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
- Oi Dog! Board Book by Kes Gray, Claire Gray
- Where Is Little Fish? by Lucy Cousins
- Count with Little Fish by Lucy Cousins
3+ readers
- No, Nancy, No! by Alice Tait
- The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield
- Forever or a Day by Sarah Jacoby
5+ readers
- The Great Big Book of Friends by Mary Hoffman
- King of the Sky by Nicola Davies
- The Great Big Book of Feelings by Mary Hoffman
7+ readers
- The Book Case by Dave Shelton
- Max Champion and the Great Race Car Robbery by Alexander Mccall Smith
- The Chocolate Factory Ghost by David O'Connell
9+ readers
- The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day by Christopher Edge
- To the Edge of the World by Julia Green
- You Are Awesome by Matthew Syed
11+ readers
- The City of Secret Rivers by Jacob Sager Weinstein
- Twelve Nights by Andrew Zurcher
- The Goose Road by Rowena House
13+ readers
- Truly, Wildly, Deeply by Jenny McLachlan
- Rebound by Kwame Alexander
- Holes by Louis Sachar
YA readers
- I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman
- Encounters by Jason Wallace
- I Stop Somewhere by T. E. Carter
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 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
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
We love Lovereading4kids because it promotes reading choices, new authors and a sense of community for children of all ages!
Rachel Bridgeman
I think Lovereading4kids is an amazing company because of the friendly staff and the fabulous chance to read great books before publication.
Adam Graham
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 Lovereading because I often never know what to read and this helps you find a good book. I have recommended this to many people.
Shannon-Louise Masters – age 15
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
I love Lovereading as it provides an honest opinion and showcases a range of fiction. Suited to both parents & kids alike, it’s a must-use.
Georgie Rowe – age 16
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
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…
Spaghetti with the Yeti
Adam Guillain, Charlotte Guillain
Illustrated by Lee Wildish
Shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2013 - September 2013
Book of the Month George is off on an adventure – to
find…
The Gruffalo
Julia Donaldson
Illustrated by Axel Scheffler
“A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood. A fox saw
the mouse and the mouse looked good.”So begins the story of
how a clever…
How the Elephant Got His Trunk
Anna Milbourne
Illustrated by John Joven
This retelling of Kipling's Just So story is thoroughly appealing
and effective. It's bright and attractive to look at –
John…
Old Bear's Bedtime Stories
Jane Hissey
One of our Books of the Year 2015 - December 2015 Book of the Month
Jane Hissey's Old Bear stories make perfect bedtime reading:
warm-hearted…
Goodnight Tiptoe
Polly Dunbar
A dreamy, goodnight story. Bedtime comes and every one is sleepy
– except Tiptoe! One after another, Tilly settles her friends
down for the…
This month's 'featured books':
Reviewed by Children
Judy Moody Declares Independence!
Megan McDonald
Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Another day. Another mood. Meet Judy Moody at her moodiest-best, in
this laugh-a-minute sixth adventure in the international
bestselling series.
