Reviewed by the Kids Reader Review Panel
Informative, candid and trusted, book reviews by our own book experts are unique to Lovereading4kids. But the children of our loyal members are also prolific readers with a real passion for sharing their love of books. So, we decided to invite them to join what we are now calling the 'Children's Lovereading4kids Reader Review Panel'. All the titles in this category have not only been selected and reviewed by our editorial experts but they have also been reviewed by our kids reader review panel, a panel of book lovers across the UK.
Books of the Month
Moonrise
Sarah Crossan
July 2018 Book of the Month | Shortlisted for the YA Book
Prize 2018 | Shortlisted for the Centre for Literacy in Primary
Poetry Award 2018 | One of Our Books of the Year 2017 |
Shortlisted for the Costa Children's Book...
Featured in: 13+ readers | YA readers
Format: Paperback | Released 12/07/2018
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My Arch-Enemy Is a Brain In a Jar
David Solomons
In a nutshell: another unmissable brilliantly comic comic
adventure story David Solomons is a simply brilliant
writer for children and his My Brother is a
Super-Hero series is consistently funny, entertaining and
true. Indeed, the further-fetched the stories get, the...
Featured in: 7+ readers | 9+ readers
Format: Paperback | Released 28/06/2018
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Girls Can Vlog: Festival Frenzy
Emma Moss
July 2018 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: 21st century
style fun and friendship | In book 5 of this popular
series, our gang of friends/vloggers Lucy, Abby, Hermione and
Jessie, are enjoying a special week camping, and...
Featured in: 11+ readers | 9+ readers
Format: Paperback | Released 28/06/2018
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Other Featured Books this Month
Riddle of the Runes
Janina Ramirez
July 2018 Debut of the Month | In a nutshell: exciting
Viking set crime mystery recommended for brave girls and
boys Historian Janina Ramirez's TV programmes are as
inspiring as they are informative. Her passion for Viking history
comes through...
Featured in: 9+ readers | 7+ readers
Format: Paperback | Released 05/07/2018
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The Truth About Lies
Tracy Darnton
July 2018 Debut of the Month | In a Nutshell:
Mystery, memory, manipulation | A feisty thriller
that fizzes with intrigue, paranoia and a cast of fascinatingly
flawed characters. For Jess “every waking moment is a
flashbulb moment. I recall...
Featured in: YA readers | 13+ readers
Format: Paperback | Released 12/07/2018
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What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday Book and CD Pack
Julia Donaldson
Award-winning duo Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks have created a
brilliant new adventure for the clever Ladybird, star of
What the Ladybird Heard. The Ladybird's old
adversaries, Lanky...
Featured in: 5+ readers | 3+ readers
Format: Book | Released 12/07/2018
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Welcome to Nowhere
Elizabeth Laird
Winner of the UKLA 2018 Book Award 7-11 | In a nutshell:
the lives of a Syrian family brought vividly and sympathetically to
life for young readers | This is an excellent book for
young people who want to know...
Featured in: 11+ readers | 9+ readers
Format: Paperback | Released 13/07/2017
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Lesser Spotted Animals
Martin Brown
Winner of the UKLA 2018 Book Award 7-11 | In a nutshell:
not your average animal book | This is no ordinary animal
book, you won't find the usual suspects in its page, no tigers,
pandas, bears here. Instead be...
Featured in: 9+ readers | 7+ readers
Format: Paperback | Released 06/04/2017
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Never Say Die
Anthony Horowitz
In a nutshell: simply the best action-packed, stylish
adventure and escapism Anthony Horowitz's announcement
that he was writing a new Alex Rider book was one of the best bits
of literary news of the last year. Now the book is...
Featured in: 13+ readers | 11+ readers
Format: Paperback | Released 05/07/2018
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We Come Apart
Sarah Crossan, Brian Conaghan
Winner of the UKLA 2018 Book Award | 12-16 January 2018
Book of the Month | In a nutshell: unputdownable
story, beautifully told | Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan
are two of our most garlanded YA authors: she won...
