The Takeoff! 2024 list is 21 great books for children in years 3 and 4 published (paperback) between April 2024 and April 2025
These books are selected each year by Schools Library Services librarians and aim to cover a diverse range of authors, subjects and genres.
For new primary fiction for years 5 and 6, see our Must Read booklist!
Posters for the 2025 booklists will be delivered to subscribing schools!
| Title | Author |
| Supa Nova | Chante Timothy |
| Fox Goes North | Jeremy Strong |
| Nora Nightsky | Rebecca Lewis-Oakes |
| Reggie Rabbit – Robbery at the masqued Ball | Swapna Reddy |
| My big fat smelly poo diary – Plop of the class | Jim Smith |
| Good Bits | Kes Gray |
| Star Cat – Unicorns in space | James Turner |
| The Terrible Trio – The (not so) superheroes | Swapna Haddow |
| Yelp! Yeti! Chaos in Kathmandu | Sneha Pradhan |
| The Night Forest | Polly Ho-Yen |
| Nina Peanut Epic World Tour | Sarah Bowie |
| Unicornia The Dance Show | Ana Punset |
| The Diary of Wiska Wildflower – The new school | Harriet Muncaster |
| Amelia Cheeseheart investigates – Chocolate Cheat | Cat Weldon |
| Wild Magic – Journey of the Lost Elephant | Abiola Bello |
| Letter to a Dog | Piers Torday |
| The Notwitches | Gary Panton |
| Little Lim and the Golden Treasure | Frann Preston-Gannon |
| The Misadventures of Mina Mahmood: School Trip | Farhana Islam |
| Guardian of the New Year – The Year of the tiger | Eric Huang |
| Teething Trouble | Guy Bass |
| Snails of the Unexpected | Terrie Chilvers |
| Pia’s Pet Club – Puppy Problem | Serena Patel |
| Gordon the Meanest Goose on Earth – in the City | Alex Latimer |
| Woodland Explorers Club – Fujiko and the Fox | Ewa Jozefkowicz |
| Game Over | Serena Patel |
| Cosmic Cadets and the Universal Uni-Korn | Ryan Crawford |
| Bear and Bird – The Stick and other stories | Jarvis |
The Takeoff! 2025 list is 21 great books for children in years 3 and 4 published (paperback) between April 2024 and April 2025
These books are selected each year by Schools Library Services librarians and aim to cover a diverse range of authors, subjects and genres.
For new primary fiction for years 5 and 6, see our Must Read booklist!
Posters for the 2025 booklists will be delivered to subscribing schools!
| Tiny the Secret Adventurer: Friends to the Rescue | Aisha Bushby |
| Astrid and the Space Cadets: Race from Planet Peril! | Alex T Smith |
| He Says… She Says… | Anne Fine |
| Rune: The Tale of a Thousand Faces | Carlos Sanchez |
| Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales: Fact-checking your favourite stories with SCIENCE! | Catherine Cawthorne |
| Flora Stormer and the Mystic Pearl | Isabella Harcourt |
| Monkey King and the World of Myths: The Monster and the Maze | Maple Lam |
| Destiny Ink: Talent Show Magic | Adeola Sokumbi |
| The Shop-Witch’s Quest | Aisha Bushby |
| Dino Dad | Andy Day |
| Bobby Bains Plays a Blinder | Bali Rai |
| The Bold Kitten | Holly Webb |
| Max and Chaffy: Hunt for the pirate’s gold! | Jamie Smart |
| Barnacle Bay (Little Habitats) | Jana Curll |
| Dinosaur Pie | Jen Wallace |
| Nora and the Map of Mayhem | Joseph Elliott |
| The Appletree animal agency | Katya Balen |
| Dungeon Runners | Kieran Larwood |
| Marnie midnight and the critter contest | Laura Ellen Anderson |
| Keisha Jones Is a Force of Nature | Natalie Denny |
| The great crisp robbery | Pamela Buchart |
| Adventure Mice : the ghostly galleon | Philip Reeve |
| Finders of silverthorn forest: the lost treasures | Rachel Chivers Khoo |
| Villains Academy | Ryan Hammond |
| Test Trouble | Serena Patel |
| Time Travellers: Adventure Calling | Sufiya Ahmed |
| Badgers are go! | Susannah Lloyd |
| One Extra Sparkle: Ellie and the Marriage List | Tricia Seabolt |
The Takeoff! 2024 list is 21 great books for children in years 3 and 4 published (paperback) between April 2023 and April 2024
These books are selected each year by Schools Library Services librarians and aim to cover a diverse range of authors, subjects and genres.
For new primary fiction for years 5 and 6, see our Must Read booklist!
Posters for the 2024 booklists will be delivered to subscribing schools!
| Title | Author | Blurb |
| Secret Beast Club: The Dragons of Emerald Yard | Birch, Robin | What do you do when there’s a dragon on the loose in Birmingham? Call the Secret Beast Club! Although Beast Club membersAlisha and Jayden will have to be quick before the dragon hunter catches him first… |
| Peanut, Butter & Crackers: Puppy Problems | Braddock, Paige | Butter and Crackers’ lovely peaceful life is turned upside down when a new (and very clueless) puppy called Peanut arrives! But when Peanut wanders off and gets lost will Butter and Crackers be able to find him again? |
| The Ghost Cat Who saved my Life | Butchart, Pamela | Sav and Liam go investigating when the empty upstairs flat starts meowing, but when Liam gets stuck in the dreaded Bin Room who will save him? |
| Mind and Me | Chawdhary, Sunita | Pet rabbit Pooey has gone missing! Can Maya and her magical, mischeiveous, shape-changing Mind work together to find her and save the day? |
| Budgie | Coehlo, Joseph | Mean, cross Mr Buxton is a terrible neighbour, until Miles finds a lost budgie and discovers that actually, he and Mr Buxton have a lot more in common than he thought. |
| Izzy the Inventor and the Curse of Doom | Davidson, Zanna | Izzy believes in science, not magic… until a fairy lands in her life and sends her off to Fairytale Land! Now Izzy must use her scientific skills to rescue a cursed prince but what will she do about the unicorn and the dragon? |
| Lenny Lemmon and the Invincible Rat | Davis, Ben | Lenny’s school is having an Olden Days school day where everyone dresses up as if they were from the past. But when an escaped rat causes pandemonium what will Lenny do? |
| Marnie Midnight and the Moon Mystery | Ellen Anderson, Laura | Marnie the Moth starts her new school and is super keen to learn all about Moon Magic…only to discover, no one believes in it! With her best minibeast friends she investigates and has more than a few shocks and surprises as she trieds to uncover the truth. |
| Ada Rue and the Banished | Getten, Kereen | A mysterious wall of fog on Ada’s new paper round is hiding a whole other world of magical people as well as the town’s nasty secret |
| InvestiGators: All Tide Up | Green, John Patrick | Graphic novel When the captain of a cruise ship is found drifting at sea, the search begins for his missing ship and passengers! Did it sink? Was it boat-napped? Are supernatural forces at play?! |
| The Girl Who Became a Fish | Ho-Yen, Polly | Ita is terrified of the water and gets left out when her big brothers go swimming, but that all changes down by the river when she discovers that when she puts her hands in the water they get covered in beautiful scales! |
| Two Sides | Ho-Yen, Polly and Talib, Binny | Lula and Lenka are best friends, until a mistake and an argument makes them split up. Will their differences keep them apart? |
| Magic Faces: Superhero Mega Mission | Merleh, Esi | Two supervillains have swooped in and stolen a priceless gem from the Museum and it’s down to Alanna and Austin and their magic superhero facepaints to save the day! |
| Meet the Malik: Twin Detectives | Mian, Zanib | When Maysa and Musa’s cookies are destroyed at a baking competition at thier mosque the twins spring into action to find the culprit, but will they find them before their arch-nemesis Slime-Ah? |
| Big Sky Mountain: The Sky Eagles | Milway, Alex | Rosa lives with her Nan on Big Sky Mountain, but when Nan’s away what will Rosa do about a lost golden eagle? |
| Major and Mynah: Operation Raven | Owen, Karen | Someone has stolen the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London! Luckily Callie, Grace and Bo the Mynah bird are on the case with their amazing detective skills and magical hearind aids to help them. |
| Kate on the Case: The Headline Hoax | Peck, Hannah | Someone’s been tampering with the local newspaper and spreading rubbish, quite literally. Kate and her mouse Rupert need to catch the culprit before the newspaper is forced to close forever! |
| Blanksy the Street Cat | Puckett, Gavin | Blanksy the Cat discovers he’s a painting genius and soon he’s using his painting prowess to draw a crowd and help his busker pal Pete. |
| Dream Weavers: Night of the Scary Fairies | Sami, Annabelle | Neena is a dreamweaver and soon she and new best friend Tito are going on wild quirky adventures every night but when their classmates seem to switch bodies the best friends realise someone else is dreamweaving too…and causing chaos! |
| Pea, Bee &Jay: The Big Bully | Smith, Brian | Three friends have to deal with an enormous bullying Pumpkin, but is there more to the Pumpkin than they thought? |
| Yomi and the Fury of Ninki Nanka | Tijani, Davina | On a trip to The Gamiba Yomi watches the Dragon King Ninki Nanka get kidnapped right out of the sky. Soon she has to save him and uncover the secrets of the mythical Nkara creatures that roam Africa. |
The Takeoff! 2023 list is 20 great books for children in years 3 and 4 published (paperback) between April 2022 and April 2023.
These books are selected each year by Schools Library Services librarians and aim to cover a diverse range of authors, subjects and genres.
For new primary fiction for years 5 and 6, see our Must Read booklist!
Posters for the 2022 booklists will be delivered to subscribing schools!
| Wigglesbottom Primary: The talking Lamb | The strangest things happen at Wigglesbottom Primary! A school trip to a farm introduces Year 2 to a lamb like no other. IT CAN TALK! And it’s about to get them all into big trouble! |
| Dimple and the Boo | Dimple the gnome having a bad day – mum serves up yucky cabbage pie for tea, Mrs Miskin next door won’t throw his balls back, and all his classmates are laughing at him when he can’t spell ‘gnome’. He doesn’t say much, but The Boo in his pocket, a fuzzy, fizzing little thing, yells, shouts rude words and stamps with rage and gets him into trouble – perhaps he needs to find another way to express himself? |
| Flember: the power of the wildening | On the magical island of Flember, Dev is trying to protect himself, his brother and Boja, his larger-than-life robot bear. A scary creature is on their trail, their new friends are counting on them, and Boja is behaving very strangely. Will the trio find their way home? |
| Anisha: holiday adventure | Anisha is still accidentally finding problems that need solving! This time, she’s on holiday with Manny and new friend Cleo when the park mascot, Delilah the duck, get vandalised and everyone thinks Cleo is the culprit – can Anisha prove otherwise? |
| Kate on the case: the headline hoax | Kate is excited to receive an invitation help her hero, top reporter Catherine Rodriquez, but things go wrong when it appears someone has been tampering with the famous newspaper. Can Kate and her mouse, Rupert find out what is going on? |
| There’s a dog in my brain: dog show disaster | Another hilarious episode as Dudley the dog magically manages to swap bodies with Danny, his owner so that he can eat all the cakes in the kitchen – and this time, it’s off to the dog show where Danny must be on his best behaviour – but disaster strikes… |
| Unicorn seekers: the map of lost unicorns | In a world where magic is forgotten and unicorns walk the world unseen, Elodie discovers she is a unicorn seeker – able to see the unicorns and feel their magic,but having to protect the unicorns brings Elodie face to face with danger… |
