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
- An Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers
- Roald Dahl's Opposites by Roald Dahl
- Goodnight Everyone by Chris Haughton
3+ readers
- Mr Pegg's Post by Elena Topouzoglou
- If All the World Were... by Joseph Coelho
- Wonder Goal! by Michael Foreman
5+ readers
- The Day War Came by Nicola Davies
- Seashore Watcher by Maya Plass
- Norman the Norman and the Very Small Duchess by Philip Ardagh
7+ readers
- Tyrannosaurs Rex Prehistoric Beasts Uncovered - King of the Dinosaurs by Dougal Dixon
- Dog Diaries by Steven Butler & James Patterson
- The Twitches Bake a Cake by Hayley Scott
9+ readers
- Boy Underwater by Adam Baron
- Kat Wolfe Investigates by Lauren St.John
- The Wild Folk by Sylvia V. Linsteadt
11+ readers
- The Adventures of John Blake Mystery of the Ghost Ship by Philip Pullman
- Cogheart by Peter Bunzl
- Kick by Mitch Johnson
13+ readers
- The Family Tree by Mal Peet
- The Tiger on His Back by Bernard Ashley
- My Messed-Up Life by Susin Nielsen
YA readers
- The Weight of a Thousand Feathers by Brian Conaghan
- All of This Is True by Lygia Day Penaflor
- After the Fire by Will Hill
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 Lovereading4kids because they put books in front of us we wouldn’t otherwise have read. They make us more adventurous readers!
Emily Jacques
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
It is THE website to use for narrowing down your search for any book. Definitely knocks the socks off any other book review website.
Nickey and Tomasz Hawryszczuk
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
At @HHSHaringey we love @lovereading4kids because our pupils can practice reviewing & get free upcoming books before anyone else!
Helen Swinyard – Heartlands High
Lovereading is just a convenient way to find new books and hear others opinions on them.
Sarah Murray – 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
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
Mr Underbed
Chris Riddell
STOP PRESS: You have probably seen the Christmas TV ad for Moz the
Monster. It looks to us as though the inspiration for it may well
have…
No More Kissing!
Emma Chichester Clark
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month February 2018 A must-have for
all who hate being kissed! Momo the little monkey hates…
The Wardrobe Monster
Bryony Thomson
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month April 2018 A charming story of
bedtime fears with a neat twist to it. Dora and all her toys wake
up grouchy and…
Secrets of the Mountain
Libby Walden
Illustrated by Richard Jones
In a nutshell: Dahl-esque story in defence of Unusualness Children
who like their stories filled with larger-than-life characters,
crazy comedy and…
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…
Goodnight Everyone
Chris Haughton
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Perfect for the end of
every day, award-winning Chris Haughton captures the soothing time
as the sun goes…
This month's 'featured books':
Reviewed by Children
5 Wild Numbers
Bella Gomez
Wow! Bright pages depicting animals in gorgeous jungle
illustrations house die-cut numbers from one to five. Each number
has a sliding disc…
My Messed-Up Life
Susin Nielsen
June 2018 Book of the Month | In a Nutshell: Problem parents |
Dealing with change | Loads of LOLs | Hilarious and
heartfelt…
Goodnight Everyone
Chris Haughton
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Perfect for the end of
every day, award-winning Chris Haughton captures the soothing time
as the sun goes…
Kat Wolfe Investigates
Lauren St.John
June 2018 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: animals, adventure and
an irresistible cast of characters This new series has everything
that marks out…
The Hippo at the End of the Hall
Helen Cooper
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month June 2018 Award-winning
illustrator Helen Cooper's debut novel is a richly imagined
and…
The Wild Folk
Sylvia V. Linsteadt
In a nutshell: magical quest adventure story with a strong sense of
the natural world | Perfect for readers who enjoy magical
adventures…
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
I am Bat
Morag Hood
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | This must be one of the
brightest and best picture books of the year. With minimalist
illustrations –…
Cream Buns and Crime
Robin Stevens
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | April 2017 Book of the Month |
In a nutshell: a tasty treat for would-be sleuths and fans
of…
A Song for Will and The Lost Gardeners of Heligan
Hilary Robinson
Illustrated by Martin Impey
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | May 2017 Book of the Month |
This deeply moving story perfectly conveys the devastating impact
of the First…
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…
Hats of Faith
Medeia Cohan-Petrolino
Illustrated by Sarah Walsh
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | There should be more books like
this: in bright, appealing illustrations it tells children how
people of…
The Land of Neverendings
Kate Saunders
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | November 2017 Book of the Month
| A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month October 2017
Award-winning…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
Cool Mythology
Malcolm Croft
Illustrated by Damien Weighill
Stories, gods, heroes and villains from the world's great
mythologies are all featured in this compact and appealing
information book. It is…
The Sports Timeline Wallbook
Christopher Lloyd, Patrick Skipworth
Illustrated by Andy Forshaw
Ernest Hemingway might have said there are only three real sports
– motor racing, bull-fighting and mountaineering – but
even he might…
