At what ages should I give my kids these lovely books?

[Cornishblues]

I have 4 lovely hardback editions to give to my children (5&8) over the next few years. They are ‘The ghost of Thomas kempe’, ‘wolves of willoughby chase’, ‘box of delights’ and ‘over sea, under stone’.

I’d probably look to give 2 each to each child (unless other lovely editions creep into the presents drawer and they get balanced another way) and don’t mind whether it’s for them to read to themselves or for me to read to them. I don’t need to start this year. At the moment we read to the 2 of them together every evening and the eldest enjoys reading alone too.

Without cracking them open and re/reading them I wondered if you wise lot would be able to advise what order and what age range you’d suggest giving them?

Wolves and Over Sea are the older age range of your selection (isnt over sea under stone book 2 in a series?).
Maybe in 2 years give Thomas Kempe and Box of delights to the youngest, and the other 2 to the oldest?

Yes, Over Sea Under Stone is the second of the Dark is Rising series. I'd say appropriate for a 10yo ish. Wolves of Willoughby Chase maybe a year younger?

Over Sea Under Stone is actually the first in the Dark is Rising sequence. Your selection are all great books.Over Sea and Box of Delights probably better for age 10 or so; the other two 8+.Ghost of Thomas Kempe is the most accessible, I would say.

Although it's known as The Dark is Rising sequence, Over Sea, Under Stone is actually the first book in reading order, with The Dark is Rising being the second book.
Over Sea Under Stone introduces the main themes and some of the characters who will reappear later in the series. The Dark is Rising introduces Will Stanton a central character, who will later unite with the characters from Over Sea, Under Stone.

‘The ghost of Thomas kempe’, ‘wolves of willoughby chase’, ‘box of delights’ and ‘over sea, under stone’.

Depends whether you're thinking of reading them with, or them reading them. Ime you can read with younger than they will enjoy reading.

I can't remember what age for "The Ghost of Thomas Kemp" (although I don't think I enjoyed it much, which is probably why)
but I'd say wolves is the youngest. I read it around age 9yo, and I think my daughter who loved that Joan Aiken set read it about the same age.
I'd say Over Sea, Under Stone, as others have said it's the first in the series, and I think could be read younger than the others in the series. I love Greenwich (no 3) , but it really threw dd2. I think I read it to ds aged about 10yo, but I didn't read the others, as it was right at the top end of his reading. A good reader might manage it at 10yo, I'd leave it another year, especially
Box of Delights, I love (except for the stupid ending of having it a dream.). It is the second book in the series (Midnight Folk) but it doesn't really matter. Midnight Folk has the advantage that very similar magic happens but it isn't a dream. (which begs the question why make Box a dream?) I'd say could read at 10-11yo, but leave until 12yo as they'll appreciate it more then.

Thanks for the responses, I’m going to hold them back for now, giving 2 each in a couple of years sounds like a good plan!

As others have said, it depends on whether you plan to read them aloud or for your children to read them to themselves. I read Over Sea, Under Stone, and in fact all but the final novel in the The Dark is Rising series, to my seven year old earlier this year, and it was a good match for his comprehension/imagination etc, but he wouldn't be able to read it to himself, yet. I loved all Joan Aiken's books when I was about nine, and I think I read The Ghost of TK at around the same age.