200 books for kids of all ages

Books open children's minds and encourage their creativity and imaginations. Children's books also provide good models for their own writing, and are therefore an essential part of kids' literacy and learning.

For this reason, teachers are always trying to encourage kids to read – 'readathons', the Premier's Reading Challenge and good old book reviews are just a few of the techniques we use to try to get kids off the computer and back to books!

I am often asked to recommend children's books that are appropriate for boys and girls of all ages. It's a tough question, because every child's taste in stories and styles is different, but the list below is a great start.

In publishing a list of 200 great kids' books a couple of years ago, The Sydney Morning Herald identified some new Aussie tales as well as classic children's books that many parents would be familiar with. To add to the fun, I've included some of our family's personal favourites (anything to do with bodily functions is a hit in our house!) and no doubt your kids could also contribute to the list.

The list is not meant to be comprehensive, but instead, it gives you an overview of the kinds of authors, styles and topics that you could look for in the library with your child. Some authors, like Mem Fox or Dr Seuss, have written many titles and so only one is included here. If your child enjoys that story, perhaps you could use this list to find other books by that writer next time you visit the library.

In some instances, this list includes books that many children in younger age groups usually wouldn't be able to read alone. They still work beautifully when they are read aloud though, so you'll see 'RA' next to the titles that are best as 'Read Aloud' choices for younger children.

If you get to the end of this list and find that I've missed one of your children's favourite books, please add to this resource by posting the book's title and author in the forum below.

Your additions would be appreciated by parents and grandparents everywhere!

Books for Preschoolers
(Fabulous to read to and with children aged 1 day to 4 years)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French
Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin, Jr.
My Dad by Anthony Browne
Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allen Ahlberg
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Corduroy by Don Freeman
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Bears in the Night by Stan and Jan Berenstein
Do You Know What Grandad Did? By Brian Smith
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
The Waterhole by Graeme Base
Grandpa and Thomas by Pamela Allen
Grandpa and Thomas and the Green Umbrella by Pamella Allen
Belinda by Pamela Allen
The Trouble with Mum by Babette Cole
The Trouble with Dad by Babette Cole
Looking for Crabs by Bruce Whately
The Mitten by Alvin Tresselt
Peepo by Janet and Allen Ahlberg
One Hungry Spider by Jeannie Baker
One Dragon's Dream by Peter Pavey
Battles in the Bath by Peter Pavey
Time for Bed by Mem Fox
Hattie and the Fox by Mem Fox
Dog In, Cat Out by Gillian Rubenstein
Don't Forget the Bacon by Pat Hutchins
The Story of Chicken Licken by Jan Ormerod
When I am Feeling Happy (also comes in When I am feeling...Lonely, Scared and Sad) by Trace Moroney
Toilet time for Boys (three's also an edition for girls!!) by Melissa Webb

Books for Children Ages 4-8
(Great to read aloud to younger readers or can be read independently by beginning readers)

What Made Tiddalik Laugh by Joanna Troughton
The Rainbow Serpent by Dick Roughsey
The Bananna Bird and the Snake Men by Percy Trezise and Dick Roughsey
The Jolly Postman or Other People's Letters by Janet & Allen Ahlberg
Animalia by Graeme Base
The Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs RA
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Lester and Clyde by James Reece
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein RA
Where the Sidewalk Ends: the Poems and Drawing of Shel Silverstein by Shel Silverstein RA
John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat by Jenny Wagner
Where's Julius by John Burningham
Sunshine by Jan Ormerod
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
The Digging-est Dog by Al Perkins
No Kiss for Mother by Tomi Ungerer
Counting on Frank by Rod Clement
The Bears' ABC Book by Robin & Jocelyn Wild
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss
Where the Forest Meets the Sea by Jeannie Baker
Granpa by John Burningham
The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay RA
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
A.B. Paterson's Mulga Bill's Bicycle by Kilmeny & Deborah Niland
In My Back Yard by Nette Hilton & Anne Spudvilas
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Complete Adventures of Blinky Bill by Dorothy Wall RA
Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss
Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
The Story of Shy the Platypus by Leslie Rees RA
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault
The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne RA
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Wheel on the Chimney by Margaret Wise Brown
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
Hubert's Hair-raising Adventure by Bill Peet
Cowardly Clyde by Bill Peet
Are You My Mother? by Philip D. Eastman
Whistle Up the Chimney by Nan Hunt
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
Curious George by Hans Augusto Rey
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
Arthur series by Marc Tolon Brown
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
The Art Lesson by Tomie De Paola
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
Petunia by Roger Duvoisin
Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
Aranea: A Story About a Spider by Jenny Wagner
The Complete Adventures of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
The Fisherman and the Theefyspray by Jane Tanner
The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch by Ronda & David Armitage
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
The Amazing Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
Walter the Farting Dog - William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray, and illustrated by Audrey Colman
Farticus Maximus and Other Stories that Stink! by Felice Arena
Zac Powers series – H.I.Larry
Go Girl! series – various authors

Books for Children Ages 9-11
(Children aged 6-8 should enjoy having these books read to them. Most children aged 9-11 years should be able to read them independently)

Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
Dirty Beasts by Roald Dahl
The Shrinking of Treehorn by Florence Parry Heide
Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Callie's Castle by Ruth Park
Grandma Cadbury's Trucking Tales by Dianne Bates
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
The Iron Man by Ted Hughes
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling RA
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Diary of a Wimpy Kids by Jeff Kinney
A Little Fear by Patricia Wrightson
The Village Dinosaur by Phyllis Arkle
The Super-Roo of Mungalongaloo by Osmar White
Paw Thing by Paul Jennings
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
The BFG by Roald Dahl
The Giver by Lois Lowry
James and the Giant Peach: A Children's Story by Roald Dahl
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
A Dream of Stars by Brian Caswell
Mike by Brian Caswell
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Where the Sidewalk Ends: the Poems and Drawing of Shel Silverstein by Shel Silverstein
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Misery Guts by Morris Gleitzman
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
Stuart Little by E. B. White
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Matilda by Roald Dahl
The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
The Pinballs by Betsy Byars
The 39 Clues – a series by Rick Riordan, Gordon Korman, Peter Lerangis, Jude Watson, Patrick Carman,

Books for children aged 12-13
(Advanced younger readers may find these books accessible, however, the concepts may occasionally be more suited to teens)

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall
Playing Beattie Bow by Ruth Park
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Merryl of the Stones by Brian Caswell
Thunderwith by Libby Hathorn
Boy by Roald Dahl
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
The Fire in the Stone by Colin Thiele
The Stone Quartet by Alan Garner
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Nargun and the Stars by Patricia Wrightson
The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong
I Lost My My Mobile at the Mall by Wendy Harmer
Dreaming of Amelia by Jaclyn Moriarty
Leviathan Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld