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Topic: Reading for Pleasure

Storytime Favourite Books EYFS (Ages 3-5)

Best Storytime Books for the Early Years

We have selected a list of favourite storytime books for EYFS (ages 3-5), which includes books that are particularly well suited for being read out loud to younger children. From the best classroom read-alouds to favourite bedtime stories, browse our list of brilliant books for capturing the magic of storytelling in the Early Years.

Our curated collection of stories for the Early Years helps to immerse young minds in the enchanting world of storytelling, featuring beloved tales such as What the Ladybird Heard – perfect for introducing children to the wonders of animal characters and rhyming narratives. We also recommend whimsical and humorous adventures with titles like Aliens Love Underpants, adding a delightful touch of laughter to story sessions. Our selection includes timeless classics like The Tiger Who Came to Tea and Elmer, featuring favourite characters that have been entertaining little ones for generations.

Explore these and other carefully chosen stories picked by BooksForTopics, especially for young readers. These stories promote language development and fire up imaginations as well as making for special storytimes together that create lasting memories and foster the joy of shared reading experiences.

Books for Upper KS2 Reluctant Readers Aged 9-11

Best Books for Reluctant Readers in Upper KS2

For parents and teachers, there is often pressure and desire to guide every child successfully through the process of learning to read – while making sure it’s fun, enjoyable and a learning journey that will lead to a lifelong love of books. But which books are best for hooking in children who don’t feel interested in reading?

We’ve put together a curated collection of books designed to engage children who can appear reluctant to read for pleasure. At BooksForTopics, we understand the unique challenge of inspiring a love for reading in older primary school students who may be hesitant or less enthusiastic about picking up a book. Our list aims to break down common barriers and offer a diverse range of titles that cater to varied interests and reading abilities.

Try offering titles with a high image-to-text ratio like the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series or The 13-Storey Treehouse, offering an immersive reading experience that appeals to visual learners. We also recommend that you explore books with high-interest themes like Rashford Rules or Gamer, addressing hobbies and interests that are likely to captivate readers seeking meaningful reads. For those drawn to real-life stories and relatable worlds that create an easy connection between the reader and the narrative, try Ella on the Outside. For those who find reading boring, why not introduce a good dose of humour through Grimwood or Iguana Boy Saves the World With a Triple Cheese Pizza?

With something for all different tastes, this selection of our top book choices for engaging reluctant readers in Year 5 and Year 6 is here to help. Schools can purchase full sets of the books from Peters.

The Good Bear

Fiona Woodcock & Sarah Lean

Chapter book

The Good Bear is a superb story to snuggle up with in the winter months, exploring themes of families, relationships and ‘togetherness’ through the tale of a young girl and a life-changing visit to the Norwegian winter. Thea, the main character, retells her story as a first-person narrative and sets the scene for the action to come through the first chapter, where she is beginning to settle down to tell her tale to her daughter as a part of a long-standing Christmas tradition.

In her story, set 30 years before, Thea receives an invitation to spend the Christmas holidays with her estranged father, who works as a carpenter and lives with his wife and her children in Norway. As she arrives, there is news that a bear has escaped from a circus and may be hiding in the forests near to where she is staying.

Thea’s complex emotions towards her father are sensitively and honestly written; particularly Thea’s anger towards Henry’s new family and their seemingly perfect life. Thea’s relationship with the bear is central to the story and gives the book a sense of Christmas magic that is warm and gentle; a welcome contrast to the more overtly tinsel-filled Christmas books.

A beautiful story brimming with winter magic.

Jungledrop

Abi Elphinstone

Chapter book

Our community members in schools tell us time and again how popular Abi Elphinstone’s stories have been in schools among pupils and teachers. Not so long ago, Sky Song whisked readers in upper KS2 away on a magical fantasy adventure through frozen landscapes and last year, Rumblestar landed to introduce the Unmapped Chronicle series with a bang. The latest book, Jungledrop, follows in the Unmapped Chronicle series but also reads well as a standalone adventure for those who missed Rumblestar.

Jungledrop tells the story of a set of obnoxious and self-assured twins called Fox and Fibber Petty-Squabble. The pair are fiercely competitive with each other, desperate to prove their own worth to the family businesses at any cost. They’ve got a lot to learn and the narrator assures the reader early on that they will learn to be brave and kind if we stick with them for a while – in fact, they are even on a path to save the world from the power-hungry antagonist Morg the Harpy.

Quickly hurled into an adventure they never meant to be part of, the twins find themselves in the glow-in-the dark rainforest kingdom of Jungledrop. Abi Elphinstone excels at fleshing out her fantasy worlds with thrilling and entertaining characters; in Jungledrop the twins meet a host of fantastical creatures, including their dry-humoured companion Heckle the parrot, Doogie Herbalsneeze (the jungle apothecary) and Iggy Blether, the unicycle-riding unmapper. The exotic landscape is also populated with imaginative plants like the gobblequick trees and a treetop highway for easy jungle commuting.

