The 50 Books Every Child Should Read By Age 16

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Frostie

For World Book Day we have the Top 50 books every child should read. Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has topped the list of 50 books which every child should read by the age of 16.

The study of 2,000 reading enthusiasts was created to determine the ultimate list of the top 50 books that should be on every child’s reading list, encouraging bedtime reading for British families.

The research, commissioned by Sainsbury’s to celebrate World Book Day, found C.S. Lewis’ adventures in Narnia are no less thrilling today – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe finished third in the list of 50 books, while Winnie the Pooh and Black Beauty rounded off the top five.

The research also surveyed parents of children aged under 16 and found a good story really is timeless, results showed – six in ten parents still like to read stories to their children that their own parents once read to them as a little one.

Perhaps it’s no surprise then that 72 per cent of parents said bedtime reading is one of the most key bonding experiences with their child.

Tony Robinson, actor, comedian and author, who worked with Sainsbury’s on the campaign, added: “The response from parents and the lengths they go to in bringing these stories to their children as vividly as possible is amazing.

“It shows that the power of make believe is so important in the development of a child and a key role in parents bonding with their young ones.”

To celebrate the nation’s week of reading, Sainsbury’s is encouraging children to read more by exploring the world of books and dress up as their favourite fictional characters. Sainsburys.co.uk will be hosting in-store ‘Make Believe’ events nationwide, to support the nation’s reading week complete with reading corners and activities to encourage children to read more and inspire parents to get involved.

The 50 Books Every Child Should Read By Age 16

1. Charlie and The Chocolate Factory- Roald Dahl
2. Alice in Wonderland- Lewis Carroll
3.The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe- C.S. Lewis
4.Winnie-the-Pooh – A. A. Milne
5. Black Beauty- Anna Sewell
6.James and The Giant Peach- Roald Dahl
7.The BFG-Roald Dahl
8. A Bear Called Paddington- Michael Bond
9. Treasure Island- Robert Louis Stevenson
10. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn- Mark Twain
11. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – J.K. Rowling
12. Matilda- Roald Dahl
13. The Railway – E. Nesbit
14. Oliver Twist- Charles Dickens
15.Five on a Treasure Island- Enid Blyton
16.The Wind in the Willows- Kenneth Grahame
17. The Very Hungry Caterpillar- Eric Carle
18. The Jungle Book – Rudyard Kipling
19. Charlotte’s Web- EB White
20. The Tale of Peter Rabbit- Beatrix Potter
21. Watership Down- Richard Adams
22.The Hobbit -J.R.Tolken
23.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- J.K. Rowling
24.Lord of the Flies- William Golding
25.The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 ¾ Sue Townsend
26. Great Expectations- Charles Dickens
27.The Cat in the Hat- Dr Seuss
28. The Secret Garden- Frances Hodgson-Burnett
29.The Diary of a Young Girl- Anne Frank
30. The Twits – Roald Dahl
31. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz- L. Frank Baum
32. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas – John Boyne
33. Anne of Green Gables- L.M.Montgomery
34.The Tiger Who Came to Tea- Judith Kerr
35.Green Eggs and Ham: Green Back Book – Dr Seuss
36.The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham
37. Bambi- Felix Selten
38.Tom’s Midnight Garden- Phillipa Pearce
39.Little House on the Prairie- Laura Ingalls Wilder
40.Funny Bones- Janet and Allan Ahlberg
41. Where The Wild Things Are- Maurice Sendak
42.Carrie’s War- Nina Bawden
43.The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon
44.The Magician’s Nephew- C.S. Lewis
45. The Golden Compass – Philip Pullman
46. The Story of Doctor Dolittle- Hugh Lofting
47.The Story of Tracy Beaker – Jacqueline Wilson
48.The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
49.Curious George- H.A.Ray
50.Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Top 20 Best-Loved Children Book Characters

