Discover 10 of our favorite iconic books for big kids who love to read and are ready for longer chapter books.
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My kids have always enjoyed reading. When they were babies and toddlers, our kid bookshelf was overflowing with books of all kinds. Some were very worn from being loved so much. I still have a few of our favorites, tucked away for later.
Reading was a daily family activity, as it likely is in your house. Now that my kids are older, we do not read together as often as we did when they were little. We listen to audiobooks on road trips or at the dinner table, but my kids mostly read to themselves now.
After a decade of reading together, both my kids – ages 7 and 10 – love to read. Both have even gotten in trouble at school for reading when they were supposed to be doing classwork.
My family believes that there is no such thing as too many books. We have shelves packed with books of all kinds and are always buying more. For parents looking for books for big kids to read on their own, here are the top ten picks from my own two.
10 books for big kids
1. The Mouse and the Motorcycle, by Beverly Cleary
Why we love it:
This is one I read as a kid and I love sharing my own childhood favorites with my kids. We love a story about a cute animal that isn’t a tear-jerker!
What it’s about:
Ralph is a little mouse with a big heart. When he finds a boy and a toy motorcycle, he goes on adventures around a big hotel.
Order The Mouse and the Motorcycle on Bookshop.org or Amazon.com
2. Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke
Why we love it:
Every child at some point wishes that they could just go inside their favorite book. In this one, the characters come out and go in. Inkheart is a blend of fairytale and modern fantasy. It takes an ordinary family on an extraordinary adventure that shows just how much someone can love a good book. Cornelia Funke is a wonderful writer and I could really recommend everything she’s ever written. Don’t be put off by this book’s size (over 500 pages).
What it’s about:
Inkheart is a trilogy. When Meggie’s father Mo reads, the characters come out of the books. When she is a baby, he accidentally brings several villains out of a book and her mother gets stuck inside. The story begins 12 years later, when the villains catch up with the family and kidnap Meggie to convince her father to send them back.
Order Inkheart on Bookshop.org or Amazon.com
3. The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke
Why we love it:
Cornelia Funke is such a creative writer. This story could be compared to Peter Pan, Oliver Twist, and Tom Sawyer but is such a unique variation on this theme. The characters are dynamic and believable, and the plot is full of twists and turns.
What it’s about:
Two orphaned children run away to avoid being separated. They find themselves living in an abandoned theater in Venice with a group of street children and a leader called the Thief Lord, who steals jewels from the wealthiest citizens.
Order The Thief Lord on Bookshop.org or Amazon.com
4. Percy Jackson and the Olympians, by Rick Riordan
Why we love it:
This series is full of Greek mythology. Although it takes place in modern New York, there is a lot of accurate mythology that blends old and new into the story. The author is a teacher from San Antonio and really knowledgeable.
What it’s about:
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is the first in a series of five (There is also a second spin-off-ish series called The Kane Chronicles.) The story starts with a typical high school student discovering that he isn’t so typical. In fact, he’s the son of a real Greek god and his life is in danger. Percy Jackson must dive head-first into the world of demigods, meeting a cast of characters and learning new skills at Camp Half-blood to save his life and that of others.
Order Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Bookshop.org or Amazon.com
5. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, by Tom Angleberger
Why we love it:
This is one of my son’s favorite book serials. He has made all the paper crafts in each story and learned a lot about origami – possibly more than I know.
What it’s about:
A sixth-grade boy who is a little quirky makes a Yoda out of paper to talk to his classmates. Yoda shares a wealth of wisdom that motivates the students to create a case file to determine whether he is real or not. This is the first in a series (all based on Star Wars and paper crafting).
Order The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda on Bookshop.org or Amazon.com
6. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl
Why we love it:
This classic story is every child’s dream – to visit a candy factory. But there is much more for the title character to learn about than sweets. Readers will be cheering for the hero to make the right decisions right up until the end.
What it’s about:
Charlie Bucket is one of five kids to win a visit to the famous Willy Wonka chocolate factory. Each child brings a unique, maybe undesirable, quality to the tour.
Order Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Bookshop.org or Amazon.com
7. The Lunar Chronicles: Cinder, by Marissa Meyer
Why we love it:
Of all the princess stories you could read, this is one of the most interesting. For starters, the heroine of the first book in this series is Cinderella, a cyborg. The series follows several fairytale characters on adventures that are dangerous and suspenseful.
What it’s about:
In the futuristic city of New Beijing, cyborgs are a common but ill-treated group of people. In the first book, Cinder, the titular character is a cyborg mechanic who meets a charming prince, battles an evil stepmother, and must find her place in the universe.
Order Cinder on Bookshop.org or Amazon.com
8. Holes, by Louis Sachar
Why we love it:
This book is one of my kids’ favorites. The writing is clever, the characters are both realistic and aspirational. Best of all, though there are struggles, we get a happy ending.
What it’s about:
The Yelnats family is under a curse and Stanley has ended up at a detention center where kids have to dig holes outside all summer long. When Stanley discovers the real reason they are digging, he’ll change his fate and that of his new friends.
Order on Bookshop.org or Amazon.com
9. Warriors, by Erin Hunter
Why we love it:
My kids love cats. This book series is similar to Watership Down (bunnies) or Guardians of Ga’hool (owls). It is an epic adventure about cats.
What it’s about:
The first book, Into the Wild, introduces the four clans of cats and the warrior code. When bad things start happening, a simple housecat named Rusty becomes a hero and must fight to save his people.
Order Warriors on Bookshop.org or Amazon.com
10. Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer
Why we love it:
I have to admit, this is one I might have enjoyed more than the kids did. The title character is very smart and more than a little quirky. He might be an evil genius, but he’s also a kid.
What it’s about:
In the first book in this series, meet Artemis Fowl, a millionaire genius who is only 12. He captures a fairy in a plot to steal gold, only to discover that the LEPrecon Unit is a serious band of soldiers. Fowl travels the world, fights enemies, and barely escapes danger along with his trusty sidekick, Butler.
Order Artemis Fowl on Bookshop.org or Amazon.com
Do you have books for big kids that I should add to this list?
What’s next? Try these other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:
This post was timely as I’m sitting here trying to figure out what to order from my youngest son’s school book fair. My older son has read (and loved) almost all the books you mentioned. He also enjoyed one of my favorites,the Chronicles of Narnia series as well as The Lord of the Ring series (although to be honest, I struggled to stay engaged in that series myself. I do like the movies though lol). I’d also add A Wrinkle in Time to your list. My younger son is not as much of a chapter book reader instead preferring more of the non-fiction choices. Great list!
I forgot about A Wrinkle in Time. That’s a good one.
And I’m totally with you on The Lord of the Rings. I really like it, but man is it a slow read at some points. I’ve watched the movies a lot, but only read the book(s) once…