Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Topic: Reading for Pleasure

Agent Zaiba Investigates: The Missing Diamonds

Chapter book

Determined to be the world’s greatest detective, Zaiba is always on the lookout for a crime to solve.

She knows everything there is to know about running an investigation – in theory… At her cousin’s Mehndi party, Zaiba gets her first challenge: to discover the identity of the VIP staying at the same hotel. With the help of her best friend Poppy and brother Ali, Zaiba puts her sleuthing skills to the test. And when the celebrity’s precious dog disappears, along with its priceless diamond collar, it’s up to the trio to save the day!

The first in a fun, fresh and exciting new detective series, for fans of Robin Stevens, Katherine Woodfine, HIGH RISE MYSTERY and NANCY DREW.

Anisha, Accidental Detective

Emma McCann & Serena Patel

Chapter book

This is a delightful book celebrating family and friendships and is part of a very popular series. Anisha is a funny and resourceful character, whose love of STEM and eye for detail makes her the perfect detective in this humorous series of mysteries. Anisha has an extended family that proves to be strong and supportive when things go wrong. There are authentic cultural references exploring Anisha’s Indian heritage, particularly around food and family.

The illustrations by Emma McCann help to reflect the humour in the story and the text is often broken up with lists and diagrams, making the book particularly appealing to children who may be daunted when faced with full pages of text.

What Lexie Did

Emma Shevah

Chapter book

Lexie lives in London with her colourful Greek-Cypriot family – and she’s devoted to her fragile cousin of the same age, Eleni, who has a heart condition. But after the death of their grandmother, Lexie tells a terrible, instinctive, jealous lie about an heirloom necklace, a lie that splits the family apart. It’s up to her to bring the family back together … but after such a lie, can she find a way to tell the truth?

No 1 Car Spotter

Atinuke & Warwick Johnson Cadwell

Chapter book

Oluwalase Babatunde Benson is No. 1. He’s the No. 1 car spotter in his village. The No. 1 car spotter in the world!

The start of an exciting new series about the irresistible No. 1, whose hobby is car spotting but who is good at solving all sorts of problems for his village.

When the family’s cart breaks down and there’s no way of bringing goods to market, it’s No. 1 who devises the Toyota Cow-rolla and saves the day. He runs errands for his family and helps Mama Coca-Cola feed the busloads of people who stop for her delicious fried akara. No. 1 even helps Grandmother get to the medical centre when she can’t afford treatment.

No. 1 is bright and plucky and resourceful – a fantastic new character in what will undoubtedly prove to be a brilliant series!

Show Us Who You Are

Elle McNicoll

Chapter book

This story follows twelve-year-old Cora, who describes herself as autistic, as she befriends a boy called Adrien who has ADHD. Cora learns to trust Adrien, who confides in her about his own ADHD, and as the pair become close, they enjoy each other’s unquestioning acceptance and bond over their experiences of not quite fitting in at school.

Adrien’s Dad runs a company called ‘Pomegranate Technologies’, and Cora finds herself drawn to their innovative programme of creating incredibly lifelike holograms (or ‘grams’) of people. Having recently lost her own mother, the idea of being able to interact with a loved one after they die appeals instantly. Before long, Cora notices something amiss with one of the grams and begins to unravel some surprising truths about what is going on behind the scenes at Pomegranate…

We enjoyed the artificial intelligence strand of the plot very much, and in particular, how thought-provoking the story was about the ethics of AI in both the hypothetical sense of holograms, but also hinting at a closer, everyday sense. There’s food for thought aplenty, and yet the writing is watertight and never strays from the plot to dwell on these themes or impose judgment.

This is a stand-out story and a must-have for classrooms and school libraries where there are mature readers aged 10+.

Double Felix

Maria Serrano & Sally Harris

Chapter book

He skips every second step when he takes the stairs, taps door handles twice and positions objects in pairs. The problem hasbecome so bad that Felix is on the verge of being expelled from school because the principal has had enough of trying to run theschool around his very specific rules.

Cally & Jimmy: Twins in Trouble

Katie Kear & Zoe Antoniades

Chapter book

Four short stories in one, pitched for 6-10 year olds.

Join Cally and Jimmy in four hilarious stories, perfect for newly confident readers. They get into scrapes together, bake some poisonous cakes, almost ruin their school assembly and finally have a twintastic birthday party. Jimmy has ADHD. His challenges and the way in which he rises above them are championed as well as his many strengths and talents.

The Dog that Saved Christmas

Mike Byrne & Nicola Davies

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Popular children’s author Nicola Davies returns with another wonderful book that draws out the special relationship between children and animals – this time with a festive twist. Published in Barrington Stoke’s ‘super-readable’ and dyslexia-friendly style, this is a short chapter book that readers will find easy to pick up and hard to put down.

Jake stands out from many of the other children at his school and Christmas is a time that is especially difficult for him, with the bright lights, loud noises and changes in routines causing him a great deal of anxiety. When Jake befriends a lost dog, which he calls Susan, a beautiful bond begins to form that helps Jake to stay calm and cope with the difficulties he faces. After a while, Susan’s real owners turn up to reclaim their missing dog and Jake and his family need to find a way forward while their world feels like it has fallen apart.

This is a touching and inclusive story that is well suited for the 6-8 age bracket or for less confident readers in the upper primary years. Readers will find the story engaging and are likely to feel deeply empathetic towards Jake. The narrative sensitively explores the idea that Christmas is not an easy time for everybody, while also drawing out festive values of family, kindness and compassion for those in need.

Noah Scape Can’t Stop Repeating Himself

Guy Bass & Steve May

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Noah Scape loves dinosaurs and spaghetti with tomato sauce. But Noah doesn’t always get what he wants and when school doesn’t revolve around dinosaur facts and lunch isn’t always his tried and tested favourite, well… enough is enough! It’s time for him to stop wishing and to decide on exactly what he needs; a world full of Noahs! Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 8+.

The Christmasaurus

Shane Devries & Tom Fletcher

Chapter book

The Christmasaurus is the story of William Trundle – a dinosaur enthusiast, and his father – a Christmas enthusiast. When a series of events forces William to grapple with a season of loneliness, he sends a clever letter to Santa, initiating a magical Christmas journey.

Fans of The Creakers will be drawn to this book and will recognise the combination of good-natured humour and a focus on the determination and bravery of child characters who see their adventure though with a strong sense of self. This book has earned its place as a staple among classroom Christmas tales. Tom Fletcher skillfully captures the magic of Christmas time with all of its hope and surprises, while Shane Devries’s illustrations add depth to the narrative. The overall charm and whimsical nature of the story along with an endearing cast of characters make it a delightful festive read, especially for Lower Ks2.

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