We have an almost 4 year old! The last time I wrote about what she was reading, she was a wee little one with the attention span of a spoon. She may have that of a spatula now but I believe attention spans are like stomachs; they grow if you keep on feeding them.
This blog
post is a list of book recommendations to transition from picture books to
chapter ones. You will find a list of books for 5 to 10 year olds below!
Through Ghiasireads,
I’m lucky to have conversations on books for adults and kids of diverse ages.
So, this piece is well crowd-sourced and researched too. If you’re looking for
reading material for your child or gifting options for this age group, here it
goes:
Classic books for kids
Aesop’s Fables illustrated by Don Daily was recently gifted to us and it’s timeless collection of short stories; a book recommendation for a 7 to 8 year old.
Another collectible is the Beauty and the Beast (or any of the Grimm brothers’ tales) beautifully handcrafted pop-up book by Robert Sabuda.
Matilda; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; The BFG, James and The Giant Peach, and what have you. No kid’s bookshelf is complete without the magic of Roald Dahl. You cannot go wrong with a Dahl when it comes to books for children between 6 to 7 years!
Green Eggs and Ham? The Cat in the Hat? Oh, the Places You’ll Go!? The answer is Dr Seuss; another author to read to your 5 year old!
Move aside, Peppa. The cutest pig for decades has been Babe: The Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith. This author is a go-to for other animal-related reading.
Book series for kids that last a lifetime
I had a childhood without Enid Blyton but it’s not one I’ll risk for my daughter. The Famous Five series, to begin with, is an often repeated book recommendation for a 7 year old. Along with The Secret Seven series, this one grows with your child so it promises a few years of engagement. But if you’re in a hurry, The Faraway Series is a book recommendation for a 5 year old.
We also have our eyes on the How to Train Your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell but it’s a book series to read to, or by, an 8 year old at least.
Another series that comes highly recommended for kids who are learning and improving their reading – between 7 to 10 year olds – is Amelia Fang by Laura Ellen Anderson.
We love Chris Van Dusen thanks to Circus Ship and cannot wait to get our hands on this series he has illustrated: Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo. This is another book recommendation for a 5 to 6 year old.
Henry Huggins and Ramona Quimby by Beverly Cleary are two classic series written in the '50s for kids between 6 to 11 years but they promise to grow with the child.
Books for kids by Indian authors
Don’t mind me finding Panchatantra a bit dogmatic but some books are timeless like The Blue Umbrella by Ruskin Bond; it’s a good way to introduce this author to a 7 year old.
Another book for a 7 to 8 year old is The Mystery of The Secret Hair Oil Formula by Asha Nehemiah. This author writes funny prose.
Taranauts by Roopa Pai is an adventure series of books recommended for 8 to 10 year olds.
Grandma’s Bag of Stories, The Gopi Diaries and The Magic Drum and Other Favourite Stories by Sudha Murthy are book and series recommendations for kids between 7 to 10 years!
Adult authors who write books for kids
Am I even a “book blogger” if I don’t shove my favourite authors on my kid? Nope. I plan to start young. Alexander McCall Smith has authored Akimbo: The Elephants, The Lions and The Crocodile Man; Marvellous Mix-ups; and Explosive Adventures, among others for 6 to 8 year olds. I recently gifted one of these and received great feedback!
When it comes to Neil Gaiman, do not expect a straightforward kid’s book, but definitely one that’s exciting and mysterious: Coraline and Fortunately,The Milk are on my TBR for her!
Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey is a wonderful graphic novel series I love myself. It also comes highly recommended as reading for kids between 7 to 10 years.
JK Rowling’s The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a book for 8 year olds and above. Featured here because obviously she wrote the Harry Potter series for adults!
Empowering books for little girls
Girl power ahoy! Hilde cracks the case by Hilde Sysiak and Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke are two series of books recommended for kids between 5 to 10 years.
Speaking of bad-ass princesses, Olivia by Ian Falconer and The Princess in Black series by Shannon Hale are also highly recommended books for children 7 years and above.
Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls 1 and 2 are books recommended for kids 6 years and above.
Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke and Zoey and Sassafras by Asia Citro are two other book series I recommend for kids older than 6 years.
I hope you enjoy the suggestions above and find them helpful to raise a reader or encourage a loved child to unleash their imagination through reading.
Big shout out to reader moms Natali Asrani, Aloka Mehta, and Shwetha (@berryswirl21 on Instagram) for their inputs!
