New children's books we love
Every month, we review dozens of books for children and teenagers. Here are the ones we like best in August: guaranteed to get your child reading...
Whether they're a teeny toddler or a very particular teen, this is where you can find your child's next amazing book: just scroll down to find books for a range of ages.
You can also keep track of the latest titles by looking at our past reading recommendations for:
July | June | May | April | March | February
We've sorted our favourite new books into rough age ranges, but this is just a guide and readers might find something they'll love in a different category.
Fancy writing a book review yourself? Read our handy guide and have a go!
Superpup is a superhero with one simple mission: to cheer everyone up with hugs. Bouncy rhyming text and punchy illustrations make this a fun read that is sure to end with lots of cuddles!
EJ is going to the hairdressers for the first time. She wants to find a special hair style that is just right, but how can she choose? An ode to natural black hair and a celebration of its beauty and versatility.
Tiny Crab loves looking after his beach and keeping it safe and clean. When he invites a friend to visit, they leave the beach in an absolute mess. With rubbish all over his beloved beach, can Tiny Crab find his voice to speak up?
Blobfish lives alone, deep under the sea. In fact, he’s rather lonely. One day, when a carrier bag falls into the sea, Blobfish finds it and thinks it’s a new friend. Happily, he dances with the bag as it floats through the water, but when Blobfish gets trapped inside the bag, things start looking a little bleak.
A little boy who loves the sea builds a boat and goes on an adventure. When evening falls, he loses his way, but doesn’t give up: the compass will show him where to go. When a storm hits the boat, the little boy holds on and mends his sail.
When drum-loving Nefertiti starts at music school, Miss Potts finds her name too tricky to pronounce and decides to call her ‘Nef’. Nefertiti loves her name and every time she hears it shortened, the young drummer starts to shrink until she’s the size of an insect. Drawing on her inner strength and with the support of her bandmates, they help Miss Potts reco…
Filled with vivid, detailed illustrations, this non-fiction book by award-winning Smriti Halls, aims to empower children and encourage them to think about the different parts that make them unique.
A joyful story about a young Indian boy who loves to paint his nails and match the colour to suit his mood. Heart-warming, and full of joy, the book explores emotions, identity and staying true to who you are.
Frank and Bert love a game of hide-and-seek, but Bert hasn’t quite mastered the art of hiding in 10 seconds. In fact, Bert complains that he never gets enough time to hide, and so Frank counts all the way to 100 to give him some quality hiding time.
A new plant has plopped into Georgie’s garden, but it’s a bit different. This one doesn’t like being out in the sunshine, definitely doesn’t like being watered and other plants make it sneeze flames. Will Georgie be able to tame her new wild plant?
Rosie Raccoon is on a crime caper! But what treasures is she stealing? A mischievous tale with an excellent recycling message.
Brandon boasts about everything and claims that he can count to ten million, even though it will take him almost a year. As he begins, the numbers take on a life of their own, emitting a shimmery light as they wait in line to be counted. The higher Brandon counts, the more his life is on public view, and he becomes part of a media frenzy.
This light-hearted,…
Meg and Merlin: Making Friends
Meg adores ponies and longs to have one of her own but knows that her parents can’t afford it. She is overjoyed to find a beautiful pony in her front garden on her tenth birthday and for one, incredible moment, she wonders if he is a birthday gift. However, when she realises that he has escaped from his field and must be returned to his rightful owner, she i…
Ollie Spark and the Accidental Adventure
Ollie Spark is a skilled engineer who cleverly transforms a clapped-out old van into a stylish and functional mobile home for his Aunt Caz. Eager to travel the world to research her new series of spy books, Aunt Caz zooms off, completely unaware that Ollie is trapped in the boot. When they arrive in a mysterious land, which is covered in a thick blanket of s…
When Tilly wins a competition to help protect red pandas in Nepal, she finds herself riding a yak, looking at poo, and outwitting poachers to save a pregnant red panda. The mix of engaging adventure and cute animals, along with the many illustrations, will appeal hugely to young readers.
For millions of years, Rex the dinosaur has been frozen in a block of ice. As the planet gets warmer, the ice thaws, releasing him into the modern world, which has changed beyond all recognition since the Cretaceous Period. Confused and alone, Rex wanders around the natural history museum in search of fellow dinosaurs but is appalled when he finds fossilised…
Action Dude – aka Charlie Munderdrew – may be a kid, but he loves danger and excitement and to be a hero. Even just popping round to the corner shop requires a daring leap from a jet plane. So when disaster strikes at ‘Prehistoric Land’, the new local theme park, obviously it’s Action Dude that the Mayor calls on for help.
Special Agent Moose (‘Anonymoose’) is probably the best (worst) secret agent out there. He’s an excellent master of disguise with a fondness for chocolate milk - shaken, not stirred, like all good spies - but he can sometimes find himself in sticky situations. Together with his wiser (more sensible) sidekick Owlfred, Agent Moose is on the case to find a miss…
The Shop of Impossible Ice Creams
Limpet’s mum sells impossible ice creams, like carrot and garlic flavour. When Mr Fluffy launches his rival ice cream shop, Limpet must fight back. A madcap, very funny adventure.
Clarice Bean is back! Clarice has her summer holiday ahead of her but seems like there is nothing to do and it’s so hot. Her best friend Betty Moody is on holiday, her big sister Marcie is grumpy as ever, and little brother Minal is as little as ever. Her neighbour Robert Granger is as annoying as ever. But one day that starts out as nothing ends up being fi…
12 year-old Mia lives with her young brother Lucas and mum and dad in the city of Nubis, under the light of the forever moon and permanently starlit skies. She has always dreamed of being umbra tamer, but a terrifying encounter with a red eyed umbra out on the Nightmare Plains three years ago frightened her into staying within the city walls. Now Mia’s …
Hazel’s family is relocating from Kuwait to the UK and her parents have sent her on ahead to stay with Grant, her unconventional great aunt, while they finalise the move. Hazel finds change difficult and is nervous about travelling alone and meeting Grant. She’s also worried about attending summer school, even though it will give her the opportunity to make …
Starlet Rivals (Bollywood Academy 1)
When Bela wins the Dance Starz talent show, she earns a full scholarship at the Bollywood Academy – but fellow student Monica is determined to stop her in her tracks.
A thrilling, magical adventure following a girl’s journey from modern Pakistan into the enchanted land of the jinn. It highlights how hard life is for many children in the world, in an engaging, age-appropriate way.
This interactive guide for children offers practical tips and inspiring stories about compassion, empathy, and how we can all make the world a better place through acts of kindness.
When a terrorist attack happens at a local concert, Muslim schoolgirl Aaliyah finds herself and her family the target of racist bullying and abuse. Can she fight back against the tide of hatred?
Can Josephine and her friends solve a local mystery, and help someone? A pacy mystery with true heart.
Can Joe and his friends solve the mystery of where the lost Viking treasure is hidden? A modern adventure with a classic feel.
Join us for Pyjamarama fun this May
Want a fun way to get children excited about reading? Join Pyjamarama on Friday 13 May, when children can spend the day in their pyjamas, reading and sharing stories and raising money for BookTrust.
You might also like...
Themed booklists
Looking for a great book on a theme? Our booklists cover a large range of subjects, from everyday issues to genre, disability, diversity, sporty books, funny books and more.
Great Books Guide
Looking for new books to get kids hooked? The Great Books Guide gives you the lowdown on the ONE HUNDRED best children's books published in 2021.
100 best books over 100 years
This is our list of the 100 best books for children from the last 100 years. It is the ultimate booklist to read before you're 14, with books for children across a wide range of ages.