Featured in: YA readers
Format: Paperback | Released 11/01/2018
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Last Month's Featured Books
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 harrowing real life events After the...
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The Wild Folk
Sylvia V. Linsteadt
In a nutshell: magical quest adventure story with a strong
sense of the natural world | Perfect for readers who enjoy
magical adventures set in the wild world, Sylvia Linsteadt's...
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Dog Diaries
Steven Butler & James Patterson
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 puppy Junior, this new series is...
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The Funny Life of Pets
James Campbell
You'd expect a book by top comic-for-kids James Campbell to make
them laugh a lot, and this certainly will. Over 240 illustrated
pages he explores the life of pets, in...
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Midnight
Derek Landy
In a Nutshell: Can a coldblooded killer be curtailed as
time ticks down? Following hot on the heels of
Resurrection, this eleventh instalment of Skulduggery Pleasant's
incomparable exploits offers everything...
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My Messed-Up Life
Susin Nielsen
June 2018 Book of the Month | In a Nutshell: Problem
parents | Dealing with change | Loads of LOLs | Hilarious
and heartfelt Judy Blume-brilliant tale of a girl who's...
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The Twitches Bake a Cake
Hayley Scott
June 2018 Book of the Month | More delightful
small-scale fun and big adventure in this new story starring toy
rabbit family the Twitches and their owner, Stevie. Two stories...
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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 her sons, is a...
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5 Wild Numbers
Bella Gomez
Wow! Bright pages depicting animals in gorgeous jungle
illustrations house die-cut numbers from one to five. Each number
has a sliding disc enabling little fingers to follow the arrows,
move...
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Kat Wolfe Investigates
Lauren St.John
June 2018 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: animals,
adventure and an irresistible cast of characters This new
series has everything that marks out the best, most satisfying...
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My Box-Shaped Heart
Rachael Lucas
In a Nutshell: Fractured families | First love | Fresh
starts | 16-year-old Holly feels like an outsider, except
when she's swimming at her local pool: “Under the surface,
deep in...
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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 its primeval predecessor, this second installment
of...
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Ottoline and the Purple Fox
Chris Riddell
In a nutshell: nonstop surprises in the Big City |
This is the fourth adventure for Ottoline and her best friend Mr
Munroe, and it is every bit as enchanting, witty...
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The Hippo at the End of the Hall
Helen Cooper
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month June 2018
Award-winning illustrator Helen Cooper's debut novel is a richly
imagined and cleverly crafted story perfectly matched by her own
illustrations....
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Ash Princess
Laura Sebastian
June 2018 Debut of the Month | In a Nutshell: Rebellion,
romance and an imprisoned princess set on revenge This
ambitiously epic fantasy debut sees a captive princess rise...
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Nobody Real
Steven Camden
In a Nutshell: Growing up and moving on, with an imaginary
bear-armed best friend in tow | A sublimely fresh and
moving exploration of how it feels to be teetering...
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The Knights and the Best Quest
Kaye Umansky
Interest Age 8+ Reading Age 8 A masterly and
hilarious retelling of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round
Table, from award-winning queen of funny Kaye Umansky. Lovereading
Comment...
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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 of Water, which saw...
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The Adventures of John Blake Mystery of the Ghost Ship
Philip Pullman
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month June 2018
| Master story-teller Philip Pullman is as
brilliantly creative in this gripping, multi-narrative graphic
novel story as ever. In...
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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 down and all the animals...
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More Featured Books
The One Memory of Flora Banks
Emily Barr
Shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2018 | Longlisted for the
Branford Boase Award 2018 | One...
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You Are Awesome
Matthew Syed
May 2018 Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the
Month April & May 2018 Table tennis champion Matthew
Syed offers his very best advice on how...