1. Paddington Bear

2. Winnie the Pooh

3. The Hungry Caterpillar

4. Postman Pat

5. Thomas the Tank Engine

6. The Gruffalo

7. Harry Potter

8. Cinderella

9. Mr Men

10. Peter Rabbit

11. Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

12. Peter Pan

13. The BFG

14. Alice in Wonderland

15. Noddy

16. Willy Wonka

17. Matilda

18. Mog the Cat

19. Toad from Wind in the Willows

20. Pinocchio

At The Break of Day By Margaret Graham Book Review

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

Margaret Graham has written many good books, in fact she is working on her 14th. Many of these books are compelling and well-researched books set during wartime. At The Break of Day is no exception. It is yet another brilliant novel to lose yourself in while the author takes you into another time and setting.

Many of the main characters in Margaret Graham’s novels are women making the best of themselves in hard circumstances. In this novel Rosie Norton is facing a bright future in America in 1946, until she is called home from Pennsylvania. Rosie was evacuated by her grandfather in 1939 by her beloved grandfather and she returns to a devastated Europe which is still picking itself up after the war. She has developed an American accent and finds it hard to be accepted by the people around her. Many who refer to her as a dumb yank. She is supported by her childhood sweetheart Jack, but lies and people with bad intentions get between them. Jack is sent to war in Korea and a homeless Rosie, together with the child he doesn’t know they have, is left to fend for herself in London.

This is a wonderful novel that I really enjoyed reading. The character of Rosie is a great one. She makes the most of herself and her circumstances. She is an inspirational character who it is impossible to not fall in love with. I also loved the parallels between the UK and US. McCarthyism is on the rise in the US and her American family write about it in their letters. This is an engaging novel which captures the time it is set in perfectly. Highly recommended: another triumph for Margaret Graham.

At the Break of Day is available here.

My Reading Challenge by Frances Colville

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Frostie

How many books can you read in a year? It recently occurred to me that life is far too short to read everything I want to read. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day or years in a lifetime. So I’ve set myself a challenge for 2015 – to be organised about what I read, to make deliberate choices and above all to emphasis variety. But there has to be quality there too. I haven’t any time to waste.

So here’s the pick of the books I’ve read in January. First up were two Agatha Christie novels. The first, Ordeal by Innocence was a re-read and the second, Death in the Clouds, new to me. I thoroughly enjoyed both. For me Agatha Christie is a master craftsman, able to weave together the intricate threads of a plot in remarkably few words, and at the same time create a view of her world with all its idiosyncrasies. Agatha Christie paperbacks are readily available in secondhand bookshops.

Next I moved on to Stoner by John Williams (First published 1965, Vintage classic reprint 2012). Another brilliantly crafted book and a beautifully written one, it tells the story of William Stoner, an American academic, who seems to stumble through life with a sense of not being quite sure what he is actually doing there. I was hooked from the first page although it’s hard to analyse why. Perhaps it’s just simply enough to say I recognised him. I would like to have known him.

And then something completely different; a memoir entitled Love, Nina written by Nina Stibbe (Penguin paperback 2014) telling the story of the time she spent as a nanny for a family in London in the 1980s. This well written and very humorous book particularly resonated with me as I too worked as a nanny for a London family in my gap year. Nina Stibbe has a delightfully light and self-deprecating voice and a casual way of dropping big names (Alan Bennett and Jonathan Miller for example) into her writing, adding both depth and interest. I see she has also written a novel and I look forward to checking that out – though maybe not this year.

My final book this month was Margaret Forster’s Good Wives? (Vintage paperback 2002) With a mixture of biographical writing, and personal reflection, Forster tells the story of three ‘good wives’ from different times (Mary Livingstone, Fanny Stevenson and Jennie Lee) and tries to work out just what it is that makes a good wife. It’s an interesting premise for a book, and generally a good read, though it suffers from being neither biography nor memoir, falling somewhere between the two. Perhaps inevitably I am left feeling dissatisfied and wanting to know more – about the people whose stories she tells and about her.

