Lovereading4kids Weekly Staff Picks
Reading is fundamental to the development of children and countless research shows the links between good reading skills from an early age and future success in life. However, finding books children want to read or authors that excite them, can be difficult; the choice is daunting and guidance rather thin on the ground.
So, Lovereading4kids was created to be the best recommendation site for Children’s Book from toddlers to teens. It has been created using the experience we have as parents and book lovers, who want our children to read great books. Secondly, it has been created from what we have learned from setting up our first book site lovereading.co.uk
Books for all ages! Top downloads
Baby and Toddler
- What the Ladybird Heard by Julia Donaldson
- Where Is Little Fish? by Lucy Cousins
- Count with Little Fish by Lucy Cousins
3+ readers
- No, Nancy, No! by Alice Tait
- The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield
- Forever or a Day by Sarah Jacoby
5+ readers
- The Great Big Book of Friends by Mary Hoffman
- King of the Sky by Nicola Davies
- What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday by Julia Donaldson
7+ readers
- The Book Case by Dave Shelton
- Max Champion and the Great Race Car Robbery by Alexander Mccall Smith
- The Chocolate Factory Ghost by David O'Connell
9+ readers
- The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day by Christopher Edge
- To the Edge of the World by Julia Green
- You Are Awesome by Matthew Syed
11+ readers
- The City of Secret Rivers by Jacob Sager Weinstein
- Twelve Nights by Andrew Zurcher
- Cogheart by Peter Bunzl
13+ readers
- Truly, Wildly, Deeply by Jenny McLachlan
- Holes by Louis Sachar
- Rebound by Kwame Alexander
YA readers
- I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman
- Encounters by Jason Wallace
- I Stop Somewhere by T. E. Carter
Register now – FREE for a unique range of services specifically created to help parents and anyone who likes to buy books for children choose the best books for boys and girls of all ages.
- Download and print off the Opening Extract of every ‘featured book’ on our site, even the picture books.
- Discover new writers through our unique children’s author ‘like-for-like’ recommendation service.
- Read our exclusive online book reviews by Julia Eccleshare, author and children’s books editor at the Guardian.
- Enjoy regular emails to keep you up to date on the latest and best in your chosen age ranges. (Please be reassured that your e-mail address will remain confidential to Lovereading and not sold to any of those horrible spam people).
Register now and try it out. We know choosing books for children will become a joy!
We love Lovereading as my 5 year old loves to read new books before anyone else has a chance, she says it makes reading exciting!
Tracey Chorley
It has introduced my children to books we hadn’t come across before. Real children’s reviews gives a great insight into what others think to
Lorraine Woods
I love all the books they recommend & put up for me to review. I also love the fact that they give new authors the chance to share their boo
Daisy Pennock – age 15
We love Lovereading4kids because they put books in front of us we wouldn’t otherwise have read. They make us more adventurous readers!
Emily Jacques
This company is amazing; not only is it is a great opportunity to get books and review them but everyone is so friendly and supportive!
Jemma Rubens, age 10
I love lovereading4kids because I’ve read amazing books I would never have picked up, and its opened doors to new genre’s I now love.
Harriet Cunningham
It is fantastic, you get to read lots of books and you always find something new and amazing in them.
Erica Motoc, age 7
I love finding new books to read. My mummy and me look at the new ones coming out. I have written reviews of some of them!
