A selection of titles at levels Dark Blue, Dark Red, Black and Black+ for readers in Upper KS2.

Book band colours typically follow a progression from easiest to most difficult, though there can be slight variations between publishers with year group correlations. Here's a common sequence:

• Dark Blue Book Band (Expected Year 5, Aged 9–10): More complex sentence structures and advanced vocabulary.
• Dark Red/Black Book Band (Expected/Confident Year 6, Aged 10–11): These represent the highest levels for confident readers, featuring challenging vocabulary, complex themes, and minimal to no illustrations.

Take a look at our Book Bands Chart to see details of emerging, expected and confident exceeding levels for each age and year group. Children will work through the levels during the school year so it’s important not to worry about gaining each level but to promote reading enjoyment and discuss any concerns with their teacher.

At School Bargain Bookshop, we provide discounted books for students and bargain books collections curated by our experienced team. We offer these at reduced prices, helping schools stretch their budget further.

The books shown will not necessarily be included in your pack but they give a flavour of the selection.