Year 4

Here are a selection of fiction and non-fiction titles suitable for your 4 child to read either with an adult or independently for pleasure.

Fiction

Planet OmarZanib MianWelcome, readers, to the imaginative brain of Omar! You might not know me yet, but once you open the pages of this book you'll laugh so hard that snot will come out of your nose (plus you might meet a dragon and a zombie - what more could you want?).

How to Train Your Dragon SeriesCressida CowellIn the first of this series, Hiccup must lead ten novices in their initiation into the Hairy Hooligan Tribe. They must train their dragons or be banished from the tribe for ever! But what if Hiccup's dragon resembles an ickle brown bunny with wings? And has no teeth? The Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus is stirring and wants to devour every Viking on the Isle of Berk . . .Can Hiccup be a hero and save the tribe?

The Suitcase KidJacqueline WilsonAndrea’s parents have divorced, and she now lives between two homes but doesn’t feel at home at either of them. A touching story told from a child’s point of view about divorce and family.

The BFGRoald DahlOn a dark, silvery moonlit night, Sophie is snatched from her bed by a giant. Luckily, it is the Big Friendly Giant, the BFG, who only eats snozzcumbers and glugs frobscottle. But there are other giants in Giant Country. Fifty-foot brutes who gallop far and wide every night to find human beans to eat. Can Sophie and her friend the BFG stop them?

When the Mountains RoaredJess ButterworthEver since her mum died, Ruby has been afraid. Of cars. Of the dark. Of going to sleep and never waking up. But then the last remaining leopards of the mountain are threatened and everything changes. Ruby vows to do all she can to protect them - if she can only overcome her fears...

The Lion, the Witch and the WardrobeC.S. LewisFour adventurous siblings―Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie― step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice.

The Akimbo AdventuresAlexander McCall SmithAkimbo and his parents live on the edge of an African game reserve. It's his father's task to protect the thousands of amazing animals who make it their home, and wildlife-loving Akimbo dreams of helping him. In these three adventures, Akimbo protects elephants from poachers, saves a lion cub from a trap, and rescues a man from a crocodile!

Billionaire BoyDavid WalliamsJoe has a lot of reasons to be happy. About a billion of them, in fact. You see, Joe's rich. Really, really, rich. Joe's got his own bowling alley, his own cinema, even his own butler. He's the wealthiest twelve-year-old in the land. Yes, Joe has absolutely everything he could possibly want. But there’s just one thing he really needs: A friend.

A Caribbean DozenEdited by John Agard & Grace NichollsInfused with the flavours and rhythms of Trinidad, Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados and the Bahamas, A Caribbean Dozen vividly evokes the childhood memories of the Caribbean's finest poets. There are over fifty poems in this magical collection and introductions to each of the thirteen poets, as well as biographies and an easy-reference index.

The Wind in the WillowsKenneth GrahameMeet little Mole, wilful Ratty, Badger the perennial bachelor, and petulant Toad. Over one hundred years since their first appearance in 1908, they've become emblematic archetypes of eccentricity, folly, and friendship. The Wind in the Willows is a timeless tale of animal cunning and human camaraderie.

High Rise MysterySharna JacksonThe detective duo everyone is dying to meet! Summer in London is hot, the hottest on record, and there's been a murder in THE TRI: the high-rise home to resident know-it-alls, Nik and Norva. Who better to solve the case?

James and the Giant PeachRoald DahlJames Henry Trotter lives with two ghastly hags. Aunt Sponge is enormously fat with a face that looks boiled and Aunt Spiker is bony and screeching. He's very lonely until one day something peculiar happens. . . At the end of the garden a peach starts to grow and GROW AND GROW. Inside that peach are seven very unusual insects - all waiting to take James on a magical adventure.

The Highland Falcon ThiefM.G. Leonard & Sam SedgmanHarrison Beck is reluctantly joining his travel-writer Uncle Nat for the last journey of the royal train, The Highland Falcon. But as the train makes its way to Scotland, a priceless brooch goes missing, and things are suddenly a lot more interesting. As suspicions and accusations run high among the passengers, Harrison begins to investigate and uncovers a few surprises along the way.

