Year 3 +
The Worst Witch
Jill Murphy (1986)
Before Harry Potter and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, there was the wonderful Mildred Hubble and Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. The original schoolgirl witch, Mildred is hilariously funny and a walking disaster. Everything she touches goes wrong, but we can't help falling in love with her and her friends Maud and Enid, as we follow the young witches on their magical journey. This is the first of a series of eight books, all of which are wonderful and well worth reading. The Worst Witch is also now a popular TV show, currently showing on CBBC.
words: 9,342
book level: 5.4
Little House in the Big Woods
Laura Ingalls Wilder (1932)
This is a true story, about the author's childhood, in 1870's America. This is the first in the series of books- all of which are well worth reading - the most famous being Little House on the Prairie. The first book, however, is my favourite. The family's simple way of life, in their cosy log house built by Pa, is absolutely charming. Some aspects of the way the family lived seem shocking to us, as their world was so very different to the one that we live in today, but this is what makes it a fascinating read! These books allow you to discover what life was like when America was still largely empty, in the times of the ‘Wild West’, when cowboys on horses and wolves roamed the countryside.
words: 33,586
book level: 5.3
Ramona the Pest
Beverley Clearly (1968)
There are eleven 'Ramona' books in total, written between 1955- 1999. Ramona the Pest is number two in the series and it is my favourite of all the books. Ramona, a bit like Mildred Hubble from The Worst Witch, is one of those people who seem to be followed by disaster, despite trying to do their best. She says what she thinks and is endlessly getting into trouble, but she is honest and clever, and we are rooting for her throughout. In this book, Ramona starts kindergarten (like Reception Class, in England) and we follow her run-ins with a substitute teacher and a little girl called Susan.
words: 27,145
book level: 5.1
A Bear Called Paddington
Michael Bond (1958)
A Bear Called Paddington is such a much loved story that there have been endless TV and film adaptations made of it and for decades, children up and down the world have played with Paddington Bear toys. The reason for the series' popularity is that the character of Paddington, with his impeccable manners and child-like innocence, is utterly endearing, despite accidentally creating havoc wherever he goes. In this book, we laugh out loud at Paddington's hilarious experience having his first bath and trying to navigate the escalator at the underground station. Both of which, as you might imagine, do not go to plan!
words: 24,560
book level: 4.7
Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf
Catherine Storr (1955)
I remember reading this book when I was a little girl and being delighted to find a character like Polly - a bold and bright little girl who is her own hero. Unlike Little Red Riding Hood, she had no need for woodcutters to save her from the fairy-tale wolf who was endlessly pursuing her! Polly is utterly self-sufficient and confident and manages to out-smart the wolf every single time, to the point where you almost feel sorry for the persistent and pathetic wolf! Despite being written nearly 70 years ago, Polly is a modern role model for modern readers! Catherine Storr wrote four 'Clever Polly' books in total, all of which are well worth reading.
words: 16,503
book level: 4.5
Charlotte's Web
E.B White (1952)
Charlotte's Web gets the reader hooked in from the off, with a scene that is shocking to many modern, city-dwelling readers. Fern, an eight year old girl, is horrified when she discovers that her father (a farmer) is going to kill the smallest piglet from the newly-born litter. She begs her father not to kill the piglet, but to let her keep it as a pet. Fern gets her way, and from that moment on we are all rooting for Fern and Wilbur the pig. But as Wilbur grows, so do his problems. He makes friends with a brave and loyal spider called Charlotte, who helps Wilbur. This is a heart-warming story of friendship and I defy any reader not to be crying by the end!
words: 31,938
book level: 4.4
The Enchanted Wood
Enid Blyton (1939)
There are three books in the 'Faraway Tree' collection, and The Enchanted Wood is the first in the series. I have read this book aloud to every Year 2 and 3 class that I have ever taught (as well as to my own four children) and it has always sparked imagination for games and creative writing, like no other book that I know. It is rather old fashioned in places, but the magic out-weighs this and makes it a must-read book. When three children move to a new house in the country, they eagerly explore the nearby Enchanted Woods. They stumble on the magical Faraway Tree by accident and the higher they climb, the stranger it seems. Once they make friends with Moonface and Silky (the fairy), they start to make sense of this enchanted world and they let themselves in for a series of magical adventures.
words: 48,544
book level: 4.4
The Iron Man
Ted Hughes (1968)
No-one knows where the Iron Man comes from. He appears on a cliff-top in the moonlight one night and everyone is scared. The farmers are furious when they discover half-eaten tractors in their fields. Hogarth, a young boy, is the only one who feels sorry for the Iron Man. This brilliant book is fascinating but short and easy to read. Ted Hughes is a poet, and this shows in his writing, which is always dripping with description. He followed up The Iron Man with The Iron Woman, over 20 years later- another book which is well worth reading.
words: 9,256
book level: 4.7
Gobbolino the Witch's Cat
Ursula Moray Williams (1942)
I vividly remember my teacher reading me this book when I was in Year 3 and I loved it. I read it to my children a few years ago and I loved it all over again! Gobbolino does not fit in with all of the other witches' cats - he looks different, with his white paw and blue eyes - and he behaves differently. He longs to be an ordinary kitchen cat so he leaves the witch's cave to pusue his dreams of normality with a loving family. But as much as he tries, his magial powers keep messing things up for him. This is a charming story, and has a similar feel to Ursula Moray William's earlier book, The Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse, which is another book for this age group and well worth reading.
words: 29,848
book level: 5.7
The Doll's House
Rumer Godden (1947)
Rumer Godden writes beautifully for children and I would highly recommend reading any of her books but my favourite is The Doll's House. It is a poignant tale of Totty, a wooden doll owned by two sisters called Emily and Charlotte, who lives with her family in a shoebox and yearns for a proper home. This story touched me deeply as a child, and I read it over and over again. Although it is an emotional read in many ways, the essence of childhood and the magic of dolls houses is captured perfectly by Rumer Godden in this charming book.