Recommended reading books for primary & secondary aged children in the UK
Louise Austin is a debut children’s author. Her middle-grade series begins with Alex Abbott is [Un]Dead, a highly illustrated adventure for readers aged 8 to 11, illustrated by Katie Kear and published by Macmillan Children’s Books on 23 April 2026. The story follows Alex Abbott, an ordinary child who is accidentally turned into a vampire and sets out on a supernatural quest to become human again.
Louise Austin won the Cornerstones PWA prize for most promising manuscript in the Bath Children’s Novel Awards in 2022, and her writing was selected for SCBWI Undiscovered Voices 2024. A second Alex Abbott book, Alex Abbott and the Portal of Doom, is scheduled for publication by Macmillan Children’s Books on 25 February 2027.
Alex Abbott is (un)Dead: Diary of a Reluctant Vampire (aged 11½) is a funny supernatural adventure with flawed decisions, far-reaching consequences and a chance for Alex to put things right.
Adventure stories for children and teens, including modern and classic titles by Maz Evans, Cressida Cowell, Dom Conlon, Lucy Brandt, Sufiya Ahmed, Varsha Shah, A.F. Steadman, Wilbur Smith, Robert Muchamore, Robert Louis Stevenson and more.
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.
Disclosure: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops, or Waterstones.com.
Keep up to date with our email newsletter and our latest social media posts about reading, children's books and literacy.
Home »
© 2026 School Reading List. All Rights Reserved | As an Amazon Associate schoolreadinglist.co.uk earns from qualifying purchases | Policies and Terms of Use
