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This is a list of KS2 Geography books that you might want to use in the classroom.

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This is a list of KS2 Geography books that you might want to use in the classroom.

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This is a list of EYFS/KS1 Geography books that you might want to use in the classroom.

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This is a list of EYFS/KS1 Geography books that you might want to use in the classroom.

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Poetry is a fantastic way to encourage a love of reading. Poems are often short and concise and therefore appear less intimidating for emerging readers. Rhythm, rhyme and repetitive sounds also helps develop early literacy skills.

​

From classroom classics to space poems, below is a collection of books that are perfect for introducing children to the world of poetry. Bring the verses to life with picture book poetry and enjoy the some of the finest poems published over the last few years with the prize-winning poetry collection.

Positively funny poems are always popular with children and are bound to make them laugh. My poetry picks celebrate some of my favourite poetry books to share with children.

Anthologies are great for allowing children to pick a poem to read from a large selection and therefore are especially useful in the classroom or for night-time reads. If you are looking to match poetry to school topics, try the project poetry collection. Check out the powerful poetry collection and poems about people selection for poems to make children think about the issues facing our society.

​

Check out my Top 100 Recommended Reads for Year 3 and Year 4 if you're looking for more to top up your classroom bookshelf collections and browse through my other booklists if you're looking for other subjects, topics, genres and themes. There's always more being added!

​

Click on each book cover to view more information or order on Amazon.

Click on each book cover to view more information or order on Amazon.

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Lower KS2: Poetry | Recommended Reads | The Reader Teacher

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Poetry is a fantastic way to encourage a love of reading. Poems are often short and concise and therefore appear less intimidating for emerging readers. Rhythm, rhyme and repetitive sounds also helps develop early literacy skills. ​ From classroom classics to space poems, below is a collection of books that are perfect for introducing children to the world of poetry.

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Upper KS2: Poetry | Recommended Reads | The Reader Teacher

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Poetry is a fantastic way to encourage a love of reading. Poems are often short and concise and therefore appear less intimidating for emerging readers. Rhythm, rhyme and repetitive sounds also helps develop early literacy skills.

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Poetry is a fantastic way to encourage a love of reading. Poems are often short and concise and therefore appear less intimidating for emerging readers. Rhythm, rhyme and repetitive sounds also helps develop early literacy skills.

​

From classroom classics to space poems, below is a collection of books that are perfect for introducing children to the world of poetry. Bring the verses to life with picture book poetry and enjoy the some of the finest poems published over the last few years with the prize-winning poetry collection.

Positively funny poems are always popular with children and are bound to make them laugh. My poetry picks celebrate some of my favourite poetry books to share with children.

Anthologies are great for allowing children to pick a poem to read from a large selection and therefore are especially useful in the classroom or for night-time reads. If you are looking to match poetry to school topics, try the project poetry collection. Check out the powerful poetry collection and poems about people selection for poems to make children think about the issues facing our society.

​

Check out my Top 100 Recommended Reads for Year 3 and Year 4 if you're looking for more to top up your classroom bookshelf collections and browse through my other booklists if you're looking for other subjects, topics, genres and themes. There's always more being added!

​

Click on each book cover to view more information or order on Amazon.

Click on each book cover to view more information or order on Amazon.

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Lower KS2: Poetry | Recommended Reads | The Reader Teacher

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Poetry is a fantastic way to encourage a love of reading. Poems are often short and concise and therefore appear less intimidating for emerging readers. Rhythm, rhyme and repetitive sounds also helps develop early literacy skills. ​ From classroom classics to space poems, below is a collection of books that are perfect for introducing children to the world of poetry.

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recommended picture books and graphic novels for lower ks2

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recommended picture books and graphic novels for lower ks2

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Picture books are perfect for sparking the imagination of children. They bring worlds, adventures and characters to life. Below is a special selection of picture books that will help children fall in love with reading - from classroom classics to graphic novels.

Wordless picture books encourage children to use their creativity to infer what is happening in the story. The imaginary in my empathy boosting picture books collection will boost a child's ability to build connections and empathise with characters and their stories.

​

Discover the beautiful imagery on offer in my innovatively illustrated picture books selection. Teach children about different cultures with picture books from around the planet. The positive picture books collection will have children bouncing with joy from page to page. Encourage questioning and deeper thinking with the picture books to make them ponder collection.

​

Check out my Top 100 Recommended Reads for Year 3 and Year 4 if you're looking for more to top up your classroom bookshelf collections and browse through my other booklists if you're looking for other subjects, topics, genres and themes. There's always more being added!

Click on each book cover to view more information or order on Amazon.

Click on each book cover to view more information or order on Amazon.

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Lower KS2: Picture Books & Graphic Novels | Recommended Reads | The Reader Teacher

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Picture books are perfect for sparking the imagination of children. They bring worlds, adventures and characters to life. Below is a special selection of picture books that will help children fall in love with reading - from classroom classics to graphic novels.

