase full sets of the books via Peters.

 

reception recommended reads printable poster 2024

reception recommended reads checklist 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Browse the Reception booklist below or scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

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Your Review

Stone Girl Bone Girl

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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?

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