The Best Books for Children by Raymond Huber © 2009

1. The Power of Books
2. What is a ‘good’ book?
3. The Classics
4. Best Picture Books
5. Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi
6. Books for Boys
7. Realistic Fiction
8. Lists by Age Group

A Lump of Coal

“I’ve got a lump of coal on my shelf,” a child said to me recently. It was one of those comments that make reviewing worthwhile. She meant A Lump of Coal by Lemony Snicket (a bizarre and wonderful Christmas book) which I’d raved about. The love of reading is one of the simplest, most influential gifts we can give our children. As a teacher I think it’s as important to transmit a love of good books to children as it is to teach them how to read. I’ve reviewed thousands of children’s books, and here are my best of the best.

1- The Power of Books

‘Perhaps it is only in childhood that books have any deep influence on our lives,’ – Graham Greene
In a world that offers a child so many digital delights, why bother with dusty blocks of wood-pulp? Because books give us something more lasting…

Books help children understand the world
Books expose children to new ideas – help them to form and re-form their world view. In good literature, children discover the wide world. In books, more than any other medium, there is a meeting of minds. Minds from far off places and times, good and evil, rich and poor.
Eg. In Parvana by Deborah Ellis, the reader becomes an girl who must disguise herself as a boy to survive growing up under Taliban rule in Afghanistan. It allows children to walk in her shoes.

Books help children understand themselves
The fantasy writer Ursula K Le Guin said that  ‘ we read books to find out who we are.’ In Childhood, personalities are being shaped– children ask (subconsciously at least), ‘who do I want to be like? Why am I feeling this?’ Stories give a frame of reference by which to measure experiences.
In his witty memoir, The Child That Books Built, Francis Spufford explains how books shape us: ‘There are times when a particular book dropped into our minds when they were exactly ready for it, like a saturated solution, and suddenly we were changed.’
My all time favourite?  The brilliant children’s novel The Daydreamer by Ian MacEwan. In one chapter, a boy discovers a way to cut the school bully down to size using  only the power of the mind. Children reading this will gain insight into their own fears (as well as the bully).

Books develop children’s imagination
‘ At their best, they (books) expand horizons and instill in children a sense of the wonderful complexity of life – Michele Landsberg.
Reading enables us to access complex visual pathways in the brain– in other words, to imagine. TV and digital media offer ready-made imagery: pictures served up by someone else. Screen images don’t trigger the same pathways in the brain; and are less likely to engage us in deeper thinking.
The fantasy novel Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel is so convincing in its detail, the reader can almost believe that there’s a society of intelligent bats with their own religion, music and language.
A rich imagination can also enrich the real world. C S Lewis said that ‘ children do not despise real woods because they have read of enchanted woods; the reading makes all woods a little enchanted.’
Good children’s literature is also a gateway to unique experiences: visit a parallel world (Narnia); play a living board-game (Jumanji); befriend a monster (Shrek); or fight a galactic war ( Ender’s Game).

Books develop language
Thank you, thank you Dr Seuss – for using rhyme and repetition with such panache. In Green Eggs and Ham he used a 50 word vocabulary to create a masterpiece that’s a fun story and a language builder.
Books are an essential part of a child’s language development. The brain has billions of neurons which connect with each other– that’s over a trillion connection points! When a child reads, these connections ‘fire’ –  and turn  experience  into language. No wonder  reading ignites the imagination.

The more reading, the more active the network of connections, and the stronger the ability to learn language, solve problems and create. An keen reader is likely to do better in all aspects of education.

Books are enjoyable.
Learning to read is not enough; a child must want to read – because it’s enjoyable. The child who chooses to read for pleasure is forming a wonderful habit for life. How do parents encourage this desire? By providing good books.
And how absorbing a good book is –nothing can resist its power. Not sleep, TV , or talking. Books like Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell are so exciting they demand to be finished in one sitting. There’s also great pleasure for parents in reading aloud books with children.

2- What is a Good Book?

The answer is partly a matter of taste, but I think it’s also possible to define a ‘good’ book. I mean ‘good’ in the sense of high standards –  writing and illustration, like any art, can be critically evaluated. Junk books (like junk food) have a place, but it is high quality books that nourish. And like wholemeal bread, a good book requires more digestion.

A good book has imaginative writing (and/or illustration), compelling characters, a great story and enriching themes.

