Best Family Stories for 7 and 8 year olds

The Soccer Diaries Series

Middle School Series

Meet our main character Rafe Khatchadorian: he has got enough going on at home without having to worry about starting middle school. So he comes up with a plan to make his time there epic: Operation R.A.F.E (Rules Aren’t For Everyone). Aided by his imaginary friend, Leonardo the Silent, rebellious Rafe sets out to break every rule in the school’s oppressive Code of Conduct, gaining points for each misdeed. And so we follow his story as he tries to handle the embarrassment and challenges of school, summer camp and field trips with a series of madcap plots and adventures.

44 Tiny Secrets Series

The acclaimed duo behind The Bookshop Girl have cooked up a beautifully illustrated two-colour series for all lovers of funny animal friendship stories aged 7+. Betsy Bow-Linnet's adventure begins when she decides that she will become a world famous concert pianist like her parents. How, you wonder? An unusual, and top secret Method made up of forty-four tiny secrets in the shape of a boxful of pygmy mice! And they don't just come in handy for music – they are also quite convenient when it comes to circus performances and baking! 

The Demon Headmaster Series

The Demon Headmaster by Gillian Cross is an addictive series for readers 7+, which many consider a modern classic. Although the books could be read out of order, we recommend starting with book one which follows the adventures of Dinah as she joins a new school where the headmaster is extremely creepy and the children weirdly well-behaved. As she settles in, Dinah finds herself saying and doing things she can’t control and seeks to uncover the secret to the headmaster’s influence with the help of her SPLAT (Society for the Protection of Our Lives Against Them) team...

roy of the rovers Series

The Roy of the Rovers series for football lovers aged 7+ has become so popular it's not only a fiction series but also a much-loved full-colour comic book series. The books follow sixteen year old Roy Race: he has a unique natural talent for football, as well as a powerful left foot. And when he finally makes his dream to front for the Melchester Rovers team come true, he's faced with a series of tough seasons, each book showing Roy learning something new of what it means to be a footballer. 

Sona Sharma Series

The beautiful books in this series, written and illustrated with heart by the super talents that are Chitra Soundar and Jen Khatun are a classic-in-the-making and a must-read for all children aged 7+. Sona Sharma lives in India with her busy family, where she learns about the ups and downs of family, friendship and life. From becoming a big sister, to finding out about the horrors of climate change and learning how to compete in healthy ways against others, Sona faces a lot of the challenges children all over the world do. 

Hope Jones Saves The World Series

For all the young activists aged 7+, this black-and-white illustrated series about the determination, grit and courage of one little girl to save the world will be a true inspirational read. Throughout the books, our protagonist Hope Jones is set to save the world in any way she can. She will give up plastic and encourage her local supermarket to do the same, turn veggie to help the animals, and even protest outside her school to limit the pollution-inducing cars from making everyone sick.