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recommended reading list
The best way for children to get into reading is for them to enjoy reading, obviously!
​
Our reading list is organised by reading difficulty.
It considers the sentence lengths, word lengths, vocabulary complexity, and the book's length.
It is important that children are reading books that they can comfortably comprehend. Giving them a book that is beyond their ability can demotivate them and cause them to lose interest.
Furthermore, we have restricted the list to only titles that have a 3.8+ Goodreads rating.
Goodreads is a global database of books. With over 90 million members leaving reviews, we have capped the reading list to ensure a good read for everyone!
To further aid your decision-making, we have included when the book was written, the genre and reading length of each book.​
​
We will endeavour to update this list regularly.
We are also open to any suggestions that we have not yet included!
Last updated: 29th April 2022.
books we'd recommend:
Title | Author | Link | Publish Date | Rating | Difficulty | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Cat in the Hat | Dr. Seuss | https://amzn.to/3vBDJhT | 1957 | 4.17 | 2.1 | 0h 10m |
Small in the City | Sydney Smith | https://amzn.to/3OVKwec | 2019 | 4.23 | 2.3 | 1h 2m |
I Go Quiet | David Ouimet | https://amzn.to/37aaIR7 | 2019 | 4.25 | 2.5 | 1h 15m |
The Giving Tree | Shel Silverstein | https://amzn.to/3kB5OQo | 1964 | 4.37 | 2.6 | 0h 3m |
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! | Dr. Seuss | https://amzn.to/3F8blHm | 1957 | 4.36 | 3 | 0h 8m |
The Lorax | Dr. Seuss | https://amzn.to/3OV041C | 1971 | 4.33 | 3.1 | 0h 11m |
Where the Wild Things Are | Maurice Sendak | https://amzn.to/39rYx2R | 1963 | 4.23 | 3.4 | 0h 4m |
The Crossing | Manjeet Mann | https://amzn.to/3yhx2Do | 2021 | 4.45 | 3.6 | 8h 20m |
Run, Rebel | Manjeet Mann | https://amzn.to/3kye7My | 2020 | 4.36 | 3.7 | 9h 35m |
Where the Sidewalk Ends | Shel Silverstein | https://amzn.to/3FdyN6o | 1974 | 4.31 | 3.9 | 5h 28m |
The Ickabog | J.K. Rowling | https://amzn.to/3kzF1nr | 2020 | 3.96 | 3.9 | 4h 42m |
October, October | Katya Balen | https://amzn.to/3vF83bL | 2020 | 4.5 | 4 | 5h 4m |
The Illustrated Mum | Jacqueline Wilson | https://amzn.to/3vXwno5 | 1999 | 3.82 | 4 | 6h 58m |
Hedgewitch | Skye McKenna | https://amzn.to/3FcXH5L | 2022 | 4.25 | 4 | 6h 42m |
Starbird | Sharon King-Chai | https://amzn.to/3vYqZkw | 2020 | 4.29 | 4.1 | 0h 50m |
Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4 (The Battle of the Labyrinth) | Rick Riordan | https://amzn.to/3ye38jx | 2008 | 4.41 | 4.1 | 8h 51m |
Fantastic Mr. Fox | Roald Dahl | https://amzn.to/38NCseE | 1970 | 4.07 | 4.1 | 0h 58m |
Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3 (The Titan's Curse) | Rick Riordan | https://amzn.to/3ye38jx | 2007 | 4.36 | 4.2 | 7h 36m |
Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5 (The Last Olympian) | Rick Riordan | https://amzn.to/3ye38jx | 2009 | 4.52 | 4.3 | 10h 6m |
Echo Mountain | Lauren Wolk | https://amzn.to/3vXwMa5 | 2020 | 4.31 | 4.3 | 9h 35m |
The Twits | Roald Dahl | https://amzn.to/3kwf5cq | 1980 | 3.97 | 4.4 | 0h 51m |
Cane Warriors | Alex Wheatle | https://amzn.to/38IuB28 | 2020 | 4.07 | 4.4 | 5h 0m |
The Last Firefox | Lee Newbery | https://amzn.to/3F8LnDL | 2022 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 5h 4m |
Coraline | Neil Gaiman | https://amzn.to/3LH16wa | 2002 | 4.08 | 4.4 | 1h 18m |
The Thief Who Sang Storms | Sophie Anderson | https://amzn.to/3OWRGP9 | 2022 | 4.33 | 4.5 | 6h 56m |
Of Mice and Men | John Steinbeck | https://amzn.to/3KxtfEI | 1937 | 3.88 | 4.5 | 3h 4m |
How the Stars Came to Be | Poonam Mistry | https://amzn.to/3OVMYBq | 2020 | 4.45 | 4.5 | 0h 32m |
The Fountains of Silence | Ruta Sepetys | https://amzn.to/3s3wj55 | 2019 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 8h 54m |
Front Desk | Kelly Yang | https://amzn.to/3w6JL9E | 2018 | 4.42 | 4.5 | 6h 41m |
The Light in Everything | Katya Balen | https://amzn.to/3KLcUfS | 2022 | 4.75 | 4.5 | 5h 18m |
Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2 (The Sea Monsters) | Rick Riordan | https://amzn.to/3ye38jx | 2006 | 4.24 | 4.6 | 6h 39m |
Bridge to Terabithia | Katherine Paterson | https://amzn.to/3MMoybD | 1977 | 4.02 | 4.6 | 3h 25m |
The Butterfly Lion | Michael Morpurgo | https://amzn.to/3vDoG7F | 1996 | 4.09 | 4.6 | 1h 29m |
Holes #1 (Holes) | Louis Sachar | https://amzn.to/3MJGN1l | 1998 | 3.98 | 4.6 | 4h 54m |
Adventures on Trains #2 (Kidnap on the California Comet) | M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman | https://amzn.to/3vCgWCE | 2020 | 4.33 | 4.6 | 4h 16m |
Winnie-the-Pooh #1 (Winnie-the-Pooh) | A. A. Milne | https://amzn.to/3F7Zfy8 | 1926 | 4.34 | 4.6 | 2h 21m |
The Sky Over Rebecca | Matthew Fox | https://amzn.to/3vWUByU | 2022 | 4.29 | 4.7 | 3h 33m |
Adventures on Trains #3 (Murder on the Safari Star) | M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman | https://amzn.to/3w0svTd | 2021 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4h 28m |
On Midnight Beach | Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick | https://amzn.to/38KMqNW | 2020 | 3.88 | 4.7 | 8h 20m |
The Catcher in the Rye | J. D. Salinger | https://amzn.to/3sbRVMz | 1951 | 3.81 | 4.7 | 7h 38m |
The Witches | Roald Dahl | https://amzn.to/3w29wI4 | 1983 | 4.17 | 4.7 | 3h 44m |
Kensuke's Kingdom | Michael Morpurgo | https://amzn.to/3KRt9YR | 1999 | 4.12 | 4.7 | 3h 12m |
A Wrinkle in Time | Madeleine L'Engle | https://amzn.to/3F7V2up | 1962 | 3.99 | 4.7 | 5h 12m |
Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1 (The Lightning Thief) | Rick Riordan | https://amzn.to/3ye38jx | 2005 | 4.28 | 4.7 | 9h 2m |
