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Children's books

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Recommendations for read aloud books for 8 and 10 year old

39 replies

tildathyme · 29/01/2026 06:33

My children still love me to read a chapter or two every might from a book before they go to their separate rooms and read their own books. They particularly love series but am starting to struggle to choose appropriate ones.

Critiera is: wholesome and somewhat challenging in terms of vocabulary (books they wouldn’t really read themselves), either a series of standalone book, probably a classic, we have had less luck with more modern books which they prefer to read themselves.

Over the years we have read the following: Little House on the Prairie. Narnia, Anne of Green Gables, Mallory Towers, the Worst Witch, Harry Potter, the Magic Faraway Tree, Tom’s Midnight Garden, the Secret Garden, Lord of the Rings.

Any suggestions gratefully received!

OP posts:
Geronimode · 03/02/2026 16:04

also love the ickabog.

Rayna37 · 03/02/2026 17:01

The Pages & Co series by Anna James is wonderful

cptnancyblackett · 05/02/2026 09:34

DC (now 9) and I have enjoyed:
Wind in the Willows
Treasure Island
Swallows and Amazons series
Heidi
Alice in Wonderland/Through the looking glass
Railway Children
Dick King Smith books - Harry's Mad, The Sheep Pig etc
Pippi Longstocking
Asterix books
101 Dalmations/Starlight Barking
Winnie the Pooh
Paddington books

Just William has been mentioned a few times, we tried that but gave up - early on the humour came from William frustrating the courtship efforts of his elder siblings and DC didn't get it. Perhaps I should try again.

Ones I'd like to read are:
Shipwrecked
Emil and the detectives
Brendon Chase by BB
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn
Robinson Crusoe
Gullivers Travels
The call of the wild
Sherlock Holmes
The Secret Garden
Wizard of Oz
Peter Pan
The Borrowers
The Jungle book

VacayDreamer · 05/02/2026 09:38

My dd loved The Wolves of Willoughby chase . It’s a fantastic book for reading aloud.

Dark is Rising - I loved the series but dd wasn’t fussed, perhaps one to read quietly not aloud.

I read Just William to dd, great fun to do the accents and we laughed so much we cried. It has stood the test of time!

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 05/02/2026 13:23

The Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. I’ve no idea why they are not better known in the UK.

cptnancyblackett · 05/02/2026 15:17

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 05/02/2026 13:23

The Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. I’ve no idea why they are not better known in the UK.

I remember enjoying those, my local library had some of them er... 35 years ago. You are right, I've never seen one recently in the libraries I use. Also never seen a Pullein-Thompson, Judy Blume, Goscinny/Underzo. Rarely see a Dick King-Smith or an Anne Fine either. Theres a few classics make their way in, and a good amount of Dahl and Blyton, but its mostly very recent in our local childrens library.

Undergroundovergroundwomblingfree · 02/03/2026 11:10

Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
Anything by Eva Ibbotson
Carrie's War
The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tyler
Black Beauty
The Arabel and Mortimer Series by Jane Aiken

Do88byisfree · 02/03/2026 11:21

Kensukes Kingdom
The One and Only Ivan
The Iron Man
Charlotte's web
Roald Dahl?

LR47 · 13/03/2026 14:30

How About

The nowhere emporium
The legend of Podkin One Ear
The World according to Humphrey
Rainbow Grey
The Borrowers
The Last Bear
Max Magic
Goodnight Mr Tom
The animals of Farthing Wood

ElizabethVonArnim · 13/03/2026 23:00

Moondial and the Green Knowe books, definitely, and Charlotte Sometimes. You could try Northern Lights, but you might want to wait a year for that one.

ElizabethVonArnim · 13/03/2026 23:02

Ooh, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Marianne Dreams (potentially a bit scary, although I loved it at about 9).

Lottie and Liesl (the book The Parent Trap is based on)

ElizabethVonArnim · 13/03/2026 23:03

@LR47Would you read the whole of Goodnight Mr Tom? The abuse storyline is pretty strong for an 8yo. I think I’d leave it for 11 or so at least.

Monsterslam · 13/03/2026 23:07

Polly and the stupid wolf as long as you do voices well.
Norse myths.

BeccaBean · 21/03/2026 07:16

Currently reading His Dark Materials trilogy to my 10 year old. Now on the third one (we usually mix books up but she loved these so we've read the three in a row).

Also loved reading many of the classics mentioned above. Swallows and Amazons, The Hobbit and Chronicles of Narnia are recent favourites.

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