School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 38

For transcripts, resources & show notes: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-38/

Part 1
Book post

• Small Poems for Big Imaginations by Neal Zetter, illustrated by Will Hughes
• How to Survive an Apocalypse by Coby Coonradt and Cameron Hardy, illustrated by Victoria Stebleva
• Tree Thing by Piers Torday, illustrated by Matthew Taylor
• Tyrannosaurus Veg by Smriti Halls and Katherina Manolessou
• The Map of Me by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Olga Shtonda
• Goldilocs by Ella McLeod and Rochelle Falconer
• The Spectacular Space Loop by Javi De Castro
• From AI to WI-FI by Craig Steele, illustrated by Terri Po
• Magpie Girl by Rowan Foxwood
• Escape from the Child Snatchers by Sufiya Ahmed
• The Monsters at the End of the World by Rebecca Orwin
• The Not-So Great Escape by Emma Green
• Quill and the Last Generation by C. M. Lewis
• New You Forever by Steve Cole, illustrated by Chris King
• Sweet and Sour by Monique Turner
• Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet
• Catch by Sarah Brill
• Arcana - The Lost Heirs by Sam Prentice-Jones

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books in February 2026

• Tiny Hercules by Jon Lock
• Bridge of Storms by Philip Reeve
• The Impossible Gladiator by M. G. Leonard
• Hari Kumar, Ultimate Superstar by Rashmi Sirdeshpande
• The Day My Brother Got Famous by Jen Carney
• When the World Ends by Joanna Nadin
• At the End of Everything by Marieke Nijkamp
• Tomorrow I'm in Charge! by Jörg Mϋhle
• Advice from a 12-Year-Old Nobody by Helen Rutter
• Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman
• There Is Not Usually a Hole by Daisy Hirst
• Kill Me Now by Helen Price
• Escape! by Sophie McKenzie
• Day of Now by Miranda Reason
• They Call Her Regret by Channelle Desamours
• Write Your Own Family History by Jane Bingham
• The Fabric of Us by Aditi Anand
• YOU VS The Poison Plot by Josh Hicks
• Raindrops by Robin Boyden
• Alan, King of the Universe by Tom McLaughlin
• Murder at the Ivy Hotel by Emily Hourican
• Chicken Hill by Beccy Blake
• The Moonhaven Chronicles: The Last Wolf by Rob Biddulph
• The Blitz Sisters by Judith Eagle
• Kid Potato by Neil Coslett
• Cheesy Bob Strikes! by Sophy Henn
• The Beasts We Raise by D. L. Taylor
• Always Angel by Kimberly Whittam

February 2025 books of the month

• Fiction: Carnival Fantástico by Angela Montoya
• Nonfiction: Insectarium Junior Edition by Emily Carter and Dave Goulson
• Picture book: When Tad Kicked Vlad by Julian Gough and Ross Collins

Part 2
Dead Straight Line by Malcolm Duffy

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
How Book Censorship Creeps into UK Schools and How to Respond

Credits & licensing
Sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 37

For transcripts, resources & show notes: https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-37/

Part 1
Book post

• Hot Food Nice! by Michael Rosen
• What If Every Volcano Erupted at Once? by Emma Young
• Snow by Meera Trehan
• The Turtle Who Turned the Tide by Rachel Bright and Jim Field
• Harmony House by Monika Singh Gangotra
• You Think You Know Everything About Space? by Sam Hutchinson
• Flora Stormer and the Wishing Stone by Isabella Harcourt
• The Snow Girl by Sophie Anderson
• Ella Jones vs the Battle Noise by Lucy Edwards
• A Sequence of Cosmic Accidents by S. A Reyhani
• No One Keeps a Secret by Denise Brown
• Searching for the Remarkable in Things by Natalie Lucy
• How NOT to Kiss a Prince by B Wheeler
• The Obsession by Natasha Preston

