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
- Count with Little Fish by Lucy Cousins
- A Great Big Cuddle by Michael Rosen
3+ readers
- No, Nancy, No! by Alice Tait
- The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield
- Forever or a Day by Sarah Jacoby
5+ readers
- King of the Sky by Nicola Davies
- The Great Big Book of Friends by Mary Hoffman
- A First Book of Animals by Nicola Davies
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
- Tin by Padraig Kenny
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
- Holes by Louis Sachar
- Savage Island by Bryony Pearce
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 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
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 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
We love Lovereading4kids because it promotes reading choices, new authors and a sense of community for children of all ages!
Rachel Bridgeman
Love “Lovereading4kids” as my son gets to hear about & read new books before his mates which keeps him interested in reading=a very happy Mum
Liz Evans
I love Lovereading4kids because I get an opportunity to put my opinion forward and to try new books
Elosie Clarkson – age 11
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
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
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…
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…
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…
Count with Maisy, Cheep, Cheep, Cheep!
Lucy Cousins
Smiling, cheerful, independent, no wonder toddlers everywhere love
Maisy, and she makes all early learning experiences fun and
exciting. This story…
Old Bear's Bedtime Stories
Jane Hissey
One of our Books of the Year 2015 - December 2015 Book of the Month
Jane Hissey's Old Bear stories make perfect bedtime reading:
warm-hearted…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Reviewed by Children
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…
Twelve Nights
Andrew Zurcher
April 2018 Debut of the Month | In a Nutshell: Mystery | Magic |
Otherworldly wraiths | An ambitious and atmospheric fantasy…
Shapes, Colours, Numbers
Dario Zeruto
Wow, what a clever, inspired way to teach shapes, colours, numbers.
Contained in a neat, white slipcase is a sturdy board book, split
down the…
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…
Judy Moody: The Doctor Is In!
Megan McDonald
Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Another day. Another mood. Meet Judy Moody at her moodiest best, in
this laugh-a-minute fifth adventure in the international
bestselling series.
Happy Hatchday
Rob Biddulph
April 2018 Book of the Month Rob Biddulph's new picture book is
another typically happy reading experience. Nine dinosaur eggs
(count them)…
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
The Bad Mood and the Stick
Lemony Snicket
Illustrated by Matthew Forsythe
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | November 2017 Book of the Month
Lemony Snicket's simply told story offers a refreshing, thoughtful,
and…
The Wizards of Once
Cressida Cowell
Winner of the 2018 Blue Peter Awards - Best Story | One of Our
Books of the Year 2017 | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month
October…
I Funny: School of Laughs
James Patterson
Illustrated by Jomike Tejido
One of our Books of the Year 2018 | June 2017 Book of the Month |
In a nutshell: more fast, funny, heavily illustrated adventures
with…
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 –…
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…
Nanette's Baguette
Mo Willems
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | There's a surprise twist at the
end of this tale of little Nanette, entrusted by her mother to get
the…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
Bird House
Libby Walden
Illustrated by Clover Robin
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month March 2018 This chunky book
imitates a bird house in shape and makes a great format for an
attractive…
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…
The Science Timeline Wallbook
Christopher Lloyd, Patrick Skipworth
Illustrated by Andy Forshaw
The story of human invention and engineering began at least 10,000
years ago in the stone age and has continued non-stop ever since
with each…
Destination: Space
Christoph Englert
Illustrated by Tom Clohosy Cole
Shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award 2017 - Best Books with
Facts | September 2016 Fascinating Facts Book of the Month …
Groovy Greeks
Terry Deary, Martin Brown
Refreshed with a fantastic new design for 2016, these bestselling
titles are sure to be a huge hit with yet another generation of
Terry Deary fans.
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…
This month's 'featured books':
UKLA 2018
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…
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…
The Road To Ever After
Moira Young
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Moira Young puts her own
spin on the Christmas film classic It's a Wonderful Life in this
delightful…
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…
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
Danny Dingle's Fantastic Finds: The Metal-Mobile
Angie Lake
Illustrated by Suruchi Sati & Shanith MM
In a nutshell: fart-powered non-stop adventure, part book part
comic-strip | Danny Dingle and his best friend Percy Mcduff are
just…
Zoo Boy
Sophie Thompson
Illustrated by Rebecca Ashdown
One of our Books of the Year 2016 | Julia Eccleshare's Debut of the
Month, February 2016 When Vince turns eight years old he discovers
he has…
The Tigerboy
Ted Hughes
Described as Metamorphosis for young readers, this story by Ted
Hughes is indeed filled with a sense of transformation, visceral
and almost…
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,…
My Stinky New School
Rebecca Elliott
Toby's little brother Benjamin goes to nursery and loves it. His
big sister Clemmie goes to special school, and she loves it too.
But Toby is…
Chaos Descends
Shane Hegarty
Illustrated by James De La Rue
In a nutshell: monster monster-hunting fun Book three in Shane
Hegarty's Darkmouth series serves up another helping of
monster…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
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…
Spy Toys
Mark Powers
Illustrated by Tim Wesson
In a nutshell: band of toy superheroes conquer all in a doll eat
doll world | The Spy Toys are quite possibly the unlikeliest band
of…
Who's a Big Bully Then?
Michael Morpurgo
Illustrated by Joanna Carey
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+. How do you see off the school
bully? Sick of being picked on and called ‘chicken' the
narrator of this…
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…
Holes
Louis Sachar
Wholly original and brilliantly plotted, Holes is a funny and
poignant story about surviving. When Stanley Yelnats is falsely
accused of stealing a…
Moone Boy: the Blunder Years
Chris O'Dowd, Nick Vincent Murphy
One of our Books of the Year 2014 Martin Moone- one boy and a load
of sisters! That means Martin is always in trouble of one kind or
another.…
This month's 'featured books':
Super-readable Dyslexia-friendly
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…
School Spelling Dictionary
Christine Maxwell, Julia Rowlandson
Interest Age 7+ Reading Age 8+ Based on a phonic approach to
finding spellings, this schools edition of the best-selling
Dictionary of Perfect…
The Hat Trick
Terry Deary
Illustrated by Stefano Tambellini
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8 Can Jud rise to the challenge in
this new edition of the popular football-tale-with-a-twist from
award-winning…
The Mystery of the Man with the Black Beard
Gillian Cross
Illustrated by Peter Cottrill
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ The best-selling author of The
Demon Headmaster tackles mystery and sleuthing in this
exciting…
Running from the Rainbow
Karen Mccombie
Illustrated by Jessica Secheret
Interest age 9-12, Reading age 8+. A fun, sweet story of a girl
building confidence and making friends when she moves to a new
school. Starting…
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…
