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
- My First Elmer by David McKee
- Meltdown! by Jill Murphy
- The Tickle Test by Kathryn White
3+ readers
- The Wildest Cowboy by Garth Jennings
- Square by Mac Barnett
- Wonder Goal! by Michael Foreman
5+ readers
- The Great Telephone Mix-Up (Little Gem) by Sally Nicholls
- The Bad Mood and the Stick by Lemony Snicket
- Plantopedia by Adrienne Barman
7+ readers
- Hoakes Island by Ian Friel
- The Uncracked Code by Tamara Macfarlane
- A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold
9+ readers
- How to Bee by Bren MacDibble
- You Are Awesome by Matthew Syed
- Spirit by Sally Christie
11+ readers
- The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson
- A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge
- The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood-Hargrave
13+ readers
- Holes by Louis Sachar
- Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge
- Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett
YA readers
- White Rabbit, Red Wolf by Tom Pollock
- Moonrise by Sarah Crossan
- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
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 ‘LoveReading 4 kids’ because they let you read and learn things you’d never dreamed of learning before.
Emily Horncastle – age 11
It’s a community united by a passion for books and promoting the best there is in children’s literature.
Sam Bateman and family
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’s so easy to find the right book for your child. Such an easy-to-use, yet in-depth website. 100% reliable.
Pippa, Jack, Liam & Matthew Wils
I love Lovereading because I often never know what to read and this helps you find a good book. I have recommended this to many people.
Shannon-Louise Masters – age 15
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
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
We love Lovereading4kids because it promotes reading choices, new authors and a sense of community for children of all ages!
Rachel Bridgeman
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
We're Going on a Bear Hunt
Michael Rosen
Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
This is the 25th anniversary board book edition of this bestselling
title which well-deserves its classic status. It has become the
staple of…
Goodnight Moon
Margaret Wise Brown
Illustrated by Clement Hurd
This classic children's book looks wonderful in its new edition and
has lost none of its effectiveness as a book to lull children to
sleep. As…
Peace at Last
Jill Murphy
A new board book edition of the picture book classic, in a size
that's perfect for little paws! A timeless storybook classic full
of bright…
Under the Love Umbrella
Davina Bell
Illustrated by Allison Colpoys
This brightly illustrated picture book is a celebration of the
enduring love that surrounds your children, wherever they are in
the world. The…
Snow Penguin
Tony Mitton
Illustrated by Alison Brown
A wonderful adventure for a bold little penguin is beautifully told
in Tony Mitton's elegant and witty rhyming text. Determined to
explore the…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Reviewed by Children
You Are Awesome
Matthew Syed
May 2018 Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month
April & May 2018 Table tennis champion Matthew Syed offers his
very best…
Race to Kangaroo Cliff
Alexander Mccall Smith
In a nutshell: exciting children's adventure story on a tall ship
Twins Ben and Fee will be the envy of children everywhere: their
school is a…
The One Memory of Flora Banks
Emily Barr
Shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2018 | Longlisted for the
Branford Boase Award 2018 | One of Our Books of the Year 2017
|…
The Faceless Ones
Derek Landy
Prize winning Skulduggery Pleasant is back for a third thrilling
adventure. Along with his side-kick Stephanie, Skulduggery, the
skeleton detective,…
Release
Patrick Ness
***Recommended for 16+ due to content. Book of the Month for May
2018 | Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2018 |In a
Nutshell: love, truth…
The Lie Tree
Frances Hardinge
Award-winning Frances Hardinge is spellbinding is this hugely
entertaining and dramatic Victorian thriller. When Faith's father
dies suddenly…
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
Illegal
Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin
Illustrated by Giovanni Rigano
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the
Month October 2017 Twelve-year-old Ebo's terrifying story
of…
Matt Millz
Harry Hill
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | In a nutshell: dreams-come-true
adventure plus comedy advice from the master Harry Hill's
new…
A Girl Called Owl
Amy Wilson
Longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2018 | One of Our Books of
the Year 2017 | February 2017 Book of the Month | In a
nutshell:…
Mind the Gap
Phil Earle
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | Longlisted for the UKLA 2018
Book Award A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month | February 2017
Book…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
Women in Science
Rachel Ignotofsky
March 2017 Non Fiction Book of the Month | In a nutshell: an
inspiring introduction to 50 pioneering women scientists | …
It Starts with a Seed
Laura Knowles
Illustrated by Jennie Webber
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award The life cycle of a tree
is beautifully described in this outstanding book. A narrative
poem…
Plantopedia
Adrienne Barman
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month May 2018 | A stunning and
original book and a useful one too. Subtitled ‘A Celebration
of…
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…
Young, Gifted and Black
Jamia Wilson
Illustrated by Andrea Pippins
In a Nutshell: Inspiring celebration of black trailblazers This
inspiring, illuminating, stylishly accessible anthology invites
young readers…
Super Skills: How to Create Animation in 10 Easy Lessons
William Bishop-Stephens
September 2016 Fascinating Facts Book of the Month Anything you can
imagine, you can animate says this stimulating book, and it
explains clearly and…
This month's 'featured books':
UKLA 2018
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We Come Apart
Sarah Crossan, Brian Conaghan
January 2018 Book of the Month | Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book
Award In a nutshell: unputdownable story, beautifully told |
…
Aubrey and the Terrible Ladybirds
Horatio Clare
Illustrated by Jane Matthews
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award June 2017 Book of the Month
| A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month June 2017 A sequel
to…
Bottle of Happiness, A
Pippa Goodhart
Illustrated by Ehsan Abdollahi
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award A new fable that goes full
circle as it explores the value of possessions against values of
friendship and…
Pigeon P.I.
