Children's Books - 4 to 8 years old
Between the ages of 4 and 7 most children learn to read. Most children learn the sounds that letters make, then how the letters join together to make words. You can encourage them in this by looking at letters which you see all around you on signs and posters, car number plates, shop windows etc. Look at simple books for a younger sibling and see if the older child can spell the words.
Once your child can read, encourage them to use all the available information if they get stuck – using picture clues will help them guess. Some children will need to slow down and look carefully at each word. Others will need to move the story along and not worry about mistakes. Talk to your child's teacher about how you can help at home.
You should still try to read to them as often as possible as sharing stories teaches them new words. Read the stories your child brings home from school and talk about them with your child. Allow a child to re-read favourite old stories with you, or hear you re-reading them. Knowing a familiar book will help them notice patterns in new words or stories. Buy books as presents instead of toys and set up a special place for a child's own books, preferably in their bedroom.
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Krong! by Garry Parsons |
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Crispin and the Best Birthday Surprise Ever by Ted Dewan |
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The Saddest King by Christopher Wormell |
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Rotten and Rascal by Paul Geraghty |
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Princess Poppy: Pocket Money Princess by Janey Jones |
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Princess Poppy: A True Princess by Janey Jones |
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Katie Morag and the Dancing Class by Mairi Hedderwick |
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Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie by Joel Stewart |
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More and More Rabbits by Nicholas Allan |
'A fun way of answering awkward questions about where babies come from' GUARDIAN |
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Tale of Tales by Tony Mitton, Peter Bailey (Illustrator) |
Beautifully illustrated by Peter Bailey, The Tale of Tales is the story of a group of animals who are on a journey. Each animal in turn tells a story to the rest of the group (a bit like in The Canterbury Tales) as they travel on their way. |
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Dinosaur Chase!
by Benedict Blathwayt |
Fin the dinosaur has spindly little legs, knobbly ankles and he's covered in fluff! But when he's picked on by a gang of bullies, Fin finds his special quirks are rather useful.
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Polly Jean Pyjama Queen by Steve Webb |
Polly Jean Pyjama Queen has the wildest pyjamas you have ever seen! She loves wild animals and wonders what they wear when they go to bed. So she invites them to her Wild World Pyjama Party with a prize for the best pair. With a hilarious text and simple flaps that magically reveal each animal's wacky pyjamas, this glorious, vibrant picture book is a bedtime joy.
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The Perfect (Pop-Up) Punctuation Book by Jennie Maizels and Kate Petty |
Through flaps, pop-up wizardry and superb illustrations, this ingenious book explains how to use commas, apostrophes, brackets, exclamation marks and lots more. By rescuing tadpole commas from a scary pike, finding all the creatures that have escaped from Punctuation Park and listening to the chattering monkeys' advice on how to use speech marks, children will soon feel confident about basic punctuation. |
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The Little Mermaid by Ian Beck |
Once, long ago there was a beautiful little mermaid with skin as pale as the palest rose petals and eyes the colour of the ocean itself. One day she swims up to the surface of the sea, where she catches a glimpse of Prince Caspar on board a sailing ship and falls deeply in love.
Ian Beck’s powerful storytelling and jewelled illustrations bring this enchanting, timeless tale to life, making it the perfect gift for little girls everywhere! |
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Little Albatross by Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman (ill) |
The last snows of winter are melting away and Little Albatross sits snug in the warmth of Mother Albatross' feathers. He grows bigger and stronger, until one day Mother and Father Albatross go fishing together, leaving Little Albatross alone for the first time. Will they return in time to save him from the killer bird who is watching, waiting...? |
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Dad's Bug Bear by Peter Dixon and Natalie Chivers |
Dad hates pets; in fact he hates animals, full stop! So a family trip to the zoo is definitely not his idea of fun. When they arrive - disaster! Two African elephants have broken down the walls and all the animals have escaped. Dad insists on rushing home to make sure no run away animals go anywhere near their house. But when they get back, there is something very nasty and very smelly on their doorstep...Could it be that they are already too late! |
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Moonbird by Joyce Dunbar and Jane Ray |
Orla can't hear the sounds of the earth but the magical moonbird teaches him to speak with his hands and listen with his eyes. |
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Dan and Diesel (Paperback)
by Charlotte Hudson and Lindsey Gardiner |
Touching and insightful story about Dan, Diesel, Dan's wonder dog, and their special relationship. |
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Little Genius - Bones by Kate Lennard |
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Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler (ill) |
Wonderful story written in rhyme (from the author of The Gruffalo) that builds to a rising crescendo with surprise ending. ‘The witch had a cat and a very tall hat and long ginger hair which she wore in a plait.’ |
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Dougal’s Deep-Sea Diary by Simon Bartram |
Join Dougal as he leaves his boring day job to holiday as a deep sea diver. A lovely adventure story with brilliant illustrations and surprise ending. |
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The Shirley Hughes Collection by Shirley Hughes |
Adventure, fun and excitement are all packed into this beautiful book, which contains many of Shirley Hughes’ best stories, poems and rhymes. Fantastic for all the family - and it would also make a lovely present.
