A LIST OF THE TOP MOST AWESOME BOOKS FOR THE BEGINNER READER — BY AGE AND GENRE
We’re living in the best time for books, story telling and publishing. If you're a reader: there's never been so much to read. If you're an author: there have never been so many places to publish you're work and find an audience. The best part about books (like with a lot of other creative fields) is that it is NOT a zero sum game for creators and readers, alike. In other words, there’s always place for more, there’s always going to be an audience, an appetite, and a desire for more stories, reading material and content in general. But this situation poses a unique problem for the avid book lover or even just someone wanting to read a book.
It’s the problem of choice — too much of it.
And, if you’re looking for children’s books, what do you read next? How do you decide what to look for? OR where to start?
Enter our list of top book recommendations, and, well, we’ve compiled a list of 121 children’s books and listed them by age and genre. Be it books for boys, books for girls or even books for the technically inclined; you'll find it here.
Before we start, here are a few notes:
A book has to be fun for the reader! The best books are the ones that keep the reader Entertained, Engaged, Inspired and Informed … and in that order. Click here to find out what books a child is most likely to love.
The below list has been compiled based on reader age and genre
Use this list of recommended books as a starting point when searching for good reading material
This holds true for the book genres and categories listed, as well. To keep it easy, the below list of categories have been simplified with some key genres clubbed
This list is compiled based on reader review’s (all have generally received 4 stars and above out of a rating of 5 stars) and their current popularity
The most famous books/ classic books have been largely left out as those can be easily found
So, let’s get to it...
121 CHILDREN’S BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
Reader Category # 1: Ages 1 to 5
Board Books/ Concept Books/ Picture Books
Humor
The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith and Katz Cowley
Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees
The Serious Goose by Jimmy Kimmel
Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang and Max Lang
The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Poetry
National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry by J. Patrick Lewis
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
My First Book of Haiku Poems: Classic Poems by Japanese Haiku Masters by Esperanza Ramirez-Christensen and Tracy Gallup
Growing Up & Facts of Life
What Should Danny Do? by Adir Levy and Ganit Levy
Seeds and Trees: A Children’s Book About the Power Of Words by Brandon Walden, Kevin & Kristen Howdeshell
National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Why (National Geographic Little Kids First Big Books) by Amy Shields
Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths
Mary Engelbreit's Nursery and Fairy Tales Collection by Mary Engelbreit
Five-Minute Stories: Over 50 Tales and Fables by Cottage Door Press
365 Bedtime Stories and Rhymes by Cottage Door Press
There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight by Penny Parker Klostermann and Ben Mantle
Nonfiction/ Education/ Reference
Stephen Hawking by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Matt Hunt
Human Body Activity Book for Kids: Hands-On Fun for Grades K-3 by Katie Stokes, M.Ed.
Reader Category # 2: Ages 6 to 8
Early Readers
Humor
Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish, Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop, Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss
The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids: 800+ Jokes! by Carole P. Roman
The Office: A Day at Dunder Mifflin Elementary by Robb Pearlman and Melanie Demmer
How to Catch a Mermaid by Adam Wallace
How to Babysit a Grandma by Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and Sheila McGraw
Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
Poetry
Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings by Shel Silverstein
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers by Fred Rogers and Luke Flowers
The Random House Book of Poetry for Children by Jack Prelutsky and Arnold Lobel
Kindness Starts With You - At School by Jacquelyn Stagg
Growing Up & Facts of Life
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate and Patricia Castelao
Dear Girl by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety (What-to-Do Guides for Kids) by Dawn Huebner, Bonnie Matthews
Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths
The Never Girls by Kiki Thorpe and RH Disney
Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm - Margaret Hunt
Little Mermaid and Other Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen
The Wonders of Nature Hardcover by Ben Hoare
Nonfiction/ Education/ Reference
Mistakes That Worked: 40 Familiar Inventions & How They Came to Be by Charlotte Foltz Jones and John O'Brien
National Geographic Readers: Robots by Melissa Stewart
National Geographic Readers: Weird Sea Creatures by Laura Marsh
An Anthology of Intriguing Animals by DK
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts
Science Fiction, Mystery & Fantasy
Trapped in a Video Game by Dustin Brady
The Boxcar Children Early Reader Set by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Pony Mysteries: Penny & Pepper by Jeanne Betancourt
Fancy Nancy: Nancy Clancy by Jane O'Connor
Unicorn Academy by Julie Sykes
Story Keeping: The Night I Became a Hero by A. R. Marshall PhD
Action & Adventure
Up the Creek! by Kevin Miller
Ballpark Mysteries by David A. Kelly
The Lost Temple (Jack Jones) by Zander Bingham
Reader Category # 3: Ages 9 to 12
Middle Grade Novels/ Chapter Books
Humor
