June 2026’s set of recommendations for book clubs features seaside stories, friendship, self-acceptance, inclusion, wildlife rescue, sustainability, wartime adventure, fantasy magic, mythology, animal non-fiction, sport, grief, family drama, murder mystery, romantasy and dystopian danger. June 2026’s picks features books by Michael Parkin, Marjoke Henrichs, Samareh Azardi, Amber Aü, Philip Ardagh, Julie Abery, Ian Eagleton, Hayley Wells, Mary Hoffman, Ros Asquith, Joanna McInerney, Phung Nguyen Quang, Huynh Thi Kim Lien, Karelle Tobias, Tony Bradman, Bec Manser, Clare Pollard, Clemency Brown, Kerry Hyndman, Mike Hills, Patrick Gallagher, Jamie Gregory, Mitch Johnson, Ester Gaya, Matt Goodfellow, Nadia Mikail, Aleema Omotoni, Cassandra James, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Lynette Noni, and Kate Williams.
June 2026 book club recommendations
Biguana: And His Best Friend Pinto by Michael Parkin
Biguana and Pinto have been best friends since they were eggs, but Biguana’s growing size brings so much attention that he forgets to be a good friend. A funny picture book for 2-5 year olds, it uses one very big iguana and one overlooked pal to explore friendship, jealousy and making amends. A great read aloud for preschool children.
2-5 year-olds | Author’s website
Again! said Rabbit by Marjoke Henrichs
The third in the popular series, this seaside story follows Rabbit, who wants to do everything again and again, turning play, patience and persistence into a gentle comic rhyming read-aloud story. A brightly illustrated picture book for 3+ year olds, it is well suited to EYFS children who recognise the comfort of repetition and the frustration of learning when to stop. Highly recommended.
3+ year-olds | Author’s website
Max and the Haircut by Samareh Azardi
At Wendy’s hairdressing salon, Max finds the haircut just too much, with bright lights, loud noises, cold water spray, an unfamiliar shoulder cloth, spiky hairclips, and then the snipping scissors! But when, in desperation, he shouts “STOP!”, Wendy listens and changes her approach, using a cat, a cushion and bubbles to help him manage the rest of the cut. The story gives young children and adults a clear, practical way to talk about sensory overload, anxiety and how adults can make useful adjustments. It’s ideal for reading and discussing in early years.
3+ year-olds | Author’s website
The Blue Tomato by Amber Aü
Blu moves into a town full of tomatoes and quickly realises he is the only one who is blue. His attempt to turn red gives 3-6-year-olds a clear, visual story about fitting in, feeling different and learning to value what makes someone stand apart. Amber Aü’s debut picture book uses subtle pared-back artwork, gentle humour and an absorbing tomato world to explore self-acceptance. It’s perfect to read and discuss with EYFS children.
3-6 year-olds | Author’s website
Are You Looking At Me? by Philip Ardagh, illustrated by Enrico Lorenzi
A big brown bear is only the beginning in this noisy, attention-grabbing stare-filled animal parade, with gawping gibbons, leering lions, frowning frogs and a peering python all joining in. Perfect for 3-6 year olds, the catchy rhyming text is built for read-aloud fun, while Enrico Lorenzi’s fun-soaked, bold illustrations and fluorescent hues add extra comic punch. Highly recommended, this is likely to become a repeat bedtime story hit.
3-6 year-olds | Author’s website
The Old Man and the Penguin by Julie Abery
This true picture book story for 3-7-year-olds follows Joao, who finds an oil-soaked penguin on the beach and takes it home to clean, feed and care for it. Once the bird recovers, he plans to return it to the sea, but it keeps coming back. Perfect for reading aloud in EYFS and KS1, this moving book about friendship and determination also opens up discussion of pollution and wildlife rescue. Pierre Pratt’s sparkling illustrations exude warmth, character and charm as they follow the story to an uplifting conclusion. Highly recommended.
3-7 year-olds | Author’s website
Superheroes in the Park by Ian Eagleton and Hayley Wells
A little boy wants a proper park adventure with Dad and Daddy, but every rope, swing and icy path seems to come with a warning. This warm-hearted picture book for 4+ year olds turns frustration into imaginative play as the family become pirates, birds and superheroes together, with a diverse and inclusive family story at its centre. Highly recommended.
4+ year-olds | Author’s website
Food For All by Mary Hoffman and Ros Asquith
This book takes a deep dive into where our food comes from, how it’s shared (or not), and what it means for the planet. It tackles big questions – why some people go hungry while others waste food, whether organic or vegetarian diets make a difference, and how farming shapes the environment. With lively illustrations and a dash of humour, it breaks down complex issues in an accessible way for 4-7 year olds, and it’s ideal for sparking discussion in EYFS. Highly recommended. Now available in paperback.