Reviewed by Ranald, age 9 |
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The Indoor Pirates by Jeremy Strong |
This book is funny and it made me laugh. When Captain Blackpatch buys 25 Dolphin Street he soon realises that bills mount up, but there is no treasure in sight to raise money. In desperation, the pirates raid a bin truck, go on an Easter treasure hunt and take the postman hostage. But will this be enough to save the day? Have fun finding out!
Reviewed by Ranald, age 9 |
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The Lighthouse Keeper’s Catastrophe by Ronda and David Armitage |
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All Because of Jackson by Dick King-Smith |
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The Big Katie Morag Storybook by Mairi Hedderwick |
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The Owl and the Pussy Cat by Edward Lear and Louise Voce (ill) |
One of the best loved nonsense rhymes of all time. Children will love the silliness of the illustrations which are brilliant. ‘The Owl and the Pussy Cat went to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat.’ |
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The Hutchinson Book of School Stories |
Anyone entering the world of school for the first time will be reassured by the teachers, fellow pupils and classroom settings of this collection of stories. A great way to prepare a child for Reception. |
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Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl |
Danny loves his life with his father, living in a gypsy caravan and listening to his stories. Together they outwit their greedy rich neighbour Mr Victor Hazell. |
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Horrid Henry’s Big Bad Book: Ten Favourite Stories by Francesca Simon |
A hilarious antidote to fairies and princesses. Henry and all the characters in the books are horrible. His antics at home and school are generally outrageous and will inspire snorts of laughter from boys, girls and parents. |
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Kings and Queens by Tony Robinson |
Fascinating facts about English kings and queens for the older reader. Tony Robinson finds just the sort of whacky facts to appeal to kids while accompanying historical facts slip in quietly. Great introduction to history. |
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Sheltie the Shetland Pony: 1 by Peter Clover |
This series is much loved by little girls. Emma doesn’t want to move to the country until she meets Sheltie the Shetland pony and their adventures together begin. Small books you can read aloud over a week. |
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The Kingfisher Treasury of Classic Stories chosen by Rosemary Sandberg & Michael Morpurgo |
A definitive collection of stories from children's literature. Extracts will encourage children to seek out the complete stories. Good for reading aloud. |
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Princess Pearl by Giles Andreae |
A lovely tale of staying true to yourself about Pearl who lives under the sea with her parents and is courted by two princes. She loves Charis the servant who has been her friend since childhood – but her mum and dad are not impressed. |
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My Wobbly Tooth Must Not Ever Never Fall Out by Lauren Child |
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Whoops! But It Wasn't Me by Lauren Child |
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But Excuse Me That Is My Book by Lauren Child |
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We Honestly Can Look After Your Dog by Lauren Child |
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I Am Too Absolutely Small for School by Lauren Child |
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I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child |
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George And The Dragon by Christopher Wormell |
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The Desert Princess by Katie Chase |
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The Lullaby Princess by Katie Chase |
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The Dream-catcher Princess by Katie Chase |
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Uneversaurus by Aidan Potts |
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The More the Merrier by Anne Fine |
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How to Avoid a Wombat's Bum by Mitchell Symons |
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