recommended books year 1

School Reading List

Recommended reading books for primary & secondary aged children in the UK

Home » Books for KS1 and EYFS school pupils - our reading lists » Year 1 recommended reading list for children aged 5-6

Year 1 recommended reading list for children aged 5-6

Books for Year 1 . Our team of highly skilled and experienced children’s literature experts, librarians, and teachers, curated this collection of stories, picture books, and nonfiction to appeal to primary school-aged toddlers. All of the reading recommendations in our Year 1 reading list below have received positive feedback from children and parents, and they include a variety of titles to accommodate all ability levels, including the less able and the more able. We want to provide teachers and parents with a diverse selection of books to read with their children or encourage them to begin reading independently and encourage a lifelong love of reading. This list is reviewed termly and features authors including Satoshi Kitamura, Poonam Mistry, Eric Carle, Chris Riddell, Cressida Cowell, Michael Rosen, Judith Kerr, Joseph Coelho and Mini Grey.

Books for Year 1 – our recommendations

The search for the giant arctic jellyfish by chloe savage.

Dr Morley sets out with all the proper equipment, all the right people, and years of careful planning to find a bizarre monster that no one has ever seen before. Will she be the first to see the enigmatic jellyfish? This is a great story of adventure, perseverance and resilience that will encourage children to never give up. Also featured in our exploration books list.

The Midnight Panther by Poonam Mistry

Panther feels out of place and sets out into the jungle to face obstacles, overcome insecurities, and discover where he belongs. A stunningly illustrated, captivating, and mystical modern fable The Midnight Panther book is a joy to read aloud and share with a class at the end of the school day. Also featured on our animal stories list.

Smile Out Loud by Joseph Coelho

25 exuberantly happy poems to read-aloud burst from this brightly illustrated large format picture book. Featuring ‘Imagination Running Free’, ‘The Dragging Dragon’, ‘Recipe For This Boy’ and many more, Smile Out Loud is a great book to instil fun and inspire confidence when children read aloud or read chorally as part of a group.

Teddy’s Midnight Adventure by Yoko Mori

Teddy has lost his button eye, so he and Akiko walk through an evocatively illustrated moonlit world to try and find it. Everything seems different and mysterious at night. But by the time the sun comes up, there’s a happy ending. A mesmerising, unforgettable and magical story of friendship.

King of the Classroom by Derrick Barnes and Vanessa Brantley-Newton

An inspiring and confidence-building picture book that follows a boy going to school for the first time. Ideal for reading and sharing with children starting a new school, class, or activity. The artwork – with hints of Basquiat, is inclusive and this is a useful year 1 book resource to inspire classroom display ideas.

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury

A family walks through the countryside on an unlikely search for a bear. But there’s a surprise on the other side of the forest. A wonderful story, with many fun and repetitive lines which will help children remember the more difficult words. A great book for year 1 children to read as a group, with lots of repetition.

The Smile Shop by Satoshi Kitamura

When a young boy goes shopping for the first time, just before he decides to buy something he loses his pocket money. Disaster! But then he discovers a ‘Smile Shop’ and wanders in. A refreshing modern fable with strong visual elements this is an ideal book for sharing, reading aloud and eliciting discussion with pupils.

You Choose! by Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodhart

An unusual and imaginative book that makes the reader think. Each brightly illustrated double-page spread has a question, such as ‘Imagine you could go anywhere – where would you live?’ and invites the child to come up with answers. This incredibly imaginative book is a gift to infant teachers looking to develop creative writing and help pupils scaffold story ideas. This is a must-have text for your Year 1 reading list.

A Dark, Dark Tale by Ruth Brown

A visually stunning story about a black cat’s journey through a spooky wood and around a strange house. There’s a gripping ending, and this is a great book to share with a class, use for paired reading, or to inspire descriptive writing in literacy lessons.

That Rabbit Belongs To Emily Brown by Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton

A classic and catchy story of right and wrong that is perfect to explain the concepts of property and justice. Equally suited to classroom discussion and bedtime reading, this is one of those timeless picture books children will want to revisit. A great year 1 book to discuss in storytime.

Numenia and the Hurricane by Fiona Halliday

A touching picture book story that follows a young bird who struggles against the elements to find and rejoin her family. Told in rhyming verse, this is a great book to read aloud to a year 1 class in literacy or circle time. The stunning illustrations are an ideal impetus for art ideas.

Cinnamon by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Divya Srinivasan

A stunning modern fable with vibrant illustrations. Cinnamon is a mysterious princess who has pearls for her eyes, cannot see and does not speak. While many people try to help her, none succeed – until a fearsome tiger befriends her and changes her life forever. An ideal book with rich language to share in Year 1.

I Can Only Draw Worms by Will Mabbitt

A hysterically funny book about worms and their amazing adventures. The writer invites the reader to use their imagination, and this is a good book to help develop inference. A clever picture book for 5-6-year-olds, and one that can be read again and again.

Yokki and the Parno Gry by Richard O’Neill and Katharine Quarmby, illustrated by Marieke Nelissen

This traditional Romani folk tale sees Yokki – a boy with lots of ideas and a passion for telling stories – enchanting his family with tales of a magic horse who will take them to a better life. This highly illustrated short text is an atmospheric and engaging introduction to Roma life and a good book to discuss with groups in year 1.

Goodnight Everyone by Chris Haughton

The perfect bedtime story about going to sleep. Each page will make the reader ever so slightly more … sleepy. Stunning visuals and engaging and comforting characters. The use of repetition will be useful for children who are reluctant readers in year 1.

Oof Makes an Ouch! by Duncan Beedle

When Oof – who is still learning to talk – starts to make up new and interesting words, his best friend Pib gets jealous in this vibrantly illustrated picture book. Great for reluctant readers, mixed ability groups and performing with a class, with lots of impetus ideas for story writing, PSHE links and wall displays.

The Pocket Chaotic by Ziggy Hanaor and Daniel Gray-Barnett

A charming and well-crafted picture book story about Alexander, a joey who lives in his kangaroo mother Nancy’s pocket, his quest for order and tidiness, and his ultimate independence. There’s a lot to discuss here with themes of organisation, self-reliance and living with other people. With vibrant and florescent illustrations, this is a great book for reluctant readers in year 1, and also to read to classes in key stage one, particularly at the start of a new school year.

The Bad-tempered Ladybird by Eric Carle

This short story is about a ladybird who argues with every other living creature he meets. This ideal book for year 1 children also uses a clock face cleverly to illustrate the passing hours, making it ideal for introducing children to an analogue clock face and telling the time.

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

A modern classic about a mouse who escapes the clutches of various other animals who want to eat him by creating a monster who is scarier than all of them put together. Great fun, with wonderful illustrations, this is a surefire Year 1 favourite.

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond, illustrated by Peggy Fortnum

The classic tale of Paddington, a bear from Darkest Peru, who joins the Brown family with nothing but a hat, a suitcase and a jar of marmalade. This is a good text for 5 and 6-year-old children who are starting to read independently, and the perfect way to introduce younger children to book series and books that can be read in more than one sitting.

Cops and Robbers by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

There’s a dastardly plan to steal all the Christmas presents in London. But Officer Pugh has other ideas and catches all but one of the robbers red-handed. A fun and memorable year 1 book for classroom storytimes.

Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy by Lynley Dodd

Hairy Maclary likes to wander off for a walk with his friends. But the scary Scarface Claw is just around the corner. A great book for introducing children to rhyme. An ideal book to aid language and literacy development, this is a fun text for year 1 pupils to share.

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson

Three baby owls wait for their mother to come, and wonder where she is. They wait and wait, and it becomes darker and darker, and in a happy ending, the mother returns. A great book for reassuring children and discussing in circle time.

The Emperor of Absurdia by Chris Riddell

A wonderfully illustrated fantasy story about a strange world of wardrobe monsters, snoring fish; with a clever twist ending. Highly imaginative, this is a useful book to develop reading stamina in more independent 5-6-year-olds who have a longer attention span.

There Are Cats in This Book by Viviane Schwarz

This innovative book with flaps and clever pictures puts the reader in charge of saving the cats from an impending flood. Ideal for children who enjoy books with interactive elements. A good book to inspire imaginative children in year 1.

Captain Toby by Satoshi Kitamura

When Toby can’t sleep due to the wind, rain and thunder outside, he finds himself and his home transported into the ocean where a giant octopus lurks. This is a wonderful book to read and share with younger children, and with sparkling and imaginative artwork, and memorable characters, this picture book is also a great impetus for creative writing ideas in infant classes.

Mister Magnolia by Quentin Blake

This engaging story-length poem sees Mister Magnolia, an eccentric man who has many fascinating objects around his house but is missing a boot. Then one day receives an unexpected parcel in the post. What could it be? The rollicking rhymes and energy in this story make Mister Magnolia an ideal book to read aloud to, or with, children in year 1.

Katie Morag’s Island Stories by Mairi Hedderwick

Set in Scotland, Katie Morag is a mischievous character who is always up to something. This volume contains four of the most popular Katie Morag stories. A popular series of books in Year 1 classes, Katie Morag’s Island Stories are ideal for children who enjoy empathising with story characters.

My Friend Bear by Jez Alborough

A young bear wishes he had some real friends and not just his teddies. But then his teddies start to talk. A good book to help children discuss friendships, and what it means to have a friend.

Avocado Baby by John Burningham

When the Hargreaves family let their child eat an avocado, very strange and inexplicable things start to happen. This is a great book for year 1 children to use to develop imaginative ideas.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr

When the doorbell rings during Sophie’s tea time, there’s a big striped tiger at the door. And he’s very, very, hungry! This classic tale is an ideal class read-aloud for the end of the day, and to use as an impetus for creative writing in year one literacy lessons.

Meg and Mog by Helen Nicholl and Jan Pieńkowski

An ideal story for first reading aloud. Meg, a witch, and Mog, her cat, travel by broomstick to a Halloween party. A good text for year 1 children who are phonetically confident, this is a perfect first chapter book to inspire Halloween-themed writing and displays.

Not Now, Bernard by David McKee

Bernard is a boy with an issue. He’s found a monster in the garden, and however hard he tries to get help, no one seems to listen. So he tries to deal with the monster himself, with some very funny results. A great book for year 1 children to discuss in storytime or for reluctant readers to read in groups.

Dogger by Shirley Hughes

Dogger is Dave’s beloved toy animal, who goes missing, only to turn up at the school fete. But can he buy him back before someone else does? This is a wonderful and heart-warming animal story to read and share, and to help children discuss and understand possessions, loss and how to resolve problems.

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

A bear has lost his hat. And he wants it back. Everyone he asks says they haven’t seen it, except a deer who provides a hint of hope. Great illustrations and ideal for reading aloud. A great book for year 1 children to read aloud.