| Leonora Bolt | Leonora Bolt makes amazing gadgets from any old junk. And her inventions have already stopped villainous Uncle Luther TWICE, though she hasn’t rescued her super-scientist parents from him – yet. Leonora and her pals find clues that lead them to Luther’s latest evil plan. It’s an amusement park called Brightworld built in a desert, under a massive snow globe – and it’s terrible for the environment! |
| Sona Sharma: a friend indeed | When Miss Rao announces there is going to be an election for Class Leader, Sona is excited to stand as a candidate – until she finds herslef standing against her best friends, Joy and Renu. Sona must decide what matters most – winning the election or being a good friend… |
| Action Dude (graphic novel) | Action Dude is always jumping out of helicopters, running along tops of cranes and walking out of buildings just before they explode, so when the robots in the new theme park go crazy, it’s time to call for …. ACTION DUDE! |
| Barb the brave: the ghost blade (graphic novel) | When the evil Witch Head captures all the adult Berzerkers, Barb, Prokchop the Yeti and their band of wannabe zerks must cometo the rescue – will Barb’s fabulous Shadow Blade sword be a match for Witch Head A second adventure for Barb and her gang. |
| Agent Moose: operation owl | Another adventure for Agent Moose and Owlfred! Strange flas floods are maving waves all over the forestand Madame HQ is kidnapped. Can Agent Moose and Owlfred wade throught all the clues in time to get her back before the forest floats away? |
| The worst class in the world goes wild | Stanley and Manjit didn’t really mean to explode fizzy foam all over the classroom, it just seemed to happen but Mrs Bottomley-Blunt isn’t so sure and thinks it just goes to prove that class 4B is just the worst class in the world |
| A Robot squashed my teacher | Discover the mad-cap world of Esha Verma, amazing inventor, who didn’t really mean to turn her teacher into a pigeon, and must battle giant robots, killer plants and shrinking machines to turn him back again before it’s too late! Sequel to “A dinosaur ate my sister” |
| Armadillo and The hare and the flamingo affair | Armadillo is usually quite grumpy and likes sit eating tomato jam and cheese and Hare is cheerful, energetic and sporty but they are best of friends and used to each other’s ways. So when Flamingo arrives, singing, dancing and sitting in a giant bath tub in the middle of the forest, the other animals don’t quite know what to make of her! |
| Aziza’s secret fairy door and the magic puppy | The fifth magical adventure for Aziza and her brother, Otis. Stepping through the secret fairy door, they find themselves at the S[pring Fete. The town clock that marks the arrival of Spring is broken but Otis and the naughty fairies haven’t noticed as they are too busy playing with their new pet dog and Spring can’t come if the clock is broken… |
| Mort the Meek and the perilous prophecy | The Queen of Brutalia is convinced the inhabitants of nearby island of Bonrock are enemies, but pacifist Mort thinks this could be a chance to make new friends. Setting out with Weed to investigate, Mort finds a perfect paradise – but something terrifying is lurking and Mort might not be able to prevent war. Meet Mort and Weed in “Raven’s Revenge” and “Monstrous Quest” too. |
| Space Blasters: Suzie and the moon bugs | Suzie Wen loves gadgets and things, but her inventions don’t always exactly work, so its not surprising that her Super 3DTV gismo ends up transporting her into her favourite TV show, the Space Blasters! She loves exploring new planets and meeting weird aliens, but when moons start disappear, can Suzie save the universe? |
| Accidental diary of BUG: sister act | Billie Upton Green’s two mums are adopting a baby and B.U.G. is excited to prove she is the perfect big sister – but it’s not as easy as all that… |
| Knight Sir Louis and the sorcerer of Slime | Third hilarious tale of Knight Sir Louis, this time King Bart the Not Bad is thrilled by the arrival of Squire Lyme at the castle, with his piercing green eyes and charming smile. But Knight Sir Louis is not so sure, and along with this friends Reader Catalogue and Pearlin and his trusty steed Clunkalot, sets out to get the the slimy bottom of things |
[associated_posts]
The Takeoff! 2022 list is 22 great books for children in years 3 and 4 published (paperback) between April 2021 and April 2022.
These books are selected each year by Schools Library Services librarians and aim to cover a diverse range of authors, subjects and genres.
For new primary fiction for years 5 and 6, see our Must Read booklist!
Posters for the 2022 booklists will be delivered to subscribing schools!
| title | author | |
| Bumble and Snug and the Angry Pirates: Book 1 | Mark Bradley | Bumble and Snug are going on a big adventure to … have a picnic! But when they accidentally get lost, they’re both cross – is their adventure ruined?
Working together to find their way home, Bumble and Snug come across a pirate treasure horde. But taking treasure that isn’t yours is a good way to get into trouble, and sure enough some VERY angry pirates aren’t far behind. |
| Nell and the Cave Bear | Martin Brown | A long, long time ago, a girl lived with her tribe in a cave. As she had no parents of her own, her pet cave bear was her best friend. He followed her everywhere and comforted her whenever she grew weary of all the chores she was given. So when Nell overhears some of the grown-ups planning to give Cave Bear to another tribe, she decides they must run away. So together they embark on a great adventure |
| Jasper and Scruff | Nicola Colton | Jasper and Scruff’s latest venture, Paws Diner, is a big success and the place is always packed. Until, that is, The Sophisticafé opens across the street. Determined not to be outdone by their old enemies, The Sophisticats, Jasper sets to work on a fancy new menu. But while Jasper hopes to gain a coveted three paw rating from the great restaurant critic Gaspard le Skunk, Scruff worries that his friend is forgetting about their loyal regulars. |
| Indigo Wilde | Pippa Curnick | Discovered in the Unknown Wilderness when she was just a baby, Indigo Wilde was adopted by World-Famous Explorers who are always off adventuring. Home for Indigo is Jellybean Crescent, a crazy and colourful house full of magical creatures that her parents have taken in over the years. And now they’ve sent another delivery to Indigo, but this time, the box is empty, and the escaped creature is running rampage around the house. |
| Farrah Rocks New Beginnings | Susan Muaddi Darraj | Farah Hajjar is just starting sixth grade at the Magnet Academy when something terrible happens–her house burns down. Even worse, the house fire may be her fault. When her family moves to temporary housing, Farah feels the guilt piling up. Luckily Farah finds comfort in writing, and she channels her energy into starting a creative writing club at her new school. |
| The cartoons that came to life | Ellen, Tom | Finn loves drawing comic strips featuring his two cartoon heroes, Arley and Tapper.
But after being teased at school, he finds he can’t draw them any more – and is shocked to see them climbing out of his sketchbook for real! With the help of his friend Isha, Finn needs to find a way to draw them back to their comic world – and quickly … |
| Rabbit and Bear | Julian Gough | Icebear has arrived in Rabbit and Bear’s valley, and he wants to be king. He’s big and scary, and the more kind and understanding the animals are, the meaner he becomes.