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recommended picture books and graphic novels lower ks2

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recommended picture books and graphic novels lower ks2

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Picture books are perfect for sparking the imagination of children. They bring worlds, adventures and characters to life. Below is a special selection of picture books that will help children fall in love with reading - from classroom classics to graphic novels.

Wordless picture books encourage children to use their creativity to infer what is happening in the story. The imaginary in my empathy boosting picture books collection will boost a child's ability to build connections and empathise with characters and their stories.

​

Discover the beautiful imagery on offer in my innovatively illustrated picture books selection. Teach children about different cultures with picture books from around the planet. The positive picture books collection will have children bouncing with joy from page to page. Encourage questioning and deeper thinking with the picture books to make them ponder collection.

​

Check out my Top 100 Recommended Reads for Year 3 and Year 4 if you're looking for more to top up your classroom bookshelf collections and browse through my other booklists if you're looking for other subjects, topics, genres and themes. There's always more being added!

Click on each book cover to view more information or order on Amazon.

Click on each book cover to view more information or order on Amazon.

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Lower KS2: Picture Books & Graphic Novels | Recommended Reads | The Reader Teacher

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Picture books are perfect for sparking the imagination of children. They bring worlds, adventures and characters to life. Below is a special selection of picture books that will help children fall in love with reading - from classroom classics to graphic novels.

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Lower KS2: Non-fiction | Recommended Reads | The Reader Teacher

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Non-fiction, factual and information books
Lower Key Stage 2 (Year 3 & Year 4: Ages 7+)

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recommended books for reluctant readers - lower ks2

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recommended books for reluctant readers - lower ks2

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Lower KS2: Reluctant Readers | Recommended Reads | The Reader Teacher

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Click on each book cover to view more information or order on Amazon. As teachers, parents, librarians, we need to help children find their motivation to read. We can achieve this by matching books to their hobbies, interests and passions. Luckily, we are living in a golden age of children's literature!

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recommended read aloud books for lower ks2

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recommended read aloud books for lower ks2

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Reading aloud to children is the first step in building a reading culture where books and stories are shared together and helps to create a lifelong reading habit. Being read aloud to not only allows children to become familiar with, and to recognise, the language patterns and voices that they hear, but it can also encourage a love of reading for pleasure.

​

Below is a specially-chosen selection of my favourite recommended books to read aloud to children in Year 3 and Year 4, split into categories and genres to help you. Whether you're reading to your class during story time, whole class reading or guided reading, choosing a choice for a book club or sharing a bedtime story, these stories will capture the curiosity of the listener and keep them wanting more!

​

Check out my Top 100 Recommended Reads for Year 3 and Year 4 if you're looking for more to top up your classroom bookshelf collections and browse through my other booklists if you're looking for other subjects, topics, genres and themes. There's always more being added!

​

Click on each book cover to view more information or order on Amazon.

Click on each book cover to view more information or order on Amazon.

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Lower KS2: Read-Alouds | Recommended Reads | The Reader Teacher

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Reading aloud to children is the first step in building a reading culture where books and stories are shared together and helps to create a lifelong reading habit. Being read aloud to not only allows children to become familiar with, and to recognise, the language patterns and voices that they hear, but it can also encourage a love of reading for pleasure.

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May 2022 Monthly Must-Reads

April 2022 Monthly Must-Reads

February 2022 Monthly Must-Reads

October 2021 Monthly Must-Reads

August 2021 Monthly Must-Reads

June 2021 Monthly Must-Reads

April 2021 Monthly Must-Reads

February 2021 Monthly Must-Reads

March 2022 Monthly Must-Reads

January 2022 Monthly Must-Reads

November 2021 Monthly Must-Reads

September 2021 Monthly Must-Reads

July 2021 Monthly Must-Reads

May 2021 Monthly Must-Reads

March 2021 Monthly Must-Reads

January 2021 Monthly Must-Reads

November 2020 Monthly Must-Reads

October 2020 Monthly Must-Reads

August 2020 Monthly Must-Reads

June 2020 Monthly Must-Reads

April 2020 Monthly Must-Reads

February 2020 Monthly Must-Reads

September 2020 Monthly Must-Reads

July 2020 Monthly Must-Reads

May 2020 Monthly Must-Reads

March 2020 Monthly Must-Reads

January 2020 Monthly Must-Reads

November 2019 Monthly Must-Reads

October 2019 Monthly Must-Reads

August 2019 Monthly Must-Reads

June 2019 Monthly Must-Reads

September 2019 Monthly Must-Reads

July 2019 Monthly Must-Reads

May 2019 Monthly Must-Reads

April 2019 Monthly Must-Reads

March 2019 Monthly Must-Reads

February 2019 Monthly Must-Reads

January 2019 Monthly Must-Reads

November 2018 Monthly Must-Reads

October 2018 Monthly Must-Reads

August 2018   Monthly Must-Reads

June 2018 Monthly Must-Reads

April 2018 Monthly Must-Reads

February 2018 Monthly Must-Reads

September 2018 Monthly Must-Reads

July 2018 Monthly Must-Reads

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March 2018 Monthly Must-Reads