The Dark by Lemony Snicket, illustrated by Jon Klassen

In this beautifully illustrated story about overcoming fears, Laszlo comes back from a journey never again afraid of the dark. A more challenging and greater-depth text that lends itself to group reading, this is an ideal year 1 book to help develop ideas for children’s creative writing.

You Can’t Take An Elephant On the Bus by Patricia Cleveland-Peck

A hysterically and laugh out loud funny rhyming picture book where a variety of unlikely animals cause complete chaos. An ideal addition to your classroom library of books for year one pupils and also a good book to discuss when reading at home.

Penguin by Polly Dunbar

A very accessible picture book ideal for reading aloud and acting out. A boy receives a penguin for a present. Only when a lion goes by does it speak, and when it does, something surprising happens. A wonderfully fun book to read aloud to a class and encourage participation and inference.

Hole in the Zoo by Chloë and Mick Inkpen

Stanley’s Stick by John Hegley, illustrated by Neale Layton

Stanley finds a stick. But it’s not just any stick – with his stick, Stanley can do anything and go anywhere. A great book to stimulate your child’s imagination, develop written story ideas, oral storytelling and reading out loud performance.

How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth by Michelle Robinson and Kate Hindley

A hysterically funny guide with step-by-step instructions for cleaning this unusual pet. But beware, very strange things can happen if the instructions are not followed carefully! Sparkling illustrations. A great book for Year 1 to share.

Dinosaurs in the Supermarket! by Timothy Knapman and Sarah Warburton

Be warned! A trip to the supermarket will never be the same after your child has read this outrageously funny and addictive rhyming story. A good book to share with younger siblings, this book’s use of repetition will help children to develop their inference skills and develop the confidence to read more independently.

The Adventures Of The Dish And The Spoon by Mini Grey

This award-winning short text is a terrific rhyming picture book with stunning illustrations. Equally perfect for shared reading, call and respond and encouraging your child to read independently.

Click the buttons below to purchase all of the books in this Year 1 reading list, as well as class sets of any of these books and many more, from Bookshop.org UK. Or buy the 20 most popular titles from this list from Amazon – ideal for gifts or your classroom library.

Buy from UK.Bookshop.Org Buy from Amazon.co.uk

Disclosure: If you buy books using the buttons above: we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops; as an Amazon Associate schoolreadinglist.co.uk earns from qualifying purchases.

Books for Year 1 video

Below is a video containing all our year 1 reading list recommendations in a convenient five-minute movie format – suitable for meetings, training, assemblies, school libraries and sharing on online learning platforms, social media, and intranets.

How many Year 1 books have you read?

Here’s a free background wallpaper of our recommended year 1 books list to use on your classroom computer.

Schools & teachers: please respect copyright and don’t copy our Year 1 reading list. If you find our book recommendations useful, please consider sharing on social media or linking to this page instead. Thanks .

Books for Year 1 – what titles to recommend to children

For Year 1 children, it’s beneficial to recommend books that align with their developing reading abilities and interests. Consider introducing engaging picture books with simple narratives and repetitive text to support early reading skills. Gradually progress to early readers with short sentences and a larger font. To support reading development, popular series like Oxford Reading Tree, Read with Biff, Chip & Kipper, or Phonics Bug can be suitable. Additionally, using our Year 1 reading list will help teachers and librarians to incorporate classic stories and introducing a variety of genres helps foster a love for reading. Titles like The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, and Captain Toby by Satoshi Kitamura are often enjoyed by Year 1 students. As children have diverse interests, offering a mix of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry can cater to their varied tastes and contribute to their overall literacy development.

Why is reading important in Year 1?

In Year 1, reading plays a pivotal role in academic and personal development. Reading skills acquired during this foundational year lay the groundwork for future academic success. In Year 1, children are at a crucial stage of building a positive relationship with books and learning to decode written language. Reading also sparks imagination, creativity, and empathy, nurturing essential qualities in their early years. The importance of reading in Year 1 extends far beyond the classroom, influencing various aspects of a child’s cognitive, emotional, and social growth.

Click for more children’s reading book recommendations – Picture books to read before you are 5 years old | Reception books | Year 1 books (this page) | Year 2 books | Year 3 books | Year 4 books | Year 5 books | Year 6 books | Topic books | KS3 books

For even more year-one books, see this list.

For picture books, see our list of 100 picture books to read before you are five  or try our list of Reception books .

For more challenging reads for your child, why not try our Books for Year 2 suggested reading list ?

About Tom Tolkien

Further Reading

• 100 picture books for EYFS to read before you are 5…
• Year 2 recommended reading list for children aged 6-7
• Books for 5 year olds
• Books for 6 year olds
• Year 3 recommended reading list for children aged 7-8
• Reception recommended reading list for children aged 4-5

Follow the School Reading List

Keep up to date with our latest social media posts about reading, children's books and literacy.

This booklist was last updated on March 28th, 2024 and first published in 2016 .

© 2024 School Reading List. All Rights Reserved | As an Amazon Associate schoolreadinglist.co.uk earns from qualifying purchases | Policies and Terms of Use

• Book Lists by Age
• Book Lists by Category
• Reading Resources
• Language & Speech
• Raise a Reader Blog
• Back to School
• Success Guides by Grade
• Homework Help
• Social & Emotional Learning
• Activities for Kids

Best Books for 1-Year-Olds

These must-have books make a wonderful addition to every baby’s bookshelf..

Every time your one-year-old picks up a new book , they’re opening a window to the world. With each turn of the page they’re experiencing new sounds, sights, and words. By sharing a board book full of bright colors, different textures, and even some funny sounds, you’re planting the first seeds of your child’s literacy skills, as well as a love of reading that will last a lifetime.  

Interactive Books for Squishing, Lifting, and Feeling

Now your baby is one, they’re beginning to learn more about the world around them through their senses. And robust and tactile board books are a great way to help your child use their senses for learning, while developing their fine motor skills. Books are also a great way of introducing your child to simple concepts like letters, body parts, animals, and lots more.  

Little fingers will love learning their ABCs with the Scholastic Early Learner title Touch and Feel: ABC . This interactive book features bright, colorful pictures as well as easy-to-pull tabs that make it perfect for young readers to turn the page.  

With updated art, Peek-a-Boo, I Love You! is an adorable lift-the-flap book that blends heartfelt messages of love with a sweet game of peek-a-boo. Your little one will squeal with excitement when a surprise mirror reveals which little baby is loved most of all!

Must-Have Counting Books for 1-Year-Olds 

You may have already begun teaching your baby how to count on their fingers, but there’s no better way to help your child learn to recognize numbers than a counting book . Plus, introducing the concept of number order through an engaging book can help improve your child’s cognitive ability.      

A great book to start with is Five Little Dinosaurs , which features rhyming text and bold, graphic artwork and tells the classic story of five mischievous little monsters who just don’t want to go to bed! 

Meanwhile, the Scholastic Early Learner , 5 Big and Busy Trucks is a touch-and-feel book with a singsong text and five silicone touches that encourage readers to interact with every vehicle. 

Your baby will delight in reading the colorful book The Ants Go Marching: A Count-and-Sing Book , which puts a new spin on the classic song while teaching number order from one through five.  

Favorite Animal Books for Your Baby  

No little library is complete without a collection of books that teach an appreciation for the natural world. Learning about animal friends and animal sounds from an early age is a great way to spark curiosity and harness your child’s interest in all creatures, great and small.

What’s cuter than a book about animals? Why, a book about baby animals, of course! Touch and Feel Baby Animals features cute photographs of baby animals as well as plenty of tactile areas for young hands to touch and explore. 

Meanwhile, Farm Tails is an interactive Touch and Explore book from Scholastic Early Learners that features five adorable cloth tails and a basic introduction to farm animals.   

If you’re looking for a great gift for a baby, then the Raise a Reader Set: Fantastic Animal Board Books is both thoughtful and fun. Featuring different characters and lots of laughs, this collection is sure to be a hit for years to come.   

Classic Children’s Books and Nursery Rhymes 

Rhyming books are a great way to introduce the concept of rhyming words to children from a young age. 

A cute interpretation of the beloved children’s song, You Are My Sunshine is a sweet book with beautiful illustrations that invites little readers to sing along and remind them just how loved they are. Meanwhile, Twinkle, Twinkle, You’re My Star offers an interactive experience for you and your child as a finger puppet star comes to life on every page!       

If you’re looking for a board version of a classic children’s book to share with your child, then look no further than Clifford the Big Red Dog Board Book . The thick pages are easy for young readers to turn — and you’ll be magically transported back to your own childhood while sharing this classic book with the next generation. 

Best Books for Your Bedtime Routine 

Making family read aloud time part of your child’s evening routine is the perfect way to bond at the end of every day, as well as creating a healthy daily habit of reading. Seeing their favorite characters get ready for bed models good behavior for your child and lets them know it’s almost time for them to say goodnight, too. 

In Clifford’s Bedtime , the adorable little red puppy exasperates his mother by thinking of creative ways to postpone bedtime. Meanwhile, How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? is a rip-roaringly fun book that shows us that we all have to say good night — no matter our size.

Sign Up and Get 10% Off Books!

JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.

• Sign In / Register
• Key Stage: 1
• Year Group: 1
• Format: Book Collection

50 Recommended Reads for Year 1

Spark a real love of reading for pleasure and ensure the Year 1 classroom book corner is filled with superior and engaging books that really inspire and enthuse the children in your class. Our recommended 50 books for children in KS1 is quality assurance and certainly a selection of them can be picked as core books for a rich book curriculum and deeper exploration. 

All books are perfect for the teacher to read aloud and model great storytelling or non-fiction reading. The strongly diverse range of books means children are sure to encounter characters whose experiences and perspectives are both similar to and different from their own. Rhyming and Poetry books are included at exactly the time when Year 1 children are learning about alternative GPC’s and starting to read with more fluency - playing with alliteration, rhythm, rhyme and new vocabulary.

This collection features some firm favourites that a top 50 should feature as well as many new and outstanding books.

The selection is picked by the team of experienced book experts who collectively have over 25 years’ experience of buying books for schools, classrooms and family.

More Information

• Meet the Requirements of the new Reading Framework with Badger Learning

What to expect in Year 1

Light-touch learning and plenty of fun! Find out what your child can expect in Year 1. Find out more >

English in Year 1

Learn about the Year 1 curriculum for English.

Find out more

Reading in Year 1

Learn about the Year 1 curriculum for reading.

Maths in Year 1

Learn about the Year 1 curriculum for maths.

Year 1 phonics screening check

The phonics screening check is taken by all children in Year 1 to ensure they are on track to become fluent readers. Find out more

Recommended books for Year 1

Early readers

Practice phonics skills with these Stage 3 books from Read with Oxford .

Early readers for age 5+

Activity books

Develop core English and maths skills with Progress with Oxford activity books.

Activity books for age 5–6

Children's dictionaries

Find the right dictionary for your child.

