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
- A Great Big Cuddle by Michael Rosen
- Six Little Chicks by Jez Alborough
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
- Lots The Diversity of Life on Earth by Nicola Davies
- King of the Sky 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
- To the Edge of the World by Julia Green
- The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day by Christopher Edge
- 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 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
Lovereading is just a convenient way to find new books and hear others opinions on them.
Sarah Murray – age 15
It’s a community united by a passion for books and promoting the best there is in children’s literature.
Sam Bateman and family
At @HHSHaringey we love @lovereading4kids because our pupils can practice reviewing & get free upcoming books before anyone else!
Helen Swinyard – Heartlands High
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
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
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 ‘LoveReading 4 kids’ because they let you read and learn things you’d never dreamed of learning before.
Emily Horncastle – age 11
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
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…
Wendy and the Wallpaper Cat
Jason Hook
Illustrated by Ilaria Demonti
An inspirational picture book for children for as they turn each
page they can imagine all sorts of unusual things as the wallpapers
in the picture…
Storytime: Hello Mr Moon
Lorna Gutierrez
Illustrated by Laura Watkins
Hello, Mr Moon is a magical story written in rhyme, featuring a
cast of adorable nocturnal animals that will help young children
understand why the…
Bedtime Stories Baby's First Storybook: Follow the Finger Trails
Luana Rinaldo
Campbell Books lead the field in books for babies, and this little
hardback board book is certain to become a favourite with parents,
the perfect…
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…
Goodnight Spaceman
Michelle Robinson
Illustrated by Nick East
Tim Peake's voyage to the International Space Station has caught
the imagination of children everywhere and this picture book is
perfect for…
This month's 'featured books':
Reviewed by Children
Emily Windsnap and the Falls of Forgotten Island
Liz Kessler
In a nutshell: exciting new adventure for the deservedly popular
Emily Windsnap An idyllic holiday in the sun with her…
Twelve Nights
Andrew Zurcher
April 2018 Debut of the Month | In a Nutshell: Mystery | Magic |
Otherworldly wraiths | An ambitious and atmospheric fantasy…
I Have Lost My Way
Gayle Forman
April 2018 Book of the Month A heart-wrenching and powerful YA
story exploring themes of loss, love and discovery, from
award-winning, bestselling…
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
–…
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)…
Judy Moody Predicts the Future
Megan McDonald
Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Another day. Another mood. Meet Judy Moody at her moodiest-best, in
this laugh-a-minute fourth adventure in the international
bestselling series.
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
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…
Black Moon
L. A. Weatherly
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | March 2017 Book of the Month A
fitting and truly fabulous end to the breathtaking Broken Trilogy.
It's…
Katinka's Tail
Judith Kerr
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the
Month November 2017 Fans of the adventures of Judith Kerr's Mog
will…
Orbiting Jupiter
Gary D. Schmidt
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | Shortlisted for the UKLA 2017
Book Award Before meeting his new foster brother, Jack understands
what he…
The Giant Jumperee
Julia Donaldson
Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | April 2017 MEGA Book of the
Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month April 2017 | Julia
Donaldson and…
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 –…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
The Nature Timeline Wallbook
Christopher Lloyd, Patrick Skipworth
Illustrated by Andy Forshaw
The most innovative approach to non-fiction since Horrible
Histories, the What On Earth Wallbooks present information in a way
guaranteed to inspire…
The Amazing Dinosaur Detectives
Maggie Li
One of our Books of the Year 2016 | May 2016 Book of the Month
Attractive, friendly illustrations and an interactive approach make
this a fun…
Children's Discovery Atlas
Anita Ganeri
Illustrated by Sara Lynn Cramb
Bright, attractive and cleverly designed, this first atlas invites
children to travel the world in a book, introducing them to the
seven continents…
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…
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…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
UKLA 2018
Yours Sincerely, Giraffe
Megumi Iwasa
Illustrated by Jun Takabatake
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Giraffe is bored, as
usual. He'd love a friend to share things with. So he writes a
letter and sends…
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 Wolf Who Cried Boy!
James O'Neill
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award The villagers and the
wolves are terrified of each other - and none more so than our two
unlikely heroes, a…
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…
Where the World Ends
Geraldine McCaughrean
One of our Books of the Year 2017 | Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018
Book Award May 2017 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: beautifully
written,…
Colin and Lee, Carrot and Pea
Morag Hood
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award One of our Books of the
Year 2016 | July 2016 Debut of the Month Simplicity is the charm of
this…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
Demolition
Sally Sutton
Illustrated by Brian Lovelock
“Bang! Clang! Crack! Thud! Creak!! Wham! ” The noises
of the building site provide a background to this vigorous story of
destruction.…
Dog Town
Luize Pastore
Illustrated by Reinis Pētersons
In a nutshell: quirky and unusual adventure with traces of myth and
magic Riga is the setting for this fairy-tale like adventure, and
the city is…
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…
Would You Rather: Dine with a Dung Beetle or Lunch with a Maggot?
Camilla de le Bedoyere
Illustrated by Mel Howells
Would you rather dine with a dung beetle, drink with a mosquito,
have supper with a spider or lunch with a maggot? Pick your answer
and learn about…
How Harry Riddles Made a Mega-amazing Zombie Movie
Simon Mayle
June 2014 Debut of the Month Harry's an optimistic kid who never
gives in but when Harry's dad loses his job he fears his
mega-amazing…
Mortimer's Picnic
Nick Ward
With clever comic timing this story builds to a surprise ending
rather like The Gruffalo. Mortimer is planning a picnic with his
best friend…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
Aztec Attack
Chris Blake
Join Tom on an incredible treasure hunt through time and battle
history's mightiest warriors. The twelfth book in an action-packed,
time-travelling…
Invisible Inc.
Steve Cole
Illustrated by Jim Field
In 3 : invisible goodies – dastardly baddies – killer
chickens (poultry-geists!) Steve Cole is a national
treasure:…
Scorpia The Graphic Novel
Anthony Horowitz, Antony Johnston
Illustrated by Kanako Damerum, Yuzuru Takasaki
Eyebrow-raisingly, heart-stoppingly pacey adventures starring the
boy every would-be teen superhero wants to be, the Alex Rider books
are now…
Point Blanc 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…
Journey to the River Sea
Eva Ibbotson
A special 15th anniversary edition of this award-winning classic
adventure from Eva Ibbotson in which orphaned Maia travels from
England to the…
Just Plain Weird
Kaye Umansky
Illustrated by Chris Mould
A brilliantly funny odd couples comedy from one of our very
funniest authors for children. The Primms and the Weirds are
totally different:…
This month's 'featured books':
Super-readable Dyslexia-friendly
My Dog Daisy
Jean Ure
Illustrated by Charlie Alder
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ This new story from Jean Ure,
though seemingly simple and straightforward, is typically full of
insight into…
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…
Secret of the Stones
Tony Bradman
In a nutshell: vivid, thrilling Bronze Age adventure This gripping
historical adventure opens in dramatic fashion at Stone Henge:
young Maglos…
Fox Friend
Michael Morpurgo
Illustrated by Joanna Carey
Interest Age 7-12 Reading Age 7+ From the multi award-winning and
bestselling author, a beautifully re-packaged, 4u2read version, of
this…
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…
Prince Frog Face
Kaye Umansky
Illustrated by Ben Whitehouse
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ Andy Stanton describes Kaye
Umansky as ‘wickedly funny' and that's very true of her
version of The…
