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
- Tabby McTat Picturebook and CD by Julia Donaldson
- Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
- A Busy Day for Birds by Lucy Cousins
3+ readers
- The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr
- Tabby McTat by Julia Donaldson
- Goodnight Everyone by Chris Haughton
5+ readers
- The Diary of a Killer Cat by Anne Fine
- Grandad's Secret Giant by David Litchfield
- Clare and her Captain by Michael Morpurgo
7+ readers
- My Mum's Going To Explode! by Jeremy Strong
- Mango & Bambang: Tiny Tapir Trouble by Polly Faber
- Danny Dingle's Fantastic Finds The Jet of Justice by Angie Lake
9+ readers
- Eye of the Wolf by Daniel Pennac
- Dragon's Green Worldquake Book One by Scarlett Thomas
- Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
11+ readers
- Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo
- The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood-Hargrave
- Cogheart by Peter Bunzl
13+ readers
- Holes by Louis Sachar
- The Wrong Train by Jeremy De Quidt
- The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon
YA readers
- A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
- A Monster Calls: Special Collector's Edition by Patrick Ness
- ...And a Happy New Year? by Holly Bourne
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!
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’ve read amazing books I would never have picked up, and its opened doors to new genre’s I now love.
Harriet Cunningham
I love Lovereading4kids because I get an opportunity to put my opinion forward and to try new books
Elosie Clarkson – age 11
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
I love finding new books to read. My mummy and me look at the new ones coming out. I have written reviews of some of them!
Jessica Cobbin – age 7
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
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
We love Lovereading4kids because it promotes reading choices, new authors and a sense of community for children of all ages!
Rachel Bridgeman
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
Count with Maisy, Cheep, Cheep, Cheep!
Lucy Cousins
Smiling, cheerful, independent, no wonder toddlers everywhere love
Maisy, and she makes all early learning experiences fun and
exciting. This story…
Under the Love Umbrella
Davina Bell
Illustrated by Allison Colpoys
This brightly illustrated picture book is a celebration of the
enduring love that surrounds your children, wherever they are in
the world. The…
The Bedtime Bear
Ian Whybrow
Illustrated by Axel Scheffler
Bear is making his way to bed, but he seems to be taking a
circuitous route. He goes through the jungle, on a bike, with a
tiger; past the North…
Owl Babies
Martin Waddell
Three little owl babies sit in the tree and wait…and
wait…and wait…for their Mummy to come home from
hunting. Stunning…
The Lion Book of Nursery Rhymes
Julia Stone
Illustrated by Cally Johnson-Isaacs
November 2014 Book of the Month Every child needs a collection of
nursery rhymes and this collection of favourites with their clear
and unfussy…
The Tiger Who Came to Tea
Judith Kerr
This classic story of Sophie and her extraordinary tea-time guest
is now brought to life in an exciting luxury pop-up edition to
celebrate its 40th…
This month's 'featured books':
Carnegie Greenaway
Buffalo Soldier
Tanya Landman
Winner of the 2015 CILIP Carnegie Medal The Judges comment
“We were particularly impressed with how Buffalo Soldier
explored what it means to…
Wild Animals of the North
Dieter Braun
Shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2017 | A gorgeously
illustrated study of the Northern Hemisphere's wild…
There is a Tribe of Kids
Lane Smith
Winner of the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2017 | Award-winning Lane
Smith's stunning illustrations create a delight of a story
which…
Millions
Frank Cottrell Boyce
Winner of the 2004 CILIP Carnegie Medal When a bag stuffed full of
money falls out of a train and into their camp, Damian and Anthony
are…
Watership Down
Richard Adams
Illustrated by Aldo Galli
Winner of the 1972 CILIP Carnegie Medal A book that resonates as
vividly today as it did nearly half a century ago, this
keepsake…
A Monster Calls
Patrick Ness
Illustrated by Jim Kay
Winner of the 2012 Carnegie Medal AND 2012 Kate Greenaway Medal.
This is the first time, in the Awards 75 year history, that one
book has won both…
This month's 'featured books':
Books Reviewed by Children
Goodnight Everyone
Chris Haughton
Perfect for the end of every day, award-winning Chris Haughton
captures the soothing time as the sun goes down and all the animals
begin to fall into…
Bathroom Boogie
Clare Foges
Illustrated by Al Murphy
How do you follow a roaring success like Kitchen Disco? Why, with a
Bathroom Boogie of course. Who knew that when we're out our
bathrooms…
Pax
Sara Pennypacker
Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Touching and thought-provoking this is a lyrically-told story
perfectly presented in a beautiful book. Peter's life falls apart
after his…
Raymie Nightingale
Kate DiCamillo
Some momentous things happen in the course of this book: a father
leaves, buildings are burgled, a cat is lost and found, hearts are
broken, good…
Mango & Bambang: Tiny Tapir Trouble
Polly Faber
Illustrated by Clara Vulliamy
Polly Faber and Clara Vulliamy's Mango and Bambang stories are
perfect for newly independent readers. There are four funny,
entertaining…
The Wrong Train
Jeremy De Quidt
In a Nutshell: Sinister short stories Sublimely spine-tingling,
this evokes all the dread of an ominous tap-tap-tapping on your
door in the dead of…
This month's 'featured books':
Bookshelf Essentials
Hue Boy
Rita Phillips Mitchell
Illustrated by Caroline Binch
Selected by a distinguished independent panel of experts including
our editorial expert, Julia Eccleshare, for Diverse Voices - 50 of
the best…
Up in the Tree
Margaret Atwood
This is a delightfully simple and light-hearted story told with a
poetic jauntiness written and illustrated by one of the foremost
literary novelists…
Stick Man
Julia Donaldson
Illustrated by Axel Scheffler
Creators of The Gruffalo, best selling author/ illustrator Julia
Donaldson and Axel Scheffler are back with another bestseller on
their hands.…
The Granny Project
Anne Fine
When Granny begins to need more looking after, Mum and Dad decide
she'd be better off in a home. But Ivan, Tanya, Nicholas and Sophie
have…
Dear Zoo
Rod Campbell
Have you ever wanted a pet? How do you find the right one? An
elephant is too heavy, a giraffe is too tall, a frog is too jumpy.
Hidden…
Greyfriars Bobby
Ruth Brown
This classic true story is retold and illustrated in sumptuous
style by the renowned Ruth Brown.
This month's 'featured books':
Classics
After the First Death
Robert Cormier
In a Nutshell: Psycho-political thriller | Terrorist hijacking |
Extremes of patriotism Unreservedly uncompromising, this
gripping,…
The Railway Children
E. Nesbit
Illustrated by Kim Ji-Hyuk
This is one of the best-loved family stories of all the classics.
When Roberta, Peter and Phyillis's father is arrested their life is
turned…
Carrie's War
Nina Bawden
When bombs start falling on London, Carrie and her younger brother
Nick are evacuated to Wales. Living with Mr Evans, who has little
interest in…
The Cay
Theodore Taylor
Illustrated by Kenny McKendry
Beautifully written, this novel won every award imaginable in the
USA when it was published. It is a tense, dramatic and compulsive
survival…
The Usborne Illustrated Odyssey
Sebastien van Homer
Illustrated by Sebastien van Donnick
This lean but effective retelling of one of the greatest stories of
all time is made even more lively thanks to numerous full colour
illustrations.…
Watership Down
Richard Adams
Illustrated by David Parkins
Watership Down is an epic journey, a stirring tale of adventure,
courage and survival against the odds. It tells the story of a
group of rabbits - of…
