Recommended Books & Tools
The print, paper and physical kit that pairs with our 11+ apps — chosen so every item complements (not duplicates) what's already inside Maths, English, Vocabulary, VR and NVR.
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Dictionaries & Parent Reference
The print companions to the registers tested across our Vocabulary Builder and English Practice Papers apps, plus a parent-facing strategy guide for the 11+ journey.
Oxford Children's Dictionary
The trusted Oxford Children's Dictionary — clear definitions, example sentences and modern usage. Powered by the Oxford Children's Corpus, the largest bank of children's English. Built for ages 10+ and the primary-to-secondary transition.
Why we recommend it: The print companion to our Vocabulary Builder app. Same register children meet in Word Meanings, Contextual Meaning and Shades of Meaning quiz topics — paper-on-the-desk speed for the words our app then tests in MCQ format.
Oxford Children's Thesaurus
The Oxford Children's Thesaurus's hardback partner volume — synonyms, antonyms and stronger word choices for writing tasks. Same age band, same Oxford Children's Corpus.
Why we recommend it: Helps children explore the synonym and antonym maps tested in our Synonyms, Antonyms, Synonym Sets and Antonym Pairs quiz topics — and the better-word swaps our English Practice Papers reward in continuous writing.
Oxford Roald Dahl Dictionary
From aardvark to zozimus — a real dictionary of everyday and extra-usual words, packed with Roald Dahl's inventions (biffsquiggled, whizzpopping) alongside synonyms, etymologies and rhyming words. Illustrated by Quentin Blake.
Why we recommend it: Turns vocabulary-building into play. A creative-writing reference that complements our Vocabulary Builder's 1,600 questions across 20 topics — different pedagogy (exploration vs. testing) so they reinforce each other.
Bond 11+: The Parents' Guide to the 11+
A practical 4-step plan from Michellejoy Hughes, a 30-year 11+ tutor. Covers exam structures (GL and CEM), revision schedules, exam-day technique and how to support children emotionally through the process.
Why we recommend it: The strategic frame that pairs with our Complete Guide to the 11+ Exam blog post and the seven specialist apps across maths, English, vocabulary, verbal and non-verbal reasoning.
Reading at Home
Reading volume is the single biggest driver of the vocabulary and comprehension our English and Vocabulary apps test. These are the boxsets and activity books that get reluctant readers turning pages.
Young Puffin Modern Classics Collection (10 Books)
A slipcase of ten Young Puffin modern classics including Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox and Jill Murphy's The Worst Witch — the kind of rich children's prose that builds inference and figurative-language fluency.
Why we recommend it: The kind of full-length children's writing our English Practice Papers app tests through 600 comprehension and inference questions — actual page-turners rather than the short extracts in workbooks.
Roald Dahl Phizz-Whizzing Collection (15 Books, Slipcase)
Fifteen Roald Dahl novels in one slipcase — Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach and more. The complete library of Dahl's invented words and surprising sentence rhythms.
Why we recommend it: Fifteen books = roughly fifteen weeks of nightly reading. Reading volume — not workbook hours — is the single biggest driver of the vocabulary and comprehension scores our English and Vocabulary apps test.
The World of David Walliams: The Terrific Ten (10 Books)
Walliams's first ten novels — Gangsta Granny, Billionaire Boy, Awful Auntie, Demon Dentist and six more. Contemporary humour, accessible chapters and the UK's bestselling children's author of the decade.
Why we recommend it: A second 10-book set in a more modern register than Dahl — keeps reluctant readers engaged through the year before the exam so they keep building the vocabulary our Vocab Builder and English apps test.
Roald Dahl Wonderful Words for Writing (Ages 7–11)
A vocabulary activity book pitched at ages 7–11 — word-choice puzzles, alternatives to overused words and creative-writing prompts drawn from Roald Dahl's stories.
Why we recommend it: Activity-book pedagogy (creative exercises, not MCQs) that complements our Vocabulary Builder's 1,600 quiz questions — same end goal, different cognitive route, so they reinforce each other instead of duplicating.
Logic Kit & Exam Day Essentials
Hands-on practice for the spatial reasoning our NVR app tests, plus the silent timer and clear pencil case the exam centre actually requires.
IDEAL Rubik's Cube — The Original 3x3 (Ages 8+)
The original 3x3 Rubik's Cube from IDEAL — solid plastic tiles (no stickers to peel), smoother mechanism for younger hands. The classic brain teaser that turns spatial reasoning into a habit.
Why we recommend it: Hands-on warm-up for the spatial reasoning our NVR app tests in Cube Nets, 3D Rotation, Block Counting and Paper Folding topics — abstract page-puzzles get a lot easier once children have physically rotated cubes in their hands.
100 Logic Puzzles (Usborne Puzzle Book)
An Usborne paperback packed with 100 logic puzzles — grid deductions, sequences, odd-one-outs and pattern games. Aimed at upper primary, with full solutions at the back.
Why we recommend it: Builds the logical-deduction muscle behind Verbal Reasoning Methods & Techniques (1,050 questions) and the NVR series (540 questions across 18 topics) — pencil-and-paper warm-up before screen-based mock tests.
Linex Clear Exam Pencil Case with Maths Set
An exam-board-compliant transparent PVC pencil case pre-loaded with 2 HB pencils, 2 ballpoints, eraser, sharpener, 15 cm ruler, 45°/60° set squares and 180° protractor — every Maths-paper tool in one zip pouch.
Why we recommend it: Most 11+ centres require a clear pencil case. Saves the parents' last-minute Sunday-night Tesco run and means your child arrives with the same kit they've been practising our Mock Test mode with at home.
TWENTY5 SEVEN 60-Minute Visual Timer (Silent Mode)
A 60-minute analogue countdown timer with a flashing-light silent mode — used in classrooms for SEN-friendly time management. Protective case included, no batteries to find.
Why we recommend it: Time pressure is the hardest part of the 11+. Run our Mock Test mode at home under the same silent 50-minute timer your child will face in the test centre — builds pacing intuition the on-screen clock alone can't.
Pair Them With Our Apps
These picks complement our 7 specialist 11+ apps — 8,190+ practice questions, study notes, mock tests and flash cards covering Maths, English, Vocabulary, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning.