Suggested reading for Reception and Year 1: Autumn Term
Here are some of our favourite books that are perfect for pupils in Reception and Year 1 to read during the Autumn term.
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Sleep Well Siba & Saba
Author: Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl Illustrator: Sandra Van Doorn
Publisher: Lantana Publishing
Interest age: 2-6
Reading age: 5+Sisters Siba and Saba are always forgetting where they have left things. They leave sweaters on buses and sandals at the beach. At night, they have magical dreams of the things they have lost.
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Alive Again
Author: Ahmadreza Ahmadi Illustrator: Nahid Kazemi Translator: Azita Rassi
Publisher: Tiny Owl
Interest age: 3-8
Reading age: 5+A young boy asks his father what happens to the word 'blossom' when the blossom is blown from the trees. Does the word die, along with the blossom? What about rain, wheat or a journey? If these things disappear, do the words disappear too?
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The Three Little Pugs and the Big Bad Cat
Author: Becky Davies Illustrator: Caroline Attia
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Interest age: 4-6
Reading age: 5+Using a photomontage style with pug photos alongside painted illustration makes this fun fairy-tale retelling stand out from other animal books, and plays on the current vogue for all things pug.
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Lots: The Diversity of Life on Earth
Author: Nicola Davies Illustrator: Emily Sutton
Publisher: Walker Books
Interest age: 4+
Reading age: 6+This is a book to pore and ponder over, from reading the story to picking out the different creatures in each picture, to reading the funny and fascinating animal names.
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Hedgehog Holidays
Author: Ruth Green
Publisher: Tate
Interest age: 3-6
Reading age: 5+Herbert and Hilda Hedgehog have been enjoying a book about the seaside and decide to go and see it for themselves. This gentle story has a bouncy rhyme, and the tone remains sweet and upbeat throughout.
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Kiki and Bobo’s Sunny Day
Author: Yasmeen Ismail
Publisher: Walker Books
Interest age: 3-5
Kiki and Bobo have decided to go to the seaside for the day. A lovely book with bright, welcoming illustrations and clever lift-the-flaps. The perfect read for holidays.
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My Name is not Refugee
Author: Kate Milner
Publisher: The Bucket List
Interest age: 4-8
Reading age: 5+When they reach a safe place, a little boy must remember that although children call him Refugee, that is not his real name. Clear, moving illustrations complement this simple, touching book that explains the refugee crisis in an accessible way.
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We’re All Wonders
Author: R J Palacio
Publisher: Puffin
Interest age: 4-6
Reading age: 5+Born with no features other than one eye, the protagonist Auggie is mocked by his peers - but the acceptance he seeks may be closer than he thinks. Palacio has yet again delivered a highly necessary message.
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Daddy Do My Hair: Beth’s Twists
Author: Tola Okogwu Illustrator: Chanté Timothy
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Interest age: 4-6
Reading age: 5+Softly rhyming text and glowing, illustrations in this calm, gentle book celebrate an apparently insignificant domestic ritual, which means everything to this father and daughter as they make time for each other.
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Anywhere Farm
Author: Phyllis Root Illustrator: G. Brian Karas
Publisher: Walker Books
Interest age: 4-6
Reading age: 5+Rhyming text and warm illustrations create an uplifting tale that celebrates the joys and pleasures of growing not just food and flowers, but also friendships and communities.
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Under the Same Sky
Author: Britta Teckentrup
Publisher: Caterpillar Books
Interest age: 4-6
Reading age: 5+Under the Same Sky is a beautiful book with dreamy collage illustrations. It shows the way that animals across the world can have the same interests, hopes and dreams, allowing young readers to reflect on the community of our united world.
