See what’s in the parcels
Please note some of the books below may differ in each parcel.
We’ve also included some of our selection panel members’ comments about each book.
Purple for children aged 3–5, Early Years Foundation Stage
Books in the purple parcel might include:
- Listen, Listen by Phillis Gershator, illustrated by Alison Jay. “Beautiful pictures, links to nature, seasons and sounds that will engage readers of all ages.”
- Dinosaur Rap by John Foster, illustrated by Debbie Harter. “Fun and catchy, with repetition for younger readers.”
- Little Spider’s Shapes by Rosie Greening, illustrated by Stuart Lynch. “Lovely pictures, use of shapes and interactive.”
- Calling All Bears! by Diana Murray, illustrated by Alex Willmore. “I really liked it, it has a simple rhyming story, actions you could do, lots of nice descriptive, simple language.”
Orange for children aged 5–7, Years 1–2
Books in the orange parcel might include:
- Yetis Don’t Exist, by Kate Thompson, illustrated by Loretta Schauer. “Brilliant fun book – almost like watching a film! The children will love it – great rhythm.”
- Where does water come from? by Kimberley Kinloch, illustrated by Daniel Taylor. “Lovely pictures, informative and interactive.”
- My Very First Space Book by Emily Bone. “Highly recommend this – lots of good questions and asks you to stretch your imagination.”
- The Boy Who Painted The World by Tom McLaughlin. “Nice to promote having a go and being creative.”
Yellow for children aged 7–9, Years 3–4 (Emergent Readers)
Books in the yellow parcel might include:
- Mr Norton’s New Hat by Huw Lewis Jones. “Beautifully illustrated book and lots of fun.”
- An Interesting Word for Every Day of the Year by Dr. Meredith L. Rowe and illustrated by Monika Forsberg. “A lovely book that could be used independently or great for carer to sit side by side with the child. ”
- Blue, Barry & Pancakes: Beach Ball Bedlam by Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson. “Likely to be popular with the children – bright attractive pages and looks like a book that other children would want to borrow/read. ”
- Animals: Find it! Explore it! by National Geographic Kids. “Mixture of information and activity – like ‘Where’s Wally’.”
Blue for children aged 7–9, Years 3–4 (Independent readers)
Books in the blue parcel might include:
- Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! by Susan Martineau, illustrated by Vicky Barker. “Perfect book for confident or emergent reader, informative in a simple way and nicely illustrated.”
- Marv and the Alien Invasion by Alex Falase-Koya, illustrated by Paula Bowles. “Marv is a lovely relatable character. The supersuit is powered by kindness and imagination and this comes across in the story.”
- Wigglesbottom Primary: The Pirate Cat by Pamela Butchart and Becka Moor. “These books are always really popular. Short stories make them very accessible and the language is reader-friendly.”
- World Atlas Sticker Book by Nick Crane, illustrated by David Dean. “Great balance of illustration, written text and interaction through questions and stickers. Engaging way to discover facts about the world.”
Red for children aged 9–11, Years 5–6
Books in the red parcel might include:
- Beastie Bros: The Cabbage Juice Crime by David O’Connell. “Full of silly moments, great for escapism and a quick/easy read. The illustrations will help a reluctant reader and be immersive for a more confident reader.”
- 24 Hours Under The Ocean by Lan Cook, illustrated by Laurent King. “Nice mix of graphic novel and information. Bright and engaging.”
- Solving Crimes Is NOT My Superpower by Nathanael Lessore, illustrated by Simran Diamond Singh. “Liked the idea of very different super powers! A young coming-of-age.”
- Epic Factopia! by Rose Davidson, illustrated by Andy Smith. “Really like this – bright & a variety of illustrations/photos. Also interactive as you can follow different routes.”
Green for children aged 11–13, Years 7–8
Books in the green parcel might include:
- 100 Things to Know About Sport by Usborne. “Standalone information so you can dip in and out; good conversation starters.”
- Rock Star Detectives: Trouble At The Track by Adam Hills, illustrated by Luna Valentine. “Very positive – teamwork, inclusions, kindness, believing in yourself.”
- Eye-Popping Illusions Activity Book by Pat Jacobs. “Really easy to get involved in, I got sucked in really quick.”
- Knutz and Boltz and the Sorcerer of Science by Tim Collins, illustrated by Louise Forshaw. “Very readable with great comic strip parts that help to move the story forward.”
See all the books
