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Books for Kids

These eight books suit readers of about 8 to 12, with a mix of classics and newer favorites. They include two fantasy adventures, a desert mystery, a World War II story and some warm family tales.

Gift ideas

  • The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

    C.S. Lewis

    Siblings sent to a country house find a wardrobe that opens onto Narnia, where talking animals and a White Witch are waiting. Great for reading aloud together.

  • The Penderwicks

    Jeanne Birdsall

    Four sisters, their father and their big dog spend a summer in a cottage on an estate. A warm, funny family story and the start of a series.

  • Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow

    Jessica Townsend

    Morrigan Crow is cursed to die on her eleventh birthday until a stranger whisks her off to a magical city. An inventive, funny start to a series.

  • The Secret Garden

    Frances Hodgson Burnett

    Orphaned Mary Lennox is sent to her uncle's huge house in Yorkshire, where she finds a locked garden. A gentle classic about friendship and fresh air.

  • Holes

    Louis Sachar

    Stanley Yelnats is sent to a camp in the desert where every boy must dig a hole each day. Short chapters and a good mystery suit a reader who needs a quick start.

  • The Lightning Thief

    Rick Riordan

    Percy Jackson, a troubled twelve-year-old, finds out his father is a Greek god and that he is accused of a theft. A fast, funny way into Greek myths.

  • Number the Stars

    Lois Lowry

    In Copenhagen in 1943, ten-year-old Annemarie helps shelter her Jewish friend Ellen from the Nazis. A short, serious novel for a child ready to learn about World War II.

  • Anne of Green Gables

    L.M. Montgomery

    A talkative, imaginative orphan arrives on Prince Edward Island and slowly wins over her new family and neighbors. Funny and warm, for a child who likes a big personality.

How to choose

Match the book to the child's age and stamina, not just to the cover. For roughly 8 and 9, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Penderwicks are easy starts and read aloud well. For about 10 to 12, Nevermoor, The Lightning Thief and Holes move fast. The Secret Garden and Anne of Green Gables are older classics with long sentences, so they suit a patient reader. Number the Stars is short but serious.

Check the content for your own child, since children differ. Number the Stars is set during the Nazi occupation of Denmark, with fear and danger. Holes includes bullying, racism and killings in its backstory. The Lightning Thief and Nevermoor have monsters and peril.

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