Good Writing
‘A sentence which keeps its feet clean from beginning to end is good.’
–Janet Frame.
The language used in a good children’s book should be rich in imagery and invention. It’s a  misconception that writing for children is easier than writing for adults: children’s books must combine economy, style and narrative drive– no easy task.
Consider the tension deftly conveyed in opening of Charlotte’s Web by EB White:
“Where’s Papa going with that axe?’ said Fern to her mother.
“Out to the hoghouse,’ replied Mrs Arable.

The characters in a children’s story must be engaging.
Dominic by William Steig is a novel about a free-spirited dog. He’s a classic children’s literature character in the mold of Dorothy who explored Oz. Steig’s animals talk about the death of friends, choice, love and wonder. He doesn’t dumb down the language yet gives children clues for them to understand challenging words.

The plot must grab the attention – it must be original with strong pacing.
Perhaps above all the writer must have a great story to tell– and tell it with a directness appropriate to the age level.
It’s hard to imagine a more compelling first chapter than in Drift by William Mayne, a gripping novel for young teens. The opening chapter hurls the reader into a dramatic of scene –  two children are stranded in a hut on a dissolving ice floe – with an angry bear!

Good Themes
A good book can enrich a child’s understanding of life.
The Three Questions by Leo Tolstoy is a picture book version of a classic (from Twenty-Three Tales) . It attempts to answer some of life’s deepest questions: what should I do? where should I live? who should I be with? Being Tolstoy, the answers given here are of a most practical, compassionate kind: ‘ The most important one is always the one you are with.’

A good book can help a child to explore values.
The Windsinger trilogy by William Nicholson (Mammoth) is a multi-layered fantasy that surpasses Harry Potter in themes. It’s set in a society where to progress, a family must pass exams; it’s also adventure across bizarre landscapes to find the key to freedom. An attack on the education system and a highly original plot.

A good book can enlarge a child’s view of the world.
What was it like to be a black child in Mississippi in the 1930s? Well written fiction can take the reader there. Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor is the story of a family that fights against extreme prejudice. Told through a child’s eyes, it’s an incredibly moving story of hardship, but with a foundation of hope that is so essential in children’s fiction.

Good Pictures
Illustrations are works of art. A good picture will utilize the artist’s tools: colour, line, perspective, shape and composition.
Eg. The classic picture book Millions of Cats by Wanda G’ag is a design masterpiece about a cat plague. Wonderful flowing lines lead the reader’s eye on a suspenseful journey with a feline army. Black and white adds atmosphere and focus.

The pictures must also evoke the mood of the story. Read anything by Chris Van Allsburg to get the picture.

3- The Classics

‘A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity, and once more in old age’, said the great novelist Robertson Davies. He’s right. Each time you read a classic, you get something different from it. As a child I loved the bizarre creatures in Moominpappa at Sea by Tove Jannson. As a 40-something adult I was delighted to discover that it was also about a father’s mid-life crisis.
A good book is likely to be well loved by both children and adults– and if it endures over time it may become a classic. The classic children’s books provide an imaginative experience that it would be a shame to miss in childhood. But what makes a book like Pinocchio stay fresh, while others such as The Water Babies have dated?
A classic can be a book with an original concept –challenging the models of its time. Alice in Wonderland (1865) by Lewis Carroll was the first children’s novel to create a complete fantasy world. Children’s books before then were grim religious or moral lessons with titles such as ‘An Exact Account of the Conversion, Holy Lives and Joyful Deaths of Several Young Children.’
A true classic won’t gather dust- it’s read by generation after generation. The language should not be too dated. Kipling’s Just So Stories are still wonderful read alouds.
A classic will have a strong style of writing or illustration that sets it apart. The pictures of Dr Seuss were considered quirky in the 1930s – he had 28 rejections before his first book was accepted.
A classic appeals at all ages and stages. The Lord of the Rings consistently tops the most popular book lists for adults.

1845-1900
Struwwelpeter (1845) by Heinrich Hoffman (Belitha Press) poked fun at the dreary moral stories of its time. The gruesome rhymes are cautionary tales warning children not to play with matches, lean back on chairs or mistreat animals. Hoffman’s pictures are amazing– most unforgettable is ‘the great, long, red-legg’d scissor-man’ who visits children who suck their thumbs.
The King of the Golden River (1851) by John Ruskin is a unique fairy tale with a powerful message. Three brothers are farmers who exploit the environment and are cursed by a mysterious dwarf. They are tested with situations that require self-sacrifice- but only one brother shows compassion. Children will love the clear cut justice and adults will see this is about the major flaw in Capitalism.
The Light Princess (1864) by George Macdonald is a perfectly plotted story with humour, twists and a nasty witch. A princess is cursed by having her gravity removed, in both senses of the word. She floats physically and has a callous lightness of heart– cracking jokes even when a noble prince sacrifices his life.

