A book for every year of early life – from childhood classics to novels that shape thought in adulthood, with recommendations from renowned writers like Jacqueline Wilson, Michael Rosen and Katherine Rundell.
According to the latest data on reading habits, children and young people are reading less and less for pleasure. Only about a third of them say they read for pleasure, while daily leisure reading has halved in the last two decades. In this context, books remain one of the most important ways to develop imagination, language and critical thinking.
Below is a selection of 25 books – one for each year from birth to age 25 – recommended as reading that can be done either on its own or read by adults to children. It is not an obligation, but a literary journey that aims to restore the pleasure of reading.
1. Peep! – Janet & Allan Ahlberg
A classic book for young children that sees the world through the eyes of a baby. With detailed illustrations and a simple rhythm, the book transforms into an interactive “Peepo!” game on every page.
2. Goodnight Moon – Margaret Wise Brown & Clement Hurd
A simple yet captivating story about a rabbit going to sleep who gains a sense of increasingly profound and dreamy with each reading.
3. Fox in Socks – Dr. Seuss
A celebration of language and wordplay, full of linguistic confusions that develop rhythm and a love for the sounds of words.
4. The Gruffalo – Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler
A modern fairy tale with humor, light tension, and excellent illustrations – a classic of children's reading.
5. Frog and Toad Together – Arnold Lobel
Warm stories about friendship, filled with subtle humor and clever ideas.
6. Just So Stories – Rudyard Kipling
Imaginative tales originally told as bedtime stories, with a lively style and rich fantasy.
7. Tom's Midnight Garden – Philippa Pearce
A magical novel about time and memory, where a boy discovers a mysterious garden that only appears at night.
8. Moominland Midwinter – Tove Jansson
A deep and reflective story about loneliness and inner strength in a cold and silent world.
9. Journey to the River Sea – Eva Ibbotson
An adventure in the Amazon that talks about freedom, cultures and personal growth.
10. Treasure Island – Robert Louis Stevenson
An adventure classic with pirates, treasure, and iconic characters like Long John Silver.
11. Northern Lights – Philip Pullman
A fantastic world where philosophy, science and epic adventure mix.
12. The Owl Service – Alan Garner
A mysterious story inspired by Welsh mythology, full of psychological tension.
13. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole – Sue Townsend
A humorous and honest account of British adolescence.
14. Noughts and Crosses – Malorie Blackman
An alternative world that challenges racial prejudice and social stereotypes.
15. A Hand Full of Stars – Rafik Schami
A powerful story about a boy in Syria who confronts oppression through writing.
16. The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
A dark and introspective novel about identity and mental health.
17. Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishiguro
A delicate and shocking story about love, loss and human destiny.
18. Beloved – Toni Morrison
A powerful novel about slavery and historical trauma.
19. Slaughterhouse-Five – Kurt Vonnegut
A mix of war, absurdity and dark humor through memories of Dresden.
20. The Devil in the Flesh – Raymond Radiguet
A forbidden love story in times of war, written with strong sensitivity.
21. Four Quartets – TS Eliot
A series of philosophical poems on time, life, and spirituality.
22. Emma – Jane Austen
A subtle novel about self-awareness and emotional growth in adulthood.
23. The Handmaid's Tale – Margaret Atwood
A powerful dystopia about women's control and rights.
24. White Noise – Don DeLillo
A modern satire on consumerism and life in the information age.
25. Middlemarch – George Eliot
One of the greatest novels in world literature, profound, wise, and extraordinarily human – a work that accompanies the reader for a lifetime.
Overall, this selection aims to create a literary journey from childhood to adulthood – a series of books that are not only read, but lived. /GazetaExpress/
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