Recommended reading books for primary & secondary aged children in the UK
Sophie Anderson is a Welsh-born author of acclaimed middle-grade fantasy novels inspired by Slavic folklore. She studied at the University of Liverpool and previously worked as a geologist and science teacher before turning to full-time writing.
Her debut novel, The House with Chicken Legs, was published in June 2018 by Usborne Publishing. It retells the Baba Yaga legend through the eyes of Marinka and was selected as Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month in May 2018, shortlisted for the Branford Boase and Carnegie Medal awards, and longlisted for the British Book Awards Children’s Fiction. The Junior Library Guild also selected it for its Book of the Year list.
Anderson’s second novel, The Girl Who Speaks Bear, appeared in September 2019 and won the 2020 Indie Book Award for Children’s Fiction. Her third standalone, The Castle of Tangled Magic, was published in December 2021, followed by The Thief Who Sang Storms in March 2022, which The Guardian named among the best children’s books of the year.
Her work has also earned the Independent Bookshop Book of the Year Award and the Wales Book of the Year Award. Sophie Anderson’s novels have been translated into more than twenty-five languages.
Traditional stories for children with titles by Sophie Anderson, Jon Klassen, Taiye Selasi, Axie Oh, Michael Rosen, Ibi Zoboi, Hafsah Faizal, Chitra Soundar, Kevin Crossley-Holland, Mal Peet, and Isabel Greenberg.
Fairy tales for children and teens with books by books by Hans Christian Andersen, The Brothers Grimm, Isabel Otter, Michael Rosen, Sophie Anderson, Sally Gardner, Konnie Huq, Richard Ayoade, Radiya Hafiza, and Trish Cooke.
Fables for children with titles by Satoshi Kitamura, Joseph Coelho, Sophie Anderson, Petr Horáček, Helen Ward, Poonam Mistry, Sita Brahmachari, Onjali Q. Rauf, Yuval Zommer, and Yaba Badoe.
Season 1, Episode 41 of the School Reading List podcast. New book post, 30 great books for May 2026 and reading assessments vs the National Year of Reading.
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.
April 2026’s book club includes titles by Lanisha Butterfield, Elena Mannion, Erin Brown, Ruby Clyde, Rachel WD, David Solomons, Sophie Anderson, Ash Bond, Victor Kloss, Patrick Ness, A. B. Poranek, Lucas Maxwell & Stephen Daly.
The House with Chicken Legs Runs Away follows Marinka, Benjamin and Jack as they chase a living house after the Gate of Stars breaks, and the house grows frail without the Guiding.
Season 1, Episode 37 of the School Reading List podcast. New book post, 30 great books for January 2026 and why author visits are so important for schools.
December 2025’s book club includes titles by Monika Singh Gangotra, Sam Hutchinson, Jim Smith, Isabella Harcourt, Serena Patel, Sophie Anderson, Serena Holly, Lucy Edwards, S.A. Reyhani, Denise Brown, Natalie Lucy, B Wheeler & Natasha Preston.
Winter themed books for children and teens with titles by Chitra Soundar, Walter De la Mare, Dawn Casey, i-Spy, Abi Elphinstone, Sam Usher, Sue Hendra, Michael Morpurgo, Melissa Albert and Michael Rosen.
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.
Here’s our selection of top new titles coming out in Spring 2022. These reading recommendations include picture books, early and middle-grade fiction; young adult novels and non-fiction.
Shortlists for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2021 and Kate Greenaway award 2021 – recommended for children and young adults in primary and secondary schools.
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.
A selection of great value or free eBooks for children and young adults in lockdown. Authors include Angie Thomas, Akemi Dawn Bowman, Adam Blade, Kevin Tsang, Darren Shan and Fiona Danks.
Here’s our selection of top new titles coming out in autumn 2019. These reading recommendations include picture books, early and middle-grade fiction; young adult novels and non-fiction.
The 2019 shortlist of books for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2019 – recommended for children aged 9-16 and young adults in primary and secondary schools.
Each month, the School Reading List compiles a list of recommended books and on this page, we feature an archive of recommendations for picture books, fiction, and nonfiction from previous years.
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