Our Favorite Kid's Books: Novels

So I know I said I would stay away from the best known books, but in the case of novels we wanted to read the most popular books when we were kids. So naturally, they became our favorites. So here we go!

Harry Potter

You probably saw this one coming. Harry Potter has been translated and sold around the world. It has seven books, eight movies and a timeless story of growing up and destroying dark wizards. These books were released as we got older, and I miss the excitement of waiting for a new installment of the story. It’s strange to think that the next generation will be able to read all seven at the same time, but they’ll be reading them all the same. (Hopefully BEFORE they watch the movies)

The Chronicles of Narnia

Again, these are rather popular but we also grew up on these books. The Chronicles of Narnia are great starter books for kids because while they’re small and unimposing, they also have a rich and complicated storyline. Our Dad used to read the stories to us at us at night, until we learned to read for ourselves. They hold a really special place in my memory, which is part of the reason I enjoy so much. But they really are a great read for fantasy story lovers.

Chronicles of Chrestomanci

More magical adventures! Technically, there are two books in this series, but I only like the first one. When I first read this series, I was amazed at how vastly different the magic worked from Harry Potter. Since J.K. Rowling pretty much set the standard for every literary magic school, it struck me as strange that with imagination and a pen, similar ideas can can have new twists, different rules and create an entire new adventure to enjoy. Christopher Chant lives with his sister magical sister Gwen. He gets swept away to a magical school and discovers secrets about his world and himself.

Redwall

So I never actually read these books, but I always heard great things about these books from my brother and sister. They both demanded that I include these books in this list. Matthias the mouse must fight to protect Redwallers from Cluny the Scourge. We have every book in the series in our house. I know that my siblings enjoyed the series, and I’m positive that others will as well.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Another famous author, Roald Dahl has given us such classics as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, and Matilda. I can’t praise this man enough. These are wonderful starter novels for children. They’re simple, whimsical and fun for all ages. I would also argue that this is another example of teaching kids that books are better than movies!