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Find out moreSee below a selection of titles that we have found to be useful to parents in helping them steer their children through their formative years.
In a similar vein to ‘Who Needs Nappies? Not me!’ this latest, rousing, potty training cry ‘You Can't Wear Panties!’ by Justine Avery is a short and good humoured picture book to celebrate progress during the toilet training process with any young reader. Filled with delightful pictures, offering those who aren’t able to wear “panties” (flowers and goldfish? Most definitely not!) and a triumphant young girl who has reached the stage where she can. young readers are sure to have a giggle at whether each character in the picture would be able to wear big-girl pants as they read. Filled with humour and positivity, this another nice book for any parent who is potty training and looking to encourage excitement around toilet independence. I would have liked some variation in the phrasing to make it more appealing to slightly older readers too (and to assuage my personal dislike of the word “panties”), but the repetition of the two key phrases throughout the book is guaranteed to have young children marching around proudly chanting for the rest of the day. Charlotte Walker, A LoveReading4Kids Ambassador
‘Everybody Toots’ by Justine Avery follows in the same style as previous books in the series, ‘Everybody Pees’ and 'Everybody Poops’. There’s humorous details to spot on the cover which I’m sure will have young children giggling from the outset. As with the other books mentioned, ‘Everybody Toots’ is a great picture book for normalising bodily functions, and encouraging children to be more confident in their body and what it does. The light-hearted words take you through an extensive list of people and animals who all have one thing in common: they all toot. The illustrations by Naday Meldova are bright and colourful, with lots of amusing facial expressions and scenarios depicted. Another fun book that could help to start the conversation of why we toot with younger readers as well as a way to give confidence and reassurance when needed. Charlotte Walker, A LoveReading4Kids Ambassador
‘Who Needs Nappies? Not Me!’ is another bright and colourful picture book from Justine Avery. Boldly illustrated by Seema Amjad, this book introduces us to a variety of children who no longer need to wear their Nappies. With some toilet humour and scenarios that will make young readers gasp and giggle, this book focuses on growing up and leaving dirty diapers behind. Any parent will, I’m certain, have at least one story come to mind while reading each page, which can be laughed about when toilet training is completed. This is written in a simple repetitive style that will allow younger readers to follow along and join in. I thought perhaps that there could have been more of a focus on the potty training process, and the gradual steps to graduating from nappies until eventually the book can declare ‘Who Needs Nappies? Not Me!’. However, I feel this is a book so full of enthusiasm that I think it would be a good way to get young children excited about starting the process. Charlotte Walker, A LoveReading4Kids Ambassador
With comforting clarity, this thorough guide provides vital insight into all aspects of friendship, and also offers support and solutions for navigating one’s way through worries and difficulties. While there are many excellent books aimed at guiding young people through their teenage years, this book’s focus on friendship makes it uniquely invaluable. It places much emphasis on understanding emotions, personality types and behaviours, both one’s own, and those of others. I particularly loved how friendship is framed in the context of being a fundamental human characteristic – “humans are, by nature, social animals”, “we have created lots of ways of supporting each other, through various sorts of friendships.” The book comprehensively covers how to make good friends, toxic friendships, dealing with social media and bullying, developing empathy, and managing stress and anxiety. The personality quizzes are perfect for nurturing self-awareness, inviting readers to explore, for example, if they might be too anxious, how empathetic they are, whether they’re more introvert or extrovert. Both enlightening and practical, this is a must-read for 12+ year olds, and an essential addition to school libraries.
The hot (cool) new cook book for 7 - 14 year old children who love food and want to understand more about where it comes from and how to create amazing real meals. Empowering (and with no rice crispy cakes in sight) the 50 easy-to-follow recipies in this guide will teach basic skills and be the springboard for a live-long love of real food.
We’ve discovered a brilliant new edition of a book on memory that has done hugely well for us since it was first published in 2007. Having spent the summer using their minds a little less than while at school, this completely new edition is perfect for pupils and dare we say it members of staff and parents too to get back into the school year with a flourish. Full of cool tricks and fun exercises to help you hone memory to super-hero standards, it is the perfect book for anyone who wants to improve their study skills or make their memory the best it can be. Perfect for 8-12 year olds.