January 2018 Monthly Must-Reads

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the reader teacher you tube - talks about relevant new books and what good

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the reader teacher you tube - talks about relevant new books and what good

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Scott Evans is a primary school teacher, reading for pleasure adviser, author of 100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Reading for Pleasure and a children's books consultant, content creator & influencer. He reads, reviews & recommends children's literature on his website TheReaderTeacher.com & hosts #PrimarySchoolBookClub - a monthly X/Twitter-based children's book club, chat & vote.

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#BookList: History | Subjects | Recommended Reads | The Reader Teacher

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Copyright © The Reader Teacher 2023. All Rights Reserved.

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Book match - if you like this book then try these

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Book match - if you like this book then try these

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Find similar suggestions of recommended reads and books for fans of popular children's authors, series and books here.

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This is a really useful tool - easy to see and everything in one place

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This is a really useful tool - easy to see and everything in one place

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This padlet has helped me with having books for mfl

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This padlet has helped me with having books for mfl

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It is 1910 and Maia, tragically orphaned at thirteen, has been sent from England to start a new life with distant relatives in Manaus, hundreds of miles up the Amazon. She is accompanied by an eccentric and mysterious governess who has secret reasons of her own for making the journey. Both soon discover an exotic world bursting with new experiences in Journey to the River Sea, Eva Ibbotson's highly colourful, joyous adventure.

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The story of Auggie, a boy coping with life with facial disfigurement has also been made into a film. It is a good way in to talking to children about differences and tolerance and self-esteem and no end of other important topics, but most of all it’s a really good read.

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This book is madly inventive and clever. A little Harry Potter-ish, though only in the way that it creates its own entire world; this time a world of mechanicals in an alternative Victorian era. It’s full of suspense and a twisty plot and went down a storm with the children I read it with.

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Join Kitty and her cat crew on the rooftops for a series of enchanting adventures by the light of the moon. Here, Kitty will discover that being a superhero is about more than using her special abilities-she must learn to be courageous too, scaling the city clock tower to rescue a very frightened kitten.

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Lucy and her dad are still feeling sad about the loss of their lovely cat Patch, who had been part of their family for such a long time. So when a little lost kitten turns up in their garden, Lucy doesn’t want to tell her dad in case it upsets him. But she grows to love the little kitten and he doesn’t seem to have a home, so Lucy is really upset when he disappears and finally she has to tell her dad the truth. Will her dad be able to help Lucy find the little kitten and can they offer him a new home?

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Mariella loves nothing more than inventing but bedtime keeps getting in the way of all her brilliant ideas! So when Mum and Dad won’t take no for an answer there’s only one thing for it… Mariella has to build a rocket-powered flying suit to zap her round the world faster than the setting sun! If anyone can outsmart sleep it’s Mariella. But everyone needs sleep and without it all of Mariella’s brilliant ideas might just disappear. A “how to live a happy life” tale told with humour, warmth and a loveable female protagonist.

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Mr Majeika is the most magical teacher around!

As a rule, magic carpets don’t turn up in schools, but this is exactly what happens when Class Three’s new teacher flies in through the classroom window and lands on the floor with a bump.

Mr Majeika can behave just like any ordinary teacher if he wants to, but something has to be done about Hamish Bigmore, the class nuisance, and so he uses a little magic to turn him into a frog. And to everyone’s delight it looks as if Hamish will have to remain a frog because Mr Majeika can’t remember the spell to turn him back again! With Mr Majeika in charge, suddenly life at school become much more exciting – there’s even a magic-carpet ride to Buckingham Palace!

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When Tomas discovers a strange old tree at the bottom of his grandad’s garden, he doesn’t think much of it. But he takes the funny fruit from the tree back into the house – and gets the shock and delight of his life when a tiny dragon hatches! The tree is a dragonfruit tree, and Tomas has got his very own dragon, Flicker …

Tomas soon finds out that life with Flicker is great fun, but also very … unpredictable. Yes, dragons are wonderful, but they also set fire to your toothbruth and leave your pants hanging from the TV aerial. Tomas has to learn how to look after Flicker – and quickly. And then something extraordinary happens – more dragonfruits appear on the tree. Tomas is officially growing dragons …

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Bear wakes up early from hibernation. If she can’t sleep, then at least she can make a snowman. Rabbit has never made a snowman, but he definitely wants to make one that’s better than Bear’s.

But with an avalanche and a hungry wolf heading his way, Rabbit soon realises that it might be nice to have a friend on his side.

