Recommended reading books for primary & secondary aged children in the UK
Books for topics and cross-curricular teaching. Are you looking for great books to support your primary KS1 or KS2 topic teaching?
Below are our recommended collections for cross-curricular projects. These book list suggestions aim to cover all curriculum subjects, themes and topics and include a variety of genres, including poetry, reading for pleasure fiction and narrative nonfiction. We’re adding new topics every week and we hope these lists of quality texts will help teachers and librarians to find useful books for classrooms and school libraries.
Topic books are a great way to encourage children to read for pleasure, delve into a subject on their own terms, investigate areas they are interested in for deeper home learning, and develop a personal attachment to a curriculum area. Books for cross-curricular teaching also allow pupils to appreciate how cultures, civilisations, movements and philosophies span discipline in real life and are not limited to discrete areas of learning.
Not only that, but when a child reads a book about something they are enthusiastic about, suddenly it no longer seems like schoolwork. Using classroom displays of topic-books, and highlighting non-fiction corners of the library can help to motivate students to read independently and develop preferred literary interests.
The lists are updated and revised regularly to make sure books are up-to-date and relevant to the UK National Curriculum. Each recommended book includes a description and suggestions for classroom use. For each topic, there’s also a hand-picked selection of useful resources, links and free downloadables.
For more nonfiction and ideas, see our list of magazines for children and teens.
Gardening topic books – our list includes nonfiction practical guides, picture books, garden-related stories and illustrated reference books with titles by authors including Melanie Brown, Lizzy Stewart, Abigail Wheatley, A.M. Howell, Gilles Clement and Émilie Vast.
Superhero stories for 3-11-year-olds – our recommendations. This list features picture books and short chapter books by writers and illustrators including Julia Donaldson, Dav Pilkey, Neal Zetter, Phil Earle, Mini Grey, Cynthia Leonor Garza, Sue Hendra and more.
Art topic books for 4-16-year-olds – our recommendations. This list includes how to art guides and real-life stories about children and adults inspired by art. Writers include Julia Donaldson, Allan Ahlberg, Andrea Beaty, Kari Herbert, David Hockney, Akwaeke Emezi and Tracy Chevalier.
Animal stories for children – our reading suggestions with first chapter books, middle-grade fiction, teen novels and picture books by writers including Iona Rangely, Joe Wicks, Satoshi Kitamura, Moira Butterfield, Toon Tellegen and Nina Bawden.
Book series for children and teens to encourage reading for pleasure, including titles by Dominic Sandbrook, Liz Pichon, Harriet Muncaster, Kevin & Katie Tsang, Marie Lu Robert Muchamore and Jason Reynolds.
Banned books week suggestions with middle-grade fiction, teen novels, nonfiction and picture books by writers including Roald Dahl, Judy Blume, Jason Reynolds, Raina Telgemeier, David Levithan and Sherman Alexie.
Children’s books to read over the weekend including picture books by Sophy Henn, Josh Lacey, Maz Evans, Ben Miller, Zillah Bethell, Emily Critchley, Eliza Berkowitz, Phil Earle and more.
Food and cookery topic books including picture books by Gianna Pollero, Jasbinder Bilan, Winsome Bingham, Ewa Jozefkowicz, Chris Callaghan, A.F. Harrold, Morag Hood, Laura Gladwin and more.
All about me topic books for EYFS including picture books by Mem Fox, The School of Life, Esther Pia Cordova, Lupita Nyong’o, Hervé Tullet, Sophy Henn, David McKee, and more.
Dinosaurs topic books for EYFS, KS1 & KS2. With books by authors including Dean Lomax, Susan Hayes, Chae Strathie, Hollie Hughes, Sophy Henn, Julia Donaldson, Matthew Reinhart and Deiter Braun.
Environment, climate change and eco topic books for EYFS, KS1, KS2 & KS3 with titles by Emma Shevah, Neal Layton, Jess French, Karen Swann, Piers Torday, Gemma Fowler, Isabel Thomas & Zillah Bethell.
Volcanoes and earthquakes topic books for KS2. Authors include Ben Hubbard, Sophie Williams, Philip Pullman, Lauren St John, Caroline Lawrence, Anita Ganeri, Anne-Sophie Baumann and Meredith Hooper.
Exploration topic books for KS2, including fiction and nonfiction novels, picture books and real life stories by writers including Sally Walker, William Grill, Libby Jackson, Nellie Huang, Catherine Johnson, Katherine Rundell, Alexandra Stewart and Joe Todd-Stanton.
Science fiction and STEM topic books for Key Stage 1,2 & 3, including fiction and nonfiction titles by Amy Bond, Christopher Edge, David Wiesner, Jane Wilsher, Ross Welford, SF Said and Margaret Wild.
