Year 6 +
Goodnight Mr. Tom
Michelle Magorian (1981)
This is one of the most moving and beautiful stories although there are some harrowing and upsetting scenes so the content is not particularly suitable for readers younger than Year 6. It is another book set during World War 2 and there is so much history to learn from it. William Beech, a timid and nervous little boy from a troubled background in London, is evacuated to the countryside, where he lives with a grumpy and unsociable old man called Tom. The two of them form an extremely close bond and slowly William becomes less timid and Tom becomes less grumpy. They live happily together, until William is called back to London by his abusive mother. Will Tom be able to save him in time?
words: 83,046
book level: 4.8
Anne of Green Gables
L.M Montgomery (1908)
I'm not sure that I can think of another book character who lives life as fully as Anne or feels as deeply. Although her fiery temper often gets the better of her, Anne has a great gift for looking on the bright side of life, and when I'm feeling glum or gloomy, I often try to channel my inner-Anne! Anne is an orphan, living in Canada at the turn of the last century. She has had a miserable start off in life but her luck seems to change when she is told she has been adopted by Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. But unfortunately for Anne a mistake has been made, as the aging brother and sister had actually wanted a boy to help out on the farm. Is Anne's charm and lust for life enough to make them keep her, despite her being a girl?
words: 97,364
book level: 7.3
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll (1865)
Lewis Carroll's classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is about a little girl called Alice, who sees a white rabbit running by, looking at a pocket watch and complaining that he's late. Intrigued by the extraordinary sight, Alice follows it down a rabbit hole, where she falls into a magical, fantasy world. The story is utterly surreal in every way and gets stranger and stranger as you read on, but it's surreal-ness is fantastic and it has been sparking imagination for over 130 years. The book has never been out of print and has been translated into at least 97 languages. The sequel Through the Looking Glass is just as wackily wonderful!
words: 26,435
book level: 7.4
The Little White Horse
Elizabeth Goudge (1946)
J.K Rowling describes this as her favourite book and I can see why as it is beautifully written and completely engaging. The book is set in 1842 and is about a recently-orphaned, teenage girl called Maria, who is sent to live in a manor house belonging to an unknown cousin in the West of England. Maria loves the beautiful house, and her cousin, instantly. Everything about the manor house ,and its surrounding estate and village, is veiled with an air of magic and mystery, sending Maria on a voyage of discovery.
words: 78,293
book level: 6.8
Going Solo
Roald Dahl (1986)
Our second Roald Dahl book on the list! Going Solo is different to most other Roald Dahl books because it's true. He is a master story-teller and this account of his life is lively and funny. The world he describes - over a hundred years ago – is different to ours. Dahl’s parents were Norwegian and this gives him an outsider’s viewpoint of the British Empire that he grew up in. The tales of his life in East Africa and flying planes in World War 2 are sharply observed and brilliantly described making this a fascinating read
words: 57,047
book level: 6.1
The Wind in the Willows
Kenneth Grahame (1908)
When he gets tired of spring cleaning, the beautiful weather drags Mole outside to explore the river. He meets Rat, sets off on a boat and discovers the riverside world. Adventures with Mr Badger and the infamous Mr Toad follow in quick succession. This book is set over one hundred years ago, just as the car had been invented. The vain and arrogant Mr Toad's love for the noisy engines causes all sorts of drama and his fascination with fast speeds soon lead him to jail. This fantastic book is an adventure ride through an old-English landscape and is beautifully described.
words: 58,286
book level: 8.2
Peter Pan and Wendy
J.M Barrie (1904)
When Peter Pan flies in through the bedroom window, Wendy, Michael and John are not at all worried. They feel they have known him all their lives and when he shows them how to fly, everything seems perfect. Soaring out across the moonlit London Sky, they fly with him to Neverland to meet the mermaids and the lost boys. The children settle into their magical life and Barrie describes the fun with sparkling description. Until the nefarious Captain Hook turns up, life is wonderful but this cruel enemy is determined to get revenge on Peter for long-ago crimes. Written more than a hundred years ago, this is a challenging read, but well worth persevering with as it is one of the most magical stories of all time.
words: 47,821
book level: 7.2
The Sword in the Stone
T.H White (1938)
The Sword in the Stone is a story about the childhood of the legendary King Arthur. Set in medieval England, Arthur, (nicknamed The Wart) is an orphan who is living is a castle and training to be a knight. One day he gets lost in a forest and comes across the weird and wonderful wizard Merlyn. Merlyn returns to the castle with The Wart, to become his tutor. They have many extraordinary adventures together, as Merlyn trains The Wart for his prestigious future, including, transforming them both into fish, so that they could explore the castle's moat together. This is a funny and enchanting story, full of vivid description and is highly recommended.
words: 90,876
book level: 7.5
Northern Lights
Philip Pullman (1995)
This is one of the more modern books on our list and one that I came to as an adult. The world which Philip Pullman creates, with it's parallel universes, makes for a gripping read. Lyra has lived all her life in Oxford College with her daemon Pan, bored and waiting for something to happen.Many books involve animal creatures but the daemons that inhabit this book are one of Pullman's cleverest creations. a sort of an animal spirit - they represent a person's soul. Lyra is amazed when she overhears her father talking about the secrets of the northern world. Before she can find out more, she is forced to react when her best friend is suddenly snatched. This brilliant book is the first in the trilogy and it is a fantastic, fast-moving, adventure story.
words: 112,815
book level: 7.1
The Water Babies (Abridged)
Charles Kingsley (1863)
The unabridged version of this story is so Victorian that is quite difficult for most adults to follow, so I would recommend reading the abridged version of this book to fully appreciate the magical story. The full title of this book is The Water-Babies, A Fairytale for a Land Baby and like a fairy tale the story is magical, yet often cruel. The story is set in brutal Victorian England, in a world where poor little boys were sent up chimneys to sweep them. Tom was sent to clean the chimneys at a grand house where he meets the rich owner's daughter, Ellie. After he is chased out of her house, he falls into a river, where he is transformed from a dirty chimney sweep to a clean and sparkling water-baby. Ellie later joins him in the magical underwater world.