Recommended reading books for primary & secondary aged children in the UK
Amelia Tait is a freelance features journalist who writes culture, trend and technology stories for publications including The Guardian, The New York Times, Wired, Vice and the New Statesman. She has also written humour for McSweeney’s and The New Yorker.
In 2020, Tait was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Europe. In 2023, she won Best Feature at the Freelance Journalism Awards.
Tait also writes children’s fiction. Her first children’s series begins with Lily Tripp: Diary of an Accidental Time Traveller, published by Hachette Children’s Group, with an expected publication date of 28 May 2026.
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.
Here’s our selection of top new titles coming out in Summer 2026. These reading recommendations include picture books, poetry, early and middle-grade fiction; young adult novels and non-fiction.
Books for year 7 – our reading recommendation for 11 year olds at the start of secondary school in Year 7, including titles by A.M Dassu, Mitch Johnson, Lisa Thompson, Gillian Cross, Malorie Blackman, R.J. Palacio, Philip Pullman, Catherine Johnson & Michael Rosen.
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