Oxford Children’s Dictionaries

Isadora Moon

Top 100 recommended Year 1 books

Brought to you by The Reader Teacher

Reading Rocks price:

£ 676.02

The Reader Teacher has chosen 100 recommended reads for Year 1 pupils, aged 5 to 6 years old. In the selection you will find: information books to engage and inspire, poetry, classic tales, early chapter books and brilliant picture books.

The Reader Teacher Top 100 Recommended Reads Book Packs contain all of the titles from the relevant Reader Teacher list as displayed on their website. From time to time, a book in the list will be unavailable. When this happens, we will select a suitable replacement to complete your book pack. A full list of the books is shown below or you can download it on The Reader Teacher website .

If you would like a bespoke list creating specific to your school’s curriculum, we can offer this service through our primary school book services page .

You can choose to buy now with credit / debit card or PayPal by adding the product to the cart below OR fill out the form below to have an invoice sent to your accounts department.

Enquire using the form to buy 50 selected titles! 

• Description
• Reviews (0)

From time to time this list may change - you can always find and download the most up to list of what the pack contains on The Reader Teacher website.

There are no reviews yet.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Your review  *

Name  *

Email  *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Related products

Top 100 recommended Year 6 books

Top 100 recommended Year 5 books

Top 100 recommended reception books

Top 100 recommended Year 2 books

Apply to pay through your accounts department.

We understand schools - Can't or Don't want to pay by card or PayPal? No problem, fill in the form below and select which boxes you would like and we'll take care of the rest directly with your accounts department. 

*Required fields

Contact name*:

Contact email*:

Purchase order number (if applicable)

School name*

School address*

Contact telephone number*

Email for invoice*

Select which boxes you'd like (you only need to fill in the form once for multiple boxes)*

Nursery Reception Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

The Perpetual Page-Turner

Book Recommendations and Book Lists For Adults And Kids

Riley’s Favorite Books: 1 Year Old Edition

January 9, 2022 - Updated April 6, 2022 // 5 Comments

I’ve been reflecting on Riley turning 2 this month and, when I think about this past year, what stands out is that this was such a fun year for watching Riley’s love for books & reading take off as a 1 year old.

I loved watching her explore and enjoy books as a baby but once she turned one it was like her love for books just exploded and it’s been such a fun journey.

It has been fun to watch her start to sit down by herself and look through her books for extended amounts of time PLUS shove books in my face and say “here!!” and then later on “read this, mama” until I read them. I love watching her engage and interact with the books we read. I love seeing her be able to further explore the world we live in through books and see her learn through books.

We’ve read SO MUCH this year that I feel like I’ve become a bit of an expert on the best books for a 1 year old, between the books she loves and the books I read to the kids as a former nanny, so I wanted to share what she we’ve loved this year and that I think are great books to read with kids ages 1 to 2.

So obviously Riley can’t dictate this list of her favorites but I clearly know which books she gravitated to all year and which ones made her happy so you’ll just have to trust my observation skills and judgment.

I feel like she definitely had some favorites from 12-18 months old but once she passed 18 months she got into books in a WHOLE differently level and really started memorizing, pointing things out and gravitated towards some longer books and it opened the door to a lot of new favorites — especially as she approached 2 years old!

She still loved a lot of her old favorites as a younger toddler but it was really fun to see the kind of stuff she really got into as an older 1 year old.

[Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links which means that if you click on a link and purchase something I’ve talked about or recommended, I’ll receive a very small percentage of the sale. Please see my disclosure policy for more info.

As an aside, I always get asked at how I find such good books to read with Riley. We browse the library a lot (and ask the librarians!) which is where I find a lot of them as well as searching online for specific topics she seems into or following what other moms with toddlers are reading and loving.

But I think one of the most easy ways for busy parents to find good books to read (especially when you are getting sick of the same ol’ books and don’t have time to devote to curating a new list of books) is a book subscription box for kids! I have really enjoyed Bookroo ever since she was a baby and, now, well into her preschool years!

You can choose by age range and Riley LOVES getting her book mail. I have found the books to be good selections for her age and all interesting ones I had never heard of before! Check out my review of Bookroo !

Looking for great books for your toddler?

Find age-appropriate books your kids will love with a Bookroo subscription!

Good Books To Read With Your 1 Year Old

P.S. I really like this chart that breaks down the reading by age groups and tips and tricks for them and how to engage with your baby/toddler while reading at different ages!

I’ve broken them up into two groups: 12-18 months and 18-24 months just to show the difference and progression in the ones she really got into once her language really exploded and she understood so much more at 18 months.

A lot of the earlier ones have remained favorites throughout the whole 1-2 year range though so still solid choices for older 1 year olds and toddlers. Even at 2 she is still loving most of the ones from her young 1 year old life but I can tell she craves a bit more in her books so we don’t read them AS often anymore.

But she really does sit still and have the attention span for longer books whereas other kids may not at this age range — both are perfectly normal and some of these shorter books might still be perfect if your kid is squirmy and doesn’t like to sit for books.

What We Loved At 12 -18 Months Old

A lot of the books she loved under the age of one are in this category, too, because she really got into them in a different way once she turned one.

She’d always been good at sitting down and paying attention to books but I felt like when she turned 1 she exploded in her ability to really understand them AND she really liked to point and interact with them and say the words.

She also really started sitting by herself and going through ALL of them. Literally. Every book pulled off the shelf. Every day. But it’s the kind of mess I can get behind haha. I know something about book piles myself.

Tip: Board books for younger 1 year olds are the way to go in my opinion because their fine motor skills seem to translate into ripped pages even when they aren’t trying to. Because of that I always tried to get board book editions of books if possible because she tended to accidentally rip pages when she was turning them and otherwise be rough with them. She got a lot better once she got to be around 18-20 months and we can read a lot more non-board books but it’s always risky because she’s so rough with books. She just loves them so hard.

Best non-fiction/educational type books that Riley LOVED (and still loves)

These types of books have been her favorite since she was under 1 and I feel like her language exploded in this age range with these books.

She always liked looking at the real pictures in them when she was younger but she spent so much time sitting on my lap and pointing to them all (or making me point to them at first) and making me say them and then she would start pulling it out by herself and pointing and saying what she knew.

We have so many of these types of books but these are the ones she loved the most and that I thought were great books for 1 year olds.

First 100 Board Book set

A really great investment that honestly are great even before baby turns 1. They can really grow into them. I wish they would do an updated version because some of the pictures and things in them look outdated looking but they are solid and I can’t tell you how many times we went through and named all these things. It was cool to see her really start to connect the vocabulary word with the picture and then the item outside of the book in her world. That’s a really great skill that happens at this age and I feel like this book helped her put that concept together. There’s a bunch of other books in these series too!

My First Touch and Sound Book Series

I hate noisy things but this set of books are wonderful and she really loved them! The buttons are a tad hard to push but she really learned how to do it quickly. The combo of touch AND sound is great for this age! This one is our favorite but Noisy Trucks and Noisy Farm are great!

My First Animals Book from DK Books

I’m so bummed the copy we have is out of print because I think it’s my favorite “first animal” type book that we’ve read. I do like the updated version (I had to go check it at the library before I recommended it) and think it’s a solid update though I prefer the older version we had that I bought at the thrift store. The format was just better IMO. We pull it out a lot and it’s fun to see her know more and more of these animals. I honestly love a lot of the DK books!

All the Nat Geo Look & Learn books

We have a couple of these/have gotten a couple from the library and they are stunning and keep her attention so well. (Note: Bookshop.org seems to only have a couple from this series and doesn’t have that Things That Go book).

Favorite Lift The Flap Books (1-1.5 years old)

Lift the flap books are so tricky in this age range for us because she still was rough with them but she was outgrowing some of the chunkier lift the flap ones we had for her as she got older.

Luckily I feel like flap books got WAY better around 18 months and she rarely rips them now. I really loved these interactive books for 1 year olds! There’s so many ways we played around with them — especially animal noises.

Check out our favorite lift-the-flap books !

Snap! Snap!

This is such a cute lift the flap book full of animal sound and guessing the animal. Study flaps and bright colors make this a great book to read with a 1 year old.

This is a short cute little peekaboo book that Riley really loved when she just turned one and for quite a few months after. I was underwhelmed by it but Riley was NOT — she loved guessing what would come next in the peekaboo game. There’s 2 others in the series — c heck out the box set !

This one is SO fun and a hit for my animal loving toddler. The narrator is looking for a pet so the zoo keeps sending them new animals but it takes a bit to find the perfect pet. She loved naming the animals and making the sounds — especially because we had just gone to the zoo when I got this one for her so she was familiar with the animals.

Do Cows Meow?

Oh how we love this one even still! Salina Yoon just is always a hit with us! Bright and cute pictures, good rhyming and all sorts of fun with animal noises. This one we discovered as a read-aloud at a baby/toddler storytime and we loved it so much we bought it — it was a hit in the library storytime group, too!

You May Also Like : The BEST Book Subscription Boxes For Little Kids

Karen Katz’s lift the flap books (literally all of them but these are our faves)

I kid you not — Where is Baby’s Belly Button and Toes, Ears, Nose are 1000% why Riley learned her body parts pretty early. We read these two all the time.

Where is Baby’s Puppy? and Zoom Zoom Baby were other faves around this age. Just all around interactive books she always brought over to me.

Peekaboo Morning

This book is a DELIGHT. The illustrations are wonderful as the child starts their day and takes us along to see what they see. It’s fun for little ones with the “peekaboo, I see….” repetition and familiar people/things.

Choo Choo by Petr Horacek

I love this board book so much!! It was a random pick from the library and ended up being such a great one. It’s so dynamic and so fun and has cut outs on the pages. Simple text, lots of fun sounds to say as the train is going on its journey and the illustrations are eye catching. I just love the flow of this one. It’s just perfect for this age and especially if your one year old is a train lover or on a transportation kick!

Brown Bear Brown Bear

A classic but this particular edition has sliders that Riley really liked doing. I think she got more into the colors and the animals around 18 months but she loved reading this book and figuring out the sliders way earlier on.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

This one, even at 2, is one of our most requested books at night. And she LOVES to “read” it herself and it’s hilarious. Very animated and I can’t believe how long this one has been one of our go-to’s. She can read it over and over again. I honestly get warm and fuzzies because *I* loved this one as a kid!

Counting Kisses

This one has been a favorite book since she was a baby and has continued on to be one of her favorites to read at 1 years old also. It’s also one of the books I raved about in our best bedtime books for babies & young toddlers post — still one of our favorite bedtime books. Sweet little book about the whole family giving baby kisses before bed. Now Riley rubs the last page and makes kissy noises saying night night baby. So cute!

Daddy Hugs / Mommy Hugs : These ones are just so sweet and such cuddly cute books for 1 year olds. Perfect for bedtime especially!

Related : Heartwarming Picture Books That Make Me Cry

All things Sandra Boynton are fabulous books for 1 year olds and beyond. They are silly, short and always among the most requested. So many great ones to choose from but these seem to be Riley’s faves out of all that we’ve read this past year.

Riley’s giggling during this one will forever be in my head. She gets all silly with the “noooo”. Very engaging!

Super fun bedtime story! A little silliness, good rhythm – we even did some shimmying.

Doing all the barking of all the different dogs was work for me but hearing her giggle when I read made it worth it.

A fun book about different moods! I love how it says it’s okay to have these different feelings & moods!

Oh it’s just a delightful romp with some barnyard animals! Good interactive fun!

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

This is such a classic book and one that Riley ALWAYS picked to read this year! It’s sweet with all the diverse babies and I love the flow of it with the rhyming and the repetition of the “ten little fingers and ten little toes” which Riley really seemed to love. Plus it’s such a great message!

More More More Said The Baby

What a cuddly little book about 3 little babies and the caregivers who loves them! I think Riley really liked the repetition.

Ten Tiny Babies by Karen Katz

This probably her FAVORITE Karen Katz book — she loved the shenanigans of these little babies. She loves the book so much we renewed it for months and then I finally just decided to buy it. It’s still a hit at 2!

Whose Toes Are Those? by Jabari Asim

This is a cute little book that Riley loved immediately! Very playful and cute! Perfect book if you are looking for ones that feature kids with brown skin as it talks about the brown toes and such.

Leo Loves Baby Time :

I love love love the Lola books and this is Lola’s little brother. A simple and fun little book about Leo going to baby time (which I switched out to say story time because Riley really started to understand what “story time” meant and connected us going).

Love You Head To Toe :

This is a sweet little book full of cute babies and animals wherein babies are compared to animals (sounds weird but like “splash in the water like ducks”). Riley loved pointing out the animals.

This whole series of books from Leslie Patricella is a hit with Riley. They are silly and short and fun. Tickle is another favorite of hers. They are mostly all real interactive and engaging in their simplicity.

Sunrise, Moonrise

Riley loved this one as a baby (bright, high contrast books are awesome!) but really loved it when she turned one and recognized some of the animals! Cute and simple about morning and night.

The Babies in the Park series

Loved introducing these to Riley at each season to help learn about the seasons. Really cute!

The Babies On The Bus by Karen Katz

We love all things Karen Katz in this house but when we moved and were outside playing in the Fall all these school buses would go past and she started getting so excited about them as she started putting it together the school buses vs the wheels on the bus. (She literally does the motions every time one goes by). So I bought her a BUNCH of school bus books but this is definitely the fave for both of us. Definitely one of my favorite books for 1 year olds and young toddlers. Such a fun twist on a classic song!

You May Also Like : Books About School Buses

Old Macdonald by Salina Yoon

At this age I really enjoyed getting her some books that were also songs because I really felt she started to understand the correlation and she REALLY loved reading the books of favorite songs like Old MacDonald and Wheels on the Bus (above). This Old MacDonald book is really cute and is my FAVORITE of all the Old MacDonald’s out there. Each page the animal head is a textured “tab” of sorts that turns with the page. I don’t really know how else to explain it but I just think this one is the best and Riley LOVED it so much.

Pete the Cat Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

This one is special to me because of how much Riley loved it (and it was given to us by the kids I used to nanny who I used to read LOTS of Pete the Cat with) but it’s also special because it was one of the longer phrases she ever said. It took me forever but she kept saying “ubba bubba” and I realized she was asking me to read the book or sing the song. Ubba bubba = up above the. She got SO happy when I finally realized what she was asking for. Such a good one if your kid loves Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

18 months – 24 months

When 1.5 years old rolled around, a lot of the books in the 12 month section were still major faves around here and some of them she discovered in a whole new way which was fun! We read every single one of these books, in this next section, today at 2!

Riley really became smitten with books with realistic photographs especially of kids. These next two books are FANTASTIC and have been our most read books and still are keepers. Every night these two books seem to be on our bedtime reading lineup. She really engages with them and I think it’s because of the realistic photos of kids doing things that she also might do. Both are diverse and I love that!

We renewed this one over and over and over again until I finally decided just to buy it because I was pretty sure we were destroying the book with all the wear and tear of reading it multiple times of day plus HER flipping through it on her own. It’s a cute book all about all the things hands can do – throw and catch, plant seeds, etc. One of the books that I think has engaged her the most so far!

Show Me Happy

Every night I hear “Show Me Happy!!!” if I don’t put it in our pile to read at bedtime. Wonderful photographs that Riley loves to interact with. A lot of great concepts that she’s learned so much from while reading it. Things like “show me up, show me down” with corresponding photos. I think this is one I’m going to have to buy also because we’ve renewed it for months at this point. Update: I bought the board book and it is definitely shorter and missing some of the parts that our library copy had. Look for the non-board book option because it’s better!

Riley became obsessed with all things babies somewhere around 18 months when we read Ten Tiny Babies which I shared about above. Then Everywhere Babies and then I had to snag a bunch of other books about babies. I don’t know what it is but she likes reading about babies and what they do which probably mirrors a lot of what she does. These are perfect books for toddlers!

Everywhere Babies

Or as Riley calls it, BABIES ERRYWHERE. I just love this book. A sweet book about babies and all the things they do and all the ways they grow. THIS would be a perfect book for a first birthday present. She also has a really cute one called Hooray for Babies that I really like but Riley hasn’t been as in love with yet!

This is another great book to buy for a 1 year old birthday! It’s about baby’s birthday and all the friends who come to play on their special day — babies with all sorts of different moods and personalities! Riley loves all the babies!

Up Up Up Down :

I love this book so much and Riley does too! It’s about a stay at home dad and a toddler and what they do all day — featuring lots of early concept opposites like up/down, yum/yuck. Riley thinks it’s funny and I do too! Totally one of those books I appreciate as a parent because I’m like YEP THIS IS OUR DAY haha.

A Good Day For Ducks

I looooove this book maybe even more than Riley and that’s saying something. I was looking for a good rainy day book and I love how this explores the fun you can have on a rainy day. Such a cozy book that sees the beauty in a rainy day and I know she’s still going to love this beautiful book as she gets older. When Riley asks for this book she says “read drip drop” haha. I put this list on my best books for Easter baskets (by theme) and this one was part of my rainy Spring section! Update: she still loves this book at 4 years old.

You May Also Like: Best Books About Rain For Toddlers & Preschoolers

Arf! Buzz! Clack!

This is the perfect early introduction to ABC’s book ever!! It can be grown into once they can start recognizing the letters but it introduces the ABC’s as animal sounds! It’s lovely and a hit with Riley!

How Does Baby Feel? by Karen Katz

This one has been such a good one for teaching her emotions and feelings! She doesn’t read this one as much now at 2 but she loved it around 18-20 months.

Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

We’ve read this to her since she was about 14 months or so and she giggles at this one all the time and always likes to say BLUB BLUB BLUUUUB while we read it but she’s gotten WAY more into it as she’s gotten closer to 2. Such a great book to read to a 1 year old and for sure older toddlers too as they really understand more! I think the rhythm and the funny BLUB BLUB BLUB makes it a hit at a younger age. Update: this book really became even more of a favorite at 2 years old.

Zoom: A Fast-paced Book of Colors

I feel like Riley always loved this one since she was like 6 months old but she definitely got into it more as she got older and even now at 2 she thinks this one is GREAT! It’s bright, catchy rhymes and a great book for kids who are learning or into their colors. Now Riley loves to point at all the cars and tell me the colors. Just a fantastic book! We have a couple of others in the My Little World series and they are just all around great, sturdy board books. This one is still my favorite though!

Peek-A-Bruce

I haven’t read the Bruce books in a little bit (the boys I nannied LOVED them!) but when Disney sent a free copy of this board book to us, Riley was obsessed instantly. She giggled when we read it and loved trying to find Bruce. I found that it has been really great for her in learning using words like “in” “behind” etc when talking about where something (in this case Bruce) is. A cute little peek-a-boo fun with grumpy Bruce geared towards a bit of a younger kid vs the rest in the Bruce series.

Big Red Barn

A classic that has been a hit for my farm loving kid that shows what the animals do when the people are away! I actually really like reading this one, too! Riley loves pointing out EVERY animal so it takes us a bajillion years to read haha.

Some of her favorite seasonal & holiday books at 1

You can find more detailed lists here : Best Christmas books for babies , best Christmas books for toddlers , Best Fall Books For toddlers , best pumpkin books for toddlers , best snow books

10 Busy Brooms : a fun little counting book for Halloween that Riley seemed to like a lot!

Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin : We were reading this book year-round pretty much until I finally hid in February. She LOVES silly Duck and Goose. It’s a perfect book for the younger 1’s. Riley thought it was the funniest book ever in the fall when she was like 14/15 months.

Jingle Bells: I can’t even say this is an actual book for this age group but Riley fell in love with this one!! I finally had to hide this one because I couldn’t take how often she was asking for it. It’s literally just the Jingle Bells song but the pictures tell a different story. She doesn’t get the story happening in the photos but I get a kick out of it. Update: still a favorite and now she sees the story the pictures are telling.

We’re Going On An Egg Hunt : This was such a fun lift the flap for Easter! Riley really enjoyed finding the eggs.

So those are some of Riley’s and my favorite books and stories for 1 year olds! I really have been enjoying making these toddler book lists because we read SO much and I love sharing them. What are some of your favorite books for 12-24 month olds?

Pin these 1 year old book suggestions for later

About Jamie

Jamie is a 32 year old married lady (with a new baby!!) who is in denial that she's actually that old to be a married lady and a mom. When she's not reading you can find her doing Pilates followed by eating ice cream, belting out Hamilton (loud and offkey) and having adventures with her husband, daughter and rescue dog.

Reader Interactions

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Erica Metcalf says

August 10, 2019 at 1:17 pm

What a collection!! I love this!

Ivana A says

August 20, 2019 at 8:00 am

I absolutely love this collation!

Rachel @ Never Enough Novels says

September 1, 2019 at 8:09 pm

My five month old has no idea what’s going on with the books we’re reading yet, but I would add Little Blue Truck to this list! That’s one of my favorites to read to him : )

September 20, 2019 at 8:54 pm

I love Little Blue Truck!!

September 7, 2023 at 4:53 pm

Thank you very much for the wonderful list of books. I’ve just brought a few from your list, following your recommendation and am sure they will be a hit with my 1 year old :).

More about Jamie

Let’s connect, looking for something.

