Book Suggestions 

Ages 5 to 8

My Dad’s a Birdman

By David Almond

Lizzie and Dad live in a rainy town in the north of England. It's just the two of them, and Auntie Doreen, who pops round to check Lizzie's spellings and tell Dad he's daft - and make them nice hot dumplings. But today there's something unusual going on: why is Dad building himself a pair of wings and studying the birds to see how they fly? The Great Human Bird Competition of course! (Also try, The boy who swam with Piranhas by the same author)

There’s a boy just like me

By Frasier Cox

The winner of Book People's Bedtime Story Competition 2017, Frasier Cox's There's a Boy Just Like Me is a heart-warming tale of friendship between the author and a refugee who shares the same interests and childhood hopes and dreams.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

By Judith Viorst

A humorous story about a day when everything goes wrong.

I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato

By Lauren Child

A fussy eater learns to see foods in a new way.

Little Bear

By Else Holmelund Minarik

Simple and tender stories about a little bear and his mother.

The Cat in the Hat

By Dr. Seuss

A silly tongue-twisting story (see also One Fish, Two Fish by the same author or any book by Dr. Seuss, they’re great!).

Ages 8 to 10

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

By Jeff Kinney

From classic road trips to tales of hard luck and the terrifying prospect of finding a date for Valentine's Day, these misadventures are sure to have children (and you!) laughing out loud.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

By Robert C. O'Brien

Newbery Medal winner writes about a widowed mouse who helps a colony of lab rats escape.

The Way Things Work

By David Macaulay

A delightfully detailed examination of how things work.

Tuck Everlasting

By Natalie Babbitt

What happens when a magic potion can make people live forever?

Wayside School Is Falling Down

By Louis Sachar

One of several hilarious books about wacky Wayside School (see also Holesby the same author).

From Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil

By Basil E. Frankweiler

New York City girl Claudia, a mere month shy of being a twelve-year-old, has resolved to run away from home with her younger brother, Jamie. She knows that she could never pull off the classic spur-of-the-moment departure without a destination (inevitably involving having to eat outside with the insects, and cupcakes melting in the sun); so she plans everything to perfection, including their destination.

Ages 10 and Up

A Wrinkle in Time

By Madeleine L'Engle

Children travel through space and time to rescue their scientist father.

Once and Then

By Morris Gleitzman

That's the good thing with stories. There's always a chance they can come true. Felix is lucky. Unlike the other children in the orphanage, he's certain his parents will come back for him one day. And whatever the Nazis do and however many books they burn, Felix's imagination provides him and his companions with an endless supply of stories

Mr Stink

By David Walliams

I think Mr Stink is the funniest of David Walliams books, but all of them are fantastic- maybe get the boxset.

Anthony Horowitz’s Wickedly Funny Collection

By Anthony Horowitz

Collections of books for kids don't get much better (or more wickedly funny) than this! Prepare to laugh your socks off with this set of ten of our favourite Anthony Horowitz books - from the hilarious Public Enemy Number Two to the jaw-achingly funny Groosham Grange.

Dark Collections

By Philip Pullman

A modern masterpiece from Philip Pullman, this slipcased collection includes all three books in the His Dark Materials trilogy.

A bestseller all around the world that tackled a number of important and controversial issues, it also won many awards and has had a remarkable influence on literature since.

An Eagle in the Snow

By Michael Morpurgo

The book is the extraordinary tale of Bobby Byron, the most decorated soldier of the First World War. A moral thriller, it transports the reader back to 1940 when Barney and his mother are travelling to the country by train after their house has been destroyed (I would recommend any book by Michael Morpurgo).

MR CHESHIRE's FAVOURITE BOOK

This book will make you both laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time. The main character Bradley Calkers struggles with fitting in at school and this book is all about the funny, but difficult journey to him becoming proud of who he is. If you are in year 5 or 6, I would recommend this book. Remember if you read it, send us a book review, so I know what you think. 

Mrs McKinley's favourite book of all time!

I absolutely love this book.   It is full of surprises and mischief, you will never eat spaghetti again!

Mrs Guest's favourite book 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl is my favourite book - I loved it as a child and I still love it now. The characters are so funny and all of the rooms in the factory are fascinating. The cover of the book has changed a few times over the years but this is what my copy looked like.