Five Scottish books for younger readers to celebrate World Book Day including Wee Unicorn

Whether you're looking for picture books or recommendations for reluctant teenagers, here are five Scottish books to try.

Wee Unicorn, by Meg McLaren

Getting children engaged in reading can be challenging, and it can be hard to find titles which are enticing enough to catch their eye.

With so many titles to choose from it can be hard to find the right book for a reluctant reader, but sometimes starting closer to home can help.

No matter how old or young, there is a book out there for them and with World Book Day on Thursday, March 7 we've selected a few to help.

Here are five Scottish books for younger readers, from picture books to teenage coming of age tales.

Wee Unicorn by Meg McLaren

Suitable for even the youngest of children, Meg McLaren’s Wee Unicorn is a beautifully illustrated picture book with an important message about finding friendship and embracing differences. Set at the very edge of the Ancient Forest in the north, the book follows the Wee Unicorn, who is loud and distinctly unmagical as she finds friendship in the most unlikely of places.

Wheesht by Susi Briggs

Illustrated by William Gorman, Susi Briggs’ Wheest is a Scots language tale about Shug, a dog who loves to sing. So much so, that his family can’t sleep and are constantly telling him to “haud his wheest”. The funny book includes a Scots glossary at the back making it an excellent way to introduce lots of new Scots words.

An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures by Theresa Breslin and Kate Leiper

Theresa Breslin OBE worked with illustrator Kate Leiper to bring this book of Scottish creatures to life. Suitable for children aged 9-11, An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures is full of traditional tales expertly retold.

The Rewilders by Lindsay Littleson

Lindsay Littleson’s The Rewilders follows Esme, a young girl who is annoyed to be sent to her gran’s for the weekend – until, she discovers that Cora, the abandoned kitten her Gran found is a wild lynx kit. Now growing rapidly, Esme ends up on a dangerous mission to rewild the creature in the Highlands with the help of the school’s bad boy Calum Docherty and Shug, the world’s worst guard dog.

Duck Feet by Ely Percy

Duck Feet by Ely Percy is a funny and authentic coming of age story which captures a teenager's experience of growing up in working class Scotland. It follows Kirsty Campbell during her time at Renfrew Grammar School and covers topics from drugs and teen pregnancy to bullying and sexuality with compassion and dark humour. It was named Scotland’s Book of the Year in 2021 and is only suitable for older teen readers.