The 100 Must-Read Books of 2021

The fiction, nonfiction and poetry that shifted our perspectives, uncovered essential truths and encouraged us forward Annabel Gutterman, Cady Lang, Arianna Rebolini and Lucas Wittmann

1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows

Acts of desperation, afterparties, aftershocks, all that she carried, all the frequent troubles of our days, america on fire, beautiful world, where are you, the book of form and emptiness, call us what we carry, the chosen and the beautiful, chronicles from the land of the happiest people on earth, cloud cuckoo land, the code breaker, the committed, the copenhagen trilogy, covered with night, crying in h mart, dear senthuran, detransition, baby, empire of pain, everyone knows your mother is a witch, the family roe, the final girl support group, finding the mother tree, four thousand weeks, the free world, great circle, harlem shuffle, hell of a book, how the word is passed, invisible child, the kissing bug, klara and the sun, the life of the mind, the lincoln highway, a little devil in america, the loneliest americans, the love songs of w.e.b. du bois, malibu rising, the man who lived underground, mike nichols: a life, milk blood heat, my darling from the lions, my monticello, my year abroad, no one is talking about this, oh william, on juneteenth, one friday in april, one last stop, orwell's roses, the other black girl, our country friends, a passage north, pilgrim bell, poet warrior, the promise, the prophets, razorblade tears, real estate, the removed, remote control, the rib king, second place, seeing ghosts, somebody's daughter, something new under the sun, the sum of us, the sunflower cast a spell to save us from the void, the sweetness of water, a swim in a pond in the rain, tastes like war, there’s no such thing as an easy job, under a white sky, until proven safe, while we were dating, white magic, who is maud dixon, who they was, who will pay reparations on my soul, you got anything stronger, you're history, by ai weiwei, by megan nolan, by anthony veasna so, by nadia owusu, by tiya miles, by rebecca donner, by elizabeth hinton, by sally rooney, by ruth ozeki, by amanda gorman, by sunjeev sahota, by wole soyinka, by anthony doerr, by walter isaacson, by viet thanh nguyen, by tove ditlevsen, by nicole eustace, by jonathan franzen, by michelle zauner, by akwaeke emezi, by torrey peters, by patrick radden keefe, by rivka galchen, by joshua prager, by grady hendrix, by suzanne simard, by oliver burkeman, by louis menand, by melissa febos, by maggie shipstead, by colson whitehead, by mieko kawakami, by jason mott, by clint smith, by katie kitamura, by andrea elliott, by daisy hernández, by kazuo ishiguro, by kaitlyn greenidge, by christine smallwood, by amor towles, by hanif abdurraqib, by jay caspian kang, by honorée fanonne jeffers, by taylor jenkins reid, by richard wright, by lauren groff, by mark harris, by dantiel w. moniz, by melissa broder.

by Rachel Long

By jocelyn nicole johnson, by chang-rae lee, by patricia lockwood, by elizabeth strout, by annette gordon-reed, by donald antrim, by casey mcquiston, by caleb azumah nelson, by rebecca solnit, by zakiya dalila harris, by gary shteyngart, by anuk arudpragasam, by kaveh akbar, by joy harjo, by larissa pham, by damon galgut, by robert jones, jr., by s.a. cosby, by deborah levy, by brandon hobson, by nnedi okorafor, by ladee hubbard, by chibundu onuzo, by rachel cusk, by kat chow, by kristen radtke, by john le carré, by sarah ruhl, by ashley c. ford, by alexandra kleeman, by rivers solomon, by heather mcghee, by jackie wang, by nathan harris, by george saunders, by grace m. cho, by percival everett, by kikuko tsumura, by tarana burke, by elizabeth kolbert, by geoff manaugh and nicola twilley, by jasmine guillory, by elissa washuta, by alexandra andrews, by gabriel krauze, by jesse mccarthy, by gabrielle union, by lesley chow.

This project is led by Lucy Feldman and Annabel Gutterman, with writing, reporting and additional editing by Eliza Berman, Kelly Conniff, Mariah Espada, Lori Fradkin, Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath, Cady Lang, Nik Popli, Arianna Rebolini, Lucas Wittmann and Julia Zorthian; art and photography editing by Whitney Matewe and Jennifer Prandato; and production by Paulina Cachero and Nadia Suleman.

The Book Review’s Best Books Since 2000

Looking for your next great read? We’ve got 3,228. Explore the best fiction and nonfiction fiction nonfiction Short stories Historical fiction Poetry Thrillers Science fiction Mysteries Experimental fiction Horror Speculative fiction Satire Fantasy Romance Graphic novels Climate fiction Fiction Anthologies History Biographies Memoirs Science Narrative nonfiction Essays Investigative reporting Music Religion Sociology Politics True crime Sports Travel Art Letters Philosophy Food Media Current Events Climate change Nonfiction Anthologies from 2000 – 2023 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 chosen by our editors.

The 10 Best Books of 2023

Notable Books of 2023

You’ve just seen The Notable Books . See the entire list of best and notable books from every year.

• Share full article

Explore More in Books

Want to know about the best books to read and the latest news start here..

The complicated, generous life  of Paul Auster, who died on April 30 , yielded a body of work of staggering scope and variety .

“Real Americans,” a new novel by Rachel Khong , follows three generations of Chinese Americans as they all fight for self-determination in their own way .

“The Chocolate War,” published 50 years ago, became one of the most challenged books in the United States. Its author, Robert Cormier, spent years fighting attempts to ban it .

Joan Didion’s distinctive prose and sharp eye were tuned to an outsider’s frequency, telling us about ourselves in essays that are almost reflexively skeptical. Here are her essential works .

Each week, top authors and critics join the Book Review’s podcast to talk about the latest news in the literary world. Listen here .

Advertisement

Essential LGBTQ+ Books to Read for Pride (and All Year Long)

From graphic novel and romance, to nonfiction and memoir, there’s something for everyone.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

I started writing queer books because I couldn’t find stories that reflected the genderqueer/trans and gritty queer experiences of my communities. There have been few experiences more powerful for me as an author than visiting high school and college classrooms and hearing queer students reflect on how meaningful it was to see their lives and stories on the page. This is what makes the current wave of book bans targeting queer books even more dangerous. When we don’t see ourselves in books and other media, it’s hard to believe that we are valid and have a right to exist.

During Pride month , a lot of attention turns to LGBTQ+ culture, including its artists, creators and authors. For one colorful month, products as diverse as t-shirts and bagels are reimagined in a rainbow motif in a nod toward supporting (and earning money from) the LGBTQ+ community . But this largely corporate visibility during Pride month, known as rainbow washing , shouldn't be a 30-day limited engagement, especially as our rights are under attack. Instead of just reading gay books during Pride, challenge yourself to expand the diversity of books you read all year long.

This list contains books by gay, lesbian, trans and queer authors as well as fantastic reads with characters from across the LGBTQ+ rainbow of identities. These books inspire us, give us hope and show that our literary worlds can (and should!) be as beautifully diverse as the one we live in.

So whether you’re a fan of thrillers and crime, romance novels , humor, classics or new releases and literary fiction, we’ve got you covered. Add them all to your own TBR list, or pick up a handful as the perfect gift for the book-lover in your life. And once you're done here, head on over to the GH Book Club to check out even more feel-good reads.

Additional reporting by Lizz Schumer

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous: A Novel by Ocean Vuong

In this poetic novel, a son writes a letter to his mother, who cannot read. It explores his love for her and unpacks the deepest secrets of masculinity, race and class. This tough but tender novel is about understanding yourself and queerly demanding to be heard.

Hush by Tal Bauer

A federal judge running from the truth, a U.S. marshal running from his past and the world on the brink of war — the stakes couldn't be higher in this political thriller. Bauer’s romantic novel is full of the kind of intense suspense that is sure to pull you in and keep you guessing, page after page, late into the night.

Pageboy: A Memoir by Elliot Page

Actor Elliot Page recounts his journey to understanding his gender in this New York Times bestseller. This book is full of intimate stories of his experience starring in the movie Juno , going to a queer bar for the first time, coming out as transgender and the backlash he experienced in Hollywood. This book is sure to inspire you to live authentically, regardless of what others say.

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

This best-selling and often-banned graphic novel follows comic artist Kobabe (pronouns: e/em/eir) in eir journey of self discovery and gender exploration. The book explores coming out to family, medical trauma that comes as existing as a visible trans person and coming out as asexual. Exploring your own identities or trying to explain who you are to friends or family? Consider giving them this book to read and let it open the conversation for you.

RELATED: The History of 21 Common LGBTQ+ Pride Flags and What They Mean

Top Priority (The Game Series) by Cara Dee

If you’re looking for a steamy read to heat things up this Pride season, look no further than Book 1 of The Game (and the rest of the 13 books so far in the series). This is a pick for those readers who enjoy well-written realistic BDSM — none of that “fifty shades” nonsense. This is a well-written novel centering beautiful consensual kink. With a full cast of compelling gay characters, this story is one that will pull you in, and leave you literally begging for the next books in the series.

RELATED : An Extremely Opinionated List of the Best Romance Novels

Valencia by Michelle Tea

This iconic punk dyke novel is a must-read every Pride season. The gritty novel takes you into the punk houses and bars of drama-filled queer San Francisco of the 90s. Tea brings readers into the urgency and joy of young queer love, heartbreak, community building and art. Whether you came of age, and came out reading this book, or you’re feeling some 90s nostalgia, be sure to add this to your to-read list.

The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill

A great Pride read pick for readers of all ages, including adults who enjoy curling up with a gentle fantasy. This graphic novel follows a blacksmith apprentice as she meets enchanting characters and begins to learn about the tea dragons. From gay mentors, to a soft crush, this beautifully illustrated book is sure to make you feel cozy and seen. It also makes a great coffee table book.

City of Night by John Rechy

Take a trip into the underground world of gay hustlers, drag queens, and sex workers in this book that scandalized the literary world when it first came out but went on to become a must-read. It's inspired musicians like the Doors and earned the author comparisons to authors like Kerouac, so if you like either of those, pick this one up.

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson

For anyone who has ever grappled with the complexities of sexual orientation within a religious context, this coming-out novel will feel all too familiar. The evangelical Jeanette considers herself one of God's children, but when she discovers her sexuality, it throws a wrench into her family's plans for her.

Hola Papi by John Paul Brammer

Fans of the popular advice column Hola Papi will recognize the unique voice in this hilarious coming-of-age memoir in essays about the "Chicano Carrie Bradshaw." You'll find yourself chortling and nodding along as you follow JP's journey, and you'll probably even learn something along the way.

In the Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Maria Machado

This stunning memoir plays with structure and form as it takes us through an abusive relationship and what that does to a person. In a world where many people still believe abuse only occurs when a man is involved, Machado's work is essential.

Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women and the Rest of Us by Kate Bornstein

The re-release of this foundational book on gender is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding transgender people better, or for anyone questioning their own gender. Bornstein takes readers through a fun, fantastical and complicated journey through gender exploration into self-actualization. A self-described nonbinary diesel femme dyke, Bornstein has and continues to pave the way for all of us to find the labels that fit us best.

Loveless by Alice Oseman

The fan-fic obsessed romantic Georgia has never been in love, never kissed anyone, never even had a crush. As she starts university with her best friends, Pip and Jason, in a new town far from home, she's determined to find romance. But when her romance plan wreaks havoc amongst her friends in the Shakespeare Society, Georgia ends up in the middle of her own comedy of errors. This is a wise, warm and witty story of identity and self-acceptance, especially perfect for those who are exploring their own attractions.

Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock

In this memoir from one of the leading transgender voices of our generation Mock explores growing up including all the joys, dangers and challenges that come with being on the margins. This powerful story explores the realities of race and class in America and as Mock shares her lived experiences she imparts lessons into the importance of living authentically, staying true to who you know you are, and not giving up in your quest to live authentically.

Rubyfruit Jungle: A Novel by Rita Mae Brown

Molly Bolt is the adoptive daughter of a poor Southern couple who makes her own way across America, finding love of all stripes in between. It's a true, slightly steamy celebration of being true to yourself, whoever that may be.

Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H

Did you come of age reading the queer classic Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinburg? This new story is a fresh take on the book that inspired so many of us. In this beautiful memoir, readers follow a queer Muslim immigrant coming to understand her own identity and sense of gender. The book also explores themes of desire and belonging.

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel

The book that inspired the Tony-winning musical, this graphic novel is a powerful queer coming of age story you won’t be able to put down. In college, Bechdel comes out as a lesbian, at which time she realizes that her father was also gay. This is a book about self discovery, family secrets and overcoming family trauma and legacies to build your own life.

Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman

When Sol falls for a widow when she brings her late wife's notes to the archive where he works, it kicks off a whirlwind romance. One that's complicated by Sol's vampirism, which means he can't go outside during the day. Oh, and he's been illegally living in his office, where some strange stuff has started happening. This darkly funny novel tackles grief, transphobia and love with a fiercely original touch.

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen

This accessible book takes readers on an engaging exploration into sexual attraction, and what happens if you don’t experience it. Part memoir, part cultural criticism, this book not only breaks down what asexuality is (and isn’t), it also encourages readers to think about what asexuality tells us about gender roles, consent and more — regardless of how you personally identify.

Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story by Jacob Tobia

As a kid, Jacob was called "sissy" for being creative, sassy, and obsessed with glitter. But as they got older, they began to identify with different, more neutral words like "gay," "transgender" and "nonbinary." This story of gender revolution calls out the stereotypes that were probably rampant in many of our childhoods in a book that will make you laugh and cry, maybe even at the same time.

@media(max-width: 64rem){.css-o9j0dn:before{margin-bottom:0.5rem;margin-right:0.625rem;color:#ffffff;width:1.25rem;bottom:-0.2rem;height:1.25rem;content:'_';display:inline-block;position:relative;line-height:1;background-repeat:no-repeat;}.loaded .css-o9j0dn:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/goodhousekeeping/static/images/Clover.5c7a1a0.svg);}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.loaded .css-o9j0dn:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/goodhousekeeping/static/images/Clover.5c7a1a0.svg);}} LGBTQ+ Pride

Movies With Lesbian Characters You'll Love

11 Best Lesbian Dating Apps to Try in 2024

Celebrate Pride Month With These Great Gifts

15 Best Transgender Movies to Watch Right Now

Our Favorite Pride Month Quotes

Inspiring Quotes From Transgender People

The History of the Trans Flag

15 LGBTQ+-Owned Businesses and Brands to Shop

Starbucks' New Pride Collection Is Here

How to Avoid Rainbow Washing This June

Meet the Heroes of the Stonewall Riots

The Best Sci-Fi Books of 2024 (So Far)

Posted: March 6, 2024 | Last updated: March 11, 2024

The opening page of Malka Older’s new book says simply, “There are other ways to live.” That idea carries through so many of this year’s best science fiction books, which are full of questions about how we might live differently with each other, on our troubled planet or in the furthest reaches of space. Science fiction, as Ursula K. Le Guin once wrote, is not predictive but descriptive, and what contemporary science fiction authors are so often describing is a world that seems to be less and less built for humans to thrive in it. We are still close enough to 2020 that we’re reading books that have their roots in that particularly tumultuous year—roots that dig deep into surveillance , capitalism , protest , inequity , and failures to learn from the past.

But there are other worlds, other ways to thrive—and other ways to replicate humanity’s worst failings, too. This year’s best books don’t shy away from who we’ve been, and who we are, but they also brim with a fierce curiosity about who we might become. As Martin MacInnes writes in the glorious In Ascension , “The original science-fiction story—the impossible adventure full of wonder and awe—was merely the existence of the species, all the movements she and her sister and their family and every other living person had shared.”

Below, listed in publication order, are our favorite science fiction books of the year (so far). Watch this space for updates; we’ll continue adding to our list as the year unfolds.

1) Your Utopia, by Bora Chung (translated by Anton Hur)

Bora Chung’s impressive second collection sets its tone with its title: if a utopia is yours, can it be shared? Can it be anyone else’s? There’s a melancholy and a wryness to these stories, in which lonely people (or other beings) try to connect, or protect, or simply survive. In “The End of the Voyage,” the urge to consume dooms humanity. In “A Song for Sleep,” an AI elevator does its best to care for a resident of its building. The elevator seems kind, but its knowledge of the building’s inhabitants is due to an alarming level of surveillance. Through the prism of her singular imagination, Chung looks sharply at the ways the world we’ve made doesn’t suit us: corporate greed is a frequent enemy, whether it’s focused on controlling the natural world (“Seed”) or extending its own existence (“The Center for Immortality Research”). These are stories to sit with, to read one at a time and savor.

2) The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles, by Malka Older

The second volume in Malka Older’s utterly delightful Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti series finds Mossa searching for a missing student—a case that expands to include over a dozen missing people. The mystery is satisfying, but the heart of this story is the tentative and endearing relationship between Mossa and the academic Pleiti, the Watson to Mossa’s Holmes, who narrates the bulk of their tale. Older packs a ton into barely 200 pages: academic wrangling, space libertarians, the state of the distant and troubled Earth, a visit to the moon of Io, a trip on Giant’s fascinating railcars, and so much more. This is distinctly a cozy mystery, but also a space opera in miniature. Part of what Older so beautifully illustrates is the way humanity might bring its history and culture—food, tea, language, rituals, fears—into the alien landscapes of space. You can read this one without reading the first book, The Mimicking of Known Successes , but why deprive yourself?

3) In Ascension, by Martin MacInnes

MacInnes’s third novel—longlisted for last year’s Booker Prize—is simply like nothing else I’ve ever read. In Ascension centers on Leigh, a marine biologist who spent a troubled childhood in Rotterdam before venturing far from home: to a distant island, to the depths of the ocean, to the Mojave Desert, and eventually to the stars. But that sounds so simple, and this book is expansively, engrossingly complex, meticulously observed and quietly moving. As Leigh’s work turns confidential and mysterious, involving strange phenomena that connect to her deep-sea adventure, MacInnes details her focus on algae with the same care and consideration that he uses to depict her relationship with her mother, her sister, her colleagues, and her world. This isn’t a book that offers anything approaching a tidy resolution. What it offers instead is the texture of an entire life, reflected and refracted by the lives around it. It’s as immersive and astonishing as the deep-sea dive Leigh takes, a journey through a familiar world made freshly, improbably new.

4) Those Beyond the Wall, by Micaiah Johnson

If this were a ranking of the most memorable characters of the year, Scales would be at the top. A mechanic by assignment but a killer by skill, she’s one of many lieutenants to the Emperor of Ashtown, a desert community that exists outside the walls of privileged Wiley City. Ashtown is not an easy place to live, even when you’re the Emperor’s favorite. But when mangled bodies start appearing, no one is safe, and it will take the combined efforts of Scales, her least-favorite colleague, a disgraced scientist, the Emperor, and a worldwalker to save them—all of them. Johnson’s second book, a standalone set in the same world as her The Space Between Worlds , is fueled by the rage that comes from love. When you love a people, love a place, and that people and place are treated as lesser and disposable, rage is inevitable. (As Johnson writes in the author’s note, “Rage is a beacon calling out to others.”) Complicated, deadly, and absolutely full of secrets, Scales is one hell of a narrator, and her sharp, distinctive voice propels this story though desert, city, multiverse, and her own hidden history. Those Beyond the Wall is a novel about holding tight to community in the face of devastation, and it is a triumph.

5) The Siege of Burning Grass, by Premee Mohamed

The latest work from the astonishingly prolific Mohamed (who has three books out this year alone) is a visceral yet intimate story about violence, nationalism, and war. Injured, captured, and tortured by his own side in an endless conflict, the famous pacifist Alefret is sent on a mission to infiltrate an enemy city. With him is Qhudur, a fanatic who will do anything for victory. Mohamed’s bio-technical setting is vivid and unusual—trained medical wasps, floating cities, and lightspiders dot these pages—but the heart of her story is Alefret’s moral struggle. Would killing Qhudur, an act of violence, lead to peace? When does violence become a habit that a country cannot break? How can a person hold tight to their ideals even amid suffering? How can stories and myths help sustain us? But The Siege of Burning Grass isn’t just a thoughtful consideration of war and pacifism; it’s also a feat of worldbuilding, moral complexity, and taut, precisely paced storytelling. After this, I’m ready to hunt down everything else Mohamed has ever written.

6) These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart, by Izzy Wasserstein

In post-climate disaster America, in what’s left of Kansas City, a woman named Dora investigates a death in the anarchist commune to which she once belonged. She’s certain her ex didn’t overdose, but finding out what really happened isn’t going to be easy. Wasserstein excels at the near-future details of her SF-techno-mystery, but she shines even more when it comes to the unexpected connection between Dora and the person sent to kill her—a person who is wearing her pre-transition face. These Fragile Graces is at once a stylish noir and an exploration of identity, gender, selfhood, control, consent, and intimacy. Wasserstein more than pulls it off—everything here feels lived-in and real, from the details of the commune’s processes to the corporate powers that treat people as disposable or replaceable. Dora’s distinctive, terse voice is one I keep hearing in my head, long after the last page. Maybe, if we’re lucky, she’ll find more mysteries to solve.

7) Floating Hotel, by Grace Curtis

In her second novel, Curtis makes an impeccable balancing act look easy. Floating Hotel is, on the surface, a cozy sort of tale about the staff at the titular spaceship, the Grand Abeona Hotel, which endlessly traverses the same route, catering to wealthy people among the stars. Young, miserable Carl stows away on the hotel as a kid; decades later, he’s risen to the post of manager, now a gentle charmer with a soothing word for everyone. When a peculiar academic conference converges with the search for the Lamplighter (a seditious, anti-Empire figure whose broadsides appear between chapters), the fate of the hotel—and its endearing staff—is called into question. But Curtis doesn’t let the spies, codes, and mysteries take over the story; there’s still time for illicit movie nights and anxious musical performances. Floating Hotel is rich with kindness, with big-hearted characters from every corner of the ship, but it also has teeth, a working-class sensibility, and a rebellious heart. This one is a treat.

