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
- Alan's Big, Scary Teeth by Jarvis
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!
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
Writing reviews help the children with their literacy skills and we always read the books together which gives us good quality family time!
Cat Bisland (on behalf of the Bi
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
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
LoveReading4Kids is a modern and creative way of emphasising the value and importance of books in this digital age #booksforlife
Amrit Bunet – Teen
At @HHSHaringey we love @lovereading4kids because our pupils can practice reviewing & get free upcoming books before anyone else!
Helen Swinyard – Heartlands High
I love Lovereading4kids because I get an opportunity to put my opinion forward and to try new books
Elosie Clarkson – age 11
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
Richard Scarry's Best Treasury Ever
Richard Scarry
A stunning hardback treasury of five of Richard Scarry's best-loved
stories - the perfect gift for Scarry fans, young and old!
Richard…
Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy
Lynley Dodd
First published in 1983 and still as good today. Written by Lynley
Dodd, who is a New Zealander, this is the first in a series of
books about the…
The Star Tree
Catherine Hyde
When a little girl's nightlight goes out, she takes a magical
midnight journey to the Star Tree in this beautiful bedtime read
from fine artist…
Let's Join in
Shirley Hughes
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month July 2017 Four simple bedtime
stories capture the precious yet everyday moments in pre-school
and…
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…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Reviewed by Children
Alan's Big, Scary Teeth
Jarvis
Glorious illustrations tell this story that is both nicely scary
and neatly resolved. Everyone knows that alligators are scary!
Right? Alan comes…
The Company of Eight
Harriet Whitehorn
All her life Cass has dreamt of joining the circus to become an
acrobat and travel the islands on the Circus Boat. Once a year the
boat visits…
I Stop Somewhere
T. E. Carter
May 2018 Debut of the Month | In a Nutshell: Intense exposé
of extreme misogyny and male privilege An unflinching novel
about…
The Twitches Bake a Cake
Hayley Scott
Illustrated by Pippa Curnick
More delightful small-scale fun and big adventure in this new story
starring toy rabbit family the Twitches and their owner, Stevie.
Two stories run…
Rose Rivers
Jacqueline Wilson
Illustrated by Nick Sharratt
May 2018 MEGA Book of the Month | In a nutshell: new and old
friends united in classic Jacqueline Wilson story
Jacqueline…
The Burning Maze
Rick Riordan
May 2018 MEGA Book of the Month | In a nutshell: gods and monsters,
heroism and humour | The Burning Maze is book three in…
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
Elsie Piddock Skips in Her Sleep
Eleanor Farjeon
Illustrated by Charlotte Voake
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | Elsie Piddock Skips in Her
Sleep is one of the great Eleanor Farjeon's loveliest stories,
and…
ABC Pop-Up
Courtney Watson McCarthy
A collectible Alphabet pop-up, for design connoisseurs of all ages.
This beautifully presented pop-up book is a refreshing take on
learning the…
Looking for Yesterday
Alison Jay
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | October 2017 Book of the Month
Beautiful illustrations full of interest and wonder accompany
Alison Jay's…
Sunk!
Rob Biddulph
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | No child's bookshelf is
complete without one, and preferably more than one of Rob
Biddulph's joyful,…
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…
Carve the Mark
Veronica Roth
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | In a Nutshell: Deadly dilemmas
amidst Star Wars-esque intergalactic enmity | First book in an
ambitiously epic…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
88 and 1/2 Science Experiments
Nick Arnold
Doing exactly what it says on the tin, Nick Arnold's book presents
children with 88 different scientific challenges spread across
brightly…
On a Scale of 1 to 10
Ceylan Scott
A uniquely powerful, devastating novel of friendship, fragility and
guilt.