Pinocchio (1882) by Carlo Collodi is a wonderful creation: the puppet-boy has become the archetype of the disobedient child.  The writing has clarity and the language has barely dated. A fantasy plots blends with real life rustic Italy. The modern version to look for has incredible illustrations by Roberto Innocenti. Avoid edited ‘Disneyfied’ versions which sap the life out.
The last lines of The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde (1888) reduce me to tears. A gilded statue is willingly stripped of his wealth to feed the poor. A timeless story.

1900-1950
E. Nesbit was the JK Rowling of her time. Many of her fantasies are still accessible. Five Children and It (1902) concerns a sand-fairy who grants three wishes a day. Naturally, the wishes all backfire: gold brings misery, power begets violence and vanity brings rejection. But overall it’s more fun than moralistic. Nesbit established a formula followed ever since: the intrusion of magic into the real world.
Just So Stories (1902) by Rudyard Kipling are invented animal folklore. The language has repetition and funny characters for younger listeners and wit for older children. A weird mix of African, Indian and Victorian imagery.
The Narnia books by C.S. Lewis (1950s) are a remarkable creation. There are some religious symbols (Aslan as Saviour; the Last Battle as Armageddon), but rather than being preachy, they enrich the plots with life and death situations.

Calico The Wonder Horse by Virginia Lee Burton (1941) is my favourite picture book. It’s a western about a gang of Bad Men who try and steal Christmas presents. Burton’s illustrations are always remarkable; full of swooping lines and dramatic scenes. Clear cut morality and action.

1950+
The Moominland books by Tove Jannson are a whimsical combination of beguiling pictures, adult undertones and childlike wonder making these my all time fantasy favourites. And those bizarre characters: the electrifying Hattifatteners, the frozen Groke, sweet Snork Maiden and the hippy Snufkin. The tiny characters face apocalyptic odds.
The Borrowers by Mary Norton  is a very English series of fantasy novels that survives because of strong characters. This family story has a miniature race of humans living struggling to survive under the floorboards.
Leon Garfield was the leading writer of children’s historical fiction in the 50s and 60s. Black Jack is a macabre tale that has a cracker opening: Young Tolly is bound to the body of a freshly hanged murderer who revives and kidnaps the boy. He takes Tolly on a journey through Old London town meeting bizarre characters.

4- Best Picture Books

‘To be an illustrator is to a participant, someone who has something equally important to say as the writer.’
Maurice Sendak

Picture books are a marriage of text and illustration- they should both support and spark off each other. Illustrations should make full use of the artist’s tools- colour, line, perspective and framing. The plot should be tightly focused, especially for younger children.

