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
- Meltdown! by Jill Murphy
- My First Elmer by David McKee
- Over the Hills and Far Away A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes from Around the World by Elizabeth Hammill
3+ readers
- Square by Mac Barnett
- Wonder Goal! by Michael Foreman
- The Match by Russell Ayto
5+ readers
- The Great Telephone Mix-Up (Little Gem) by Sally Nicholls
- The Bad Mood and the Stick by Lemony Snicket
- Town Is by the Sea by Joanne Schwartz
7+ readers
- Hoakes Island by Ian Friel
- The Uncracked Code by Tamara Macfarlane
- A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold
9+ readers
- You Are Awesome by Matthew Syed
- How to Bee by Bren MacDibble
- Spirit by Sally Christie
11+ readers
- The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson
- A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge
- Girls for the Vote by Linda Newbery
13+ readers
- Holes by Louis Sachar
- Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge
- The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
YA readers
- Release by Patrick Ness
- Moonrise by Sarah Crossan
- The Girl in the Broken Mirror by Savita Kalhan
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!
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 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 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
We love Lovereading4kids because it promotes reading choices, new authors and a sense of community for children of all ages!
Rachel Bridgeman
I love Lovereading4kids because I get an opportunity to put my opinion forward and to try new books
Elosie Clarkson – age 11
Lovereading4kids is great, we get books really early never late. We love to read and review, and think you would like it too. The excitement
Jasmine Harris-Hart, age 12
It’s a community united by a passion for books and promoting the best there is in children’s literature.
Sam Bateman and family
It has introduced my children to books we hadn’t come across before. Real children’s reviews gives a great insight into what others think to
Lorraine Woods
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
Mother Goose's Bedtime Rhymes
Traditional Rhymes
Illustrated by Axel Scheffler
With beautiful illustrations by the award-winning Axel Scheffler
comes this beautiful board book featuring Mother Goose and her
playful gosling.…
Bing's Bedtime Stories
Ted Dewan
Originally from books by Ted Dewan, Bing now has his own TV show on
Cbeebies and this gorgeous hardback gift collection with a padded
cover…
We're Going on a Bear Hunt
Michael Rosen
Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
This is the 25th anniversary board book edition of this bestselling
title which well-deserves its classic status. It has become the
staple of…
Elmer and the Lost Teddy Board Book
David McKee
The Elmer books are stunning to look at, with their jewel-like
colours and fabulous jungle scenes, but they teach children about
kindness, acceptance…
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,…
Storytime: Sleep, Little Pup
Jo Parry
With its delicate, soft-hued artwork and a gently rhyming text that
asks to be whispered, this is the perfect book for calming little
pups down at…
This month's 'featured books':
Reviewed by Children
William Wenton and the Secret Portal
Bobbie Peers
In a nutshell: code-breaking child genius versus villainous robots
| William Wenton is something of a bionic boy; half of his body is
a…
The Faceless Ones
Derek Landy
Prize winning Skulduggery Pleasant is back for a third thrilling
adventure. Along with his side-kick Stephanie, Skulduggery, the
skeleton detective,…
5 Wild Numbers
Bella Gomez
Wow! Bright pages depicting animals in gorgeous jungle
illustrations house die-cut numbers from one to five. Each number
has a sliding disc…
Dog Diaries
James Patterson
Illustrated by Richard Watson
In a nutshell: It's a (very funny, very readable) dog's life
Narrated at breathless speed by super-excited puppy Junior, this
new series…
Cuckoo Song
Frances Hardinge
Frances Hardinge creates a brilliant sense of menace in this
chillingly dark fairy story . Something sinister, beyond just
getting wet, happens to…
Spirit
Sally Christie
May 2018 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: old magic in the real
world of today A game of Truth or Dare in the humdrum setting of a
school trip…
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
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,…
A Girl Called Owl
Amy Wilson
Longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2018 | One of Our Books of
the Year 2017 | February 2017 Book of the Month | In a
nutshell:…
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…
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…
Illegal
Eoin Colfer, Andrew Donkin
Illustrated by Giovanni Rigano
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the
Month October 2017 Twelve-year-old Ebo's terrifying story
of…
Countless
Karen Gregory
Longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2018 | One of Our Books of
the Year 2017 | In a Nutshell: Compelling and compassionate account
of…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
Coder Academy
Sean McManus
Illustrated by Rosan Magar
October 2017 Non-Fiction Book of the Month This well-designed,
interactive workbook provides a really good introduction to coding
for children. It…
The Story of Space
Catherine Barr, Steve Williams
Illustrated by Amy Husband
The story of space is told with all the drama and excitement it
merits but clearly and simply for the youngest readers. Over forty
colourful pages…
How Does a Lighthouse Work?
