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Best Books for Kids and Teens » Childhood Favourites

Most Recommended Books

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

“Oliver is a boy who has escaped the workhouse and is adopted by a family of pickpockets. He’s the exception – because he’s being manipulated by the grownups…”

Ann Widdecombe, Novelist

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Browse book recommendations:

Best Books for Kids and Teens

  • Best New Children's Books
  • By Kids for Kids
  • Childhood Favourites
  • Family & Pets
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Within the interviews in this category, you’ll find children’s books, childhood favourites, and tales that have withstood the test of time and become classics of children’s and young adult literature—and more than a few lost treasures that deserve a wider audience today than they received when they were first published. They have invariably been chosen because they resonated with the expert or author being interviewed—so you can be sure that these are really good books you want your kids to read.

We have a number of eminent authors making recommendations. Cressida Cowell chooses her best magical stories for kids, Michael Morpurgo his favourite children’s books and Audrey Penn her favourite teenage books. M G Leonard chooses the best nature books for kids. Journalist Sarah Franklin chooses her best books on outsiders. Igreth the Elf, great-great-great-grandson of Ilbereth the Elf and one of the North Pole’s most senior elves, chooses his best books on elves.

    Cressida Cowell on Magical Stories for Kids

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    Cressida Cowell on Magical Stories for Kids - The Ogre Downstairs by Diana Wynne Jones

    1

    The Ogre Downstairs
    by Diana Wynne Jones

  • Read
    Cressida Cowell on Magical Stories for Kids - The Five Children and It by E Nesbit

    2

    The Five Children and It
    by E Nesbit

  • Read
    Cressida Cowell on Magical Stories for Kids - The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien

    3

    The Hobbit
    by J R R Tolkien

  • Read
    Cressida Cowell on Magical Stories for Kids - The Sword in the Stone by T H White

    4

    The Sword in the Stone
    by T H White

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    Cressida Cowell on Magical Stories for Kids - A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin

    5

    A Wizard of Earthsea
    by Ursula Le Guin

Cressida Cowell on Magical Stories for Kids

From wizards to alchemy and fairies to folklore, Cressida Cowell reveals the magical stories that were most important to her as a child (and which she now delights in sharing with her own children), and her own inspirations for writing about magic and magical worlds today.

    The best books on Elves, recommended by Igreth the Elf

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    The best books on Elves - The Elves and the Shoemaker by Jim LaMarche

    1

    The Elves and the Shoemaker
    by Jim LaMarche

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    The best books on Elves - The Nutcracker by Maurice Sendak

    2

    The Nutcracker
    by Maurice Sendak

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    The best books on Elves - Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore

    3

    Twas the Night Before Christmas
    by Clement Clarke Moore

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    The best books on Elves - Father Christmas Letters by J R R Tolkien

    4

    Father Christmas Letters
    by J R R Tolkien

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    The best books on Elves - Harvey Slumphenburger's Christmas Present by John Burningham

    5

    Harvey Slumphenburger's Christmas Present
    by John Burningham

The best books on Elves, recommended by Igreth the Elf

Elves are often misunderstood or misrepresented over the Christmas period – Christmas cracker jokes have never been kind to these tiny heroes of the festive season. Here Igreth the Elf, great-great-great-grandson of Ilbereth the Elf, sets the record straight and introduces five children’s books that celebrate the extraordinary contribution these diminutive creatures make to Christmas itself.

    The best books on Outsiders, recommended by Sarah Franklin

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    The best books on Outsiders - Danny Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

    1

    Danny Champion of the World
    by Roald Dahl

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    The best books on Outsiders - Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian

    2

    Goodnight Mr Tom
    by Michelle Magorian

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    The best books on Outsiders - Puddles in the Lane by Alan Parker

    3

    Puddles in the Lane
    by Alan Parker

  • Read
    The best books on Outsiders - Middle of the Sandwich by Tim Kennemore

    4

    Middle of the Sandwich
    by Tim Kennemore

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    The best books on Outsiders - Flambards by K M Peyton

    5

    Flambards
    by K M Peyton

The best books on Outsiders, recommended by Sarah Franklin

Children often feel that, for one reason or another, they don’t quite fit in. Fortunately, there are many books exploring that very theme. Author Sarah Franklin introduces five wonderful books about ‘outsiders.’

    The best books on Childhood Innocence, recommended by Ann Widdecombe

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    The best books on Childhood Innocence - A History of Insects by Yvonne Roberts

    1

    A History of Insects
    by Yvonne Roberts

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    The best books on Childhood Innocence - The Go-Between by L P Hartley

    2

    The Go-Between
    by L P Hartley

  • Read
    The best books on Childhood Innocence - The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling

    3

    The Jungle Books
    by Rudyard Kipling

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    The best books on Childhood Innocence - The Ghosts of Eden by Andrew J H Sharp

    4

    The Ghosts of Eden
    by Andrew J H Sharp

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    The best books on Childhood Innocence - Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

    5

    Oliver Twist
    by Charles Dickens

The best books on Childhood Innocence, recommended by Ann Widdecombe

Politician and novelist Ann Widdecombe recommends her favourite childhood books.

