School Reading List

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 35 For transcripts, resources & show notes, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-35/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in October 2025 WyrdwoodSquirrel and BirdThe Street Where Santa LivesRoarAvalancheThe Notted IslandThe Forever BearClassic Fairy TalesThe Bear Who Wanted to DanceThe Boy Who Grew Dragons: A Christmas DeliveryThe Ocean at NightMy Friend, Billy WhiskersThe Butterfly HouseThe Story of GoldThe Fantastical SafariAtlas of Mythical JourneysBe Right BackYou've Found OliverIce DancerSoup Time Around the WorldThe House with the Little Red DoorThe Hidden Wisdom of AnimalsForest of HeartsStep Inside a Fairy TaleExploring the UniverseCoachTime for a Bath, AnimalsVote WolfWitchloreMoth DarkThe Last Day of OctoberOctober 2025 books of the month Part 2 Myths for children New book pitches: The Collaborator by TG Trouper, Sally the Spider’s new shoes by Clodagh Ryan, Anna Denton & The Water of Life by Vaughan Hawthorne-Nelson Part 3 A library in every primary: what £10m means Credits & licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 34 For transcripts & show notes see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-34/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in September 2025 Old Oak and Little AcornThe Guardians of Dreamdark: WindwitchBritannica All New Children’s EncyclopediaHistory's Most Epic FailsHank Meets FrankWhat Feelings Do at NightEverybody Has a FearThe Cave Downwind of the CaféThe Search for Our Cosmic NeighboursWhoosh!: Adventures with GrandadDance of ResistanceThe Rebel and the RoseThirstThe Wizard's Guide to Magical ExperimentsRole ModelDead Yard: Seeds of DoomFold-Out + Play: Doll's HouseWhere the Dead LiveThe FearTalk Like an AztecA Tree is a Time MachineNo EscapeBy sea and skyThe Incredible Pop-up FrogFright Club: Let's Boo This!Letters from the UpsideBUST OR TRUSTMythical TalesChampions of the GalaxyMake Me a MonsterSeptember 2025 books of the month Part 2 Our rundown of new children's and YA books for Autumn 2025. New book pitches: The Collaborator by TG Trouper, Sally the Spider’s new shoes by Clodagh Ryan, Anna Denton & The Water of Life by Vaughan Hawthorne-Nelson Part 3 Books that rival screens and social media Credits & licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 33 For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-33/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in August 2025 The MoonlightersMaisie vs the HimalayasShoes!: A footwear fashion frolicThe Museum of ShapesBearLet's Be EarthlingsAll Together Now: Collected PoemsGloamThe Coming of the Iron ManLove on SightThe Notwitches: Prison BreakA First Book of BugsThere Are Amphibians EverywhereHow to Catch an IdeaEnter the EndgamePooemsThe Forest of DreamsSometimes You Find a DragonDungeon Runners: Ocean ChaseiNSiDEYou and Me and the Peanut-Butter BeastGirls of Dark DivineBuffalo FluffaloOxford BloodA Totally Big UmbrellaColin’s GrandmaThe Game I Will Never ForgetNot Going To PlanLittle Snail Goes House-HuntingFox and the Mystery LetterGeomancer: The Ship of StraysAugust 2025 books of the month Part 2 Audiobooks for Teens New book pitches: A Book of Baby Birds by I. S. Thomas, Sally the Spider’s new shoes by Clodagh Ryan, Anna Denton & The Water of Life by Vaughan Hawthorne-Nelson Part 3 The National Year of Reading 2026 Credits & licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 32 For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-32/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in July 2025 July 2025 books of the month Part 2 Our Children’s books for school prize giving awards New book pitches: • The Fighting Spirit by Rob Keeley, Sally the Spider’s new shoes by Clodagh Ryan, Anna Denton & The Water of Life by Vaughan Hawthorne-Nelson Part 3 What are picture books, and why are they useful? Credits & licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 31 For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-31/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in June 2025 June 2025 books of the month Part 2 Our football-themed books for children New book pitches: The Fighting Spirit by Rob Keeley, Zee Zee The Humble Bee by Michael Obiora. Molly the Moo by Paul Simpson Part 3 How reading between the ages of 11 and 16 can help teens get better jobs Credits & licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 30 For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-30/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in May 2025 May 2025 books of the month Part 2 Our recommended books for preschool New book pitches: The Fighting Spirit by Rob Keeley, Zee Zee The Humble Bee by Michael Obiora. Molly the Moo by Paul Simpson Part 3 Investing in Your School Library Can Boost Your School Inspection Grade! Credits and licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 29 For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-29/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in April 2025 April 2025 books of the month Part 2 Our recommended books for reception classrooms New book pitches: Oakley the Superhero by Roxanne Constantine; The Tilly and Harry Adventures by Ashton Moon; Danny the Ducky and Gilly the Goose by Dushka Petkovich Part 3 Do Children Read More Than We Think? Credits and licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 28 For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-28/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in March 2025 March 2025 books of the month Part 2 Our recommended books for year 1 classrooms New book pitches:• Oakley the Superhero by Roxanne Constantine; The Tilly and Harry Adventures by Ashton Moon; Danny the Ducky and Gilly the Goose by Dushka Petkovich Part 3 Is it time to rethink dressing up for World Book Day? Credits and licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 27 For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-27/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in February 2025 February 2025 books of the month Part 2 Our recommended books for year 2 classrooms New book pitches:•Oakley the Superhero by Roxanne Constantine; Efua's Magic Stew by Angela Ackah-McIntyre; Danny the Ducky and Gilly the Goose by Dushka Petkovich Part 3 Why teaching discrete subjects and avoiding topic teaching encourages reading for pleasure. Credits and licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 26 For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-26/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in January 2025 January 2025 books of the month Part 2 Our recommended books for year 