July 2026’s set of recommendations for book clubs features neurodiversity, worries, deafness, friendship, resilience, animal adventures, poetry, extreme weather, music, summer wishes, fantasy magic, grief, science fiction, graphic novels, Venice romance, cybercrime, folk horror, Welsh myth, thrillers and romantasy. July 2026’s picks features books by Beatrice Simpkiss, Angie Morgan, Louise Greig, David Litchfield, Tom Tinn-Disbury, Alex Milway, Susan Martineau, Andy Shepherd, Valerie Bloom, Liam Dutton, Giordano Poloni, Pamela Butchart, Radhika Sanghani, Victor Kloss, Holly Surplice, Christopher Edge, Christophe Arleston, Audrey Alwett, Bruna De Luca, Emily Lloyd-Jones, Melinda Salisbury, Katja Kaine, Kody Keplinger, Fiona Collins, E. Kennedy, and Amber Hamilton.
July 2026 book club recommendations
Ziggy the Caterpillar’s Zigzag Adventure by Beatrice Simpkiss
Ziggy the caterpillar cannot sit still. Hopping between leaves and zigzagging up die-cut branches, she meets new friends along the way, with ADHD and neurodivergent talking points built into vibrant illustrations. But rather than treating restlessness negatively, this inspirational large-format hardback picture book for 0-5 year olds uses Ziggy’s journey to sensitively explore patience, mindfulness and difference. Fascinatingly bright illustrations support a gentle story of self-discovery and change. It’s ideal to share with nursery and EYFS children.
0-5 year-olds | Author’s website
Small Stanley’s Big List of Scary Stuff by Angie Morgan
Stanley wants to be brave, but spiders, dogs, the dark and a growing list of worries keep causing him to worry. 3+ year olds will appreciate this reassuring picture-book story in which a wild wind blows Stanley’s list away, leaving him free to talk about fears, worries and finding the confidence to play with friends again. A wonderfully illustrated book to use to discuss worries and resilience in EYFS settings.
3+ year-olds | Author’s website
The Sound of a Smile by Louise Greig and David Litchfield
A girl who cannot hear the noisy world discovers intricate sounds hidden between a song’s notes, a wing’s beats and the quiet spaces other people miss. For 3+ year olds, this mesmerising and moving picture book explores deafness, friendship and communication through Louise Greig’s lyrical text and David Litchfield’s warm, expressive illustrations. Highly recommended.
3+ year-olds | Author’s website
Duck Delivers . . . Cake! by Tom Tinn-Disbury
A very tall, very special cake has to reach a party before sunset, but Duck’s trusty scooter may not be up to the job. Bright, funny and perfect for 3+ year-olds, the second Duck Delivers adventure turns a simple delivery into a chain of mishaps, vehicle swaps and resilient problem-solving as Duck desperately tries to keep his Feather Force reputation in one piece.
3-5 year-olds | Author’s website
Captain Sunshine by Alex Milway
Bella Day is the new captain of the cruise ship Sunshine, carrying penguins, rhinos, giraffes and parrots. Around Bella is a crew that includes Mr Tatou, the sea dog first mate, Mrs Purrpot, the cat who handles passengers, and Flip and Flap, twin penguins on entertainment duty. Set in the world of Hotel Flamingo, the book is fully illustrated in two colours and draws on Art Deco poster styles, with a map linking the ship to the hotel. Captain Sunshine is the perfect lively, fun short-chapter book series for newly independent 5+ year olds in KS1.
5+ year-olds | Author’s website
Cats! Cats! Cats! by Susan Martineau, illustrated by Vicky Barker
Domestic cats, kittens, lion prides, leaping leopards and speedy cheetahs all pad through this lively and accessible Nature Investigator hardback. 5+ year-old feline fans can explore where cats live, how pet cats communicate and which big cat is the biggest – with Susan Martineau’s absorbing fact-led text and Vicky Barker’s bright illustrations keeping the information clear, punchy and perfect to dip into. Highly recommended for KS1 classroom libraries.
5+ year-olds | Author’s website
The Wood Where Stories Sing by Andy Shepherd, illustrated by Ellie Snowdon
Wildtop Wood, the magical adventure playground at the bottom of Iggy and Cal’s garden, is full of whispering trees, wooden animals and a secret canopy den. Younger KS2 readers can step into this enchanting and absorbing fantasy adventure where Iggy, Cal and Mae must use their imaginations to protect the wood’s wild green magic and help it sing again. Accessible, mesmerising and magical, The Wood Where Stories Sing is highly recommended for class reading in LKS2.
