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
- A Great Big Cuddle by Michael Rosen
- Owl Bat Bat Owl by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
- Counting with Tiny Cat by Viviane Schwarz
3+ readers
- The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse by Mac Barnett
- Du Iz Tak? by Carson Ellis
- The Bear and the Piano Sound Book by David Litchfield
5+ readers
- All the Year Round by John Yeoman
- What Was I Scared Of? by Dr. Seuss
- The T-Rex Who Lost His Specs! by Jeanne Willis
7+ readers
- The Creakers by Tom Fletcher
- Witch for a Week by Kaye Umansky
- The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher
9+ readers
- Skeleton Tree by Kim Ventrella
- Father Christmas and Me by Matt Haig
- Laugh Out Loud by James Patterson
11+ readers
- The Wonderling by Mira Bartok
- A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge
- Cogheart by Peter Bunzl
13+ readers
- Things a Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls
- It Only Happens in the Movies by Holly Bourne
- Hope by Rhian Ivory
YA readers
- 36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You by Vicki Grant
- A Monster Calls: Special Collector's Edition by Patrick Ness
- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
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 so easy to find the right book for your child. Such an easy-to-use, yet in-depth website. 100% reliable.
Pippa, Jack, Liam & Matthew Wils
At @HHSHaringey we love @lovereading4kids because our pupils can practice reviewing & get free upcoming books before anyone else!
Helen Swinyard – Heartlands High
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
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
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 they put books in front of us we wouldn’t otherwise have read. They make us more adventurous readers!
Emily Jacques
It’s a community united by a passion for books and promoting the best there is in children’s literature.
Sam Bateman and family
It is fantastic, you get to read lots of books and you always find something new and amazing in them.
Erica Motoc, age 7
This month's 'featured books':
Bedtime Reading
Mr Underbed
Chris Riddell
Award-winning Chris Riddell tells a witty and inventive story that
is perfect for bedtime. When Mr Underbed pops up from under Jim's
bed asking…
Mother Goose's Bedtime Rhymes
Traditional Rhymes
Illustrated by Axel Scheffler
With beautiful illustrations by the award-winning Axel Scheffler
comes this beautiful board book featuring Mother Goose and her
playful gosling.…
Where the Wild Things are
Maurice Sendak
Jacqueline Wilson, February 2012 Guest Editor: "The text is very
minimal but perfect - and the illustrations are glorious. This
isn't a scary…
100 Brilliant Poems for Children
Paul Cookson
Paul Cookson's collection does not claim to be the definitive
hundred brilliant poems, but it comes close; providing a fun,
inspiring and…
Teddy Bedtime
Georgie Birkett
Award-winning illustrator Georgie Birkett makes bedtime with the
teddies charming as they jump and play and sing as they get ready
for bed. A glossy…
My Favourite Nursery Rhymes Board Book: Bedtime Rhymes
Tony Ross
This lovely collection of favourite bedtime nursery rhymes with
charming, lively illustrations from Tony Ross to accompany each
rhyme is a wonderful…
This month's 'featured books':
Carnegie Greenaway
The Ghost of Thomas Kempe
Penelope Lively
Winner of the 1973 CILIP Carnegie Medal The Ghost of Thomas Kempe
is a timeless and haunting story, critically acclaimed, this
Carnegie award…
This is Not My Hat
Jon Klassen
Winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal 2014 - Winner of the UKLA Book
Awards 3-6yrs 2014 - Winner of the 2013 Caldecott Medal. One of
Julia…
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (illustrated by Helen Oxenbury)
Lewis Carroll
Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
Winner of the 1999 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal Full of the most
wondrous wit and humour, wonderful magic and believable nonsense,
this…
The Sleeper and the Spindle
Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Chris Riddell
