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
- Goodnight Everyone by Chris Haughton
- Play by Jez Alborough
- The Lion Book of Fairy Tales by Julia Stone
3+ readers
- Mr Pegg's Post by Elena Topouzoglou
- Baby's First Bank Heist by Jim Whalley
- If All the World Were... by Joseph Coelho
5+ readers
- Norman the Norman and the Very Small Duchess by Philip Ardagh
- The Day War Came by Nicola Davies
- Town Is by the Sea by Joanne Schwartz
7+ readers
- Junkyard Jack and the Horse That Talked by Adrian Edmondson
- Tyrannosaurus Rex Prehistoric Beasts Uncovered - King of the Dinosaurs by Dougal Dixon
- Dog Diaries by Steven Butler & James Patterson
9+ readers
- Boy Underwater by Adam Baron
- Kat Wolfe Investigates by Lauren St.John
- Mirror Magic by Claire Fayers
11+ readers
- Cogheart by Peter Bunzl
- Where the World Ends by Geraldine McCaughrean
- Midnight by Derek Landy
13+ readers
- My Messed-Up Life by Susin Nielsen
- The Family Tree by Mal Peet
- Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian
YA readers
- The Weight of a Thousand Feathers by Brian Conaghan
- After the Fire by Will Hill
- All of This Is True by Lygia Day Penaflor
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!
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
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
I love Lovereading4kids because I get an opportunity to put my opinion forward and to try new books
Elosie Clarkson – age 11
I love ‘LoveReading 4 kids’ because they let you read and learn things you’d never dreamed of learning before.
Emily Horncastle – age 11
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
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
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
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
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
A Perfect Day
Lane Smith
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month May 2018 | Longlisted for the
UKLA 2018 Book Award Award winning Lane Smith celebrates the simple
delights of…
Here Comes the Sun
Karl Newson
Illustrated by Migy Blanco
With a gentle rhyming text that makes it a particular pleasure to
read this picture book, though it's perfect bedtime reading, ends
as dawn…
Each Peach Pear Plum
Allan Ahlberg, Janet Ahlberg
Illustrated by Janet Ahlberg, Janet Ahlberg
A delightful board book with simple rhyming text and engaging
interactive pictures. Children will be able to find characters that
are mentioned in…
Mr Underbed
Chris Riddell
STOP PRESS: You have probably seen the Christmas TV ad for Moz the
Monster. It looks to us as though the inspiration for it may well
have…
Mrs Mole, I'm Home!
Jarvis
April 2017 Picture Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of
the Month April 2017 | Morris Mole can't find his glasses anywhere
at…
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
The Weight of a Thousand Feathers
Brian Conaghan
Heart wrenching, honest, funny and bold, this exceptional novel
about the life, loves and agonies of a young carer, and the love
between a mum and…
The Funny Life of Pets
James Campbell
Illustrated by Rob Jones
You'd expect a book by top comic-for-kids James Campbell to make
them laugh a lot, and this certainly will. Over 240 illustrated
pages he…
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…
Ottoline and the Purple Fox
Chris Riddell
In a nutshell: nonstop surprises in the Big City | This is the
fourth adventure for Ottoline and her best friend Mr Munroe, and
it…
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…
Dog Diaries
Steven Butler & James Patterson
Illustrated by Richard Watson
June 2018 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: It's a (very funny,
very readable) dog's life Narrated at breathless speed by
super-excited…
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
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,…
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…
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…
One Silver Summer
Rachel Hickman
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | June 2017 Debut of the Month A
heady romance for two adolescences each of whom is coping with a
family…
Matt Millz
Harry Hill
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | In a nutshell: dreams-come-true
adventure plus comedy advice from the master Harry Hill's
new…
Playtime with Ted
Sophy Henn
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | Playtime with Ted is one of a
new series of interactive board books from the super-talented Sophy
Henn and like…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
Cool Physics
Sarah Hutton
Illustrated by Damien Weighill
An amazing guide to the wonders of physics, handily broken down
into accessible bite-sized chunks and particularly helpful for
anyone new to or…
What If a... Could a Monkey Waterski?