3 classrooms New book pitches: Smart Fiona by Mike Hollin; Efua's Magic Stew by Angela Ackah-McIntyre; Are We There Yet? by Melissa Abraham Part 3 Why Discount Book Packs are a Bad Deal for Schools Credits and licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 25 For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-25/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in November 2024 November 2024 books of the month Part 2 Our recommended books for year 4 classrooms New book pitches: Smart Fiona by Mike Hollin; There Was an Old Woman Who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Are We There Yet? by Melissa Abraham Part 3 What Are We Reading For? A spectrum of reading cultures in schools. Credits and licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 24 For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-24/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in October 2024 October 2024 books of the month Part 2 Our recommended books for year 5 classrooms New book pitches: There Was an Old Woman Who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Luna and Helio The Eclipse by Gina Keulemans; Insects, Bugs and Rock and Roll by Alex Brooks; Are We There Yet? by Melissa Abraham Part 3 Why DuckDuckGo is better than Google for book searches Credits and licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 23 For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-23/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in September 2024 September 2024 books of the month Part 2 Our recommended books for year 6 classrooms New book pitches: There Was an Old Woman Who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Luna and Helio The Eclipse by Gina Keulemans; Insects, Bugs and Rock and Roll by Alex Brooks; Are We There Yet? by Melissa Abraham Part 3 Should mobile phones be banned in schools? Credits and licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl . Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 22 For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-22/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in August 2024 August 2024 books of the month Part 2 Teens reads for the summer holiday - our rundown New book pitches: There Was an Old Woman Who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Luna and Helio The Eclipse by Gina Keulemans; Insects, Bugs and Rock and Roll by Alex Brooks; Are We There Yet? by Melissa Abraham Part 3 Non-Traditional Reading Forms to Engage Children Over the Summer Credits and licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl . Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 21 For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-21/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in July 2024 July 2024 books of the month Part 2 Politics and election books for children and teens - our rundown New book pitches: There Was an Old Woman Who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Luna and Helio The Eclipse by Gina Keulemans; Insects, Bugs and Rock and Roll by Alex Brooks; I Can Be An Astronaut by Dr Katy Chisenga-Phillipps Part 3 2024 election and literacy: what are the main parties promising? Credits and licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl . Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 20 For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-20/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in June 2024 June 2024 books of the month Part 2 Crime fiction for teens - our rundown New book pitches: There Was an Old Woman Who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Luna and Helio The Eclipse by Gina Keulemans; Insects, Bugs and Rock and Roll by Alex Brooks; I Can Be An Astronaut by Dr Katy Chisenga-Phillipps Part 3 Drop Everything And Read (DEAR). Ideas and strategies for schools. Credits and licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl . Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 19 For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-19/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in May 2024 May 2024 books of the month Part 2 KS2 SATs revision books - our rundown New book pitches: There was an Old Woman who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Luna and Helio The Eclipse by Gina Keulemans; Insects, Bugs and Rock and Roll by Alex Brooks; I Can Be An Astronaut by Dr Katy Chisenga-Phillipps Part 3 Advice for adults looking for great children's books Credits and licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl . Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 18 For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-18/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in March 2024 March 2024 books of the month Part 2 STEM and science fiction books for children. New book pitches: There was an Old Woman who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Luna and Helio The Eclipse by Gina Keulemans; Insects, Bugs and Rock and Roll by Alex Brooks; I Can Be An Astronaut by Dr Katy Chisenga-Phillipps Part 3 BookTok - a blessing or a curse? Credits and licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl . Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 17 For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-17/ Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in February 2024 February 2024 books of the month Part 2 LGBT books for children (https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/books-for-topics/lgbtqia-themed-books-for-primary-school-aged-children/)and LGBT books for teens (https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/books-for-topics/lgbtqia-fiction-for-secondary-aged-children-and-teens-aged-11/) New book pitches: There was an Old Woman who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Cable Goes Camping by Lorna Chantelle Scott Part 3 Why school libraries are so important to children's learning. Credits and licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl . Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien Season 1: Episode 16 For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://bit.ly/3vfteDn . Part 1 Book post Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in January 2024 January 2024 books of the month Part 2 Children's books and books for children - a growing disconnect. New book pitches: There was an Old Woman who Followed a Spy! by Tommy Furmato; Luna and Helio The Eclipse by Gina Keulemans; Insects, Bugs and Rock and Roll by Alex Brooks; I Can Be An Astronaut by Dr Katy Chisenga-Phillipps Part 3 Great gift books - https://bit.ly/4aCoc46 . Credits and licensing 3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl . Support the show