7+ year-olds | Author’s website
They Sent a Cat to Saturn by Valerie Bloom, illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max
A cat in a spacesuit on a ship called Hooray opens this vibrant and exciting poetry collection full of playfulness, empathy and wordplay. For KS2 children, the poems include Jamaican haiku, puzzles, riddles, dinosaurs, a lost cat, a hero dad and Papa cookin’, making this a lively and accessible collection for classroom sharing, performance and dipping into at home. Highly recommended.
7+ year-olds | Author’s website
Weather, Camera, Action! by Liam Dutton and Giordano Poloni
This globetrotting tour of extreme weather takes 7+ year old readers from planetary jet streams and hurricanes to monsoons, dust storms and volcanic lightning. Channel 4 meteorologist Liam Dutton explains the science through clear examples and Giordano Poloni’s vibrant and accessible illustrations make this a useful STEM nonfiction choice for KS2 classrooms.
7+ year-olds | Author’s website
Diary of a Number One Superfan by Pamela Butchart, illustrated by Gemma Correll
Gemma is about to see Taylor Swift in concert, so every fact, worry and burst of excitement goes into her diary. For 8+ year olds, this Pop Legends series opener blends a funny school-and-friendship story with conversation-worthy facts about Taylor Swift’s music, records and cats, all while Gemma aims to become a songwriter herself. It’s great fun.
8+ year-olds | Author’s website
The Summer My Wishes Came True by Radhika Sanghani
Summer camp should mean two brilliant weeks with Nikki, but Ayesha’s best friend seems different and one overheard insult leaves her wishing her life could change. For 9-12 year-olds, this energetic summer-camp story blends friendship worries with a light-hearted magical twist. As Ayesha’s wishes start coming true – from pizza for lunch to a coveted part in the camp musical – she’s forced to work out what happiness really costs. It’s a great choice for KS2 book clubs.
9+ year-olds | Author’s website
The Silver Dwarf by Victor Kloss
Ben’s double life at the Royal Institute of Magic grows more dangerous when the search for Elizabeth’s Armour leads to a magical key and the legend of the Silver Dwarf. The fourth book in the popular Royal Institute of Magic fantasy series sees the return of the dark elves, the Unseen Kingdoms as friendships are severely tested by Ben’s role as a Guardian. Highly immersive.
9+ year-olds | Author’s website
The Horse Dreamer by Holly Surplice
A mysterious horse arrives in a storm just as Merryn is struggling with the loss of her father. For readers aged 9 and up, Merryn’s friendship with dreamlike Sorrel offers a gentle animal story about grief, family and healing, with the author’s own illustrations adding to the book’s distinctive, wintry atmosphere. Highly recommended.
9+ year-olds | Author’s website
How to Steal the Future by Christopher Edge
When twelve-year-old Drew Blake enters a guarded maze that keeps shifting under his feet, he knows it’s hiding a secret known as the Avenir, which can control the future. Others have tried to steal it before him, including his sister Evie, who never returned. With routes changing, traps closing in and hidden rules shaping every move, Drew is racing to find Evie and save his future before time runs out. Mind-bendingly good fun, How to Steal the Future blends cutting-edge science with a roller-coaster plot. Highly recommended for UKS2 and KS3.
9-11 year-olds | Author’s website
Elfie’s Spellbook by Christophe Arleston and Audrey Alwett, illustrated by Mini Ludvin, translated by Anam Zafar
After their mother’s death, Elfie and her sister Magda are rescued from a dull home with their aunt by their older sister Louette and her travelling bookshop bus. This cosy graphic novel for 9-12 year olds follows Elfie across France as she discovers her inherited notebook is really a witch’s spellbook and that her stories can bring magic to life. It’s a charming and bewitching graphic novel series for UKS2.
9-12 year-olds | Author’s website
Evie in Venice by Bruna De Luca
When seventeen-year-old self-taught artist Evie travels to Venice for an art exchange, her parents mistakenly think she is safely on a science trip. For 12+ year-olds, this addictive summer romance story blends art, family deception, an online crush and an awkward creative partnership with Leonardo, the host family’s son, against a summer setting of museums, canals and carnival colour. It’s perfect holiday reading for teens.
