Best Books for Kids

There is a big gap between the books adults think kids should read and the books children actually enjoy, says Georgina Atwell, founder of Toppsta, the book website centred on children’s opinions. She recommends the best children's books of 2025 based on feedback from young readers, from a universally loved picture book to immersive novels for confident readers.

From gigantic plant eaters to terrifying carnivores, dinosaurs and the long-lost worlds they inhabited capture the imaginations of children everywhere. Because it's such a popular topic, there are vast numbers of dinosaur books for kids out there. Our Children’s Editor talked to Daniel (age 6) and Caleb (age 7), two young dinosaur book enthusiasts, to find out which ones they have really enjoyed, and would like to recommend to other kids their age and younger.

Do you love to solve a mystery? Do the twists and turns in the plot of a classic whodunit thrill you? Robin Stevens, award-winning author of the bestselling Murder Most Unladylike series, talks us through her favourite kid detectives and the murderously good books from which they come to life.

Biographies are a great way for kids to feel inspired by people who have achieved extraordinary things. And by enabling children to see the world through other people’s eyes, biographies can introduce them to different times and places, helping to broaden their perspectives. Here is a selection of biographies for kids that have been recommended on Five Books. 

Entering the magical world of Harry Potter is a wonderful gift for any child, and finding a beautiful edition can be an important part of the journey. Here, our Children's Editor selects personal favourites among the most beautiful Harry Potter books and recommends the best gift editions.

From the lessons in logic embedded in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to the lore that J.R.R. Tolkien tried to create in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, there is more to many iconic books than a good story for kids. Here's our roundup of some of the children's classics that have been recommended on Five Books over the years.

Are you longing to get your children as excited about Shakespeare as you are? There's a lot of books out there to introduce kids to the Bard. Here, Natasha, a 10-year old living in Oxfordshire, recommends some of her favourite retellings of Shakespeare stories.

The Royal Society Young People's Book Prize celebrates the best new science books for kids. Professor Tamsin Mather, Earth scientist and chair of the 2025 judging panel, introduces this year’s shortlist and explains how scientific storytelling can awaken children’s sense of exploration of the world around them.

Wordless picture books give the reader the power to tell the story and are immersive and enjoyable at any age, argues Evelyn Arizpe, Professor of Children’s Literature at the University of Glasgow. Here, she shares five of her favourite wordless picture book recommendations, and gives readers tips on how to explore their layers of meaning.

2023 has been a particularly strong year for eye-catching and engaging children's nonfiction, but as usual our list is dominated by novels for middle grade readers (8-12 year olds). We have also made sure to include plenty of excellent picture books for younger readers, as well as some graphic novels.