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
- Oi Dog! Board Book by Kes Gray, Claire Gray
- 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
- The Great Big Book of Feelings by Mary Hoffman
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
- The Goose Road by Rowena House
13+ readers
- Truly, Wildly, Deeply by Jenny McLachlan
- Rebound by Kwame Alexander
- Holes by Louis Sachar
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!
I think Lovereading4kids is an amazing company because of the friendly staff and the fabulous chance to read great books before publication.
Adam Graham
I have told all my friends, family & teachers to see for themselves just how great the site is. Without fail, they are hugely impressed.
Alexander Boxall – age 11
I love ‘LoveReading 4 kids’ because they let you read and learn things you’d never dreamed of learning before.
Emily Horncastle – age 11
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’s a community united by a passion for books and promoting the best there is in children’s literature.
Sam Bateman and family
I love Lovereading as it provides an honest opinion and showcases a range of fiction. Suited to both parents & kids alike, it’s a must-use.
Georgie Rowe – age 16
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
Lovereading is just a convenient way to find new books and hear others opinions on them.
Sarah Murray – age 15
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
Spot Loves Bedtime
Eric Hill
A favourite with children now for generations, Spot never loses his
charm. It's bedtime, but Spot can't settle down until he finds
Teddy,…
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…
The Lion Book of Nursery Rhymes
Julia Stone
Illustrated by Cally Johnson-Isaacs
November 2014 Book of the Month Every child needs a collection of
nursery rhymes and this collection of favourites with their clear
and unfussy…
Owl Babies
Martin Waddell
Three little owl babies sit in the tree and wait…and
wait…and wait…for their Mummy to come home from
hunting. Stunning…
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…
I Love You, Too!
Michael Foreman
Award-winning picture book creator, Michael Foreman celebrates the
love between a father and child in this endearing bedtime story
from this twice…
This month's 'featured books':
Reviewed by Children
Beyond the Odyssey
Maz Evans
April 2018 Book of the Month The penultimate in the series, Beyond
The Odyssey continues with poor Elliot's life becoming more
difficult by…
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…
Lesser Spotted Animals
Martin Brown
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award In a nutshell: not your
average animal book | This is no ordinary animal book, you won't
find…
The Goose Road
Rowena House
April 2018 Debut of the Month | In a Nutshell: Inspiring WW1
against-the-odds adventure | It's 1916 and…
Savage Island
Bryony Pearce
In a Nutshell: When a £1 million prize game becomes more than
a game…. Extreme pressure, perils and outright horrors
fester when five…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
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…
The Island at the End of Everything
Kiran Millwood-Hargrave
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | Shortlisted for the 2018 Blue
Peter Awards - Best Story | Shortlisted for the Costa Children's
Book…
Lucky Button
Michael Morpurgo
Illustrated by Michael Foreman
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the
Month November 2017 Award-winning Michel Morpurgo's warm-hearted
time…
Letters from the Lighthouse
Emma Carroll
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | July 2017 Book of the Month
Lovereading4kids are big fans of Emma's books. Her stories…
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 One Memory of Flora Banks
Emily Barr
Longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2018 | One of Our Books of
the Year 2017 | January 2017 MEGA Debut of the Month | In a…
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…
National Trust: The Secret Diary of John Drawbridge, a Medieval Knight in Training
Philip Ardagh
Illustrated by Jamie Littler
In a nutshell: historical adventures full of facts and fun Not
since Horrible Histories has the past been brought to life for
young readers so…
Above and Below
Patricia Hegarty
Illustrated by Hanako Clulow
Children are invited to explore eight different habitats in this
appealing and very attractive information book, clever split page
design allows them…
100 Most Awesome Things on the Planet
Anna Claybourne
The world we live in is truly amazing, and across its continents,
oceans and skies are all kinds of fabulous places and astounding