Rabbit is confused: Bear has always been able to fix their problems in the past – but maybe this time he needs to ask for help from someone else. Does Wolf have the answer to the bad king’s demands … or will Rabbit and the other animals find the solution within themselves? |
| Ira Aldridge : the Shakespearean actor | Judy Hepburn | 1883 and Fred is working as a stagehand at the Theatre Royal. When the star actor falls ill, American actor Ira Aldridge steps in. Can they save the show? |
| The Marvelous Granny Jinks and Me | Serena Holly | When Jada Jinks finds a box of magic tricks in her granny’s flat, she uncovers her granny’s SECRET dream of becoming a magician. Jada soon decides that she’s going to help Granny Jinks fulfil her dreams, but one thing stands in her way – her dad, Jonny Jinks, who hates magic! |
| The spitfang lizard | Humphrey, Kris | It’s Leo’s job as the Guardian’s apprentice to protect the village from the monsters that lurk in the surrounding forest. Whenever a monster gets too close to the village walls Leo must venture out, using his magical map to first find the monster and then do battle with it. |
| Flyntlock Bones : The eye of Mogdrod | Derek Keilty | A priceless golden chalice has been stolen from Fergus McSwaggers, fearsome chief of the squelchy Bog Islands … and he wants it back! Can Flynn and the crew of the Black Hound solve their most dangerous case yet, battling deadly ice pirates, outsmarting squabbling clans, and facing the scariest beast of all the Seven Seas, the monstrous, cat-like Mogdrod? |
| The secret explorers and the rainforest rangers | SJ King | Follow rainforest expert Ollie on an exciting mission to rescue a lost baby orangutan in the steamy rainforest of Borneo. Accompanied by engineering expert Kiki, they set out in a glider to search for the friendly ape.
Along the way, they encounter greedy plantation owners who are plotting to destroy the forest to expand a palm oil plantation! They also learn about the threat that endangered animals and plants face due to deforestation. |
| Velda the Awesomest Viking and the voyage of deadly doom | David MacPhail | Velda is a small girl with a big axe. The only problem is, everyone thinks she can’t be a proper Viking because she’s “just a little girl”. PURLEASE! She sets sail with Freya, captain of the dragonship Valkyrie, and her notoriously ferocious crew for a life of awesome adventure (and very loud belching). |
| Mirabelle breaks the rules | Harriet Muncaster | Mirabelle’s mum is a witch, her dad is a fairy, and she is a bit of both. When Mirabelle goes off to witch school she promises not to cause any mischief . . . But then potions class goes a bit wrong and flying practise is a disaster. Soon enough, Mirabelle finds herself getting up to some seriously mischievous behaviour. Hopefully, with the help of her best friend, Carlotta, she can put everything right before home time. |
| Sadiq and the bridge builders (and others) | Siman Nuurali | Lately it seems to be raining constantly, making it difficult for Sadiq to play outside. When the librarian at his school starts a building club, Sadiq and his friends decide to join. They’re tasked with building a city model to withstand a natural disaster. Inspired by the flooding happening in their own community, can Sadiq and friends come up with a solution? |
| Erika and the Anger Mare | Tom Percival | Erika Delgano can sometimes get a little angry . . .
Her little brother manages to ruin everything, and her parents don’t have any time for her. And one night things go from bad to worse when she falls asleep upset – she finds herself stuck in a bad dream with no way to get home and being chased by a terrifying Angermare! Enter the Dream Defenders – a top-secret organisation that will banish your worries while you sleep! Can they help Erika stand up to the Angermare, or will she be trapped forever? |
| Ballet Bunnies: The lost slipper | Swapna Reddy | Millie is excited about her theatre outing, where she and her class will be watching a wonderful performance of the ballet Cinderella.
On her feet, Millie is wearing a special present from Aunty Karen – a pair of new shoes that twinkle and sparkle just like Cinderella’s glass slippers. But when she trips over in the crowded foyer, she is horrified to find one of her gorgeous shoes is missing! Luckily, Millie has brought along her friends, the ballet bunnies, who help her search for her lost shoe… with a little magical input from an unexpected fairy godmother. |
| Llama on a mission! | Annabelle Sami | Yasmin Shah is just like any other ten-year-old girl, with a crazy loud family, the BEST best friend ever and a talking toy llama!
With the help of her loud guardian llama Levi, Yasmin has finally found her voice, but her mission has only just begun. She is determined to use her new-found confidence to help her friends, starting with turning Levi back into his true guardian llama form and getting him back into Seen Not Herd – the secret society of guardian llamas. |
| The Worries : Sohal finds a friend | Jion Sheibani | Everyone feels worried sometimes. But what if your worries came to life and started following you around?
Sohal worries about a lot of things: the dark, mutant sheep, being alone – you name it, he worries about it! So one night he tries drawing his worries to make himself feel better – and somehow they look a lot less worrying once they’re scribbled down. But then imagine Sohal’s surprise when he wakes up the next morning to find a set of funny, furry friends at the end of his bed! |
| Ping and the Missing Ring | Emma Shevah | When Ping visits her Aunty Lek and her cousins Tong and Taptim it usually isn’t long before they’re on an adventure. Aunty Lek’s precious ring is missing, and she’s sure it’s been stolen. Will Ping, Tong and Taptim be able to solve the case of the missing ring? |
| Nikhil and Jay save the day | Chitra Soundar | In Nikhil and Jay’s family, there’s always fun and mischief! Jay wants to do things by himself on his birthday, but sharing with Nikhil turns out to be more fun. Then they all go to visit Grandad and Nana – but where is the story dragon? On Pancake Day, Amma makes yummy dosa, Indian pancakes. And last but not least, Nikhil and Jay help to save their local library. |
| Sindhu and Jeets Detective Agency | Chitra Soundar | Sindhu and Jeet are the best detectives in town: they solve all their cases with a dollop of observation, a dash of imagination and a whole load of legwork. And when they travel from India to England for a holiday, the detective work doesn’t stop! |
[associated_posts]
The Takeoff! 2021 list is 22 great books for children in years 3 and 4 published (paperback) between April 2020 and April 2021.
These books are selected each year by Schools Library Services librarians and aim to cover a diverse range of authors, subjects and genres.
For new primary fiction for years 5 and 6, see our Must Read booklist!
