As we were gathering research for World Book Day we stumbled across an article by the Book Trust that showcases the best 100 books for kids over the last 100 years. We were happy to see a few titles in there that we are lucky enough to have in our own collection. We also thought this would be some good inspiration for you for World Book Day to get your double tokens on the 7th of March.
The Gruffalo
Interest Age: 1-5
Key themes: Animals, Fear, Food, Monsters
Created by much-loved author Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, The Gruffalo has become a favourite among young children. The story follows a little mouse who encounters a fox, owl and snake and to fend them off, tells the story of the scary Gruffalo. But when the little mouse finally encounters the Gruffalo he must cleverly invent a new story to escape danger.
A Bear Called Paddington
Reading Age: 7+
Interest Age: 6-8
Key themes: Friendship, Family, Animals, Funny
First published in 1958, Paddington has remained a British classic for young children. Written by Michael Bond, A Bear Called Paddington, follows a brown bear from darkest Peru found by the Brown family on Paddington Station. With only his hat, duffel coat and marmalade sandwiches.
The Magic Faraway Tree
Reading Age: 7+
Interest Age: 7+
Key themes: Adventure, Magic, Fantasy
A classic story by Enid Blyton follows the adventures of Joe, Beth and Frannie who move to a new home to find an enchanted wood on their doorstep. This is where they discover the Faraway Tree and new friends who are fairies.
Pippi Longstocking
Reading Age: 8+
Interest Age: 6+
Key themes: Adventure, Friendship, Around the World
Written by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking follows the story of Pippi who is super strong but also kind and jolly. She lives alone in Villekulla Cottage with her horse and pet monkey.
Finn Family Moomintroll
Reading Age: 6+
Interest Age: 5-8
Key themes: Family, Friendship, Magic, Fantasy
This beautiful classic by Tove Jansson introduces us to the Moomin family. Join Moomintroll, Moominmamma and Moominpapa as they embark on a summer adventure after a winter of hibernation.
Kensuke's Kingdom
Reading Age: 10+
Interest Age: 10+
Key themes: Friendship, Adventure, Nature, Castaway
Written by Michael Morpurgo, Kensuke’s Kingdom follows the story of Michael who gets washed up on a deserted island. However, Michael soon discovers another inhabitant Kensuke, a former Japanese soldier, where gradually a strong bond develops between the two.
We hope you enjoyed this post. If you already have some of these books why not send us a review, find out how here.
