Recommendations and answers to the reading-life questions parents ask — from an English teacher who curates every book in the Little Reads library.
The ghost stories I'd hand a 9 to 12 year old. Proper chills, no gore, and every one is in the Little Reads library.
All eight missions we stock ranked, the one fans keep calling the best, and the right one to hand a brand-new Alex Rider reader.
Fifteen Dahls ranked for the child in front of you, which one to hand over first, and the two to hold back until they're ready.
Gangs of kids, no adults, secrets worth keeping. The best modern matches for Famous Five fans, plus the Blyton to read next.
Six series with the same beast-a-book pull as Beast Quest, matched to the kind of fan you've got. All ready to read tonight.
Children's football books sorted by age 5 to 11, stories first, with an honest word on the bio series every child asks for.
Children's spy books sorted by age 5 to 11, from penguin secret agents to hacker hunts and heists, with an honest age call on each.
Six spy thrillers for a child who's torn through Alex Rider, from a hacker recruited by MI6 to a code-run across wartime France.
Children's horse books sorted by age, from magical sea ponies to the series binges, plus when they're ready for the sad ones.
No book is exactly like Holes. But these matches might have a similar vibe. The mystery, the deadpan humour, the outsider hero, the survival grit.
What age is Lottie Brooks for? A straight answer on the crush and puberty content, how the books grow up with Lottie, and four funny picks for the not-quite-ready.
What age are the Percy Jackson books for? A book-by-book guide to how dark the series gets, and four myth picks for younger readers.
What age are Goosebumps books for? An honest look at how scary they really get, the UK age rating answer, where to start, and four starter spooks for the not-quite-ready.
What age are Tom Gates books for? A straight answer for parents, why the doodle format suits 8 to 12s so well, and four more illustrated books to shelve next to Tom.
What age is Horrid Henry for? A straight answer on the four-story collections, the Early Readers confusion, the bad-influence worry, and four more books with Henry energy.
What age is Dork Diaries for? An honest guide to the crushes and mean-girl drama inside, the age we shelve Nikki's diaries at, and four books to hand over in the meantime.
The best Enid Blyton books, sorted by series and age. Where to start with the Famous Five, Malory Towers and the Secret Seven, and what age each series suits.
The best David Walliams books, ranked, from Gangsta Granny to The Midnight Gang, plus an honest answer on what age David Walliams books are for and which to hand over first.
What age are Roald Dahl books for? A book-by-book guide from first read-alouds to The BFG and The Twits, with an honest answer on Matilda and four picks with the same streak.
Amy from Golden Books Girl shares the books with disabled characters she loves, for Disability Pride Month.
What age is The Hunger Games book for? The honest answer for parents of 9 to 12 year olds, why it's a 12-plus read, and four big-stakes adventures to hand over first.
What age is Dog Man for? The straight answer parents are after, plus what age Bunny vs Monkey suits and four illustrated funny books for when the series runs out.
What age are the Harry Potter books suitable for? An honest book-by-book guide, from first read-alouds to the darker later books, plus four magic-filled reads to try first.
A guest post from Erin Hamilton, children's librarian and blogger at My Shelves Are Full: seven backlist favourites that never go out of style.
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