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja by Marcus Emerson, Sal Hunter and Noah Child
I Need a New Butt! by Dawn McMillan and Ross Kinnaird
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Poetry
Imperfect: Poems About Mistakes by Tabatha Yeatts, Margarita Engle and Buffy Silverman
Poetry for Kids by Robert Frost, Jay Parini and Michael Paraskevas
It's Raining Pigs & Noodles by Jack Prelutsky and James Stevenson
Poetry for Kids by Emily Dickinson, Susan Snively and Christine Davenier
Growing Up & Facts of Life
Guts by Raina Telgemeier
Pax by Sara Pennypacker and Jon Klassen
Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhhà Lai
Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths
Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan
Wisdom Tales from Around the World by Heather Forest
Fairy & Folk Tales of Ireland by W. B. Yeats
Tales of Japan: Traditional Stories of Monsters and Magic by Chronicle Books and Kotaro Chiba
Nonfiction/ Education/ Reference
A Smart Girl's Guide: Knowing What to Say: Finding the Words to Fit Any Situation (Smart Girl's Guide To...) by Patti Kelley Criswell and Brenna Hansen
George's Secret Key by Lucy Hawking and Stephen Hawking
Kid Scientists: True Tales of Childhood from Science Superstars (Kid Legends) by David Stabler and Anoosha Syed
Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys by Cara Natterson and Micah Player
National Geographic Kids 125 True Stories of Amazing Animals by National Geographic Kids
The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden
Science Fiction, Mystery & Fantasy
The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier and Douglas Holgate
Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
The Hardy Boys by Franklin W Dixon
The Secret Lake: A Children's Mystery Adventure by Karen Inglis
Action & Adventure
DOTTY and the Calendar House Key by Emma Warner-Reed
Theodore Boone by John Grisham
Legend of the Star Runner: A Timmi Tobbson Adventure by J. I. Wagner
Reader Category # 4: Ages — 13+
Young Adult (YA) novels
Humor
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Would You Rather for Teens: The Ultimate Game Book For Teens Filled With Hilariously Challenging Questions and Silly Scenarios That The Whole Family Will Love! by Hayden Fox
It's Kind of a Funny Story Paperback by Ned Vizzinni
The Princess Diaries Kindle Edition by Meg Cabot
Try Not to Laugh Challenge Joke Book 13 Year Old Edition by Howling Moon Books and C. S. Adams
Ghost Hunters Adventure Club and the Secret of the Grande Chateau by Dr. Cecil H.H. Mills
Poetry
The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur
Poetry Speaks Who I Am: Poems of Discovery, Inspiration, Independence, and Everything Else by Elise Paschen
Every Word You Cannot Say by Iain S. Thomas
101 Famous Poems by Roy J. Cook
Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
Growing Up & Facts of Life
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas and Bahni Turpin
A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story by Linda Sue Park
Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott and Mikki Daughtry
This Was Never About Basketball by Craig Leener
Just Mercy (Adapted for Young Adults): A True Story of the Fight for Justice by Bryan Stevenson
Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
Harley Merlin and the Broken Spell: Harley Merlin by Bella Forrest
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
The Door in the Hedge: And Other Stories by Robin McKinley
Nonfiction/ Education/ Reference
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey
Stuff That Sucks: A Teen's Guide to Accepting What You Can't Change and Committing to What You Can by Ben Sedley PhD
The Teen Girl's Survival Guide: Ten Tips for Making Friends, Avoiding Drama, and Coping with Social Stress by Lucie Hemmen PhD
The Ultimate Self-Esteem Workbook for Teens: Overcome Insecurity, Defeat Your Inner Critic, and Live Confidently by Megan MacCutcheon LPC
Science Fiction, Mystery & Fantasy
The Girl Who Looked Beyond The Stars (Sheena Meyer) by L. B. Anne
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler
Asbury High and the Thief's Gamble by Kelly Brady Channick
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
A Series of Unfortunate Events Lemony Snicket
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Library of Souls, A Map of Days, and The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs
Action & Adventure
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Lord of the Flies Mass by William Golding
The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner
The Girl Who Dared to Think by Bella Forrest
Divergent Series by Veronica Roth
Bonus Recommendations (By Author)
As mentioned previously, we've left out some of the most popular books/authors from this list, for a couple of reasons: 1: They are incredibly easy to find, 2: You can pick any book by some of these authors and you'll find a solid consistency in their style, tone, pace and themes (not to mention popularity, as well). Nevertheless, we've put some of these authors in a list for you and highly recommend them for readers of all types:
Roald Dahl
David Walliams
Sudha Murthy
Jacqueline Woodson
E. B. White
Enid Blyton
Eric Carle
C. S. Lewis
J.K Rowling
J. R. R. Tolkien
In Conclusion
There are hundreds for really good children's books and authors out there and though it can seem taxing to search for the books that you (or you're child) will love, it's doesn't have to be that way. Finding the right book is a just matter spending a little time looking and above all — having fun.
Happy Reading!
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So, what are you going to read next? Do you agree with our recommendations? What other awesome books/ authors have we missed out? Go ahead, let us know by posting a reply OR popping us an email to malcolmfernandesbooks@gmail.com
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