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Anna Hibiscus lives in amazing Africa with her mother, her father, her baby twin brothers, and lots and lots of her family. Join her as she splashes in the sea, prepares for a party, sells oranges, and hopes to see sweet, sweet snow!

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Henry’s got a secret … a big one!

And he doesn’t know what to do with it.

Grandpa suggests he should keep it under his hat – and he’s got just the hat for the job. But when Henry puts it on he discovers that Grandpa has some secrets of his own!

A lyrical and heart-warming story celebrating the magical bond between a child and a grandparent, with full colour illustrations on every page.

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Sona Sharma combats climate change.

When Sona learns about the climate crisis at school and is very worried that no one is doing enough to combat it, she takes up the challenge herself. But Appa isn’t amused when Sona throws out her baby sister’s nappies and Thatha isn’t happy when she tells him to get rid of his colour-coded plastic files. When Sona learns that many of the kolams – the traditional art that people draw in front of their homes to celebrate the winter months and the festival season – are not organic, she sets out to make some big changes by getting everyone involved.

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The padlet has given me loads of new book ideas

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The padlet has given me loads of new book ideas

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A funny retelling of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, with not one but TWO twists! Tom has a VERY important job; every day he climbs to the top of the hill and watches for pirate ships. But when he rings his bell and shouts “Pirates!” a few too many times – and there’s NO pirate ship – the villagers begin to get tired of hiding. So what will happen when the pirates really do show up? The book challenges stereotypes and keeps the reader guessing right until the end. John Condon has been shortlisted for various awards including the LoveReading4Kids Children’s Book Awards.

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When Badger dies, his friends are very sad, but one by one, they recall the special things he gave them during his lifetime. By sharing these fond memories, they realise that although he is no longer with them physically, he will always be in their hearts. A succesful book that deals gently and clearly with issues of loss and death for young children.

A classic book, Badger's Parting Gifts has been used by countless families experiencing bereavement to help talk about their feelings. The publisher, Andersen, has also produced resources in association with the Child Bereavement UK charity, aimed at helping to use the book with bereaved children.

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The Lego Life magazine is perfect for children aged 5-9. This printed magazine is sent four times a year, completely free of charge. Each issue is full of activities, comics, creative builds, posters and much more.

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LEGO® Life Magazine - Kids Magazine for 5-9-Year-Olds

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The LEGO® Life Magazine is packed full of LEGO news & behind-the-bricks interviews, games and more. Subscribe today!

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The Adventuremice series of books is written by award-winning author/illustrator duo Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre. The full-colour illustrations make the books perfect for younger readers who are ready to engage with longer texts. The accompanying website contains a wealth of lesson plans, activity sheets and games and much more.

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Children and young people's engagement with poetry in 2023, The National Literacy Trust

In 2023, 1 in 4 (26.7%) children and young people said that they read poetry in their free time at least once a month.

More girls than boys told us they read poetry in their free time (31.2% vs. 21.8%).

The percentage who read poetry decreased with age, with twice as many 8 to 11s doing so compared with young people aged 11 and older (46.5% vs around 22%).

In line with our previous findings, more children and young people who received free school meals (FSMs) say that they read poetry in their free time than those who didn’t receive FSMs (32.2% vs. 24.3%).

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As part of our Annual Literacy Survey in early 2023, we asked more than 60,000 children and young people aged 8 to 18 across the UK whether they read or write poetry.

In 2022, we found that there had been a steady increase in the number of children and young people who read poetry over the past decade, while 1 in 5 also wrote poetry in their free time. In 2023, the percentage of children and young people who said they read poetry in their free time at least once a month decreased slightly from the previous year, with 26.7% doing so compared with 28.0% in 2022.

Key findings
Children and young people as readers of poetry:

In 2023, 1 in 4 (26.7%) children and young people said that they read poetry in their free time at least once a month, with 16.3% reading poems on paper, 7.5% reading poems on screen and 2.9% reading poems across both media.

More girls than boys told us they read poetry in their free time (31.2% vs. 21.8%).

The percentage who read poetry decreased with age, with twice as many 8 to 11s doing so compared with young people aged 11 and older (46.5% vs around 22%).

In line with our previous findings, more children and young people who received free school meals (FSMs) say that they read poetry in their free time than those who didn't receive FSMs (32.2% vs. 24.3%).

Compared with their peers who didn't read poetry in their free time, more of those who did told us that they enjoyed reading (58.5% vs 37.9%). More also read something daily in their free time (37.7% vs. 24.4%) and saw themselves as good readers (84.3% vs. 74.5%).
There were no differences in reading enjoyment levels, daily reading levels or levels of reading confidence between those who read poetry on paper or those who read it on screen. However, levels were higher across the board for those who read poetry both on paper and on screen.

