It's often advised, as part of a query letter to agents or publishers, to list a few contemporary books that you can liken your own to - mostly to show that you have researched the market and know that your own work will fit in. My problem is that I have no access to English bookshops or libraries (I live in France) and so I can't browse the shelves to keep an eye on what's out there. Can anyone recommend a way of doing this online? A sort of virtual bookshelf of current popular works, adults and children?
I think agents and publishers would acknowledge that more books are bought from online sellers than traditional bookshops these days, so not having access to a bookshop shouldn't be a problem.
There are lots of online booksellers (not just Amazon) so if you particularly want to look at book sellers in the UK you could check out UK companies, e.g. WHSmith. Their website shows children's books in rank order of bestselling so you'll know that you're not inviting an agent/publisher to compare your work to someone who's self-published and sold three copies.
As well as reviews on Goodreads (which I've found to be dominated by American reviewers), you could also have a look at the website 'An Awfully Big Blog Adventure' - they have links to reviews.
Best of luck with your research!
I would research the best-selling authors in your genre, and find out what agents or agencies represent them.
Goodreads. They have lists of current popular works from across all genres.