8) Calypso, by Oliver K. Langmead

“Generation ship novel in verse” is a series of words I had never considered until I read Oliver K. Langmead’s ambitious and immersive Calypso . While the engineers slept, the crew of the Calypso experienced a schism. When Rochelle—whose role is to question Sigmund, the expedition’s leader—wakes, nothing is as she expects, and nothing goes as planned. Four narrators tell the tale: Rochelle, a woman of faith; Catherine, a biologist; the Herald, who relates the ship’s history; and Sigmund, whose narrative is largely set in his own past. Their voices take different shapes; the Herald’s words are squared off, blocky and challenging, while Catherine’s words bend and twist, branching outward more dramatically as she gets closer to the culmination of her role. In a stunning central chapter that’s part body horror and part triumphant act of creation, Catherine transforms, filling a planet with myriad forms of life. Outside of that section, Langmead’s verse creates a sense of spareness, of space unfilled, that echoes the loneliness Rochelle feels. Like so many generation ship stories, this is an elegantly told meditation on how we can’t leave ourselves behind. Any new world will be seeded with what we know, what we’ve learned, who we are, for better or for worse.

9) Lake of Souls, by Ann Leckie

This complete collection of Leckie’s short fiction contains both science fiction and fantasy stories, but the SF stories make up a full half of the book—and are unmissable. They range from flash fiction to a creation myth from the world of the Imperial Radch to “The Justified,” a haunting story about power, mortality, and choice. The title novelette follows a sentient crustacean—called a “lobster dog” by the anthropologist who crash-lands on its planet—as it leaves home, looking for answers about its world and existence. (I would read an entire novel about the lobster dogs, or about the bird-people who transmit their histories through songs.) Every one of these stories is masterfully told, but the standout is “She Commands Me and I Obey,” which depicts a moment of political turmoil through the eyes of a young monk watching a momentous sports game. Tense, affecting, and layered, it’s a perfect example of Leckie’s gift for knowing exactly the right perspective from which to tell her stories. A child, an elder, a guard on a ship’s journey through troubled space: it is a gift to spend time with these characters.

10) The Practice, The Horizon, and The Chain, by Sofia Samatar

Samatar’s latest is a breathtaking novella that resonates like a new myth made of familiar materials. Deep in the bowels of a spaceship, a boy is imprisoned, linked to others by the chain around his ankle. A professor who wears a lighter anklet works to free him, to elevate him to the level of a student, to give him an opportunity. Neither of them have names; nor do the guards, nor the prophet who encourages the boy’s art. They are individuals, but also archetypes, strong and aching, as they move through Samatar’s critical look at labor, exploitation, community, hierarchy, revolution, and worn-out narratives about acceptance and tolerance that do not allow space for real freedom. This story has its roots in academia, but it’s about any organization built to sustain itself at the expense of those who toil within it. Samatar’s gorgeous prose rings clear as a bell. There are no easy answers here, only a sense of possibility, of— as she puts it —“an invitation to exist in the cracks.''

More for You

Miss Teen USA resigns two days after Miss USA: ‘My personal values no longer fully align’

Mavericks coach says players don't want to play with Luka Doncic

20 Biggest Rip-Offs That Are Draining Your Wallet

The Best Way to Get Rid of Roaches Overnight

Sparks fly after 'View’ co-host says anti-Trump trial witnesses have ‘credibility issues’

29 Bites Of Nourishing Trivia

10 Drinks You Should Never Order at a Bar

An AI Photo of Katy Perry at the Met Went Viral and Fooled Everyone

Here’s the retirement savings that put you with the richest 10% of Americans — it’s a much smaller number than you may think

Novak Djokovic releases statement after being struck on the head at Italian Open

18 Healthiest Vegetables According to Nutritionists

Millionaire founder: This is the No. 1 skill young people need to thrive in the AI era—it's not coding

25 Unforgettable Recipes That Have Been Handed Down Through Generations

22 most epic waterfalls in the United States

Donald Trump Lawyers' Mistake-Filled Week

$2 Million in Retirement Savings: Here’s How Much You Could Withdraw Per Year

Lithuania defies Russia and launches missiles

Vocal Virtuosos: 25 Singers with Unforgettable Voices

Sean Burroughs, Little League hero and former MLB player, dies at 43

15 Casseroles for Your 9x13 Pan Just Like Mom Used to Make

Money latest: Chocolate is a superfood - if you buy these bars

Read all today's personal finance and consumer news below - and leave a comment on any of the stories we're covering.

Saturday 11 May 2024 07:28, UK

• UK exits recession, official figures show
• Ed Conway:  Three reasons to be gleeful about the ONS figures
• Interest rate held at 5.25% | Bank of England: June rate cut 'not ruled out but not fait accompli'

Essential reads

• Chocolate is a superfood - if you buy these bars
• How to avoid a holiday data roaming charge (while still using the internet)
• Mortgage rates up again this week - here are the best deals on the market
• PG Tips enlists stars in big-budget ad after falling behind competitors - but poll shows Britons prefer rival
• My daughter discovered undeclared £600 management fee after buying her flat - can we complain?
• Best of the Money blog - an archive

Ask a question or make a comment

Throughout the week Money blog readers have shared their thoughts on the stories we've been covering, with the most correspondence coming in on...

• A hotly contested debate on the best brand of tea
• Downsizing homes
• The cost of Michelin-starred food

Job interview mistakes

On Wednesday we reported on a new £12m ad from PG Tips in response to it falling behind rivals such as Twinings, Yorkshire Tea and Tetley....

We had lots of comments like this...

How on earth was the PG Tips advert so expensive? I prefer Tetley tea, PG Tips is never strong enough flavour for me. Shellyleppard

The reason for the sales drop with PG Tips could be because they increased the price and reduced the quantity of bags from 240 to 180 - it's obvious. Royston

And then this question which we've tried to answer below...

Why have PG Tips changed from Pyramid shape tea bags, to a square? Sam

Last year PG Tips said it was changing to a square bag that left more room for leaves to infuse, as the bags wouldn't fold over themselves.

We reported on data showing how downsizing could save you money for retirement - more than £400,000, in some regions, by swapping four beds for two.

Some of our readers shared their experiences...

We are downsizing and moving South so it's costing us £100k extra for a smaller place, all money from retirement fund. AlanNorth

Interesting read about downsizing for retirement. We recently did this to have the means to retire early at 52. However, we bought a house in the south of France for the price of a flat in our town in West Sussex. Now living the dream! OliSarah

How much should we pay for food?

Executive chef at London's two-Michelin-starred Ikoyi, Jeremy Chan, raised eyebrows when he suggested to the Money blog that Britons don't pay enough for restaurant food.

Ikoyi, the 35th best restaurant in the world, charges £320 for its tasting menu. 

"I don't think people pay enough money for food, I think we charge too little, [but] we want to always be accessible to as many people as possible, we're always trying our best to do that," he said, in a piece about his restaurant's tie up with Uber Eats... 

We had this in... 

Are they serious? That is two weeks' worth of food shopping for me, if the rich can afford this "tasting menu" then they need to be taxed even more by the government, it's just crazy! Steve T

If the rate of pay is proportionate to the vastly overpriced costs of the double Michelin star menu, I would gladly peel quail eggs for four-hour stints over continuing to be abused as a UK supply teacher. AndrewWard

Does this two-star Michelin star chef live in the real world? Who gives a toss if he stands and peels his quails eggs for four hours, and he can get the best turbot from the fishmonger fresh on a daily basis? It doesn't justify the outrageous price he is charging for his tasting menu. Topaztraveller

Chefs do make me laugh, a steak is just a steak, they don't make the meat! They just cook it like the rest of us, but we eat out because we can't be bothered cooking! StevieGrah

Finally, many of you reacted to this feature on common mistakes in job interviews...

Those 10 biggest mistakes people make in interviews is the dumbest thing I've ever read. They expect all that and they'll be offering a £25k a year job. Why wouldn't I want to know about benefits and basic sick pay? And also a limp handshake? How's that relevant to how you work? Jre90

Others brought their own tips...

Whenever I go for an interview I stick to three points: 1. Be yourself 2. Own the interview 3. Wear the clothes that match the job you are applying Kevin James Blakey

From Sunday, eligible working parents of children from nine-months-old in England will be able to register for access to up to 15 free hours of government-funded childcare per week.

This will then be granted from September. 

Check if you're eligible  here  - or read on for our explainer on free childcare across the UK.

Three and four year olds

In England, all parents of children aged three and four in England can claim 15 hours of free childcare per week, for 1,140 hours (38 weeks) a year, at an approved provider.

This is a universal offer open to all.

It can be extended to 30 hours where both parents (or the sole parent) are in work, earn the weekly minimum equivalent of 16 hours at the national minimum or living wage, and have an income of less than £100,000 per year.

Two year olds

Previously, only parents in receipt of certain benefits were eligible for 15 hours of free childcare.

But, as of last month, this was extended to working parents.

This is not a universal offer, however.

A working parent must earn more than £8,670 but less than £100,000 per year. For couples, the rule applies to both parents.

Nine months old

In September, this same 15-hour offer will be extended to working parents of children aged from nine months. From 12 May, those whose children will be at least nine months old on 31 August can apply to received the 15 hours of care from September.

From September 2025

The final change to the childcare offer in England will be rolled out in September 2025, when eligible working parents of all children under the age of five will be able to claim 30 hours of free childcare a week.

In some areas of Wales, the Flying Start early years programme offers 12.5 hours of free childcare for 39 weeks, for eligible children aged two to three. The scheme is based on your postcode area, though it is currently being expanded.

All three and four-year-olds are entitled to free early education of 10 hours per week in approved settings during term time under the Welsh government's childcare offer.

Some children of this age are entitled to up to 30 hours per week of free early education and childcare over 48 weeks of the year. The hours can be split - but at least 10 need to be used on early education.

To qualify for this, each parent must earn less than £100,000 per year, be employed and earn at least the equivalent of working 16 hours a week at the national minimum wage, or be enrolled on an undergraduate, postgraduate or further education course that is at least 10 weeks in length.

All three and four-year-olds living in Scotland are entitled to at least 1,140 hours per year of free childcare, with no work or earnings requirements for parents. 

This is usually taken as 30 hours per week over term time (38 weeks), though each provider will have their own approach.

Some households can claim free childcare for two-year-olds. To be eligible you have to be claiming certain benefits such as Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance or Universal Credit, or have a child that is in the care of their local council or living with you under a guardianship order or kinship care order.

Northern Ireland

There is no scheme for free childcare in Northern Ireland. Some other limited support is available.

Working parents can access support from UK-wide schemes such as tax credits, Universal Credit, childcare vouchers and tax-free childcare.

Aside from this, all parents of children aged three or four can apply for at least 12.5 hours a week of funded pre-school education during term time. But over 90% of three-year-olds have a funded pre-school place - and of course this is different to childcare.

What other help could I be eligible for?

Tax-free childcare  - Working parents in the UK can claim up to £500 every three months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of their children to help with childcare costs. 

