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Topic: Reading for Pleasure

best books for fans of artemis fowlIf you like Artemis Fowl, try these…

The Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer is loved by fans of action and fantasy. Filled with high-octane supernatural creatures (the author describes the premise as “Die Hard with Fairies”), the books follow the adventures of loveable young criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl, who encounters fairy kidnappings, gangs of goblins and power-hungry pixies in his cunning underworld escapades.

We’ve compiled a list of ten similar books for fans of the Artemis Fowl books. Readers who love a twisted, action-filled take on the world of supernatural beings like elves and unicorns might enjoy Skandar and the Unicorn Thief or the Shadows of Winterspell. If you are looking for more high-octane adventure stories like Artemis Fowl, you might like to try Running Out of Time or the highly popular Percy Jackson series. For more stories of criminal masterminds, try the Crookhaven series or Skulduggery Pleasant. If you want to discover quests and battles in different cultural settings, visit Ancient China with the Dragon Mountain books or explore West African mythology with Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms.

Browse the full list below of books for children looking for more books like Artemis Fowl…

books for fans of ultimate football heroesIf you like Ultimate Football Heroes, try these…

The Ultimate Football Heroes books score big with football-loving children in Key Stage 2.  With over 50 books in the collections, these biographies tell the life story of a famous footballer, covering the journey from each player’s earliest childhood moments to their latest successes on the pitch and beyond.

We’ve compiled a list of ten similar books for fans of Ultimate Football Heroes. Readers who enjoy discovering all the facts about real footballers might like Football School Star Players or Three Lionesses. If you want to get stuck into some gripping football-themed fiction, try Tom Palmer’s Football Academy series or I Am Lenny Brown. For interesting historical stories of footballers from the past, we recommend A Different Kind of Freedom or Respect: The Walter Tull Story. Children looking for a fun adventure series from a well-known football hero might like to try Marcus Rashford’s Breakfast Club Adventures. For more ideas, you can also check out our list of children’s books about football.

Browse the full list below of books for children looking for what to read next after Ultimate Football Heroes…

books for children who love elmer

If you like Elmer, try these…

Making his first appearance in 1968, Elmer the Patchwork Elephant has been entertaining young readers for decades and remains one of the most iconic and well-known children’s book characters of all time. The Elmer stories feature a bright and multicoloured main character who inspires readers to embrace inclusivity, connect with friends and find joy in celebrating difference.

We’ve compiled a list of ten similar books for fans of Elmer. Readers looking for more stories about larger-than-life elephant characters might enjoy Ernest the Elephant or Lo Cole’s Doris. For more characters who love spreading colour and joy among their friends, try The Rainbow Fish or The Artist. Some readers want more books about celebrating individuality, and we recommend The Bumblebear or the classic Dogs Don’t Do Ballet.  If you’re searching for more fun EYFS stories about animal friends, try Lots of Dots or Giraffes Can’t Dance. You can also head over to our Animals topic booklist or our list of children’s books about colours.

Browse the full list below of books for children looking for what to read next after Elmer…

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.

Check out our Review Panel’s top books for you to read in April 2024.


If you like Percy Jackson, try these…

The Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan form a multi-million-selling series that has also been televised with Disney and is hugely popular in Key Stage 2 among fans of action and adventure. Percy Jackson’s modern world is turned upside down when he finds out he is descended from Greek gods. What follows is battles with monsters and epic quests in an action-packed series that merges Greek mythology with the modern world.

We’ve compiled a list of ten similar books for fans of the Percy Jackson books. Readers who love mythical beasts and fantastic creatures might enjoy trying Skandar and the Unicorn Thief or Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures and those who are inspired by Percy Jackson to get stuck into more Ancient Greek mythology might like Tales of the Greek Heroes or Who Let the Gods Out.