The Superhero Handbook
James Doyle
Illustrated by Jason Ford
There's no excuse for anyone who, having read this book from cover
to cover and followed its instructions carefully, does not emerge
a…
100 Most: Unexplained Mysteries on the Planet
Anna Claybourne
Think 21st century humans have explained pretty much everything
there is to explain? Think again! As this book demonstrates,
there's still a…
Cool Coding
Rob Hansen, Damien Weighill
A fun, accessible guide to computers and coding for older children
and curious adults. This fun and quirky book provides a fascinating
introduction…
The Colours of History
Clive Gifford
Illustrated by Marc-Etienne Peintre
A fascinating information book, The Colours of History takes
readers to different places at different times to show how humans
have used colour in…
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…
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 Perfect Day
Lane Smith
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award In this follow up to the
beautiful There Is a Tribe of Kids, Lane Smith's bright and fresh
artwork combines…
The Song from Somewhere Else
A. F. Harrold
Illustrated by Levi Pinfold
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award A Julia Eccleshare Book of
the Month November 2016 Award-winning A.F. Harrold blends reality
and…
My Name is Not Refugee
Kate Milner
Shortlisted for the 2018 Klaus Flugge Prize | Longlisted for the
UKLA 2018 Book Award June 2017 Book of the Month Simple enough for
the youngest…
Football School Season 1: Where Football Explains the World
Alex Bellos, Ben Lyttleton
Illustrated by Spike Gerrell
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Shortlisted for the Blue
Peter Book Award 2017 - Best Books with Facts The authors of this
very…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
If Only We Had a Helicopter
Roger Mcgough
Illustrated by Michael Broad
Interest Age 7-12 Reading Age 7 Here's a slice of Roger McGough's
childhood to entertain young readers, stories of some of
the…
George Pearce and His Huge Massive Ears
Felix Massie
George Pearce has unusually large ears – in fact they're
massive! It's not the size of his ears that causes him problems
though,…
We Have Lift-Off!
Sean Taylor
Illustrated by Hannah Shaw
A sophisticated story with an important message lies at the heart
of this deliciously entertaining book. The animals on Mr Tanner's
farm are in…
The Funniest Dinosaur Joke Book Ever
Joe King
Illustrated by Nigel Baines
If you're in the market for T Rex titters, sea monster sillies, or
Paleo puns (and why wouldn't you be?), then this is the book for
you!…
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…
Compton Valance Super F.A.R.T.s versus the Master of Time
Matt Brown
Illustrated by Lizzie Finlay
Compton Valance and his best friend Bryan Nylon are unlikely
heroes, but they managed to create a time machine out of a mouldy
cheese sandwich and…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
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!…
Jacky Ha-Ha: My Life is a Joke
James Patterson
Spending time with the eponymous Jacky (Ha-Ha because she's both
funny and a stammerer) is always great fun and, as ever, there's
lots to…
St Grizzles School for Girls, Ghosts and Runaway Grannies
Karen Mccombie
Illustrated by Becka Moor
In a nutshell: fun and friendship at 21st century boarding school
Eleven-year-old Dani is a few weeks into life at her new boarding
school, St…
Peace Maker
Malorie Blackman
Illustrated by Matthew Griffin
In a short book of less than 80 pages Malorie Blackman delivers an
exciting, incisive story with a credible, interesting central
character and…
Food Fright
David O'Connell
Meet the amazing monster customers and try the foul-food at
Fuzzby's diner - the third book in the hilarious 'Monster and
Chips' series from author…
Treasure Hunters: Peril at the Top of the World
James Patterson
In 3 words : in it together The Kidd family, stars of some of James
Patterson's liveliest and most boisterous…
This month's 'featured books':
Super-readable Dyslexia-friendly
The Wickedest Witch in the World
Kaye Umansky
Illustrated by Gerald Kelley
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ This wonderfully witchy story from
best-selling author Kaye Umansky gives a new gloss to the story of
Hansel…
Stars Shall be Bright
Catherine MacPhail
Illustrated by Ollie Cuthbertson
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ There are all sorts of stories
being told about World War One, this one, based on the true story
of the…
Killing Ground
Tom Palmer
Illustrated by David Shephard
In a nutshell: exciting mix of football, ghosts and heroics Seth's
not like other boys, he can see people from the past
wherever…
Itch Scritch Scratch
Eleanor Updale
Illustrated by Sarah Horne
One of our Dyslexia Friendly Books of the Year 2014 - A Dyslexia
Friendly Picture Book for Parent and Child With wit and brio
this…
The 13th Fairy
Kaye Umansky
Illustrated by Stefano Tambellini
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ Poor Sleeping Beauty! Everyone
knows she was cursed by the wicked fairy out of spite because
she…
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…
