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
- Roald Dahl's Opposites by Roald Dahl
- Play by Jez Alborough
3+ readers
- Mr Pegg's Post by Elena Topouzoglou
- Something Fishy by Polly Dunbar
- Baby's First Bank Heist by Jim Whalley
5+ readers
- Town Is by the Sea by Joanne Schwartz
- Norman the Norman and the Very Small Duchess by Philip Ardagh
- The Day War Came by Nicola Davies
7+ readers
- Junkyard Jack and the Horse That Talked by Adrian Edmondson
- Dog Diaries by Steven Butler & James Patterson
- Tyrannosaurus Rex Prehistoric Beasts Uncovered - King of the Dinosaurs by Dougal Dixon
9+ readers
- Boy Underwater by Adam Baron
- Kat Wolfe Investigates by Lauren St.John
- Mirror Magic by Claire Fayers
11+ readers
- Where the World Ends by Geraldine McCaughrean
- Cogheart by Peter Bunzl
- The Adventures of John Blake Mystery of the Ghost Ship by Philip Pullman
13+ readers
- My Messed-Up Life by Susin Nielsen
- The Tiger on His Back by Bernard Ashley
- The Family Tree by Mal Peet
YA readers
- The Weight of a Thousand Feathers by Brian Conaghan
- All of This Is True by Lygia Day Penaflor
- 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!
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
It’s so easy to find the right book for your child. Such an easy-to-use, yet in-depth website. 100% reliable.
Pippa, Jack, Liam & Matthew Wils
It is fantastic, you get to read lots of books and you always find something new and amazing in them.
Erica Motoc, age 7
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
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 Lovereading4kids because I get an opportunity to put my opinion forward and to try new books
Elosie Clarkson – age 11
We love Lovereading4kids because it promotes reading choices, new authors and a sense of community for children of all ages!
Rachel Bridgeman
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
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
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…
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…
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…
I'm Big Now
Anthea Simmons
Illustrated by Georgie Birkett
This lively, cheerful picture book takes a positive look at one of
the changes the arrival of a new baby can bring. ‘There's a
new baby…
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…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Reviewed by Children
The Knights and the Best Quest
Kaye Umansky
Illustrated by Ben Whitehouse
Interest Age 8+ Reading Age 8 A masterly and hilarious retelling of
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round…
My Messed-Up Life
Susin Nielsen
June 2018 Book of the Month | In a Nutshell: Problem parents |
Dealing with change | Loads of LOLs | Hilarious and
heartfelt…
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…
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…
The Twitches Bake a Cake
Hayley Scott
Illustrated by Pippa Curnick
June 2018 Book of the Month | More delightful small-scale fun and
big adventure in this new story starring toy rabbit family the
Twitches…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
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…
Triangle
Mac Barnett
Illustrated by Jon Klassen
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | April 2017 Book of the Month |
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month March 2017 Brilliant
and…
The Bad Mood and the Stick
Lemony Snicket
Illustrated by Matthew Forsythe
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | November 2017 Book of the Month
Lemony Snicket's simply told story offers a refreshing, thoughtful,
and…
Moonrise
Sarah Crossan
Shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2018 | Shortlisted for the Centre
for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award 2018 | One of Our Books
of…
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 –…
Cream Buns and Crime
Robin Stevens
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | April 2017 Book of the Month |
In a nutshell: a tasty treat for would-be sleuths and fans
of…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
Big Picture Thesaurus
Rosie Hore
Illustrated by Rachael Saunders
February 2017 Fascinating Facts Book of the Month Children will
find this book useful, effective and helpful, as well as fun,
entertaining and…
The Usborne Official Astronaut's Handbook
Louie Stowell
Illustrated by Roger Simo
One of our Books of the Year 2015 - This book, with a Foreword by
Tim Peake who in December 2015 became the first British astronaut
to go to 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…
100 Most Awesome Things on the Planet
Anna Claybourne
The world we live in is truly amazing, and across its continents,
oceans and skies are all kinds of fabulous places and astounding
sights. Almost 100…
The Sports Timeline Wallbook
Christopher Lloyd, Patrick Skipworth
Illustrated by Andy Forshaw
Ernest Hemingway might have said there are only three real sports
– motor racing, bull-fighting and mountaineering – but
even he might…
The Teenage Guide to Friends
Nicola Morgan
In a Nutshell: Warm-hearted handbook for happy, healthy friendships
With comforting clarity, this thorough guide provides vital insight
into all…
This month's 'featured books':
UKLA 2018
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…
Don't Cross the Line!
Isabel Minhos Martins
Illustrated by Bernardo P. Carvalho
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award In Don't Cross the Line,
The guard always follows the general's orders without question.
This…
Pigeon P.I.
Meg McLaren
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Murray McMurray is a
private eye in the Philip Marlowe tradition – laconic, cool,
sharp. I'd say…
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…
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…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
The Gold Thief
Justin Fisher
In a nutshell: thrilling adventure in a magical other world | After
his adventures in the thrilling Circus of Marvels, all its
young…
George Pearce and His Huge Massive Ears
Felix Massie
George Pearce has unusually large ears – in fact they're
massive! It's not the size of his ears that causes him problems
though,…
Compton Valance Super F.A.R.T.s versus the Master of Time
Matt Brown
Illustrated by Lizzie Finlay
Compton Valance and his best friend Bryan Nylon are unlikely
heroes, but they managed to create a time machine out of a mouldy
cheese sandwich and…
The Giant Rumble Wrestling Trolls: Match Three
Jim Eldridge
Challenged to a Giant Rumble but suffering from a shortfall of
wrestlers, Jack and his friends set out to find more participants
for their great…
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…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
Jacky Ha-Ha: My Life is a Joke
James Patterson
Spending time with the eponymous Jacky (Ha-Ha because she's both
funny and a stammerer) is always great fun and, as ever, there's
lots to…
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…
Triceratops Prehistoric Beasts Uncovered - The Dinosaur Built to Do Battle
Dougal Dixon
This new book, part of the Prehistoric Beasts Uncovered series,
brings us hot off the press scientific information on Triceratops,
one of the most…
The Covers of My Book are Too Far Apart (And Other Grumbles)
Vivian French
Illustrated by Nigel Baines
A Dyslexia Friendly Picture Book for Parent and Child | Whisper it,
but not everyone automatically loves reading. Some people
think…
Danny Dingle's Fantastic Finds: The Super-Sonic Submarine
Angie Lake
Illustrated by Shanith MM
In a nutshell: fart-powered non-stop adventure, part book part
comic-strip | Fresh from their triumph in the Science Club Soap Box
Derby…
Danny the Champion of the World
Roald Dahl
Illustrated by Quentin Blake
A classic Roald Dahl title, a most touching story of a boy and his
very special father. Danny and his father live in a caravan parked
right next to…
This month's 'featured books':
Super-readable Dyslexia-friendly
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…
Sniper
Chris Bradford
Illustrated by Nelson Evergreen
Fictional superheroes don't come much more appealing than Troy, one
of a group of teenagers with awesome super powers recruited by
secret…
The Knights and the Best Quest
Kaye Umansky
Illustrated by Ben Whitehouse
Interest Age 8+ Reading Age 8 A masterly and hilarious retelling of
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round…
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…
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…
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…
