Reading for pleasure articles

World War II was a pivotal time in British history. These page-turning reads will give your children a real insight into what life was like for both children and adults, on the battle field and on the Home Front. By Ashley Booth

Picture books are a fantastic way to develop children’s speaking and listening skills. They also provide a brilliant starting point for children to hypothesise and draw inferences about characters’ thoughts, feelings and actions. Allow time for your child to pore over the illustrations in these beautiful books, make predictions and discuss the story with you.

Street urchins, housemaids, pickpockets and foundlings they may be, but the characters in our pick of the best kids' books set in Victorian times are brave, resourceful and inspiring. Their stories bring the nineteenth century to life, from city streets to country houses. By Ashley Booth

Explore worlds of words with award-winning poet Rachel Rooney's pick of her favourite poetry collections for children.

There's so much more to do in your local library than you might think, and children are particularly well catered for. Time to get lost in the stacks...

Introduce the whole family to the achievements of female scientists, explorers, artists, physicians, writers and more in our round-up of the best girl-empowering books for kids. From KS1 picture books and tales to inspiring grown-up "bedtime stories", we love these girl-power celebrations of outstanding people.

British children receive an average of five Easter eggs each year, with 29% of kids getting more than 10! We say it's time to replace some of the sugar with a few delectable reads. Our pick of the best Easter- and chocolate-themed books will ensure your child gets their fill of cocoa beans, bunnies and springtime fun through the printed word. Tuck in!

Witches and werewolves and vampires, oh my! Help your child get into the Halloween spirit with our round-up of the best ghost stories, haunted-house thrillers and supernatural tales for children. Not recommended for after-dark reading...

Bring science concepts from evolution to magnetism and atomic energy to life for primary-school children with our pick of the best non-fiction science titles for kids. Fact-packed and fun-packed, these books will engage and entertain kids (and parents!) as well as explaining the building blocks of physics, chemistry, biology and engineering.

Crack codes, learn maths tricks, unlock the secrets of nature (hint: they're mathematical!), marvel at number facts and learn to build a spaceship – just a few of the maths-master skills imparted by these books, our pick of the best maths titles for kids.

Reading purists may look down on e-books, but they could have some surprising benefits for your primary school child.

Looking for the perfect books for your child to find under the tree? Whatever their interests or reading ability, there's a fantastic selection on offer this Christmas, from the latest Rick Riordan blockbuster to new classics, non-fiction treasures to pore over and laugh-out-loud funny reads. The holidays will be story-filled!

Make this the summer when your child journeys to ancient Rome, becomes a secret agent, takes to the high seas, finds out about England's past, solves a mystery and discovers the delights of Mr Benn... all without leaving the sofa! From kids' classics to brand-new adventures, we've got 14 brilliant books for your children to lose themselves in over the 2015 summer holiday.

From interactive games and apps to simplified reading books and learning-to-read devices, we love the early reader tools available to parents and children. Whether you want to motivate a reluctant reader or offer a huge selection of titles to a voracious bookworm, we've picked some of the best options to start your child on the road to a life-long love of reading.

From sharing and the democratic process to divorce and bereavement, these picture books all tackle tricky subjects with warmth, humour and understanding. Some are more suitable for younger children and others will be appreciated by tweens, but they all make difficult things easier to talk about and understand.

You'll be spoilt for choice choosing new books for 4-11 year olds this Christmas. As well as the blockbusters in every bookshop window (welcome back Wimpy Kid, Percy Jackson and Ruby Redfort!), we've fallen for this bumper crop of great reads, from picture books to read out loud to scare stories to shiver under the covers with. Whatever your child's reading ability, these stories are unmissable. Happy reading!

Make the most of family outings by choosing one of our parent-recommended museums. For fun, story-telling, literary inspiration and creative opportunities visit the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre.

Make this summer a fiction-packed break with our pick of the best kids' books to read on the beach, by a lake, up a mountain, in a tent or just in your own back garden! From laugh-out-loud adventures to murder mysteries and junior chick lit, we've got great suggestions for every genre and every child.

Bring learning to life with a visit to one of our parent-recommended museums. We love Children's Story Centre Discover, a haven for bookworms, story-tellers and adventurers in Stratford, north east London.