Readers looking for another collectable action series after Percy Jackson should try the Artemis Fowl books or Michelle Paver’s prehistoric Wolf Brother series. For more quests and battles of good-versus-evil in different cultural settings, visit Ancient China with the Dragon Mountain books or explore West African mythology with Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms.

Browse the full list below of books for children looking for more books like Percy Jackson…

books for fans of dork diaries
If you like Dork Diaries, try these…

The bestselling Dork Diaries series by Rachel Renée Russell follows Nikki Maxwell as she documents the ups and downs of her teen years of life through diary entries and comic-style doodles. The stories cover familiar topics such as moving to a new school and navigating friendship groups, bullies and crushes. The Dork Diaries books have earned enormous popularity for their easy-to-read style, casual humour and relatable scenarios.

We’ve compiled a list of ten similar books for fans of Dork Diaries. Readers who love doodle-style diaries will enjoy trying the Lottie Brooks books or The Super Secret Diary of Holly Hopkinson and those who want to get stuck into more stories of real-life drama like Dork Diaries will enjoy Maddy Yip’s Guide to Life and The Accidental Diary of B.U.G.

Readers looking for another collectable series after Dork Diaries should try the Anisha Accidental Detective books or for more stories to make them laugh out loud try Trixie Pickle Art Avenger or Danny Wallace’s The Boss of Everyone. If you like the high ratio of illustration to text found in Dork Diaries, you might like to try graphic novels like Roller Girl or Frankie’s World.

Browse the full list below of books for children looking for more books like Dork Diaries…

 



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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.

Check out our Review Panel’s top books for you to read in March 2024.

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.

Check out our Review Panel’s top books for you to read in February 2024.

Best Books for KS2 Children

Newly Updated – April 2024

We’ve hand-picked a list of 30 recommended books for Junior School children. Update your Key Stage 2 classroom library or home book collections with our list of the best books for children aged 7-11, featuring disappearing grown-ups, a robot best friend, a hero on an elephant and a football-loving dog!

This KS2 booklist includes books to read with children alongside books for them to read themselves. Featuring popular storytime reads like The Wonder Brothers, laugh-out-loud choices like Trixie Picklethrilling adventure stories like The Glorious Race of Magical Beasts and fact-filled favourites like Football Rules, this junior school reading list has something for everyone.

This Key Stage 2 book list has been put together based on a mix of titles taken from our popular individual year group reading lists and with the help of the librarians and booksellers at Peters. The emphasis is on introducing newer books that school libraries may not already have, to help pupils discover brand-new favourites to read for pleasure.

There is also a downloadable checklist and a printable poster, and schools can purchase full packs of these books from Peters or select packs of the Primary books or KS1 books instead.

best books for ks2 juniors posterbest books for ks2 juniors checklist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you want more specific recommendations, you may like our Year Group Lists (see below) or Curriculum Topic Booklists.


Browse the junior school reading
list below or scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

Best Books for KS1 Children

Newly Updated – April 2024

We’ve hand-picked a list of 20 recommended books for Infant School children. Update your Key Stage 1 class library or home book collections with our list of the best books for KS1 children, featuring everything from fashion-conscious flamingoes to pesky pirates to sizzling sausages.

Featuring popular KS1 storytime reads like Magic Faces,  laugh-out-loud choices like Pop!, well-loved picturebooks like Coming to England and top-notch non-fiction like Little Brown Nut, this list has something for everyone.

This infant book list has been put together based on a mix of titles taken from our popular individual year group reading lists and with the help of the librarians and booksellers at Peters. The emphasis is on introducing newer books that school libraries may not already have, to help pupils discover brand-new favourites to read for pleasure.

There is also a downloadable checklist and a printable poster, and schools can purchase full packs of these books from Peters or select packs of the Primary books or KS2 books instead.

best books for ks1 infants poster best books for ks1 infants checklist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are looking for more specific recommendations, you may like our Year Group Lists (see below) or Curriculum Topic Booklists.

Browse the infant school reading list below or scroll down to find more purchasing options and printable resources.

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