Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

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Topic: Science, Maths and Computing

Non-fiction

Beginning with a tiny trickle high in the mountains, smaller streams join until they form the world’s largest river. Crossing a continent, it winds through lush rainforests until it meets the ocean. From piranhas to the giant anaconda, this mighty waterway is home to the world’s most incredible ecosystem. Welcome to the Amazon River.

This stunning illustrated guide to the world’s most famous river and its surrounding rainforest is packed with incredible facts about South America’s wildlife, people, geography and history.

PicturebookPoetry

Do you know why the Moon’s so dry and yet our world is wet? Immerse yourself in the wonderful world of water and discover the story of H20 from its very beginning. Engaging, informative poetry flows over the pages and stunning illustrations bring this story to rushing, gushing life.

Non-fiction

This series uses cartoon style illustrations and humorous narrative text to make key topics in Science and Geography both accessible and engaging. This approach encourages children to read about and understand complex ideas. This story follows the passage of a water droplet, from the time when it evaporates from the ocean and becomes the water vapour that makes up clouds to the moment it falls as rain. We learn how water is cleaned and used before being returned once again to this never-ending cycle. This book also contains an experiment, more great facts to know, useful websites and an index.

Non-fiction

Water is all around us; we drink it every day. In this level 4 reader, kids will learn about the water cycle, discovering how rain and snow flow into our lakes, rivers, and oceans, and later evaporate into the sky again. Vivid photography and accessible text make this book an ideal introduction to the science of water.

Chapter book

A gorgeous 20th anniversary edition of Eva Ibbotson’s award-winning, bestselling classic adventure, with a beautiful cover by Katie Hickey and an introduction by award-winning author of Letters from the Lighthouse Emma Carroll.

A joyous Amazon adventure set in the lush nature of Brazil, Journey to the River Sea is filled with mystery and extraordinary characters.

Maia, an orphan, can’t wait to reach her distant relatives a thousand miles up the Amazon. She imagines a loving family with whom she will share great adventures. Instead she finds two spiteful cousins who see the jungle as the enemy and refuse to go outdoors. But the wonders of the rainforest more than make up for the hideous twins and their parents.

And when Maia meets a mysterious boy who lives alone on the wild river shores, she begins a spectacular journey to the heart of an extraordinary and beautiful new world.

Chapter book

What are you looking for? Adventure! Excitement! Fun! Friendship!

Join in the delights and disasters on the riverbank with Mole and his new friends. With sensible Ratty, wise Badger, fun-loving Toad, and the dastardly stoats and weasles, there’s never a dull moment!

Oxford Children’s Classics present not only the original and unabridged story of The Wind in the Willows in a stunning new edition, but also help you to discover a whole world of new adventures with a vast assortment of recommendations and activities.

Chapter book

Finn has always been different, and in the tiny fishing village of Stromhead he sticks out like a sore thumb. Always told to keep away from the water, he’s felt that something was missing until one day he dives in and finds that, swimming with the dolphins, he feels completely at home.

But his new friends are in danger of being injured by the rubbish that floats out into the water – and now a supermarket is going to release thousands of balloons that could drift out to sea and cause even more damage. Desperate to help the dolphins, Finn goes to the Lighthouse Crew, a group of kids who have always left Finn out. Will they be able to set aside their differences to save the dolphins? And what will Finn discover about his past along the way?

A moving adventure about the impact of plastic pollution on our seas, and the campaigning power of friendship from the award-winning Elizabeth Laird, illustrated by Peter Bailey.

Picturebook

This educational picture book is about a little girl with a big story to tell – Why Water’s Worth It. With her nose buried in her book, she walks young readers through the world of clean water, how it’s managed, and the importance of everyone working together to protect it. Written for 4- to 8 -year-olds but with appeal to readers of all ages, this book uses fun, engaging illustrations and rhyming text to present a simple explanation of a complex process while encouraging personal responsibility and thoughtful, “green” choices. To help small hands become big heroes, the book includes a list of small ways to make a big difference and cool facts to explain why water’s worth it! Give it as a special gift; add it to your home library; make a donation to a school or public library; or use it as a public education tool for facility tours, classroom presentations, and in support of water awareness days and activities such as World Water Day, Earth Day, and World Toilet Day. You Need Water. Water Needs You. From parents, to teachers, to water professionals around the world, this story will help you empower the next generation of water protectors.

Non-fiction

Dive into the life-cycle of water and discover how it supports all life forms, how humans harness its power, and why we need to conserve it. From snowflakes falling from the clouds and deep ocean currents to hot springs and water in space, this children’s nature book showcases the beauty and power of water in the natural world.

Chapter book

Grandpa is dying. He can barely move his hands anymore, but stubborn as ever, refuses to stay in hospital. He’s determined to finish his last painting, ‘River Boy’, before he goes. A poignant story that explores the subject of grief and loss in an accessible and affecting way, Tim Bowler’s Carnegie Medal-winning book will take your breath away and is now available in this updated edition with cover artwork by Tom Clohosy Cole.

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