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The Magical Mix-Up
Zach King
May 2018 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: fast-moving mix
of magic, first crushes and knockabout humour | Zach
King's family have magical powers, and for a glorious...
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Fish Boy
Chloe Daykin
Shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2018 | Longlisted
for the UKLA 2018 Book Award March 2017 Debut of
the Month In a sparely written but richly...
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How to Bee
Bren MacDibble
May 2018 Book of the Month How To Bee is unlike
any story I have ever read. The narrative voice is heartfelt and
the author uses a mild form of...
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Race to Kangaroo Cliff
Alexander Mccall Smith
In a nutshell: exciting children's adventure story on a
tall ship Twins Ben and Fee will be the envy of children
everywhere: their school is a tall ship and alongside...
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Rose Rivers
Jacqueline Wilson
May 2018 MEGA Book of the Month | In a nutshell: new and
old friends united in classic Jacqueline Wilson story
Jacqueline Wilson's historical novels tell vivid, enthralling
stories...
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The House with Chicken Legs
Sophie Anderson
May 2018 Debut of the Month | This sparkling debut
weaves the captivating folklore of Baba Yaga with the thrills of a
classic venturing-out-into-the-world quest, replete with primal
conflicts, tantalising...
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Iguana Boy Saves the World With a Triple Cheese Pizza
James Bishop
In a nutshell: can one boy and four iguanas save the world?
You betcha There might be a lot of superhero books around
at the moment, but Iguana Boy...
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Spirit
Sally Christie
May 2018 Book of the Month | In a nutshell: old magic in
the real world of today A game of Truth or Dare in the
humdrum setting of a...
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I Stop Somewhere
T. E. Carter
May 2018 Debut of the Month | In a Nutshell: Intense
exposé of extreme misogyny and male privilege An
unflinching novel about brutally toxic masculinity, male collusion
and how justice systems...
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The Burning Maze
Rick Riordan
May 2018 MEGA Book of the Month | In a nutshell: gods and
monsters, heroism and humour | The Burning Maze is book
three in Riordan's The Trials of Apollo...
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The Company of Eight
Harriet Whitehorn
All her life Cass has dreamt of joining the circus to become an
acrobat and travel the islands on the Circus Boat. Once a year the
boat visits her home,...
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Dear Martin
Nic Stone
May 2018 Debut of the Month | In a Nutshell: Striving for
goodness when the world has you down as bad Picture this.
You're an honors student with a top...
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Cuckoo Song
Frances Hardinge
Frances Hardinge creates a brilliant sense of menace in this
chillingly dark fairy story . Something sinister, beyond just
getting wet, happens to Triss when she falls into the Grimmer....
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The Lie Tree
Frances Hardinge
Award-winning Frances Hardinge is spellbinding is this hugely
entertaining and dramatic Victorian thriller. When Faith's father
dies suddenly she knows she must try to find out exactly what he
was...
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Release
Patrick Ness
***Recommended for 16+ due to content.
Book of the Month for May 2018
| Shortlisted for the CILIP
Carnegie Medal 2018 |In a Nutshell: love, truth
and the power...
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Cannonball Coralie and the Lion
Grace Easton
May 2018 Debut of the Month Funky and thoroughly
contemporary in feel, though simultaneously acknowledging classic
children's illustration, Cannonball Coralie and the
Lion is an exciting story, beautifully told. Coralie...
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Skylarks
Karen Gregory
In a Nutshell: Falling in love, taking a stand, and
standing tall Exploring an unforgettable relationship
between two young women and obstructive social inequalities, this
is a thoroughly thought-provoking,...
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McTavish Goes Wild
Meg Rosoff
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 8 | Longlisted for the UKLA
2018 Book Award | A new story for that best of all dogs,
McTavish, and another delicious helping...
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William Wenton and the Secret Portal
Bobbie Peers
In a nutshell: code-breaking child genius versus villainous
robots | William Wenton is something of a bionic boy; half
of his body is a hi-tech metal called luridium, and this...