100 Most Feared Creatures
Anna Claybourne
August 2016 Book of the Month This book is definitely not for those
of a nervous disposition! It features hundreds of different
creatures from…
The Story of Space
Catherine Barr, Steve Williams
Illustrated by Amy Husband
The story of space is told with all the drama and excitement it
merits but clearly and simply for the youngest readers. Over forty
colourful pages…
Peep Inside The Sea
Anna Milbourne
Illustrated by Simona Dimitri
There's so much for very young children to discover when they peep
inside the sea in the pages of this excellent board book. Each
page…
Life on Earth: Farm
Heather Alexander
Illustrated by Andres M. Lozano
March 2017 Book of the Month Unless they are regular visitors to
the countryside it can be hard for children to connect the milk in
the…
This month's 'featured books':
UKLA 2018
Saint Death
Marcus Sedgwick
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award In a Nutshell: Gangs dice
with death under the gaze of Mexican folk saint. A…
A Story Like the Wind
Gill Lewis
Illustrated by Jo Weaver
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | Longlisted for the UKLA 2018
Book Award A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month May 2017
Gill…
You Must Bring a Hat
Simon Philip
Illustrated by Kate Hindley
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award A party invitation is at
the centre of this highly entertaining and amusing story. It states
that guests…
Goodbye Days
Jeff Zentner
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award In a Nutshell: Loss,
friendship and the light of re-finding your way | An…
The Pest in the Nest Book 2
Julian Gough
Illustrated by Jim Field
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Gorgeously illustrated and
with a classic feel, this is a brilliantly funny story of a rabbit
and a bear who…
Encounters
Jason Wallace
April 2018 Book of the Month | Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book
Award | In a Nutshell: Alleged alien encounter inspired by true
events…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
The Giant Rumble Wrestling Trolls: Match Three
Jim Eldridge
Challenged to a Giant Rumble but suffering from a shortfall of
wrestlers, Jack and his friends set out to find more participants
for their great…
Harry and the Monster
Sue Mongredien
Illustrated by Nick East
How can Harry tame the monster who comes to scare him in the night?
Luckily first Mum and then dad come up with a clever plan.
Suddenly, the monster…
Dylan's Amazing Dinosaurs - The Stegosaurus
E. T. Harper
Illustrated by Dan Taylor
Dylan and his dinosaur friend fly off on amazing dinosaur discovery
missions to the Land of Living Dinosaurs. This time he has to
discover what…
Meeting Cezanne
Michael Morpurgo
Illustrated by Francois Place
This is a gentle, evocative story of a young Parisian boy's summer
in 1960s rural Provence. This book is beautifully illustrated
inside and out by…
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…
Terry Perkins and His Upside Down Frown
Felix Massie
Terry Perkins is a normal, happy little boy, until he starts to
speak, and his words come out upside down. A doctor has the answer
– stand…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
Attack of the Alien Dung!
Gareth P. Jones
Illustrated by Steve May
In a nutshell: pets protect the world from alien attack | Planet
Earth Is under constant threat from aliens, and who is there to
protect…
The Secret Railway
Wendy Meddour
Illustrated by Sam Usher
In three words: secret worlds - adventure – magic There are
echoes of Narnia in this exciting adventure which begins with
two…
Little Red Reading Hood
Lucy Rowland
Illustrated by Ben Mantle
The story of Little Red Riding Hood gets an inventive, original
reworking in this lively picture book. Little Red Reading Hood is
never happier than…
Shouldn't You be in School?
Lemony Snicket
Madcap fun and mystery in this somewhat eccentric yet addictive
series from the huge bestselling author of A Series of Unfortunate
Events. This…
How to Update Your Parents
Pete Johnson
Illustrated by Nikalas Catlow
This is a hilarious story of dead fish, gorillas with bananas in
their ears, poetry, cunning plans and highly legal documents (kind
of). Oh and…
Pugly Solves a Crime
Pamela Butchart
Illustrated by Gemma Correll
Julia Eccleshare's Pick of the Month August 2016 Lovable Pugly, a
pug with a great character, is back for a hilarious new adventure.
This time…
This month's 'featured books':
Super-readable Dyslexia-friendly
Honey and Me
Karen Mccombie
Illustrated by Cathy Brett
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ Karen McCombie writes straight to
the heart of pre-teens, and Honey and Me is a perfect McCombie
novel. Kirsten has…
Nadine Dreams of Home
Bernard Ashley
Illustrated by Ollie Cuthbertson
Shortlisted for the Little Rebels Book Award 2015 Interest Age 7-12
Reading Age 7+ A beautiful story which captures the…
Contact
Malorie Blackman
Illustrated by Paul Fisher
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 7+ Malorie Blackman is adept at
writing thought-provoking books as full of ideas as they are of
action and…
Henry Pond the Poet
Dick King-Smith
Illustrated by Victor Ambrus
Interest Age 5-8 Dick King-Smith had a wonderful gift for creating
seemingly simple children's stories filled with humour and drama.
Henry Pond…
Gnomes Gnomes Gnomes!
Anne Fine
Illustrated by Vicki Gausden
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 7 Every time Sam gets his hands on a
piece of clay, he moulds it into a gnome. Hand painted and
varnished by…
The Smallest Horse in the World
Jeremy Strong
Illustrated by Scoular Anderson
Interest Age 7+ Reading Age 7+. Best-selling author Jeremy Strong
takes a thoughtful look at how a bit of magic and invention helps
when times are…
