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Reading Recommendations 2026

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2026 £1/€1.50 author and illustrator reading recommendations

Discover the books that inspired this year’s £1/€1.50 authors and illustrators.

In the video, they share the stories they love and the titles that shaped their reading lives. Below, you’ll find their full list of recommendations, organised by reading level so you can explore great choices for beginning, early, fluent, and independent readers.

Explore their recommendations on our bookshop.org store.
World Book Day is an affiliate of bookshop.org, and 10% of purchases made through our shop contribute to World Book Day’s charitable work.

Beginning readers

Book cover for Peppa's New Baby Sister. Peppa Pig holds her new baby sister surrounded by colourful hearts, toys, and a bottle, with the text "Peppa's New Baby Sister" above.

Ladybird

Peppa’s New Sister

Children Topsy and Tim smile at a giraffe while a parrot and cockatoo sit nearby, set against a green background. The text reads, "Topsy and Tim Go to the Zoo" by Jean and Gareth Adamson.

Ladybird

Topsy and Tim Go to the Zoo

Spot the dog with brown spots looks into an open chest. The title "Where's Spot?" is above, with author "Eric Hill" at the bottom.

Puffin

Where’s Spot?

Illustrated book cover featuring a bear with hearing aids, set against a bright, yellow background with the title "Can Bears Ski?" by Raymond Antrobus and Polly Dunbar.

Walker Books

Can Bears Ski?

A lively illustration of a bustling town scene, featuring anthropomorphic animals engaged in various activities. Buildings include a TV repair shop and a supermarket. The cover text reads "Richard Scarry's Busy, Busy Town," highlighting the theme of busy community life.

Faber & Faber

Busy, Busy Town

Illustrated cover of "A Little Birdie Told Me" by Tarsila Krüse, featuring colourful birds in party hats holding wands, set against a green background with confetti.

O’Brien Press

A Little Birdie Told Me

A cartoon tiger wearing a top hat sits reading a book beside a young boy on a patterned bench, with the title "There's a Tiger on the Train" in large text.

Faber & Faber

There’s a Tiger on The Train

A cute unicorn with a pink mane gazes at a colorful rainbow in a starry night forest. The book title, "Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Unicorn," is displayed, with whimsical trees and toadstools surrounding.

Ladybird

Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Unicorn

A children's book cover titled "What Happened to YOU?" by James Catchpole and Karen George, featuring a child with one leg on a swing. The background includes award badges and review quotes praising the book's approach to disability.

Faber & Faber

What Happened to YOU?

Illustrated book cover featuring a wide-eyed orange and white cat with a black mask, titled "Macavity The Mystery Cat" by T.S. Eliot and Arthur Robins. Celebrates 75th anniversary edition.

Faber & Faber

Macavity The Mystery Cat

A playful book cover featuring a cartoon wolf and rabbit ready for adventure, surrounded by text saying "I'm Gonna Eat a Monster!" against a blue background with monster teeth above.

Puffin

I’m Gonna Eat a Monster!

A book cover titled "Ava and the Acorn" depicts a whimsical scene of a child hugging an old man beneath autumn trees with colorful falling leaves.

Hachette Children’s Group

Ava and the Acorn

Cover of "Calvin and Hobbes" showing them dancing, making a mess at the dinner table, and playing with toys, illustrated in a playful comic style by Bill Watterson.

Little, Brown Book Group

Calvin and Hobbes

Book cover with the title "Don't Trust Fish!" in bold white letters on a blue background. Features an orange fish and a small skull symbol. Authors Neil Sharpson and Dan Santat are listed at the bottom.

Andersen Press

Don’t Trust Fish

A book cover for "The Coming of the Iron Man" by Ted Hughes, illustrated by Mini Grey, shows a large metal robot with glowing eyes and a small boy sitting on its shoulder, set against a twilight sky with birds flying.

Faber & Faber

The Coming of the Iron Man

Early readers

Cover image of Hari Kumar Ultimate Superstar by Rashmi Sirdeshpande featuring a cartoon character against an image of a star.

HarperCollins Publishers

Hari Kumar Ultimate Superstar

Colourful book cover featuring the title "Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good" by Louie Stowell. Includes illustrations of Viking elements and cartoonish depictions of Loki, lightning bolts, and a devilish figure, against an orange background.

Walker Books

Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good

Bright and colourful book cover for "Nina Peanut is Amazing" by Sarah Bowie. It features playful illustrations, quirky text bubbles, and cartoonish characters, with a yellow background.

Scholastic

Nina Peanut is Amazing

A joyful girl holds a playful puppy on a bright yellow book cover titled "Pia's Pet Club: Puppy Problem" by Serena Patel, illustrated by Emma McCann. Nearby, a dog, rabbits, and small animals frolic, conveying a fun, lively atmosphere.

