Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

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Topic: Reading for Pleasure

Non-fiction

With a foreword by England captain Steph Houghton, She Shoots, She Scores!tells the incredible story of the BEST sport in the world, women’s football – from the men who tried to ban it to the superstars of today’s game, including Lucy Bronze, Sam Kerr and Alex Morgan. Young footie fans can find out about . . .

– The girl who had to play football in secret but grew up into a goal scoring legend
– The thirteen-year-old who shot to international fame but didn’t get a mention in school assembly
– The greatest women’s footballer ever, who scored in FIVE World Cups

Written by acclaimed YA novelist Catriona Clarke, the book is packed with facts and stats about the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Olympics, plus pocket profiles of the world’s top players – from Marta to Megan Rapinoe – and record-breaking teams, including the US national women’s team and Olympique Lyonnais. What’s more, discover the key skills you’ll need to become a great goalkeeper, a tough-tackling defender or the world’s next superstar striker!

Non-fiction

Some people just can’t resist showing off… and this BIG book introduces readers to some of the biggest braggers and loudest show-offs throughout history.

This book takes young readers on a tour of some of history’s greatest show-offs, from wealthy kings and queens who loved to splash the cash to masterful musicians who weren’t shy about their talents or brilliant artists who could not stop telling others how great they were.

Some of the showoffs in this book include:

  • Queen Marie Antoinette of France, who arrived for her wedding with 57 carriages pulled by 376 horses,
  • Alexander the Great, who named more than 70 cities in his vast empire after himself,… and one after his horse!
  • The Montgolfier brothers, who showed off their flashy new invention, the hot air balloon, in front of huge crowds and even the King and Queen!

Andy Seed’s hilarious text brings these crazy but true stories to life, as he tells readers tales about massive palaces, fast cars, monster banquets, immense armies, frilly outfits, dazzling bling, musical masterpieces, epic artworks, outrageous inventions and much, much more!

Featuring long-dead leaders, artists, musicians and more, from all around the world, the snappy facts are paired with humorous character illustrations from the brilliant Sam Caldwell for maximum hilarity.

Non-fiction

When do you eat ‘bread of the dead’, or walk barefoot across red-hot coals? When might you dress up as a demon in a hairy suit and huge horned headdress? What are you celebrating if you climb an 18-metre-high tower made out of buns?

Includes a stunning central gatefold that opens out to reveal a calendar of all the festivals featured in the book. This is a visual celebration of festivals from across the globe, from the more familiar to those you might never have heard of before. Discover more about Junkanoo in the Bahamas, Juneteenth in the United States, Matariki in New Zealand and Poland’s Great Dragon Parade. As you journey around the world, explore celebrations of food and drink, nature, culture, religion and history, plus ways to mark the passing of the year.

Non-fiction

Join brilliant young naturalist Dara McAnulty – winner of the 2020 Wainwright Prize for his book Diary of a Young Naturalist and author of Wild Child! – on a journey through a year in the life of birds. A Wild Child’s Book of Birds is a fantastic nature book, illustrated in full colour by Barry Falls.

This beautiful, informative book takes you through a year in the life of the birds you will find in Britain and Ireland and is divided into four sensational seasonal sections. Find out what birds do in each season, learn about birdsong, beaks, nests and eggs, the science of flight, migration, what to grow to attract different birds to your garden and what foods to put out on your bird table. Learn about different ways of recording what you see and about birds in literature. There are sections on birds of prey and corvids too.

Looking for some good children’s books to get stuck into during the summer holidays? We’ve put together a list of some of our favourite new children’s books out this summer, listed by age group. Our summer selection includes stories of adventurous getaways, creatures of the deep, treasure quests, seashore escapades and plenty of exploration of the great outdoors. For more recommendations by age, check out our Reading for Pleasure hub or our Year Group booklists.

If you are looking for our Summer Reading Bingo activity, you can find it here.

Download Printable Summer Reads Poster (PDF)

 

Non-fiction

Minibeast fans will quickly become minibeast experts with this informative, inventive and entertaining take on an animal book!

Do you know all there is to know about minibeasts? Bees die when they sting you, centipedes have 100 legs and cockroaches are indestructible, right?

Well, this book is here to show you that you’re WRONG! But don’t worry, there are so many minibeasts out there it’s impossible to know everything about all of them . . .

So, let’s uncover the truth! From incredible insect architects to eating spiders in your sleep, discover how everything you think you know about creepy-crawlies is actually untrue in this in-depth, ingenious book with debunks many common myths about all kinds of minibeasts.

With fascinating, friendly and easy-to-understand text written by zoologist Dr. Nick Crumpton and amazingly detailed colour artwork on every page, this beautifully produced hardback gift book with a stunning tactile cover will impress insect fans of any age.

Non-fiction

In this eye-catching book, readers can explore the hidden inner workings of the human body, look inside different organs and body systems and learn about how to look after their own physical and mental health at the same time. Readers use the see-through magic lens to reveal how our bodies function and the different body parts hard at work inside us. Find out how your senses work with your brain to show us the world around us, how doctors and nurses spot diseases and how we turn food into energy… and poo.

So pick up the magic lens and take a tour of the marvellous human body!

Non-fiction

In the final freeze of an Antarctic winter, green tails wave across a star-full sky, as if to farewell endless nights. If this world looks empty, look closer … Penguins trek across the ice to their winter homes. As the temperature warms, birds fly above on their long migrations. And with the advent of summer, beneath an iceberg, the sea is teeming with life. Ocean, sky, snow and ice – minute greens and giant blues – dance a delicate dance in this evocative portrayal of the life cycle of an iceberg.

Non-fiction

Do you know why a chef’s hat has 100 pleats? Or how many ways there are to tie a tie?

Packed full of whacky facts and stunning clothes from designers and cultures around the world, as well as glorious illustrations featuring objects from the V&A, this book is a must-have for anyone who has ever wondered why we wear the clothes we do.

 

Non-fiction
All around us, nature is turning, growing…and working. Every day, hour by hour, magical transformations happen right in front of you. But it’s not always easy to see them… Discover 50 nature stories, paused just long enough for you to watch them unfold. Then go outside and explore… and see what you find when you take the time to slow down.

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