Max’s Bath by Barbro Lindgren is a perfect example of a first book for young children. Max dumps his toys and food in the tub and  then tries to bath the dog. This single incident is told in a few words which give just enough support.
I Went Walking by Sue Machin is a great book for preschoolers. The words are very basic yet they incorporate essential English: repetition, questions, rhymes and humour. The watercolours by Julie Vivas are beautifully shaped.
My Dad by Anthony Browne is a child’s catalogue of how a typical dad (in ubiquitous dressing gown) deals with life’s tricky situations.
Rats by Gavin Bishop is a spectacular modern folk tale that homages The Pied Piper. Miss Polly Piper’s house is overrun by rats that use it as a playground. A mysterious cat lures them away to the mountains but the rats find a way back. Bishop’s large scale illustrations are rich in humour, artistic flourishes and sly references.
Pigtails the Pirate by David Elliot is a work of art. It has spectacular use of colour and perspective in the illustrations. In this fantasy, a girl sails into stormy seas in search of her father. She rescues him from a giant in this gentle tale.
Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers is visual poetry.  A very small boy is followed by a lost penguin. He embarks on a perilous voyage to return it to the South Pole. A sweet message at the end.
Almost too scary is The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Catcher by Molly Bang. An old woman is pursued by a freaky cloaked creature who is after her strawberries. The artwork has surreal colours, there’s suspense and an upbeat ending.
The Findus books by Sven Nordquist are brilliant picture books with detailed illustrations that are comic genius at times. My favourite is When Findus was Little and Disappeared- utterly charming.
A growing baby evolves into a screeching vulture, to a clumsy elephant, a warthog, and finally a hairy adolescent monster. Zagazoo by Quentin Blake ingeniously reflects the stages of childhood using an animal metaphor. The surprise ending is  poignant and hilarious. This is Blake at his wise and witty best.
The story within a story is taken to extremes in Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book by Julia Donaldson. Inside each of Charlie’s books is a story about characters who have favourite books. We sample adventures, ghost stories and fairy tales until it completes a loop, arriving at the beginning again.
Duck, Death and the Tulip by Wolf Erlbruch is a remarkable book about dying. Death is pursuing duck and they strike up a touching friendship. Avoids dogma and gently suggests we must all ‘befriend’ death.
Erika’s Story by Ruth Vander Zee is an outstanding picture book about the Holocaust. It’s the true story of a Jewish child born in 1944 when her family were transported to death camps. The mother throws her baby from the train and it’s rescued by a German family. Roberto Innocenti’s chilling paintings give the story great visual power
Maurice Sendak may be the greatest of all picture book creators. His sophisticated book  Outside Over There is a tale about childhood separation that features a very scary baby. Surreal.
Golem by David Wisniewski is a brilliantly illustrated fable about the effects of power. This ancient Jewish myth about the creation of a super-man that goes on a rampage is always relevant for the Middle East.
There’s a Hair in My Dirt by Gary Larsen is a cartoon-style ‘dig’ at the environment. Larsen uses Disney-like animals to show nature is really quite heartless.
John Howe’s magnificent  Jack and the Beanstalk is worth seeking out. Towering cumulus clouds, a precipitous beanstalk, and a vertigo-inducing castle are marvels of perspective.

5- Best Fantasy

“ The best of fantasy offers not an escape away from reality, but an escape to a heightened reality- a world at once more vivid and intense.’
– J R R Tolkien

The great New Zealand fantasist Margaret Mahy said that one of the functions of fantasy ‘is to mediate between us and naked existence’– to give us a place of reflection. Fantasy has the most potential for exploring society and ideology at a child’s level.
But  fantasy is not just ‘making things up’. There must be an internal logic and consistency in the setting. The Lord of the Rings set the benchmark. Before writing it, Tolkien spent years designing a world with its own language, geography, history and mythology.

Junior Fantasy
Charlotte’s Web by EB White is consistently voted (by children) the most popular junior fantasy book. The language is simple; the fantasy convincing; the characters likeable; and it evokes a personal response.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman is a reminder of the deeper wisdom of fairy tales. A girl finds a mysterious doorway that gives her access to a parallel family with creepy parents (with buttons for eyes). When Coraline is trapped in this world, she must use her wits to save her real family.
Animal fantasy is a difficult genre to pull off. It can’t be too cute or older children won’t touch it; and the animal behaviours must be consistent with the natural world. Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel is a brilliant creation. It’s the epic journey of a rejected bat on a quest to find his father while pursued by vampire bats. The imagined world has an internal logic, combining bat biology with well developed characters.
The Redwall books by Brian Jacques (Red Fox) are a compulsive read about a community of mice living in an abbey. The medieval setting and some choice baddies make these enjoyable.
Carolyn McCurdie’s  The Unquiet is a strikingly original novel. It has an apocalyptic opening when the planet Pluto and parts of the Earth simply vanish. A small town girl has a gift for sensing unrest in the fabric of the universe; and she becomes one of the focal points in a mysterious fantasy  battle.
Brilliant Australian writer Garth Nix is the creator of a fabulous series of fantasy books called The Keys to the Kingdom. Some amazing imagination here in the style of Gormenghast.

