Recommendations for books to read to/with kids or for kids themselves

[Marco Van Basten]

Please suggest any good books that you think kids should read.  Can be anything - biographies of great men - Ben Franklin or Marie Curie.  Poetry, history, science et all.  Thank you.

[73 Reds]

3 hours ago, Marco Van Basten said:

Please suggest any good books that you think kids should read.  Can be anything - biographies of great men - Ben Franklin or Marie Curie.  Poetry, history, science et all.  Thank you.

Depends on the kids' ages.  I picked up my Father's copy of "Atlas Shrugged" (Ayn Rand) at age 10 or 11.  Had no idea what it was about but was curious because of the title.  Took me a while to finish it and didn't get the true meaning until some time later but it shaped many of my views which have seldom varied. 

[John Hjorth]

For teenagers :

 

George Orwell : Animal Farm

George Orwell : 1984.

[DooDiligence]

56 minutes ago, John Hjorth said:

For teenagers :

 

George Orwell : Animal Farm

George Orwell : 1984.

 

"The animals listened first to Napoleon, then to Snowball, and could not make up their minds which was right; indeed, they always found themselves in agreement with the one who was speaking at the moment."

 

 

"Never mind the milk, comrades!" cried Napoleon, placing himself in front of the buckets. "That will be attended to. The harvest is more important. Comrade Snowball will lead the way. I shall follow in a few minutes. Forward, comrades! The hay is waiting."

[LC]

What age? Assuming they are children:  I give out copies of Robinson Crusoe and Call of the Wild to my brother for my nephews - I loved those books as a child. 

 

Detective books were fun (Hardy boys etc.), those "survival" books as well (e.g. My side of the mountain)

 

More important at early ages is time spent reading vs. topics. 

 

High schoolers? I'll throw out Kurt Vonnegut - one of my favorite authors of all time.

Edited July 14, 2025 by LC

[Marco Van Basten]

2 hours ago, LC said:

What age? Assuming they are children:  I give out copies of Robinson Crusoe and Call of the Wild to my brother for my nephews - I loved those books as a child. 

 

Detective books were fun (Hardy boys etc.), those "survival" books as well (e.g. My side of the mountain)

 

More important at early ages is time spent reading vs. topics. 

 

High schoolers? I'll throw out Kurt Vonnegut - one of my favorite authors of all time.

Ages are 10, 7, and 4.  I loved Call of the Wild, thank you, and yes, Robinson Crusoe was great, thank you for the reminder.  @John Hjorth, Animal Farm was great, particularly since I knew Soviet history well.  I will give the oldest one Animal Farm.  @73 Reds, Atlas Shrugged is an interesting suggestion.   Yes, Kurt Vonnegut is very good, and I should give them Asimov and Jules Verne.  

[LC]

You've got to be realistic too - I wouldn't expect a 10 year old to grasp themes in some classic literature or understand their importance. Some stuff is better saved for adulthood.

 

That  said another book I really enjoyed was Ten Days that shook the world (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Days_That_Shook_the_World)

Incredible account (IMO) of the political events of a global superpower. With implications still being felt today. Highly recommended even for the adults in the room.

[Masterofnone]

The Phantom Tollbooth.

Toward a love of language and wordplay.

[John Hjorth]

24 minutes ago, LC said:

You've got to be realistic too - I wouldn't expect a 10 year old to grasp themes in some classic literature or understand their importance. Some stuff is better saved for adulthood. ...

 

That's certainly right, @LC ,

 

Kids need time to be kids. To judge when it's time for something else, there are no better persons to judge realism in such initiatives than ... the parents! 

[Jaygo]

I read Papillon by Henry Charriere at age 11 and loved it. It really got me comfortable with big books. The subject matter was a bit too much for a kid but honestly I didn't really understand the murder of a prostitute anyway?  I was focused on the escapes, the adventure and the leprosy and the feeding of the sharks. 

 

I think Old man and the sea is a really awesome book for young adults too, its quick to read and an exciting story. 

 

The hatchet, call of the wild, harry potter, ready player one, and wild robot would be my suggestions though. All exciting and not too tough to read. 

 

I remember skipping pages when I was younger just to get through the boring ass books assigned at school so now I have no problem with my kids ready a bit up in age as long as the story can hook them. 

[villainx]

My 10 year old said his 3 favorite books are Bridge to Terabithia, Where the Red Fern Grows, and the entire Ranger's Apprentice series.  

 

I think he read it a couple of years ago.

 

 

 

Edited July 15, 2025 by villainx

[pricingpower]

The Magic of Reality is a great nonfiction book for a curious 10yo.  For a 7yo would recommend the Wild Robot (had a recent movie adaptation which changes the plot vs the book) and The World According to Humphrey.  For a 4yo the Step Into Reading presidents books were good.  The Great Illustrated Classics series abridges older classics into a like 2-4 grade level.