Ages 2-4
Clown by Quentin Blake This is a picture book—and Quentin Blake, who’s best known
or for illustrating Roald Dahl’s books, proves that pictures really are worth 1,000 words (or more).
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram Do you know how big love is? Generally, about thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis big. Maybe even bigger. Use this book to explain that good feelings are sometimes so big we can’t help but express them, and that’s it’s a wonderful thing to tell someone how much you love them.
My Dad by Anthony Brown A beautifully illustrated and heart-warming book. It’s the tale of mutual love between a dad and his young son. If you’re looking for a feel good reading experience as a dad, look no further.
Ages 4-7 The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne The Pooh stories are about friendship—in this set of stories about the Hundred Acre Wood, the Gang meet a strange, striped new friend, build gloomy Eeyore a new house, and invent the seminal game of Poohsticks, all while learning the ups and downs of being a motley bunch of very different mates.
Oh! The Places You’ll Go! By Dr Seuss This book is different from the eminent Doctor’s other works in that it speaks directly to the reader—and reassures them, with the classic Seuss rhymes, rhythms, and whimsy that life, while challenging, is a journey with its own rewards.
Please Look After This Bear by Michael Bond Just like all superheroes, Paddington Bear has an original story. A stranger in a strange land, Paddington is found at his namesake station, and immediately causes a ruckus. But Paddington is his own bear—and the lesson he teaches is how to be comfy if you’re a new bear in an alien environment.
Ages 7-11The Little Prince By Antoine de Saint-Exupery When you’re small, the tall world of grown-ups seems very far away. So far away, in fact, it might as well be another planet. The Little Prince is lord of his own small planet, but his journeys to other worlds (including Earth) can teach kids that wisdom isn’t something all grown-ups have—and that they might have something to teach the tall and mighty.
Oscar Wilde’s Stories for All Ages compiled and with an introduction by Stephen Fry Oscar Wilde may be known for his dry, adult wit, but his stories for children are morally complex: they’re beautiful, modern fairytales, simple to read, but will get your child thinking about right, and wrong, and everything in between. They’ll have help, though, because this collection of stories comes with Stephen Fry as a guide!
Ages 11+His Dark Materials (trilogy) by Phillip Pullman You might have read about Pullman in the papers since he’s just written a pretty controversial book about Christianity. While the Dark Materials trilogy isn’t free of metaphysical musings, it’s still a wholly engaging adventure through a bunch of worlds—worlds that are fantastical, but familiar, which begs the question: What, and who, am I?
For some tops tips on getting your kids into reading, check out
this video from ParentChannelTV!