During the
school holidays, you deserve to be relaxing and putting your feet up, and what
better way to do that than with a good book? Research suggests that children
who read regularly are more imaginative, and it is said to improve your writing
skills too. However, finding a book can be tricky; there’s millions out there.
So we’ve compiled a list of some recommended reads to help you pick the perfect
book for you.
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
(Ages 5-7)
Duncan wants
to colour, but when he opens the box he finds that all his crayons have gone,
and there is a note saying ‘we quit’. Will Duncan get them back?
To Wee or Not to Wee by Pamela Butchart
(Ages
6-8)
Izzy is
asked to tell her friends some SUPER hilarious and scary stories. Izzy knows
how funny Shakespeare was, so exaggerates some of his best stories in this
funny book.
The Huge Bag of Worries by Virginia
Ironside
Ages 6-8
Jenny has a
lot of worries. So many worries in fact, that she has to carry them around in
her big blue bag. The bag goes everywhere with her. Finally, Jenny decides they
will have to go, but will anyone help her?
The Parent Agency by David Badiel
(Ages
9-11)
Barry
hates his parents and wishes he had better ones. But far away, there’s a world
where children get to choose who their parents are…
Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens
(Ages
9-11)
Daisy and
Hazel set up their own secret detective agency at school. It’s all quite quiet,
until they find their science teacher lying dead in the gym. Will they catch
the culprit before they strike again?
Holes by Louis Sachar
(Ages 10-13)
Stanley
is cursed. At least that’s how he feels when he’s accused of a crime and then
sent to Camp Green Lake instead of prison. Camp Green Lake is not green and
there’s no lake. Each day Stanley has to dig a hole, and it feels more like
prison than he could have imagined. Then, one day he finds something that
changes everything…
Once by Morris Gleitzman
(Ages
11-13)
This book
tells the story of Felix, a little Jewish boy living in Poland during World War
2. Felix escapes from the orphanage where he lives to try and find his parents
and save them from the Nazis. If you enjoy this book there are five more books
in the series.
The
Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
(Ages
13+)
The first
book in this trilogy, The Knife of Never Letting Go tells the tale of Todd, the
only boy left in Prentisstown, and in one month he will become a man like the
rest of the town. But this is no ordinary town, as here, no thoughts are
private. Todd realises secrets are being kept from him, and he’s left with no
choice but to run…
Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
(Ages
13+)
Sephy is a
Cross. Callum is a Nought. The dark-skinned crosses are the ruling race, whilst
the white skinned Noughts are members of the underclass, who were once enslaved
by the Crosses. The Noughts become increasingly frustrated with their social
position, and war erupts. But amidst this a romance builds between Sephy and
Callum.
Other Recommended Reads:
Rosie
Revere, Engineer- Andrea Beaty (5-7)
The Thirteen
Story Tree House- Andy Griffiths (6-8)
Oh The
Places You’ll Go- Dr Seuss (5-9)
Beetle Boy-
M.G Leonard (8-11)
My Brother
is a Superhero- David Solomans (8-11)
The Lion,
the witch and the Wardrobe- C.S. Lewis (8-11)
An Eagle in
the Snow- Michael Morpurgo (9-12)
Tom Gates
Series- Liz Pinchon (9-12)
Ketchup
Clouds- Annabel Pitcher (11-14)
One- Sarah
Crossman (14+)
Broken
Beautiful Things- Sara Bernard (14+)
This post was written by Lucy Taylor (IGCSE English tutor at Blackhen Education).
