10 Books Every Child Should Read

These are some amazing children’s books that are the best and most necessary to read for a child. All of these have been pivotal stories for me as a child and I hope others agree! I mean… worst comes to worst at least watch the movies, especially is there is a Disney version made!

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The Faraway Tree A Series by Enid Blyton 

These were my favourite set of books when I was younger as they were full of magic and adventures. I used to listen to them on tapes before I went to sleep at night for years. There are four books in the series: The Enchanted Wood, The Magic Faraway Tree, The Folk of the Faraway Tree, and Up the Faraway Tree. The characters were so iconic and they became apart of some of the best memories of my childhood.

The story follows three children, Jo Beth and Fannie, who climb the Faraway Tree and find many magical creatures that live in it and lands in the clouds.
Enid Blyton The Magic Faraway Tree Collection 4 Books Box Set Pack (Up The Faraway Tree, The Magic Faraway Tree, The Folk of the Faraway Tree, The Enchanted Wood)

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

For a bit of mystery and misery, A Series of Unfortunate Events is a great set of books to read. It is quite long with 12 books but the stories are amazing demonstrated by the various adaptations into movie and Netflix TV series. This series is really good if you want a story that you can follow for a long time.

I loved these books when I was at primary school and I think they were really good for children who want to read something that is a bit longer. A great story to follow for more challenging reading.
A Series of Unfortunate Events Collection

Harry Potter A Series by J. K. Rowling

One of the most famous children’s author is J. K. Rowling and for a good reason. The Harry Potter Series is extremely popular for its magic and exploration and hundreds of more difficult themes such as death, loss and courage. I do not find myself in need to explain the plot of Harry Potter but I believe its appeal lies in the relevance and possibilities of magic and adventure for the child that reads it.
Harry Potter Box Set: The Complete Collection (Children’s Paperback)

Malory Towers A Series by Enid Blyton

A great series following Darell Rivers and her experiences at boarding school. Although I didn’t know at the time that I would also attend boarding school, I loved the books as the main character was far from perfect and things didn’t always work out for her. These books taught me many lessons about life and trying to do my best but one of the things that truly drew me to the books was my awe for the school – sounds weird right? Well, back then I had not progressed to Harry Potter so Malory Towers was my first encounter with a jaw-dropping, castle-like school that I could one day attend.
Malory Towers Box Set: 12 Books Collection by Enid Blyton

The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy 

Writing this post has made me realise I had a thing for books about boarding school type books and this is another one. The Worst Witch is Mildred Hubble who goes to Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches where she struggles due to her clumsiness. The series is a great mix of comedy, magic and real school life problems which makes it relatable to the child reading but still fun and magical to grasp their imagination.
The Worst Witch Complete Adventures 7 books box set

The Wishing-Chair A Series by Enid Blyton

This series, similar to The Faraway Tree, is full of magic and adventure that my father read to me when I was little. Mollie and Peter travel with the Wishing Chair and experience many adventures in the face of many problems.
The Wishing-Chair Collection: Three stories in one! (The Wishing-Chair Series)

Roald Dahl

A great author that created many of the most loved children books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Twits. His stories were known to use dark comedy and unexpected endings but they almost always had a good child that overcomes the wicked, greedy or old. These stories are full of imagination encouraging children to go where their mind takes them and be unrestrained.
Roald Dahl: 15 books collection pack

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis 

A widely famous series by a very famous author. Narnia focuses on the Pevensie children as they travel to the magical land and help defeat the White Witch. The books are full of Christian themes along with Greek and Roman mythology teaching the reader about loyalty, sacrifice and bravery while reading about fantasy.
The Complete Chronicles of Narnia ( Boxed Set 7 Books )

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

This is such a great classic it demands to be read! I always loved the story and would even read it now. I think that this is the kind of tale that everyone should read in their life as apart of our general culture. The stories are about four main animals, adventure, friendship and values all tied up in nature. An amazing read and a true classic.
Wind in the Willows (Wordsworth Classics)

Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne

We have seen the movies, the TV shows and all the adaptations but have you read the book? There are a few books about Pooh that should all be read, with adventures, troubles and childish imagination dealing from the pages. The stories of Winnie-the-Pooh are beautiful and magical with every child’s dream coming true: their toys are alive.

All the characters in the books teach the reader so much about friendship and many other things, including, as many believe, mental health. Whether Milne wrote the characters to represent different mental illnesses or not, I do think that there is a good representation of all of the characters are friends and love and accept each other.
Winnie-the-Pooh: The Complete Collection of Stories and Poems: Hardback Slipcase Volume (Winnie-the-Pooh – Classic Editions)

Dr Suess

Short, sweet and a must read. Dr Suess’s work is incredibly clever and all children should experience it in some way. Whether it is Cat in the Hat or Green Eggs and Ham, at least one should be read in a lifetime. For those who aren’t as keen on reading, they should still try to listen to these masterpieces by someone reading to them or watching the adaptations.
A Classic Case Of Dr. Seuss

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Trips to Wonderland and teas parties with the Mad Hatter, what’s not to love? This story has been told in many forms for a reason: it is fantastic! Everyone should experience the magic and wickedness if the Queen Of Hearts. There are so many iconic moments in the book and it is a great adventure to follow.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (150 Year Anniversary Edition)

Some more to consider…

Winnie the Witch by Valorie Thomas

Nurse Matilda by Christianna Brand

The Rainbow Fairies/ Rainbow Magic by Daisy Meadows

Charlotte’s Web by E B White

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

And many more, let me know if you think there are more that should be on this list!