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
- The Wildest Cowboy by Garth Jennings
- Square by Mac Barnett
- 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
- How to Bee by Bren MacDibble
- You Are Awesome by Matthew Syed
- Spirit by Sally Christie
11+ readers
- The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson
- A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge
- The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood-Hargrave
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!
It’s really exciting to read and review new books, thrilling to see my reviews online and I love finding the final published copies on sale.
Sam Harper – age 10
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
LoveReading4Kids is a modern and creative way of emphasising the value and importance of books in this digital age #booksforlife
Amrit Bunet – Teen
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
It is THE website to use for narrowing down your search for any book. Definitely knocks the socks off any other book review website.
Nickey and Tomasz Hawryszczuk
It’s a community united by a passion for books and promoting the best there is in children’s literature.
Sam Bateman and family
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
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
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
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…
Richard Scarry's Best Treasury Ever
Richard Scarry
A stunning hardback treasury of five of Richard Scarry's best-loved
stories - the perfect gift for Scarry fans, young and old!
Richard…
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…
Tufty
Michael Foreman
Tufty the little duck grows up in the grounds of Buckingham Palace
(his parents are very fond of the Royal Duck and Duckess (sic) who
give the ducks…
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,…
Bedtime with Ted
Sophy Henn
It's bedtime for Ted, but he's just too busy yet – flip the
flaps and you can see why: Ted is in the bath with some penguins,
busy…
This month's 'featured books':
Reviewed by Children
After the Fire
Will Hill
Shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2018 | Shortlisted for the CILIP
Carnegie Medal 2018 | In a nutshell: tense, super-suspenseful novel
based on…
The Faceless Ones
Derek Landy
Prize winning Skulduggery Pleasant is back for a third thrilling
adventure. Along with his side-kick Stephanie, Skulduggery, the
skeleton detective,…
The Lie Tree
Frances Hardinge
Award-winning Frances Hardinge is spellbinding is this hugely
entertaining and dramatic Victorian thriller. When Faith's father
dies suddenly…
Skylarks
Karen Gregory
In a Nutshell: Falling in love, taking a stand, and standing tall
Exploring an unforgettable relationship between two young women
and…
Rose Rivers
Jacqueline Wilson
Illustrated by Nick Sharratt
May 2018 MEGA Book of the Month | In a nutshell: new and old
friends united in classic Jacqueline Wilson story
Jacqueline…
Kat Wolfe Investigates
Lauren St.John
In a nutshell: animals, adventure and an irresistible cast of
characters This new series has everything that marks out the best,
most satisfying and…
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
The Land of Neverendings
Kate Saunders
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | November 2017 Book of the Month
| A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month October 2017
Award-winning…
The Ravenmaster's Boy
Mary Hoffman
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | In a nutshell: intrigue and
treachery at the Tower of London, and a bird's eye view of the end
of Anne…
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…
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…
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…
Indigo Donut
Patrice Lawrence
Shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2018 | One of Our Books of the
Year 2017 | In a Nutshell: Soaring soundtrack to resilience
and…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
Hidden World Forest
Libby Walden
Illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman
With large flaps on every page, short accompanying explanatory
sentences and attractive illustrations, this is a great book to
introduce children to…
Lift-the-flap Questions and Answers about Long Ago
Katie Daynes
Illustrated by Peter Donnelly
Facts and flaps are an irresistible combination in this
illuminating information book. Divided into sections Where, Who,
Why, What, How, When…
100 Most: Unexplained Mysteries on the Planet
Anna Claybourne
Think 21st century humans have explained pretty much everything
there is to explain? Think again! As this book demonstrates,
there's still a…
How Does a Lighthouse Work?
Roman Belyaev
Join a group of school children on this voyage of discovery and
discover the answers to lots of questions as well as fascinating
facts…
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…
A World of Cities
Lily Murray
Illustrated by James Brown
In this large format picture book 30 famous cities around the globe
are brought to life through beautiful illustrations and a vast
miscellany of…
This month's 'featured books':
UKLA 2018
The Street Beneath My Feet
Charlotte Gullian
Illustrated by Yuval Zommer
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Detailed, ingenious and
graphically beautiful this information book opens, as the best do,
with an…
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 |…
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…
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…
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…
The Hate u Give
Angie Thomas
Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2018 | One of Our Books of
the Year 2017 | Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award | April
2017 Debut of the…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
Dylan's Amazing Dinosaurs - The Stegosaurus
E. T. Harper
Illustrated by Dan Taylor
Dylan and his dinosaur friend fly off on amazing dinosaur discovery
missions to the Land of Living Dinosaurs. This time he has to
discover what…
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…
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…
Spies in Disguise: Boy in a Tutu
Kate Scott
A funny, wise-cracking spy story with World Cup memorabilia at its
centre - James Bond never had to dress up as a girl!! - packed full
of gadgets and…
William Bee's Wonderful World of Trucks
William Bee
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month March 2017 Irresistible for
anyone mad about trucks! There's so much to learn about the…
The Adventures of Alfie Onion
Vivian French
Illustrated by Marta Kissi
If you love fairytales – and who couldn't? – you'll
love this brand new adventure written by one of our most inventive
and…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
Jinks and O'Hare Funfair Repair
Philip Reeve
Illustrated by Sarah McIntyre
Bestselling Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre have created a fabulous
feisty new heroine in Emily who is determined to be as helpful as
she possibly…
The Forever Man
Eoin Colfer
The heroes of Eoin Colfer's wonderful time-travelling W.A.R.P.
series, Victorian orphan Riley and Shawnee FBI juvenile consultant
Chevie are…
Hard Luck
Jeff Kinney
Hard Luck, book 8 of the hilarious, globally-bestselling and
award-winning Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, is now out in paperback.
Francesca Dow, m.d.…
Rover and the Big Fat Baby
Roddy Doyle
Illustrated by Chris Judge
Rover, star of The Giggler Treatment and others, is back for a new
and equally hilarious dog-poo centred adventure. As ever, Rover
needs to collect…
Fame Thing
Jonathan Meres
Illustrated by Jake McDonald
One of our Super Readable Books of the Year 2016 | Interest Age
8-12 Reading Age 8 | In a nutshell: funny story of football,
fandom…
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
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…
ANZAC Boys
Tony Bradman
Illustrated by Ollie Cuthbertson
Interest Age 9+ Reading Age 8+ Children are hyper-sensitive to
unfairness, and the lives described in this Barrington Stoke
World…
The Lion Roars
Alan Gibbons
Illustrated by Chris Chalik
The story of a young footballer from Africa who achieves his dream
of winning a place at one of the top UK clubs, this short novel is
both a…
Mr Birdsnest and the House Next Door
Julia Donaldson, Catriona Black
Illustrated by Hannah Shaw
Interest Age 5-8 Former Children's Laureate Julia Donaldson's story
is a touching adventure told in easy to read chapters. Elmo
and…
The Genius Aged 8 1/4
Jeremy Strong
Illustrated by Jamie Smith
Jeremy Strong knows exactly what will make young readers laugh:
eccentric characters; zany plots; plenty of slapstick. Alfie
Poppleton is a very…
Meet the Weirds
Kaye Umansky
Illustrated by Chris Mould
Interest Age 9-12 Reading Age 8+ The Weirds are a most unusual
family in every way; mum is a stunt woman, dad is a scientist with
a habit of blowing…