Jessica Cobbin – age 7
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
Tufty
Michael Foreman
Tufty the little duck grows up in the grounds of Buckingham Palace
(his parents are very fond of the Royal Duck and Duckess (sic) who
give the ducks…
The Tiger Who Came to Tea
Judith Kerr
This classic story of Sophie and her extraordinary tea-time guest
is now brought to life in an exciting luxury pop-up edition to
celebrate its 40th…
Storytime: Sleep, Little Pup
Jo Parry
With its delicate, soft-hued artwork and a gently rhyming text that
asks to be whispered, this is the perfect book for calming little
pups down at…
With My Mummy
James Brown
Illustrated by Cally Johnson-Isaacs
One of our special picks for Mothering Sunday The ahhh-factor is at
its highest setting in this sweet but sturdy little board book. On
each page a…
I'm Big Now
Anthea Simmons
Illustrated by Georgie Birkett
This lively, cheerful picture book takes a positive look at one of
the changes the arrival of a new baby can bring. ‘There's a
new baby…
Where the Wild Things are
Maurice Sendak
Jacqueline Wilson, February 2012 Guest Editor: "The text is very
minimal but perfect - and the illustrations are glorious. This
isn't a scary…
This month's 'featured books':
Reviewed by Children
The Heart of Mars
Paul Magrs
In a Nutshell: Martian odyssey meets classic quest Ingeniously
inventive, involving and wildly witty, this thrilling finale of the
Lora…
The Chocolate Factory Ghost
David O'Connell
Illustrated by Claire Powell
In a nutshell: rags to riches ghostly mystery story Roald Dahl
would surely approve of this exciting story, which rivals Charlie
and…
What the Ladybird Heard
Julia Donaldson
Illustrated by Lydia Monks
Bestselling author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Lydia Monks have
teamed up for another brilliant picture book. Right in the farmyard
among all the…
The House with Chicken Legs
Sophie Anderson
This sparkling debut weaves the captivating folklore of Baba Yaga
with the thrills of a classic venturing-out-into-the-world quest,
replete with…
The Five Realms: The Gift of Dark Hollow
Kieran Larwood
Illustrated by David Wyatt
In a nutshell: brave rabbits continue their fight against a
terrifying enemy The story of rabbit hero Podkin One-Ear continues
in this…
Laugh Out Loud
James Patterson
In a nutshell: lively, comic story celebrating kids' reading and
determination James Patterson creates books kids love, and his
latest book is…
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
Elsie Piddock Skips in Her Sleep
Eleanor Farjeon
Illustrated by Charlotte Voake
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | Elsie Piddock Skips in Her
Sleep is one of the great Eleanor Farjeon's loveliest stories,
and…
Orbiting Jupiter
Gary D. Schmidt
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | Shortlisted for the UKLA 2017
Book Award Before meeting his new foster brother, Jack understands
what he…
Who Let the Gods Out?
Maz Evans
Longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2018 | One of Our Books of
the Year 2017 | February 2017 Debut of the Month Oh my goodness,
this…
A Tragic Kind of Wonderful
Eric Lindstrom
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | May 2017 Book of the Month | In
a Nutshell: Coping with bipolar disorder | Finding the courage
to…
Indigo Donut
Patrice Lawrence
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | In a Nutshell: Soaring
soundtrack to resilience and love Real-life grit, gripping mystery,
magnificent love…
Running on the Roof of the World
Jess Butterworth
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | June 2017 Debut of the Month In
a Nutshell: Spirit of survival abounds on an epic Himalayan…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
How Much Does a Ladybird Weigh?
Alison Limentani
Alison Limentani's extraordinary picture book introduces children
to a fascinating world of wildlife, weight, numbers, and
comparisons in the most…
Cool Coding
Rob Hansen, Damien Weighill
A fun, accessible guide to computers and coding for older children
and curious adults. This fun and quirky book provides a fascinating
introduction…
The Superhero Handbook
James Doyle
Illustrated by Jason Ford
There's no excuse for anyone who, having read this book from cover
to cover and followed its instructions carefully, does not emerge
a…
Cool Astronomy 50 Fantastic Facts for Kids of All Ages
Malcolm Croft
With Cool Astronomy, you'll discover everything you need to know
about the universe, from asteroids to the zenith point ...and
almost everything in…
Groovy Greeks
Terry Deary, Martin Brown
Refreshed with a fantastic new design for 2016, these bestselling
titles are sure to be a huge hit with yet another generation of
Terry Deary fans.
The Nature Timeline Wallbook
Christopher Lloyd, Patrick Skipworth
Illustrated by Andy Forshaw
The most innovative approach to non-fiction since Horrible
Histories, the What On Earth Wallbooks present information in a way
guaranteed to inspire…
This month's 'featured books':
UKLA 2018
The Street Beneath My Feet
Charlotte Gullian
Illustrated by Yuval Zommer
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Detailed, ingenious and
graphically beautiful this information book opens, as the best do,
with an…
Grumpy Frog
Ed Vere
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Join Grumpy Frog as he
learns about compromise and tolerance, friendship and the power of
saying sorry. A…
Fish Boy
Chloe Daykin
Illustrated by Richard Jones
Longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2018 | Longlisted for the
UKLA 2018 Book Award March 2017 Debut of the Month In a…
The Song from Somewhere Else
A. F. Harrold
Illustrated by Levi Pinfold
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award A Julia Eccleshare Book of
the Month November 2016 Award-winning A.F. Harrold blends reality
and…
The Wolf Who Cried Boy!