Usborne

Pia’s Pet Club: Puppy Problem

Colourful book cover featuring various cartoon animals, including a panda, elephant, chicken, and more, surrounded by jungle foliage. The title reads "How to Chat Chicken" with a playful design, suggesting a fun exploration of animal languages.

What on Earth Publishing

How to Chat Chicken

Colourful cover of "First Big Book of Why" featuring animals, popcorn, an astronaut, and items like a toothbrush. Includes illustrations of a giraffe, crocodile, and penguin against a bright background with text highlighting questions about everyday curiosities.

Britannica Books

Britannica First Big Book of Why

Illustrated book cover of "The Hundred and One Dalmatians & The Starlight Barking" by Dodie Smith, featuring a fashionable woman in a long, spotted cape with playful dalmatian puppies.

HarperCollins Publishers

The Hundred and One Dalmatians & the Starlight Barking

Cover of Britannica's All New Children's Encyclopedia featuring colourful illustrations of a frog, rocket, mushroom, planet, and dinosaur skull, alongside gold ornate text.

What on Earth Publishing

Britannica All New Children’s Encyclopedia

Cover of a book titled "Cute Factopia!" with colourful text and illustrations of penguins, a kitten, a koala, and a strawberry. The cover promises 200 super-sweet facts, featuring playful and vibrant design elements.

What on Earth Publishing

Cute Factopia!

Bright yellow book cover titled "Gross Factopia!" with playful illustrations, including a spinning hippopotamus and a brain on a fork. The subtitle invites readers to follow the trail of 400 foul facts.

What on Earth Publishing

Gross Factopia!

Illustrated book cover of "Mac B. Kid Spy: Mac Undercover" by Mac Barnett, featuring a boy and dog in sunglasses against a blue background with spy-themed imagery.

Scholastic

Mac B. Kid Spy Mac Undercover

A book cover titled "The Misadventures of Mina Mahmood: School Trip!" by Farhana Islam, illustrated by Simran Diamond Singh. It shows a girl running excitedly against an orange background with silhouetted hands and a bus in the distance.

HarperCollins Publishers

The Misadventures of Mina Mahmood: School Trip!

Book cover titled "Marvellous Messages: The Amazing Story of Communication" with illustrations of diverse communication methods, including birds, a typewriter, and people using various technologies.

Dorling Kindersley

Marvellous Messages

An animated girl with colourful hair stands beside a purple unicorn in a vibrant, magical garden. A glass-domed building is visible in the background. The image is a cover for "Unicorn Academy: Sophia and the Magical Invitation," part of a Netflix series published by Nosy Crow.

Nosy Crow

Unicorn Academy: Sophia and the Magical Invitation

A boy excitedly rides on a flying pterodactyl, with a girl running below in a prehistoric landscape filled with large flowers and dragonflies. The book title reads "Magic Tree House: Valley of the Dinosaurs."

Penguin Random House Children’s

Magic Tree House: Valley of the Dinosaurs

Fluent readers

Colourful comic book cover featuring a mischievous blue cat in a whimsical scene with floating objects, titled "Looshkin: The Maddest Cat in the World!", by Jamie Smart.

David Fickling Books

Looshkin: The Maddest Cat in the World!

A child rides an elephant through a vibrant jungle with lush foliage and colourful flowers, surrounded by blue butterflies.

HarperCollins Publishers

Running Wild

A warrior with long hair rides a stone bear in a mystical forest, surrounded by glowing light and snow.

HarperCollins Publishers

Fireborn: Twelve and the Frozen Forest

A girl in a red coat reaches out to a large bear standing on a rocky landscape with a pink and orange sky in the background.

HarperCollins Publishers

The Last Bear

Three boys stand at the entrance of a glowing tunnel under a stone archway, with dramatic lighting and rain. The title "The Doomsday Club" appears above, and the tagline reads "Detention can wait. Saving the world comes first!"

O’Brien Press

The Doomsday Club

Illustrated book cover of "Boss of the Underworld: Shirley vs the Green Menace" by Tor Freeman, featuring a girl standing confidently atop a mound with various quirky creatures, surrounded by jungle plants.

Hachette Children’s Group

Boss of the Underworld

Cover of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake. It features two joyful characters holding a golden ticket, with vibrant purple and orange background. A yellow circle indicates a bonus chapter, recipe, and more are included.

Puffin

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Book cover for "Conn of the Dead" by Dave Rudden, featuring two children in a library with a spooky, glowing green backdrop, surrounded by ghostly hands and a skull-adorned archway.

Gill Childrens

Conn of the Dead

Red book cover of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" featuring a cartoon boy with a backpack. Text reads "a novel in cartoons" and "Over 250 million books sold" by Jeff Kinney.

Puffin

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Book cover of "Dork Diaries: OMG!" featuring a cartoon girl pointing, with colourful stars and smiley faces. Subheadline reads "All About Me Diary," marked as a global bestseller.

