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
- An Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers
- Roald Dahl's Opposites by Roald Dahl
- Play by Jez Alborough
3+ readers
- Mr Pegg's Post by Elena Topouzoglou
- If All the World Were... by Joseph Coelho
- Wonder Goal! by Michael Foreman
5+ readers
- The Day War Came by Nicola Davies
- Seashore Watcher by Maya Plass
- Norman the Norman and the Very Small Duchess by Philip Ardagh
7+ readers
- Tyrannosaurs Rex Prehistoric Beasts Uncovered - King of the Dinosaurs by Dougal Dixon
- 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
- The Wild Folk by Sylvia V. Linsteadt
11+ readers
- The Adventures of John Blake Mystery of the Ghost Ship by Philip Pullman
- Cogheart by Peter Bunzl
- The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson
13+ readers
- The Family Tree by Mal Peet
- The Tiger on His Back by Bernard Ashley
- My Messed-Up Life by Susin Nielsen
YA readers
- The Weight of a Thousand Feathers by Brian Conaghan
- All of This Is True by Lygia Day Penaflor
- After the Fire by Will Hill
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
You give me age appropriate ideas of books I can read and buy for the children and find out what other children their age think of them too.
Katie Lonsdale
At @HHSHaringey we love @lovereading4kids because our pupils can practice reviewing & get free upcoming books before anyone else!
Helen Swinyard – Heartlands High
Lovereading is just a convenient way to find new books and hear others opinions on them.
Sarah Murray – age 15
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
We love Lovereading4kids because it promotes reading choices, new authors and a sense of community for children of all ages!
Rachel Bridgeman
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
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
A Perfect Day
Lane Smith
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month May 2018 | Longlisted for the
UKLA 2018 Book Award Award winning Lane Smith celebrates the simple
delights of…
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…
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…
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…
Under the Love Umbrella
Davina Bell
Illustrated by Allison Colpoys
This brightly illustrated picture book is a celebration of the
enduring love that surrounds your children, wherever they are in
the world. The…
I See the Moon
Rosalind Beardshaw
This collection contains a bundle of favourite nursery rhymes and
lullabies, together with one or two classic nightime-themed poems
and is a…
This month's 'featured books':
Reviewed by Children
Dog Diaries
Steven Butler & James Patterson
Illustrated by Richard Watson
June 2018 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: It's a (very funny,
very readable) dog's life Narrated at breathless speed by
super-excited…
The Extinction Trials: Exile
S.M. Wilson
In a Nutshell: Dystopian dangers, deadly dinosaurs = Jurassic Park
meets The Hunger Games | Pounding hot on the clawed heels
of…
After the Fire
Will Hill
Winner of the YA Book Prize 2018 | Shortlisted for the CILIP
Carnegie Medal 2018 | In a nutshell: tense, super-suspenseful novel
based on…
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…
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…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
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…
Flip Flap Dogs
Nikki Dyson
Illustrated by Nikki Dyson
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | February 2017 Book of the Month
Open the book and turn its divided pages carefully, top and bottom
half together,…
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…
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…
Where the World Ends
Geraldine McCaughrean
One of our Books of the Year 2017 | Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018
Book Award May 2017 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: beautifully
written,…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
The Sports Timeline Wallbook
Christopher Lloyd, Patrick Skipworth
Illustrated by Andy Forshaw
Ernest Hemingway might have said there are only three real sports
– motor racing, bull-fighting and mountaineering – but
even he might…
Scientist Academy
Steve Martin
Illustrated by Essi Kimpimaki
This cleverly designed, attractive book will catch the imagination
of all children, even those who wrongly believe that they don't
have what it…
Ella Queen of Jazz
Helen Hancocks
Stylishly illustrated this is a piece of non-fiction, the inspiring
story of a special friendship, and a bit of a mystery story too. It
introduces…
How Machines Work
David Macaulay
Winner of the £10,000 Royal Society's Young People's Book
Prize 2016, which champions the best science books for
under-14s.…
Survivors
David Long
Illustrated by Kerry Hyndman
Winner of the Blue Peter Book Award 2017 - Best Books with Facts In
a nutshell: jaw-dropping true stories; survival against the odds
…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
UKLA 2018
Yours Sincerely, Giraffe
Megumi Iwasa
Illustrated by Jun Takabatake
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Giraffe is bored, as
usual. He'd love a friend to share things with. So he writes a
letter and sends…
Grandad's Secret Giant
David Litchfield
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award This picture book from
David Litchfield, author of the Waterstones-Prize winning The Bear
and the Piano, is…
The Tale of Angelino Brown
David Almond
Illustrated by Alex T. Smith
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award May 2017 Book of the Month
| A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month May 2017 Award-winning
David…
Frogkisser!