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler | E. L. Konigsburg | https://amzn.to/3vDpedJ | 1967 | 4.15 | 4.7 | 3h 13m |
Adventures on Trains #1 (The Highland Falcon Thief) | M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman | https://amzn.to/3vzwN54 | 2020 | 4.29 | 4.7 | 3h 44m |
Gentle Ben | Walt Morey | https://amzn.to/3LEENaF | 1965 | 4.14 | 4.8 | 5h 27m |
Orphans of the Tide #1 (Orphans of the Tide) | Struan Murray | https://amzn.to/3OSxaz8 | 2020 | 4.32 | 4.8 | 10h 46m |
Winnie-the-Pooh #2 (The House at Pooh Corner) | A. A. Milne | https://amzn.to/3ORGaom | 1928 | 4.36 | 4.8 | 5h 0m |
James and the Giant Peach | Roald Dahl | https://amzn.to/3vSH636 | 1961 | 4.02 | 4.8 | 2h 29m |
Wonder #1 (Wonder) | R. J. Palacio | https://amzn.to/3y6TiQn | 2012 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 7h 36m |
Look Both Ways | Jason Reynolds | https://amzn.to/3y6u8S4 | 2019 | 3.98 | 4.8 | 3h 58m |
Orphans of the Tide #2 (Shipwreck Island) | Struan Murray | https://amzn.to/3OSxaz8 | 2021 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 12h 46m |
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Roald Dahl | https://amzn.to/3LJ2cYy | 1964 | 4.15 | 4.8 | 3h 11m |
The BFG | Roald Dahl | https://amzn.to/39zXiPl | 1982 | 4.22 | 4.8 | 3h 54m |
Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good | Louie Stowell | https://amzn.to/3OV76Dy | 2022 | 4.28 | 4.9 | 6h 15m |
Tuck Everlasting | Natalie Babbitt | https://amzn.to/37W9ae6 | 1975 | 3.89 | 5 | 2h 54m |
Bud, Not Buddy | Christopher Paul Curtis | https://amzn.to/3LEFZuF | 1999 | 3.95 | 5 | 5h 26m |
Matilda | Roald Dahl | https://amzn.to/3y9Lo8U | 1988 | 4.33 | 5 | 4h 10m |
The Little Prince | Antoine de Saint-Exupéry | https://amzn.to/39zYnGT | 1943 | 4.32 | 5 | 1h 43m |
The Grisha Trilogy #3 (Ruin and Rising) | Leigh Bardugo | https://amzn.to/3MNgSWx | 2014 | 4.03 | 5 | 9h 55m |
The Grisha Trilogy #2 (Siege and Storm) | Leigh Bardugo | https://amzn.to/3vCA9En | 2013 | 3.86 | 5 | 10h 42m |
A Little Princess | Frances Hodgson Burnett | https://amzn.to/3s5hQWo | 1905 | 4.21 | 5.1 | 2h 36m |
Guard Your Heart | Sue Divin | https://amzn.to/3ybWkD4 | 2020 | 4.12 | 5.1 | 10h 50m |
Adventures on Trains #4 (Danger at Dead Man's Pass) | M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman | https://amzn.to/37dkt12 | 2022 | 4.36 | 5.1 | 4h 48m |
Private Peaceful | Michael Morpurgo | https://amzn.to/3OW8Egw | 2003 | 4.16 | 5.2 | 4h 49m |
A Dog on Barkham Street | Mary Stolz | 1960 | 3.97 | 5.2 | 3h 4m | |
Born to Run | Michael Morpurgo | https://amzn.to/38KVaUg | 2007 | 4.17 | 5.2 | 6h 15m |
The Girl Who Speaks Bear | Sophie Anderson | https://amzn.to/3LHLKrj | 2019 | 4.26 | 5.2 | 7h 15m |
A Sprinkle of Sorcery | Michelle Harrison | https://amzn.to/3safFRf | 2020 | 4.21 | 5.2 | 11h 31m |
Prairie Lotus | Linda Sue Park | https://amzn.to/3yqyp35 | 2020 | 4.35 | 5.2 | 8h 5m |