Senior Fantasy
There’s an impressive mix of fantasy, science fiction, and action in the novel Siberia by Ann Halaam (Orion). It begins in a frozen camp for political prisoners where a girl and her mother hide a incredible treasure – a box of substances containing the genetic material of all wild animal species on Earth. The novel was inspired by the true story of a huge seedbank in Russia which scientists protected during the Second World War. An environmental message that couldn’t be more timely.
Novels that speculate about an after-life are rare in children’s literature. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin is an inventive novel about a sixteen year old girl who dies. She begins a new ‘life’ in a place called Elsewhere– a kind of heaven where people get younger and animals can talk. Ideas about the soul and rebirth are explored and the girl eventually returns to Earth as a baby.
Skellig by David Almond is the strange story of a derelict man who is found in a shed. His behaviour becomes less and less human; is he an animal or a supernatural being? Fantasy and human drama come together in a story that has a poetic touch.
Isabel Allende’s trilogy for teenage readers is steeped in mystical happenings and exotic locations. City of the Beasts takes 16 year old Alex to the Amazon in search of a legendary monster. There is plenty of Indiana Jones-style jungle action and some sweaty villains. The production and design is superb.
Riding Tycho by Jan Mark is about a repressive island community. Women are little more that slaves in this subsistence society. There’s a great revelation that turns the story on it’s head.

Science Fiction

Sci-fi is closely related to fantasy. Fantasy invokes the super-natural – sci-fi invokes scientific ideas or technology. Science fiction has it’s origins in the social change of the 1800s (the Age of Industrialisation). Early sci-fi novels successfully predicted nuclear weapons, space travel, credit cards and genetic engineering –aliens and time travellers have failed to materialise so far.

Jules Verne is the 19th century writer with the best record for prediction; with early descriptions of the supertelescope, a spaceship launched from Florida, submarine voyages, and a television-telephone invention.
The House of Scorpion by Nancy Farmer is a mind expanding futuristic thriller about social change caused by genetic engineering. Although the story touches on ethics, it is also strong on character.
After an outbreak of a deadly disease, New Zealand becomes the first country to use an implant that monitors a person’s health and adds corrective chemicals. Penelope Todd’s novel, Box, speculates about the use of drugs to control the population. Credible teenage characters.
A Wrinkle in Time quartet by Madeleine L’Engle is a classic of science fiction. The four books mix science, spirituality and politics as children battle the forces of evil in many forms.
The Ormingat trilogy  by Sylvia Waugh  is a wonderful science fiction  series  There are aliens living in suburban England, who are doing a survey on humanity. Problems arise when the ‘earthborn’ aliens become attached to us and want to remain here to live.

A novel for high schoolers is Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. Ender is a gifted child recruited to fight a galactic war. He joins other teens in a battleschool. The story has an astonishing ending that raises questions about childhood, the concept of  ‘just’ war and loyalty.

6-  Books for Boys

‘ A good book for a boy is one that takes him to places he has never imagined and shows him things that dazzle his mind.’
James Maloney

Our school system tends to lump boys and girls together, but boys develop at a different rate– they usually learn to read later than girls. Many boys feel this delay keenly and may become reluctant readers.  In his excellent book, Boys and Books, James Maloney suggests that boys see reading as a female preoccupation– so it’s vital that fathers read to their sons, and that fathers are seen reading for pleasure.
Many boys go through a phase of ‘digital addiction’ in their teens; but a boy who’s been raised on stories early enough will return to them later. Books that can capture the attention of boys are to be valued. Boys are often hooked by non-fiction, comic books, puzzle books, picture books, biography and science fiction.

Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo is a wonderful modern day Robinson Crusoe novel. A 12 year old boy is swept off a yacht and washes up on an island. When he can’t find food or water he prepares to die; but then he meets an old Japanese soldier.
The Hatchet series by Gary Paulsen are the ultimate survival tales about a boy in a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness. He must learn to hunt and trap animals or quickly perish. Completely convincing.
True Stories of The Second World War by Paul Dowswell is a collection that young males will find gripping. These dramatic tales include duels, heroic rescues and war machines.  One of the most inspiring is the story of Raoul Wallenberg who saved nearly one hundred thousand Jews.
Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin is an incredible story of the determination of a boy to escape from grinding poverty and despair.  Eleven year old Li grew up in the 60’s and 70’s when Mao’s Cultural Revolution was ravaging China. He became a famous ballet dancer and eventually escaped to the West.

In Sea of Mutiny Ken Catran successfully debunks the Captain Bligh myths of the famous Mutiny on the Bounty. It is a story of exploitation and rebellion, but also a remarkable survival adventure. This true survival tale is second only to Shackleton’s open boat adventure.

