30 books kids should read before they grow up

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Timeless classics and current bestsellers that will definitely not gather dust on the shelf and will help in fostering a harmonious personality.

Books for preschoolers

1. "Fairy Tales", Kornei Chukovsky

Favorite fairy tales of grandfather Korney as if straight from the childhood of today's mums and dads. Chukovsky believed that for children it is necessary to write only in a state of happiness, and conveyed this happiness in all available ways: rhythm, sounds, meanings and images. Moidodyr, Aibolit, Fedora - you must admit that such heroes could only be born in a good mood.

2. "Uncle Stepa", Sergei Mikhalkov

A strong, modest, fair Uncle Stepa is an example for everyone in sports, in the service, and in the family. The heroic deeds of this superhero are described in verses that are easy to memorize.

3. “Under the mushroom. Fairy Tales ", Vladimir Suteev

A colorful collection of favorite fairy tales of the classic animation. Kind, mischievous, instructive and understandable stories for kids will tell you that you should think about your actions, explain why you shouldn't be capricious, and teach you how to share.

4. "Cat's House", Samuil Marshak

"Tili-bom, tili-bom, the cat's house is on fire!" An early play by Marshak about a rich cat aunt and her poor orphan nephews was written for an orphanage theater in Krasnodar and is played to this day in every kindergarten. A simple syllable, light rhyme, many characters, an instructive story - what kids need.

5. “Uncle Fyodor, dog and cat. All stories ", Eduard Uspensky

Serious and independent Uncle Fyodor, economic Matroskin, simple-minded Sharik, mischievous postman Pechkin … The inhabitants of the village of Prostokvashino are part of the cultural code of millions of Russians.

A lot of funny moments from the life of buttermilk residents remained behind the scenes of the famous cartoons, but they are available in the book. Especially valuable in it is that Eduard Uspensky speaks with children on an equal footing, without edifying wagging his finger.

6. "Travels of Winnie the Witch", Valerie Thomas

The stories about Winnie the witch and her cat Vilbour are European classics of the last 30 years, awarded with honorary awards. Why is this clumsy lady with unshaven legs and unkempt head so good? Lack of complexes! She also does a lot of magic and enjoys every day she lives, even if things don't go as planned.

7. “Magic Around the World. 50 stories about animals from around the world ", Angela McAllister

What fairy tales do kids in the North like? And in South America? This book will be a guide to the fascinating traditions of peoples around the world. From childhood, the child will know the cultural characteristics of different peoples, the history of the flora and fauna of each continent.

8. “Strawberry Fairy. In Wonderland ", Stefanie Dale

A series of books about the life of a little Strawberry Fairy in a fairy forest is a German bestseller that looks like the dreams of all little girls at once. Ripe berries, neat cakes, kind animals and fairies in beautiful dresses visit each other, participate in magic contests and travel in a hot air balloon.

9. "Bear and Gusik. It's time to go to sleep! ", John Jory

The story of the relationship between the sluggish Bear and the hyperactive Goose was among the best illustrated books of 2017 according to Amazon. And she has every chance of becoming a classic of the future. The book is full of funny dialogues and scenes built on the contrasting temperaments of the characters. At the same time, she talks about such serious things as defending personal boundaries and paying attention to the desires of friends.

10. "Paul Becomes Football Star" by Brigitte Weninger

Good stories about the life of a large rabbit family are another contender for the title of modern classics. There are four exciting stories in the book: "Paul Becomes a Football Star", "Paul Loves Mom", "Happy Birthday Paul", "Paul is on Summer Vacation". Each story sets up young readers on a wave of creativity and mutual assistance.

Books for younger students

11. "Bad advice", Grigory Oster

When an inquisitive child grows up and tests the world for strength - draws on wallpaper, bathes in puddles and generally has unbridled behavior in everyday life - only harmful advice can help him. Let him develop a sense of humor and do as he used to - the opposite is true.

12. "Deniskin's stories", Victor Dragunsky

Viktor Dragunsky's stories about Denis Korablev are dedicated to his son. For him, Dragoonsky wrote most of the stories, it was his son Denis who was their main reviewer. The collection contains stories about funny and sometimes dangerous adventures, about first love, about miracles and incredible coincidences.

13. "The Extraordinary Adventures of Karik and Vali" by Ian Larry

The amazing adventures of a brother and sister who once accidentally drank a diminutive. From the laboratory, professors Karik and Valya find themselves in the world of the jungle and giant monsters: on a seemingly ordinary lawn near their house. A fascinating book with a full immersion in the world of entomology and botany!

14. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain

An adventure story about a mischievous boy Tom Sawyer, who cannot live a day without getting involved in some kind of adventure. Life is fun, but not at all as easy as Tom would like: either they will force you to go to school, or your aunt will instruct you to do boring household chores. But the boy still manages to come off to the fullest. He runs away from home, becomes a pirate, exposes the murderer and does a lot more fun things.

15. "Three Fat Men", Yuri Olesha

The story of the tightrope walker Tibula and the gunsmith Prospero, who, together with the common people, fight for justice and freedom against the three Fat Men - despotic tyrants who seized power until the legitimate heir of Tutti came of age. Doctor Gaspar and a little circus girl Suok help them in this difficult matter.

16. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

One of the most popular pirate and treasure adventure novels. The story of the search for Captain Flint's treasure on a desert island has absorbed ancient pirate legends, the spirit of wandering and adventures. As long as the secret of the treasures remains unsolved, I don't want to let go of the book.

17. "Bob the Cat" by James Bowen

A book about the friendship between a cat and a musician, based on real events. The touching story of their relationship is accompanied by colorful illustrations that children will surely like.

18. "Trolls, Go Home!", Alan MacDonald

Huge, hairy, noisy, wildly dressed and odd-smelling trolls are forced to move to the human world. And they are eager to be friends. But their neighbors Priddles do not share this enthusiasm. The book is that a big heart is always more important than looks and habits.

19. "The Tale of Lost Time", Evgeny Schwartz

The book includes three children's fairy tales by Schwartz: "The Tale of Lost Time", "Two Brothers" and "The New Adventures of Puss in Boots". From them, children will learn how important it is to learn from their mistakes, to think over their actions, not to be scattered over trifles and not to despair in desperate situations.

20. "Malachite box", Pavel Bazhov

Oral legends of the Ural miners are carried away into a world where reality is intertwined with magic so closely that it is impossible to distinguish. In Bazhov's tales, everything is beautiful: the mysterious atmosphere, descriptions of the way of life of the old village, the original language and, of course, the images of the heroes: the mistress of the Copper Mountain, Ognevushka the jump, Danila the master.

Books for middle school age

21. "Anya of the Green Gables", Lucy Maud Montgomery

The novel is set at the end of the 19th century. Instead of the expected boy, the girl Anya from the orphanage is mistakenly sent to her lonely brother and sister in the family. She is dreamy and cheerful, but for some reason the adoptive parents are in no hurry to leave the orphan with them.

22. "Scarecrow", Vladimir Zheleznikov

The most popular story by Vladimir Zheleznikov is about fortitude and first love, which is not always happy. Lenka Bessoltseva was dubbed the Scarecrow by classmates for their naive openness that they did not understand. Lenka was ready to sacrifice herself for the sake of the first handsome and excellent student Dimka Somov. And he turned out to be an unworthy coward of her.

23. "Kortik", Anatoly Rybakov

The bear, the protagonist of the story, becomes the owner of an old dagger, in which he discovers an encrypted message. Together with his friends, the boy decides to figure out who it is intended for, and embarks on an exciting and dangerous adventure.

24. "Dinka", Valentina Oseeva

Eight-year-old Dinka spends the summer at the dacha with her family. A mischievous and eccentric girl is bored of constantly sitting with her parents, so she often runs to the banks of the Volga to look for adventure. Once she meets the orphan Lyonka there, with whom she has to go through many exciting events.

25. "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen", Rudolf Erich Raspe

An old baron with a big nose sits by the fireplace and talks about incredible adventures, convincing listeners that these stories are the purest truth. He visited Russia, Lithuania, Turkey, India, America, Italy, England … But wherever he was! Each country was remembered by the Baron for incredible and unusual events. But is it all true?

26. “Fifteen year old captain. Around the World in Eighty Days ", Jules Verne

Around the World in Eighty Days is the intriguing story of Philes Fogg and his cheerful servant Passepartout. The journey around the world begins with a simple argument between Philes and his teammates, and ends with a dangerous pursuit.

Captain Fifteen tells the story of young Dick Sand, who had to take control of the Pilgrim whaling schooner. While traveling in Africa, the team unexpectedly encounters slave bandits.

27. Pollyanna, Eleanor Porter

The novel is about a small, life-loving orphan girl Pollyanna, who fell into the care of her harsh aunt and gradually changed the life of a small town. She infected all its inhabitants with her optimism and taught them to see the positive moments even in the most hopelessly sad things.

28. Forest Watch. Enchanted Castle ", Katya Matyushkina, Elena Khrustaleva

This detective and fairy tale takes readers on a journey through the Mysterious Forest. The local residents were attacked by an equally mysterious sleeping sickness. In the mountains of Dreams, the Usypun volcano woke up: everyone who breathes in its vapors falls asleep for a thousand years. This is exactly what happened to the parents of the little mouse Shustrik.

There is only one way to wake them up - you need to get a magic elixir from a good sorceress, the crow Dee-Dee. But she lives far away, in the Enchanted Castle, and only those who have not yet become an adult can see the path to it. Here it is, a real thing for the animals from the Forest Watch. On the way, they will encounter the Tree of Predictions, Kidun bushes, the Zaputka River, and also labyrinths and tasks that can only be solved with the help of readers.

29. "Stories about Children", Valentina Oseeva

The book "Stories about Children" contains stories and stories of the best Russian authors: Arkady Gaidar, Valentina Oseeva, Mikhail Zoshchenko and others. Every child will find a favorite author for himself. Gaidar will talk about the difficult growing up of adolescents, Oseeva - about kindness and politeness, and Zoshchenko will amuse them with funny stories. This collection is a real find for schoolchildren, because stories are written about them and for them.

30. "Timur and his team", Arkady Gaidar

Zhenya and Olga, daughters of the Soviet Colonel Aleksandrov, come to the country house to spend the summer there. While walking, Zhenya accidentally discovers in the attic of an old barn the headquarters of the guys who are holding a secret meeting. What is this mysterious organization and what are they doing? The wife has to find out.