Children and young people as writers of poetry:

1 in 6 (17.6%) children and young people said they write poetry in their free time at least once a month. Most (10.8%) wrote on paper, 4.5% did so on screen, and just 2% wrote poetry both on paper and on screen. This is a slight decrease in the percentage who wrote poetry in 2022, when nearly 1 in 5 (18.5%) did so.

In 2023, more girls than boys wrote poetry in their free time (20.2% vs. 14.0%).

As with reading, the percentage of children and young people who wrote poetry decreased with age, with three times as many children aged 8 to 11 writing poetry in their free time compared with young people aged 14 and older (35.1% vs 11%).

As with reading poetry, slightly more children and young people who receive FSMs write poetry in their free time than their peers who do not receive FSMs (21.9% vs. 15.3%).

More children and young people who wrote poetry also said that they enjoy writing more generally compared with their peers who didn't write poetry (58.6% vs. 29.5%). More also wrote something in their free time daily (30.8% vs. 16.9%), and more considered themselves to be good writers (80.4% vs. 65.4%).

Readers of poetry are also writers of poetry:

The research found a strong, positive relationship (r = .51) between children and young people being readers of poetry and being writers of poetry.
1 in 2 (48.0%) children and young people who read poetry in their free time also told us that they wrote poetry in their free time compared with only 6.1% who didn't read poetry in their free time.

Overall, the research suggests that poetry writing can support children and young people's mental wellbeing, helping them express their rich interior lives, providing social connections and increasing confidence in reading and writing abilities. The report explores these findings alongside outcomes from our Young Poets project, which provides children and young people with opportunities to work with professional poets with the radical view that every young person is a poet.

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Children and young people's engagement with poetry in 2023 | National Literacy Trust

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1 in 4 (26.7%) children and young people said they read poetry in their free time at least once a month in 2023.

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Barbara is having one of those days. She has a sock problem and there's a strange pea. Then, all of a sudden, Barbara's Wobbler is out of control! But what happens when a bad mood like this comes along? Barbara has a lot to learn about the ways of wobblers in this laugh-out-loud story from Nadia Shireen. A brilliantly funny and sensitive way to understand and deal with tantrums and big feelings. Shortlisted for the Oscar's Book Prize 2022.

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Superstar duo Malorie Blackman and Dapo Adeola unite for a rhythmic, rip-roaring adventure, following two intrepid siblings as they traverse oceans, mountains, jungles and a bubbly bubble lake in their quest to find a mysterious monster.

This daring adventure is scaffolded by a cumulative repeated refrain of "We're going to find the monster!", and readers will encounter a wide range of habitats that in turn celebrate the imaginations of young children - a wooden staircase becomes a "huge, high mountain" in the minds of Charlie and Eddie. Adeola's vibrant illustrations are wonderfully relatable - from the upside-down saucepan worn as an adventurer's helmet, to the authentic depiction of the skin condition vitiligo, rarely seen in children's books.

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Here we are at 4.6 billion years ago, and as we raise the curtain . . . the STORY OF LIFE is about to begin! (Yes, that's right - we're telling the story of the ENTIRE history of Planet Earth).

Take your seats for the entire history of Planet Earth, as we take a whistle-stop tour from the birth of Earth, to the age of bacteria, the era of dinosaurs . . . to the moment of people (blink and you'll miss it).

Narrated by a friendly troop of insects and with mind-blowing, lively illustrations, this illustrated non-fiction book will entertain and educate, as we put on a show, the greatest show, the show of the evolution of life on Earth.

From internationally bestselling creator, Mini Grey, winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal, this is her first non-fiction book which is witty, quirky and humorous.

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Leonard does not conform to the stereotype of how a lion should behave. He is gentle, writes and reads poems and, most disconcertingly in the opinion of other lions, has no intention of chomping his duck friend Marianne with whom he has much in common. Leonard and Marianne go to their thinking hill and come up with an idea to show the other lions they are wrong and that there is more than one way to be, although the ending implies that there no easy answers to these questions. This book is wonderful for considering the interaction between text and illustrations.

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The magic of reading aloud: 5 top tips for sharing books with children

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School librarian and author Alex Foulkes knows how special reading out loud to children can be, and here she shares some tips that have helped her.

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story time is so important - make the most of your time to read to the children 

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story time is so important - make the most of your time to read to the children 

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Storytime is sacred: Why reading aloud is the most non-negotiable of non-negotiables

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Esther Brown shares some teacher tips on how to get the most out of Storytime.

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children need to have a choice in what they are reading

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children need to have a choice in what they are reading

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Author and school librarian Lis Jardine shares her thoughts on the importance of children choosing their own books.

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How you can use fiction books to teach STEM

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How you can use fiction books to teach STEM

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BookTrust HomeTime

Looking for something fun as a family? Enjoy storytime with our free online books and videos, play games, win prizes, test your knowledge in our book-themed quizzes, or even learn how to draw some of your favourite characters.
Go to the HomeTime hub

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How you can use fiction books to teach STEM

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Find out how you can use fiction to inspire children to get excited about STEM subjects - and how to use storytelling when you're teaching STEM too.

