Recommended reading books for primary & secondary aged children in the UK
Children’s book reviews: below are our latest reviews of recent children’s and young adult fiction, poetry and non-fiction releases. We listen to recommendations from our readers, teachers, librarians, parents, grandparents, children and authors to decide which new books to review and recommend.
Our team of experienced educators, parents and librarians looks at new picture books for toddlers, early chapter books, first independent readers, middle-grade stories, poetry, teen & young adult, non-fiction and much, much more.
With over two million visitors each year since 2011, the School Reading List is one of the most read and established sources of UK reading recommendations for children’s and YA literature.
We’re committed to being a subscription-free resource for parents, schools, teachers and librarians and we hope that our reviews help to engender and embed a reading-for-pleasure ethos in classrooms and homes all over the country.
We also feature regular round-ups of new books – both fiction and non-fiction – to help support the start of autumn, spring and summer terms in schools; and a monthly ‘book of the month‘ covering new fiction, nonfiction and picture books.
Each review contains a five-word summary, the genre, the ISBN, further information about the author, illustrator and publisher; the publication date; the recommended reading age for the text, and some pointers to indicate which children we think will really enjoy the book.
For each book reviewed there’s also a useful ‘if you liked this book you might also like‘ section, to help teachers and librarians develop each child’s reading interests. Readers can also have a look at each author’s profile page, which includes information about each author, reviews of books by that author, links to teaching resources and contact details for author visits.
Many thanks to the children’s and YA book publishers, publicists and authors for sending review copies.
When the Birds Wake Up is a carefully constructed verse novel told in poems, letters, notes and meditations, following Pear through a new school, bullying, music, friendship and her grandma’s dementia.
A Flood of Memories is a traumatic yet uplifting read about Leila’s return home as floods rise, forcing painful memories to surface while hope, resilience and courage help her face a future of her own.
The School of Gods is a funny, illustrated story about Olly Morris’s first year at a school for gods, where three human friends discover that powers are not as vital as they first thought.
Salty Dog and Pals is a charming and entertaining book where Salty, Kitty and Bernard solve four island problems together, with friendship, kindness and humour shown through words and illustrations.
Augusta Pine Does Not Exist is a dystopian YA thriller that pulls readers into Augusta’s complex life, sketchy past and high-stakes danger, with AI, surveillance and climate change opening debate.
Felix and the Future Agency is an exciting, well written story with characters to love and loathe, strong world building, familiar London landmarks and a twist likely to return in book two.
Unfairies: Death by Toad is a chaotic, colourful and exciting graphic novel quest, with detailed drawings worth revisiting and a back section showing how the author makes comics.
Buck & Ears Pirate Detectives is clever, a little bit silly and fun from start to finish, with likeable characters, interviews, observations and clues that let readers work things out for themselves.
Thornbird is a gripping YA thriller about Ryan Shipley, who returns to Starling, Tennessee, as her father’s execution nears and cryptic messages pull her into a dangerous family mystery.
Shadow Reaper is a dark YA fantasy with blackmist, reapers, a reluctant alliance and a slow-burning enemies-to-lovers dynamic, driven by twists that leave readers desperate for book two.
Aardvark Day is a poetry collection that shares a vision of the natural world in all its variety, surprises and mystery, with trees, rockpools, aardvarks, belugas, butterflies and elephants.
Bone Head: Guardian of the Underworld is a funny illustrated adventure in which a self-important skeleton guardian causes disaster, loses Cerberus and crosses the Underworld with Mort’s sarcastic comments.
A Sister Like You is an uplifting, feel-good novel about adopted girls Ella and Ari, whose school choir friendship leads to a life-changing family discovery and questions about identity and belonging.
Alex Abbott is (un)Dead: Diary of a Reluctant Vampire (aged 11½) is a funny supernatural adventure with flawed decisions, far-reaching consequences and a chance for Alex to put things right.
The Wild Ones is a story of pampered pets left in a city without humans, where Scamp and his friends must trust each other, face the Things and find their own wildness to reach a new sanctuary.
The Ministry of Manners is a dystopian novel that uses politeness and good manners as its starting point, following Alfie and Margot through rules, rebellion, survival and escape against the Ministry.
Captain Sunshine (Book 01) is a fun cruise ship story for newly confident readers, with Bella taking charge of animal passengers, short chapters, plenty of illustrations and book club discussion points.
