Best Books for Kids

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.

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.

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.

Alex, a 13-year-old boy living in Oxford, explains what Rick Riordan's books are about, why he finds them so mesmerizing, and which book you might want to start with if you're interested in reading them.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Given the development of the characters and the plot over the course of the series, it's important to read the Harry Potter books in order. The first book, The Philosopher's Stone (aka The Sorcerer's Stone in the United States), was published in 1997 as a relatively straightforward boarding school novel, but for wizards. By the time the final book in the series, The Deathly Hallows, was published a decade later, the plotlines had become complicated, the books long, and the whole saga beautifully tied together for a very satisfying finale.