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FOR PARENTS · AGES 5–11

How to choose books your child will actually want to read

Start from what your child already loves, not from an age list. Easy books for fun are fine, and mixing books they read alone with harder ones you read aloud covers both.

How Litsee helps: illustrated stories your child steers, written for their age (5 to 11) and read aloud if you like.

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Book lists by age are everywhere, but a list can't know that your child loves sharks, hates long descriptions and only laughs at jokes about bottoms. This guide is about how to choose, not what to choose: how to find books your child will pick up without being asked.

By the Litsee team · Last reviewed · About this guide

The short answer: follow the interest, not the list

The DfE's tips for parents keep it simple: “Give children lots of opportunities to read different things in their own time - it doesn’t just have to be books.” They also remind you that “You know your child best and you’ll know the best times for your child to read.” and that “What matters most is that they enjoy it.” (DfE).

Enjoyment matters because it keeps children reading. The National Literacy Trust's 2026 survey found: “More children and young people who enjoyed reading read daily than those who did not enjoy reading (49.8% vs 4.5%).” It also found that “Among children aged 5 to 8, enjoyment remained high overall, but fell slightly from 62.6% in 2025 to 61.6% in 2026” (National Literacy Trust). Younger children mostly enjoy reading; the job is to keep it that way.

Start from what they already love

Dinosaurs, football, slime, space, a favourite TV character: any passion can lead to books. A child obsessed with trains might ignore a prize-winning novel but read a train fact book cover to cover, then a story with a train in it, then a story without. Interests are the way in.

Format matters as much as subject. Some children want pictures on every page; some want short chapters; some only want facts. Comics, magazines and joke books all count. Our guide to whether comics and audiobooks count explains why.

Book-type picker

Choose what your child loves to see kinds of book worth looking for. These are our suggestions, not titles: take the list to the library or a bookshop. Your choice stays in the page address; nothing is saved.

If they love: funny

  • Joke and riddle books, to read aloud to you
  • Comic strips and graphic novels with lots of visual jokes
  • Funny poetry collections, short enough for one sitting
  • Illustrated chapter books with a cheeky main character

Easy, hard and just right

Children need three kinds of book, doing three different jobs:

  • The school reading book: matched to their reading level, for practice.
  • Books for fun, often easier: the DfE's reading framework recommends “sets of short, popular easy-read page-turners, hi-lo books (see below), joke books, irreverent books – anything that helps to establish the reading habit” (DfE reading framework). An easy book read for pleasure isn't a step backwards.
  • Harder books you read aloud: stories above their reading level, so they meet bigger words and plots.

Rereading counts too. The framework's advice for parents is “Read favourite stories over and over again.”, and it says children need books “they need to be offered books they might choose to read over and over again”. If the school book itself is the worry, see our guide to a reading book that's too easy or too hard.

Where to find books

  • The library. Borrowing makes it free to try a book and give up on it. The DfE's tips add: “Local libraries also offer brilliant online materials, including audiobooks and ebooks to borrow.” Find yours on GOV.UK's local library services finder (England and Wales).
  • BookTrust's Bookfinder. In BookTrust's words: “Search hundreds of reviews of children’s books by age and theme in our tool” (BookTrust).
  • Teachers and friends. Ask the teacher what the class has loved, and ask your child what their friends are reading.
  • “More like this”. When a book is a hit, look for the same author, the next in the series, or the same kind of book.

Recommendations work for children as they do for adults. The reading framework notes: “As adults, we might choose to read something by an unknown author if it had been recommended by another author whose work we had already enjoyed or by a friend whose judgement we trusted.”

Letting them choose (even when you wouldn't)

A book your child chose is a book they want to read. Give them real choices: a library trip where they pick, a bookshop visit with a budget, a basket of books in the bedroom to dip into. If they choose something you think is too easy, too silly or too old, let them try it. They'll learn what they like by finding out, and you can always read something else aloud.

If a book isn't working after a few chapters, let them stop. Abandoning a book is part of being a reader, and it leaves time for the next one.

Questions parents ask

How do I choose books my child will want to read?

Start with what they love, not with a list. Let them choose, even if it's a comic or a joke book, mix in books you read aloud, and visit the library so trying something new costs nothing. Rereading favourites counts too.

Should my child only read books at their school reading level?

No. The school book is for practising reading at the right level. Books for fun can be easier, and books you read aloud can be harder. The DfE's reading framework recommends easy-read page-turners and joke books to build the reading habit.

Where can I find good book recommendations?

Your local library, your child's teacher and friends are good places to start. BookTrust's free Bookfinder lets you search reviews of children's books by age and theme.

Is it OK if my child reads the same book again and again?

Yes. The DfE's reading framework advises reading favourite stories over and over again, and says children need books they might choose to read again. Rereading builds fluency and confidence, and it's a sign they love the book.

Sources

  1. 10 top tips for parents to support children to read Department for Education, 16 July 2020, updated 25 April 2022, checked 3 November 2026
  2. The reading framework Department for Education, July 2023, updated 22 September 2023, checked 3 November 2026
  3. Children and young people's reading in 2026 National Literacy Trust, 2026, checked 3 November 2026
  4. Bookfinder BookTrust, undated, checked 3 November 2026
  5. Local library services GOV.UK, England and Wales, checked 3 November 2026

About this guide

Written by the Litsee team and checked line by line against the sources listed on this page.

The book-type picker and the ideas on this page are our own suggestions. We don't name titles here; your library, BookTrust's Bookfinder and your child's teacher are good places for specific books.

Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email info@litsee.com and we will fix it. Last reviewed: .

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