How to Steal the Future is an exciting page-turner with action all the way, as Drew and Meg race through a shifting maze to save Evie before Drew’s sixty-seven minutes run out.
Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveller is a relatable teen adventure where friendship, crushes and mean girls follow Lily across the centuries, with a fun crash-course in history.
Wildheart is a fast-moving fantasy with detailed world building, secretive Rangers, danger in the forest and a thoughtful ending, as Nettle fights to save Fern and prove her sister was coerced.
Six Weeks is a beautifully written verse novel about grief, family and hope, following Alfie through a summer of loss and difficult conversations as friendship helps him begin to look ahead again.
Storm Bringer is an immersive fantasy in which Amelio is swept into a perilous quest through storm-ravaged kingdoms, where magic, loyalty and romance collide under apocalyptic skies.
The Last Death Poet is a gripping Belfast-set novel where visions of the city’s past draw Michael into Irish folklore, family mystery and first love, as he faces loss, identity and buried truths.
Her Hidden Fire is a gripping YA fantasy set in an Irish-inspired world, where a young goatherd hides dangerous power and faces corruption, class conflict and a slow-burn romance.
Cinnamon Crumb, Baking Detective: The Great Cake Caper is a fun, fast-moving story where Cinnamon, Rafi and Amber uncover sabotage, secrets and a mystery that sparks the Crumb Investigations Agency.
Piper at the Gates of Dusk is a dark, relentless dystopian trilogy opener where rumours spread, fear deepens and two brothers face mounting threats in a world altered by the cure for Noise.
Poetry Pizza is a lively collection with something to say about the emotions children experience and grow through, from the joy of play and word-messing to doubt, regret and anxiety.
Max and Ella, Stuck Together is a compassionate, easy-to-read story about bullying, family and starting secondary school, as Max and Ella learn to work together and build a friendship.
Murder at Hotel Marvelo is a fun magical mystery in which Finnian and his sisters investigate a death at their family hotel, uncover secrets and race to clear their parents’ names.
The Escape Game is a gripping YA murder mystery that blends an escape-room game show with vivid tension, clever puzzles, sabotage, betrayal and a darker mystery beneath the surface.
Always Angel is uplifting, warm and deeply poignant, following a girl written off at school as she finds friendship, purpose and hope through baking, new trust and second chances.
The Othernauts is a fun retelling of Jason and the Argonauts where Phoebe stows away on the talking Argo, battles self-doubt, and finds friends through fast in jokes and surprises.
Spyglass: Mastermind of Mayhem throws Adam, Zada and Taylor into a hunt for ex-MI6 Professor Goodspeed after a flying bike video goes viral and Dr Toe’s agents threaten the coastline.
Boy vs Reality is about Ethan Lacey, raised on a family vlog, bullied by his brother, and hiding worries in Fidget the anxiety monster, until he runs away and posts his own bombshell.
Small Poems for Big Imaginations is a collection of short poems built around whimsy, puns, alphabet play and acrostics, with illustrations from Will Hughes throughout the 80 pages.
Strike is a football story where a scout signs Owen and Teddy, but a note in new boots leads Owen to Budi and a protest about factory workers linked to the game, as the internet listens.
Wishbound is a West Country and London adventure where Leonie, a wishgiver, flees her captors with Cress. Their friendship, sign language and stubborn hope drive them to safety.
Dragonflare is an interactive adventure where Flynn, a young thief, is forced into the Wingrider Trials, solving puzzles with River and learning teamwork, trust and bravery to win.
The Heirs is a unique and gripping plot about five prodigy siblings, told through a jumping timeline that reveals clues, secrets and moral dilemmas after their father is murdered.
The Wycherleys, Love and Other Curses is a seamless sequel where a new coven forms, secrets surface, dark magic closes in, and the romance keeps readers spellbound right to the end.
The Day of Now is an exceptional, unflinching apocalypse novel. Dayna and Pax flee poisonous mist and infected hunters, quickly learning that no one is to be trusted as hope runs out.
The Overthinkers’ Club: Happy List is a diary-style story with doodles, following Birdie as she overthinks school, friends and a new blended family, and grieves for her hamster.
Dead Straight Line is a perfectly pitched and unerringly relevant story for 12+ year olds that explores trust and responsibility. Every Year 8 and Year 9 student should read it.
The House with Chicken Legs Runs Away follows Marinka, Benjamin and Jack as they chase a living house after the Gate of Stars breaks, and the house grows frail without the Guiding.
Nadia Islam, on the Record is a very informative story about Ramadan and climate change in Bangladesh, seen through the eyes of an 8-year-old who wants to be a journalist and loves a challenge.
Dragon Cat is a great children’s poetry collection that keeps eyes and emotions clear and sharp, with poems about owls, unicorns and fast food that will reward lively classroom reading.
Happy Hills: Cheesy Bob Strikes! is a bright graphic novel where Cheesy Bob the monkey plots revenge in bite-sized chapters, with World of Pants jokes and step-by-step drawing pages at the end.
Burn the Water is a YA dystopian Romeo and Juliet as rival soldiers fall in love in drowned London, risking execution while strange vessels arrive and centuries of hatred threaten everything.
We Three Witches is a spellbinding supernatural mystery set in interwar York, as Viola hunts the truth behind Edie’s death while stolen bones and child ghosts expose deeper corruption.
Magpie Girl is a myth rich quest where Lavender, who grows feathers and speaks to birds, must help Kit find his missing father without freeing a wish granting firebird at all costs.
Ella Jones vs the Battle Noise is a second quest where Ella is protected from battle noise and must stop Homados, while tensions with Poppy and Finn grow and new pupil River raises questions.
Watts and Whiskerton: The Great Glacier Hotel Heist (Book 03) is a whodunit where Watts and Pearl clear his parents after jewels vanish at a snowy hotel, with illustration clues for young readers
The Blitz Sisters is an excellent resource to use to look at a pivotal part of our history through the eyes of children. Well-written and sympathetically described, it’s ideal for children learning about WW2.
Tiny Hercules is a laugh-out-loud graphic novel where a jam jar sized hero is banished to Earth to complete twelve tasks, starting with a lion that turns out to be a cat.
My Big Fat Christmas Poo Diary is a festive novel of three linked stories, where Pedro, Olga and Ozzy – the Poopies – meet Rubbish Santa, try a reindeer poo scheme, and keep the poo jokes coming.
What Are We Fighting For? is a thought provoking collection of war poems for children that challenges heroic myths, sows seeds of doubt about conflict and asks what truly causes peace.
Silent Night is a fast-paced, dark and spooky Christmas mystery that keeps readers guessing while exploring grief, anxiety, family and the complicated emotions of growing up.
Anya and the Light Above the Ocean is a cleverly worked middle grade science fiction story that stays engaging and morally questioning, inviting readers to think about the ethics of scientific experiments.
The Bluest Sky is a refugee and migration novel that follows a boy who splits public and private selves as his family weighs departure, faces repudiation, and documents a step-by-step path from decision to crossing.
The Topsy-Turvies is a bright, joke-packed early reader that flips normal rules on their head and invites children to spot, predict, and laugh while building confidence across short, lively chapters.
Duckling is a modern fairytale retelling that follows a duckling who rejects surface approval, claims the right to be different, and chooses trust and belonging across groups and changing places.
The Dot is a bright, simple invitation to make a mark. It shows how a single try can unlock confidence, spark curiosity, and turn doubt into creative momentum that grows page by page.
The Not-So Great Escape is two stories in one – a runaway alpaca caper and a sensitive exploration of grief, bullying, counselling and the fragile friendship between Hedley and Aiden.
Escape from the Child Snatchers is an exciting first-person 1860s adventure that tackles homelessness, racial discrimination, poverty and inequality without overwhelming younger readers.
Beth Is Dead will be published in January 2026 and I highly recommend that any curious classics lovers give it a go. You might just surprise yourself with how well you will love these characters in a modern setting.
The Moonhaven Chronicles: The Last Wolf is an exciting, fast-moving adventure that combines friendship, mystery, and danger while exploring themes of trust, freedom, and responsibility with care and respect.
My Cat is Called Odin is a gripping Norse myth retelling where frightened Aldo, brave Petra, and their telepathic cat face dark forces and discover the courage to save each other and their world.
Wild Journey is a beautifully illustrated set of five stories linking children across continents through courage, kindness, and a murmuration that reminds us of the families we’re born into and those we find.
The Book of Heartbreak is a magical read filled with love, loss and destiny, as Sare and Leon’s story explores grief, trust and the peril of a heart cursed to break one time too many.
Sad Girl Hours is a raw, relatable story of friendship, love and self-discovery, as two young women face the complexities of mental health, identity and belonging with honesty and courage.
