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’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 gives me a chance to read types of books that I would not normally try, and it motivates me to read every night to finish it!
Alice Horncastle, age 14
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
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 they put books in front of us we wouldn’t otherwise have read. They make us more adventurous readers!
Emily Jacques
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
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
It has introduced my children to books we hadn’t come across before. Real children’s reviews gives a great insight into what others think to
Lorraine Woods
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
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…
The Star Tree
Catherine Hyde
When a little girl's nightlight goes out, she takes a magical
midnight journey to the Star Tree in this beautiful bedtime read
from fine artist…
King of the Sky
Nicola Davies
Illustrated by Laura Carlin
Shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2018 | In a story
full of hope against adversity, King of the Sky tells how flying a
homing…
Secrets of the Mountain
Libby Walden
Illustrated by Richard Jones
In a nutshell: Dahl-esque story in defence of Unusualness Children
who like their stories filled with larger-than-life characters,
crazy comedy and…
With My Mummy
James Brown
Illustrated by Cally Johnson-Isaacs
One of our special picks for Mothering Sunday The ahhh-factor is at
its highest setting in this sweet but sturdy little board book. On
each page a…
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 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…
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 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…
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…
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 Weight of a Thousand Feathers
Brian Conaghan
Heart wrenching, honest, funny and bold, this exceptional novel
about the life, loves and agonies of a young carer, and the love
between a mum and…
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
One Silver Summer
Rachel Hickman
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | June 2017 Debut of the Month A
heady romance for two adolescences each of whom is coping with a
family…
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…
Here We Are
Oliver Jeffers
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the
Month November 2017 Inspired by the birth of his son, award-winning
Oliver…
The One Memory of Flora Banks
Emily Barr
Shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2018 | Longlisted for the
Branford Boase Award 2018 | One of Our Books of the Year 2017
|…
Looking for Yesterday
Alison Jay
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | October 2017 Book of the Month
Beautiful illustrations full of interest and wonder accompany
Alison Jay's…
Hilary Mckay's Fairy Tales
Hilary Mckay
Illustrated by Sarah Gibb
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | This is an absolutely stunning
book. Not only is it an absolute treat visually but it's also a
feast for…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
This is Not Another Maths Book
Anna Weltman
Illustrated by Charlotte Milner
This book sets out to prove that maths has more in common with art
than many might think, and that it can be truly beautiful; it
achieves its aim. A…
Plantopedia
Adrienne Barman
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month May 2018 | A stunning and
original book and a useful one too. Subtitled ‘A Celebration
of…
The Shakespeare Timeline Wallbook
Christopher Lloyd, Dr. Nick Walton, Patrick Skipworth
Illustrated by Andy Forshaw
The Shakespeare Timeline Wallbook will give readers (of all ages)
special insight into all the 38 plays, as well as into the man and
his time. A…
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…
Three Cheers for Women!
Marcia Williams
Three Cheers for Women is a hugely inspirational book for children.
It is full of facts, quotes and jokes brought together in a really
fun way…
Dinosaurs : and Other Prehistoric Creatures
Matt Sewell
Opinions on what dinosaurs looked like have changed a lot recently,
and instead of imagining them as big lizards with muddy-brown or
green scales,…
This month's 'featured books':
UKLA 2018
What Not to Do If You Turn Invisible
Ross Welford
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award January 2017 Book of the
Month | In a nutshell: invisible girl finds herself in the
spotlight…
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…
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 Night Gardener
Terry Fan, Eric Fan
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award February 2017 Debut of the
Month This beautiful book demands and repays careful
reading.…
A Story Like the Wind
Gill Lewis
Illustrated by Jo Weaver
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | Longlisted for the UKLA 2018
Book Award A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month May 2017
Gill…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
The Secret Dog
Joe Friedman
Good dog stories are irresistible and this one has everything that
young readers want. Josh is living on a Scottish island with his
crofter uncle…
Demolition
Sally Sutton
Illustrated by Brian Lovelock
“Bang! Clang! Crack! Thud! Creak!! Wham! ” The noises
of the building site provide a background to this vigorous story of
destruction.…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
The Misadventures of Max Crumbly 2 Middle School Mayhem
Rachel Renee Russell
In a nutshell: wacky humour, thrilling action, nail-biting suspense
and cool raps From the creator of the hugely…
Hamish and the Gravity Burp
Danny Wallace
Illustrated by Jamie Littler
March 2017 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: original, clever,
fast-paced and very, very funny | With no messing about at all,
Danny…
The Worst Witch and The Wishing Star
Jill Murphy
Mildred, notoriously the worst witch at Miss Cackle's Academy for
Witches, makes a wish on a shooting star - and to her great
surprise it comes true!…
Aliens Love Dinopants
Claire Freedman
Illustrated by Ben Cort
Those pants-mad aliens are back for another bonkers and utterly
irresistible episode of knicker-nicking! Lightning sends the
aliens' spaceship…
There's a Dragon in My Backpack!
Tom Nicoll
Illustrated by Sarah Horne
From the Psammead to the Cat in the Hat, there's a long tradition
in children's books of young protagonists befriending a
magical…
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,…
This month's 'featured books':
Super-readable Dyslexia-friendly
Ghost for Sale
Terry Deary
Illustrated by Stefano Tambellini
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 7 A hilarious, riddling tale from the
international bestselling author of Horrible Histories, Terry
Deary. Without…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
