Lovereading4kids most popular books, by age range, 12 - 19 July 2015

Books for Babies and Toddlers

1		What's the Opposite? Oliver Jeffers Julia Eccleshare's Book of the Month, July 2015  Award-winning Oliver Jeffers’s endearingly simple Hueys are always asking interesting questions to help them find out more. This time they want to know more about opposites. Some opposites are easy. Everyone knows ... Download free opening extract
2		The Very Hungry Caterpillar's ABC Eric Carle July 2015 Book of the Month  Explore the amazing animal alphabet with the very hungry caterpillar in this delightful board book. Featuring Eric Carle's bright, distinctive artwork and lots of favourite animals, big and small. A recent survey from The Early ... Download free opening extract
3		Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Lewis Carroll This beautiful board is the perfect first introduction to Alice. Babies and toddlers will love the playful and quirky characters Alison Jay brings to life with her own unique perspective whilst encapsulating the zany other-worldness of Carroll's novel. ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for Young Adults

1		Fire Colour One Jenny Valentine July 2015 Book of the Month  Guardian Prize winning author Jenny Valentine’s long-awaited new novel is clever, beautifully written, full of ideas. It tells the story of sixteen-year-old Iris: lonely and desperately unhappy, she finds self-expression and release through starting ... Download free opening extract
2		Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls Lynn Weingarten July 2015 Book of the Month  June and Delia had an intense relationship, the kind that is all important, all-consuming even, but hard to maintain. In fact, when June hears the terrible news that Delia has died, they hadn’t spoken ... Download free opening extract
3		Because You'll Never Meet Me Leah Thomas July 2015 Debut of the Month   The story of an unusual but increasingly close friendship, this is a totally original and engrossing novel. Ollie and Moritz strike up a friendship through letters. They are far from each other geographically, but ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 3+ readers

1		Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Lewis Carroll This is the perfect story of Alice to share with younger readers.  Tony Ross has done a great job in the retelling for a younger audience and the book is full of his delightfully humourous illustrations too. Building a love ... Download free opening extract
2		Albert and Little Henry Jez Alborough Albert loves making up stories, and his mum and dad love listening to them. But when his baby brother Henry arrives, no-one seems to have time to listen to stories any more. With everyone fussing round Little Henry, Albert feels ... Download free opening extract
3		Where the Bugaboo Lives Sean Taylor Julia Eccleshare's Book of the Month, July 2015 Brilliantly conceived, this hugely attractive picture book is also a sophisticated ‘chose your own adventure’. Floyd wants to go exploring down the valley behind the house where he lives. But his mum ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 5+ readers

1		Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf Catherine Storr The first in a collection of stories for young children in which the resourceful and kind Polly outwits the enthusiastic but dim wolf over a number of encounters which are close enough to be alarming while funny enough to be ... Download free opening extract
2		Crazy Mayonnaisy Mum Julia Donaldson A wonderful collection of poems from the much-loved creator of The Gruffalo, all of them perfect for reading aloud. There are funny poems (lots of those as you’d expect) and nonsense rhymes as well as story poems and quieter poems ... Download free opening extract
3		Wigglesbottom Primary: The Shark in the Pool Pamela Butchart The pupils at Wigglesbottom Primary have very active imaginations and are quick to believe that there’s a shark in the swimming pool, a dinosaur skeleton under their vegetable garden and that Miss Ranger’s play parachute bestows invisibility. Their poor teachers ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 7+ readers

1		My Brother is a Superhero David Solomons July 2015 Debut of the Month  Oh the anguish! Luke is a comic-reading super-hero expert, but he’s gone for a wee at the crucial moment when an alien arrives in his tree-house and it’s his never-read-a-comic-in-his-life brother Zach who gets ... Download free opening extract
2		The Complete Alice Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There Lewis Carroll Julia Eccleshare's Book of the Month, July 2015  The classic stories of Alice and her journeys into Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass are celebrating 150 years in print. These wonderfully imaginative stories have influenced children’s books ever since they ... Download free opening extract
3		Puppy Academy: Scout and the Sausage Thief Gill Lewis Gill Lewis is best known for her very successful award-winning animal stories for children of 9-plus. This new series is for younger readers and features puppies that are learning to become working dogs. Each book will star a different dog ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 9+ readers

1		In Darkling Wood Emma Carroll Julia Eccleshare's Pick of the Month, July 2015 There’s magic afoot in this cleverly constructed story which interweaves two stories of girls growing up a century apart and yet becoming friends as they each come to terms with hopes and fears. ... Download free opening extract
2		A Year in the Life of a Total and Complete Genius Stacey Matson July 2015 Debut of the Month  Arthur Bean seems pretty sure of himself, in no doubt that he’s a brilliant writer with a life of prizes, fame and adulation ahead of him. At least that’s the image he projects in ... Download free opening extract
3		Dream on, Amber Emma Shevah March 2014 Debut of the Month  A funny and heart-warming novel about modern-day families, starting school, being mixed-race and celebrating your uniqueness.  Amber is facing up to life without Dad. He left when she was little, but now she really ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 11+ readers

1		Magisterium: The Iron Trial Cassandra Clare, Holly Black July 2015 Book of the Month  From the remarkable imaginations of bestselling authors Cassandra Clare and Holly Black comes a heart-stopping, mind-blowing, pulse-pounding plunge into the magical unknown.  Magisterium has already been optioned for film and fans of Philip Pullman, ... Download free opening extract
2		Bulletcatcher Chris Bradford July 2015 Book of the Month  Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8 Troy is quietly reading a Batman comic when all hell breaks loose. He’s caught up in a terrorist attack that kills his parents – so far so Bruce ... Download free opening extract
3		The Potion Diaries Amy Alward July 2015 Book of the Month  When the princess of Nova accidentally bewitches herself with an illegally brewed love potion, resulting in the biggest self-crush since Narcissus, there’s an urgent need for an antidote. The kingdom’s alchemists are sent out ... Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 13+ readers

1		All My Secrets Sophie Mckenzie July 2015 Book of the Month    Sophie McKenzie is the master of psychological thrillers for teens, and this is a typically gripping page-turner. Everything Evie Brown has put her trust in is suddenly revealed to be false, even her parents ... Download free opening extract
2		The Village by the Sea Anita Desai Winner of the Guardian Fiction Award, this story of life in village India, where children are forced so young to be adult, will appeal to a wide range of ages. Hari and Lila are the eldest of a poor family ... Download free opening extract
3		One Sarah Crossan The One book you have to read this summer! The phenomenal new title from Carnegie-shortlisted author Sarah Crossan; incredibly moving and extraordinarily crafted, it explores the unbreakable bond and love between sisters. ... Download free opening extract