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Something happens to children’s relationship with books as they move through primary school: their enjoyment of reading declines steadily.

Both parents and children report a notable drop. A from the charity BookTrust found that while 33 per cent of seven-year-olds say they “love” reading, this falls to 29 per cent by the age of 10 and to just 25 per cent by the age of 11.

The report points to a series of barriers that could be behind this decline, including limited time in the school day dedicated to reading for pleasure, a lack of parental support, too few books that inspire children and challenges linked to reading fluency and behaviour.

Could looking at the bestselling books for primary-age children give parents, carers and teachers a clearer sense of what is already capturing pupils’ attention, and how that enthusiasm might be nurtured as they move towards their teenage years?

Bestselling books for primary children

We asked Waterstones what the bestselling books for primary school children (ages 7-11) were over the past year. This is what they told us were the top titles over the 12 months from June 2025. For bestselling series, only the first book in the series is listed:

Jemima Wade, headteacher of Argyle Primary School in the London Borough of Camden and programme lead for Camden’s initiative, says she is encouraged by the “wide range of books on this list” and is also pleased to recognise so many of them and have them in her school.

She highlights that “not every book a child picks up to read needs to be challenging or literary - the most important thing is that children are engaged, enjoying what they read and developing a lifelong love of reading”.

Wade was therefore pleased to see that there was “definitely something for everyone” on the list.

Similarly, Matt Carnaby, director of curriculum and assessment at Astrea Academy Trust, says the list is “exciting” and a “positive reflection of children’s reading habits”, adding that his own family particularly enjoyed Hannah Gold’s The Last Bear.

However, he cautions that bestseller lists can highlight what is missing, as well as what is popular.

While schools should recognise and build on the books children are choosing for themselves, Carnaby says the list also shows how “underrepresented more diverse voices remain on those young readers’ shelves”.

‘Notable gaps’ in bestseller list

Gráinne Hallahan, head of the Teacher Tapp community and a former English teacher, agrees that there are some notable gaps in the bestseller list, and not just in terms of diversity.

For example, she says, “I’m surprised to not see Anthony Horowitz on the list”.

Known for his spy and mystery novels, including the hugely popular Alex Rider series, Horowitz’s books are “a great bridge between ‘books studied in school’ and ‘books read for pleasure’,” Hallahan says.

The list also reflects a growing trend in recent years, she adds, in that “there has been a real shift towards graphic novels in schools”.

“It’s really important for teachers to be up to date with popular books” in order to make strong recommendations, Hallahan continues. Yet, like Carnaby, she urges caution regarding how schools use these popular titles, arguing that some, like the graphic novels, “absolutely should not be taught in school time”.

“They have their own place, and that’s for when you’re reading just for enjoyment,” says Hallahan.

Why text choice matters when teaching reading

Timothy Shanahan, professor emeritus at the University of Illinois Chi­cago, recently spoke to 91���� about how text choice matters when teaching reading. He similarly suggested avoiding graphic novels for this purpose, arguing that they “just don’t present kids with very many words”.

He explained how he hears from parents “all the time” about how their child refuses to read anything other than graphic novels, and while these texts can be great for getting children interested in reading, problems can arise if they are choosing them because “it means they don’t actually have to read”.

Teachers, therefore, need to find balance in the books they recommend.

On the plus side, the bestseller list includes plenty of texts that “will definitely be found in [school] libraries”, Hallahan says, meaning teachers can easily direct children towards books they might actually want to read.

Tapping into those current trends could certainly be a way to boost children’s enthusiasm - as long as teachers also leave scope to push young readers beyond what’s popular.

Rufus Thomas is a freelance writer