If the child is disabled, the amount goes up to £1,000 every three months (up to £4,000 a year).

To claim the benefit, parents will need to open a tax-free childcare account online. For every 80p paid into the account, the government will top it up by 20p.

The scheme is available until the September after the child turns 11.

Universal credit  - Working families on universal credit can claim back up to 85% of their monthly childcare costs, as long as the care is paid for upfront. The most you can claim per month is £951 for one child or £1,630 for two or more children.

Tax credits -  People claiming working tax credit can get up to 70% of what they pay for childcare if their costs are no more than £175 per week for one child or £300 per work for multiple children.

Two big economic moments dominated the news agenda in Money this week - interest rates and GDP.

As expected, the Bank of England held the base rate at 5.25% on Wednesday - but a shift in language was instructive about what may happen next.

Bank governor Andrew Bailey opened the door to a summer cut to 5%, telling reporters that an easing of rates at the next Monetary Policy Committee meeting on 20 June was neither ruled out nor a fait accompli.

More surprisingly, he suggested that rate cuts, when they start, could go deeper "than currently priced into market rates".

He refused to be drawn on what that path might look like - but markets had thought rates could bottom out at 4.5% or 4.75% this year, and potentially 3.5% or 4% next.

"To make sure that inflation stays around the 2% target - that inflation will neither be too high nor too low - it's likely that we will need to cut Bank rate over the coming quarters and make monetary policy somewhat less restrictive over the forecast period," Mr Bailey said.

You can read economics editor Ed Conway's analysis of the Bank's decision here ...

On Friday we discovered the UK is no longer in recession.

Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.6% between January and March, the Office for National Statistics said.

This followed two consecutive quarters of the economy shrinking.

The data was more positive than anticipated.

"Britain is not just out of recession," wrote Conway. "It is out of recession with a bang."

The UK has seen its fastest growth since the tailend of the pandemic - and Conway picked out three other reasons for optimism.

1/ An economic growth rate of 0.6% is near enough to what economists used to call "trend growth". It's the kind of number that signifies the economy growing at more or less "normal" rates.

2/ 0.6% means the UK is, alongside Canada, the fastest-growing economy in the G7 (we've yet to hear from Japan, but economists expect its economy to contract in the first quarter).

3/ Third, it's not just gross domestic product that's up. So too is gross domestic product per head - the number you get when you divide our national income by every person in the country. After seven years without any growth, GDP per head rose by 0.4% in the first quarter.

GDP per head is a more accurate yardstick for the "feelgood factor", said Conway - perhaps meaning people will finally start to feel better off.

For more on where Friday's figures leaves us, listen to an Ian King Business Podcast special...

The Money blog is your place for consumer news, economic analysis and everything you need to know about the cost of living - bookmark news.sky.com/money .

It runs with live updates every weekday - while on Saturdays we scale back and offer you a selection of weekend reads.

Check them out this morning and we'll be back on Monday with rolling news and features.

The Money team is Emily Mee, Bhvishya Patel, Jess Sharp, Katie Williams, Brad Young and Ollie Cooper, with sub-editing by Isobel Souster. The blog is edited by Jimmy Rice.

If you've missed any of the features we've been running in Money this year, or want to check back on something you've previously seen in the blog, this archive of our most popular articles may help...

Loaves of bread have been recalled from shelves in Japan after they were found to contain the remains of a rat.

Production of the bread in Tokyo has been halted after parts of a "small animal" were found by at least two people.

Pasco Shikishima Corp, which produces the bread, said 104,000 packages have been recalled as it apologised and promised compensation.

A company representative told Sky News's US partner network, NBC News, that a "small black rat" was found in the bread. No customers were reported to have fallen ill as a result of ingesting the contaminated bread.

"We deeply apologise for the serious inconvenience and trouble this has caused to our customers, suppliers, and other concerned parties," the spokesman said.

Pasco added in a separate statement that "we will do our utmost to strengthen our quality controls so that this will never happen again. We ask for your understanding and your co-operation."

Japanese media reports said at least two people who bought the bread in the Gunma prefecture, north-west of Tokyo, complained to the company about finding a rodent in the bread.

Record levels of shoplifting appear to be declining as fewer shopkeepers reported thefts last year, new figures show. 

A survey by the Office for National Statistics shows 26% of retailers experienced customer theft in 2023, down from a record high of 28% in 2022.

This comes despite a number of reports suggesting shoplifting is becoming more frequent. 

A  separate ONS finding , which used police crime data, showed reports of shoplifting were at their highest level in 20 years in 2023, with law enforcements logging 430,000 instances of the crime.

Let's get you up to speed on the biggest business news of the past 24 hours. 

A privately owned used-car platform is circling Cazoo Group, its stricken US-listed rival, which is on the brink of administration.

Sky News has learnt that Motors.co.uk is a leading contender to acquire Cazoo's marketplace operation, which would include its brand and intellectual property assets.

The process to auction the used-car platform's constituent parts comes after it spent tens of millions of pounds on sponsorship deals in football, snooker and darts in a rapid attempt to gain market share.

The owner of British Airways has reported a sharp rise in profits amid soaring demand for trips and a fall in the cost of fuel.

International Airlines Group said its operating profit for the first three months of the year was €68m (£58.5m) - above expectations and up from €9m (£7.7m) during the same period in 2023.

The company, which also owns Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling, said earnings had soared thanks to strong demand, particularly over the Easter holidays.

The prospect of a strike across Tata Steel's UK operations has gained further traction after a key union secured support for industrial action.

Community, which has more than 3,000 members, said 85% voted in favour of fighting the India-owned company's plans for up to 2,800 job losses, the majority of them at the country's biggest steelworks in Port Talbot, South Wales.

Tata confirmed last month it was to press ahead with the closure of the blast furnaces at the plant, replacing them with electric arc furnaces to reduce emissions and costs.

In doing so, the company rejected an alternative plan put forward by the Community, GMB and Unite unions that, they said, would raise productivity and protect jobs across the supply chain.

Rishi Sunak has told Sky News that the UK exiting recession shows the economy has "turned a corner". 

He told our economics editor Ed Conway : "I am pleased that while there's more work to do, today's figures show that the economy now has real momentum, and I'm confident that with time, people will start to feel the benefits of that.

"We've had multiple months now where wages are rising, energy bills have fallen, mortgage rates are down and taxes are being cut... I'm pleased with the progress that we're making."

Mr Sunak added: "I am confident the economy is getting healthier every week."

Lidl will increase staff wages for the third time in 12 months, the supermarket has announced. 

Shop workers in London will get £13.65, up from £13.55, while staff elsewhere will get a rise from a minimum £12 to £12.40 - at a cost of £2.5m to Lidl.

The supermarket invested £37m in pay increases in March, on top of £8m in September - a total of more than £50m in the past 12 months. 

The increase comes into effect from 1 June. 

Lidl GB chief executive Ryan McDonnell said: "As we continue to expand, we are welcoming more customers and attracting more colleagues into the business every day.

"It's absolutely right, therefore, that we continue to offer industry-leading pay."

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

2025 NFL Draft consensus Big Board: Will Campbell opens at No. 1, Carson Beck top QB

The 2024 NFL Draft concluded two weeks ago in Detroit, but if you think draft season is over for a few months you’re wrong. While fans are busy envisioning how rookies will fit into their new roles, the 2025 NFL Draft is now less than a year away, so we need to look at who could be the cream of the new crop.

Advertisement

The Athletic ’s first consensus 2025 Big Board combines rankings from various draft experts to identify how the top prospects are viewed relative to the rest of their class. While it’s still very, very early in the process, this should give us an idea of which prospects are going to lead the conversation as we turn our attention to next year’s draft.

Our board is starting small — 25 prospects — because of the limited 2025 rankings out there at this point in the process. As we get closer to the draft over the next 12 months, the board will expand. (Our final ’24 board covered the top 100 prospects.)

1. How will the quarterback class play out?

In our first consensus board last year , we had four quarterbacks in the Top 25: Caleb Williams , Drake Maye , Michael Penix Jr. and Quinn Ewers . Three of those QBs ultimately declared (Ewers returned to Texas), and all three were selected within the first eight picks of the ’24 draft.

But even at that early stage, though, Williams was a consensus QB1 —  something this class might not have. Georgia’s Carson Beck is QB1 for now, but he’s just 10th overall in the class. That leaves room for Shedeur Sanders , Ewers or even new quarterbacks who aren’t on the radar right now to make a move — similar to Jayden Daniels’ meteoric rise to QB2 this past cycle.

2024 NFL Draft team-by-team rankings: Best and worst classes, from 1 to 32

2. Who is the best non-quarterback?

Marvin Harrison Jr. looked like the best non-QB for the entire 2024 cycle, and that came to fruition on draft night when he was selected fourth behind three quarterbacks.

The 2025 class, though, has a different feel. Multiple players sit atop big boards across the industry, so who is going to end up in the No. 1 spot? LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell currently owns the top spot on our consensus board, but he actually doesn’t rank at the top of any individual board. Instead, he’s consistently inside the top four. Contrast that with the likes of Tennessee edge James Pearce Jr. and Georgia edge Mykel Williams , each of whom is the top-ranked prospect on multiple boards but drops into the teens on others.

At this point, there isn’t a clear answer, but Campbell gets the initial nod by holding steady across the early rankings.

3. Is this an elite cornerback class?

Three cornerbacks (Kool-Aid McKinstry, Denzel Burke and Kalen King ) made our first consensus 2024 board — none were selected in the first round (Burke returned to Ohio State).

To open this year, we have five corners in the Top 25, including three ranked eighth or higher. Michigan’s Will Johnson , Colorado ’s Travis Hunter and Notre Dame ’s Benjamin Morrison all will be bidding for CB1 status in this class as we head into the fall. Will this be similar to 2024, when cornerbacks fell throughout the draft process, or will 2025 be the year a cornerback-needy team can find help at the top of the draft?

ANOTHER PICK FOR @TravisHunterJr ! 📺ABC pic.twitter.com/dl7bHAPkzo — Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) October 29, 2023

4. How will the league view Harold Perkins Jr. ?

The LSU linebacker took college football by storm during his freshman campaign in 2022, but his momentum slowed in 2023. Perkins (listed at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds) is a bit of a tweener. I’m not confident NFL teams will want an edge rusher at that size, so Perkins will need to show more as an off-ball linebacker this fall to help his draft stock.

Even then, in today’s NFL — a league that’s relying more and more on a certain blend of size and athleticism on defense — what’s the ceiling for that type of player?

(Top photos of Travis Hunter, Will Campbell and Mason Graham : Dustin Bradford / Getty Images; Peter Joneleit, Brian Rothmuller / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Get all-access to exclusive stories.

Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Try a week on us.

Austin Mock uses advanced statistical models and simulations to predict outcomes and rate performances in the NFL, college football, MLB and other sports. Follow Austin on Twitter @ amock419