Best Books for Kids

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.

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.

If you haven't read any books by German children's author Cornelia Funke yet, you have a treat in store. The multi-award winning writer of imaginative fiction talks us through her books and explains why fairy tales continue to fascinate her and her readers.

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.

Not all kids want to read about magic and fairytales and many have an unquenchable thirst for reading about reality. Geraldine McCaughrean talks us through five of her own books and recommends five by other writers that were inspired by true stories.

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.

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.

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.

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.