Meg McLaren
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Murray McMurray is a
private eye in the Philip Marlowe tradition – laconic, cool,
sharp. I'd say…
A Child of Books
Oliver Jeffers, Sam Winston
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Julia Eccleshare's Book of
the Month September 2016 Award-winning storyteller and artist
Oliver…
Frogkisser!
Garth Nix
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award A brilliantly funny take
on fairytales and quests. Lovereading comment to follow. Garth Nix
said:…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
Timmy Failure: The Book You're Not Supposed to Have
Stephan Pastis
In a nutshell: absurd comedy genius | Timmy Failure is the best
worst detective in children's fiction, and a wonderful
comic…
Prehistoric Actual Size
Steve Jenkins
As the title makes clear, this fascinating book illustrates
prehistoric creatures at actual size or, where the creature was
simply too big to fit on…
Monster Slayer
Brian Patten
Illustrated by Chris Riddell
One of our Books of the Year 2016 | Interest Age 7-10 Brian Patten
tells the story of the hero Beowulf in vivid, accessible prose; in
Barrington…
Harvey Drew and the Bling Bots
Cas Lester
Harvey Drew is an ordinary eleven-year-old who dreams of great
adventures in outer space. The Toxic Spew is an intergalactic waste
disposal ship. The…
Artie Conan Doyle and the Vanishing Dragon
Robert J. Harris
In a nutshell: enthralling new mysteries for a young Holmes Artie
Doyle can't resist the temptation offered by a mysterious
invitation to an…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
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…
The New Friend
Jenny Colgan
Illustrated by Thomas Docherty
In a nutshell: reassuring funny story about overcoming shyness and
making friends | Polly is starting big school but not looking
forward to…
Fortunately, the Milk ...
Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Chris Riddell
One of our Books of the Year 2014 Award-winning Neil Gaiman
brilliantly weaves a spell-binding story taking readers up and away
on a wild…
Danny the Champion of the World
Roald Dahl
Illustrated by Quentin Blake
A classic Roald Dahl title, a most touching story of a boy and his
very special father. Danny and his father live in a caravan parked
right next to…
Help! I'm a Genius
Jo Franklin
Illustrated by Aaron Blecha
In a Nutshell: Guffaws, giggles and gags aplenty By a curious twist
of fate Daniel Kendal - the self-confessed NOT-brainiac - has been
chosen to…
A Dog Called Flow
Pippa Goodhart
Illustrated by Anthony Lewis
Shortlisted for the Smarties Prize and the Kathleen Fidler Award.
Oliver is struggling at school, and the other children laugh at
him. …
This month's 'featured books':
Super-readable Dyslexia-friendly
Ninja: Assassin
Chris Bradford
Illustrated by Sonia Leong
Interest Age 8-11 Reading Age 8+ Action-packed and with no holds
barred, this is a taut adventure story capturing the themes of
revenge and…
The White Fox
Jackie Morris
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Interest Age 8-12 | In a
nutshell: a wild creature leads a boy home | Full…
The Great Telephone Mix-Up (Little Gem)
Sally Nicholls
Illustrated by Sheena Dempsey
May 2018 Book of the Month | In a Nutshell; Communication chaos
bringing a community closer | Interest Age 5-8 | The…
Dick Turpin: Legends and Lies
Terry Deary
Illustrated by Stefano Tambellini
Interest Age 9+ Reading Age 8+. This title is part of the
Barrington Stoke Reality Check series - true stories that are
stranger than fiction. It's a…
ANZAC Boys
Tony Bradman
Illustrated by Ollie Cuthbertson
Interest Age 9+ Reading Age 8+ Children are hyper-sensitive to
unfairness, and the lives described in this Barrington Stoke
World…
The Story of Matthew Buzzington
Andy Stanton
Illustrated by Ross Collins
Interest Age 9+ Reading Age 8+. Creator of the best-selling Mr Gum
series, Andy Stanton delights again is this story of the importance
of…