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Football School Season 2: Where Football Explains the World
Spike Gerrell, Alex Bellos
This clever, hugely entertaining book is further proof, if it were
needed, that football is the best game in the world, and that there
is nothing, absolutely nothing, you can't...
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Alan's Big, Scary Teeth
Jarvis
Glorious illustrations tell this story that is both nicely scary
and neatly resolved. Everyone knows that alligators are scary!
Right? Alan comes from a long line of scary alligators and,...
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The Faceless Ones
Derek Landy
Prize winning Skulduggery Pleasant is back for a third thrilling
adventure. Along with his side-kick Stephanie, Skulduggery, the
skeleton detective, must stand up to the Faceless Ones in a
typically...
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It gives me a chance to read types of books that I would not normally try, and it motivates me to read every night to finish it!
Alice Horncastle, age 14
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
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
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 has introduced my children to books we hadn’t come across before. Real children’s reviews gives a great insight into what others think to
Lorraine Woods
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
I love ‘LoveReading 4 kids’ because they let you read and learn things you’d never dreamed of learning before.
Emily Horncastle – age 11
I love Lovereading4kids because I get an opportunity to put my opinion forward and to try new books
Elosie Clarkson – age 11
"Ed loves reviewing the books and it definitely encourages his reading, both solo and with me (which I love)." Tracey Parker (parent)
"Daniel has seen his review on the website for The Dark – he is so excited!" Cat Bisland (parent)
Since its inception Lovereading4kids and its sister site Lovereading have taken a different approach to book reviews, relying uniquely on the selection and review of books by editorial experts. On Lovereading4kids it is Julia Eccleshare who is also the Children's Books Editor at The Guardian. She knows what makes a good read whatever the genre and actually reads the books before telling you what she thinks - radical we know, but sometimes old fashioned ways are the best.
In 2012 however, to complement our expert reviews we decided to invite children of Lovereading4kids members to join the newly created Kids Reader Review Panel.
We've now attracted over 500 children aged from 4 right up to late teen and 100's of books have now been read and reviewed by them. Many of them even have their own book blogs and help us to spread the word of mouth still further on a book they've enjoyed.
Panel members reviews are loaded onto the site and complement those of our own Lovereading editorial experts. We're even now receiving feedback from visitors to Lovereading4kids that the 'Kids Reader Review Panel' reviews are as valued as those of our own Lovereading book experts! With that in mind we thought it would be very helpful to everyone if we created a category and put all the books that have also been reviewed by some of our Kids Reader Review Panel members, in one easy to find place.
Here are a few testimonials from parents, teachers and importantly direct from some of our 'Kids Reader Review Panel'
The whole class are desperate to get copies of your books and are disappointed if their name doesn't come out of the hat. The more books the better! I've gone from having a class of boys who won't read to a class who get upset if they don't get chosen to read. It's brilliant! Jane Edwards, Little Sutton Primary School, Ellesmere Port (Teacher)
Matilda Greenacre, one of our Reader Reviewers next to all the books she has reviewed for us.
I just wanted to say thanks for the opportunity to do this for your site.
Ed loves reviewing the books and it definitely encourages his reading, both solo and with me (which I love).
Tracey Parker (parent)
Just wanted to say thanks so much for uploading Cara's book review - she had the biggest smile ever when I showed it to her! It will have given her and her family a real boost. Great site too! Jill Rooney (parent)
The book reviewing has been a real treat for us, thank you for a wonderful experience. Tracey Upchurch (parent)
Thank you for sending me the published book of TIMMY FAILURE: MISTAKES WERE MADE. I loved Timmy Failure and have told all my friends about it. I’m glad you liked my review, I was really excited to see a quote inside the book. Charlie Upchurch (age 9)
Sometimes even publishers use the reviews that are written...
"Evie was thrilled to find the Monster and Chips review she wrote for you printed inside the sequel she bought last week"
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