[The list is updated on 10th August 2021]
We are living in a time when young-adult is a genre. The books essentially written for teens are equally adored by people of all age groups. The team at Storizen has compiled a list of 15 books for kids to read that are loved and are relatable even today. This is a nonexhaustive list and we will be updating the same as we compile the full list.
We would like to know your thoughts about this list. Which book is your favorite? If you feel like that we missed any book, feel free to comment below and we will include the same in the list. If you are a parent and looking for a read for your child, then this list is definitely a guide for you. Let’s start…
1. Winnie the Pooh, by A A Milne
Illustrator: E H Shepard
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Children love Winnie the Pooh. The more they love the Pooh in the cartoon, there is no doubt that they will not love reading A A Milne’s stories about Pooh, Christopher Robin, and their friends in the Hundred Acre Wood.
A true classic and illustrations by E H Shepard are beautiful! This book is number one in our list of 15 books for kids to read.
2. Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak
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Max, the naughty kid is called a “wild thing” by his mother and is sent to bed without dinner if he behaves cheeky with her.
Where the Wild Things Are is a classic picture book. It was one of the first books to explore a child’s anger and is done pretty well.
The story is about Max as to how he deals with his feelings and comes back to his mother after working it all out.
The artwork by the author Maurice Sendak is an inspiration even to the modern picture book creators and a must-read book for the kids.
3. The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats
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Kids love snow. They experiment with it, they create a snowman, they build castles with snow and do a lot of different stuff with snow.
The Snowy Day is about a boy named Peter. Peter wakes up one winter morning to realize that the world has turned white with snow.
His experience playing and experimenting with snow is beautifully illustrated in The Snowy Day making it a wonderful read for children.
4. Through the Magic Mirror, by Anthony Browne
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Through the Magic Mirror is about Toby. Toby is fed up with his normal day-to-day life and was amazed when a new world opens up in front of him through the magic mirror.
The new world is different and the laws of nature turn upside down, mice chase cats, and dogs walk the men.
There is humor and adventure in the book from one of the world’s most acclaimed children’s authors and illustrators.
5. The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein
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The number five in the list of 15 books for kids to read, a tale of a tree that gives its life for a boy turned to a self-centered young man, this story is interpreted along with the environmentalist and religious lines.
The key takeaway on the theme of generosity makes it a must-read book for children.
6. Tuesday, by David Wiesner
Get your copy of the book here – Amazon
The beautifully illustrated book would be loved by children!. Nonusage of words and using propulsive watercolors for showing flying frogs on a surreal adventure makes this a perfect picture book.
Also Read – 7 Suspense/Thriller Books That Will Intrigue You
A picture speaks a thousand words, this saying goes perfectly with Tuesday by David Wiesner.
7. The Room on the Roof, by Ruskin Bond

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The first book by one of the most loved authors of children’s books, Ruskin Bond. He wrote this book when he was seventeen years old and won John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1957.
The story is about Rusty, a seventeen-year-old orphaned boy living in Dehradun.
8. Hoot, by Carl Hiaasen

Get your copy of the book here – Amazon
A modern classic and winner of the Newbery Honor award and a New York Times bestseller, Carl Hiaasen’s first novel celebrates the natural world with his trademark wit and warmth.
9. The Magic Faraway Tree, by Enid Blyton
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Moving into their new home, Joe, Beth, and Frannie are welcomed by an Enchanted Wood on their doorstep.
Discovering the Faraway Tree, they embark on a journey full of adventures! The children will surely love as they join Moonface, Saucepan Man, and Silky the fairy as they discover which new land is at the top of the Faraway Tree. It occupies the 9th place in our list of 15 books for kids to read.
10. The BFG, by Roald Dahl

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The BFG or The Big Friendly Giant is a story about Sophie who is unexpectedly spirited by a giant into the land of child-eating giants.
The book is full of outrageous humor and plenty of jokes about bodily functions, this is one book by Enid Blyton children will absolutely love.
11. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J K Rowling
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Harry Potter gets a chance to explore the new life at the Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft after living a life full of misery with his aunt and uncle.
Combining the shades of Diana Wynne Jones, Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, and Jill Murphy’s The Worst Witch, this contemporary classic of children’s literature that every child will love to read and explore.
12. Skellig, by David Almond
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Michael’s life becomes uncertain and lonely when he has to move into a new house and his baby sister gets sick. The story becomes magical when he finds a new friend Mina in the garage.
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He finds Skellig, A strange creature – part owl, part angel, a being who needs Michael’s help if he is to survive.
He nourishes and takes care of Skellig with the help of Mina and brings back his health. A bestselling story about love, loss, and hope is a must-read children’s book.
13. Madeline (series), by Ludwig Bemelmans
Get your copy of the book here – Amazon
This picture book classic is loved by children and adults equally for eighty years. A French girl navigates the boarding school and also she gets her appendix removed. She does it all with confidence!
Explore the city of Paris with this beautifully illustrated picture book. Another must-read children’s book of all time.
14. The Diary of A Young Girl, by Anne Frank
Get your copy of the book here – Amazon
One of the most important pieces of the historical literature of all time, Anne Frank’s, The Diary of a Young Girl.
Anne’s journal – not composed by an antiquarian, government official, or anthropologist, yet a kid – is a special and strong understanding of this horrendous period ever.
An account of teenager Anne’s insecurities, hopes, dreams, worries, and secrets, The diary of a young girl is still relatable to teenagers today.
15. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis
Get your copy of the book here – Amazon
The Pevensie children – Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy step through a wardrobe door in a strange country house and enter the world of Narnia, a land of snow and pine forests. A White Witch has enslaved the creatures of Narnia.
The story involving an engaging adventure and a clever mix of fantasy and fairy-tale will surely charm the youngsters.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
Get your copy of the book here – Amazon
A Caterpillar, when hatches from the egg look for the food for the first time. He starts eating apples the first day and then moves on to have plums, strawberries, oranges, and pears. The good thing is that it leaves its caterpillar-shaped marks behind every fruit.
This wonderful classic picture book by Penguin UK is a delight for children over the generations and hasn’t lost its appeal as yet.
Jumanji, by Chris Van Allsburg
Get your copy of the book here – Amazon
When Judy and Peter got bored as the parents have gone out. As they had the instructions to keep the house tidy, they go outside in the park and find a game titled Jumanji: The Jungle Adventure. They start to play but each move on the board comes true.
Inspiration for the Film and TV series, this award-winning picture book is an intriguing and bizarre adventure that will appeal to older children.
The 13-Storey Treehouse, by Andy Griffiths

Get your copy of the book here – Amazon
This is a story is about writing (or actually not writing) a book. The author Andy Griffiths and the illustrator Terry Denton have created this masterpiece to engage even the determined book hater. Hilarious cartoon drawings that will add several pages and can be read within seconds are noteworthy mentions of this book.
The list is never-ending and we will keep you updated with more classic children’s books from the literature that are loved by children even today. Last but not the least, the list of 15 books for kids to read will be updated, so check out this space!
Which of these books have you read? Do share your personal favorites in the comments section below.
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