Recommended reading books for primary & secondary aged children in the UK
Bethan Clarke is a British children’s author. Her debut picture book, Holey Moley, illustrated by Anders Frang, was published by Little Tiger in 2023. The story follows a goat named Gus who tries to guess where a mole lives, with each guess needing to rhyme.
Her second picture book, Snarky Sharky, illustrated by Nikolas Ilic, is due to be published by Little Tiger in 2025. Clarke’s writing is marked by rhyme, puns and playful humour, with stories often beginning from a title or wordplay idea developed into verse.
She has spoken about drafting and testing rhymes in notebooks and shaping text through repetition and rhythm to suit reading aloud. Her work is published in the UK and internationally, and she continues to write for young audiences.
Funny books for children and teens with titles by Michael Rosen, Cressida Cowell, Lauren Child, Nick Sharratt, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Nadia Shireen, Nathanael Lessore, Sonora Reyes, John Patrick Green, and Lex Croucher.
100 picture books for EYFS to read before you are 5 years old. A selection of picture books which are ideal for children who are learning to read in Nursery, Early Years, infants and Pre-Prep schools.
The School Reading List compiles this list of recommended books monthly. This children’s and YA books of the month list highlights new releases and editions of fiction and non-fiction books suitable for children and young adults aged 2-16.
Children’s books of the year 2025 – our team has picked a shortlist of great children’s and teen titles published in the last 12 months, with fiction, non-fiction and picture books for 3-18 years and a diverse range of prose, poetry and graphic novels. Vote now!
Season 1, Episode 32 of the School Reading List podcast. New book post, 30 great books for July 2025 and What are picture books, and why are they useful?
Snarky Sharky is an absolute winner as a bedtime story or EYFS read-aloud. It’s a visually engaging and entertaining choice for younger children, offering a fun way to explore important life lessons.
Season 1, Episode 20 of the School Reading List podcast. New book post, 30 great books for June 2024 and Drop Everything And Read (DEAR).
May 2024’s set of book club recommendations features a selection of exciting new titles by Judith Kerr, Angela Woolfe and Mark Chambers, Bethan Clarke, Louise Forshaw, Stephen Mulhern and Tom Easton, Ravena Guron, Ros Roberts, Sarah Naughton and Angeline Boulley.
Season 1, Episode 10 of the School Reading List podcast. New book post, 30 great books for May 2023, book picks for Pride Month and how how to avoid the summer slide by encouraging reading.
Here’s our selection of top new titles coming out in Summer 2023. These reading recommendations include picture books, early and middle-grade fiction; young adult novels and non-fiction.
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