Groosham GrangeAnthony HorowitzSent to Groosham Grange as a last resort by his parents, David Eliot quickly discovers that his new school is a very weird place indeed. New pupils are made to sign their names in blood; the French teacher disappears every full moon; the assistant headmaster keeps something very chilling in his room... Where do the other pupils vanish to at night? How on earth can David get away - alive?

Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NimhRobert C. O’BrienTime is running out for Mrs Frisby. She must move her family of mice before the farmer destroys their home. But her youngest son, Timothy, is too ill to survive the move. Help comes in the unexpected form of a group of mysterious, super-intelligent rats. But the rats are in danger too, and little by little Mrs Frisby discovers their extraordinary past.

A Child’s Garden of VersesRobert Louis StevensonA collection of poems evoking the world and feelings of childhood.

Carrie’s WarNina BawdenIt is wartime and Carrie and her little brother Nick have been evacuated from their London home to the Welsh hills. In an unfamiliar place, among strangers, the children feel alone and find little comfort with the family they are billeted with Mr Evans, a bullying shopkeeper and Auntie Lou, his kind but timid sister.

Diver’s Daughter – A Tudor StoryPatrice LawrenceThe story of a young West African girl, Eve, living with her mother in Elizabethan London based on real events. When they hear from a Mary Rose survivor, George Symon, that one of the African free-divers who salvaged its treasures is alive and well and living in Southampton, mother and daughter agree to try to find him. But will the pair survive when George arrives to claim his 'share' of the riches? Will Eve overcome her fear of water to rescue her mother from the sea?

Non-Fiction

Science You Can EatStefan GatesThis exciting kids' book tackles all the tasty science questions you have about food, plus plenty more that you hadn't even thought of! Science You Can Eat will transform your kitchen into an awesome lab through 20 fun food experiments.

Art Through the AgesFrederic FuronExplore the world of art history and find what's hidden on each page! Learn how the Greeks worked with molten bronze, then track down one of their famous statues. Search for a medieval illuminator at a cathedral construction site. Visit Impressionists as they paint by the seaside and pop artists in trendy galleries. Finally, seek out amazing art movements happening today!

Dream Big! Heroes Who Dared to be BoldSally MorganFrom Emma Gonzalez to Peter Tatchell, Adwoa Aboah to Muhammed Ali, this book celebrates sung and unsung heroes, reaching across all areas of life and to all four corners of the globe. Each personality is given a short biography detailing the inspirational things they have achieved by speaking out, highlighted with striking colour illustration.

Martin Luther King Jr.Kitson JayznkaNational Geographic Primary Readers is a high-interest series of beginning reading books that have been developed in consultation with education experts. In this title, readers will learn about the fascinating life and legacy civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Anglo-Saxons (Explore!)Jane BinghamWho was Alfred the Great? Where did the Anglo Saxons come from, and what traditions and beliefs did they bring with them? Explore this ancient civilisation to understand how prehistoric people have influenced the way we live today.

Women in Sport: Fifty Fearless Athletes Who Played to WinRachel IgnotofskyWomen in Sport celebrates the success of the tough, bold and fearless women who paved the way for today's athletes. The sportswomen featured include well-known figures like tennis player Serena Williams and broadcaster Clare Balding, as well as lesser-known pioneers.

Greta’s StoryValentina CameriniThe story of Greta Thunberg, the schoolgirl who inspired a worldwide climate change movement.

Malala: My Story of Standing Up for Girls’ RightsMalala YousafzaRaised in a changing Pakistan, Malala was taught to stand up for her beliefs. When terrorists took control of her region and declared that girls were forbidden from going to school, Malala refused to sacrifice her education. And on 9 October 2012, she nearly paid the ultimate price for her courage when she was shot on her way home from school.

The Big Earth Book (Lonely Planet Kids)Mark BrakeA rollercoaster ride through history, geography, science and more to show how four elements - earth, fire, air and water - created the world and everything that exists today. Amazing facts, photography and illustrations bring our planet and its past to life.

The Story of the First World War for ChildrenJohn MalamA fact-packed information book that relates the unfolding events and the human stories in a way that brings history vividly to life.