Seaside books for children
Seaside themed stories for EYFS, KS1, KS2 and KS3 with titles by Michael Rosen, Mairi Hedderwick, Shirley Hughes, Sam Usher, Atinuke, Richard Pickard, Michael Morpurgo, Lauren St John, Liz Kessler and more.
Recommended reading books for primary & secondary aged children in the UK
Lauren St John is a British author and conservationist, born in December 1966 in Gatooma, Rhodesia (now Kadoma, Zimbabwe). Raised on a farm and game reserve named Rainbow’s End, she grew up surrounded by animals, including a pet giraffe, which inspired much of her writing. After studying journalism in Africa, she moved to London, where she worked as a golf correspondent for The Sunday Times for nearly a decade.
St John’s debut children’s novel, The White Giraffe, was published in 2006 by Orion Children’s Books. The story follows Martine, an orphan who moves to a South African game reserve and discovers a magical connection with a rare white giraffe. The book is the first in the Animal Healer series and has been praised for its vivid portrayal of African wildlife and themes of conservation. It won the 2008 East Sussex Children’s Book Award and was shortlisted for several other regional awards.
Following the success of The White Giraffe, St John authored the Laura Marlin Mystery series, beginning with Dead Man’s Cove in 2010. The first book in the series won the 2011 Blue Peter Book of the Year Award. She also wrote the One Dollar Horse trilogy (2012–2014), which follows a teenager’s journey into the world of competitive horse racing, and the Kat Wolfe Investigates series (2018–2021), featuring a young detective and animal lover.
In addition to her children’s fiction, St John has written adult books, including biographies of musicians Steve Earle and Seve Ballesteros, and a memoir titled Rainbow’s End, published in 2007. Her young adult novel, The Glory, published in 2015, is a stand-alone equestrian thriller.
A passionate conservationist, St John is an Ambassador for the Born Free Foundation and the founder of Authors4Oceans.org, an initiative promoting environmental awareness among young readers. She is also a Patron of Mane Chance Animal Sanctuary. Her work continues to inspire readers with its blend of adventure, mystery, and advocacy for wildlife preservation.
Seaside themed stories for EYFS, KS1, KS2 and KS3 with titles by Michael Rosen, Mairi Hedderwick, Shirley Hughes, Sam Usher, Atinuke, Richard Pickard, Michael Morpurgo, Lauren St John, Liz Kessler and more.
Looking for a travel destination to engage your children? How about a location from a favourite children’s book, or an actual landmark or building which inspired a magical or legendary setting from a story? Here’s a list of top holiday spots with literary themes.
Volcanoes and earthquakes topic books for KS2. Authors include Ben Hubbard, Sophie Williams, Philip Pullman, Lauren St John, Caroline Lawrence, Anita Ganeri, Anne-Sophie Baumann and Meredith Hooper.
Africa themed books for children and teens with nonfiction and fiction titles by Wakanyi Hoffman and Onyinye Iwu, Niki Daly, Ken Wilson-Max, Yaba Badoe, Wilbur Smith, Namina Forna, Wole Soyinka and more.
Season 1, Episode 14 of the School Reading List podcast. New book post, 30 great books for September 2023 and how to organise quiet reading time.
Here’s our selection of top new titles coming out in Autumn 2023. These reading recommendations include picture books, early and middle-grade fiction; young adult novels and non-fiction.
Finding Wonder is an engrossing adventure story that will appeal to young horse fans. Best-selling author Lauren St John has a knack for weaving gripping plots with animal and conservation themes.
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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