sights. Almost 100…
Animal Journeys
Patricia Hegarty
Illustrated by Jessica Courtney-Tickle
Starting with the Arctic tern, which makes the longest migration of
any creature, an astonishing 91,600km (57,000 mi) this
journal-sized book is full…
Animals Behaving Badly
Nicola Davies
Illustrated by Adam Stower
In a lively, highly readable book Nicola Davies examines ways that
man and animals interact, highlighting species whose intelligence
and adaptability…
This month's 'featured books':
UKLA 2018
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…
The Storm Whale in Winter
Benji Davies
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award In The Storm Whale in
Winter Benji Davies creates a story of love and courage that is
tender, touching and…
The Night Gardener
Terry Fan, Eric Fan
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award February 2017 Debut of the
Month This beautiful book demands and repays careful
reading.…
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…
The Hate u Give
Angie Thomas
Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2018 | One of Our Books of
the Year 2017 | Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award | April
2017 Debut of the…
Grandad's Secret Giant
David Litchfield
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award This picture book from
David Litchfield, author of the Waterstones-Prize winning The Bear
and the Piano, is…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
Middle School: Just My Rotten Luck
James Patterson
James Patterson continues to do sterling work turning reluctant
readers onto books, and this latest instalment in the ongoing
trials of Rafe…
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…
Beat the Game
James Floyd Kelly
In Beat the Game readers find themselves trapped inside a computer
game. They must apply their knowledge of programming and algorithms
to make their…
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…
The Goozillas!: Attack on Fungus Fort
Barry Hutchison
In a nutshell: action-packed, slime-filled fun early reader Set
inside the world of a computer game, the Goozillas series offers
non-stop action,…
Storyworlds: Nature
Thomas Hegbrook
Opening with an exhortation to readers to ‘discover, inquire
and wonder', this is another example of the exciting trend in
non-fiction…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
Follow That Car
Lucy Feather
Illustrated by Stephan Lomp
Hey you, Mouse needs help! He has to catch the gorilla in the
bright yellow car, let's go! On Mouse's instructions, readers
follow the…
Timmy Failure Mistakes Were Made
Stephan Pastis
Wimpy Kid fans will love this new boy-diary with a difference.
Saddled with the name Timmy Failure, our narrator has clearly been
dealt a tough hand.…
Timmy Failure We Meet Again
Stephan Pastis
Loveable world-class detective Timmy Failure is back for a new
adventure. And his business partner and side-kick Total, a.k.a. the
polar bear is with…
The Hundred-Mile-An-Hour Dog: Master of Disguise
Jeremy Strong
In a Nutshell: silliness – disguises - dogs Jeremy Strong
continues to set the standard in comic writing for children and
his…
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…
Robot's Revenge
Clive Gifford
A thrilling adventure in which you the reader decide the route of
the adventure, using your knowledge and learning more from the book
about robotics…
This month's 'featured books':
Super-readable Dyslexia-friendly
The Girl with the Sunshine Smile
Karen Mccombie
Illustrated by Cathy Brett
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ Best-selling Karen McCrombie
brilliantly captures the whirlwind of emotions that Meg is thrown
into when her…
Young Monsters
Michael Lawrence
Illustrated by Chris Mould
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ A school story in which strange
and often hilarious things happen. Lon is sent away to his…
Mad in the Back
Michael Rosen
Illustrated by Richard Watson
A Dyslexia Friendly Picture Book for Parent and Child It's hard to
know who will laugh more at this new picture book, children or
their…
Mozart's Banana
Gillian Cross
Illustrated by Richard Morgan
Interest Age 7-12 Reading Age 7+ The best-selling author of The
Demon Headmaster tells a thrilling and funny story about the taming
of a…
Free Lance and the Dragon's Hoard
Paul Stewart, Chris Riddell
Illustrated by Chris Riddell
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8 | In a nutshell: cleverly written,
brilliantly illustrated, thoroughly accessible…
Living With Vampires
Jeremy Strong
Illustrated by Scoular Anderson
Interest Age 9+ Reading Age 8+. There's plenty of gory humour as
Vlad frets about his school parents' evening. Having vampire
parents makes…
