Best Books for Kids
recommended by librarians, teachers, authors and kids
Last updated: July 02, 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. In our by kids for kids section, we have interviews with the real experts on children’s books: kids themselves.
New books for children | Award-winning books for children | Good audiobooks for road trips | Best YA audiobooks | Classic Children's Books |
Classic Children’s Books
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.
Novels for Kids Based on Fairy Tales, recommended by Cornelia Funke
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.
The Best New Books for Kids, 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.
Books Based on True Stories, recommended by Geraldine McCaughrean
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.
Best Shakespeare Books for Kids, recommended by Natasha
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 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.
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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.
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1
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
J.K. Rowling & MinaLima (illustrators) -
2
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
by J.K. Rowling & Levi Pinfold (illustrator) -
3
The Tales of Beedle the Bard
J.K. Rowling & Chris Riddell (illustrator) -
4
Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature
by Natural History Museum -
5
Harry Potter: A History of Magic
by British Library
The Best Illustrated Harry Potter Books, recommended by Our Children's Editor
The Best Illustrated Harry Potter Books, recommended by Our Children's Editor
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.
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1
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler
by E L Konigsburg -
2
Harry Potter: the Complete Series
by J.K. Rowling -
3
The London Eye Mystery
by Siobhan Dowd -
4
The Sinclair Mysteries: A Clockwork Sparrow (Book 1)
by Katherine Woodfine -
5
Lockwood and Co: The Screaming Staircase (Book 1)
by Jonathan Stroud
The best books on Kid Detectives, recommended by Robin Stevens
The best books on Kid Detectives, recommended by Robin Stevens
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.
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.