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Why comic books are used to engage readers

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Why comic books are used to engage readers

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Tips on using comic books to engage readers

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Comics writer and illustrator Neill Cameron shares the best ways to get children reading, using comic books.

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5 ways to use audiobooks in the classroom

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The publisher Barrington Stoke reveals how audiobooks can be a really powerful tool - and suggests some ideas for using them in the classroom.

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More research

Our research and evaluation helps us to continually learn about how to inspire children to read for pleasure. Explore research and reports across early years, primary, secondary and wider reading for pleasure. Find out what impact our programmes have on children and families.
Find out more

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Education consultant Rachel Clarke shares her expertise on how to read aloud effectively to children.

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Top tips for helping children to become readers

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Our Writer-in-Residence, SF Said, has spoken to expert teachers and leaders in education to find out what really works to help children discover a love of reading.

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Our Writer-in-Residence, SF Said, has spoken to some inspirational librarians to find out what really works to help children discover reading for pleasure.

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Make It Personal: Every child is unique and their reading interests can vary widely. Knowing what they like gives you the power to be more bespoke in your suggestions of books they'll enjoy. Not only does this make reading more fun, but it also helps you connect better with them.

Get Them Excited: When children read things they're interested in, their engagement and motivation to read naturally flourish. Connecting them with books that are close to their hearts can also show you a side of them you haven't seen before.

Create a Classroom Community: When children like what they read, they can’t wait to talk about it with others. This atmosphere transforms reading into a social and shared experience.

Identify Struggling Readers: Some children might need extra help with reading. Knowing their reading habits helps you find who might be struggling and give them the targeted support they need.

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A teacher's guide to getting to know your class's reading habits

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A teacher's guide to getting to know your class's reading habits

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Looking for information on disability and children's books? Bookmark is full of advice and book recommendations for families, teachers, librarians, authors and publishers.

For more information about Bookmark, contact BookTrust's disability consultant Alexandra Strick.

Bookmark Book of the Month: August

All the Pieces of Me
Author: Rebecca Westcott and Libby Scott

For 14 year old Tally, starting Year 9 is not proving easy. Attempting to maintain friendships is exhausting, understanding teachers' expectations is challenging and making sense of all the spoken and unspoken rules of school life is quite simply a nightmare. Plus, being on the autistic spectrum, she finds the combination of shouting, canteen smel...
Read more about All the Pieces of Me

Blogs and articles on disability and books

Jordan Scott talks to BookTrust consultant Alex Strick about how stammering influenced ...

Do your school library shelves represent all the children who use them? Esther Brown at...

'There is still a stigma around dyslexia'

Malcolm Duffy talks about his oldest daughter's diagnosis of dyslexia in secondary school, and why the condition is at the forefront of the prize-winning author's third novel, Read Between the Lines.

Explore our carefully-chosen booklists, blogs, and resources to promote mental health and wellbeing in children and adults.

Click here

Bookmark advice for:

Families, teachers and librarians

Advice on how to find inclusive books and why positive images of disability matter.

and

Writers, illustrators and publishers

Top tips on including positive images of disability in books, and what else the publishing industry can do to help.

Free books for children with additional needs

Our Bookstart programme gives free books to children under five with additional needs, whether your child is deaf (Bookshine), blind/partially sighted (Booktouch) or has a condition affecting their fine motor skills (Bookstart Star).

Get books and resources for special schools

Spark is a programme for special schools based in England, designed to inspire a love of stories and books in children with additional needs.

Resources for special educational needs

This guide is designed to support the books with a variety of ideas and advice to help you make the most of each title.

Special School Library Pack posters 2020-21 for your classroom or library.

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Bookmark: children's books and disability

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Looking for information on disability and children's books? Bookmark is full of advice and book recommendations for families, teachers, librarians, authors and publishers. For more information about Bookmark, contact BookTrust's disability consultant Alexandra Strick. All the Pieces of Me Author: Rebecca Westcott and Libby Scott For 14 year old Tally, starting Year 9 is not proving easy.

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https://www.booktrust.org.uk/what-we-do/childrens-laureate/poetry-prompts/poetry-prompts-library/

This link will take you to lots more poetry prompts

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Catch up with Waterstones Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho's fabulous Poetry Prompts videos and resources right here!

Join Waterstones Children's Laureate 2022-2024 Joseph Coelho for the 47th week of Poetry Prompts!

Join Waterstones Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho for Week 47 of his Poetry Prompts series! This week, he's joined by cyclist Jenny Graham to make some concrete bike poems.
Download the resource Download the bike template

Join Waterstones Children's Laureate 2022-2024 Joseph Coelho for the 44th week of Poetry Prompts!

