As part of our annual round-up of most loved and reviewed books on Toppsta, we're shining a spotlight on early readers and chapter books for children aged 5+. These books can be a pivotal moment for young book lovers as they become independent readers, interact with slightly complex storylines and build their vocabulary. Typically between 100-160 pages and packed with colourful illustrations, these books have captured the hearts of children, parents and teachers alike. From funny laugh-out-loud stories of cheeky sausage dogs to cosy mysteries and magical worlds, this list is the perfect place to find stories that entertain while building reading confidence.
If you missed it, don’t forget to check out our Best Picture Books of 2025, a joyful collection of stories our youngest readers adored!
Georgina Atwell
Toppsta
2025-11-10
2025-11-10
Best New First Chapter Books of 2025
1. Marty Moose: First Class Mischief: Funny animal friendship adventure stories
This age is all about getting little ones excited about reading independently. For us, one of the best books to be doing this has been Marty Moose by Claire Powell, a story of a little mouse who delivers the post in his small neck of the woods. Parents and teachers comment how children have been connecting with the characters, the illustrations throughout making it so accessible, with maps, letters and envelopes across the pages, as well as cool typography and puns. The short chapters make this the perfect bedtime read, and many readers love the final spread explaining how to draw Marty Moose.
2. Unicornia: The Cupcake Contest: The bestselling illustrated magical unicorn series for kids aged 5-8, perfect for budding bakers
If you're looking for a chapter book that is sweet and cosy, Unicornia written by Ana Punset and illustrated in colour throughout by Diana Vicedo, with its magical world of unicorns and glitter, is a true crowd-pleaser. In the series, Claudia, Pippa and Sara – three best friends – get up to all kinds of sparkle-dusted adventures together, this time a very exciting baking contest. There is however more to the magic and whimsy of this book: we love that this story in particular sparks conversations about how to handle things when they don't quite go to plan, and sometimes unexpected outcomes can be even better!
A Poem for Every Question is perfect for short and sweet bedtime or for an hour's worth of entertaining little ones in school settings, with both parents and teachers loving this illustrated collection by Brian Bilston and Joe Berger! The premise of this fun little tome is that each poem answers a question, and below each poem is more non-fiction information about the topic, from dreams to unicorns and even farts. The questions mostly link to the national curriculum, so this is a perfect way to bring fun into school subjects ... even the ones your child might not quite enjoy as much as others.
4. Buzz Sausage Wolf: Hilariously silly sausage dog cosy adventures!
Buzz Sausage Wolf feels like it's been designed especially for children reading their first books independently, starting from the very size of the book, perfect for little hands. The fonts are well spaced throughout and just the right size. The illustrations by Aurelie Lise Anne are full-colour and support readers understanding the story. It's no wonder it keeps getting picked up and getting fantastic reviews! Parents and teachers also appreciate the themes of change, self-confidence, resilience and family that run through Buzz's story as he is welcomed into his new home. This is a feel-good story packed full of jokes and illustrations, with a beautiful message at its heart.
We've always been big fans of the Barrington Stoke dyslexia-friendly books for little readers, and we're even more excited to see a whole new series with them: The Moonlight Mystery Agency written by the brilliant Vashti Hardy. What most of our youngest readers comment on is how much they love that there's a mystery to solve in the books, and this one certainly keeps them guessing as they try to find a missing birthday cake! The colour illustrations throughout by Agnes Saccani are also a big hit, as readers enjoy visualising the bionic animals and curious inventions that are such a huge trademark of Vashti's writing.
Set in a magical world where unicorns help those in need and magical creatures cause a whole lot of commotion, Unicorns in Uniforms: Dragon Inferno has been a huge hit. Children enjoy the bold and bright illustrations by Steve Wood, as well as the engaging story with just the right level of peril from Tracy Curran. The book immerses the youngest of readers from the very start, helping them to orientate themselves with pictures of every character and their names. Many parents and teachers enjoyed how the book explained the role of emergency services jobs, in this case firefighting, and the non-ficiton fact page at the back explaining fire engines. This is the perfect story if you want to support your child's learning while also keeping them interested!
Part of the wider Usborne Puzzle Stories series, Super Poodle and the Mega Blaster is the hilarious story of how Superpoodle the poodle solves puzzles to defeat the evil Velma Vixen, written by Russell Punter and illustrated in colour by Josh Cleland. The book not only has challenging and engaging puzzles, making this great for reading in groups, but is also packed full of comic strips for extra interactivity. Many readers were able to get through this book in just a few nights, and whenever the puzzles were a tad bit too difficult, they could just turn to the clues at the back!
We're big fans of books that bring STEM subjects into the picture, and Izzy the Inventor and the Elf Inspectors by Zanna Davidson is our reader's favourite! Izzy is a scientist in Fairytale Land, and she's on a mission to win the magic competition with her handy science knowledge. Readers love the kindness of the characters, the illustrations throughout by Elissa Elwick and the mixture of science, magic and fun experiments! Like all the Izzy the Inventor books, at the end of the book you'll find ideas for science experiments and a QR code with links for more to try at home.
There's something so cosy, magical and familiar about Tiny Pony Friends: Poppy's Dream Pony by Linda Chapman, it's no wonder it's one of the top ten chapter books read by children this year. Readers have commented on the sweet characters and their friendship, their love for ponies, and the idea of magical lands where they can become Pony Protectors. Children have also especially loved the sweet illustrations throughout by Kristen Humphrey, making this book interactive as ever, most getting through it in just a couple of sittings!
10. Unicornia: The Dance Show: The bestselling illustrated magical unicorn series for kids aged 5-8, perfect for party-bag presents
YAY for yet another Unicornia book making it to our top 10! In Unicornia: The Dance Show, best friends Claudia, Pippa and Sara are prepping a magical dance routine with sparkling rainbows, singing flowers and candyfloss clouds. Essentially, e recipe for success with little ones who love dancing! With this book, reviewers loved the themes of teamwork, resilience, practice and always trying your best, even if that means making mistakes sometimes. What matters is having fun. And we're sure little ones will have a whole lot of fun reading this unicorn-themed book about friendship.
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