Ancient Egyptian topic books for Key Stage 2, including titles by David Long, Emma Carroll, Emily Bone, David Weitzman, Marcia Williams, Joe Todd-Stanton, Laura Wood and Terry Deary.
Australia topic books by a diverse range of Australian children’s authors and illustrators, including books by Margaret Wild, Armin Greder, Lian Tanner, Dianne Bates, Aunty Joy Murphy, Kate Grenville and Paul Jennings.
Christmas topic books with fiction and nonfiction suitable for children in EYFS, KS1 & KS2 including titles by Raymond Briggs, Fiona Watt, Dawn Casey, Kate Saunders Graham Oakley and Catherine Doyle.
Easter topic books with fiction and nonfiction suitable for children in EYFS, KS1 & KS2 including titles by Roger Hargreaves, Fiona Watt, Charlotte Zolotow, Emily Gravett, Brian Wildsmith and Kes Gray.
Human body books for children in EYFS, KS1, and KS2 suitable for cross-curricular topics. Including titles by Charlotte Markey, Robert Winston, Adam Kay, Yumi Stynes, Emma Quay, Nick Fisher, and Elizabeth Verdick.
Autumn books for children in EYFS, KS1, and KS2 suitable for cross-curricular topics. Including titles by Sam Usher, Lois Ehlert, Ruth Symons, Hazel Maskell, Dianna Aston, Jessica Courtney-Tickle, and Emily Gravett.
Remembrance and war topic books for children in KS1 and KS2 suitable for literacy, research, and cross-curricular topics. Including titles by Michael Rosen, Lois Lowry, Tom Palmer, Kate Saunders, Martin Impey, Bali Rai, and Judith Loske.
20 pirate books for children interested in life on the high seas and primary schools looking for pirate books for cross curricular topics. Authors include James Davies, Celia Rees, Neil Gaiman, Lindsay Eagar, Derek Keilty, Cornelia Funke, and Philip Ardagh.
Books to help teach diversity to children in KS1 and KS2 in primary schools – with characters and settings to introduce age-appropriate discussions of the diversity of culture, race, ethnicity, gender, education, disability, identity, nationality, religion, sexuality, neurodiversity, social background, and beliefs.
Our YA summer reads for 2020 list includes a healthy mix of thrillers, prescient CLI-FI, atmospheric coming of age stories, empathy novels, adventures, teen romances, and fantasy for 12-16 years olds – and maybe parents as well.
Activity books for children – this list of books to keep children and teens aged 3-13 occupied includes titles by Fiona Watt, Dawn Isaac, Julia Donaldson, Thomas Pavitte and Miro Tartan.
Books for bored children! This list of unusually interesting books for children and teens aged 5-14 includes titles by Andy Seed, Robert Muchamore, Colin Furze, Liz Pichon, Jo Simmons and Enid Blyton.
Children’s books about resilience, perseverance, and grit, including titles suitable for KS1 and KS2 by David Long, Cece Bell, Matthew Syed, Julie Murphy, Esther Pia Cordova, and Barney Salzberg.
Children’s books about adoption and families for children aged 2-11 in EYFS, KS1 & KS2 – including stories by Samuel Langley-Swain, Jamie Lee-Curtis, Todd Parr, Phoebe Koehler, Frank Cottrell Boyce and Justin Richardson.
Romans topic books for children aged 7-11 in KS2. This list includes nonfiction books and stories by Tony Bradman, Christina Balit, Andy Stanton, Theresa Breslin, Gary Northfield, and Marcia Williams.
Anglo-Saxon topic books for children aged 7-11 in KS2. This list includes nonfiction books and stories by Tony Bradman, Rosemary Sutcliff, Terry Deary, Karen Wallace, Robert Fowke and Anita Ganeri.
Vikings topic books for children aged 7-11 in KS2. This list includes nonfiction books and stories by Tony Bradman, Jane Chisholm, Michael Morpurgo, Cressida Cowell, Terry Deary, and Neil Gaiman.
Transport topic books for children aged 5-11 in KS1 and KS2. This list includes nonfiction books and stories by Uijung Kim, Emily Hawkins, Giles Chapman, Vivian French, Vashti Hardy, and Ian Fleming.
Our 20 great children’s books for Christmas – spectacular picture books to surprise, bewitch and survive longer than one holiday season.
Here’s our selection of great nonfiction books and topic books for children about castles. These reading suggestions contain a range of books suitable for primary aged children aged 5-11 in KS1 and KS2.
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Our latest reading national curriculum year group recommended reading lists: Picture books for the under 5s | Books for Reception | Books for Year 1 | Books for Year 2 | Books for Year 3 | Books for Year 4 | Books for Year 5 | Books for Year 6 | Books for Year 7 | Books for Year 8 | Books for Year 9 | Books for Year 10 | Books for Year 11