An Elephant in the Garden | Michael Morpurgo | https://amzn.to/3s7KjdW | 1009 | 4.18 | 5.2 | 3h 45m |
The Black Stallion | Walter Farley | https://amzn.to/3yqxPSX | 1941 | 4.19 | 5.2 | 5h 6m |
Alone on the Wide Wide Sea | Michael Morpurgo | https://amzn.to/3s9p7nR | 2006 | 4.2 | 5.2 | 8h 20m |
The Silver Arrow | Lev Grossman | https://amzn.to/3vZndrc | 2020 | 4 | 5.2 | 11h 39m |
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate | Jacqueline Kelly | https://amzn.to/3KFmJfd | 2009 | 3.98 | 5.3 | 8h 26m |
The Children of Green Knowe | Lucy M. Boston | https://amzn.to/3vSZuss | 1954 | 4.02 | 5.3 | 5h 58m |
The Borrowers #1 (The Borrowers) | Mary Norton | https://amzn.to/3OQy6En | 1952 | 4.03 | 5.3 | 3h 37m |
The Dark is Rising #3 (Greenwitch) | Susan Cooper | https://amzn.to/3yc19fO | 1974 | 3.99 | 5.3 | 4h 11m |
Clap When You Land | Elizabeth Acevedo | https://amzn.to/3OSPVmd | 2020 | 4.28 | 5.3 | 5h 32m |
The Grisha Trilogy #1 (Shadow and Bone) | Leigh Bardugo | https://amzn.to/3KxUaAl | 2012 | 3.96 | 5.3 | 8h 28m |
Esperanza Rising | Pam Muñoz Ryan | https://amzn.to/3MLCouJ | 2000 | 4.01 | 5.3 | 4h 21m |
All the Bright Places | Jennifer Niven | https://amzn.to/3LG4GH0 | 2015 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 9h 15m |
The Chronicles of Narnia #6 (The Magician's Nephew) | C. S. Lewis | https://amzn.to/3y6xKDC | 1955 | 4.04 | 5.4 | 4h 18m |
The Dark is Rising #1 (Over Sea, Under Stone) | Susan Cooper | https://amzn.to/3MNRjos | 1965 | 3.84 | 5.4 | 7h 48m |
When the Sky Falls | Phil Earle | https://amzn.to/3yaqxT6 | 2021 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 8h 20m |
The Velveteen Rabbit | Margery Williams | https://amzn.to/3vV4ZqK | 1922 | 4.28 | 5.5 | 0h 43m |
Tsunami Girl | Julian Sedgwick | https://amzn.to/3y8B3tQ | 2021 | 4.14 | 5.5 | 5h 50m |
Harry Potter #1 (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) | J.K. Rowling | https://amzn.to/39mse5l | 1997 | 4.48 | 5.5 | 8h 0m |
The Chronicles of Narnia #7 (The Last Battle) | C. S. Lewis | https://amzn.to/3y6xKDC | 1956 | 4.01 | 5.6 | 4h 30m |
The Chronicles of Narnia #2 (Prince Caspian) | C. S. Lewis | https://amzn.to/3y6xKDC | 1951 | 3.98 | 5.7 | 4h 39m |
Running Wild | Michael Morpurgo | https://amzn.to/3wjXbiH | 2009 | 4.22 | 5.7 | 9h 2m |
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood | Howard Pyle | https://amzn.to/3vXGWrf | 1883 | 4.07 | 5.7 | 1h 43m |
The Chronicles of Narnia #4 (The Silver Chair) | C. S. Lewis | https://amzn.to/3y6xKDC | 1953 | 3.95 | 5.7 | 5h 27m |
The Chronicles of Narnia #1 (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) | C. S. Lewis | https://amzn.to/3y6xKDC | 1950 | 4.23 | 5.7 | 3h 47m |
Punching the Air | Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam | https://amzn.to/3kSmLWJ | 2020 | 4.47 | 5.7 | 10h 25m |
