Year 5 +
The Borrowers
Mary Norton (1952)
This is one of my all time favourite books- so much so that our dog is named Arrietty! There are five books in the series, and they are all brilliant. The Borrowers live under the floorboards in a big, old house in the countryside. They ‘borrow’ things from the big people who live in the house, such as safety-pins and hairclips, and they then put these objects (enormous to them) to extraordinary and ingenious new uses. Mary Norton writes about their life and adventures in such detail that it is a captivating read. We follow Arrietty, a young borrower whose parents want only to protect her. When Arrietty is “seen” by a real human, they are certain it is the end.
words: 34,792
book level: 5.3
Ballet Shoes
Noel Streatfield (1936)
I was not a little girl who had ballet lessons, or who had any particular interest in dance, but I still adored this book. While ballet does come into it, this book is far more about the relationship between the three Fossil girls and their Nana and Garnie. This is Noel Streatfield's first book for children, and in my opinion, her best. The Fossil children were all adopted by Great Uncle Matthew- a man who travelled the world collecting fossils (hence their name). He disappears on one of his adventures, leaving the family with no money. Their Nana and Garnie (short for guardian- her real name is Sylvia and she is Great Uncle Matthew's niece) come up with a scheme to enrol them in a Ballet School, so that they can earn money performing on the stage.
words: 59,797
book level: 5.7
Five Children and It
Edith Nesbit (1902)
This brilliant book is about five children who discover something in the sand - an ancient, ugly, and irritable sand fairy that grants the children a wish a day. Magic, the children find, can be truly awkward where families are involved. If you don’t wish carefully, you could be letting yourself in for a lot of trouble. Edith Nesbit is a fabulous writer for children - I found it hard not to also include The Railway Children on this list, but Five Children and It sparks imagination and is a great stimulus for creative writing, so we chose it as our favourite of all her books. The Phoenix and the Carpet is also fantastic and follows the same children on further adventures.
words: 52,805
book level: 5.7
Tom's Midnight Garden
Phillipa Pearce (1958)
If you haven't already read Tom's Midnight Garden then you really must. It is the most wonderful book full of magic and mystery. Tom is sent to stay with his boring aunt and uncle, in their boring flat, while his brother Peter recovers from an infectious illness. In the communal hallway of their block of flats is an old grandfather clock, owned by the landlady of the building. One night he hears the clock strike thirteen. Intrigued, he tiptoes out of the flat, and down the stairs to investigate. This is when his time-travelling adventures in the midnight garden, with a little Victorian girl called Hattie, begin.
words: 56,032
book level: 6.1
A Little Princess
Frances Hodgson Burnett (1905)
Frances Hodgson Burnett's more famous book, The Secret Garden, is also completely beautiful and a must read for any child, but for me, the magic and mystery surrounding Sara Crewe in A Little Princess, utterly captivated me as a child, and it has remained one of my favourite books, into adulthood. Like Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden, Sara Crewe is a rich and privileged little girl, living at the turn of the last century, who falls on spectacularly hard times. Throughout terrible heartache and humiliation, Sara remains dignified and optimistic, forming strong friendships and proving that a positive attitude will triumph in the end (of course with a bit of good luck and story book magic thrown in to help!).
words: 66,117
book level: 6.0
Carrie's War
Nina Bawden (1973)
Nina Bawden has written a number of great children's books- The Peppermint Pig is also well worth reading. Carrie's War, like so many brilliant children's stories, is set during World War 2, with a brother and sister being evacuated to the countryside. Carrie and Nick make friends with another evacuee, who is staying in a nearby creepy, dilapidated house called Druid's Bottom, which is believed to be cursed. They spend lots of their time there and make friends with the housekeeper, Hepzibah, who is rumoured to be a witch but cooks wonderful food and tells them fascinating stories.
words: 41,824
book level: 5.3
The Silver Sword
Ian Serrailier (1956)
When their parents are taken in the middle of the night, twelve year old Ruth is forced to look after her naughty younger little brother Edek and her little sister Bronia. The world of 1940s Poland is chaotic and terrifying and Ruth struggles to keep the family together. Realising that they have to make it to Switzerland to be reunited with their father, the children set out on an epic voyage across a wartorn continent. Fascinating and heart-warming, this story celebrates the incredible spirit the children show. Ruth is one of the ultimate heroines in children's literature.
words: 40,851
book level: 5.5
Mary Poppins
P.L Travers (1934)
There are eight books in the Mary Poppins series and this is the first. The books are every bit as charming as the famous film, if not more so. Mary Poppins is a magical but strict and no-nonsense nanny, who swoops into the lives of the Banks children, blown in on her umbrella by a strong east wind. Although extremely stern- much more so than the Disney film's version of Mary Poppins - the new nanny takes the children on a whirlwind of magical adventures, including picnics on the ceiling and a trip around the world with a compass. The children soon grow to adore her.
words: 38,085
book level: 6.1
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
Judith Kerr (1971)
Although the main character in this story is called Anna, the story is an autobiography of Judith Kerr's own childhood, during World War 2. She wrote it for her own children, so that they could understand what it was really like for her growing up as a German Jewish girl, during the war. The story is told through the eyes of 9 year old Anna, whose father is wanted by the Nazi's. The family flee from Berlin via Switzerland to escape to Paris and then on to England. Anna's life changes beyond recognition, but she makes new friends along the way as she tries to make sense of the enormity of what is happening in her world and the world at large.
words: 55,835
book level: 5.7
The 101 Dalmatians
Dodie Smith (1956)
The original title for this book was The Great Dog Robbery- which sums up exactly what this exciting book is about. The exaggerated pantomime-villain Cruella de Vil plots an evil scheme to steal the new dalmatian puppies belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Dearly. She wants their fabulous spotted coats to make into a coat for herself! The puppies' parents, Pongo and Missis, hatch a plan with the help of a number of other dogs, to rescue their children from Hell Hall - Cruella de Vil's house. Will they get there before the innocent puppies are tuned into fur coats?