Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Topic: Reading for Pleasure

Summer Reads 2025

Recommended Children’s Books for Summer 2025!

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. There is also a printable poster for you to download and share.

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)

Everything You Know About Minibeasts is Wrong!

Dr Nick Crumpton & Gavin Scott

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.

Marvellous Body: A Magic Lens Book

Andres Lozano & Jane Wilsher

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!

Iceberg

Claire Saxby & Jess Racklyeft

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.

Why Do We Wear Clothes?

Helen Hancocks

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.

Slow Down: Bring Calm to a Busy World with 50 Nature Stories

Freya Hartas & Rachel Williams

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.

Queen Elizabeth (Little People, Big Dreams)

Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara & Melissa Lee Johnson

Non-fiction

In this book from the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch of modern times.

Little Elizabeth loved dogs and horses and dreamt of living on a farm. But, one day, she heard chants on the streets. Her uncle Edward had renounced the crown, which meant her father would be the next king, and she heiress to the throne. From that day on, she had to learn how to one day be the queen.

When she was only 13, World War Two broke out across the globe. Elizabeth bravely served as an ambulance driver, and after the war ended, she fell in love with and married the charming Prince Philip. In 1952, she was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, and for the next 70 years she would serve as a beacon of continuity, looking after her subjects and serving the country she reigned over.

This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the monarch’s life.

Make Tracks: Cars

Johnny Dyrander

Non-fiction

Discover five different cars in this series of interactive board books with easy-to-use moving parts – a car, a sports car, a racecar, a four-wheel drive and a taxi! Learn vehicle vocabulary with simple first words, clear diagrams and helpful text prompts to encourage discussion.

The Tree Book

Hannah Alice

Non-fiction

Take a closer look through the seasons in this incredible board book about trees, with see-through acetate pages.

Have you ever thought about all the amazing things that trees can do? How do they grow and why do they change through the seasons? How do trees help us and how can we help trees? Children will love discovering the answers with amazing see-through pages and clear, friendly text. With labelled acetate diagrams of a tree throughout the year, alongside minibeasts and animals that live in trees, this is a fantastic first look at nature for curious children everywhere.

From leaves changing colour to underground root networks, The Tree Book is an exciting way to explore all the amazing things trees can do.

Professor Astro Cat’s Stargazing

Ben Newman & Dominic Walliman

Non-fiction

Welcome back, stargazers! Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what a star looks like up close? Ever wondered how long it would take you walk a light year? Join Professor Astro Cat and friends on another stellar mission! In this new addition to the best selling science series, we learn all about the stars in our universe, including our own sun! From scientific discoveries to the constellations dreamed up by humans centuries ago, Ben Newman’s beloved illustrations bring these fascinating facts to life for young readers.

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