The Chronicles of Narnia #5 (The Horse and His Boy) | C. S. Lewis | https://amzn.to/3y6xKDC | 1954 | 3.91 | 5.8 | 5h 8m |
The Lunar Chronicles #2 (Scarlet) | Marissa Meyer | https://amzn.to/3s8TOtw | 2013 | 4.26 | 5.8 | 11h 46m |
The Lunar Chronicles #1 (Cinder) | Marissa Meyer | https://amzn.to/39yECPX | 2012 | 4.13 | 5.8 | 9h 7m |
The Chronicles of Narnia #3 (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) | C. S. Lewis | https://amzn.to/3y6xKDC | 1952 | 4.09 | 5.9 | 5h 35m |
The Lunar Chronicles #4 (Winter) | Marissa Meyer | https://amzn.to/381erB0 | 2015 | 4.43 | 5.9 | 21h 32m |
War Horse #1 (War Horse) | Michael Morpurgo | https://amzn.to/3y4EyBI | 1982 | 4.14 | 5.9 | 0h 0m |
The Lunar Chronicles #3 (Cress) | Marissa Meyer | https://amzn.to/3vSMvHq | 2014 | 4.42 | 6 | 14h 24m |
Cheaper by the Dozen | Ernestine Gilbreth Carey | https://amzn.to/3FdOjiE | 1948 | 3.97 | 6 | 6h 22m |
Caddie Woodlawn | Carol Ryrie Brink | 1935 | 4.01 | 6 | 5h 22m | |
The Dark is Rising #5 (Silver on the Tree) | Susan Cooper | https://amzn.to/3LDK2av | 1977 | 4.1 | 6 | 8h 59m |
Mary Poppins | P. L. Travers | https://amzn.to/3FezSea | 1934 | 4.02 | 6.1 | 3h 58m |
The Dark is Rising #2 (The Dark is Rising) | Susan Cooper | https://amzn.to/3OTTAQx | 1973 | 4.05 | 6.2 | 8h 33m |
A Series of Unfortunate Events #4 (The Miserable Mill) | Lemony Snicket | https://amzn.to/39mrn4D | 2000 | 3.85 | 6.2 | 3h 1m |
The Dark is Rising #4 (The Grey King) | Susan Cooper | https://amzn.to/3vCWEsL | 1975 | 4.16 | 6.2 | 5h 49m |
A Series of Unfortunate Events #3 (The Wide Window) | Lemony Snicket | https://amzn.to/39mrn4D | 2000 | 3.94 | 6.3 | 3h 18m |
The Rescuers | Margery Sharp | 1959 | 4.08 | 6.3 | 4h 59m | |
The Secret Garden | Frances Hodgson Burnett | 1910 | 4.14 | 6.3 | 9h 24m | |
A Series of Unfortunate Events #2 (The Reptile Room) | Lemony Snicket | https://amzn.to/39mrn4D | 1999 | 3.99 | 6.3 | 3h 2m |
A Series of Unfortunate Events #1 (The Bad Beginning) | Lemony Snicket | https://amzn.to/39mrn4D | 1999 | 3.98 | 6.4 | 2h 30m |
A Series of Unfortunate Events #11 (The Grim Grotto) | Lemony Snicket | https://amzn.to/39mrn4D | 2004 | 4.01 | 6.5 | 5h 4m |
The Diary of a Young Girl | Anne Frank | https://amzn.to/39mrBZx | 1947 | 4.17 | 6.5 | 8h 51m |
D'Aulaires' Book Of Norse Myths | Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire | https://amzn.to/3yeoPjs | 1967 | 4.39 | 6.6 | 3h 53m |
A Series of Unfortunate Events #9 (The Carnivorous Carnival) | Lemony Snicket | https://amzn.to/39mrn4D | 2002 | 3.99 | 6.6 | 4h 33m |
A Series of Unfortunate Events #6 (The Ersatz Elevator) | Lemony Snicket | https://amzn.to/39mrn4D | 2001 | 4.04 | 6.6 | 4h 9m |
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again | J. R. R. Tolkien | https://amzn.to/3LDNKkr | 1937 | 4.28 | 6.6 | 18h 27m |
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn | Mark Twain | https://amzn.to/38O60ZW | 1884 | 3.82 | 6.6 | 11h 24m |
