Recommended reading books for primary & secondary aged children in the UK
I Am Strong Just Being Me is a must-have book for social and emotional development for children aged 3 and up. It encourages life skills about dealing with failure, asking for help, courage and forgiveness.
Summer reading challenge – A good reading challenge will not only promote reading and encourage reading for pleasure, but it will encourage a reading culture to spread like a virus throughout your school.
Children’s books about resilience, perseverance, and grit, including titles suitable for KS1 and KS2 by David Long, Cece Bell, Matthew Syed, Julie Murphy, Esther Pia Cordova, and Barney Salzberg.
Season 1, Episode 30 of the School Reading List podcast. New book post, 30 great books for May 2025 and Investing in Your School Library Can Boost Your School Inspection Grade.
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.
April 2025’s book club recommendations feature titles by Tracy Curren, Laura Dockrill, Maudie Powell-Tuck & Duncan Beedie, Dan Abdo & Jason Patterson, Ben Garrod, Helen Rutter, Matt Goodfellow, Eve Wersocki Morris, Graci Kim, Alexia Casale, Grainne O’Brien, & Patrice Caldwell.
Kindness, empathy and love children’s books for students aged 3-12+ including titles by Laura Dockrill, Malcolm Duffy, Dan Smith, Alice Oseman, Jess McGeachin, Michael Rosen, Catherine Rayner, Satoshi Kitamura, Suma Subramaniam, Benjamin Dean, R J Palacio & more.
Grief and loss themed books for children and teens with titles by Britta Teckentrup, Samuel Langley-Swain, Judith Kerr, Harry Woodgate, Laura Dockrill, Oliver Jeffers, Kereen Getten, Michael Rosen and Joseph Coelho.
Shortlists for the Carnegie Medal 2025 and Kate Greenaway award 2025 – recommended for children and young adults in primary and secondary schools.
Here’s our selection of top new titles coming out in Spring 2025. These reading recommendations include picture books, early and middle-grade fiction; young adult novels and non-fiction.
Here’s our selection of top new titles coming out in Summer 2024. These reading recommendations include picture books, early and middle-grade fiction; young adult novels and non-fiction.
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.
Here’s our selection of top new titles coming out in Autumn 2021. These reading recommendations include picture books, early and middle-grade fiction; young adult novels and non-fiction.
Here’s our selection of top new titles coming out in autumn 2020. These children’s reading recommendations include picture books, early and middle-grade fiction; young adult novels and non-fiction.
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Our latest reading national curriculum year group recommended reading lists:
Picture books for the under 5s | Books for Reception | Books for Year 1 | Books for Year 2 | Books for Year 3 | Books for Year 4 | Books for Year 5 | Books for Year 6 | Books for Year 7 | Books for Year 8 | Books for Year 9 | Books for Year 10 | Books for Year 11
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