Kickstart the school year with our back-to-school book recommendations

At Bookmark, we know that the back-to-school period is busy: new routines, homework, timetables… it’s a lot for children and parents alike!

With so much to juggle in the back-to-school routine, one thing you don’t want to overlook is keeping up a regular reading habit with your child.

This September, we’re here to help. Just 10-minutes of reading a day can make all the difference to boosting your child’s enjoyment of reading. It’s essential because it builds focus, eases back-to-school nerves, strengthens focusing skills and encourages reading for pleasure.

It’s a simple habit that will spark imagination and support your child’s learning well beyond the new school year.

Here are our book recommendations to help make your child’s transition back into the classroom that little bit easier.

1. All Are Welcome – Alexandra Penfold

This bright and uplifting celebration of cultural diversity and belonging is perfect if your child is a little nervous about finding their place at school. Follow a group of children through a day at their school where diversity is a strength and students learn from each other’s traditions.

Warm and inspiring, this book features engaging lyrical text and bright, accessible illustrations.

Target age: 3 to 6 years old

2. Meesha Makes Friends – Tom Percival

Meesha struggles to make friends – she doesn’t know quite what to do, what to say or when to say it, and she struggles with social cues. But one day she discovers that she has a special talent that will help her to navigate challenging situations and make friends.

Part of Tom Percival’s Big Bright Feelings series, this book is the perfect springboard for conversations about mental and emotional health, positive self-image and managing feelings.

Target age: 3 to 5 years old

3. The Boy, the Troll and the Chalk – David Litchfield

One day, the boy draws a flower outside the big fierce troll’s cave and leaves his chalk outside of it. The next day, the flower has been completed. Day-by-day, the boy and the troll develop a friendship through drawing until the troll becomes accepted as a boy himself.

Patience, kindness and the power of art win out in this touching story of difficult emotions and isolation. Award-winning artist David Litchfield’s illustrations celebrate pavement art, certain to inspire children to reach for their own chalks.

Target age: 4 to 7 years old

4. In Time – Marina Ruiz

When you’re little, the world can seem like a slow-moving place. Waiting for school to finish, staring at the clock… waiting can seem to last a lifetime. And then, as soon as you wake up, the race begins – hurry up, let’s get a move on – we’re going to be late!

In this book a little girl learns to be patient and realises some things are worth waiting for: animals in hibernation, seeds blooming into flowers and trees turning into forests. The perfect book for children who always ask ‘are we there yet?!’

Target age: 4 to 7 years old

5. Little Dinosaurs, Big Feelings – Swapna Haddow

Doctor Diplo is the Jurassic kingdom’s best-loved therapist. Through ten of his dinosaur friends, discover how to navigate different emotions with simple mindfulness tools and exercises.

From Australian child psychologist Amber Owen, this book acts as a guide on emotions for children. Featuring a ‘how to use this book’ guide for carers, it acts as an opportunity to open conversations about feelings in a gentle and approachable way.

Target age: 5 to 7 years old

6. The Dinosaur’s Diary – Julia Donaldson

It’s hard for Hypsilophodon (H to her friends) to find a safe place to lay her eggs with so many bigger fiercer dinosaurs around – particularly when she finds herself on a modern farm! Finally she finds a place to hatch her babies, but how can she keep thirteen baby dinosaurs safe? When the farmer catches one and plans to take him to the vet, it’s up to Hypsilophodon and her fiesty daughter, Henrietta, to get him back.

Author of award-winning picture books including The Gruffalo, this read is perfect for slightly older children.

Target age: 6 to 9 years old

7. Unfairies – Huw Aaron

Some stories will tell you fairies are sweet, kind, magical creatures. Well, those stories are wrong. Fairies are sneaky, violent and about as magical as slugs. Join the reckless, fearless and, well, clueless hero Pip on a breakneck adventure among the warring unfairy tribes of The Garden.

This hilarious new full-colour graphic novel is full of sinister plots, dubious ancient prophecies, thrilling centipede chases… and a hero who doesn’t give two hoots about anything.

Target age: 7 to 12 years old

8. The Moonlighters – Lee Newbery

Ten-year-old Theo suddenly finds himself alone in London with nowhere to turn when Alistair Goodfellow enters the scene, a mysterious young person with a charismatic twinkle in their eye. Alistair offers Theo a room at the hotel Casablanca Lily – which turns into a palace of magical wonders at night.

Theo and his found family of runaways, the Moonlighters, adventure into London in search of magical artefacts. Theo, however, soon realises that the items they are hunting could be more dangerous than he’d ever imagined…

Target age: 8 to 12 years old

9. Shadow Thieves – Peter Burns

13-year-old Tom Morgan lives in an alternative London, shining shoes and picking pockets – until one day Tom’s friends are sent to a brutal workhouse. Tom meets the mysterious Corsair who takes him to train at a boarding school for thieves. Swept into this thrilling world, the more secrets Tom learns about the Shadow League, the harder it becomes for Tom to leave. But there are dark forces at work and real danger is coming…

This adventure is Peter Burns” debut children’s novel, the curator of our most recent Rocket Pack centred around world-building.

Target age: 9 to 12 years old

We hope you enjoy some of our back-to-school book recommendations!

You can access our back-to-school Kahoot! quiz here, designed to test your child on some childhood classics and engage them in some reading games.

This September, making reading your back-to-school essential and set your child up for their best year of reading yet.