Beyond the Odyssey
Maz Evans
April 2018 Book of the Month The penultimate in the series, Beyond
The Odyssey continues with poor Elliot's life becoming more
difficult by…
Twelve Nights
Andrew Zurcher
April 2018 Debut of the Month | In a Nutshell: Mystery | Magic |
Otherworldly wraiths | An ambitious and atmospheric fantasy…
When Grandad Was a Penguin
Morag Hood
With its strikingly simple images, this picture book will give
children lots to think and talk about and will also have them
laughing out loud.…
Out of the Blue
Sophie Cameron
April 2018 Book of the Month | In a Nutshell: Falling Angels |
Rising Hope | Falling in Love Compelling magic realist debut in
which a fallen…
Artie Conan Doyle and the Vanishing Dragon
Robert J. Harris
In a nutshell: enthralling new mysteries for a young Holmes Artie
Doyle can't resist the temptation offered by a mysterious
invitation to an…
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
The One Memory of Flora Banks
Emily Barr
Longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2018 | One of Our Books of
the Year 2017 | January 2017 MEGA Debut of the Month | In a…
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…
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…
Lucky Button
Michael Morpurgo
Illustrated by Michael Foreman
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the
Month November 2017 Award-winning Michel Morpurgo's warm-hearted
time…
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…
Moonrise
Sarah Crossan
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | Shortlisted for the Costa
Children's Book Award 2017 In a Nutshell: Death row injustice |
Undying…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
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…
Chronologica The Incredible Years That Defined History
Whitaker's Almanack
Written and compiled by the team behind Whitaker's Almanack,
Chronologica provides a eye-opening tour through over 2500 years of
world history,…
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…
Young, Gifted and Black
Jamia Wilson
Illustrated by Andrea Pippins
In a Nutshell: Inspiring celebration of black trailblazers This
inspiring, illuminating, stylishly accessible anthology invites
young readers…
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…
Destination: Space
Christoph Englert
Illustrated by Tom Clohosy Cole
Shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award 2017 - Best Books with
Facts | September 2016 Fascinating Facts Book of the Month …
This month's 'featured books':
UKLA 2018
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 |…
A Perfect Day
Lane Smith
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award In this follow up to the
beautiful There Is a Tribe of Kids, Lane Smith's bright and fresh
artwork combines…
Mind the Gap
Phil Earle
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | Longlisted for the UKLA 2018
Book Award A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month | February 2017
Book…
Alpha Abidjan to Gare du Nord
Bessora
Illustrated by Barroux
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award One of our Books of the
Year 2016 | Alpha hopes that his wife and little son are in Paris
and…
The Bone Sparrow
Zana Fraillon
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award | Shortlisted for the CILIP
Carnegie Medal 2017 and awarded the Amnesty CILIP Honour |…
Kid Got Shot
Simon Mason
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Meet Garvie Smith.
Reprobate, genius, waster, and sometime detective. Right in the
middle of revision hell -…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
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…
Storyworlds: Nature
Thomas Hegbrook
Opening with an exhortation to readers to ‘discover, inquire
and wonder', this is another example of the exciting trend in
non-fiction…
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…
Danny McGee Drinks the Sea
Andy Stanton
Illustrated by Neal Layton
Andy Stanton, that maestro of absurdity, teams up with Neal Layton,
an illustrator who also has a direct line to preposterousness, to
create a…
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 Most Powerful Boy in the Universe
Matt Brown
One of our Books of the Year 2014 - June 2014 Debut of the Month
Told at a speed to match the time-travel theme of the story, this
is a…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
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…
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!…
101 Brilliant Things for Kids to Do with Science
Dawn Isaac
Doing exactly what it says on the tin, this book is indeed packed
with things for kids to do with science and the great news is that
all 101 of them…
The Dying of the Light
Derek Landy
The final shocking, heart-wrenching book in the jaw-droppingly
stupendous Skulduggery Pleasant series. This is it; this is the
end, the concluding…
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…
Who's a Big Bully Then?
Michael Morpurgo
Illustrated by Joanna Carey
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+. How do you see off the school
bully? Sick of being picked on and called ‘chicken' the
narrator of this…
This month's 'featured books':
Super-readable Dyslexia-friendly
Mad in the Back
Michael Rosen
Illustrated by Richard Watson
A Dyslexia Friendly Picture Book for Parent and Child It's hard to
know who will laugh more at this new picture book, children or
their…
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…
Wartman 4u2read
Michael Morpurgo
Illustrated by Joanna Carey
Interest Age 7-12 Reading Age 7 A brand new 4u2read edition
celebrating the 20th anniversary of this touching tale by Michael
Morpurgo.…
Billy Button, Telegram Boy
Sally Nicholls
Illustrated by Sheena Dempsey
One of our Books of the Year 2016 | July 2016 Book of the Month
Meet the Buttons. Mrs Button runs a shop – the nicest thing
about it, she…
The 13th Fairy
Kaye Umansky
Illustrated by Stefano Tambellini
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ Poor Sleeping Beauty! Everyone
knows she was cursed by the wicked fairy out of spite because
she…
Gnomes Gnomes Gnomes!
Anne Fine
Illustrated by Vicki Gausden
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 7 Every time Sam gets his hands on a
piece of clay, he moulds it into a gnome. Hand painted and
varnished by…
