Topic: Reading for Pleasure

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.

This month, our panel of experienced teachers, librarians and children’s book experts has carefully selected five outstanding titles for you to read, with something for all young readers including two chapter books, a graphic novel, a picturebook and an information book.

An outstanding non-fiction choice, Ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses from the British Museum is a great introduction to the Greek myths, featuring a wealth of facts and exciting stories alongside eye-catching artwork from Tom Froese. Each double-page spread has a wealth of information and illustrative detail that KS2 children will love to pore over.

Anna James’s Alice With a Why is a reimagining of Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland which follows Alyce (with a Y) as she follows in her grandmother Alice’s footsteps. This is a great classroom read which features a number of familiar characters, including the Mad Hatter. More challenging themese feature in My Name is Samim, a powerful read about a boy’s dangerous journey to Britain, and his time in foster care awaiting a decision on his asylum case.

For younger readers, this month’s selection includes an undersea adventure in Squid Squad, a full-colour graphic novel from Aoife Dooley. For picturebook fans, there’s the vibrantly illustrated My Rice is Best, which uses rice dishes from around the world to show that food, culture and heritage are diverse – and best shared.

Discover our Review Panel’s top new children’s books for you to read in June 2025.