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Books are fun and entertaining for all ages. Here are 20 that you will enjoy no matter your age. I have organized them according to recommended age group, but you know your children and what they will be comfortable with. For ages 0-3 the books are intended to be read out-loud.
Ages 0-3
Little Blue Truck
"I LOVE this book. It has such wonderful rhythm and rhyme making it the perfect book to read aloud," says Crystal Allen. Get the book here.
Giraffes Can't Dance
"This is a brilliant story and makes me remember the sheer excitement of exploring the world of exotic animals and the exciting places they lived. The story uses colourful illustrations and a rhythmical storyline, which provides a musical and fast paced feel," says Emma. Get the book here.
The Giving Tree
"This book is about a little boy and his relationship with a tree. The tree is very giving, and it helps the boy out with whatever he needs. My favorite line in the book is "and she loved a little boy very much, even more than she loved herself." I think this is a very sweet book for parents to read with their children. It is a very age-friendly book and can please any age of audiences. It teaches us to be thankful for what we have," says Kailey Pitts. Get the book here.
Where the Wild Things Are
"I have read the story of Max about 1,000,000 times and my kids love it too. The illustrations are magical and the text is beyond wonderful. It is one of the most fun and rewarding books for a parent to read to a kid (lots of fun making dancing sounds and monster sounds!) and features [a] joyful plot. A must!," says Le fino. Get the book here.
The Kissing Hand
"A beautiful, touching story about how we always hold the love of those closest to us, even when we cannot see them. I adore the idea of the "kissing hand" and, though this book may have become a bit "commercialized" with the accompanying stickers, the heart of the tale is pure and one that I think many children (and adults) can relate to," says Kathryn. Get the book here.
Ages 4-6
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
"This book is absolutely precious. It was one of my childhood favorites, and I love to share it with others. It has such great pictures and such catchy verses. I love Laura Numeroff and all of her books....It is an easy read and I believe all ages can enjoy it!," says Madison Fuller. Get the book here.
Harold and the Purple Crayon
"One of the all-time best books to foster creativity in children. A must for EVERY child's bookshelf," says Daniel. Get the book here.
The Poky Little Puppy
"I must have read this book a million times when I was growing up, and I still have warm fuzzy feelings about the story. I would truly recommend this book to all children," says Becky Everhart. Get the book here.
Madeline
"Loved it! This is a classic children's book with wonderful illustrations and rhyming verses. I read this book many many times when I was young and to my children when they were young," says Laima. Get the book here.
Little Bear
"Little Bear is nice and sweet and funny. My kids really enjoyed this. There is a lot of repetition in the text so beginning readers can gain confidence in reading faster," says Heather. Get the book here.
Ages 7-10
Series of Unfortunate Events
"What can I say? These books are amazing. Lemony Snicket does not dumb things down for children, and for that I am eternally grateful. He uses great words in this book, such as: insipid, aberrant, declaim, predicament, Molotov cocktails, incur, adroit, relinquish, nuptial, posthaste, in loco parentis, and mulctuary. Most of these words are explained in a great, kid-friendly way," says Carmen. Get the series here.
Where the Sidewalk Ends
"All I can say is that this book is amazing. This was the first book that my dad ever read to me and I loved it. I was re-reading it today and I normally don't love books I loved when I was little, but this book is different. I still love it," says Sita. Get the book here.
Amelia Bedelia
"Ooh Amelia Bedelia. We all love her. She is such a literal person. Yet we all adore her. I grew up following along with Amelia on her crazy adventures. My mom used to read them to me, and now I can't wait to be able to read them to my daughter," says Rachel White. Get the book here.
Charlotte's Web
"I read Charlotte's Web as a child, and loved it. Recently I had the pleasure of rereading it with my daughter, taking on a chapter a day. The descriptive phrases E.B. White uses while helping us to fall in love with the characters and their world are wonderful...I would definitely recommend this book to others, including adults," says JR. Get the book here.
Magic Tree House
"I remember reading these series as a child in elementary school and I absolutely loved them!! I just re read this book yesterday and it brought back so many memories and brought back the images I had initially created in my mind back to life immediately. I would highly recommend this book if you want to start a series that takes you to so many different places; you will not be able to read just one of the books in the series and just stop," says Melanie Hammett. Get the books 1-4 here.
Ages 10 and up
Pollyanna
"How great is it to start of 2015 with three delightful books! I loved Pollyanna! I watched the movie several times when I was young, so I thought reading the book would be a little boring but cute? I was wrong. As is true with many books to movies, the book is better and different," said Lisa. Get the book here.
The Wind in the Willows
"This book has everything that you need in a children's book! Caricature animals, morals in disguise, adventure and humour. It also has a special ambiance about it that makes you feel safe and content while reading this story. I'm surprised I haven't read it before, because I know I would've absolutely loved it as a child," says Helen the Bookowl. Get the book here.
The Giver
"I loved this book. I know it is a YA but who can't benefit from experiencing a world without color, love, emotion, family and individualism. It makes us appreciate our daily lives for all their richness and choices," says Maria Pomeroy. Get the book here.
Harry Potter Series
"I am an absolute Harry Potter fan. I picked up the series when I was in college and was blown away by this mesmerizing and page-turning "children's book". J.K. Rowling is an absolute genius. I've always had an active imagination, and this world was so easy to enter," says Rachel. Get the series here.
Chronicles of Narnia
"I read the entire series, one right after another, eight times in a row when I got them for Christmas in fourth grade. Obviously I loved them then. Just finished reading them again to Eric, my 8-year-old, and loved them maybe just as must as I did as a 10-year-old," says Whalesister. Get the series here.