4-7 year-olds | Author’s website
The Fawn Who Chased The Sun by Joanna McInerney, Phung Nguyen Quang and Huynh Thi Kim Lien
When a fawn sees the sun set for the first time, he sets off to find out where it has gone. Joanna McInerney’s enchanting fable for 5-7-year-olds follows him on that awe-inspiring journey, which prompts children to look at and appreciate what is around them. The artwork from Vietnamese illustration duo Quang and Lien is both atmospheric and spectacular, and this hardback edition – perfect for gifting and prize-giving – is foiled throughout. A stunning book – highly recommended.
5-7 year-olds | Author’s website
G.O.A.T.: The Greatest of All Time! by Karelle Tobias, illustrated by Harry Briggs
Goat arrives at Harmony Farm calling himself the Greatest of All Time, but his confidence soon irritates Rooster and offends Horse, whose dance moves are local legend. An epic dance battle follows, with Notorious P.I.G. on the music and Goat’s claims under pressure. This brightly illustrated farm-based graphic novel for 6-9-year-olds offers short, laugh-out-loud chapters with an anarchic animal cast and lots of visual humour. It’s perfect for LKS2 classroom libraries.
6-9 year-olds | Author’s website
Tales of the Cobb Street Commandos by Tony Bradman
London’s East End, 1941. With the war closing in, Jimmy and his mates form a secret outfit called the Cobb Street Commandos, turning empty houses into HQs and warehouses into training grounds. Cobbling together helmets and kit from whatever they can scrounge, their missions start with wartime jobs around the city, including raising money for Spitfire planes and training alongside soldiers. Eventually, they build towards a trip to see Prime Minister Winston Churchill! It’s a pacey, satisfying-to-read, highly illustrated series opener that will inspire less confident readers to learn more about WW2. Highly recommended and ideal for group reading in KS2.
7-10 year-olds | Author’s website
Wildheart by Bec Manser
In Twigswick, children are raised on three important rules: stay inside the rune posts, run when the warning bell sounds, and fear spirits! Nettle Sourbud has always lived in the shadow of her sister Fern, so when she finds out that Fern has left the Wildheart Rangers for the Shadow Stalkers, intrepid Nettle steps into Dryda Forest to find her. Only there does she face Hollow Spirits and begin to uncover what Fern is actually doing. Full of atmosphere, relatable characters, inclusivity and spooky changes of pace, Wildheart is a joy to read. The first in a series, it’s a highly original and gripping fantasy story that’s guaranteed to entrance 8+ year olds. Highly recommended for KS2. Read our full review.
8+ year-olds | Author’s website
The Othernauts by Clare Pollard
Eleven-year-old Phoebe is bored of her island, so she sneaks aboard the Argo and straight into Jason’s quest for the Golden Fleece. Travelling with a ragtag group of children, she faces monsters, gods and danger alongside the famous heroes. Told from Phoebe’s point of view, this reimagined story for 8–13 year olds plays with Greek myth, adding humour and sharp twists that give a familiar adventure a contemporary and original feel. Read our full review.
8-13 year-olds | Author’s website
Wishbound by Clemency Brown
Leonie has the power to grant wishes, but every spell comes with a cost. Fleeing her old life, she finds a new home and friendship with Cress, who is deaf and uses British Sign Language. As Leonie learns what her magic demands, the compelling plot explores choice, responsibility and found family. Set across a series of striking locations, Leonie must think about friendship, trust and deciding when not to use her power at all. A satisfying and inclusive read for UKS2 children. Read our full review.
9+ year-olds | Author’s website
Honey, I Ate the Kids by Kerry Hynman and Mike Hills
Animal family life gets a brisk, eye-opening treatment in this fun-packed non-fiction book for 9-11-year-olds, with facts on everything from Komodo dragons eating their young to capybaras eating poo and glass frogs using “ninja kicks” to protect their eggs. Kerry Hyndman and Mike Hills pack each page with facts, quizzes and activities, balancing the revolting with the surprisingly heart-warming. It is the type of non-fiction that KS2 pupils will dip into for one fact and keep returning to day after day. Highly recommended.
9-11 year-olds | Author’s website
Transcendent: Forgotten Earth by Patrick Gallagher
The third in a popular adventure thriller series, Jacob and Kira now face a world plunged into climate catastrophe after their defeat by the nefarious billionaire Nosfer. A high-octane 9-12 eco-tech thriller, it sends the twins into the Oracle virtual reality universe, where grief, memory and a hidden trail may hold the only way to free the population and stop disaster. A gripping read.