Roman Belyaev
Join a group of school children on this voyage of discovery and
discover the answers to lots of questions as well as fascinating
facts…
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…
Eat Your Greens, Reds, Yellows and Purples
A guide to delicious and nutritious vegetarian food for kids. This
book includes 25 vegetarian recipes for kids including soup, salad
and stir-fry as…
Exploring Space
Martin Jenkins
Illustrated by Stephen Biesty
How amazing that less than 100 years after the invention of the
motor car, humans have built and launched vehicles that can leave
the solar system.…
This month's 'featured books':
UKLA 2018
Optimists Die First
Susin Nielsen
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award March 2017 Book of the
Month | In a Nutshell: how to hope for the best even when you've
been through…
A First Book of Animals
Nicola Davies
Illustrated by Petr Horacek
Shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2018 | Longlisted
for the UKLA 2018 Book Award What a wonderful book to give to a
child. It's…
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…
A Story Like the Wind
Gill Lewis
Illustrated by Jo Weaver
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | Longlisted for the UKLA 2018
Book Award A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month May 2017
Gill…
Goodnight Everyone
Chris Haughton
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Perfect for the end of
every day, award-winning Chris Haughton captures the soothing time
as the sun goes…
The Tale of Angelino Brown
David Almond
Illustrated by Alex T. Smith
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award May 2017 Book of the Month
| A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month May 2017 Award-winning
David…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
Harvey Drew and the Bling Bots
Cas Lester
Harvey Drew is an ordinary eleven-year-old who dreams of great
adventures in outer space. The Toxic Spew is an intergalactic waste
disposal ship. The…
There's a Dragon in My Dinner
Tom Nicoll
Illustrated by Sarah Horne
February 2016 Debut of the Month Dragons come in all shapes and
sizes in children's stories, but the one that Eric finds in a
box…
The Beautiful Game
Alan Gibbons
Illustrated by Chris Chalik
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8 | In a nutshell: the highs and lows
of our national obsession | Football has the power to…
Lucky Break
Rob Stevens
In a nutshell: comic capers deliver sensitive story of grief and
recovery Arnold is unlike anyone Leon has ever met before. He's
honest to the…
Terry Perkins and His Upside Down Frown
Felix Massie
Terry Perkins is a normal, happy little boy, until he starts to
speak, and his words come out upside down. A doctor has the answer
– stand…
Jake Atlas and the Tomb of the Emerald Snake
Rob Lloyd Jones
Illustrated by Petur Antonsson
In a nutshell: two kids on a death-defying treasure hunt through
Egypt's ancient monuments. Adventure stories don't come
more…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
The Leaky Battery Sets Sail
Gareth P. Jones
The crew of the Leaky Battery are a rum bunch alright:
steam-powered metal robots of different shapes and sizes.
Originally designed to be servants,…
Little Red Reading Hood
Lucy Rowland
Illustrated by Ben Mantle
The story of Little Red Riding Hood gets an inventive, original
reworking in this lively picture book. Little Red Reading Hood is
never happier than…
The Beautiful Game
Alan Gibbons
Illustrated by Chris Chalik
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8 | In a nutshell: the highs and lows
of our national obsession | Football has the power to…
Rover and the Big Fat Baby
Roddy Doyle
Illustrated by Chris Judge
Rover, star of The Giggler Treatment and others, is back for a new
and equally hilarious dog-poo centred adventure. As ever, Rover
needs to collect…
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.…
House of Robots: Robot Revolution
James Patterson
In a nutshell: super-readable story | robot rumpus at high school |
Uh-oh, things are not running smoothly in the…
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…
Billy Button, Telegram Boy
Sally Nicholls
Illustrated by Sheena Dempsey
One of our Books of the Year 2016 | July 2016 Book of the Month
Meet the Buttons. Mrs Button runs a shop – the nicest thing
about it, she…
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…
The Ghost of Shadow Vale
Jonathon Stroud
Illustrated by Siku
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+. This thrilling Icelandic myth
published by Barrington Stoke in their RELOADED series that
introduces readers…
Aidan Abet, Teacher's Pet
Guy Bass
Illustrated by Steve May
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8 | In a nutshell: shocking levels of
sucking-up in super-readable school story…
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…