Simon & Schuster Childrens Books

Dork Diaries OMG: All About Me Diary!

Colourful illustrated book cover titled "Donut Squad" features animated donut characters with comedic expressions. The tagline reads "Take Over the World" in bold text, set against a backdrop of sprinkles.

David Fickling Books

Donut Squad: Take Over the World

A lively, colourful book cover illustration featuring a girl with pink hair and boots, a backpack, and a sheep. The title reads “Milly McCarthy’s Wild Atlantic Antics,” and it’s about getting “wild in the west.” Written by Leona Forde and illustrated by Karen Harte.

Gill Childrens

Milly McCarthy’s Wild Atlantic Antics

Cartoon king playing football on a globe against a green background. The book cover reads "Football School: Season 1" with a tagline "Where Football Explains the World" and includes a Blue Peter Book Awards shortlist badge.

Walker Books

Football School Season 1: Where Football Explains the World

Four diverse characters stand confidently beneath the title "Fright Club: Let's Boo This!" with a looming, shadowy figure and scattered papers. The cover suggests a spooky adventure, illustrated vibrantly.

Puffin

Fright Club: Let’s Boo This!

A young girl with a backpack stands illuminated, holding a glowing object, surrounded by plants and magical light. The book cover features the title "Greenwild: The World Behind the Door" by Pari Thomson, with illustrations by Elisa Paganelli.

Pan Macmillan

Greenwild: The World Behind The Door!

A haunted green-faced creature with yellow eyes and an open mouth looms over a spooky, dark landscape with a silhouetted haunted house. The text reads "Goosebumps House of Shivers: Scariest. Book. Ever." by R.L. Stine.

Scholastic

Goosebumps: House of Shivers

A boy rides a winged unicorn with lightning around its hooves, set against a fiery sky, with the title "Skandar and the Unicorn Thief" and author A.F. Steadman displayed prominently.

Simon & Schuster

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief

A whimsical book cover for "The Beanstalk Murder" by P.G. Bell featuring a giant beanstalk with two children climbing it. A landscape of cottages and mountains is visible below, with a tagline mentioning "A Giant Murder Mystery."

Usborne

The Beanstalk Murder

A girl rides an elephant through a lush jungle under a full moon, surrounded by vivid foliage and birds. The title "The Girl Who Stole an Elephant" is prominently displayed.

Nosy Crow

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant

A whimsical illustration of a house standing on chicken legs, surrounded by trees and a starry sky. A girl in a red dress stands below, looking up. The cover includes the title "The House With Chicken Legs" by Sophie Anderson.

Usborne

The House with Chicken Legs

A boy wearing a red cap is sitting with a small, friendly fire-colored fox, surrounded by swirling orange flames and stars. Blue and purple leaves frame the bottom. The title reads "The Last Firefox" by Lee Newbery, illustrated by Laura Catalán.

Puffin

The Last Firefox

Illustrated book cover for "Unbelievable Football" by Matt Oldfield, featuring diverse footballers, a dog, and a trophy, with a vibrant crowd in the background.

Hachette Children’s

Unbelievable Football: The Most Incredible True Football Stories (You never knew)

Book cover for "The Sackville Street Caper" by Alan Nolan, featuring stylized silhouettes of people running on a blue cobblestone street at night, with a castle-like building in the background and a glowing streetlamp.

O’Brien Press

The Sackville Street Caper

Book cover of "The Witches" by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake, showing a wide-eyed witch with exaggerated features looming over a young boy, set against a colorful backdrop.

Puffin

The Witches

A person in a top hat and coat stands among glowing candy jars, with the title "Wonka" prominently displayed above.

Puffin

Wonka

Independent readers

Cover of "Crossing the Line" by Tia Fisher. Features a small illustrated figure on an orange and black background with text highlighting the protagonist Erik, known for making bad decisions. Includes a Carnegie Medal mention.

Hot Key Books

Crossing the Line

Cover of "Double Act" by Jacqueline Wilson, featuring illustrated twins with braided hair, surrounded by stars and books. The background is blue and orange. Text reads "Twin trouble..."

Penguin Random House Children’s UK

Double Act

Colourful book cover for "Finn Jones Was Here" by Simon James Green, featuring illustrated arms with hands pointing and fist-bumping against a bright green background.

Scholastic

Finn Jones Was Here

Book cover of "Happy Head" by Josh Silver featuring a person in a green hoodie looking down, set against a bright yellow background with quotes praising the book.

Oneworld Publications

Happy Head

A man and a child, both in red soccer uniforms with the number 10, walk towards a goal on a soccer field. The man has his arm around the child, who is holding a soccer ball. The background is vivid with lights and a blue sky.

Firefly Press

Me and Aaron Ramsey

Book cover of "Sabriel" by Garth Nix, featuring a woman in medieval armor wielding a sword, with stylized lettering and a golden circular emblem in the background.

Hot Key Books

Sabriel

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