Topic: Literacy

Oracy Booklist for KS2

Best Books for Oracy in KS2

This oracy booklist offers a selection of high-quality titles chosen by experts to boost spoken language skills, critical thinking and dialogic talk in Years 3 to 6.

These hand-picked books are selected to engage KS2 readers while building confidence in speaking and meeting National Curriculum goals for literacy in a talk-rich environment, including the latest primary oracy framework.

Specially selected to get children thinking, debating, speaking and storytelling, this list showcases picturebooks like The Midnight Fair and poetry like This is Not a Small Voice alongside non-fiction titles about the power of speech like How to Talk So People Will Listen and Talking History.

Help your pupils find their voice with our expertly curated list of the best books for oracy in KS2, perfect for class debate, philosophy for children (P4C) or literacy lessons.

We also have a separate Oracy Booklist for Ages 4-7.

Oracy Booklist for EYFS and KS1

Best Books for Oracy in EYFS and KS1

Looking for the best books to encourage oracy in your Primary classroom? This curated booklist offers a selection of high-quality titles chosen by experts to boost spoken language skills, listening comprehension, and dialogic talk in EYFS and Key Stage 1.

These hand-picked books will entertain young readers while building Tier 2 vocabulary, boosting confidence in speaking and meeting National Curriculum goals for literacy in a talk-rich environment, including the latest primary oracy framework.

Specially selected to get children talking, joining in, debating and presenting, this list pairs established classroom classics like Room on the Broom, Gorilla and Would You Rather with exciting newcomers like Don’t Trust Fish, My Rice is Best, and Don’t Think of Tigers.

Help your pupils find their voice with our expertly curated list of the best books for oracy for EYFS, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 – perfect for storytime, circle time or literacy lessons.

We also have a separate Oracy booklist for KS2.

Historical Fiction for KS2

Recommended Historical Fiction for Children Aged 7-11 (KS2)

A guide curated by the experts at BooksForTopics.

Bring the past to life with this hand-picked selection of the best historical fiction for children in Key Stage 2! This book list is a portal to different places and times – from stories set in Ancient Greece to Viking books for children and from colonial stories to wartime fiction.

Award-winning historical fiction writer Ally Sherrick features strongly in this list, with books including gunpowder plot-inspired Black Powder, and time-hopping adventure The Buried Crown. Often hailed as the “Queen of Historical Fiction,” Emma Carroll’s writing is also well-represented, with tales including the excavation of Tutankhamun’s tomb in Secrets of a Sun King, and the birth of hot air balloon flight in Sky Chasers. Several of Tom Palmer’s trademark super-readable yet compelling stories also feature, including Over the Line, which weaves football into the First World War, and After the War, inspired by the true story of the “Windermere Boys”.

The breadth of historical periods covered in this expertly curated booklist covers the Bronze Age in The Boy with the Bronze Axe through to the Middle Ages in The Great Phoenix of London, and from 18th-century colonialism in Journey Back to Freedom to the Second World War in Shrapnel Boys.

Featuring bold characters, epic journeys and thrilling adventures, these titles will deepen historical understanding while inspiring curiosity and compassion.

KS3 Poetry Reading List

Recommended Poetry for KS3

If you are looking for the best poetry to share with KS3 readers, this BooksForTopics expertly curated reading list is here to help!

This poetry booklist for 11-14 year olds features collections which span a range of themes and traditions, from mythological poems in Gods and Monsters to Poems from the Second World War, and from rap in Rhythm and Poetry to Caribbean poetry in Under the Moon & Over the Sea.

This list also includes a great selection of verse novels. Pacey and accessible, this format is ideal for KS3 readers and has seen a surge in popularity in the past few years. Among our verse novel picks are The First Year from Matt Goodfellow, Sarah Crossan’s Moonrise and Joseph Coelho’s The Boy Lost in the Maze.

From inspiring anthologies to powerful verse novels, there’s something for everyone in this list of recommended KS3 poetry.

KS3 Supporting Struggling Readers

Mythology Books for Children

Recommended Mythology Books for Children

This hand-picked list of the best children’s mythology books features everything from information books and collections of age-old legends, to contemporary chapter books and graphic novels inspired by the rich mythology of ancient civilisations.

This booklist includes anthologies featuring myths from a range of civilisations, such as South Asian Folktales, Myths and Legends, Celtic Myths, Legends of Norse Mythology, Viking myths in The Dragon’s Hoard, myths and legends of Britain in Storyland, Egyptian Myths and Greek mythology in She Speaks.

Mythology-inspired graphic novels such as Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx, Arthur and the Golden Rope and Luna and the Treasure of Tlaloc feature themes of adventure and heroism, along with chapter books like Adventures of Odysseus, How to be a Hero and Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms.

For historical heroes, mythical monsters and richly illustrated retellings, look no further than our list of the best mythology books for children!

Picturebooks for KS1

Picturebook

Best Picturebooks for Years 1 and 2

Vibrant illustrations, hilarious characters, thought-provoking narratives and classic stories make picturebooks a staple of KS1.

Fire up their imagination with beautiful stories like Grandad’s Secret Giant, or use texts like Leaf to start discussions on important topics. Fact-packed titles like Darwin’s Super-Pooping Worm Spectacular are great for introducing new concepts, while friendship and kindness are explored in The Kindest Red. In KS1, picturebooks are key to fostering a love of reading and many of the books in this list are best enjoyed together, including favourite classroom read-alouds The Rainbow Bear and Somebody Swallowed Stanley. For laugh-a-minute fun, try Amy Gets Eaten or the classic Funnybones!

This list features our top selection of recommended picturebooks that are most suitable for children aged 5-7….

Best Graphic Novels for Primary School Children

Booklist: Best Graphic Novels for Primary School Children

Updated for 2026

Graphic novels are powerful tools for building visual literacy in primary school children. Whether you are looking for books to support reluctant readers or high-quality texts for KS1 and KS2 literacy lessons, this curated list offers expert-recommended graphic novels for every age group

Graphic novels are longer stories written and illustrated in the style of a comic, combining a sequence of engaging visual elements that drive the plot, coupled with short pockets of text in the form of captions and dialogue. Our expert team of teachers and librarians has witnessed this format seeing a burst in popularity in recent years, and these books are seeing an increasing demand in primary schools. We’ve handpicked a list of the most brilliant graphic novels for primary school

Scroll down to find more purchasing options and additional guidance, or click on each book cover to find out more.

Diary-Style Children’s Books

Recommended Diary-Style Children’s Books

Diary-style stories have grown in popularity in recent years, thanks in part to bestselling series such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Lottie Brooks. This style of writing is particularly engaging for reluctant readers and for children who like to get right into the heart of a story. Diaries can be used to explore a host of topics and themes.

This carefully-selected list of the best diary-style children’s books features popular favourites Dork Diaries and animal diaries like The Diary of a Killer Cat and The Unbelievable Top Secret Diary of Pig, alongside gripping adventures like The Secret Diary of Kitty Cask and Lost on Gibbon Island. For a more thought-provoking read, try Cloud Boy or My Secret War Diary.

KS2 children will love exploring the titles on this list. They may even be inspired to start a diary of their own!