Camilla de la Bedoyere
Illustrated by Aleksei Bitskoff
Discover some amazing and unusual facts about monkeys in this
imaginative book full of humorous scenarios that children can
relate to. Using everyday…
Young, Gifted and Black
Jamia Wilson
Illustrated by Andrea Pippins
In a Nutshell: Inspiring celebration of black trailblazers This
inspiring, illuminating, stylishly accessible anthology invites
young readers…
Tyrannosaurus Rex Prehistoric Beasts Uncovered - King of the Dinosaurs
Dougal Dixon
June 2018 Non-Fiction Book of the Month | Dinosaurs are endlessly
fascinating for children and this new book, one of a series, uses
the…
Coding for Beginners: Using Python
Louie Stowell
This extremely user-friendly and accessible guide book will teach
children the basics of Python, enabling them to create their own
games and simple…
Cool Kids Cook
Jenny Chandler
The hot (cool) new cook book for 7 - 14 year old children who love
food and want to understand more about where it comes from and how
to create…
This month's 'featured books':
UKLA 2018
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…
Out of Heart
Irfan Master
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Donating your heart is the
most precious gift of all. Adam is a teenage boy who lives with his
mum and…
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…
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…
The Hate u Give
Angie Thomas
Awarded the Amnesty CILIP Honour commendation from the Carnegie
shortlist 2018 | Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2018 |
One of Our…
Lydia: The Wild Girl of Pride & Prejudice
Natasha Farrant
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award In a nutshell: Dances |
Dreams | Determination Younger sister of Lizzy and Jane, Lydia
Bennet is one…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
Pirate Pete and His Smelly Feet
Lucy Rowland
Illustrated by Mark Chambers
Pirates are always popular subjects for picture books and by
ingeniously combining a pirate story with a pair of yucky smelly
feet, Mark Chambers and…
The Prince and the Pee
Greg Gormley
Illustrated by Chris Mould
The title says it all! Set in a gloriously depicted fairy-tale
landscape this clever picture book has lots of fun with a situation
that all parents…
The Night Gardener
Terry Fan, Eric Fan
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award February 2017 Debut of the
Month This beautiful book demands and repays careful
reading.…
The Secret Dog
Joe Friedman
Good dog stories are irresistible and this one has everything that
young readers want. Josh is living on a Scottish island with his
crofter uncle…
The Adventures of Alfie Onion
Vivian French
Illustrated by Marta Kissi
If you love fairytales – and who couldn't? – you'll
love this brand new adventure written by one of our most inventive
and…
My Little Book of... Emergency Vehicles
Claudia Martin
There are 60 plus pages of information about different kinds of
emergency vehicles in this attractive little book. Fire, police,
ambulance and search…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
The Ostrich of Pudding Lane
Jeremy Strong
Illustrated by Sarah Horne
Jeremy Strong knows just how to pitch a story to junior readers and
the three different adventures in this collection have all his
hallmarks:…
Imagination According to Humphrey
Betty G. Birney
Illustrated by Jason Chapman
Children's favourite Humphrey the hamster is back for another
adventure, his twelfth no less. The good news is that he's just
as…
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…
Basil the Bear Cub
Janey Louise Jones
Illustrated by Jennie Poh
Superfairies is a sweet new series about four little fairies, in
which the emphasis is very much on kindness and helping others. In
this springtime…
The Great Cycle Challenge
Chris Hoy
Illustrated by Clare Elsom
The second in Chris Hoy's cycling-with-a-touch-of-magic series sees
Fergus and his friends Daisy, Callum and Minnie form their own
cycling…
Timmy Failure Mistakes Were Made
Stephan Pastis
Wimpy Kid fans will love this new boy-diary with a difference.
Saddled with the name Timmy Failure, our narrator has clearly been
dealt a tough hand.…
This month's 'featured books':
Super-readable Dyslexia-friendly
Harald Hardnut
Tony Bradman
Illustrated by Martin Remphry
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ For some thrilling real life
action and adventure, you won't get much better than Tony…
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…
Free Lance and the Lake of Skulls
Paul Stewart, Chris Riddell
Illustrated by Chris Riddell
Interest Age 8+ Reading Age 8 | In a nutshell: magic, knights and
double-dealing Free Lance is a knight for hire, and sometimes has
to take…
Diary of a Trainee Rock God
Jonathan Meres
Illustrated by Jake McDonald
Interest Age 9+ Reading Age 9 | In a nutshell: it's only a
rock'n'roll story but we like it! …
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…
Mum Never Did Learn to Knock
Cathy Hopkins
Illustrated by Louise Wright
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ Cathy Hopkins is a truly gifted
author for tweens, with an ability to connect with her readers that
she makes…