James O'Neill
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award The villagers and the
wolves are terrified of each other - and none more so than our two
unlikely heroes, a…
Alpha Abidjan to Gare du Nord
Bessora
Illustrated by Barroux
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award One of our Books of the
Year 2016 | Alpha hopes that his wife and little son are in Paris
and…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
Pirate Pete and His Smelly Feet
Lucy Rowland
Illustrated by Mark Chambers
Pirates are always popular subjects for picture books and by
ingeniously combining a pirate story with a pair of yucky smelly
feet, Mark Chambers and…
Spangles McNasty and the Fish of Gold
Steve Webb
Illustrated by Chris Mould
To the canon of disgusting, disreputable villains loved by children
– the Twits, Mr Gum, Armitage Shanks – can now be added
Spangles…
If Only We Had a Helicopter
Roger Mcgough
Illustrated by Michael Broad
Interest Age 7-12 Reading Age 7 Here's a slice of Roger McGough's
childhood to entertain young readers, stories of some of
the…
Ug-A-Lug Four Cavemen and a Prehistoric Pencil
Jill Lewis
Illustrated by Simon Rickerty
May 2014 Book of the Month Award-winning Simon Rickerty illustrates
this deliciously dotty story. Four cavemen find a pencil and have
absolutely no…
I Saw Anaconda
Jane Clarke
Illustrated by Emma Dodd
Jane Clarke and Emma Dodd have enormous fun reinventing the story
of the old woman who swallowed a flea, transposing the setting to
the Amazon jungle…
My Parents are Driving Me Crazy
Pete Johnson
The ups and downs of would-be comic Louis's life make for highly
amusing reading. Ups include first date with his friend/comedy
agent…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
The Jewelled Jaguar
Sharon Tregenza
In a nutshell: myth, mystery and adventure Sharon Tregenza's
exciting mystery story opens in very dramatic fashion when a huge
sinkhole…
Aztec Attack
Chris Blake
Join Tom on an incredible treasure hunt through time and battle
history's mightiest warriors. The twelfth book in an action-packed,
time-travelling…
Journey to the River Sea
Eva Ibbotson
A special 15th anniversary edition of this award-winning classic
adventure from Eva Ibbotson in which orphaned Maia travels from
England to the…
Rover and the Big Fat Baby
Roddy Doyle
Illustrated by Chris Judge
Rover, star of The Giggler Treatment and others, is back for a new
and equally hilarious dog-poo centred adventure. As ever, Rover
needs to collect…
A Different Dog
Paul Jennings
Illustrated by Geoff Kelly
In a nutshell: exciting, unusual rescue story set in Australia's
dense forest A Different Dog is the story of the special
relationship that…
Jinks and O'Hare Funfair Repair
Philip Reeve
Illustrated by Sarah McIntyre
Bestselling Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre have created a fabulous
feisty new heroine in Emily who is determined to be as helpful as
she possibly…
This month's 'featured books':
Super-readable Dyslexia-friendly
Prince Frog Face
Kaye Umansky
Illustrated by Ben Whitehouse
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ Andy Stanton describes Kaye
Umansky as ‘wickedly funny' and that's very true of her
version of The…
All I Said Was...
Michael Morpurgo
Illustrated by Ross Collins
One of our Dyslexia Friendly Books of the Year 2014 - A Dyslexia
Friendly Picture Book for Parent and Child The former
Children's…
The Genius Aged 8 1/4
Jeremy Strong
Illustrated by Jamie Smith
Jeremy Strong knows exactly what will make young readers laugh:
eccentric characters; zany plots; plenty of slapstick. Alfie
Poppleton is a very…
A Perfectly Ordinary School
Jeremy Strong
Illustrated by Scoular Anderson
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ Bestselling Jeremy Strong wittily
dreams up the perfect way for Frankie to see off the school
bullies.…
Mad Iris and the Bad School Report
Jeremy Strong
Illustrated by Scoular Anderson
One of our Dyslexia Friendly Books of the Year 2015 - Interest Age
8-12 Reading Age 8Firm favourite Mad Iris returns for a third
madcap…
Annie's Choice
Catherine MacPhail
Illustrated by Vladimir Stankovic
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ Catherine McPhail gives a spine
tingling and ghostly edge to a hard-hitting story about a school
bully.…