There’s a real sense of adventure in the story, with danger never being far away, and the fantasy elements are well- balanced against a voyage of empathy. The narrative offers the reader insights into the way in which the twins’ backgrounds, experiences and upbringing have contributed to their unpleasant behaviour and tendency towards dishonesty, selfish ambition and distrust of others’ intentions of kindness. Through their adventure, Fox and Fibber learn a lot about what it really means to be strong and how working together with courage and kindness is what makes kingdoms thrive. In the background to the story, there’s a gentle stirring of themes of environmental conservatism, as characters must act communally to preserve their kingdoms from threats of destruction.

A must-read for lovers of fantasy adventures and those who love a story that stirs the imagination.

Victoria Stitch: Bad and Glittering

Harriet Muncaster

Chapter book

This is a new middle grade story from Harriet Muncaster, best known for her popular Isadora Moon series.

Victoria Stitch and Celestine are twins, both hatched out of a diamond in the fairy-like world of Wiskling Wood. Here, babies hatched from diamonds usually become Queen, but this particular diamond had a fault which made the twins ineligible for the crown. Victoria Stitch, however, cannot accept that she will never be Queen and she embarks on a series of attempts at gaining the throne. She is the complete opposite to her sister, as Celestine is perfectly happy to be an ordinary citizen and is looking forward to getting on with her life once she leaves school.

Wisklings are fairies, born from jewels and living safely in the wood, protected by magic. They have wands and blooms (enchanted flowers) to fly on. The whole world of the wood is described in delightful detail and it seems that most Wisklings are satisfied with their life there – except Victoria Stitch, who will stop at nothing to achieve her ambitions.

The illustrations are instantly recognisable as Harriet Muncaster’s trade-mark style – simple line drawings that convey so much, set in cool purples and blacks. They are a highlight of this book, along with the map at the front. The story is perfect for earlier fans of Isadora Moon who are ready to move on to something more. A longer read than the Isadora Moon books, it is also darker (though there was always a bit of danger with a half fairy, half vampire character) and contains elements of plotting, murder and jealousy. Despite that, the overall tone of book is sweet and stylish, and even the dissatisfied Victoria Stitch has qualities that you can’t help but admire.

The ending is left open for further stories and the series will no doubt find instant success among Harriet Muncaster’s impressive fan base.

Some Places More Than Others

Renée Watson

Chapter book

New York Times bestselling author Renée Watson brings a heart-warming story about discovering the places that make us who we are.

Amara is 12 and lives in Oregon. She longs to visit New York so that she can find out about her heritage and see where her Dad grew up. Her Mum doesn’t have any family left, her Dad doesn’t talk about his, and with a new sibling on the way Amara is feeling a bit lost. She eventually persuades her Mum and Dad to take her to New York for her birthday and she is incredibly excited to meet her Grandpa Earl and her two cousins.

However, New York is busier than she imagined, Dad and Grandpa Earl are not talking to each other, and one of her cousins is not particularly welcoming. Dad spends most of the time working which makes it hard for her to work on the secret mission her Mum has given her: to bring her Dad and Grandpa Earl back together.

Things start to look up when Grandpa Earl arranges for Amara’s cousins Nina and Ava to take her sightseeing. While Nina is happy to show her around, Ava can’t understand why she is so fascinated by New York and rushes her past everything. Can Amara discover more about her heritage and bring her family back together?

I absolutely loved reading this heart-warming book, with its fascinating themes of identity, belonging, black culture and family running through the plot. It would make a brilliant book to read in Y7 as it raises many discussion points throughout, such as how Amara’s family treat her, how Amara behaves when she is in New York, the value of cultural heritage and the importance of family.

The Tzar’s Curious Runaways

Robin Scott-Elliot

Chapter book

The Tzar’s Curious Runaways is the debut children’s novel by writer and sporting journalist Robin Scott-Elliot. Set in imperial Russia in 1725, this historical fantasy adventure takes a number of familiar middle-grade themes into a less familiar setting: vulnerable characters on a journey, friendships and acceptance, perseverance in the face of peril, the bid for freedom. It makes for an exciting and tension-filled read and is likely to hold a high appeal of young readers who enjoyed The Greatest Showman film.

The story centres around Kat, a hunchback who was sold by her parents to the Tzar for his Circus of Curiosities, at the age of six. Eight years later, she finds herself hiding in the Tzar’s palace following his death, frightened for her life because she knows that the Tzar’s successor does not have the same interest in her or her fellow performers. Through a series of flashbacks dotted among the action, the reader learns of the prejudice and ridicule that Kat experienced as a dancer, and from there the scene is set: can she escape and return home to freedom?

Teaming up with fellow curiosities, a giant and a dwarf, Kat finds practical help in the Palace’s employees, including the librarian, who equips her with a special map to help her find home in Yegoshikha (hurray for librarians and the magic they can put into people’s hands!). The trio set off on a journey, relying on their wit and small pool of resources as they overcome a host of challenges: a wolf attack, prejudiced villagers, corrupt monks, perilous terrain and worsening hunger leading to increased risk-taking.