The Snowy Penguin is a heart-warming and educational Antarctic adventure that highlights the value of wildlife research, courage in harsh environments, and the wonder of discovering something truly rare.
Lydia Marmalade and the Christmas Wish is a magical, heart-warming Christmas story about belonging, courage, and love, gently exploring grief and new beginnings with warmth and festive spirit.
Classic Fairy Tales is a beautiful, authentic take on Andersen and Grimm – not the Disney versions – with colour plates and line drawings sparking comparisons, debate, and classroom activities.
Quill and the Last Generation is a thrilling page-turner, following twelve-year-old Quill as he discovers his destiny, faces dragons, and must restore light and warmth to a world lost to perpetual winter.
Ghost is a story of survival and magic, set in mysterious woods where three girls, bound by fate and danger, must unite their strength and determination to overcome a looming force.
Astrosaurs Mission to Infinity is a bold, fast-paced graphic novel adventure packed with dino-fights, chaos, and irreverent humour—perfect for attracting new fans and encouraging reluctant readers to join the fun.
Up Above the City is a moving adventure where Jake and Laine uncover invisible lives in hidden places, helping readers see refugees and homeless families differently while searching for hope and friendship.
Nina Peanut: Epic World Tour Era is a vibrant, accessible read, brimming with relatable characters and laugh-out-loud moments. It is perfectly suited to reluctant readers and makes an ideal choice for end-of-year classroom reading.
Jack-Jack: A Dog with a Job is a heartwarming, funny and thoughtful story where every misstep leads to discovery, showing that being yourself can be the best job of all.
Bigg School: Selfie Queen is a lively and relatable story about Cleo Bayford, who learns that true popularity and identity come not from selfies but from friendships, family and seeing life differently.
Dead Yard: Seeds of Doom is a brilliant read for Halloween and beyond, blending spooky adventure with family bonds and traditions in a story that entertains while quietly educating readers.
Witchlore is a fresh and intriguing fantasy filled with jeopardy and rebellion, where a non-binary shapeshifter navigates grief, identity and magic while confronting family, tradition and modern values.
Luna Grace: Girl from Outer Space is a fun and cheerful read that explores fitting in, finding acceptance, and the positive side of adapting to new places and situations.
Love on Sight is a gritty portrayal of a London love story. This novel is a heart-warming story of becoming an adult in a difficult world and seeking to improve your life.
All Together Now is a funny, accessible poetry collection that will appeal to fans of Michael Rosen and Joseph Coelho. As well as the frequent illustrations, variations in font and layout choices enhance the visual appeal of the collection.
The Big Bad Wolf Murder is a gripping children’s mystery where Ruby and Fillan face danger, red herrings, and betrayal as they uncover the truth and learn the value of trust and resilience.
Role Model is a moving story of Aeriel Sharpe, who struggles with life in the spotlight yet learns, with resilience and honesty, how to find acceptance, friendship and a way to belong.
Adventures in Lylaland is a thoughtful and imaginative story showing how children balance escapism, family struggles, friendships, and inventions, while learning that facing reality is the only lasting solution.
Not Going to Plan is a powerful verse novel that explores consent, peer pressure, and friendship, tackling taboo issues with honesty and sensitivity while offering comfort in shared struggles.
Owl King is a genuinely unsettling fairy tale that celebrates sisterhood, wit over power, and the magic of storytelling, blending classic folklore with a modern heart and deeper meaning.
Pets Tell Tales: Ancient Egypt tells the story of Ancient Egypt from the perspective of its animals and makes the topic immediately engaging and accessible for younger students.
Dragon Girl and the Awakened Flames is an excellent read; the relationships explored are realistic and relevant to the storyline, especially between Emba and Odolf.
Unfairies is a bright, action-packed, and funny graphic novel that moves along at a very fast pace and there are plenty of characters to meet, especially Pip, the main protagonist, who is on nearly every page.
Time Lions and the Chrono-Loop is just a brilliant book, exciting and informative with an entertaining storyline pretty much guaranteed to pique the interest of even the most reluctant readers in this age range.
Mat o’ Shanter is a layered verse tale mixing Scottish literary roots with contemporary storytelling and dramatic artwork. This poetic reworking of Burns’ classic blends betrayal, identity, and transformation for KS2/3 readers.
Poems from a Witch’s Pocket is a quirky, engaging poetry collection for readers 10+, exploring identity, nature, magic and transformation through playful verse, spells and imaginative voice.
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