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
- Oi Dog! Board Book by Kes Gray, Claire Gray
- Where Is 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
- 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!
It’s really exciting to read and review new books, thrilling to see my reviews online and I love finding the final published copies on sale.
Sam Harper – age 10
It gives me a chance to read types of books that I would not normally try, and it motivates me to read every night to finish it!
Alice Horncastle, age 14
At @HHSHaringey we love @lovereading4kids because our pupils can practice reviewing & get free upcoming books before anyone else!
Helen Swinyard – Heartlands High
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 think Lovereading4kids is an amazing company because of the friendly staff and the fabulous chance to read great books before publication.
Adam Graham
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
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
I am so pleased to have signed my kids up as they are reading a much wider range of books and even choosing books out of their comfort zone.
Angela East
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
The Everywhere Bear
Julia Donaldson
Illustrated by Rebecca Cobb
Best-selling duo Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb reunite in a
lovely story that begins in a Year One classroom before taking us
on an exciting,…
Are You Sitting Comfortably?
Leigh Hodgkinson
March 2016 Book of the Month Leigh Hodgkinson's picture book is a
stylish investigation into how and where to read a book.…
I'll See You in the Morning
Mike Jolley
Illustrated by Mique Moriuchi
Little ones are soothed to sleep with this lovely gentle rhyme with
calming illustrations - a perfect bedtime read for young children
who need a…
This is the Kiss
Claire Harcup
Illustrated by Gabriel Alborozo
A big bear and a little bear are getting ready for bedtime –
a process with lots of lovely stages. They wave goodbye to their
snowman, hold…
Peepo! 30th Anniversary Edition
Allan Ahlberg
Fabulous illustrations, wonderful rhyming text with not a word out
of place; this is a book that no nursery bookshelf can be without.
This book…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Reviewed by Children
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…
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…
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…
Iguana Boy Saves the World With a Triple Cheese Pizza
James Bishop
In a nutshell: can one boy and four iguanas save the world? You
betcha There might be a lot of superhero books around at the
moment,…
The Burning Maze
Rick Riordan
The third title in Rick Riordan's Trials of Apollo series - set in
the action-packed (and hilarious) world of Percy Jackson.
Lovereading Comment to…
Out of the Blue
Sophie Cameron
April 2018 Book of the Month | In a Nutshell: Falling Angels |
Rising Hope | Falling in Love Compelling magic realist debut in
which a fallen…
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe
Lauren James
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | September 2017 Book of the
Month | In a Nutshell: Stellar story of survival in outer space A
uniquely…
Flip Flap Dogs
Nikki Dyson
Illustrated by Nikki Dyson
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | February 2017 Book of the Month
Open the book and turn its divided pages carefully, top and bottom
half together,…
Alex, Approximately
Jenn Bennett
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | In a Nutshell: Rolling waves of
romance in the Californian sun Feel-good fiction at its best:
moving,…
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…
Things a Bright Girl Can Do
Sally Nicholls
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | October 2017 Book of the Month
This inspirational novel about three young Suffragettes from very
different…
Lucky Button
Michael Morpurgo
Illustrated by Michael Foreman
A moving historical story inspired by the Foundling Museum, written
by acclaimed children's author Michael Morpurgo and illustrated by
Michael…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
A Walk on the Wild Side
Louis Thomas
This animal guide book takes an unusual approach: it is presented
in the form of a scrapbook completed by the author Louis Thomas as
he travelled the…
100 Steps for Science Why it Works and How it Happened
Lisa Jane Gillespie
Illustrated by Yukai Du
Covering ten important general areas of scientific study including
space, wheels, light, medicine, energy and life, this handsome
information book…
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…
The Wonder Garden
Jenny Broom
Illustrated by Kristjana S Williams
Winner of the English Association 4-11 Picture Book Awards 2016 -
Non-Fiction 7-11 category | Longlisted for the inaugural Klaus
Flugge Prize, an…
You Do the Maths: Launch a Rocket into Space
Hilary Koll, Steve Mills
Illustrated by Vladimir Aleksic
One of four new titles which uses maths to help solve problems in a
range of exciting activities and helps show how useful maths is in
everyday life.…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
UKLA 2018
There May Be a Castle
Piers Torday
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award In a nutshell: the
unbeatable power of the imagination | Piers Torday's
beautifully…
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…
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…
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…
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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 |
…
Welcome to Nowhere
Elizabeth Laird
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award In a nutshell: the lives
of a Syrian family brought vividly and sympathetically to life for
young readers…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
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…
Football Forgery
Barbara Mitchelhill
Illustrated by Tony Ross
In a nutshell: comic triumphs and mishaps of a schoolboy detective
Schoolboy super-sleuth Damian Drooth is back with a new case:
someone is selling…
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…
Spynosaur
Guy Bass
Illustrated by Lee Robinson
In a nutshell: scaled ‘n' tailed super-hero saves the world
From a land before time comes a hero for today: meet…
Timmy Failure: The Cat Stole My Pants
Stephan Pastis
In a nutshell: Hilarious sleuthing with boy detective and his
sidekick polar bear… | A new Timmy Failure book is
always…
The Building Boy
Ross Montgomery
Illustrated by David Litchfield
September 2016 Debut of the Month There's an air of fairy tale in
this beautiful and touching picture book, but its foundations
are…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
Planet Stan
Elaine Wickson
Illustrated by Chris Judge
April 2018 Debut of the Month | In a nutshell: brotherly love under
the microscope Space, family relationships, friendships
–…
Hari and His Electric Feet
Alexander Mccall Smith
Illustrated by Sam Usher
February 2018 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: joyful story of a
boy and his dancing feet Hari lives in a biggish city in India
with…
Stormbreaker Graphic novel
Anthony Horowitz, Antony Johnston
Brilliantly visualised, these graphic novel versions of the
best-selling stories of boy spy Alex Rider add a fantastic new
dimension to the original…
Llama United
Scott Allen
Illustrated by Sarah Horne
May 2017 Debut of the Month | In a nutshell: daft and thoroughly
entertaining football adventure with llamas | There aren't enough
good…
Hard Luck
Jeff Kinney
Hard Luck, book 8 of the hilarious, globally-bestselling and
award-winning Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, is now out in paperback.
Francesca Dow, m.d.…
The Worst Witch and The Wishing Star
Jill Murphy
Mildred, notoriously the worst witch at Miss Cackle's Academy for
Witches, makes a wish on a shooting star - and to her great
surprise it comes true!…
This month's 'featured books':
Super-readable Dyslexia-friendly
McTavish Goes Wild
Meg Rosoff
Illustrated by Grace Easton
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8 | Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book
Award | It's summer and the Peachey family is in crisis -
again.…
The Number 7 Shirt
Alan Gibbons
Interest Age 9 -14 Reading Age 8+. Perfect for reluctant or
struggling readers. This is an action-packed story involving a boy
who dreams of being a…
Mind Writer
Steve Cole
Illustrated by Nelson Evergreen
One of our Super Readable Books of the Year 2016 | Interest Age
8-12 Reading Age 8 | In a Nutshell : accessible | edgy |…
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…
Boing Boing
Alexander Mccall Smith
Illustrated by Zoe Persico
A Dyslexia Friendly Picture Book for Parent and Child The story of
a little girl who literally has a spring in her step (in her knees
to…
Wartman 4u2read
Michael Morpurgo
Illustrated by Joanna Carey
Interest Age 7-12 Reading Age 7 A brand new 4u2read edition
celebrating the 20th anniversary of this touching tale by Michael
Morpurgo.…