Harry Potter #3 (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) | J.K. Rowling | https://amzn.to/39mse5l | 1999 | 4.58 | 6.7 | 11h 7m |
A Series of Unfortunate Events #5 (The Austere Academy) | Lemony Snicket | https://amzn.to/39mrn4D | 2000 | 3.99 | 6.7 | 3h 30m |
A Christmas Carol | Charles Dickens | https://amzn.to/3yhKwz0 | 1999 | 4.1 | 6.7 | 1h 33m |
Harry Potter #2 (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) | J.K. Rowling | https://amzn.to/39mse5l | 1998 | 4.43 | 6.7 | 8h 52m |
The Phantom Tollbooth | Norton Juster | 1961 | 4.18 | 6.7 | 6h 40m | |
A Series of Unfortunate Events #7 (The Vile Village) | Lemony Snicket | https://amzn.to/39mrn4D | 2001 | 3.96 | 6.7 | 4h 5m |
Harry Potter #4 (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) | J.K. Rowling | https://amzn.to/39mse5l | 2000 | 4.57 | 6.8 | 19h 52m |
Harry Potter #7 (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) | J.K. Rowling | https://amzn.to/39mse5l | 2007 | 4.62 | 6.9 | 20h 38m |
Ben & Me | Robert Lawson | 1988 | 3.83 | 6.9 | 1h 33m | |
A Series of Unfortunate Events #8 (The Hostile Hospital) | Lemony Snicket | https://amzn.to/39mrn4D | 2001 | 3.98 | 6.9 | 3h 55m |
The Wonderful Wizard of OZ | L. Frank Baum | https://amzn.to/37Tu25L | 1900 | 3.99 | 7 | 4h 13m |
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | Arthur Conan Doyle | https://amzn.to/3MRUqvD | 1892 | 4.3 | 7 | 1h 59m |
A Series of Unfortunate Events #10 (The Slippery Slope) | Lemony Snicket | https://amzn.to/39mrn4D | 2003 | 4.03 | 7.1 | 5h 32m |
Harry Potter #5 (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) | J.K. Rowling | https://amzn.to/39mse5l | 2003 | 4.5 | 7.2 | 2h 47m |
Harry Potter #6 (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) | J.K. Rowling | https://amzn.to/39mse5l | 2005 | 4.57 | 7.2 | 17h 35m |
The Great Gatsby | F. Scott Fitzgerald | https://amzn.to/381OvVV | 1925 | 3.93 | 7.3 | 4h 54m |
Animal Farm | George Orwell | https://amzn.to/3s93Zyc | 1945 | 3.97 | 7.3 | 3h 7m |
A Series of Unfortunate Events #13 (The End) | Lemony Snicket | https://amzn.to/39mrn4D | 2006 | 4.02 | 7.3 | 5h 23m |
Anne of Green Gables #1 (Anne of Green Gables) | L. M. Montgomery | https://amzn.to/3OSl49i | 1908 | 4.28 | 7.3 | 4h 6m |
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland #1 (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland) | Lewis Carroll | https://amzn.to/3kBkE9u | 1865 | 4.06 | 7.4 | 2h 45m |
A Series of Unfortunate Events #12 (The Penultimate Peril) | Lemony Snicket | https://amzn.to/39mrn4D | 2005 | 4.06 | 7.4 | 4h 13m |
The Jungle Book | Rudyard Kipling | 1894 | 3.91 | 7.5 | 5h 16m | |
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland #2 (Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There) | Lewis Carroll | 1871 | 4.06 | 7.6 | 2h 22m | |
