10 Children's Books That Should Be on Your Child's Bookcase

One of the alarming trends of the modern world is the ever-declining standard of literacy amongst school children. Given the choice of whether to read a good book, to watch television or play the latest PSP game, there is no contest. Reading a good book will be at the bottom of the list. So what can be done to convince children that reading is fun?

It has to begin in the home. Parents need to be doing more to encourage reading. Many years ago, when I was a student training to be a teacher, I remember being told that the first step to becoming a reader is in being read to. How true! Children need to be introduced to books from a very young age. There are board books available for toddlers and a very good selection of delightful picture books for the pre-school child.

But I am going to focus on books for the primary school child. What books should every child be exposed to? What books should be on the bookshelf of every household with school-going children? First let us ask ourselves what the primary purpose of reading is. I believe that first and foremost, reading should be for enjoyment. The child who reads for the love of it will be the child who reads often. The child who reads often will be the child who reads well. And the child who reads well holds the key to knowledge in his hand.

Keeping the focus on reading with enjoyment, I have compiled a list of the top ten books which every child should read.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas – John Boyne

This thought-provoking book is set during the time of the holocaust when Bruno, the young son of the Commander of Auschwitz, notices that everyone in the next garden is wearing ‘striped pyjamas’. He is curious as to why this should be and decides to find out more. He meets a young boy his own age, also wearing ‘striped pyjamas’ at the fence between Auschwitz and his own garden. He befriends the little boy having no idea of the terrible plight of the people on the other side of the fence. A very moving story with a twist at the end which will give every child a clear understanding of the harsh realities of war.

Boy – Roald Dahl

The autobiography of his childhood is both funny and shocking in true Roald Dahl style. He describes his boyhood in graphic terms with amusing stories of the pranks which he and his peers got up to. The dead mouse in the gobstopper jar and the goat dropping tobacco, to name just two, followed by vivid accounts of the often painful punishments which followed these misdemeanours. A delightful book which will be enjoyed not only by children but adults as well.

The Wickedest Witch in the World – Beverley Nichols

I cannot help but include this book in the list (if you can get it) for sadly it is out of print. But it is perhaps one of the most enjoyable books which I read as a child and which I also always read to the children in my classes, to have them clamouring for more! A tale of the battle of good and evil where good ultimately prevails.

Waiting for Anya – Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo has written several excellent books, but in my opinion this is one of his finest. The story, set in a village in Nazi occupied France, revolves around a young boy, Jo, who stumbles onto the fact that Jewish children are being smuggled out of France across the border into Spain. An old widow and her son-in-law live in constant danger as they are instrumental in saving the lives of countless children. All the while the son-in-law is waiting for his daughter to be returned to him. Waiting for Anya. And while he waits, the danger increases and the net of evil draws ever closer around him. Eventually the entire village, at great risk to themselves are drawn into the intrigue as they desperately strive to get all the children out of the reach of the Nazis. An exciting but sad story which deals honestly with the grim realities of war.

The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett

Mary Lennox from India finds herself alone and orphaned during the cholera epidemic. She is sent to live with her uncle who lives on a large estate in a remote part of Yorkshire. For the first time thin, pale, sickly Mary, without the ever-present ayah at her beck and call, is forced to do things for herself. Bored, she wanders into the garden and discovers the locked garden for which there is no key, the secret garden which no one will talk about. Mary is determined to find a way into the garden and with the help of a robin she does. Constantly out in the fresh air, she becomes stronger and healthier. But what lies behind the many locked doors of Craven Manor and what are the strange sounds of a child crying that she hears at night? This children’s classic is a must read.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis

This is the first in the Chronicles of Narnia series in which four children discover a wardrobe which leads them to the imaginary land of Narnia. The land of Narnia has been ruled for too long by the wicked white witch. The children help Aslan, the lion save Narnia from the witch and so end the winter which has reigned for a century. The theme of good versus evil is continued in the following six books with different children visiting Narnia and doing battle against evil. These books have been hugely popular over the years and are a combination of adventure and fantasy which will delight every child.

Carrie’s War – Nina Bawden

This is the story of Carrie and her younger brother, Nick who were evacuated to a Welsh mining town during World War 2. The experience is a one of mixed emotions for the two young children. They live with the village grocer Mr Evans and his sister Auntie Lou. Mr Evans is a bully whom the children fear and dislike but Auntie Lou is kind and helps to make the experience more positive for them. They meet other characters from the village who also help to make the experience less daunting. An excellent book which paints a vivid picture of the life of the evacuees during the 2nd World War.

My Family and Other Animals – Gerald Durrell

A hilariously funny book about the adventures of the author when, as a young boy, his family moved to the Greek island of Corfu during the 1930′s. His fascination for natural history and his investigations into the habits of all the creatures of the island make for entertaining and informative reading. A book which is read and enjoyed by children and adults alike.

The Borrowers – Mary Norton

The story of a family of little people who live beneath the floorboards, making use of various items which they ‘borrow’ from the inhabitants of the house. They have a golden rule of never being seen by the ‘human beans’, whose houses they live in, so what happens when one of them is seen? The reader is drawn into a series of adventures as the borrowers are forced to move from one place to another. A truly delightful story.

Charlotte’s Web – E B White

This award-winning novel is about a pig named Wilbur who is destined to be slaughtered but is saved from that fate by a very clever spider named Charlotte who creatively weaves messages about him into her web. The pig’s life is spared when these messages persuade the farmer that Wilbur has special qualities.

While this list is by no means exhaustive, it does give some idea of the many and varied books to be enjoyed by young readers, and highlights some of the classic books which have been read and enjoyed by generations of children over the years.

10 Children's Books That Should Be on Your Child's Bookcase