Reading For Pleasure: Books We Love This Month

Best Books This Month – June 2026

It’s easy to feel lost in the flood of so many new children’s books available. Each month, our Review Panel reads scores of new books and we highlight five of our recently published favourites.

This month, our panel of experienced teachers, librarians and children’s book experts has carefully selected five outstanding titles for you to read, with a mixture of longer and shorter reads to engage and excite young readers.

From burrito loving flamingos and frogs to a bear that loves sushi, there’s plenty to entertain younger readers in Genevieve Aspianall’s fun new picturebook, Tigers Don’t Eat Jelly.

There’s a great choice of chapter books for older readers, from adventure and courage amidst challenging family relationships in The Children of Wolf Rock, to a football-focused story about chasing your dreams and speaking out in Strike.

The popular partnership of Matt Goodfellow and Joe Todd-Stanton return with Six Weeks, a verse novel which powerfully explores a grieving boy’s journey to rebuild his life, described by our reviewer as “raw but entirely hopeful”.

For fact-book fans, this month’s pick is Chris Packham’s Nature is the Answer. This brilliant book explores eco-anxiety, confronting some of the challenges facing our planet which young people can find overwhelming. Offering reassurance and hope alongside practical tools to help children navigate their worries and transform them into positive action.

Read on to discover our Review Panel’s top new children’s books for you to read in June 2026.

Schools can also take advantage of our Books of the Month subscription service, enabling schools to receive regular bundles of our Books of the Month selections.

Six Weeks

Verse novel

Alfie Piper has six weeks of summer ahead, but since his mum died, his world has unravelled. The silence between him and his increasingly estranged stepdad sits heavy, so he does the only thing that makes sense – he grabs his bike and rides around on the seven hills of Sheffield, alone. His friends struggle to bridge the chasm created by his experience of grief, and while his Dad does his best to hold things together, the days feel lonely. In these long summer days, Alfie has to figure out if he can rebuild what has been broken, as a raw and emotive journey sits ahead of him.

The talented duo of Matt Goodfellow and Joe Todd-Stanton are back, this time exploring a boy’s grief and his journey to rebuild his world after life-changing bereavement. Many readers will have adored The Final Year and The First Year, which have become seminal transition texts and brought verse novels beautifully into the spotlight they deserve. Six Weeks is a standalone story written in the same emotion-packed verse novel style that will meet readers’ now high expectations.

Matt is an exceptional storyteller, and his use of verse is incredibly effective at conveying Alfie’s internal world. Joe’s illustrations are equally powerful. The backdrop of the Peaks – with places like Castleton and, fittingly, Hope, providing space for Alfie to process his journey – serves as a suitable reminder of the undulating reality of Alfie’s emotional landscape.

The relationship between Alfie and his stepdad is handled with great sensitivity, as layer by layer they shed the complexities of their past to unite toward a brighter future, without ever glibly smoothing over the jagged edges of their relationship. Raw but entirely hopeful, Six Weeks is a must-read for Upper KS2 and KS3.

Best Books This Month – May 2026

It’s easy to feel lost in the flood of so many new children’s books available. Each month, our Review Panel reads scores of new books and we highlight five of our recently published favourites.

Pablo is neither panda nor badger, and younger readers will love watching him grow in confidence and discover the wonder of his uniqueness in The Panda-Badger, an empathy-building picturebook by CBBC presenter Ben Cajee.

Those looking for an illustrated chapter book series to get stuck into could try the feline magic of Star Kitties by Laura Ellen Anderson, or Mel Taylor-Bessent’s Riley Wright is Always Wrong, described by our reviewer as “a super-fun and positive new series aimed at younger readers who are not yet ready for Dork Diaries, Lottie Brooks or Diary of a Wimpy Kid.”

I Am Ray’s Imaginary Friend is the first verse novel by much-loved children’s poet, Brian Moses. Exploring themes of change, empathy and emotional growth, our reviewer found this a quick and accessible read that “encourages moments of reflection”.

The final pick this month is Cath Howe’s Two is a Crowd. This is a longer read for children in upper KS2 and early KS3, weaving themes of family dynamics, friendship and jealousy. Our reviewer found this a “compelling book that will strongly resonate with pupils who have siblings and close family relationships.”

Read on to discover our Review Panel’s top new children’s books for you to read in May 2026.

Schools can also take advantage of our Books of the Month subscription service, enabling schools to receive regular bundles of our Books of the Month selections.

Tigers Don’t Eat Jelly!

Genevieve Aspinall

Picturebook

Tiger’s Don’t Eat Jelly! is a wonderful expression of individuality and curiosity. Tiger loves to eat jelly but is curious to know what else she might enjoy. She goes on an adventure meeting lots of different animals and trying their favourite foods. From burrito loving flamingos and frogs to a bear that loves sushi, Tiger tries them all.

The book demonstrates friendship, open-mindedness and challenges stereotypes in an age appropriate way. The story uses repetitive phrases and colourful illustrations to engage readers along the way.

Best Books This Month – April 2026

It’s easy to feel lost in the flood of so many new children’s books available. Each month, our Review Panel reads scores of new books and we highlight five of our recently published favourites.

For younger readers, this month’s selection includes two fabulously funny picturebooks. Is This a Plum?, described by our reviewer as “a classic in the making”, is full of surprises that make young readers think twice about what they’re seeing, while Whack a Moley is a vividly illustrated story of animal friendships, full of slapstick humour.

Those looking for a longer read also have two titles to pick from here. Olivia Wakeford’s The Shadow Pony is an engrossing story of family inspired by Welsh mining history, illustrated by David Litchfield, while The House with Chicken Legs Runs Away is a magical adventure from Sophie Anderson, picking up the story of Marinka and her house now that they have stopped wandering.

