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
- Square by Mac Barnett
- The Wildest Cowboy by Garth Jennings
- 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
- You Are Awesome by Matthew Syed
- How to Bee by Bren MacDibble
- Spirit by Sally Christie
11+ readers
- The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson
- A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge
- Girls for the Vote by Linda Newbery
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
- Things a Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls
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!
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 have told all my friends, family & teachers to see for themselves just how great the site is. Without fail, they are hugely impressed.
Alexander Boxall – age 11
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
It’s a community united by a passion for books and promoting the best there is in children’s literature.
Sam Bateman and family
This company is amazing; not only is it is a great opportunity to get books and review them but everyone is so friendly and supportive!
Jemma Rubens, age 10
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
It is fantastic, you get to read lots of books and you always find something new and amazing in them.
Erica Motoc, age 7
We love Lovereading as my 5 year old loves to read new books before anyone else has a chance, she says it makes reading exciting!
Tracey Chorley
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Reviewed by Children
The Twitches Bake a Cake
Hayley Scott
Illustrated by Pippa Curnick
More delightful small-scale fun and big adventure in this new story
starring toy rabbit family the Twitches and their owner, Stevie.
Two stories run…
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…
I Stop Somewhere
T. E. Carter
May 2018 Debut of the Month | In a Nutshell: Intense exposé
of extreme misogyny and male privilege An unflinching novel
about…
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 House with Chicken Legs
Sophie Anderson
May 2018 Debut of the Month | This sparkling debut weaves the
captivating folklore of Baba Yaga with the thrills of a
classic…
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
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…
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…
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…
The Lost Words
Robert Macfarlane, Jackie Morris
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 A book to make you think and
feel, this is an important, beautiful, spellbinding treasure. Words
from…
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…
ABC Pop-Up
Courtney Watson McCarthy
A collectible Alphabet pop-up, for design connoisseurs of all ages.
This beautifully presented pop-up book is a refreshing take on
learning the…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
Coder Academy
Sean McManus
Illustrated by Rosan Magar
October 2017 Non-Fiction Book of the Month This well-designed,
interactive workbook provides a really good introduction to coding
for children. It…
The Colours of History
Clive Gifford
Illustrated by Marc-Etienne Peintre
A fascinating information book, The Colours of History takes
readers to different places at different times to show how humans
have used colour in…
Peep Inside The Sea
Anna Milbourne
Illustrated by Simona Dimitri
There's so much for very young children to discover when they peep
inside the sea in the pages of this excellent board book. Each
page…
The Big History Timeline Wallbook
Christopher Lloyd
Illustrated by Andy Forshaw
If you want to know what was happening on Earth any time in the
last four billion years, then you couldn't do better than opening
out the Big…
Exploring Space
Martin Jenkins
Illustrated by Stephen Biesty
How amazing that less than 100 years after the invention of the
motor car, humans have built and launched vehicles that can leave
the solar system.…
National Trust: The Secret Diary of John Drawbridge, a Medieval Knight in Training
Philip Ardagh
Illustrated by Jamie Littler
In a nutshell: historical adventures full of facts and fun Not
since Horrible Histories has the past been brought to life for
young readers so…
This month's 'featured books':
UKLA 2018
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…
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…
My Pictures After the Storm
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award A gust of wind, an
elephant, a dive bomb, a spell: this funky “before and
after” book will have…
Podkin One-Ear
Kieran Larwood
Illustrated by David Wyatt
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Winner of the Blue Peter
Book Award 2017 - Best Story In a nutshell: rabbit heroes |…
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…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
Jake Atlas and the Tomb of the Emerald Snake
Rob Lloyd Jones
Illustrated by Petur Antonsson
In a nutshell: two kids on a death-defying treasure hunt through
Egypt's ancient monuments. Adventure stories don't come
more…
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…
How to Update Your Parents
Pete Johnson
Illustrated by Nikalas Catlow
This is a hilarious story of dead fish, gorillas with bananas in
their ears, poetry, cunning plans and highly legal documents (kind
of). Oh and…
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,…
The Tigerboy
Ted Hughes
Described as Metamorphosis for young readers, this story by Ted
Hughes is indeed filled with a sense of transformation, visceral
and almost…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
The Leaky Battery Sets Sail
Gareth P. Jones
The crew of the Leaky Battery are a rum bunch alright:
steam-powered metal robots of different shapes and sizes.
Originally designed to be servants,…
St Grizzles School for Girls, Ghosts and Runaway Grannies
Karen Mccombie
Illustrated by Becka Moor
In a nutshell: fun and friendship at 21st century boarding school
Eleven-year-old Dani is a few weeks into life at her new boarding
school, St…
Shadow Warriors
Chris Bradford
Illustrated by David Wyatt
One of our Books of the Year 2016 Deep rivalries, hand to hand
fighting, daring raids and surprise revelations, they all feature
in this…
Mind Writer
Steve Cole
Illustrated by Nelson Evergreen
One of our Super Readable Books of the Year 2016 | Interest Age
8-12 Reading Age 8 | In a Nutshell : accessible | edgy |…
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:…
The World's Worst Children
David Walliams
Illustrated by Tony Ross
Julia Eccleshare's Book of the Month June 2016 Ten wickedly funny
and wonderfully surreal stories of truly terrible children show
best-selling…
This month's 'featured books':
Super-readable Dyslexia-friendly
Cherry Green Story Queen (4u2read)
Annie Dalton
Illustrated by Charlie Alder
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ The magical healing power of
stories lies at the heart of this touching book. Mia feels trapped
in the wrong…
Chuckle Bob's Great Escape
Jeremy Strong
Illustrated by Scoular Anderson
Interest age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ Best-selling Jeremy Strong tells a
dramatic story of a monkey on the loose. When Chuckle Bob escapes
from the…
Dick Turpin: Legends and Lies
Terry Deary
Illustrated by Stefano Tambellini
Interest Age 9+ Reading Age 8+. This title is part of the
Barrington Stoke Reality Check series - true stories that are
stranger than fiction. It's 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 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…
Wolfman
Michael Rosen
Illustrated by Chris Mould
A Dyslexia Friendly Picture Book for Parent and Child Best-selling
Michael Rosen teams up with the brilliant illustrator Chris Mould
in…