Winner of the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2016. A deluxe edition of
the thrillingly reimagined fairy tale by the magical partnership
of…
Watership Down
Richard Adams
Illustrated by Aldo Galli
Winner of the 1972 CILIP Carnegie Medal A book that resonates as
vividly today as it did nearly half a century ago, this
keepsake…
The Journey
Francesca Sanna
Winner for the 2017 Klaus Flugge Prize | Winner of the UKLA 2017
Book Award | Shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2017
and awarded the…
This month's 'featured books':
Books Reviewed by Children
Moone Boy 3: The Notion Potion
Chris O'Dowd, Nick Vincent Murphy
The Notion Potion is the hilarious third book in the Moone Boy
series, based on the Sky TV series from dream team Chris O'Dowd and
Nick Vincent…
The Secrets of the Wild Wood (Winter Edition)
Tonke Dragt
Tonke Dragt's The Letter for the King has been acknowledged as a
classic of Dutch literature since its publication over fifty years
ago, but it…
There May Be a Castle
Piers Torday
Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award In a nutshell: the
unbeatable power of the imagination | Piers Torday's
beautifully…
Magnus Chase and the Hammer of Thor (Book 2)
Rick Riordan
In a Nutshell: Exhilaratingly entertaining mythological mayhem |
Adventure and all-round awesomeness abound in this second book in
the…
The Secret Horses of Briar Hill
Megan Shepherd
Illustrated by Levi Pinfold
The story of a young girl in a sanatorium and the magical winged
horses that only she can see, this is beautifully written,
beautifully illustrated,…
A Kitten Called Holly
Helen Peters
Illustrated by Ellie Snowdon
In a nutshell: warm-hearted animal story set on a proper farm These
sweet little stories are perfect for animal-mad youngsters and
filled…
This month's 'featured books':
Bookshelf Essentials
Bears In The Night
Stan Berenstain, Jan Berenstain
One of our 'Must Reads'. Lively pictures, charming characters and
the fact that the story only uses 24 words, but to beautiful
effect, make this a…
Tabby McTat
Julia Donaldson
Illustrated by Axel Scheffler
Best-selling author and illustrator Julia Donaldson and Axel
Scheffler have teamed up again to create a heart-warming story
about loyalty and…
Aliens in Underpants Save the World
Claire Freedman
Illustrated by Ben Cort
The bestselling Aliens decked out in the finest underpants, are
back for a new set of adventures. This time it's nothing less than
saving the…
The Cat In The Hat
Dr. Seuss
Classic and best-selling, the rhyming verse story of The Cat in the
Hat remains as fresh as when it was first published. Arriving
announced and…
Monsters
Russell Hoban
Illustrated by Quentin Blake
John loves drawing monsters. Red monsters. Purple monsters. Spotted
monsters. Furry monsters. Any kind of monster. And then he draws
just a…
The Wee Free Men
Terry Pratchett
First published in 2003, The Wee Free Men is the second story in
the Discworld series for young readers. The Queen of the Elves has
another attempt…
This month's 'featured books':
Classics
Buddy
Nigel Hinton
In a nutshell: Iconic | Outspoken | Big Issues | Difficult Truths
Buddy is a moving and totally convincing account of a boy's
faltering relationship…
Stone Cold
Robert Swindells
In a nutshell: Iconic | Outspoken | Big Issues | Difficult
TruthsStone Cold is a Carnegie Medal-winning thriller by Robert
Swindells. It is one of…
The Indian in the Cupboard
Lynne Reid Banks
Lynne Reid Banks's much-loved book has all the ingredients of a
perfect children's story. Nine-year old Omri is given two important
gifts…
The Wave
Morton Rhue
In a nutshell: Iconic | Outspoken | Big Issues | Difficult Truths
The Wave is based on a nightmarish true episode in a Californian
high school, when…
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Mildred D. Taylor
Illustrated by David Kearney
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the classic story of a girl growing
up in the deep South. _____________ Puffin Fact! After
graduating…
Tarka the Otter
Henry Williamson
Illustrated by Annabel Large
This is the classic story of an otter living in the Devonshire
countryside which captures the feel of life in the wild as seen
through the otter's…