Join Waterstones Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho for Week 44 of his Poetry Prompts series! This week, he's joined by MC Grammar for some rhyming fun.
Download the resource

Join Waterstones Children's Laureate 2022-2024 Joseph Coelho for the 43rd week of Poetry Prompts!

Join Waterstones Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho for Week 43 of his Poetry Prompts series! This week, he's joined by Chris Smith to break some big news about superheroes (and supervillains too!)
Download the resource

Join Waterstones Children's Laureate 2022-2024 Joseph Coelho for the forty-second week of Poetry Prompts!

Join Waterstones Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho for Week 42 of his Poetry Prompts series! This week, we're making biscuit poems... and eating them! Why not try David Atherton's biscuit recipe below to have a go at your own?
Download the resource

Join Waterstones Children's Laureate 2022-2024 Joseph Coelho for the forty-first week of Poetry Prompts!

Join Waterstones Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho for Week 41 of his Poetry Prompts series! This week, it's all about engineers.
Download the resource

Join Joseph Coelho for the thirtieth week of Poetry Prompts!

Join Waterstones Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho for Week 30 of his Poetry Prompts series! This week is about diminuendo... poems that get quieter and quieter.

Join Joseph Coelho for the twenty-ninth week of Poetry Prompts!

Join Waterstones Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho for Week 29 of his Poetry Prompts series! This week is about making blackout poems out of junk mail...

Join Joseph Coelho for the third week of Poetry Prompts!

This time, Joseph encourages you to take your pen on a journey around your imagination for some freewriting.

Download the resource

Join Joseph Coelho for the second week of Poetry Prompts!

Join Waterstones Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho for the second Poetry Prompts video - this time, he'll be helping you to make a mini notebook and write one-word poems! All you need is a sheet of paper and some coloured pens or pencils.

Download the resource

Join Waterstones Children's Laureate 2022-2024 Joseph Coelho for the first ever Poetry Prompts video!

To celebrate National Poetry Day, Joseph is sharing how to write a poem about the environment by listening... All you'll need is a pen and paper! Watch the video above to get started,
Download the resource

Waterstones Children's Laureate: Joseph Coelho

Poet Joseph Coelho is the Waterstones Children's Laureate for 2022-24.

The role of Children's Laureate is awarded once every two years to an eminent writer or illustrator of children's books to celebrate outstanding achievement in their field. Find out what Joseph's been up to.
Find out more

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Catch up with Waterstones Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho's Poetry Prompts videos here.

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How early chapter books can get children reading for pleasure

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Author Chitra Soundar shares why early chapter books are so important as a gateway to reading for children.

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The Greeks are fascinating, with their gods, their Games and their myths. This selection of brilliant books is a mix of fiction and non-fiction, ai...

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More research

Our research and evaluation helps us to continually learn about how to inspire children to read for pleasure. Explore research and reports across early years, primary, secondary and wider reading for pleasure. Find out what impact our programmes have on children and families.
Find out more

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Education consultant Rachel Clarke shares her expertise on how to read aloud effectively to children.

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Today, EmpathyLab has announced its 2024 Read for Empathy book collection of 65 books for 3-16-year-olds. It features major authors including Neil Gaiman, Jeffrey Boakye, Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho, Hannah Gold, Phil Earle and Nadia Shireen.

There are 40 recommended books for 3-11-year-olds, and 25 for 12-16-year-olds. The Read for Empathy collection is part of a unique and growing UK empathy education movement, using literature as a tool to develop this transformative life skill.

EmpathyLab's work is based on scientific research showing that empathy is learnable, and that books help to build it: identifying with fictional characters' feelings helps build real-life empathy. The 2024 collection includes picture books, novels, poetry, non-fiction, graphic and verse novels. Each book offers young people different ways of experiencing, understanding and building empathy.

Take a look at the primary read for empathy collection booklist here.

The Empathy Collections

Thewill be used by parents, carers, teachers and librarians to boost young peoples' empathy skills year-round and particularly in the run-up to Empathy Day. Teachers using EmpathyLab's approach report that using empathy-rich texts builds mutual understanding. Impacts include improved behaviour and a culture with less racism and in which children themselves help resolve disputes.