Posters and Bookmarks for the 2021 booklists will be delivered soon to subscribing schools!
| Max Against Extinction | Tim Allman | Max is back and he’s on a mission to save the Bramble Field from being torn up, ripped out and replaced with a boring old office block. But first he’s got to try and get his school and head teacher Mr Costive on his side… ‘Trees and newts, not desks and suits!’ |
| Stick and Fetch Off the Leash | Philip Ardagh | Together, Sally and her dog are Stick and Fetch: Detectives. Even on holiday there are plenty of crimes to solve and mysteries to unravel. Such as, who is Major Mayhem? Why is that door frightened? And where could the small-bottle-of-shampoo robbers be hiding? This is the third story about Sally Stick and her dog Fetch. |
| Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls | Atinuke | Clever Tola may be small but she is mighty! Stories of precious gold earrings, busy big brothers and sisters, strict Grandmummy’s and selling groundnuts.. and Tola’s the star in all! |
| Skeleton Keys: The Haunting of Luna Moon | Guy Bass | Skeleton Keys has fantabulant fingers which open doors to hidden worlds. This is the strange tale of Luna Moon, whose family is disappearing before her very eyes – she is convinced her grandfather has come back to haunt the family, and Skeleton needs to get to the bottom of the mystery before the whole family is gone. |
| Agents of the Wild 2: Operation Icebeak | Jennifer Bell | Why are the Adelie penguins in the Antarctic behaving so bizarrely? And what is causing earth tremors there? And why are their TV crews in the icefields? This is a new case for Agnes and Attie – agents of SPEARS, the society for the protection of endangered and awesomely rare species! |
| Agent Asha: Mission Shark Bytes | Sophie Deen | Asha Joshi is a coder, so she’s the perfect person for the top-secret Children’s Spy Agency to send to hack into the biggest tech company in the world, fight deadly sharks and figure out why the Internet has stopped working. |
| Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere | Elise Gravel | When Olga, animal-scientist-in-training, finds a pink, hairy creature living in her rubbish bin, it’s a dream come true – it’s a weird new species! It looks like a cross between a hamster and a potato, smells terrible and says only the word MEH! And it’s the perfect subject for Olga’s very scientific Observation Notebook |
| Kitty and the Treetop Chase | Paula Harrison | What do a girl who can talk to animals and a boy who can talk to birds do when they find trouble? They try and solve it of course! Kitty and Ozzy must work together to solve the mystery of the Bakery Dog and the Missing Collar, but they’d better finish before morning! |
| Fish Kid and the Lizard Ninja | Kylie Howarth | You’d have thought eating slimy sea cucumbers and jellyfish would make you ill, but it’s given Bodhi some amazing new powers… but what is this animal climbing up his wetsuit? Can it really be a Lizard Ninja? And can the two of them save the oceans? |
| The Monster Doctor | John Kelly | It’s not every day that someone’s arm falls off in the street in front of you. Even weirder when they turn out to be just a little bit dead. Luckily, there’s a monster doctor just round the corner! And apparently she wants new boy Ozzy to be her new trainee Monster Nurse… |
| Good Knight, Bad Knight and the Flying Machine | Tom Knight | After a small incident with some exploding barrels of poo, twins Warrick and Willow ask Good Knight Godwin and Bad Knight Berk to help them build a flying machine. Little do they know how quickly they (and their village, and a forlorn chicken called Lettuce) will need it when some cheese-munching barbarians invade… |
| Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters | Jordan Kopy | The first rule of the Monstrous League of Monsters is to keep hidden from humans – a rule that orphaned Theodora usually has no trouble with, But now a series of anonymous letters suggest that someone is about to reveal their secret. If Theodora doesn’t act fast, she may lose her family for ever… |
| Willow Wildthing and the Swamp Monster | Gill Lewis | Something amazing happens in the woodland behind Willow’s house – she enters The Wilderness, where magic and nature collide and children take on the characteristics of the wild creatures they are named after. But there are shadows, and secrets, and … MONSTERS! |
| The Secret Time Machine and the Gherkin Switcheroo | Simone Lia | A worm and a bird are the most unlikely of friends – but now Marcus is in trouble. He didn’t think his friend Laurence would actually believe him when he said his super brainy aunt built a time machine. After all, he only boasting to win a silly argument. Now how on earth will he make it come true? |
| Anisha, Accidental Detective: school’s cancelled | Serena Patel | Everyone thinks it’s Anisha’s fault that her fantastic volcano project explodes and floods the school and gets her disqualified from chance to win a prize trip to the national space centre. Can Anisha, her best friend Milo, a pet rat, and a high-school vlogger catch the real culprit? |
| Attack of the Heebie Jeebies | Tom Percival | It’s no good going to bed angry – you just get bad dreams and for Erika, the bad dreams mean being attacked by a mob of hungry Heebie Jeebies and being hunted by a terrifying Angermare! But can Dream Team help Erika overcome her worries and get home, or will she be trapped forever? |
| Sona Sharma, Very Best Big Sister | Chitra Soundar | Sona’s house is full of people who joke often and argue sometimes. Relatives come unannouncedand friends drop in all the time. Then one day Amma tells Sona she is going to have a baby. Is that good? Sona isn’t sure – she has always enjoyed being an only child. When Sona learns that there will be a baby naming ceremony, she is determined to find the perfect name for her new brother or sister. |
| Scribble Witch: notes in class | Inky Willis | When Molly finds Notes, a tiny paper witch, lurking in her pen pot, school is never the same again – but some of the things Notes does are absolutely NOT helpful and get Molly into trouble… |
| Last : The Story of a white Rhino | Nicola Davies | What’s it feel like to be an animal in the zoo? What does it feel like to be the very last one of your kind in a zoo? This is the real story of Sudan, the very last male Northern White Rhino in the world. |
| Johnny ball accidental football genius | Matt Oldfield | Johnny Ball LOVES football and everything to do with football, but he’s not quite good enough to make the Tissbury Primary School team for the super-huge Under-11s County Cup. But best friend Tabia manages to get him made into Assistant Manager, so can Johnny lead the Tissbury Primary team all the way to County Cup glory? |
| Little Badman and the Time-travelling Teacher of Doom | Humza Arshad | Humza Khan has faced deadly alien slugs, killer aunties and double maths, but now he has to face something even scarier – his dad! He’s pretty fed up with Humza and Umer being naughty, so he’s sending them away . . . to school… in Pakistan. But when they get there, something weird is going on – someone has been messing with time! |
| Boy in the jam jar | Joyce Dunbar | Dylan loves football, space and his dog Pluto, but the sounds he hears are getting faint and other children are starting to make fun of him. But he doesn’t want hearing aids – they’re for old people… |
[associated_posts]
The Takeoff! 2020 list is 20 great books for children in years 3 and 4 published (paperback) between April 2019 and April 2020.