12+ year-olds | Author’s website
Augusta Pine Does Not Exist by Emily Lloyd-Jones
In a near-future world where biometric tattoos have replaced paper ID, Augusta Pine works as a government wraith, an operative who officially does not exist. After a hacking accident at fifteen, she chose undercover service over prison. Now eighteen, she expects a rare weekend off, only for her apartment block to be taken over by cyber criminals. Using her hacking skills and help from her handler, Prefect and AI Edgar, can Augusta free the trapped residents? It’s a distinctively cool and fast-paced thriller that 12+ year olds will devour. Highly recommended for KS3 libraries.
12+ year-olds | Author’s website
Local Gods by Melinda Salisbury
When an FBI raid exposes her father’s double life, Sylvie Singer becomes a target in Pine Ridge Hollow and heads for a disused station in the West Woods, where carnivorous deer roam. There she meets Illican, a horned god bound to the forest, who warns that disaster is coming. With the town turning against her, Sylvie must decide whether to help the people who have cast her out. Sylvie is a memorable character filled with resentment, and readers will be desperate to know what she does with it in this stunning YA folk horror tale that will keep teens gripped from start to finish.
12+ year-olds | Author’s website
Blood of Gods and Girls by Katja Kaine
Marked for sacrifice as the Mortal Goddess, Nisha managed to escape the temple on her twelfth birthday. But now the kingdom is looking for another girl, and its attention has fallen on Ratna, the only family Nisha has left. For 12+ year-olds, this fierce feminist romantasy brings together divine power, rebellion and a dangerous bond with a Golden Eagle Warrior. Beguiling, exciting and unexpected, this stunning debut romantasy is perfect summer reading for teens. Highly recommended.
12+ year-olds | Author’s website
Where Lost Girls Go by Kody Keplinger
A cabin in the Kentucky mountains offers five girls new names, sisterhood and the protection of Sol, the man who claims he has saved them. For 14+ year-olds who can handle darker and more thought-provoking YA material, Kody Keplinger’s atmospheric thriller follows Iris as the arrival of a new girl, Rose, makes her question the loyalty tests, buried secrets and shifting power that lie inside this isolated refuge. Ideal for KS4 book clubs.
14+ year-olds | Author’s website
Heledd’s Song by Fiona Collins
Fourteen-year-old Seren lives with her nain in contemporary north-east Wales after the death of her mother and struggles with grief and bullying at school. In her dreams, she meets Heledd, a girl from the 7th-century kingdom of Pengwern, living in the aftermath of a Mercian war. This stunning magic-tinged mythical novel for 14+ year olds draws on Canu Heledd and Welsh literary tradition to explore loss, survival and the stories that help people endure. Highly recommended.
14+ year-olds | Author’s website
Thornbird by E. Kennedy
Ten years after her father is caught for a series of murders, Ryan Shipley returns to Starling, Tennessee, with a new name and a new identity at a new boarding school. Living with her aunt’s family, she tries to keep the past buried, but when a classmate’s podcast and online forum drag the case back into view, she’s forced to confront the past. As mysterious texts arrive and an earth-shattering note appears, pressure builds around what happened then and what Ryan might know now. A deliciously chilling and fast-paced twisty crime thriller for 14+ year olds. Highly recommended.
14+ year-olds | Author’s website
Seven Deadly Thorns by Amber Hamilton
Viola Sinclair faces execution for using outlawed magic. Roze Roquelart, the prince ordered to kill her, must do so within a week or die himself. With few options, they strike a deal and start digging into the secrets their kingdom would rather keep buried. The story weaves in fantasy and romance, with shifting loyalties, hidden groups and tense rivalries, while also touching on power, punishment and trust – none of it easy, and none of it clear-cut. A blazing debut romantasy for 15+ year-old fans of Holly Black and Lauren Roberts – now available in paperback. Highly recommended.
15+ year-olds | Author’s website
Themed day / social media opportunities for July 2026
These hashtag days might provide current and relevant talking points for secondary-aged pupils aged 13+ in KS3, KS4 and KS5, especially when linked to related literature.
- South Asian Heritage Month takes place from July 1st to July 31st from 2026 and offers opportunities to explore South Asian history, culture, migration, family stories, language, food, identity and representation in literature. The official South Asian Heritage Month website includes information about the month, its themes and ways for schools and organisations to get involved.
- Disability Pride Month takes place throughout July and can be used to discuss representation, accessibility, ableism, inclusive language and disabled voices in fiction, memoir, poetry and nonfiction. Scope’s Disability Pride Month page offers a clear introduction for UK readers.
