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
- Bug Hotel by Libby Walden
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
- Tin by Padraig Kenny
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
- Holes by Louis Sachar
- The Football Trials: Kick Off by John Hickman
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!
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 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
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
Writing reviews help the children with their literacy skills and we always read the books together which gives us good quality family time!
Cat Bisland (on behalf of the Bi
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
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 a community united by a passion for books and promoting the best there is in children’s literature.
Sam Bateman and family
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
Each Peach Pear Plum
Allan Ahlberg, Janet Ahlberg
Illustrated by 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…
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…
Tales for Little Children
Various Authors
There are fairy tales from all over the world gathered together in
this very attractive collection some of which, such as Dick
Whittington and…
Beep Beep Beep Time for Sleep!
Claire Freedman
Illustrated by Richard Smythe
This book will be heaven for digger devotees, and a dream come true
for their parents too. A busy day on the motorway is drawing to a
close: the…
Blown Away
Rob Biddulph
Winner of the 2015 Waterstones Children's Book Prize A brilliant
adventure for a bold Penguin who gets swept up, up and away on a
brand new…
Lily and Bear
Lisa Stubbs
One of our Books of the Year 2015 -April 2015 Debut of the Month
Lily and Bear – two wonderful new characters who love to
play…
This month's 'featured books':
Reviewed by Children
The Book Case
Dave Shelton
April 2018 Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month
April 2018 A deliciously exciting story with a great boarding
school…
The Five Realms: The Gift of Dark Hollow
Kieran Larwood
Illustrated by David Wyatt
In a nutshell: brave rabbits continue their fight against a
terrifying enemy The story of rabbit hero Podkin One-Ear continues
in this…
Judy Moody Predicts the Future
Megan McDonald
Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Another day. Another mood. Meet Judy Moody at her moodiest-best, in
this laugh-a-minute fourth adventure in the international
bestselling series.
I Have Lost My Way
Gayle Forman
April 2018 Book of the Month A heart-wrenching and powerful YA
story exploring themes of loss, love and discovery, from
award-winning, bestselling…
Emily Windsnap and the Falls of Forgotten Island
Liz Kessler
In a nutshell: exciting new adventure for the deservedly popular
Emily Windsnap An idyllic holiday in the sun with her…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Books of the Year
Who Let the Gods Out?
Maz Evans
Longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2018 | One of Our Books of
the Year 2017 | February 2017 Debut of the Month Oh my goodness,
this…
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…
William Bee's Wonderful World of Trains, Boats and Planes
William Bee
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | If you love vehicles, then this
is the book for you! William Bee shows off a multitude of amazing
vehicles,…
The Dollmaker of Krakow
R. M. Romero
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | October 2017 Debut of the Month
In a Nutshell: An enchantingly heartrending conjuration that
weaves…
A Berlin Love Song
Sarah Matthias
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | In a nutshell: an unusual and
unforgettable wartime love story | Lili Petalo is a…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Fascinating Facts
Big Picture Book of General Knowledge
James Maclaine
Illustrated by Annie Carbo
Packed with interesting and useful information on a range of
important subjects areas, from geography (a section called Around
the World), to music,…
The Earth Book
Jonathan Litton
Illustrated by Thomas Hegbrook
April 2017 Fascinating Facts Book of the Month This beautiful
information book explores all aspects of our planet, this
‘tiny…
Bird House
Libby Walden
Illustrated by Clover Robin
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month March 2018 This chunky book
imitates a bird house in shape and makes a great format for an
attractive…
Coder Academy
Sean McManus
Illustrated by Rosan Magar
October 2017 Non-Fiction Book of the Month This well-designed,
interactive workbook provides a really good introduction to coding
for children. It…
100 Steps for Science Why it Works and How it Happened
Lisa Jane Gillespie
Illustrated by Yukai Du
Covering ten important general areas of scientific study including
space, wheels, light, medicine, energy and life, this handsome
information book…
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
A Child of Books
Oliver Jeffers, Sam Winston
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Julia Eccleshare's Book of
the Month September 2016 Award-winning storyteller and artist
Oliver…
Goodbye Days
Jeff Zentner
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award In a Nutshell: Loss,
friendship and the light of re-finding your way | An…
My Pictures After the Storm
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award A gust of wind, an
elephant, a dive bomb, a spell: this funky “before and
after” book will have…
It Starts with a Seed
Laura Knowles
Illustrated by Jennie Webber
Shortlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award The life cycle of a tree
is beautifully described in this outstanding book. A narrative
poem…
Counting with Tiny Cat
Viviane Schwarz
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award Quirky and inventive as
ever, Viviane Schwarz brings her playful genius to the counting
book. Tiny Cat goes…
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…
This month's 'featured books':
Books for Boys
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…
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…
Compton Valance Super F.A.R.T.s versus the Master of Time
Matt Brown
Illustrated by Lizzie Finlay
Compton Valance and his best friend Bryan Nylon are unlikely
heroes, but they managed to create a time machine out of a mouldy
cheese sandwich and…
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 Long Haul
Jeff Kinney
February 2016 Book of the Month The best-selling Wimpy Kid is off
on a family holiday. Mum is full of good ideas about the trip.
Especially…
Rory Branagan (Detective)
Andrew Clover
Illustrated by Ralph Lazar
April 2018 Debut of the Month | In a nutshell: in his own words,
quirky, super-readable saga of a ten-year-old…
This month's 'featured books':
Reluctant Readers
A Dog Called Flow
Pippa Goodhart
Illustrated by Anthony Lewis
Shortlisted for the Smarties Prize and the Kathleen Fidler Award.
Oliver is struggling at school, and the other children laugh at
him. …
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…
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…
Green Eggs and Ham
Dr. Seuss
Hilarious and with a memorable rhyming text, this is the perfect
advocate for the adage, you don't know if you like something
until…
Walter Brown and the Magician's Hat
Karen Inglis
London-based children's author Karen Inglis is back with another
illustrated page-turner, this time for ages 7-9. Karen has made a
name for…
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
Robot Girl
Malorie Blackman
Illustrated by Matthew Griffin
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ When it comes to writing
involving, thought-provoking page-turners, Malorie Blackman is
unbeatable. In this…
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…
Prince Frog Face
Kaye Umansky
Illustrated by Ben Whitehouse
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8+ Andy Stanton describes Kaye
Umansky as ‘wickedly funny' and that's very true of her
version of The…
The Black Knight of Gressingham 4u2read
Philip Ardagh
Illustrated by Mike Phillips
Interest Age 7-12 Reading Age 7 Philip Ardagh is one of the
funniest - and cleverest - authors around and his stories of the
Green Men of…
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…
Noah Scape Can't Stop Repeating Himself
Guy Bass
Illustrated by Steve May
Interest Age 8-11 Reading Age 8 Guy Bass's hilarious story is a
lesson to be careful what you wish for and why making everything
all…