These books are selected each year by Schools Library Services librarians and aim to cover a diverse range of authors, subjects and genres.
For new primary fiction for years 5 and 6, see our Must Read booklist!
Posters and Bookmarks for the 2020 booklists will be delivered a little later than normal this year – look out for them from September.
| Title | Author | Blurbs | |
| 1. | Too Small Tola | Atinuke | Tola might be small, and overshadowed by her bossy, fast, clever family in their flat in the busy city of Lagos in Nigeria, but when there is a crisis, Tola usually manages to save the day! |
| 2. | The Funny Life of Teachers | James Campbell | Have you ever wondered what teachers do when they’re not in the classroom? Are they undercover detectives, champion roller-blade dancers or do they spend their evenings playing with their 576 cats? But be warned – no teachers are allowed to read this! |
| 3. | Phoenix of Persia | Sally Pomme Clayton | When the king abandons his newborn son because of his white hair, Simorgh, the wise phoenix, adopts him, brings him up with her own chicks and teaches him forgiveness. Background resources, including music, available from the Schools Library Service |
| 4. | Adventure Duck vs Power Pug
Adventure Duck vs The Wicked Walrus Adventure Duck vs The Armadillo Army |
Steve Cole | A new series of adventures as Adventure Duck, discovering he has superpowers after a meteor lands in his pond, battles with Power Pug, a dastardly dog who hatches up dastardly and evil plans to take over the world. |
| 5. | The Dog Who Lost His Bark | Eoin Colfer | In his short doggy life, Oz has suffered at the hands of bad people and learned that if he barks, he doesn’t get fed. But he is the perfect companion for Patrick, lonely and confused by his father’s absence, who finds him at the animal shelter and gives him a home at last. |
| 6. | My Babysitter Is a Robot | Dave Cousins | The twins’ inventor grandmother invents a robot to look after them and programmed to make them do their homework, so they must stop their squabbling and work together to get rid of him… |
| 7. | Ariki and the Island of Wonders | Nicola Davies | Sequel to Ariki and the Giant Shark, Ariki and her pet pig, Bad Boy, skip school to go sailing around their island home, but don’t notice the storm clouds gathering. Washed up on an unfamiliar island, they discover another castaway, living with the giant Mweep birds –but all is not as it seems. |
| 8. | Kids Fight Plastic | Martin Dorey | Have you got 2 minutes? That’s all the time it takes to become a #2minutesuperhero. Plastic is everywhere. It is in the rivers and it is in the sea. We need superheroes to fight plastic and help save our oceans. |
| 9. | Agent Weasel and the Abominable Dr Snow
Agent Weasel and the Fiendish Fox Gang |
Nick East | Agent Weasel, woodland superspy, gets kidnapped by the Fiendish Fox Gang who are spreading mayhem throughout the forest, and in the second story, animal athletes are mysteriously disappearing on the opening night of the Winter Whopper Games… can Agent Weasel discover what is going on? |
| 10. | Granny Magic | Elka Evalds | Will didn’t realise the magical importance of the jumpers his Gran knits. It is only when she dies and evil Jasper Fidget appears on the scene looking to steal all that she knitted does he realise that the knitting has powerful and unexpected powers – and he is launched into a magical adventure to save them! |
| 11. | Yasmin the Superhero | Saadia Faruqi | Yasmin is a superhero! She’s got the cape. She’s got the mask. Now she just needs a villain to defeat! Read more about Yasmin in this series of eight books about a spirited, creative and curious Pakistani-American little girl and her family |
| 12. | The Dragon’s Breakfast | Vivian French | Legend has it that there’s pirate treasure hiding in Bullion Island’s sea-caves, guarded by a fearsome dragon – but nobody knows for sure, because no sailor has managed a return trip. But Princess Persephone Stephanie Tiffany Jane (“Pom” for short) isn’t afraid of dragons … or anything else! |
| 13. | The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare | Shannon Hale, Dean Hale | In this sixth adventure for the masked heroes, the Princess in Black and the Princess in Blankets must confront the goo monster, and with a little bit of scientific problem-solving, save the science fair for Princess Magnolia |
| 14. | Invasion of the Living Ted | Barry Hutchison | As all teddy bears come to life to help Grizz take over the world, Lisa Marie and Vernon must battle a King-Kong-sized teddy bear with a mind for evil. Third in the series that started with Night of the Living Ted and Revenge of the Living Ted |
| 15. | The Day I Found a Wormhole at the Bottom of the Garden
The Day I Started a Mega Robot Invasion |
Tom McLaughlin | All sorts of people from the past clamber up through the weird wormhole Billy finds in his garden, but if Billy doesn’t round them up and send them back, history will be changed forever! Look out, too, for “The Day I started A Mega Robot Invasion” when the robot Molly invented to do her homework decides to make more robots to take over the world. |
| 16. | Hotel Flamingo: Holiday Heatwave
And Hotel Flamingo: Carnival Caper |
Alex Milway | There’s a heatwave on, and a huge ice shortage, which could spell problems for Anna when Hotel Flamingo get a booking for their Royal Suite from King Penguin… and at Carnival time, Anna is determined to win the prize for Hotel Flamingo for the best display, but will rain wash the parade away? Two more exciting stories about Anna and her fabulous hotel for animals |
| 17. | Anisha, Accidental Detective | Serena Patel | Anisha is all set to be a (reluctant) bridesmaid at Aunty Bindi’s wedding…until a secret ransom note arrives. Bindi’s groom has been kidnapped and will only be released if the wedding is called off! With best friend Milo and some super skills of logic and observation, it’s up to Anisha Mistry to find her uncle and save the day.
|
| 18. | Kevin’s Great escape: legend of Kevin 2 | Philip Reeve | Misty Twiglet is a famous pop star and used to getting everything she wants, and she wants Kevin, the roly poly flying pony! Kevin’s best friend Max and his sister Daisy must come to Kevin’s rescue, and there’s no way they’re giving up on him without a fight. |
| 19. | My Parents Cancelled My Birthday! | Jo Simmons | “It all started when a pig fell off the roof” and this is the first of all the disasters tht ruin the day Tom has been looking forward to for months! Undeterred, Tom decides to put on his own birthday party – thank goodness for little sisters! |
| 20. | Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of Spiders! | Katie Tsang | Sam Wu’s not going to let anyone know he’s afraid of spiders. And so when Tulip, the school tarantula, disappears from her cage, Sam decides it’s up to him and his friends to save the school from the eight-legged escapee . . . Sam is not afraid of ghosts, sharks, zombies or the dark – but those are all other stories! |
[associated_posts]
20 of the best new books for your school library collection for years 3 and 4.
