Great Books Guide 2021: For 8-9 year olds
Here's a round-up of new children's books from the last year (2021), which we think any child aged 8 to 9 will love.
From incredible true life stories to mind-blowing non-fiction and brilliant adventures, there's so much to discover.
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Bunny Vs Monkey
Author: Jamie Smart
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Interest age: 6-8
Reading age: 7+Packed full of hilarious short stories, this bumper collection of cartoons covers an entire year of adventures for Bunny and Monkey. Off-the-wall characters, wacky storylines and hilarious comic-strip illustrations ensure there are plenty of laughs on every page.
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Ways to Make Sunshine
Author: Renée Watson Illustrator: Mechal Roe
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Interest age: 6-11
Reading age: 7+Ryan Hart’s dad has lost his job and everything is changing. But with friends, family and a positive outlook, she can cope.
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The Night Bus Hero
Author: Onjali Q. Raúf
Publisher: Orion
Interest age: 6-11
Reading age: 7+Hector is a bully who reports an innocent homeless man to the police because he thinks he's probably responsible for a spate of thefts - but when Hector discovers he's got it wrong, he must race to restore justice.
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A Day in the Life of a Poo, a Gnu, and You
Author: Mike Barfield Illustrator: Jess Bradley
Publisher: Buster Books
Interest age: 6-11
Reading age: 7+A very unusual fact book with laugh-out-loud strip cartoons about everything from eyeballs to Bactrian camels.
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Vi Spy: Licence to Chill
Author: Maz Evans
Publisher: Chicken House
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 9+Thrilling, funny and inventive adventure featuring a wannabe spy, an evil supervillain and a secret weapon that could explode her Mum’s brain.
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Llama Out Loud
Author: Annabelle Sami Illustrator: Allen Fatimaharan
Publisher: Farshore
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 8+Yasmin is the quiet one in a really loud family, until Levi the magic toy llama comes along and forces everyone to listen to her.
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Monster Max and the Bobble Hat of Forgetting
Author: Robin Bennett Illustrator: Tom Tinn-Disbury
Publisher: Firefly
Interest age: 6-8
Reading age: 6+Max is reigning in his monster behaviour to become a crime-fighting hero... but there's a suspicious kid who's determined to capture the beast!
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A Mummy Ate My Homework
Author: Thiago de Moraes
Publisher: Scholastic
Interest age: 6-11
Reading age: 8+Henry's just excited about starting Year 6 - little does he know he's about to end up getting pulled through a time portal to Ancient Egypt! Will he ever find his way back home? A real gem of a book mixing a fast-paced story with lots of facts about Ancient Egypt.
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Planet Omar: Incredible Rescue Mission
Author: Zanib Mian Illustrator: Nasaya Mafaridik
Publisher: Hodder
Interest age: 6-11
Reading age: 8+Omar and his friends launch a mission to rescue their favourite teacher and make a disturbing discovery: she has undoubtedly been abducted by aliens!
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My Life as a Cat
Author: Carlie Sorosiak
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 8+Leonard isn’t a cat; he is an alien who has fallen to earth and he needs to get home. So Olive sets out on a road trip to get her pet home to his family.
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InvestiGators
Author: John Patrick Green
Publisher: Macmillan
Interest age: 7-11
Reading age: 7+Mango and Brash, two alligator detectives, have an assignment to go undercover at Batter Down bakery when chef Gustavo Mustachio goes missing - and when a customer orders a person-sized birthday cake, the mystery deepens!
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Queen of Freedom
Author: Catherine Johnson
Publisher: Pushkin Press
Interest age: 9-12
Reading age: 9+Set in Jamaica in the 1720s, this is the incredible true story of Queen Nanny, leader of the Maroons, a community of escaped slaves who have settled high up in the Blue Mountains.
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The Day The Screens Went Blank
Author: Danny Wallace Illustrator: Gemma Correll
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 9+When all the screens in the world stop working overnight, Stella and her family embark on a hilarious rescue mission to save Grandma.
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The Dragon Ark
Author: Curatoria Draconis Illustrator: Tomislav Tomic
Publisher: Magic Cat Publishing
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 8+In this stunning book, Curatoria Draconis - also known as the Dragon Protector - takes us on a journey around the world to meet different kinds of dragons and learn how we can protect them...
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Shoe Wars
Author: Liz Pichon
Publisher: Scholastic
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 9+A madcap adventure packed with loathsome baddies, absurd inventions and heroic deeds from underequipped underdogs. Could the future of the world rest on the designs for a pair of flying shoes?
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Dragon Mountain
Author: Katie & Kevin Tsang
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 9+Billy Chan would rather spend his summer surfing than travelling to China for summer camp - but little does he know, he's about to become whisked off for a fantastic adventure involving dragons, magic, and a battle to save the world...
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It’s Her Story: Rosa Parks
Author: Lauren Burke Illustrator: Shane Clester
Publisher: Sunbird Books
Interest age: 6-8
Reading age: 6+Rosa Park’s story is brought to life for a young audience in this wonderfully accessible picture book, with comic-style illustrations.
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Anisha Accidental Detective: School's Cancelled!
Author: Serena Patel Illustrator: Emma McCann
Publisher: Usborne
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 9+Can Anisha Mistry find out who sabotaged her science experiment and flooded the school with foam when all the potential suspects have alibis?
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Britannica All New Children's Encyclopedia
Author: Christopher Lloyd
Publisher: What On Earth Books
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 8+Exploring a wide range of topics with stunning illustration and real life photography, this brilliant encylopedia is divided into eight chapters: Universe, Earth, Matter, Life, Humans, Ancient & Medieval Times, Modern Times, and Today & Tomorrow.
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The Good Germ Hotel
Author: Kim Sung-hwa and Kwon-Su-jin Illustrator: Kim Ryung-eon
Publisher: What on Earth Books
Interest age: 7-11
Reading age: 8+A funny, fascinating, illustrated guide to the trillions of good bugs that live inside the human body and how they help to keep us healthy.