Teenagers and their parents will find much to fascinate them in this updated edition of Nicola Morgan’s skilful, non-scientists explanation of the complex and specific science that makes teenagehood such a specific period of growing up. New research has revealed even more about the workings of the brain and it appears that teenagers are wired somewhat differently. That’s especially true when it comes to sleep – as all parents of teens know well! It is also true in regard to the taking of risks and to the taking of stimulants. Tests and quizzes and lots of illustrations support the scientific but jargon free text.
This delightful dip in book helps parents who want to give their baby the best start in life. It helps them pick the right type of board and picture books to enhance their baby's reading, writing and numeracy skills and it also shows them how to develop these skills using imaginative play with lots of storytelling and communication activities. You'll find all the books selected in this parenting guide on Lovereading4kids and more often than not you can check out an extract too before deciding whether it's the right book for child. If you've already got one of the selected books then use Alison Davies' suggestions for guidance.
Inspirational! Full of tempting, action packed photos, this introduction to having fun in the outdoors should get parents and their children out there as soon as possible. The range of activities is huge from boisterous outdoor games for big groups to attractive craft ideas for quieter times. Run Wild is full of ideas and inspiration for outdoor games, adventures and practical activities for children and young people. Following the success of Nature's Playground, Go Wild and Make it Wild, in their latest book, Run Wild, Jo Schofield and Fiona Danks focus on inspiring children of all ages - as well as parents, teachers, youth leaders and anyone working or playing with children - to have fun outdoors, anywhere, any time, whatever the weather.
A terrific book to lure kids away from their computers and to go outside to discover the natural world around us. It’s packed with ideas for creative activities using natural materials to make things. Aimed more at the parent than the child/teenager, this book will prove invaluable in providing children with the freedom to enjoy outdoor activities and to enable them to experience their own limits, take measured risks and learn new skills whilst looking after and protecting the world around us. If you’re looking for a book for children to enjoy along similar lines to this book but more kid friendly then take a look at Go Wild.
From the authors of the highly successful Adventures Walks for Families In and Around London comes London Adventure Walks, offering 25 carefully devised, imaginative explorations of London - all starting from points easily accessible by public transport - specifically designed to appeal to children. Intriguing explorations of the historic (Tudor London/Dick Whittington/Fire of London/Florence Nightingale), literary (Dickens, Shakespeare, 101 Dalmatians, Paddington Bear), artistic and famous sights of the capital will draw them in and keep them enthralled.
From the authors of London Adventure Walks, The Adventurer's Notebook has heaps of white space for creative young minds to fill with drawings, stories and ideas inspired by all the wonderful things you can see and do while out and about in the wild. It is packed with imaginative things to make and do, places to record your finds, instructions on how to cook from the wild, plus bird-spotting tips and how to identify wild flowers and trees. This is the perfect notebook for inquisitive children to take when exploring the great outdoors. Whether scavenging on the beach, climbing trees in the woods, lazing by the river, playing in the park or just hanging out in the back garden, this is all you will need to make your very own record of your adventures.
QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND CHALLENGES RESOLVED FOR PARENTS
There are no instant fixes for the challenges that arise when bringing up children, but here at Lovereading4kids we want them to grow up well-rounded and happy. Encouraging reading is just one part of child development and we hope our guidance helps you as a parent to encourage that.
However, bringing up children provides many, many more challenges for parents, so with the help of some experts we've put together a selection of books which have helped them to deal with some of the issues every parent faces as their baby grows up, right through to those challenging teenage years.
Our ethos has always been to provide guidance on the best books that parents can buy for children whatever their age, from baby board books through to teenage cool. Guidance has always been the key word and other than on Lovereading4kids, it’s increasingly hard to find. And, following recent feedback from members and browsers we’ve discovered that parents also want guidance on books that will help them steer their children through their formative years as that information is incredibly hard to find.
With great gusto we took this request on in true Lovereading style and with the help of a number of experts have succeeded we think in cutting through the huge glut of parenting books that are available, to provide you with guidance on which ones provide the best advice. But don’t just take our word for it; every single featured title has an extract for you to download, including the title’s Contents page, meaning you really can decide whether it’s right for you.
So, from raising confident girls and growing great boys, to making sense of your child’s friendships and having a contented baby or a bible of childcare that covers almost anything you might experience, take a peek, enjoy the reading and then put what you’ve learned into action. We’ll be refreshing the list from time to time as we discover a gem of a book or two, so do come back regularly to check us out.
And finally, if you’re a parent and have discovered a book that you rate highly that we haven’t selected then do tell us so we can spread the word.
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