Books featuring letters or diaries

Dear Zoo

Letters or diaries can be brilliantly purposeful ways to learn and practise reading and writing skills. There is a certain magic and excitement to writing a message and sending it out into the world, knowing that somebody somewhere will read it and respond to you. Letters can be as simple or as complex as your need demands, whether you are writing to wish someone a happy birthday, to invite people to an event, to your future self in the form of a diary or perhaps to persuade or inform with a more formal tone.

The following books are for a mixed primary age-range and all feature letters or diaries in a variety of forms. We hope that they will help children to see the value in letter writing and maybe inspire them to write a few of their own!

  • Dear Zoo

    Author: Rod Campbell

    Interest level: 2+

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  • Dear Zoo

    Author: Rod Campbell

    Interest level: 2+

    Reading age:

    This appealing story, in lift-the-flap, board-book format has been a favourite with toddlers ever since it was first published in …

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  • The Day the Crayons Quit

    Author: Drew Daywalt Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers

    Interest level: 3+

    Reading age: 7+

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  • The Day the Crayons Quit

    Author: Drew Daywalt Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers

    Interest level: 3+

    Reading age: 7+

    Award-winning illustrator and artist Oliver Jeffers has teamed up with film writer and director Drew Daywalt to create this gorgeo…

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  • Dear Greenpeace

    Author: Simon James

    Interest level: 7+

    Reading age: 7+

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  • Dear Greenpeace

    Author: Simon James

    Interest level: 7+

    Reading age: 7+

    A simple, warm hearted and humorous book with charming illustrations.  The correspondence could spark ideas for letter writin…

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  • Meerkat Mail

    Author: Emily Gravett

    Interest level: 4-6

    Reading age: 5+

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  • Meerkat Mail

    Author: Emily Gravett

    Interest level: 4-6

    Reading age: 5+

    Sunny lives on an arid plain with his extensive and loving meerkat family; they work together, play together and together do their…

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  • The Hidden Story of Estie Noor

    Author: Nadine Aisha Jassat Illustrator: Sandhya Prabhat

    Interest level: 9-11

    Reading age: 9+

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  • The Hidden Story of Estie Noor

    Author: Nadine Aisha Jassat Illustrator: Sandhya Prabhat

    Interest level: 9-11

    Reading age: 9+

    Estie feels her truth is unheard when she is expelled from school and sent to Scotland for the summer. When she discovers a secret…

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  • Herman's Letter

    Author: Tom Percival

    Interest level: 3+

    Reading age: 6+

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  • Herman's Letter

    Author: Tom Percival

    Interest level: 3+

    Reading age: 6+

    Herman the bear and Henry the raccoon have been friends for as long as anyone can remember - but then Henry has to move away.

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  • Geek Girl

    Author: Holly Smale

    Interest level: 10+

    Reading age: 12+

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  • Geek Girl

    Author: Holly Smale

    Interest level: 10+

    Reading age: 12+

    Everyone at school knows Harriet Manners is a geek.

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  • Cogheart

    Author: Peter Bunzl Illustrations by Becca Stadtlander

    Interest level: 7+

    Reading age: 10+

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  • Cogheart

    Author: Peter Bunzl Illustrations by Becca Stadtlander

    Interest level: 7+

    Reading age: 10+

    This ambitious debut is set in 1896, but in an alternative history - almost steampunk - with clockwork servants, silver airships a…

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  • Noah's Gold

    Author: Frank Cottrell-Boyce Illustrator: Steven Lenton

    Interest level: 9-11

    Reading age: 9+

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  • Noah's Gold

    Author: Frank Cottrell-Boyce Illustrator: Steven Lenton

    Interest level: 9-11

    Reading age: 9+

    Eleven-year-old Noah finds himself marooned on a deserted island that turns out to hold all kind of treasure. A book with a r…

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  • The Offline Diaries

    Author: Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené Illustrator: Tequitia Andrews and Ruthine Burton

    Interest level: 9-11

    Reading age: 9+

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  • The Offline Diaries

    Author: Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené Illustrator: Tequitia Andrews and Ruthine Burton

    Interest level: 9-11

    Reading age: 9+

    Centred around some typical pre-teen issues, including friendship, loyalty, bullying and sibling relationships, the book also sens…

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  • I Am Lenny Brown

    Author: Dan Freedman Illustrator: Kajsa Hallström

    Interest level: 9-11

    Reading age: 7+

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  • I Am Lenny Brown

    Author: Dan Freedman Illustrator: Kajsa Hallström

    Interest level: 9-11

    Reading age: 7+

    An accessible story about how a boy who can’t speak finally finds his voice and realises that there is no such thing as ‘normal’. …

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  • Dear Dinosaur

    Author: Chae Strathie Illustrator: Nicola O’Byrne

    Interest level: 3-6

    Reading age: 5+

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  • Dear Dinosaur

    Author: Chae Strathie Illustrator: Nicola O’Byrne

    Interest level: 3-6

    Reading age: 5+

    Filled with bright illustrations and fold-out letters, postcards and cards, Dear Dinosaur has a very interactive and playful feel.…

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