How do you write a children’s story about the trenches of World War One? Lord of the Nutcracker Men by Iain Lawrence (Collins) features a child re-enacting the battles with toys. Johnny’s father is fighting in France from where he sends his son an army of wooden soldiers. Walks a masterful line between fantasy and reality.
‘I use to have a birthday’ said Uncle Trev, ‘but I gave it away.’ Just one of the many bizarre tall tales spun by a classic character. The Uncle Trev books by Jack Lasenby are witty short stories inspired by storytelling relatives and deer cullers.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick mimics the style of a movie: half is drawings, presenting the action like a film strip. Hugo lives in a Paris train station where he meets a mysterious old man with an interest in mechanical toys. With the help of a bookish girl, he discovers a pioneer of early movies. A handsomely designed book.

Jack Lasenby’s Travellers quartet is set after an environmental holocaust has forced people to live in nomadic  groups. A survival adventure as the hero Taur travels to the frozen south. Lasenby’s writing has the power of myth.

Nips X1 – Ruth Starke  funny and empowering story of a group of Asian children who form a cricket team.  It touches on cultural barriers faced by migrant children.

7- Realistic Fiction

Bridge To Terebithia by Katherine Paterson is a classic of realistic fiction. A boy from a deprived family befriends a fiercely independent girl. Their friendship grows through several crises until a heart-rending ending. The characters are extremely convincing.

Anne Fine is a great humourist (best known for Madame Doubtfire).  The More the Merrier is a funnier novel about the stress of family reunions at Christmas. The oddball relatives include a savage Granny, sickeningly cute cousins and an uncle who throws spuds at the cat. Children will love the naughty humour and adults will fully appreciate the satire.

The 10 pm Question by Kate de Gold is a quirky and funny coming-of-age story. You will warm to the central character, 12 year old Frankie,  with his worries and eccentric family.

No Safe Harbour by David Hill is a riveting account of the Wahine sinking in Wellington harbour, highlighting the courage of individuals. Hill writes sensitively, emphasising the human response to a disaster.

A Respectable Girl by Fleur Beale is an historical novel with enormous sweep, ranging from New Zealand to Victorian England. 15 year old Hannah is expected to be a respectable young lady but she’s too feisty and free-thinking. Dark secrets haunt her family, so she travels to London to discover the truth.

Looking For Alibrandi by  Melina Marchetta is a teenage story which has all the elements they enjoy including school humour, relationship issues, death, family stuff and a mystery. Wise and realistic.

The Other Side of Silence by Margaret Mahy is a mesmerizing character study of a twelve year old who has chosen not to speak and buries herself in reading . Her ‘real life’ is with her family but her ‘true life’ is deep within. The fairy tales seem to come to life when she explores the sinister house next door.
David Almond’s novels are always a challenging treat. The Fire Eaters is set in 1962 when the Cuban missile crisis threatened. The fire eater is a deranged showman who becomes a symbol of destruction. Almond stresses the love of family and the importance of having  faith.

8- More Great Books – by Age Group

Ages 0-5
Are You My Mother by PD Eastman
Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
Curious George by H A Rey
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
The Nativity by Julie Vivas
Olivia by Ian Falconer
Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr Seuss
The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Gavin Bishop
Emily’s Wonderful Pie by Jane Cornish

Ages 5-6
The Kuia and the Spider by Patricia Grace
Where the Forest Meets the Sea by Jeanne Baker
Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young
Flat Stanley by Mark Brown
The Three Robbers by Tomi Ungerer
Ottoline books by Chris Riddell
The Quigleys- Simon Mason
Badger’s Parting Gift by Susan Varley
Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag
How Maui Slowed the Sun by Peter Gossage
Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel

Ages 7-8
The Lorax by Dr Seuss
War and Peas by Michael Foreman
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
A is For Arrgh! by Frank Rogers
Zoom by Istvan Banyai
Beware of the Storybook Wolves by Lauren Child
Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf by Catherine Storr
The Mouse and his Motorcycle  by Beverley Cleary
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Iron Man by Ted Hughes
With My Knife by Andrew Lansdown

Ages 9-10
Grinny by Nicholas Fisk
Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix
Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbit
Clockwork by Philip Pulman
How to Write Really Badly by Anne Fine
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
No Way of Telling by Emma Smith
Lion Boy trilogy by Zizou Corder
Sadako by Eleanor Coerr

Ages 11-12
The White Mountains by John Christopher
Flour Babies by Anne Fine
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin
Dead Man’s Head by Jack Lasenby
Prydian series (5) Lloyd Alexander
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
The Silver Sword by Ian Serrailier
Under the Mountain by Maurice Gee

Ages 13+
Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by E G Speare
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
Watermark trilogy by Penelope Todd
Memory by Margaret Mahy
High Tide by Anna McKenzie