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
- My First Elmer by David McKee
- Meltdown! by Jill Murphy
- The Tickle Test by Kathryn White
3+ readers
- The Wildest Cowboy by Garth Jennings
- Square by Mac Barnett
- Wonder Goal! by Michael Foreman
5+ readers
- The Great Telephone Mix-Up (Little Gem) by Sally Nicholls
- The Bad Mood and the Stick by Lemony Snicket
- Plantopedia by Adrienne Barman
7+ readers
- Hoakes Island by Ian Friel
- The Uncracked Code by Tamara Macfarlane
- A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold
9+ readers
- How to Bee by Bren MacDibble
- You Are Awesome by Matthew Syed
- Spirit by Sally Christie
11+ readers
- The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson
- A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge
- The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood-Hargrave
13+ readers
- Holes by Louis Sachar
- Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge
- Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett
YA readers
- White Rabbit, Red Wolf by Tom Pollock
- Moonrise by Sarah Crossan
- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
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’s a community united by a passion for books and promoting the best there is in children’s literature.
Sam Bateman and family
A great way to introduce kids to great books, authors & genres. Parents can find age-appropriate books to share with their children.
Judi Davies – Aberdare Girls Sch
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 am so pleased to have signed my kids up as they are reading a much wider range of books and even choosing books out of their comfort zone.
Angela East
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
Lovereading is just a convenient way to find new books and hear others opinions on them.
Sarah Murray – age 15
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
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
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…
We Are Family
Patricia Hegarty
Illustrated by Ryan Wheatcroft
‘Money doesn't matter, nor colour, creed, nor name - /In each
and every family, the love we feel's the same': these are
the…
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…
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…
Peace at Last
Jill Murphy
A new board book edition of the picture book classic, in a size
that's perfect for little paws! A timeless storybook classic full
of bright…
Let's Join in
Shirley Hughes
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month July 2017 Four simple bedtime
stories capture the precious yet everyday moments in pre-school
and…
This month's 'featured books':
Reviewed by Children
Skylarks
Karen Gregory
In a Nutshell: Falling in love, taking a stand, and standing tall
Exploring an unforgettable relationship between two young women
and…
You Are Awesome
Matthew Syed
May 2018 Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month
April & May 2018 Table tennis champion Matthew Syed offers his
very best…
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…
Fish Boy
Chloe Daykin
Illustrated by Richard Jones
Shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2018 | Longlisted for the
UKLA 2018 Book Award March 2017 Debut of the Month In…
Dear Martin
Nic Stone
May 2018 Debut of the Month | In a Nutshell: Striving for goodness
when the world has you down as bad Picture this. You're an honors
student…
The Burning Maze
Rick Riordan
May 2018 MEGA Book of the Month | In a nutshell: gods and monsters,
heroism and humour | The Burning Maze is book three in…
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…
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…
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…
La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust Volume One
Philip Pullman
Shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2018 | One of Our Books of the
Year 2017 | November 2017 Book of the Month More than two…
Old Hat!
Emily Gravett
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | Longlisted for the UKLA 2018
Book Award June 2017 Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of
the…
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:…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
Hidden World Forest
Libby Walden
Illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman
With large flaps on every page, short accompanying explanatory
sentences and attractive illustrations, this is a great book to
introduce children to…
The Story of Life
Catherine Barr, Steve Williams
Illustrated by Amy Husband
Shortlisted for the English Picture Book Award 2016 This is an
exciting and dramatic story simply told in words and pictures about
how life began and…
A Walk on the Wild Side
Louis Thomas
This animal guide book takes an unusual approach: it is presented
in the form of a scrapbook completed by the author Louis Thomas as
he travelled the…
Look Inside How Computers Work
Alex Frith
Illustrated by Colin King
With flaps to lift on every page and friendly little robots
providing the explanations and information, this book will help
anyone understand how…
88 and 1/2 Science Experiments
Nick Arnold
Doing exactly what it says on the tin, Nick Arnold's book presents
children with 88 different scientific challenges spread across
brightly…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
UKLA 2018
Peter in Peril Courage and Hope in World War Two
Helen Bate
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Peter is just an ordinary
boy, who loves playing football with his friends and eating cake -
until war comes…
Me and Mister P
Maria Farrer
Illustrated by Dave Gray, Daniel Rieley
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award In a nutshell: an unusual
friend makes things better | Arthur is understandably surprised
when…
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…
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 Hypnotist
Laurence Anholt
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award | Winner of the Historical
Association's Young Quills Award 2017 Jack has left his native
Ireland…
Bottle of Happiness, A
Pippa Goodhart
Illustrated by Ehsan Abdollahi
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award A new fable that goes full
circle as it explores the value of possessions against values of
friendship and…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
Noah's Noisy Animals
Rebecca Elliott
Rebecca Elliott tells the story of Noah's Ark with extraordinary
economy and charm, capturing all the drama and the joy. On chunky
board book…
The 52-Storey Treehouse
Andy Griffiths
Illustrated by Terry Denton
For absurd, anarchic, keep-them-reading comedy adventures, kids
can't do better than climb into Andy and Terry's world. If
you…
Spies in Disguise: Boy in a Tutu
Kate Scott
A funny, wise-cracking spy story with World Cup memorabilia at its
centre - James Bond never had to dress up as a girl!! - packed full
of gadgets and…
Spirit of the Jungle
Bear Grylls
Illustrated by Javier Joaquin
In a nutshell: jungle survival in the footsteps of Mowgli | More
than 120 years after publication of The Jungle Book, and following
the…
The Boy and the Globe
Tony Bradman
Illustrated by Tom Morgan-Jones
Young readers wondering what's so special about Shakespeare as
celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of his death get
underway would do…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
The Mega Quiz
Barbara Mitchelhill
Illustrated by Tony Ross
In a nutshell: comic mishaps and triumphs of a schoolboy detective
A sign in his local library catches the eye of schoolboy detective
Damian Drooth:…
Space Ace 4u2read
Eric Brown
Illustrated by Tony Ross
Interest Age 7+ Reading Age 7 | Fact and fiction are cleverly
combined in this space travel adventure story. It's 2075 and
young…
Isadora Moon Goes to the Fair
Harriet Muncaster
In a nutshell: half vampire, half fairy, all fun Harriet
Muncaster's stories of little Isadora Moon have deservedly won a
huge and…
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…
Squishy McFluff: The Big Country Fair
Pip Jones
Illustrated by Ella Okstad
In a nutshell: Fluffy invisible friend conquers all at country fair
There's tension at the heart of this new Squishy McFluff story: Ava
and…
A Different Dog
Paul Jennings
Illustrated by Geoff Kelly
In a nutshell: exciting, unusual rescue story set in Australia's
dense forest A Different Dog is the story of the special
relationship that…
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…
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…
The Number 7 Shirt
Alan Gibbons
Interest Age 9 -14 Reading Age 8+. Perfect for reluctant or
struggling readers. This is an action-packed story involving a boy
who dreams of being a…
Itch Scritch Scratch
Eleanor Updale
Illustrated by Sarah Horne
One of our Dyslexia Friendly Books of the Year 2014 - A Dyslexia
Friendly Picture Book for Parent and Child With wit and brio
this…
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…
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…
