Recommended reading books for primary and secondary aged children in the UK
Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara is a Spanish author best known for creating the Little People, BIG DREAMS series. This collection of illustrated biographies introduces children to the lives of notable figures from history and contemporary culture. The series began publication in 2016 and features individuals such as Frida Kahlo, Marie Curie, David Attenborough, and Rosa Parks. Each book is written by Sánchez Vegara and illustrated by various artists.
The Little People, BIG DREAMS series has been published in multiple languages and is available internationally. The books are published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, an imprint of Quarto Publishing Group. Sánchez Vegara’s work has received recognition for its educational value and accessibility for young readers.
In 2020, the Little People, BIG DREAMS series won the Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Award in the Learning & Development category. By 2023, the series had expanded to include over 100 titles, covering a diverse range of figures from science, the arts, activism, and sports.
Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara continues to write and develop new titles for the Little People, BIG DREAMS series, which remains her most widely known work.
Moon landing books for children and teens with titles by Chris Hadfield, Neil Armstrong, Brian Floca, Brad Meltzer, Buzz Aldrin, Margot Lee Shetterly, Sally Gardner, Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, David Long, and Amy Cherrix.
Olympics books for children and teens with titles by Aly Raisman, Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Brian Moses, Clive Gifford, Danielle Brown, Paul Mason, Sara Fujimura, Scott Allen, and Fernanda Frick H.
Tennis books for children and teens with titles by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Andre Agassi, Billie Jean King, Noel Streatfeild, Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Carl Merrison, Katherine Woodfine, Dan Freedman, Clive Gifford, and Abraham Verghese.
Books about sight loss for children and teens including titles by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Marcus Sedgwick, Lucy Edwards, Katy Birchall, Kody Keplinger, April Henry, Penny Joelson, Beth O’Brien, Jen Bryant, and Paola Peretti.
Engineering books for children and teens with titles by Andrea Beaty, Pip Jones, Shini Somara, Roma Agrawal, Kate Peridot, Alexene Farol Follmuth, Sandhya Menon, Brittney Morris, Mark Miodownik, and Simon Winchester.
Shakespeare books for children and teens with titles by William Shakespeare, Michael Morpurgo, Malorie Blackman, Michael Rosen, Marcia Williams, Susan Cooper, Chloe Gong, Maggie O’Farrell, Emma Smith, and Judi Dench.
Explore 15 Amelia Earhart books for children and teens, from illustrated biographies and picture books to aviation history and YA fiction, with reading ideas and teaching resources for schools.
Biographies and autobiographies for children with titles by Mick Manning, Brita Granström, Michael Rosen, Vashti Harrison, Floella Benjamin, John Agard, Jacqueline Wilson, Alastair Humphreys, Malala Yousafzai, David Long, William Grill and Linda Sue Park.
Football books for children with titles by Michael Rosen, Tom Palmer, Mal Peet, Michaela Morgan, Priscilla Mante, Alex Wheatle, Dan Freedman, Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Bali Rai and Michelle Robinson.
Rocks, soil, minerals and fossils books for children with titles by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, Laurence Anholt, Charlotte Guillain, John Farndon, Dianna Hutts Aston, Dean Lomax, Peter Riley, Maya Wei-Haas, Ben Lerwill, and Moira Rose Donohue.
British Black history books for children and teens including titles by Floella Benjamin, David Olusoga, Atinuke, Benjamin Zephaniah, Alison Hammond, Jeffrey Boakye, Catherine Johnson, Michaela Morgan, David Lammy and Troy Deeney.
Books about fashion for children and teens with titles by María Isabel Sánchez Vegara, Megan Hess, Sophia Bennett, Holly Smale, Juno Dawson, John Peacock, Lesley Ware, Carina Axelsson, Caroline Young, and Sofi Thanhauser.
Children’s book news for June 2025: award winners, new releases, book sales trends, and key updates for UK teachers and parents. Find highlights from poetry and fiction to inclusive books and literacy campaigns.
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.
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