The books on the Takeoff! list are selected annually by librarians from the Schools Library Service and primary schools, and is a list of recommended fiction to buy for your school library.
For fiction for upper KS2, take a look at our latest Must Read booklist.
The list represents a selection of the best new fiction first published in paperback within the last year, and aims to cover as diverse a range of subjects, genres, authors and interests as possible.
Posters and bookmarks will be sent to subscribing primary schools.
Please contact the library for more information on the Takeoff! list or to request additional posters or bookmarks (subject to availability)
Adepitan, Ade
Ade’s amazing Ade-ventures
When you are in a wheelchair, it’s hard to fit in with the other kids, but Ade finds the Parsons Road Gang are completely different….
Agard, John
Shona, word detective
Don’t be bamboozled or bumbazed – just because lots of words are mysteriously going extinct, doesn’t mean that Shona can’t track them down and save them…
Barker, Claire
Picklewitch and Jack
Picklewitch is, quite literally, out of her tree. She has a nose for naughtiness, a taste for trouble and a weakness for cake. And unluckily for brainbox Jack – winner of the ‘Most Sensible Boy in School’ for the third year running – she’s about to choose him as her new best friend…
Blackman, Malorie
A dangerous game
Also Ellie and the Cat / Grandpa Bert and the Ghost Snatchers
Butler, Steven
The Nothing to See Here Hotel
Welcome to The Nothing to See Here Hotel! A hotel for magical creatures, where weird is normal for Frankie Banister and his parents who run it.
Colfer, Eoin
Mariella Queen of the skies
Mariella loves nothing more than inventing but bedtime keeps getting in the way of all her brilliant ideas! So when Mum and Dad won’t take no for an answer there’s only one thing for it… Mariella has to build a rocket-powered flying suit to zap her round the world faster than the setting sun!
Corderoy, Tracey
Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam: The Aliens are Coming!
Things are HOTTING UP! Someone is CHEATING in the SANDCASTLE competition! There’s something FISHY about the new CAFE! But it’s the ALIEN INVASION that REALLY makes Shifty and Sam lose their COOL! Anyone for an ICED bun?!
De Saulles, Tony
Bee Boy: Attack of the zombees
A strange sickness bug is causing havoc at school. Mel and his bees think they know why when they discover a factory in the woods – with beekeepers in metal suits and… zombees!
Fine, Anne
Back on Weird Street
Asim, Laila and Tom like nothing more than spooking each other with tales of the unexpected. This summer they’re back with three more stories to chill you to the bone. Can your dreams really grant you fortunes and riches? What lurks in the shadows of Number 17? And is Grandma’s house really haunted, or is it all just a fun imaginary game?
French, Vivian; Paul, Korky
The fiendish revenge of Leroy Jones
Leroy Jones is a very ordinary boy blessed with a truly ridiculous name – one that he is determined to keep hidden from everyone. But when he is paired with the bossy Amy Strundle for a project, she’s set to be a thorn in his side and wants everyone to know his secret. Can Leroy find a way to get his revenge and is it really a dish best served cold?
Hemming, Alice
Arlo, Mrs Ogg and the dinosaur zoo
Things aren’t looking good for 4X. With another teacher running away screaming (literally), Arlo wonders how long the new supply teacher will survive. When Mrs Ogg takes 4X to the zoo, Arlo realises it’s down to him to keep everyone in line, but what she fails to mention is that this is no ordinary zoo…
Kent, Gabrielle
Knights and bikes
Welcome to the sleepy island of Penfurzy, where nothing exciting ever really happens. OR DOES IT? Adventure awaits Demelza and her new best friend in the whole world, Nessa, as they explore the island and uncover the mysteries of the Penfurzy Knights.
Lawrence, Patrice
Toad Attack
Toads are everywhere – munching through gardens, causing chaos in the city – where did they come from? Leo and Rosa are determined to find out!
McCall Smith, Alexander
Hari and his electric feet
Hari spends most of his time earning money with his sister, making sweets, delivering lunches, but what he really loves to do is dance.. . Is there a way to do what he loves and earn money as well?
Love, Jessica
Julian is a Mermaid
Julian is dazzled by the women he sees on the train home dressed as mermaids and all he can think about is making his own fabulous mermaid costume.
Milway, Alex
Hotel Flamingo
Anna has her work cut out to get hotel Flamingo back to its former glory, and make it welcoming to all animals, great and small.
Pitzorno, Bianca
Lavinia and the magic ring
What would you wish for is a fairy stepped out of a taxi and gave you a magic ring? As you know, and as Lavinia finds out, having your wishes come true can lead to mayhem!
Strong, Jeremy
Big trouble for Nellie Choc-Ice
Another story about Nellie, the great penguin explorer. Nellie has to save the day when the submarine she is travelling in is hi-jacked in New York!
Todd Taylor, Sarah
Max the theatre cat: the disappearing diva
Madame Emerald, the famous singer, is behaving strangely – hiding in her dressing room and refusing to sing in public. Max, who is a curious cat, tries to figure out why….
Cross, Gillian
Jason Banks and the Pumpkin of Doom
Jason Banks is a bully. No one likes him and even the teachers are scared of him! It’s time that someone taught Jason a lesson and he might just have met his match in the strange pumpkin that keeps appearing on his doorstep. Will Jason ever learn the error of his ways?
[associated_posts]
22 of the best new books for your collection for years 3 and 4.
