Reading for pleasure is about choice. Choosing which book to read, when to read the book together as a family or on your own and perhaps where it should or could be read. There are no wrong answers and plenty of opportunity! As a family you can explore ways to build in a habit of reading together or discover ways to give your child the choice of which book to try on their own.
In our series, Make reading fun with Chase Bank, we share six helpful videos packed with information and guidance for parents about how to introduce and nurture your child's love of reading. If you haven’t already watched the series, dive in and discover a wealth of useful tips.
Where can I find good book recommendations for my child?
In video four, We’re going on a book hunt – finding the right book, Martin from the National Literacy Trust chats about the importance of choice to help your child find the right book. He shares tips on how to support your child to enjoy reading for pleasure so that they are reaching for a book when they are at home, at school or wherever they are.
But how do I know which books to choose from? Here are our recommended places to find great book lists to get your started ….
National Literacy Trust
At the National Literacy Trust, we offer Recommended booklists covering different ages and varieties of books which are regularly updated by experts in our reading programmes teams. You can also find the 2023 Children’s Book Celebration list with timeless classics and more recent gems voted for by children in the UK and produced with the support of our partner, the digital bank Chase.
Love my book
LoveMyBook.co.uk is aimed at parents and carers with lists organised into age ranges and categories. Even better, the site is full of activity pages with creative book-based ideas to help keep the interest going beyond your reading session!
Booktrust
The BookTrust offers book lists for children of different ages together with up-to-date coverage of children’s book awards, interviews with authors and more. They also have the BookTrust 100 best books list which is a specific resource of age-related books for children.
Letterbox Library
Letterbox Library offers selections of multicultural books for children supported by their extended team of expert reviewers.
Lit in Colour
Lit in Colour offers great lists of books by writers of colour and is updated annually. It includes over 100 titles of Penguin books and other publishers to help make the work of writers of colour more visible.
Empathy Lab
Another recommended book list which is updated annually comes from Empathy Lab in support of Empathy Day. These expertly curated lists feature books which aptly allow your child the opportunity for rich exploration of character and the development of empathy.
LoveReading4Kids
LoveReading4 Kids is a website devoted to helping you choose children’s books and has a number of ways you can search and discover your child's next favourite book. Delve into their book lists and filter by age range or recommended reads, by book awards or their current top tens. Keep an eye out for free prize draws too!