    Jon Burgerman on the best Playful Books for Children

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    Jon Burgerman on the best Playful Books for Children - Along the Lines: Selected Drawings of Saul Steinberg by Chris Ware

    1

    Along the Lines: Selected Drawings of Saul Steinberg
    by Chris Ware

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    Jon Burgerman on the best Playful Books for Children - Oh The Thinks You Can Think by Dr Seuss

    2

    Oh The Thinks You Can Think
    by Dr Seuss

  • Read
    Jon Burgerman on the best Playful Books for Children - Du Is Tak? by Carson Ellis

    3

    Du Is Tak?
    by Carson Ellis

  • Read
    Jon Burgerman on the best Playful Books for Children - Look! Another Book! by Bob Staake

    4

    Look! Another Book!
    by Bob Staake

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    Jon Burgerman on the best Playful Books for Children - Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry

    5

    Cars and Trucks and Things That Go
    by Richard Scarry

Jon Burgerman on the best Playful Books for Children

Whatever your age, play is how we test ideas, define rules and see if they hold. New York-based artist and author Jon Burgerman talks to Five Books about his favourite titles that encourage kids to have fun and be playful, without worry or fear of failure, and simply enjoy the limitless possibilities of imagination.

    M G Leonard recommends the best Nature Books for Kids

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    M G Leonard recommends the best Nature Books for Kids - My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell

    1

    My Family and Other Animals
    by Gerald Durrell

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    M G Leonard recommends the best Nature Books for Kids - Watership Down by Richard Adams

    2

    Watership Down
    by Richard Adams

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    M G Leonard recommends the best Nature Books for Kids - The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

    3

    The Secret Garden
    by Frances Hodgson Burnett

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    M G Leonard recommends the best Nature Books for Kids - The Animals of Farthing Wood by Colin Dann

    4

    The Animals of Farthing Wood
    by Colin Dann

  • Read
    M G Leonard recommends the best Nature Books for Kids - The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

    5

    The Wind in the Willows
    by Kenneth Grahame

M G Leonard recommends the best Nature Books for Kids

Author M G Leonard talks about the importance of getting our children engaged with the natural world. She recommends her favourite nature books for kids.

    Michael Morpurgo recommends his Favourite Children’s Books

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    Michael Morpurgo recommends his Favourite Children’s Books - The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde

    1

    The Happy Prince
    by Oscar Wilde

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    Michael Morpurgo recommends his Favourite Children’s Books - The Elephant's Child: From the Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling

    2

    The Elephant's Child: From the Just So Stories
    by Rudyard Kipling

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    Michael Morpurgo recommends his Favourite Children’s Books - The Book of Nonsense by Edward Lear

    3

    The Book of Nonsense
    by Edward Lear

  • Read
    Michael Morpurgo recommends his Favourite Children’s Books - Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

    4

    Treasure Island
    by Robert Louis Stevenson

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    Michael Morpurgo recommends his Favourite Children’s Books - The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

    5

    The Red Badge of Courage
    by Stephen Crane

Michael Morpurgo recommends his Favourite Children’s Books

The best-selling children’s author, Michael Morpurgo, says books for children need to do more than amuse their readers. He picks his own favourite books written for young people.

    Audrey Penn recommends her Favourite Teenage Books

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    Audrey Penn recommends her Favourite Teenage Books - Pollyanna by Eleanor Hodgman Porter

    1

    Pollyanna
    by Eleanor Hodgman Porter

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    Audrey Penn recommends her Favourite Teenage Books - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

    2

    Jane Eyre
    by Charlotte Brontë

  • Read
    Audrey Penn recommends her Favourite Teenage Books - Red Dory by Hazel Hutchins Wilson

    3

    Red Dory
    by Hazel Hutchins Wilson

  • Read
    Audrey Penn recommends her Favourite Teenage Books - Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

    4

    Oliver Twist
    by Charles Dickens

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    Audrey Penn recommends her Favourite Teenage Books - Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

    5

    Black Beauty
    by Anna Sewell

Audrey Penn recommends her Favourite Teenage Books

Children’s author, Audrey Penn, picks five books she loved as a teenager – all stories of struggle in the face of adversity.

    The best books on Coming of Age, recommended by Meg Rosoff

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    The best books on Coming of Age - A Separate Peace by John Knowles

    1

    A Separate Peace
    by John Knowles

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    The best books on Coming of Age - Pride and Prejudice (Book) by Jane Austen

    2

    Pride and Prejudice (Book)
    by Jane Austen

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    The best books on Coming of Age - Henry IV Part I by William Shakespeare

    3

    Henry IV Part I
    by William Shakespeare

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    The best books on Coming of Age - Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

    4

    Tess of the d’Urbervilles
    by Thomas Hardy

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    The best books on Coming of Age - All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

    5

    All the Pretty Horses
    by Cormac McCarthy

The best books on Coming of Age, recommended by Meg Rosoff

The award-winning novelist talks about coming-of-age tales, highlights the wonder of the moment when adolescents find the world suddenly leaping into focus

About

We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand interviews, or five thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

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