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
- Over the Hills and Far Away A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes from Around the World by Elizabeth Hammill
- A Great Big Cuddle by Michael Rosen
3+ readers
- Square by Mac Barnett
- Wonder Goal! by Michael Foreman
- The Match by Russell Ayto
5+ readers
- The Great Telephone Mix-Up (Little Gem) by Sally Nicholls
- Town Is by the Sea by Joanne Schwartz
- The Bad Mood and the Stick by Lemony Snicket
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
- The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
YA readers
- Release by Patrick Ness
- The Girl in the Broken Mirror by Savita Kalhan
- Moonrise by Sarah Crossan
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
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
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 ‘LoveReading 4 kids’ because they let you read and learn things you’d never dreamed of learning before.
Emily Horncastle – age 11
At @HHSHaringey we love @lovereading4kids because our pupils can practice reviewing & get free upcoming books before anyone else!
Helen Swinyard – Heartlands High
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
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
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
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
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…
I Love You, Too!
Michael Foreman
Award-winning picture book creator, Michael Foreman celebrates the
love between a father and child in this endearing bedtime story
from this twice…
Snow Penguin
Tony Mitton
Illustrated by Alison Brown
A wonderful adventure for a bold little penguin is beautifully told
in Tony Mitton's elegant and witty rhyming text. Determined to
explore the…
Baby's Bedtime Story Box
Sam Taplin
Six enchanting hardcover books in a sturdy slipcase box, with
gentle stories to read aloud and magical illustrations to help
toddlers and young…
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…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Reviewed by Children
The Burning Maze
Rick Riordan
May 2018 MEGA Book of the Month | In a nutshell: gods and monsters,
heroism and humour | The Burning Maze is book three in…
Skylarks
Karen Gregory
In a Nutshell: Falling in love, taking a stand, and standing tall
Exploring an unforgettable relationship between two young women
and…
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…
How to Bee
Bren MacDibble
May 2018 Book of the Month How To Bee is unlike any story I have
ever read. The narrative voice is heartfelt and the author uses a
mild form…
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 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…
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
A Girl Called Owl
Amy Wilson
Longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2018 | One of Our Books of
the Year 2017 | February 2017 Book of the Month | In a
nutshell:…
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe
Lauren James
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | September 2017 Book of the
Month | In a Nutshell: Stellar story of survival in outer space A
uniquely…
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…
Countless
Karen Gregory
Longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2018 | One of Our Books of
the Year 2017 | In a Nutshell: Compelling and compassionate account
of…
I Funny: School of Laughs
James Patterson
Illustrated by Jomike Tejido
One of our Books of the Year 2018 | June 2017 Book of the Month |
In a nutshell: more fast, funny, heavily illustrated adventures
with…
Running on the Roof of the World
Jess Butterworth
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | June 2017 Debut of the Month In
a Nutshell: Spirit of survival abounds on an epic Himalayan…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
100 Most Awesome Things on the Planet
Anna Claybourne
The world we live in is truly amazing, and across its continents,
oceans and skies are all kinds of fabulous places and astounding
sights. Almost 100…
Life on Earth: Human Body
Heather Alexander
Illustrated by Andres M. Lozano
This is a typically informative and cleverly designed book from
Wide Eyed Editions, one of our leading new publishers of
non-fiction. Over 16…
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,…
Animal Journeys
Patricia Hegarty
Illustrated by Jessica Courtney-Tickle
Starting with the Arctic tern, which makes the longest migration of
any creature, an astonishing 91,600km (57,000 mi) this
journal-sized book is full…
Lesser Spotted Animals
Martin Brown
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award In a nutshell: not your
average animal book | This is no ordinary animal book, you won't
find…
Books! Books! Books!
Mick Manning
Illustrated by Brita Granstrom
April 2017 Book of the Month Who better to take young readers on a
guided tour of the British Library than Mick Manning and
Brita…
This month's 'featured books':
UKLA 2018
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…
The Road To Ever After
Moira Young
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Moira Young puts her own
spin on the Christmas film classic It's a Wonderful Life in this
delightful…
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 -…
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.…
Grumpy Frog
Ed Vere
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Join Grumpy Frog as he
learns about compromise and tolerance, friendship and the power of
saying sorry. A…
Optimists Die First
Susin Nielsen
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award March 2017 Book of the
Month | In a Nutshell: how to hope for the best even when you've
been through…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
Timmy Failure: The Cat Stole My Pants
Stephan Pastis
In a nutshell: Hilarious sleuthing with boy detective and his
sidekick polar bear… | A new Timmy Failure book is
always…
Would You Rather: Dine with a Dung Beetle or Lunch with a Maggot?
Camilla de le Bedoyere
Illustrated by Mel Howells
Would you rather dine with a dung beetle, drink with a mosquito,
have supper with a spider or lunch with a maggot? Pick your answer
and learn about…
Chaos Descends
Shane Hegarty
Illustrated by James De La Rue
In a nutshell: monster monster-hunting fun Book three in Shane
Hegarty's Darkmouth series serves up another helping of
monster…
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…
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…
Just Call Me Spaghetti-Hoop Boy
Lara Williamson
March 2017 Book of the Month A touching and amusing story about
belonging and the search for an heroic identity. Adam has always
known that he was…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
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:…
Imagination According to Humphrey
Betty G. Birney
Illustrated by Jason Chapman
Children's favourite Humphrey the hamster is back for another
adventure, his twelfth no less. The good news is that he's just
as…
Squishy McFluff: The Big Country Fair
Pip Jones
Illustrated by Ella Okstad
In a nutshell: Fluffy invisible friend conquers all at country fair
There's tension at the heart of this new Squishy McFluff story: Ava
and…
Laugh Out Loud
James Patterson
In a nutshell: lively, comic story celebrating kids' reading and
determination James Patterson creates books kids love, and his
latest book is…
Peace Maker
Malorie Blackman
Illustrated by Matthew Griffin
In a short book of less than 80 pages Malorie Blackman delivers an
exciting, incisive story with a credible, interesting central
character and…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Super-readable Dyslexia-friendly
Contact
Malorie Blackman
Illustrated by Paul Fisher
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 7+ Malorie Blackman is adept at
writing thought-provoking books as full of ideas as they are of
action and…
The Hat Trick
Terry Deary
Illustrated by Stefano Tambellini
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8 Can Jud rise to the challenge in
this new edition of the popular football-tale-with-a-twist from
award-winning…
My Dog Daisy
Jean Ure
Illustrated by Charlie Alder
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ This new story from Jean Ure,
though seemingly simple and straightforward, is typically full of
insight into…
McTavish Goes Wild
Meg Rosoff
Illustrated by Grace Easton
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8 | Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book
Award | A new story for that best of all dogs, McTavish, and
another…
Stars Shall be Bright
Catherine MacPhail
Illustrated by Ollie Cuthbertson
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ There are all sorts of stories
being told about World War One, this one, based on the true story
of the…
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…