The books in the collection cover powerful real-world themes. Finding Bear focuses on empathy for the earth's creatures faced by climate change. Eight powerful picture books are included to help young readers understand their own and other people's emotions, with Blue exploring feelings of sadness and Geoffrey Gets the Jitters exploring anxiety. Changing society for the better is explored in Nour's Secret Library, which shows child activists in Syria building a secret library to sustain their community. Fight Back viscerally illuminates the refugee experience and the main character in How to be More Hedgehog struggles with a stammer

The full lists are as follows:

Understanding & sharing emotions Picture Books Early Readers

Bear and Bird -The Picnic and Other Stories Jarvis Walker

Budgie Joseph Coelho Barrington Stoke

Dimple and the Boo Pip Jones, illustrated by Paula Bowles Barrington Stoke

The Girl Who Became a Fish Polly Ho Yen Illustrator Sojung Kim-McCarthyKnights Of

Novels Verse Novels Poetry Graphic Novels Non-fiction

A Child Like You Na'ima B. Robert, illustrated by Nadine Kaadan Otter-Barry

All Bodies are Wonderful Beth Cox, illustrated by Vicky Barker b small

Lift-the-flap Questions and Answers about Refugees Katie Dayne & Ashe de Sousa, illustrated by Oksana Drachkovska Usborne

Our Story Starts in Africa Patrice Lawrence, Magic Cat

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NEWS: Read for Empathy 2024 Collection Announced on the BooksForTopics Blog

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Announced today, the 2024 Read For Empathy book collection comes at a time when empathising with others has never been needed more. Chosen by expert judges, the primary collection features 40 books for 4-11 year olds, including picturebooks, novels, poetry, non-fiction and graphic novels, all published within the last three years.

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Best children's books - Picturebooks for Upper KS2

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Discover our recommended booklist - Picturebooks for Upper KS2 - with the best books and quality texts for primary ages and topics, reviewed and selected by experts.

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Best children's books - Picturebooks for Lower KS2

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Discover our recommended booklist - Picturebooks for Lower KS2 - with the best books and quality texts for primary ages and topics, reviewed and selected by experts.

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Best children’s books - Dyslexic Readers

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Discover our recommended booklist - Dyslexic Readers - with the best books and quality texts for primary ages and topics, reviewed and selected by experts.

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Diverse and inclusive book recommendations for upper ks2

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Diverse and inclusive book recommendations for upper ks2

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A list of recommended books for Diverse & Inclusive Books for Upper KS2

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Discover our recommended booklist - Diverse & Inclusive Books for Upper KS2 - with recommended books and quality texts for primary ages and topics.

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Diverse and inclusion book recommendations for lower ks2

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Diverse and inclusion book recommendations for lower ks2

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A list of recommended books for Diverse & Inclusive Books for Lower KS2

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Discover our recommended booklist - Diverse & Inclusive Books for Lower KS2 - with recommended books and quality texts for primary ages and topics.

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A list of recommended books for Diverse & Inclusive Books for KS1

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Discover our recommended booklist - Diverse & Inclusive Books for KS1 - with recommended books and quality texts for primary ages and topics.

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Best children’s books - Diverse & Inclusive Books for EYFS

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Discover our recommended booklist - Diverse & Inclusive Books for EYFS - with the best books and quality texts for primary ages and topics, reviewed and selected by experts.

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Best children’s books - Diverse & Inclusive Books for EYFS

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Discover our recommended booklist - Diverse & Inclusive Books for EYFS - with the best books and quality texts for primary ages and topics, reviewed and selected by experts.

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Storytime Favourites EYFS (Ages 3-5) Best Story Books for Early Years Children

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Discover our recommended booklist - Storytime Favourites EYFS (Ages 3-5) - with the best books and quality texts for primary ages and topics, reviewed and selected by experts.

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A list of recommended books for Reception: 50 Recommended Reads

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Discover our recommended booklist - Reception: 50 Recommended Reads - with recommended books and quality texts for primary ages and topics.

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Best children's books - First Chapter Books

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Discover our recommended booklist - First Chapter Books - with the best books and quality texts for primary ages and topics, reviewed and selected by experts.

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Best children’s books - Graphic Novels for KS1

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Discover our recommended booklist - Graphic Novels for KS1 - with the best books and quality texts for primary ages and topics, reviewed and selected by experts.

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A list of recommended books for Year 1: 50 Recommended Reads

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Discover our recommended booklist - Year 1: 50 Recommended Reads - with recommended books and quality texts for primary ages and topics.

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A list of recommended books for Year 2: 50 Recommended Reads

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Discover our recommended booklist - Year 2: 50 Recommended Reads - with recommended books and quality texts for primary ages and topics.

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Best children’s books - Graphic Novels for Lower KS2

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Discover our recommended booklist - Graphic Novels for Lower KS2 - with the best books and quality texts for primary ages and topics, reviewed and selected by experts.

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Best children’s books - Reluctant Readers Lower KS2

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Discover our recommended booklist - Reluctant Readers Lower KS2 - with the best books and quality texts for primary ages and topics, reviewed and selected by experts.

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Best Books for Year 3: Recommended Booklist for Ages 7-8

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Browse our list of 50 recommended books that Year 3 children love reading. All were reviewed by teachers and matched to the age and stage of 7 and 8-year-olds.

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Best Books for Year 4: Recommended Booklist for Ages 8-9

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Browse our list of 50 recommended books that Year 4 children love reading. All were reviewed by teachers and matched to the age and stage of 8 and 9-year-olds.