Episode 33 - The UK National Year of Reading 2026

School Reading List podcast hosted by Tom Tolkien

Season 1: Episode 33

For transcripts, resources, show notes and contact details, see https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/podcasts/series-1-episode-33/

Part 1
Book post

• Super Goat Girl by Tracey Baptiste, illustrated by Dapo Adeola
• Domain by Rohan Gavin
• Dinosaur Desert: A Prehistoric Journey of Discovery by Dr Nick Crumpton
• Go Go Dodo! by Huw Lewis Jones, illustrated by Fred Blunt
• Every Botty Burps by Becky Wilson, illustrated by Alex Patrick
• George and Lenny Are Always Together by Jon Agee
• Farah's Nose by Humera Malik
• My Big Fat Smelly Poo Diary 3 by Jim Smith
• The Poetry World of John Agard by John Agard
• Cruise Ship Kid by Emma Swan
• Mission: Monster Mind by Philip Kavvadias
• Rayleigh Mann and the Quest of Misfits by Ciannon Smart
• Things I Learned While I Was Dead by Kathryn Clark
• Poison Tides by Jay McGuiness
• Den of Liars by Jessica S. Olson

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

• The Moonlighters by Lee Newbery
• Maisie vs the Himalayas by Jack Jackman
• Shoes!: A footwear fashion frolic by Anna Davies and Daisy Wynter
• The Museum of Shapes by Sven Volker
• Bear by Kiri Lightfoot
• Let's Be Earthlings by Mary Murphy
• All Together Now: Collected Poems by Michaela Morgan
• Gloam by Jack Mackay
• The Coming of the Iron Man by Ted Hughes and Mini Grey
• Love on Sight by Asli Jensen
• The Notwitches: Prison Break by Gary Panton
• A First Book of Bugs by Simon Mole and Adam Ming
• There Are Amphibians Everywhere by Britta Teckentrup
• How to Catch an Idea by Forest Xiao
• Enter the Endgame by Triona Campbell
• Pooems by Kes Gray
• The Forest of Dreams by Merve Atilgan
• Sometimes You Find a Dragon by Viviane Schwarz
• Dungeon Runners: Ocean Chase by Kieran Larwood and Joe Todd Stanton
• iNSiDE by S.A. Gales
• You and Me and the Peanut-Butter Beast by Andy Griffiths
• Girls of Dark Divine by E.V. Woods
• Buffalo Fluffalo by Bess Kalb and Erin Kraan
• Oxford Blood by Rachael Davis-Featherstone
• A Totally Big Umbrella by Sarah Crossan and Rebecca Cobb
• Colin’s Grandma by Holly Swain
• The Game I Will Never Forget by Onjali Q. Rauf
• Not Going To Plan by Tia Fisher
• Little Snail Goes House-Hunting by Bia Melo
• Fox and the Mystery Letter by Alex G Griffiths
• Geomancer: The Ship of Strays by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

August 2025 books of the month

• Fiction: Gloam by Jack Mackay
• Nonfiction: There Are Amphibians Everywhere by Britta Teckentrup
• Picture book: The Museum of Shapes by Sven Volker

Part 2
Audiobooks for Teens

New book pitches: A Book of Baby Birds by I. S. Thomas, Sally the Spider’s new shoes by Clodagh Ryan, Anna Denton & The Water of Life by Vaughan Hawthorne-Nelson

Part 3
The National Year of Reading 2026 

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

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