Children’s Books That Your Kids Will Love to Read!
I love how some books become favorites and seem to stay with us. How does it happen? It’s a connection that is hard to explain but easily understood by us book lovers. In this post, I’m going to list a few that I have loved sharing with my children, grandchildren, and my students when I was teaching. This list is by far not all of my favorites! Honestly, it is only a beginning since there are so many great books out there; and also, many on this list are part of a series, or the authors have other books that I love as well. Hopefully, this list will inspire you to check out some of these popular children’s books that your kids will love to read!
On a side note, it is a good practice to read aloud with your children even after they can read for themselves. It is absolutely necessary for them to read books on their reading level independently, but it will also help their skills grow to see and hear you reading with them. Without a doubt, it’s one of the best ways to spend time together! Happy reading!
Please comment at the bottom of the page to let me know your favorite children’s books that you and your kids love to read together!
Note: The links to the books are here for your convenience but they are also affiliate links. That means, if you purchase one of these books through the link, What A Good Day will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The opinions presented are my own. We truly appreciate your support!
All Time Favorite Children's Books
Books for Babies and Toddlers
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell – A little boy writes to the zoo for a pet. Your littles will have fun lifting the flaps to see what the zoo sent to the little boy. My grand babies have worn this book out it is so well loved.
Where’s Spot by Eric Hill – Spot’s mommy looks for him everywhere in this book. Little ones will have fun looking for Spot in the hiding places under all the flaps. As a result, this one also shows lots of love and wear from many repeated readings!
Little Red Barn, Little Blue Boat, Little Green Frog, Little Yellow Bee by Ginger Swift. (Nature Friends Lift a Flap Books)- These little board books are adorable, very sturdy, and great for little hands. The flaps are thick so they won’t tear off as easily as some flap books will. This is such a cute set and will last even under repeated reading.
Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle – There are so many Little Blue Truck books out there. This cute little board book is the first and has lots of animal and truck sounds for little ones to imitate. All of the Little Blue Truck books are so much fun to read with young children!
Books for ages 3 to 5
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr. – This one is a true classic. It is the first book that my own children learned to “read” independently because of its repetitive sequence. I also used it with my kindergarten students every year. It is great for teaching colors.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. – This is a fun book to read with all the letters sneaking up the coconut tree. Kids love the rhyming text and the enjoyable story. Furthermore, it’s a good one for working on letter recognition. My three year old grandson wants to hear this one almost every day right now.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle – This is one that gets requested over and over. It shows the sequence from egg to butterfly with the little caterpillar becoming a BIG caterpillar as it literally eats through the book. In addition, it is a great book for learning about sequencing and life cycles.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff – My three year old grandson loves all of Laura Numeroff’s books written in this theme. It’s such fun to see what the mouse wants next even if he already knows! Further, the pictures are fun to examine and talk about too. Check out If You Give a Pig a Pancake and If You Give a Moose a Muffin as well.
Books for ages 5 to 8
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister – This is a very pretty book about a Rainbow fish with beautiful sparkly scales who is selfish at first but then learns along the way that sharing brings friendship and happiness. Children love the pretty illustrations, sparkly scales on the fish, and the sweet story.
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats – This one has always been a favorite for my own kids and my students when I was teaching. It is a story about a little boy named Peter who goes out after the first big snow to walk around his neighborhood. We don’t get much snow in Georgia so kids really love hearing about this little boy experiencing the wonder of a big snowfall!
Swimmy by Leo Lionni – I read this book to all of my kindergarten classes throughout the years. It’s a great book about cooperating and working together to achieve a goal. The little fish in the ocean are scared by the big fish but when they work together they can scare the big fish away! It always amazes the children how the fish solve their problem together.
The Old Woman Who Named Things by Cynthia Rylant – The first time I read this book as a teacher it touched my heart and became an instant favorite. It is about an old woman who has outlived all her friends and now she names her car, house, furniture, etc. to keep from being lonely. Then, along comes a puppy that she cannot seem to get to leave. It’s a thoughtful story with a sweet message.
Books for ages 8 to 10
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White – Here is a classic that is a must read! It is a good one to read together and talk about. The themes of friendship, love for pets, growing up, and loss are all present. Without question, it is one you and your child will never forget sharing together. It was my first favorite chapter book when I was a child.
Magic Tree House Books by Mary Pope Osborne – There are many books in this series. The first one is Dinosaurs Before Dark. Jack and Annie, a brother and sister, go on amazing adventures in a magic tree house that they find in the woods near their house. My grandson loves these books and we love reading them with him. They are a great first chapter book series for this age.
A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy – If your child likes mystery, this book series is just the thing for them. Kids love to try to help Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose solve the mysteries. The first book of the series is The Absent Author. This is a great series to introduce the mystery genre to children.
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder – These books have been around a long time but they are still a favorite for this age. This may be their first taste of historical fiction. Perhaps, like myself, they will fall in love with that genre! The first book is Little House in the Big Woods.
Books for ages 10 to 12
Goosebumps by R. L. Stine – This book series is very popular for 10 to 12 year olds. My youngest son loved these when he was in elementary school. As a word of caution, if your child scares easily or has nightmares you might want to read them first yourself to see what you think. I have found that many kids really enjoy the suspense and scary themes in this series. They are very popular. Book One is Night of the Living Dummy.
Harry Potter series by J. K Rowling – No list is complete without the Harry Potter series. The first book begins when Harry turns 11 years old and is accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The subsequent books are intended to grow more difficult and complicated as the reader grows in reading skill and age. Of course, there are themes of witchcraft and wizardry so you can decide if these books are acceptable for your children. The first book is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. There are seven books in this series.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle – This is a fantasy book that has been around since 1962. It is the first book that I read as a child that I remember literally pulling me in and overwhelming my imagination. It is still a good read for this age child and it is a good first taste of the fantasy genre! There are five books in the series; this is the first.
Matilda by Roald Dahl – This book is about an extraordinary little girl with parents who do not appreciate nor understand her. Fortunately, she meets Miss Honey, a teacher, who befriends her. Unfortunately, she also meets Mrs. Truchbull, a teacher who is the opposite of Miss Honey. As Matilda grows she realizes that she has telekinetic powers and figures out how to use them to take control of difficult things in her life. It’s a unique and fun one to read, as many of Roald Dahl’s books are.
Have some fun reading with your kiddos!
I hope that this list of favorites has inspired you to read with your children no matter their age; and has brought back some memories from you own childhood or from reading to/with your children. Perhaps, you can think of some of your childhood favorites that you would love to share with your little ones! Whichever books you choose, I hope you find joy in reading with the children in your life. Truly, here is no better way to bond, to build reading skills, and to instill a love of reading!
Be sure to comment below about your favorite children’s books. Was there one that helped you to become the reader that you are today? We’d love to hear about it!
Happy Reading!
Have a good day!
Karen
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If you would like more recommendations for children’s books your kids will love to read check out these posts as well!
I Love You Books to Read With Your Children
Say Goodnight By Reading a Bedtime Story
Ten Storytelling Ideas to Grow Your Child’s Imagination
If you are looking for books for yourself check out these posts!
Poetry Book Recommendations for National Poetry Month
New to Dystopian Books: Start Here!
And be sure to check out this post about using your local library’s resources!
Most of these book are my favorites!! They love to be read to and I so enjoy reading to them. I hope they will always love to read!!!
All of mine have also loved being read to. It’s one of my favorite things we do together!