I like reading books
I like gifting people books
I LOVE telling my friends all about the story
If any of this is you, will find this page useful. All of the book recommendations come from books that I have personally read AND recommended by young-readers as well.
The Girl who drank the moon
Author: Kelly Barnhill (she won the Newbury medal for this book)
Genre: Fantasy
The plot: The story begins with an emotional event in an isolated town where they sacrifice a baby. The book does not get overtly emotional and deals with sacrifice in a measured way. The babies are always rescued by a caring witch who unite them with a caring family on the other side of the woods. Magic enters the story along the way, there are good characters who need to battle an evil sorceress (who feeds on people’s sorrows). The book centers on bravery, compassion, and hope winning out over selfishness, and manipulation of others.
Recommended age: 10+. The book taps into a tween/teen view of the world, and is a very centred way of helping them understand why traditions exist (and how one needs to be cynical of them as well).
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (part of the Chronicles of Narnia series)
Author: C.S.Lewis (great friend of J.R.R.Tolkien)
Genre: Fantasy (with religious values giving the framework)
The plot: Four children go to live in a large, mysterious house of an old Professor during the London air raids of World War II. One day, the children explore the house, till they pause to look into a large wardrobe sitting in an empty room. They go past the long fur coats and finds themselves in a magical world called Narnia. These four children have the power to rescue the magical land from the clutches of an evil witch.
Recommended age: 8+.
George’s secret key to the universe
Author: Lucy Hawking and Stephen Hawking
Genre: Science Fiction
The plot: Stephen Hawking (the famous physicist) and his daughter Lucy explain the universe to younger readers. The story begins with a young boy George whose parents are wary of technology. Eric is a scientist and his daughter, Annie, follows in his footsteps. George befriends them and Cosmos, their super-computer. He goes on a wildly fun adventure, while learning about physics, time, and the universe. With Cosmos's help, he travels to other planets and a black hole. But what happens when the wrong people get their hands on Cosmos?
Recommended age: 8+.
Black Beauty
Author: Anna Sewell
Genre: Fiction
The plot: This is a novel written in the late 19th century, and wasn’t exactly written only for children (the author hoped that adults would also read it and get her point). The story is narrated from the perspective of a horse named Black Beauty, who grows up on a farm and then his trials begin. He is sold into various homes, and receives very different treatment at the hands of different owners. The story touches on themes of animal welfare, kindness to creatures, and the importance of humane treatment.
Recommended age: 9+.
Wonder
Author: R.J.Palacio
Genre: Fiction
The plot: The story revolves around a 10-year old boy (August Pullman) who was born with a facial difference. This has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. But, starting 5th grade, his parents decide to enrol him in school and he wants nothing more than him to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. In a world where bullying among young people is an epidemic, this is a refreshing new narrative full of heart and hope.
Recommended age: 9+.
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