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
- A Big Day for Migs by Jo Hodgkinson
- A Bear-y Tale by Anthony Browne
3+ readers
- Mr Pegg's Post by Elena Topouzoglou
- Baby's First Bank Heist by Jim Whalley
- I Want My Dad! by Tony Ross
5+ readers
- Norman the Norman and the Very Small Duchess by Philip Ardagh
- Town Is by the Sea by Joanne Schwartz
- The Day War Came by Nicola Davies
7+ readers
- Junkyard Jack and the Horse That Talked by Adrian Edmondson
- The Twitches Bake a Cake by Hayley Scott
- 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
- The Tiger on His Back by Bernard Ashley
YA readers
- The Weight of a Thousand Feathers by Brian Conaghan
- After the Fire by Will Hill
- Before I Die by Jenny Downham
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 fantastic, you get to read lots of books and you always find something new and amazing in them.
Erica Motoc, age 7
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
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
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 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 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
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
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
The Everywhere Bear
Julia Donaldson
Illustrated by Rebecca Cobb
Best-selling duo Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb reunite in a
lovely story that begins in a Year One classroom before taking us
on an exciting,…
Silver
Walter de la Mare
Illustrated by Carolina Rabei
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month April 2017 | “Slowly,
silently now the moon/ Walks the night/ in her silver…
I See the Moon
Rosalind Beardshaw
This collection contains a bundle of favourite nursery rhymes and
lullabies, together with one or two classic nightime-themed poems
and is a…
The Wardrobe Monster
Bryony Thomson
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month April 2018 A charming story of
bedtime fears with a neat twist to it. Dora and all her toys wake
up grouchy and…
There's a Walrus in My Bed!
Ciara Flood
Children and adults will take very different things from this
clever picture book but both will enjoy it enormously. Flynn is
excited, he's got…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Reviewed by Children
Lou Out of Luck
Nat Luurtsema
In a nutshell: sharp, witty school and family based comedy | Nat
Luurtsema made a splash with her first story about Lou Brown in
Girl Out…
The Hippo at the End of the Hall
Helen Cooper
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month June 2018 Award-winning
illustrator Helen Cooper's debut novel is a richly imagined
and…
The Wild Folk
Sylvia V. Linsteadt
In a nutshell: magical quest adventure story with a strong sense of
the natural world | Perfect for readers who enjoy magical
adventures…
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…
Kat Wolfe Investigates
Lauren St.John
June 2018 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: animals, adventure and
an irresistible cast of characters This new series has everything
that marks out…
Midnight
Derek Landy
In a Nutshell: Can a coldblooded killer be curtailed as time ticks
down? Following hot on the heels of Resurrection, this eleventh
instalment of…
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
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…
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,…
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…
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…
Indigo Donut
Patrice Lawrence
Shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2018 | One of Our Books of the
Year 2017 | In a Nutshell: Soaring soundtrack to resilience
and…
A Song for Will and The Lost Gardeners of Heligan
Hilary Robinson
Illustrated by Martin Impey
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | May 2017 Book of the Month |
This deeply moving story perfectly conveys the devastating impact
of the First…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
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…
Big Picture Book of General Knowledge
James Maclaine
Illustrated by Annie Carbo
Packed with interesting and useful information on a range of
important subjects areas, from geography (a section called Around
the World), to music,…
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…
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 World of Cities
Lily Murray
Illustrated by James Brown
In this large format picture book 30 famous cities around the globe
are brought to life through beautiful illustrations and a vast
miscellany of…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
UKLA 2018
Wolf Hollow
Lauren Wolk
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award | Shortlisted for the CILIP
Carnegie Medal 2017 | A young girl's kindness,…
Kid Got Shot
Simon Mason
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Meet Garvie Smith.