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books in January 2026

• The Night I Borrowed Time by Iqbal Hussain
• Magpie Girl by Rowan Foxwood
• At the End of Everything by Marieke Nijkamp
• The Big Green by Ken Wilson-Max
• The Spectacular Space Loop by Javi De Castro
• Small Poems for Big Imaginations by Neal Zetter
• The Amazing Generation by Catherine Price
• Tyrannosaurus Veg by Smriti Halls
• Nadia Islam, on the Record by Adiba Jaigirdar
• School Inspectors! by Farhana Islam
• The Golden Boy's Guide to Bipolar by Sonora Reyes
• From AI to Wi‑Fi by Craig Steele & Terri Po
• Tickets for Murder by Niyla Farook
• Tree Thing by Piers Torday & Matthew Taylor Wilson
• Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet
• Scarlet Saves the Multiverse by James Davis
• The Golden Monkey Mystery by Piu DasGupta
• Sadie Jones and the Ball by Sally Nicholls & Ashley King
• Everything You Know About Birds Is Wrong! by Dr Nick Crumpton
• Clem Fatale Has Been Upstaged by Eve Wersocki Morris
• The Year of the Tiger by Eric Huang
• Goldilocs by Ella McLeod
• Shirley vs the Huge Beast by Tor Freeman
• The Terrible Trio by Swapna Haddow
• How the Other Half Kill by P.C Roscoe
• The Dad Trap by Ian Eagleton
• Escape from the Child Snatchers by Sufiya Ahmed
• The Lost Dragon of Roar by Jenny McLachlan
• Quill and the Last Generation by C.M Lewis
• The Monsters at the End of the World by Rebecca Orwin
• New You For Ever by Steve Cole

January 2025 books of the month

• Fiction: Small Poems for Big Imaginations by Neal Zetter
• Nonfiction: How to Survive an Apocalypse by Coby Coonradt
• Picture book: Tree Thing by Piers Torday & Matthew Taylor Wilson

Part 2
New children's and YA books in spring 2026

New book pitches: The Collaborator by TG Trouper, Grandpa’s Magical Shop by Heather Nicholls, Mandy Is Still a Banana by Zoe Arena

Part 3
How author visits can make a big impact in schools

Credits & licensing
Sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl

Support the show

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 36

For transcripts, resources & show notes, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-36/

Part 1
Book post

• Letters from the Upside by Katya Balen
• All About Antarctica by Marc Martin
• To Activate Space Portal Lift Here by Antoinette Portis
• The Bear Who Wanted to Dance by Stephanie Stansbie
• Squirrel and Bird by Laura Baker and Stacey Thomas
• Pizza Pete and the Peculiar Professor by Carrie Sellon
• The Diary of Whiska Wildflower by Harriet Muncaster
• Time Travel Is NOT My Superpower by Nathanael Lessore
• Coach by Jason Reynolds
• Scarlet Morning by N. D. Stevenson
• Space Tour by Collins Kids
• Kofi and the Brand New Vibe by Jeffrey Boakye
• The Lion Cub’s Secret by Lauren St John
• Owl King by Bex Hogan
• Be Right Back by Bill Wood
• We Three Witches by Rosie Talbot
• The Transition by Logan-Ashley Kisner

Rundown - top 30 children's and YA books to buy in November 2025

• Silent Night by Emma Read
• Ask Me Anything by Bethany Rutter
• Rune: The Tale of the Obsidian Maze by Carlos Sanchez
• Coach by Jason Reynolds & Selom Sunu
• Wild Journey by A. M. Dassu & Joe Lillington
• Spin a Story by Catherine Brereton & Susie Brooks
• Ghost by Finbar Hawkins
• The Gland Factory by Rachel Poliquin & Clayton Hanmer
• A Field Guide to Winter by Gabby Dawnay & Dorien Brouwers
• Hot Food: Nice! by Michael Rosen & Neal Layton
• The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer
• The Snow Girl by Sophie Anderson & Melissa Castrillon
• Dinosaur Friends by Miles Kelly
• Anya's Quest by Jasbinder Bilan & Jane Ray
• Snow by Meera Trehan
• Bluey: The Sign by Bluey
• Hilda and Twig: Wake the Ice Man by Luke Pearson
• My Small World: Frozen by Caryl Hart & Harry Woodgate
• House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig
• Mullets by Nick Sharratt
• X-Mas Marks the Spot by Paul Westmoreland
• My Big Fat Christmas Poo Diary by Jim Smith
• We Fell Apart by E. Lockhart
• Dog Man 14: Big Jim Believes by Dav Pilkey
• What If… Every Volcano Erupted at Once? by Emma Young & Super Freak
• Planet Earth by Shoshana Weider
• Girls Like Me by Rebel Girls
• Things Scientists Don't Know Yet by Peter Gallivan & Daniela Gamba
• Robotics by Kate Peridot
• The Secret History of Christmas by Catherine Saunders

November 2025 books of the month

• Fiction: Wild Journey by A. M. Dassu
• Nonfiction: Flush It Down by Rob Flowers
• Picture book: Mullets by Nick Sharratt

Part 2
Careers books for children and teens

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
Using AI to help students with difficult GCSE set books

Credits & licensing
3rd party sounds are licensed. Audit: https://bit.ly/3TFkwsl

Support the show