Year 4 +
The Queen's Nose
Dick King Smith (1983)
Anything written by Dick King Smith is fabulous and if you are an animal lover then you will adore his books. I struggled to choose my favourite of all of his books, but The Queen's Nose just pipped it. This is a story of magic and adventure, told with great humour. When I was a child, it was made into a TV series, which is perhaps why it sticks in my memory so vividly. The book is about Harmony, an animal-obssessed girl, who recieves a mysterious present from her Uncle Ginger- a very unusual and magical 50p coin - which leads her into all sorts of adventures.
words: 18,928
book level: 5.4
Stig of the Dump
Clive King (1963)
Stig of the Dump is the story of an unlikely friendship between Barney, a modern day boy, and Stig, a stoneage boy. The two first meet when Barney, bored and staying at his grandparents, goes to explore the chalk pit, which has a rubbish dump at the bottom. Barney slips and falls to the bottom of the pit, where he meets Stig. The two learn to communicate without language and Barney helps Stig to improve the den that he has made out of discarded rubbish at the bottom of the chalk pit. They have many adventures together, including time travel!
words: 37,984
book level: 5.5
The Bear Nobody Wanted
Allan Ahlberg (1986)
Allan Ahlberg is one of my favourite authors of children fiction and I couldn’t not include him somewhere on this list. He is possibly most famous for the books that he wrote for younger readers, such as Burglar Bill, or The Jolly Postman, but his books for older children are just as brilliant. He writes with such humour and nothing is sugar-coated. The ‘hero’ of this story is not very heroic or likeable at all - in fact, quite the opposite. His story starts in the toy factory where he is made. Unfortunately for our bear, he was made with a rather superior and sour expression on his face, making him instantly dislikable to those who meet him. Nobody wants to take him home to love. Will he manage to learn a bit of humility and find somebody to love him?
words: 30,749 book level: 6.0
Pippi Longstocking
Astrid Lindgren (1945)
Pippi Longstocking is another one of those ultimate heronies who is bold, brave, full of fun and fabulously unconventional. She has no desire to fit in with everyone else. With her firey red hair and her firey spirit, she has captured readers' imagination to such an extent that countless tv shows and films have been made about her; the books have been translated into 76 different languages! Astrid Lindgren originally started writing Pippi Longstocking stories for her daughter, as 'get-well' stories when she was off school - and they are absolutely perfect for this. Pippi's adventures can't fail but make a child smile and feel a bit perkier, when they are feeling under the weather!
words: 26,522
book level: 5.2
The Magician's Nephew
C.S Lewis (1955)
The Narnia series has been loved ever since it was first written. This is the first book in the series and it is the best one in our opinion. It explains how Narnia, the magical land from The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe, came into being. The story is set in London in the summer of 1900. Digory is a lonely boy until he meets Polly. He lives with his strange Uncle Andrew, a grumpy and selfish magician. The evil man uses the children to experiment with the magic ring he has created and they are lead to a series of strange lands. When the children meet the terrible White Queen and inadvertently bring her to London, chaos ensues. This book deals with magic in a realistic manner whilst remaining a brilliant adventure story.
words: 41,314
book level: 5.4
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
J.K Rowling (1997)
This is one of the newest books on this list and one of the only books that was not around when I was a child. I grew to love this book as a teacher and a mother. I have taught so many hundreds of 'Harry Potter obsessed' children over the years, and there is a reason why the books have made such staggeringly-popular films - they are fantastically written. J.K Rowling describes Harry Potter's world so vividly, that we feel as if we have been to all the places and as if we know the characters personally. The reluctant hero Harry and his friends, become our friends, as we follow their adventure at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If you are in Year 4 and you haven't read this book yet, then you really must!
words: 77,325
book level: 6.0
Danny the Champion of the World
Roald Dahl (1975)
It was impossible to choose only one Roald Dahl book- he is the only author who appears multiple times on our challenge lists! While his stories for younger children, such as The Twits, are hilarious, Danny the Champion of the World is more of a thoughtful story for older readers. It is also the book that left me with a life-long love of gypsy caravans! Danny lives with his father in a cosy caravan. One night, the eight-year-old is petrified to wake up alone. His father soon reappears but has to let Danny know his deepest secret – a passion for poaching pheasant. Danny proves his resourcefulness by rescuing his father – driving through the moonlight to save him. A fantastic read.
words: 40,084
book level: 4.7
Kensuke's Kingdom
Michael Morpurgo (1999)
Michael Morpurgo is one of the few current authors on this list, but no list of children's fiction would be complete without one of his books! He is often described as 'The Master of Storytelling' and any one of his books is well worth reading as he writes so beautifully. Kensuke's Kingdom is probably my favourite of all of his books. It tells the story of Michael, who sets off on an adventure sailing around the world with his family after his parents were made redundant from their jobs. One night on the boat, Michael and his dog are swept overboard by a sudden gust of wind. They are washed away to an island where they meet the mysterious Kensuke.
words: 30,736
book level: 4.7
Just So Stories
Rudyard Kipling (1902)
The Just So Stories are a collection of charming stories, written as bedtime tales by Rudyard Kipling (the author of The Jungle Book) for his young daughter. The reason for the title of the book is that his daughter insisted that he told them in a very particular way or she wouldn't be happy - "Just so" - were her very words. The stories are all about animals and why they look as they do. How the Camel got his Hump, How the Leoplard got his Spots and How the Elephant got his Trunk have always been my favoutites of the tales. Rudyard Kipling's own illustrations which are dotted throughout the book are particularly charming.
words: 33,373
book level: 6.4
The Family from One End Street
Eve Garnett (1937)
The majority of children's books written decades ago tend to involve wealthy people from privileged backgrounds. The Family from One End Street is one of the few children's books which gives us an insight to life for a poor family before the second world war, and it is a fascinating and heartwarming read. The book is about the Ruggles - a large family with seven children - living in a small and ordinary house in Sussex. Mr Ruggles works as a dustman and his wife takes in washing. Life is hard at times, but the family is a happy one and we follow the ups and downs of everyday life.