Garth Nix
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award A brilliantly funny take
on fairytales and quests. Lovereading comment to follow. Garth Nix
said:…
Out of Heart
Irfan Master
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Donating your heart is the
most precious gift of all. Adam is a teenage boy who lives with his
mum and…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
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…
Fenn Halflin and the Fearzero
Francesca Armour-Chelu
Julia Eccleshare's Pick of the Month, June 2016 Debut author
Francesca Armour-Chelu has created a desperate flooded dystopian
world in this…
Thimble Monkey Superstar
Jon Blake
Illustrated by Martin Chatterton
Jams Cogan's life changes when his next door neighbours arrive at
his family bungalow – or Castle as his dad, a not-terribly
successful…
Spangles McNasty and the Fish of Gold
Steve Webb
Illustrated by Chris Mould
To the canon of disgusting, disreputable villains loved by children
– the Twits, Mr Gum, Armitage Shanks – can now be added
Spangles…
Timmy Failure Sanitized for Your Protection
Stephan Pastis
‘To the best of my knowledge', announces Timmy Failure at the
start of this book, in a chapter called Let's Do the Timmy
Warp…
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,…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
Fortunately, the Milk ...
Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Chris Riddell
One of our Books of the Year 2014 Award-winning Neil Gaiman
brilliantly weaves a spell-binding story taking readers up and away
on a wild…
Danny the Champion of the World
Roald Dahl
Illustrated by Quentin Blake
A classic Roald Dahl title, a most touching story of a boy and his
very special father. Danny and his father live in a caravan parked
right next to…
Doctor Proctor's Fart Powder: The End of the World. Maybe.
Jo Nesbo
With crazy inventions, disappearing socks, half-men half-frogs, a
moon chameleon invasion and, of course, plenty of super-sonic
bottom burps, this is…
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…
Point Blanc Graphic Novel
Anthony Horowitz, Antony Johnston
Brilliantly visualised, these graphic novel versions of the
best-selling stories of boy spy Alex Rider add a fantastic new
dimension to the original…
Triceratops Prehistoric Beasts Uncovered - The Dinosaur Built to Do Battle
Dougal Dixon
This new book, part of the Prehistoric Beasts Uncovered series,
brings us hot off the press scientific information on Triceratops,
one of the most…
This month's 'featured books':
Super-readable Dyslexia-friendly
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…
Rugby Academy: Surface to Air
Tom Palmer
Illustrated by David Shephard
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ Good rugby stories for young
readers are thin on the ground, but Tom Palmer's Rugby Academy
books…
The Beast
Michaela Morgan
Illustrated by Chris Mould
Interest Age 7-12 Reading Age 7 Clever telling keeps this story
spooky and surprising. Chapter one and Robbie and Gareth are
local…
Snug
Michael Morpurgo
Illustrated by Faye Hanson
Interest Age 5-8 Former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo has a
gift for telling stories about animals and how they touch the lives
of…
Mozart's Banana
Gillian Cross
Illustrated by Richard Morgan
Interest Age 7-12 Reading Age 7+ The best-selling author of The
Demon Headmaster tells a thrilling and funny story about the taming
of a…
Free Lance and the Lake of Skulls
Paul Stewart, Chris Riddell
Illustrated by Chris Riddell
Interest Age 8+ Reading Age 8 | In a nutshell: magic, knights and
double-dealing Free Lance is a knight for hire, and sometimes has
to take…