Reprobate, genius, waster, and sometime detective. Right in the
middle of revision hell -…
The Storm Whale in Winter
Benji Davies
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award In The Storm Whale in
Winter Benji Davies creates a story of love and courage that is
tender, touching and…
The Darkest Dark
Chris Hadfield
Illustrated by The Fan Brothers
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Astronaut Chris Hadfield
describes the special moment in his childhood that sparked his
fascination with…
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…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
Just Call Me Spaghetti-Hoop Boy
Lara Williamson
March 2017 Book of the Month A touching and amusing story about
belonging and the search for an heroic identity. Adam has always
known that he was…
Dylan's Amazing Dinosaurs - The Stegosaurus
E. T. Harper
Illustrated by Dan Taylor
Dylan and his dinosaur friend fly off on amazing dinosaur discovery
missions to the Land of Living Dinosaurs. This time he has to
discover what…
Stormbreaker The Graphic Novel
Anthony Horowitz, Antony Johnston
Illustrated by Kanako Damerum, Yuzuru Takasaki
A bold and stylish reissue of the groundbreaking and hugely popular
graphic adaptation of Alex Rider's very first mission. Brilliantly
visualised,…
Middle School: Just My Rotten Luck
James Patterson
James Patterson continues to do sterling work turning reluctant
readers onto books, and this latest instalment in the ongoing
trials of Rafe…
Timmy Failure: The Cat Stole My Pants
Stephan Pastis
In a nutshell: Hilarious sleuthing with boy detective and his
sidekick polar bear… | A new Timmy Failure book is
always…
The Day the Crayons Came Home
Drew Daywalt
Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
Longlisted for the UKLA 2017 Book Award | Shortlisted for the
Children's category of the Books are My Bag Readers Awards 2016
Those…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
Attack of the Alien Dung!
Gareth P. Jones
Illustrated by Steve May
In a nutshell: pets protect the world from alien attack | Planet
Earth Is under constant threat from aliens, and who is there to
protect…
Dream Team
Alan Gibbons
Illustrated by Chris Chalik
With the World Cup coming up, football stories are even more
appealing than usual, and Alan Gibbons knows just how to win and
hold young…
Help! I'm a Genius
Jo Franklin
Illustrated by Aaron Blecha
In a Nutshell: Guffaws, giggles and gags aplenty By a curious twist
of fate Daniel Kendal - the self-confessed NOT-brainiac - has been
chosen to…
Green Eggs and Ham
Dr. Seuss
Hilarious and with a memorable rhyming text, this is the perfect
advocate for the adage, you don't know if you like something
until…
The Forever Man
Eoin Colfer
The heroes of Eoin Colfer's wonderful time-travelling W.A.R.P.
series, Victorian orphan Riley and Shawnee FBI juvenile consultant
Chevie are…
Laugh Out Loud
James Patterson
In a nutshell: lively, comic story celebrating kids' reading and
determination James Patterson creates books kids love, and his
latest book is…
This month's 'featured books':
Super-readable Dyslexia-friendly
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…
Blue Moon
Jenny Oldfield
Illustrated by Gary Blythe
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8 This thrilling pony story has
everything fans of the genre want: a wild, beautiful setting (the
Rocky…
Young Wizards
Michael Lawrence
Illustrated by Chris Mould
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ On the day before their sister's
thirteenth birthday strangely magical things start to…
Good Dog McTavish
Meg Rosoff
Illustrated by Grace Easton
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Interest Age 8-12 Reading
Age 8 | In a nutshell: dog to the rescue in witty domestic…
Rose's Dress of Dreams (Little Gem)
Katherine Woodfine
Illustrated by Kate Pankhurst
Interest Age 5-8 | Rose's Dress of Dreams reads like a wonderful
fairy tale, the little girl who dreams of beautiful dresses and
spends…
Sterling and the Canary
Andy Stanton
Illustrated by Ross Collins
One of our Dyslexia Friendly Books of the Year 2014 - Interest Age
9+ Reading Age 8+. Prize-winning Andy Stanton injects his trademark
humour…
