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
- Tabby McTat Picturebook and CD by Julia Donaldson
- Samson the Mighty Flea by Angela Mcallister
- Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
3+ readers
- Tabby McTat by Julia Donaldson
- The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr
- Goodnight Everyone by Chris Haughton
5+ readers
- The Diary of a Killer Cat by Anne Fine
- Clare and her Captain by Michael Morpurgo
- The Ice Bear by Jackie Morris
7+ readers
- My Mum's Going To Explode! by Jeremy Strong
- The Snow Leopard by Jackie Morris
- Mango & Bambang: Tiny Tapir Trouble by Polly Faber
9+ readers
- Eye of the Wolf by Daniel Pennac
- Dragon's Green Worldquake Book One by Scarlett Thomas
- Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
11+ readers
- Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo
- The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood-Hargrave
- Cogheart by Peter Bunzl
13+ readers
- The Wrong Train by Jeremy De Quidt
- Holes by Louis Sachar
- The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon
YA readers
- A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
- Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett
- ...And a Happy New Year? by Holly Bourne
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!
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
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
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
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
You give me age appropriate ideas of books I can read and buy for the children and find out what other children their age think of them too.
Katie Lonsdale
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
At @HHSHaringey we love @lovereading4kids because our pupils can practice reviewing & get free upcoming books before anyone else!
Helen Swinyard – Heartlands High
LoveReading4Kids is a modern and creative way of emphasising the value and importance of books in this digital age #booksforlife
Amrit Bunet – Teen
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
The Lion Storyteller Awesome Book of Stories
Bob Hartman
Illustrated by Krisztina Kallai Nagy
Internationally acclaimed storyteller Bob Hartman brings us a
captivating compilation of his best-loved collections of classic
stories from around…
Time for Bed, Fred!
Yasmeen Ismail
Longlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal 2014 It's time for bed. But
will Fred go to bed? You bet he won't! From hiding up trees, and
splashing…
The Last Book Before Bedtime
Nicola O'Byrne
It might be the most important story of the day, but in Nicola
O'Byrne's witty book the telling of the last book before bedtime
is…
King of the Sky
Nicola Davies
Illustrated by Laura Carlin
May 2017 Picture Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the
Month May 2017 | In a story full of hope against…
10 Ten-Minute Stories
Various Authors
If your New Year resolution was to spend ten minutes a day reading
to your children, then this attractive collection of fairy stories
from around the…
The Mumsnet Book of Bedtime Stories Ten Prize-Winning Stories from Mumsnet and Gransnet
Mumsnet and Gransnet hosted a bedtime story-writing competition
among their users. Former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen
selected the ten…
This month's 'featured books':
Carnegie Greenaway
Northern Lights
Philip Pullman
Winner of the 1995 CILIP Carnegie Medal Part one of Philip
Pullman's magnificent trilogy. His ‘Dark Materials', is the
story…
A Great Big Cuddle
Michael Rosen
Illustrated by Chris Riddell
Shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2017 | Joint Winner
of the CLiPPA 2016 (CLPE Children's Poetry Award). …
Salt to the Sea
Ruta Sepetys
Winner of the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2017 | Longlisted for the UKLA
2017 Book Award It's early 1945 and a group of people trek across
Germany,…
Millions
Frank Cottrell Boyce
Winner of the 2004 CILIP Carnegie Medal When a bag stuffed full of
money falls out of a train and into their camp, Damian and Anthony
are…
The Edge of the Cloud
K. M. Peyton
Winner of the 1969 CILIP Carnegie Medal K.M. Peyton won the
Carnegie Medal for this romantic and passionate story set in the
run up to…
Wolf Hollow
Lauren Wolk
Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2017 | A young girl's
kindness, compassion, and honesty overcome bullying. Powerful,
poignant and…
This month's 'featured books':
Books Reviewed by Children
The Wrong Train
Jeremy De Quidt
In a Nutshell: Sinister short stories Sublimely spine-tingling,
this evokes all the dread of an ominous tap-tap-tapping on your
door in the dead of…
Bathroom Boogie
Clare Foges
Illustrated by Al Murphy
How do you follow a roaring success like Kitchen Disco? Why, with a
Bathroom Boogie of course. Who knew that when we're out our
bathrooms…
The 91-Storey Treehouse
Andy Griffiths
Illustrated by Terry Denton
In a nutshell: a fabulous story for every storey Andy Griffiths and
Terry Denton return with another surreal, inventive and comic tale
about their…
Mango & Bambang: Tiny Tapir Trouble
Polly Faber
Illustrated by Clara Vulliamy
Polly Faber and Clara Vulliamy's Mango and Bambang stories are
perfect for newly independent readers. There are four funny,
entertaining…
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…
Goodnight Everyone
Chris Haughton
Perfect for the end of every day, award-winning Chris Haughton
captures the soothing time as the sun goes down and all the animals
begin to fall into…
This month's 'featured books':
Bookshelf Essentials
Old Bear
Jane Hissey
November 2012 Book of the Month Old Bear was first published in
1986 and became one of the bestselling picture books ever with spin
off…
Good Night, Gorilla
Peggy Rathmann
All young readers will delight at knowing the trick the animals
play on the unsuspecting zoo keeper! It's bedtime and the zoo
keeper sets off…
Not Now, Bernard
David McKee
Two of our Guest Editors chose Not Now, Bernard - celebrating it's
35th anniversary in 2015 - as one of their favourite books. Sophie
Mckenzie 'This…
Aliens in Underpants Save the World
Claire Freedman
Illustrated by Ben Cort
The bestselling Aliens decked out in the finest underpants, are
back for a new set of adventures. This time it's nothing less than
saving the…
Peter Pan
J.M. Barrie
This is the complete and unabridged original text from J M Barrie,
complete with a stunning new cover and black and white chapter
heads, the perfect…
Matilda
Roald Dahl
Illustrated by Quentin Blake
Roald Dahl's Matilda in glorious full colour! Matilda - Roald
Dahl's best-loved story - though now over 25 years old, is as
fresh, funny and poignant…
This month's 'featured books':
Classics
The Usborne Illustrated Odyssey
Sebastien van Homer
Illustrated by Sebastien van Donnick
This lean but effective retelling of one of the greatest stories of
all time is made even more lively thanks to numerous full colour
illustrations.…
Journey To The Centre Of The Earth (with an introduction by Diana Wynne Jones)
Jules Verne
A thrilling, science-fiction adventure that takes its readers on a
journey of discovery and imagination thousands of feet deep, deep
into the centre…
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Mildred D. Taylor
Illustrated by David Kearney
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the classic story of a girl growing
up in the deep South. _____________ Puffin Fact! After
graduating…
Treasure Island (with an Introduction by Eoin Colfer)
Robert Louis Stevenson
This is a much-loved favourite classic - and here are the thoughts
of no less than four of our favourite authors, who all selected it
! …
Nonsense Limericks
Edward Lear
Illustrated by Arthur Robins
An attractive volume of Edward Lear's best-loved and timeless
limericks all of which are brilliantly realised in Arthur Robins
witty…
Dear Nobody
Berlie Doherty
In a nutshell: Iconic | Outspoken | Big Issues | Difficult Truths
The moving and very real story of two teenagers and an unplanned
pregnancy. It is…