The final pick in this month’s list is Big Brilliant World, a brightly illustrated non-fiction title that offers a fascinating journey through cities across the world, with meticulous detail including food and drink, history, landmarks and fun facts.

Read on to discover our Review Panel’s top new children’s books for you to read in April 2026.

Schools can also take advantage of our Books of the Month subscription service, enabling schools to receive regular bundles of our Books of the Month selections.

Big Brilliant World

Aysha Tengiz & Matt Ralphs

Non-fiction

A meticulously detailed and fun way to learn about cities across the world in this vibrant, playful information text. Almost a modern version of Where’s Wally or Richard Scarry, Tengiz takes a double page for each city; full page city illustrations presented in colourful building blocks with rivers and waterways weaving through.

The cities are populated with a raft of weird and wonderful characters, some human, some animal-like. The text reveals smatterings of foreign languages, as well as dotted information about food and drink, the city’s history, green spaces, famous landmarks, and incidental details, such as the numbers of stray cats in Rome.

This lively and beautiful book will capture imaginations, provoke curiosity and provide hours of looking. Cities include Mexico City, Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Budapest, Seoul, Tokyo and Istanbul, New York, Rome, London and Amsterdam. The contents page shows where in the world the cities are. A fantastically intriguing book – joyful!

Nature is the Answer!: A Toolkit for Eco-Positivity

Chris Packham

Non-fiction

In a world where children are increasingly exposed to worries about the future (from climate change to endangered animals and deforestation) it’s no surprise that many young people are beginning to experience what Chris Packham calls ‘eco‑anxiety’. While the challenges facing our planet can feel overwhelming, ‘Nature Is the Answer’ offers its readers reassurance, hope and practical tools to help children navigate their worries.

This book brings together short stories, real‑life anecdotes and fascinating facts to inspire and uplift its readers. Chris Packham blends activities, scientific insights and powerful examples from around the world to show children that their concerns can be transformed into positive action. The book teaches strategies to help young people manage their feelings and channel them into something constructive.

The book is filled with engaging illustrations, simple toolkits and bite‑sized sections that make it easy to dip into little and often. It’s exactly the kind of gentle positivity so many young people need in today’s fast‑changing world. This is a perfect read for any child who cares about the planet and has worries about its future.

Detective Kitty is on the Case!

Laura Ellen Anderson

Chapter book

The first in a magical and mystical series by the incredibly talented Laura Ellen Anderson. Bound to be a hit with fans of Isadora Moon, Pia’s Pet Club or Izzy the Inventor

Tabitha finds a key to her garden shed which takes her to the land of Star Kitties. She has been very much enjoying her weekly visits there and now it’s her birthday and she has arrived in Whiskery Paw expecting celebrations galore. However there is a cat-astrophe: her Royal Pawness is missing and the cats are in chaos!

This illustrated early chapter book series tells the story of a secret world of kitty cats which as a cat-lover was purrrfect (once I was introduced to Reading Kitty, I felt like I’d met my soulmate!). The striking two-colour illustrations make the book very appealing and ideal for children in Year 2 upwards (age 6+). There is also a map at the start for children to follow the characters on their detective mission. It is a great book to use as a stepping tool from KS1 to KS2: it has short chapters and could help children progress from phonics and onto comprehension led reading in small groups or as a whole class setting.

Whack a Moley

Anders Frang & Bethan Clarke

Picturebook

Gus the Goat wants to play and his friend Mavis Mole is happy to agree. There’s one problem – what shall they play? Whack-a-moley? Crack-a-moley? Quack-a-moley or Stack-a-moley? Unfortunately, all Gus’s outlandish ideas aren’t so much fun for Mavis. But then Mavis retaliates with her own outrageous ideas that aren’t so much fun for Gus. After a lot of false starts, they finally settle for something much calmer and their friendship is saved.

Vividly funny illustrations and rip-roaring rhyming sequences bring this story to life. The story is all about consideration for others and finding compromise, but the story provides oodles of fun along the way.

If you read it aloud more than once, encourage joining in with the silliest bits. There’s stacks of slapstick humour and lots of cheerful wordplay with rhymes and puns, re-enforcing phonemic awareness through the laughter, which makes this a great choice for a rumbustious EYFS storytime.

Two is a Crowd

Cath Howe

Chapter book

Cath Howe has delivered another compelling book that will strongly resonate with pupils who have siblings and close family relationships. The story thoughtfully weaves together the themes of family dynamics, friendship and jealousy, offering a sensitive exploration of the ‘green-eyed monster’. The engaging narrative style draws readers in effortlessly, making this a highly immersive and difficult-to-put-down read. It is likely to connect with any child who has experienced feelings of jealousy or self-doubt, making it a valuable addition to classroom and library collections.

Hattie is ready for a summer of fun, including a trip to France with her family and the anticipation of starting secondary school with her bestie. Then Seren arrives! It ought to be everything she’s ever wanted, yet it feels entirely the opposite. Why is she so hard to talk to and be around? Everyone else seems to love her, so what is Hattie missing? Then school starts and Seren has to join too and everything falls apart.

This is a narrative that uses emotive language to allow the reader to fully empathise and understand the characters: ‘I was a patch of wintry snow in a sunny field.’ Hattie is a character many readers will recognise from their own school experiences. This is perfect for ages 8 through to pre-teens. Cath Howe is superb at writing about such prevalent topics within current school and home settings, understanding what children feel and go through as they navigate childhood, their families, friends and school. Utterly wonderful!