Best Books for Kids
recommended by librarians, teachers, authors and kids
Last updated: May 03, 2025
We're here to help you find the right books for the children in your life, to help them start a lifelong love of reading. You can explore our interviews by reading age — from books for babies and toddlers, to preschoolers, books for 6-8 year olds, and books for 9-12 year olds, all the way through to books for teens and young adults.
If it's new children's books you're after, our children's editor has lovingly curated a list of the best kids' books of 2024, from babies through to teens. In our by kids for kids section, we have interviews with the real experts on children’s books: kids themselves.
Harry Potter Books in Order
We’ve listed all the Harry Potter books in the order they were written below, from the first book, The Philosopher’s Stone (aka The Sorcerer’s Stone in the United States), which appeared in 1997, to the final book in the series, The Deathly Hallows, a decade later, in 2007.
The Best New Books for Kids of 2024, recommended by Our Children's Editor
From gorgeous picture books to richly illustrated chapter books and novels for confident readers, our Children’s Editor Tuva Kahrs handpicks the best new books for children.
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1
Battle Angel Alita
by Yukito Kishiro -
2
The Promised Neverland
Kaiu Shirai, Posuka Demizu (illustrator) -
3
The Count of Monte Cristo
Alexandre Dumas, adapted by Crystal S. Chan, illustrated by Nokman Poon -
4
Pokémon Adventures (Red and Blue)
Hidenori Kusaka, Mato (illustrator) -
5
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
by Koyoharu Gotouge
Best Manga for Children and Teens, recommended by Oscar
Best Manga for Children and Teens, recommended by Oscar
Long associated with Japanese popular culture, manga are now found in translation across the world. In North America, this dynamic form of visual narration is overtaking comics and graphic novels in popularity. Oscar, age 13, recommends his favourite manga for children and teenagers.
The Most Beautifully Illustrated Children’s Books, recommended by Ella Beech
What makes a picture book book stand out? Ella Beech, the artist who has just completed a beautiful new edition of The Night Before Christmas for the Folio Society, talks us through some of her favourite illustrated books for kids.
Best Series for 10 Year Olds, recommended by Izzy
Everyone wants to get their kids reading, and a really gripping series is a great way of developing their inner bookworm. Izzy, a 10-year-old girl living in the UK, talks us through her favourite series for kids.
The Best Science Fiction Books for 8-12 Year Olds, recommended by Dan Smith
There needs to be a lot more sci-fi for kids, especially if it’s got a good dose of horror, argues Dan Smith, author of the sci-fi mystery series Crooked Oak. He recommends five works of science fiction for 8 to 12 year olds, from books written more than half a century ago to more recent jewels.
The Best Ocean Novels for 10-14 Year Olds, recommended by Helen Scales
Marine biologist Helen Scales reflects on the power of stories to bring all kinds of readers into the ocean realm. She recommends books for children and young adults, and explains why her selection focuses on novels for readers age 10-14.
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1
Persepolis
by Marjane Satrapi -
2
The Legend of Sally Jones
Jakob Wegelius, translated by Peter Graves -
3
Mysteries of the Quantum Universe
Thibault Damour, Mathieu Burniat, translated by Sarah-Louise Raillard -
4
Kariba
by Daniel Clarke, Daniel Snaddon & James Clarke -
5
Northern Lights - The Graphic Novel: Volume One
Philip Pullman, adapted by Stéphane Melchior, illustrated by Clément Oubrerie, translated by Annie Eaton
The Best Graphic Novels for 10-12 Year Olds, recommended by Harald
The Best Graphic Novels for 10-12 Year Olds, recommended by Harald
Even as kids become old enough to read books without pictures, reading a graphic novel is a great way to relax or get a grasp of a complex subject (like quantum physics). 11 year old Harald, an avid reader, recommends some of the best ones he’s read that other kids his age might also enjoy.
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2024, recommended by AudioFile Editors
With so many good audiobooks to choose from, it’s helpful to have a team dedicated to picking out the best ones. In the final instalment of our series of best audiobooks of 2024, we present the best ones for kids, as chosen by the editors of AudioFile magazine.
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1
All Bodies Are Wonderful
by Beth Cox & Samantha Meredith (illustrator) -
2
The Expanding World of Data
Tom Jackson, Ekaterina Gorelova & Ana Seixas (illustrators) -
3
Can You Get Rainbows in Space?
Dr Sheila Kanani, Liz Kay (illustrator) -
4
Where Are You Really From?
Adam Rutherford, Adam Ming (illustrator) -
5
Engineers Making a Difference
Dr Shini Somara, Adam Allsuch Boardman & Manuel Šumberac (illustrators) -
6
Mission: Arctic — A Scientific Adventure to a Changing North Pole
Katharina Weiss-Tuider, Christian Schneider (illustrator), translated by Shelley Tanaka
Top Science Books for Children: Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize 2024, recommended by Dorothy Bishop
Top Science Books for Children: Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize 2024, recommended by Dorothy Bishop
The Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize recognises the best science books for under 14s. Professor Dorothy Bishop, psychologist and chair of the 2024 judging panel, introduces the wonderful titles on this year’s shortlist and explains why she thinks they will inspire children to become scientists.