9-11 year-olds | Author’s website
Bone Head: Guardian of the Underworld by Jamie Gregory
Demise is a skeleton guardian with one ambition: to get Hades to notice him. It does not go well. The castle gates collapse, and he and Mort are sent to dog-sit Cerberus, the three-headed dog of the underworld. That punishment soon becomes a frantic escape through fire, dragons and worse. Told in page-turning diary format, with Mort’s witty comments and vibrant two-colour illustrations, it has plenty of underworld chaos for fun-seeking 9-12 year olds. Highly recommended. Read our full review.
9-12 year-olds | Author’s website
Strike by Mitch Johnson
Owen Sharp is on the brink of joining a Premier League club when a note hidden in his new boots makes him stop and think. The desperate message leads him to the factory workers who made his kit and the harsh conditions they work under. Suddenly, Owen has to choose between pushing ahead with his dream or speaking up for people he has never met. The story blends football with themes of justice, responsibility and difficult life choices. It’s a brilliant book for 10+ year olds to read in the run-up to the World Cup. Highly recommended. Read our full review.
10+ year-olds | Author’s website
The Curator’s Collection: An A to Z of Fungi by Ester Gaya, illustrated by Katie Scott
Mushrooms, moulds, lichens and mycelia are arranged alphabetically in a compact illustrated guide inspired by Fungarium and created with Kew scientific expertise. A handsome hardback nature gift book for 10+ year olds, it combines Katie Scott’s detailed artwork with clear entries that introduce the strange, colourful and essential kingdom of fungi. Highly recommended.
10+ year-olds | Author’s website
Six Weeks by Matt Goodfellow
After his mum dies, Alfie Piper is left with six weeks of summer and a home that has fallen silent. So he takes his bike and rides, using the days away to think about grief, his stepdad and what home now means. Told in sparkling, sparse verse by Matt Goodfellow, with emotive illustrations by Joe Todd-Stanton, this outstanding, moving and ultimately uplifting story for 10+ year olds reveals a boy trying desperately to work out how to keep going when family life is disintegrating.
10+ year-olds | Author’s website
A Flood of Memories by Nadia Mikail
Flood season pulls Leila back from Kuala Lumpur to Sarawak, where she must help her Mak and face the memories she has avoided since her father’s death. For 12+ year old YA readers, this brilliant novel brings together an enchanting and life-affirming story of family trauma, control, grief and first love, as Leila is forced to weigh Arthur’s support against what it might cost her. Highly recommended – it’s a great contemporary pick for KS3 & KS4 libraries.
12+ year-olds | Author’s website
Winners and Liars by Aleema Omotoni
Derin is bound for Cambridge when the deaths of her favourite professor and his wife lead to a will reading with extraordinary conditions. Students must compete in twisty challenges linked to Cornelia Darnley’s historical novel, with Kenfield House and a huge inheritance at stake. It’s a stunningly gripping, sharp and edgy YA mystery for 13+ year-olds, with family secrets, scheming rivals, a warning note and a deliciously mysterious house whose past may not stay buried. Highly recommended for KS3 and KS4.
12+ year-olds | Author’s website
Libertad by Cassandra James
Ximena Reale was trained to hunt pirates, but after escaping execution and becoming a resistance figure, she now sails as one herself. This Latinx-inspired romantasy sequel to Capitana follows Ximena through rebellion, forbidden magic, shifting loyalties and the pull of Dante de León as she weighs the real cost of freedom. An accessible, imaginative and liberating read, it’s ideal for adventure-seeking 13+ year olds.
13+ year-olds | Author’s website
The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Five gifted siblings, raised under the ruthless Button Method, are thrown into chaos when their billionaire father is murdered during his own Prodigy Ball. Trapped inside the family mansion, Octavius, Fola, Bilal, Perdita and Romeo turn on each other as secrets surface and old grudges resurface. This character-driven YA thriller for 14+ year olds blends claustrophobic mystery with dagger-sharp family tension. Exploring themes of ambition, trauma and the cost of being shaped into something you never chose, it’s a thrilling ride for KS4 readers. Highly recommended.
14+ year-olds | Author’s website
Shadow Reaper by Lynette Noni
In the city of Aravell, deadly blackmist and reapers shape everyday life. Seventeen-year-old Viridia Solace hunts reapers, driven by the loss of her parents and a single target: the Reaper Priest. But when she captures his lieutenant, Reeve Ashton, he offers her a route to revenge that comes with serious consequences. Action, shifting loyalties and sharp dialogue drive this stunning opening book of a YA fantasy duology for 14+ year olds, built on danger, tension and uneasy alliances. Highly recommended.