The books on the Takeoff! list are selected annually by librarians from the Schools Library Service and primary schools, and is a list of recommended fiction to buy for your school library.
For fiction for upper KS2, take a look at our latest Must Read booklist.
The list represents a selection of the best new fiction first published in paperback within the last year, and aims to cover as diverse a range of subjects, genres, authors and interests as possible.
Posters and bookmarks will be sent to subscribing primary schools.
Please contact the library for more information on the Takeoff! list or to request additional posters or bookmarks
| 9780571329731 | Ballerina Dreams | Michaela DePrince | At the orphanage in Sierra Leone, Michaela dreamed of being a ballerina, so imagine her delight when her new American adoptive parents send her to ballet school! A true story of international ballet star. |
| 9781783445202 | The Bolds on Holiday | by Julian Clary | Hyena family, the Bolds, are off to the seaside, but trouble arrives when Bobby is mistaken for a pup and snatched by a wicked dognapper. Can the family track her down and rescue all the stolen dogs without giving away their disguise? |
| 9781444934014 | Dinosaur Dash | By Mo Farah, Kes Gray, Marta Kissi | Mo and his friends discover that running backwards takes you back in time as well! But they find themselves in the time of the dinosaurs – who are not all that friendly! |
| 9781781125885 | Dread Cat | Michael Rosen | Dread cat has promised he will turn over a new leaf and stop eating them – but can the mice trust him? |
| 9781847157874 | Escape from Planet Bogey | Gareth P. Jones | The Pet Defenders need to find out why animals are disappearing from Nothington-on-Sea and discover aliens are holding the Planet Bogey Games. Can secret agents Biskit and Mitzy win the contest and find their missing partner, Champ. And what’s more, can they get back home afterwards? |
| 9781444931600 | Princess Smartypants and the Fairy Geek Mothers | By Babette Cole | In Fairy Land, the Fairy Geek Mothers have set up a website, offering wishes – ignoring the rule that fairies can only offer three wishes at a time. When the wishes start to go wrong, it is up to Princess Smartypants and her friends but everything back to rights |
| 9781782956099/ 9781782953043 | Daisy and the Trouble with Chocolate/ Jack Beechwhistle : Rise of the Hairy Horrors | Kes Gray | As well as getting to look after the school hamsters for the whole Easter holidays, Daisy is lucky enough to get two free tickets to Chocolate Land – what could be better?!
Why does the hairdresser, Valentino, collect the hair he cuts from everyone’s head? Jack Beechwhistle, undercover agent extraordinaire, makes it his business to find out. |
| 9781786960160 | The River Challenge | Bear Grylls | The worst thing that could happen to Jack is falling in a river – given his secret fear of water, but he is pulled out by Bear Grylls and Jack learns how to survive – building a shelter for overnight, catching fish, building a raft and navigating back to safety! |
| 9781407135090 | The Cat and the King | Nick Sharratt | When a fire-breathing dragon burns down the castle, the king and his best friend the cat have to move house -and find 37 Castle Close where they set about getting to know their neighbours -but watch out for the return of the fire-breathing dragon! |
| 9781406373349 | They Don’t Teach This in Worm School! | Simone Lia | Marcus likes being a worm likes brown, mud and digging holes, but when he meets Laurence a pigeon who thinks he’s a flamingo, he has to do a deal to stop himself getting eaten – and that is navigating the way to Kenya so that Laurence can find his family. The trouble is, Marcus doesn’t know how to navigate… |
| 9780008248413 | The Birthday Surprise | Clara Vulliamy | Both Dotty and her teacher Mr D are hugely excited about their upcoming birthdays. Dotty’s Mum is planning a special party for her and the class have made a surprise present for Mr D. But when the gift mysteriously disappears, who could have taken it? |
| 9781781126837 | Good Dog McTavish | Meg Rosoff | McTavish could see that the Peachey family needed help, now that Ma Peachey had resigned and there was no one to do the cooking or the laundry. When Plan A does not work, he sets about implementing Plan B… |
| 9781474744195/ 9781474744201 | The Girl in the Graveyard and other Scary Tales/ The Library Claw and other Scary Tales | Michael Dahl | Spooky rooms in the local library noises in the basement, a short cut through the graveyard, an imp in the bathroom – no end of scary stories in these two collections! |
| 9780857639158 | The Invincibles : The Beast of Bramble Woods | Caryl Hart | Nell and Freddie sneak out to join the older children camping in the woods. It’s great fun…until the Beast of Bramble Wood wants to join in! |
| 9780993553738 | Al’s Awesome Science: No.1: Egg-Speriments! | Jane Clarke | Al loves experimenting – one of these days he is going to discover something amazing. Right now, he’s testing for the best thing to make a time machine with – which he will need to get away from the trouble he’s in for making so much mess! |
| 9780192763877 | Bee Boy : Clash of the Killer Queens | Tony De Saulles | Half BEE. Half BOY. Melvin Meadly is . . . BEE BOY. As a bee, Mel is ready to defend his hive against all enemies taking on killer wasps, terrifying hawkmoths, and battling queen bees. But as a boy, has he got what it takes to protect his bees (and himself) against the greatest menace of all Nasty Norman Crudwell? |
| 9781406366051 | Animals Behaving Badly | By Nicola Davies | True stories about some very weird and strange animals, from deadly wolverines to thieving birds and farting fish! |
| 9781509808847 | Swashbuckle Lil and the Jewel Thief | Elli Woollard | No-one in school knows that Lil is a swashbuckling pirate who’s scared of nothing – but she has to come to the rescue when Old Stinkbeard tries to steal the King’s ruby whilst the class are on a trip to the museum |
| 9781848126336 | Flying Fergus 7: The Wreck-It Race | by Sir Chris Hoy | The new coach, Charlie Campbell, has different ideas on how to win a cycling championship and the team are not sure it is going to work – why do yoga? And wheelbarrow races? And why enter the Wreck-it Run, where you have to build you own bike and compete in pairs? How will this help the team get faster? |
| 9781911370062 | My Name is Not Refugee | Kate Milner | We have to leave this town, it’s not safe, says mother. We have to say goodbye to old friends and travel a long way. We will see new and interesting things and learn new words: a beautiful way to learn about what it means to be a refugee. |
[associated_posts]
