Top 10 Novels Every Kid Should Read

Reading is one of the most formative and rewarding experiences for children and young adults. It is an opportunity to explore worlds and ideas outside of their own immediate experience, and to cultivate a rich imagination and deeper understanding of themselves. To this end we’ve curated a list of the most impactful and resonant novels that are bookstore musts - essential bedtime reading every kid should enjoy at least once:

10. Matilda by Roald Dahl

This is the story of a brave and brainy little girl who does what she needs to in order to protect the people she loves. Matilda is a genuine heroine for the ages.

9. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Mary Lennox finds herself orphaned and living her uncle in a sprawling old English manor, where she finds a mysterious secret garden that had been planted by her late aunt. This story of friendship and resilience is captivating at any age.

8. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn are some of the most fun childhood friends a kid could ask for. Rebellious, rambunctious and infectiously fun, the classic adventures of these two misfits are heartwarming and deeply compelling.

7. Watership Down by Richard Adams

This famous fantasy novel is a story of courage, adventure and survival. It follows two close friends on a harrowing journey away from a home and a way of life that will almost certainly be destroyed, toward a new life in the mysterious promise land beyond Sandleford Warren.

6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

The first in J.K. Rowling’s world famous series, this magical story follows Harry – an elven year old boy – as he embarks on his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Fast-paced and stunningly imaginative, these books are almost impossible to put down.

5. The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkien

Another first, this classic book is often considered the gem of Tolkien’s Middle Earth series (with famously includes The Lord of the Rings). Tolkien is widely considered the greatest master in the epic fantasy genre.

4. The Chrysalids by John Wyndham

Set in the aftermath of a nuclear war, The Chrysalids is a story of teenage outliers whose unique abilities set them apart from their community and put them in great peril.

3. A Wrinkle in Time – Madeline L’Engle

Protagonist Meg Murray is a young girl whose government scientist father has gone missing while working on a mysterious new invention. This journey that follows is unforgettable.

2. Holes by Louis Sachar

Holes is the remarkable story of an unlucky boy and his adventures in a detention facility. It’s renowned for it’s witty, smart writing.


And of course...

1. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The first of Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles, this novel is undeniably the one of the most immersive and captivating fantasy reads of all time.