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Books to introduce kids to reading
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items These books are great starter books for kids who want to read but don't know where to start. They're all relatively easy to read, and more importantly, they have great age-appropriate stories that will make you WANT to continue reading.
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Sections
3
Ages 7-12
Ages 13-16
Ages 16+
Ages 7-12
These are the books best suited to young children and preteens
This was the book that made me into the bookworm I am today. Ideal for kids aged 7-10 years
Enchanted Wood: The Magic Faraway Tree
If your kids like adventure, mysteries, and treasure hunts, this is the perfect book. Perfect for kids aged between 7-10 years.
Five on Finniston Farm
This is a fun, wholesome story about a brilliant little girl with the power to move things with her mind. Features found family, evil teachers, and much more!
Matilda by Roald Dahl
This was one of the first books I ever read on my own at age 7. Features a magical flying chair that takes children on wild adventures to fantastical lands. Ideal for children aged 7-10
The Wishing-Chair Series by Enid Blyton
The Rainbow Magic collection has multiple series about two sisters who help fairies with various quests. The Rainbow Fairy Series follows the two sisters as they try to rescue the seven rainbow fairies and bring colour back to Fairyland
Rainbow Magic - The Rainbow Fairy Series
Harry Potter is a classic for a reason. The first three books are great for younger readers (10-12) and introduce children to an immersive magical world. The four remaining books are better for teens aged 13-16 because they're a little darker than th...
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
I was 6 years old when a friend gifted me this book for my birthday. The last time I read it was two days before adding this recommendation.
This utterly delightful book follows Billy as he makes friends with a giraffe and pelican to create The Ladd...
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me
Ages 13-16
These books feature story elements like romance and politics in an age appropriate way for teenagers
This is the perfect book for teen girls looking to get into reading. The Nancy Drew Files are aimed at slightly older girls (14-17 years) and include more intriguing mystery, romance, and action than the regular Nancy Drew series.
Nancy Drew Files by Carolyn Keene
The Hunger Games series is a generation-defining series for a reason. It's got excellent world-building and introduces kids to societal injustice and revolutions in an age-appropriate but highly effective way. Best suited for teenagers aged 13 and up...
The Hunger Games Series
Hot guys, mysteries, romance, and action—what more could a girl want? The Hardy Boys Casefiles series is more intense and gripping than the regular Hardy Boys series. Perfect for teenagers aged 14 and up.
The Hardy Boys Casefiles
The Percy Jackson series features sassy, neurodivergent protagonists, modernised Greek mythology, epic adventures, and complex world-building. Ideal for kids aged 12-16
Percy jackson: Complete Series [Paperback] Riordan, Rick
The first in a series of 41 books set in Pratchett's fictional world (Discworld), the Colour of Magic is a humourous story about a cowardly wizard named Rincewind who is forced to play tour guide to Discworld's first ever tourist
Discworld Series #1: The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
A group of boys wake up one by one in a mysterious clearing with no memories except their names. The clearing is surrounded by tall walls, beyond which lies a dangerous maze filled with terrifying creatures. Who put the boys here? How can they escape...
The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner
This is one of the most hilarious books I've ever read. If you're looking for a lighthearted sci-fi book that doesn't take itself too seriously, this is the series for you. It really makes you appreciate how much laughter can come from just words.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Ages 16+
These books are slightly more graphic (horror, violence, sex), but not too graphic, so they're more suitable to older teens.
The first in the Gatekeepers Series by Anthony Horowitz, Raven's Gate is a horror-thriller surrounding a teenager named Matt. Features old-world demons, teen heroes, demonic cults, and an intense mystery about the very origins of the world. Ideal for...
Raven's Gate
Featuring political intrigue, illicit romance, and girl BFFs— Vampire Academy is an intense, steamy read. The story follows a dhampir named Rose Hathaway and her best friend, the Moroi Vampire Lissa, as they struggle against the evil Strigoi vampires...
Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead
Domain (also known as The Mayan Prophecy) is a doomsday thriller following the story of Mick Gabriel and his therapist Dominique Vasquez, as they attempt to warn the world of an upcoming apocalypse. Blending mythology, history, and science fiction, t...
The Domain Trilogy #1 - Steve Alten
This is the perfect entry point for anyone interested in murder mysteries. Unlike many other stories in which the killer becomes obvious towards the end, in this one, there is no way to know who the killer is until the epilogue.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Everyone has already seen and heard of Jurassic Park, Crichton's most famous work. In my opinion, though, this is one of his most underrated works.
The story follows a group of scientists who rapidly realise that their invention has evolved beyond a...
Prey by Michael Crichton