The Picture of Dorian Gray | Oscar Wilde | 1890 | 4.1 | 7.7 | 6h 46m | |
Black Beauty | Anna Sewell | 1877 | 3.98 | 7.7 | 6h 12m | |
Little Women | Louisa May Alcott | https://amzn.to/38KNAce | 1868 | 4.12 | 7.9 | 19h 8m |
Jane Eyre | Charlotte Brontë | 1847 | 4.14 | 7.9 | 19h 9m | |
The Call of the Wild | Jack London | 1903 | 3.89 | 8 | 3h 51m | |
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | Mark Twain | 1876 | 3.92 | 8.1 | 7h 5m | |
Swiss Family Robinson | Johann David Wyss | https://amzn.to/38QXOYY | 1812 | 3.91 | 8.1 | 6h 39m |
The Wind in the Willows | Kenneth Grahame | https://amzn.to/3KxTlY8 | 1908 | 3.99 | 8.2 | 2h 37m |
Heidi | Johanna Spyri | 1880 | 4.01 | 8.2 | 9h 17m | |
Treasure Island | Robert Louis Stevenson | 1883 | 3.84 | 8.3 | 7h 30m | |
Sense and Sensibility | Jane Austen | 1811 | 4.08 | 8.4 | 12h 46m | |
To Kill a Mockingbird | Harper Lee | 1960 | 4.27 | 8.6 | 2h 15m | |
Nineteen Eighty-Four | George Orwell | 1949 | 4.19 | 8.9 | 9h 15m | |
Much Ado About Nothing | William Shakespeare | 1598 | 4.06 | 9 | 2h 12m | |
Hike | Pete Oswald | 2020 | 4.36 | 9 | 0h 40m | |
The War of the Worlds | H. G. Wells | 1897 | 3.83 | 9.1 | 6h 34m | |
Emma | Jane Austen | 1815 | 4.03 | 9.3 | 16h 46m | |
The Yellow Wallpaper | Charlotte Perkins Gilman | 1892 | 4.11 | 9.3 | 0h 37m | |
Tess of the d'Urbervilles | Thomas Hardy | 1891 | 3.82 | 9.5 | 15h 25m | |
A Tale of Two Cities | Charles Dickens | 1859 | 3.86 | 9.7 | 15h 15m | |
Les Miserables | Victor Hugo | 1987 | 4.44 | 9.8 | 7h 18m | |
The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales | Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm | 1812 | 4.5 | 9.9 | 16h 58m | |
The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales | Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm | 1812 | 4.5 | 9.9 | 16h 58m | |
Hamlet | William Shakespeare | 1601 | 4.03 | 10.5 | 3h 20m | |
A Midsummer Night's Dream | William Shakespeare | 1595 | 3.95 | 10.9 | 1h 43m | |
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow | Washington Irving | 1810 | 3.94 | 11 | 3h 21m | |
Wuthering Heights | Emily Brontë | 1847 | 3.88 | 11.3 | 11h 14m | |
Pride and Prejudice | Jane Austen | 1813 | 4.28 | 12 | 12h 43m | |
Frankenstein | Mary Shelley | 1818 | 3.83 | 12.4 | 7h 51m |
newspapers we'd recommend:
The Week Junior: https://theweekjunior.co.uk/
Reading Difficulty Chart
​
Age
Year 1 (age 5-6):
Year 2 (age 6-7):
Year 3 (age 7-8):
Year 4 (age 8-9):
Year 5 (age 9-10):
Year 6 (age 10-11):
Year 7 (age 11-12):
These are determined based upon the average reading level required for each age group. Ideally, for your exam, you will be comfortable reading (and comprehending!) texts a year ahead of yours.
Last updated: 29th April 2022.
​
​
Reading Difficulty Level
1 - 2.4
2.5 - 3.5
3.6 - 4.2
4.3 - 4.9
5 - 5.5
5.6 - 6.3
6.4+
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