14-18 year-olds | Author’s website
Fake Out Make Out by Kate Williams
Charlie Ross was a champion runner before chronic illness forced her away from competition and into a job at FIRE, a sports logistics company doubling as a hush-hush espionage operation. This 18+ new adult romance mixes international sport, covert missions, stolen arms, forced proximity and a guarded spy-handler who does not want Charlie anywhere near the danger. It’s a compelling brew of secrets and romance.
18+ year-olds | Author’s website
Themed day / social media opportunities for June 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.
- Pride Month. Have a look at BBC Newsround’s comprehensive guide to the history and culture behind this event. #pride. There’s also School Diversity Week, which runs from 22-26 June 2026 and offers free lesson plans, assemblies, reading guides and activities for primary and secondary educators.
- Roma and Traveller History Month. This website includes teaching resources, books, media and Holocaust studies material for primary and secondary schools. #GRTHM
- National Crime Reading Month, led by the Crime Writers’ Association with The Reading Agency, runs throughout June and includes author events, book group discussions, workshops and online activity across the UK and Ireland. #NationalCrimeReadingMonth
- Child Safety Week, run by the Child Accident Prevention Trust from 1-7 June 2026, offers free resources, display materials, parent packs and activity ideas. It could link well to discussions about risk, independence, online safety and responsibility.
- World Environment Day takes place on 5 June 2026. The official website includes ideas for participation and engagement. #WorldEnvironmentDay
- Butterfly Education and Awareness Day takes place on 6 June 2026. There’s a useful link to a community resource which could spark ideas for incorporating this day into your school calendar. #butterflyawarenessday
- The Big Green Week runs from 6-14 June 2026 and is the UK’s major community moment for nature and climate action. The website includes activities for schools and local communities, plus a rundown of local events.
- World Oceans Day is a United Nations event on 8 June 2026. The website includes resources, stories, videos, a discussion guide, education links and a photography competition.
- Carers Week runs from 8-14 June 2026, with the theme “Building Carer Friendly Communities”. It could support discussion around young carers, family responsibility, empathy, community support and hidden pressures on pupils. #CarersWeek
- Empathy Day, run by EmpathyLab, is an annual event that shows how books can make the world a better place through kindness, empathy and understanding. The website includes a goldmine of book suggestions, engagement ideas and a programme for teachers. #EmpathyDay
- World Day Against Child Labour on 12 June provides a route into discussion about rights, education, poverty, supply chains and the difference between work, exploitation and responsibility. #EndChildLabour
- Independent Bookshop Week runs from 13-20 June 2026 and celebrates independent bookshops across the UK and Ireland. It could work well for local bookshop links, summer reading displays and pupil-led book recommendations. #IndieBookshopWeek
- Access All Arts Week, from Sky Arts, runs from 15-19 June 2026 and offers free live lessons by artists and resources for primary schools. Grouped into Marks, Images, Words, Moves, and Sounds, the lessons range from rap to photography and poetry to drawing.
- Learning Disability Week, run by Mencap from 15-21 June 2026, has the theme “Do you see me?” and includes resources to support awareness, inclusion and discussion about being seen, heard and valued. #LearningDisabilityWeek
- Refugee Week runs from 15-21 June 2026. The website includes lots of ideas for schools that want to take part, including ‘simple acts’ and downloadable resources. The 2026 theme is courage. #RefugeeWeek
- Thank a Teacher Day takes place on 17 June 2026 – thank your teachers, especially the ones who recommend great books! #ThankATeacherDay
- Clean Air Day takes place on 18 June 2026 and focuses on air pollution, health, active travel and environmental justice. The school resources page includes assemblies, lesson plans and activities for schools. #CleanAirDay
- Windrush Day commemorates the anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush on 22 June 1948. The National Maritime Museum details events, workshops, talks and resources on its website.
- National Writing Day takes place on 24 June 2026 and is an “annual celebration of writing for pleasure and self-expression”. The organisers invite teachers to share writing online using the hashtag #NationalWritingDay.
- National School Sports Week runs from 6-12 July 2026, but schools can register in June to receive free downloadable resources and inclusive activity ideas. #NSSW2026
Extension activities:
- Have a look at our writing competitions for June 2026.
Other recently released titles to have a look at:
- Our latest June 2026 books of the month.
- Our rundown of the best books released this summer 2026.
- Our June 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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