Finally, Kat finds her home, but it is not the happy ending she expects – and the reader expects – and the dramatic action continues as they make a new escape from the dangerous persecution of those she thought would finally accept her.

Scott-Elliot’s writing is flowing, with beautiful descriptions and a brilliant gripping pace. Apart from the obvious theme of adventure, there are the underlying themes of friendship, love, deeply engrained prejudice and suffering, determination, trust and hope. This book would suit Upper Key Stage 2 classes and I can imagine them begging me to read on at class storytime.

Invisible in a Bright Light

Sally Gardner

Chapter book

Phantom of the Opera meets Alice in Wonderland in prizewinning author Sally Gardner’s first middle grade novel in 14 years.

Celeste is the lowest of theatre workers in the Royal Opera House – a mere orphan whose job it is to run errands for everybody else. One day, Celeste wakes up in a costume basket to realise that everyone else in the opera house seems to think she is somebody else – a talented young dancer preparing for a stage performance. Utterly confused, Celeste also remembers fragments of a strange dream from the night before; a man in an emerald green suit, a devastating shipwreck and a dangerous game called the Reckoning, in which she is a player.

The same day, a crystal chandelier in the shape of a galleon comes crashing down from the ceiling in the opera house, causing Celeste to become too injured to dance on stage as expected. After the accident, a series of clues about Celeste’s true identity begins to emerge, including the appearance of a ghost-like girl who seems to know more about Celeste’s past and an increasing realisation that Celeste is part of a high-stakes game to which she does not know the rules. A labyrinthine mystery unfolds – with elements of the surreal giving the whole plot a dream-like quality that keeps readers on their toes the whole time.

I enjoyed the opera house setting, complete with its prima donnas, colourful costume and sham effects. I also enjoyed the unravelling of the plot, cleverly moving the reader from initial disorientation and confusion to piece together the answer to Celeste’s mystery step by tiny step . The story is quite dark in places and takes good reading stamina to move through the parts that feel surreal, making it most suitable for confident readers in upper KS2 or lower KS3 who can cope with feeling a little disorientated as a mystery unravels.

Intriguing, haunting and filled with suspense, this story will transport readers right to the gutter of time and back again and is one to recommend to those who love an other-worldly read or who are looking for something a little bit different to get stuck into.

The Ghost Garden

Emma Carroll & Kaja Kajfez

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

The queen of historical fiction has done it again! Emma Carroll’s short story about an unlikely friendship and a ghostly garden set in the days before World War One is a mysterious tale that fans of hers will thoroughly enjoy.

Fran lives and works in the grounds of Longbarrow House, where she makes a discovery that deeply unsettles her. The opening line of the book, ‘Fran found the bone in the potato patch’ is a sign of the intriguing story to come.

When Leo, grandson of the owner of Longbarrow House, breaks his leg minutes after Fran’s garden fork breaks the bone in the potato patch, Fran is worried that the two incidents are connected. Further strange coincidences occur and Fran becomes increasingly concerned.

When Leo returns from hospital, Fran is tasked with keeping him company and the two children become friends. Leo is worried about the threat of impending war in Europe and Fran is concerned about the strange coincidences. Together, they explore Longbarrow House and discover the secrets the estate has been hiding. The story edges the reader along and brings tension and suspense with it.

The Ghost Garden is an insight into the lives of children on the eve of World War One. The story reveals details about the daily lives of both the privileged and not so privileged in 1914. We discover their anxieties about (and hopes for) the future and realise that the two children have more similarities than differences when it comes to facing the prospect of war. A short read with dyslexia-friendly text, this is another treat for those readers who enjoyed Letters from the Lighthouse and When We Were Warriors.

The Girl with the Shark’s Teeth

Cerrie Burnell

Chapter book

Young fans of stories set in fantasy worlds are in for a treat with The Girl with the Shark’s Teeth, a middle grade debut from former CBeebies presenter Cerrie Burnell. The cover alone (illustrated by Sandra Dieckmann‏) is enough to make you want to dive right in, but if you are anything like me you’ll be hooked from the first paragraph of this magical adventure that leaps straight into action.

Minnow knows that she is different from most of the other children in town. She lives on a boat called The Seafarer and has always found herself drawn to the water, as if she belongs deep below the surface. Her body is intuitive and dextrous when it comes to swimming, almost as if it is better adapted to moving through the water than running on land, where she often feels lost.

One evening, three strangers appear near Minnow’s boat and kidnap her mum, Mercy. With her mum in trouble, Minnow sets sail alone to find her grandmother in Reykjavik. Not content until she has uncovered the truth about her family history and found a way to rescue her mother, Minnow demonstrates courage and determination as she embarks upon a journey that will lead her to discover the magical underwater world of the Wild Deep.

Minnow is a strong-minded and courageous protagonist who is not afraid to follow her heart. A major theme in the book is identity, as Minnow works through questions about what her dual heritage means in a way that will feel relatable to a lot of young readers.

In The Girl with The Shark’s Teeth, Cerrie Burnell has created an exciting and richly-imagined fantasy world that is sure to hold a high appeal to readers in Upper KS2.

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