Top 10 books for children aged 5-8

Angelina Ballerina by Katharine Holabird and Helen Craig

This book is written especially for little ballerina's everywhere. It tells the tale of Angelina Ballerina who is a young mouse who loves to dance more than anything. She especially loves the beauty and art of ballet dancing and dances every chance she gets, coming down the stairs to breakfast and on her way to school. She dreams of one day becoming a real ballerina. One day Angelina is told she will be attending ballet school which is where the real adventure starts. This book contains the most beautiful illustrations which little girls will love.

Every child should read the 1926 classic story of Winnie the Pooh. Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and the gloomy Eeyore have lots of adventures in 100 acre wood. The stories of Pooh and his friends are best enjoyed when read aloud and are suitable for kids 4 and up.

The paper bag princess By Robert N. Munsch

Your little princess will just love this charming story that was first published in 1980 and has sold over 4 million copies. A fire breathing dragon burns down Elizabeth’s castle and kidnaps her one true love, Prince Ronald, she grabs a paper bag for a dress and decides to go rescue him. This has been lauded as one of the best children's books ever written and once your child reads it, you will see what the fuss is about!

Mr Poppers Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

Mr. Popper's Penguins is a classic children's book that was published in 1938 and has recently been made into a movie for children. It tells the story of a man who gets a present of a penguin from the great Admiral Drake and before long has twelve penguins living in his house. This tale has amused children and their parents for decades! It's ideal for children four and up.

Lots of us will remember being fascinated by this delightful series written by Enid Blyton about a magical tree in the middle of an enchanted forest near the house of Jo, Bessie and Fanny. The tree is filled with fantastical creatures including silkie, the saucepan man and moonface and best of all, different lands come to rest on top of the tree, some nice like the land of birthdays and some not so nice like the land of tempers! This is the perfect book to read with your little bookworm and older children will enjoy reading this magical book on their own.

Since it's publication in 1952 Charlotte's Web has become one of the best loved children's books of all time and is a must read for every child. This heart-warming tale tells the story of an affectionate pig called Wilbur and his friend, a barn spider named Charlotte. When Wilbur finds out what happens to all farm pigs, Charlotte comes up with a plan to save him, writing messages praising Wilbur in the barn. Your 7 or 8 year old child will be well able to read this alone but it's also perfect for reading with younger children too.

Every child loves tales of magic and witches. This magical classic was written in 1974 and features the most disaster prone witch you could imagine! Mildred Hubble arrives at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches and doesn't know what to expect. Every spell she tries goes awry and she also makes an enemy of Ethel, a rather mean teacher's pet. This book is ideal for reading aloud together or slightly older children (7-8) will love reading this by themselves!

Charlie and the chocolate factory by Roald Dahl

One of the best children's stories ever written and it's perfect for boys and girls of any age. When poor Charlie Bucket and four other children wins a coveted golden ticket to be shown around Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, well behaved Charlie blossoms while the other children receive suitably sticky punishments for their revolting punishments.

Books about magic, witches and wizards are so popular with kids and this 1974 classic won't fail to delight. Gwendolyn Chant has always known that she is a gifted witch with incredible power, so she is delighted when she is brought to live in Chrestomanci Castle. However, her brother Eric is not so happy as he has no magical talent whatsoever. Things however aren't quite what they seem and life at the castle living with a great enchanter causes lots of havoc!

'The Phantom Tollbooth' was published in 1961 by Norman Juster and is the perfect book for children who seek adventure and excitement! Milo is a young boy bored by the world around him until one day he arrives home from school to find a mysterious package in his bedroom that contains a miniature tollbooth and a map of "the Lands Beyond". He quickly assembles the tollbooth, gathers the map and in a toy car, drives through the tollbooth in a toy car and finds himself on a road to Expectations. Being a little foolish, he doesn't pay attention to the path he is on and becomes lost. He finds himself in the Doldrums, a place where thinking and laughing is strictly forbidden but beforelong is rescued by Tock a watchdog who brings him on a wondrous adventure and soon realises life isn't boring at all.