- #PlasticBagFreeDay takes place on July 3rd and forms part of #PlasticFreeJuly. There’s an official website with lots of free educational ideas and an annual challenge.
- World Kiswahili Language Day on July 7th could spark discussion about language, translation, oral storytelling, African literature and how words travel between cultures. There are useful background pages from UNESCO and the United Nations.
- #PicnicMonth takes place each July and #TeddyBearPicnicDay on July 10th may well be of interest to teens with younger siblings.
- World Population Day on July 11th can provide useful prompts for book-club discussion about migration, urbanisation, climate, inequality, health, families and the future. The United Nations World Population Day page gives background for older students.
- Malala Day on July 12th links well to memoir, girls’ education, censorship, activism, school access and the power of public speech. The Malala Fund biography page explains the background, and Malala Yousafzai’s 2013 United Nations speech works well as a short discussion text.
- #CowAppreciationDay has mooved to July 14th this year. The steaks are high, so it will behoove your school to amoose your students. An udderly important event, perhaps we can steer you towards this useful resource.
- #PandemoniumDay will suit your school on July 14, especially since it’s nearly the end of term.
- World Youth Skills Day on July 15th could be linked to careers, apprenticeships, employability, entrepreneurship, technical education, AI skills and the changing world of work. The United Nations page gives background for discussion.
- Nelson Mandela International Day on July 18th works well for discussion around biography, prison writing, protest, justice, reconciliation and community action. The United Nations Mandela Day page explains the annual observance, and the Mandela Day website gives campaign context.
- #NationalMoonDay on July 20th celebrates the Moon landing and inspires us to look up and learn about the moon and its phases. There’s also #SleepUnderTheStarsNight in the following month. There are free resources from the Museum of Flight website. Don’t forget NASA’s stunning website with resources for learning about the phases of the moon and Google’s Earth’s interactive view of the moon.
- World Chess Day also falls on July 20th and could link to strategy, patience, rivalry, logic, problem-solving, game design and chess in fiction. The United Nations World Chess Day page explains the background, and FIDE explains the link to the founding of the International Chess Federation.
- Samaritans Awareness Day takes place on July 24th because Samaritans are available 24/7. It can support careful, age-appropriate discussion around listening, peer support, stigma, mental health and how fiction handles crisis, isolation or friendship. The Samaritans Awareness Day page explains the campaign.
- World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25th is timely before the summer holidays and can support discussion about water safety, risk, responsibility, grief, survival stories and public health campaigns. The World Health Organization page gives background, and the United Nations page explains the annual observance.
- International Day of Friendship on July 30th can be linked to belonging, loyalty, conflict, peer pressure, loneliness and friendship groups in teen fiction. The United Nations page explains the day and its focus on friendship between peoples, countries and cultures.
- World Day Against Trafficking in Persons also takes place on July 30th and can support carefully framed discussion around exploitation, online scams, coercion, safeguarding and human rights. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime website includes background and campaign material.
- July, for many, represents school transition, whether from KS5 to university, KS4 to KS5, college, employment or apprenticeship, or from primary to secondary school. BBC Bitesize offers a range of videos, resources and activities for KS2 children about to transition to secondary school. Mental health charity Anna Freud features a downloadable free toolkit for teachers to support children who are anxious. The Scottish Association for Mental Health has created a set of tips to help smooth the transition from secondary school to college. Devon LEA offers an advice page for teachers looking to support students’ transition to further education, employment or training. The Asperger’s Syndrome Foundation has produced an information sheet about creating a transition plan to provide longer-term support for students leaving secondary education.
- If you need ideas for holiday reading activities, have a look at our Summer Reading Challenge resource page and our collection of downloadable reading challenge cards.
Extension activities:
- Have a look at our writing competitions for July 2026.
Other recently released titles to have a look at:
- Our latest July 2026 books of the month.
- Our rundown of the best books released this summer 2026.
- Our July 2026 books of the day on X. These can also be viewed on uk.Bookshop.org.
- Our guide on how to run a school book club covers both primary school book clubs and secondary school book clubs.
Click one of the buttons below to buy all this month’s recommended book club titles, or class sets of any of these books, from Bookshop.org UK or Amazon.co.uk. As an Amazon Associate, schoolreadinglist.co.uk earns from qualifying purchases.
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