So I end the month by adding yet more books to my list – further biographies of the three ladies, and re-reads of Margaret Forster’s novels. Not quite what I’d originally planned.

This Month’s Top Books

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Frostie

It is still bloody freezing outside, so what better time to curl up with a good book? Here are some of our top books for this month.

I Should Have Said Daisy de Villeneuve

The French have a particular expression for when words fail – ‘’Pensées d’escalier.’ It refers to the inability to think of the perfect response in painful or awkward situations until you’re out of the door – a scenario many of us can relate to at some point in our lives.In I Should Have Said, London born illustrator, designer and writer Daisy de Villeneuve pools together her personal experiences of friendships, flirtations and full-blown romances to equip you with quips for when dialogue dramas strike.From forthright frenemies, bemusing boyfriends or lukewarm liaisons, Daisy’s artistic, anti-romantic antics will be your armour against unrequited amour so that shocked silences, desperate dilemmas and wavering words are a thing of the past.

We loved this book. Wonderful illustrations and witty retorts. Daisy de Villeneuve is effortlessly cool and this book is fun and entertaining.

I Should Have Said…: Quick-Witted Comebacks I Only Wish I’d Said – to Friends and Lovers is available here.

100 Ideas That Changed Advertising Simon Veksner

Like it or not, advertising shapes our lives. This book is thorough, entertaining and educational without being boring. Perfect for anyone with an interest in advertising. 100 Ideas That Changed Advertising takes a look at the key concepts and developments that have shaped the world of advertising, from the early Twentieth century to the present day. Divided into mini-essays, it explores the socio-political and cultural factors behind these changes and the impact that they have on the ads we’re exposed to every day.

Illustrated throughout with hundreds of examples of classic and contemporary ads from companies such as Apple, McDonalds, Dyson and Coca Cola, it’s an accessible and informative read that offers a fascinating insider’s insight into the ad industry.

100 Ideas that Changed Advertising is available here.

Obsession in Death J.D Robb

Another brilliant crime thriller from J.D Robb AKA Nora Roberts. Entertaining and indulgent.

A crisp winter morning in New York. In a luxury apartment, the body of a woman lies stretched out on a huge bed. On the wall above, the killer has left a message in bold black ink: FOR LIEUTENANT EVE DALLAS, WITH GREAT ADMIRATION AND UNDERSTANDING.

Eve Dallas is used to unwanted attention. Famous for her high-profile cases and her marriage to billionaire businessman Roarke, she has learned to deal with intense public scrutiny and media gossip. But now Eve has become the object of a singular and deadly obsession. She has an ‘admirer’, who just can’t stop thinking about her. Who is convinced they have a special bond. Who is planning to kill for her – again and again…

With time against her, Eve is forced to play a delicate – and dangerous – psychological dance. Because the killer is desperate for something Eve can never provide – approval. And once that becomes clear, Eve knows her own life will be at risk – along with those she cares about the most.Nora Roberts published her first novel using the pseudonym J.D. Robb in 1995, introducing to readers the tough as nails but emotionally damaged homicide cop Eve Dallas and billionaire Irish rogue, Roarke.

With the In Death series, Robb has become one of the biggest thriller writers on earth, with each new novel reaching number one on bestseller charts the world over.

Obsession in Death is available here.

At The Break of Day Margaret Graham

Another brilliant novel from Frost favourite Margaret Graham. Brilliantly researched and engrossing. A must read.

It is 1946, and as Europe slowly picks itself up after the trauma of war, Rosie Norton faces a bright future in America. Evacuated in 1939 by her grandfather, she escaped the cramped streets of London to a new world in Pennsylvania.Suddenly, at the age of sixteen, she is called home to a Britain bruised by war and still suffering the hardships that America knows nothing about.While struggling to become accepted again by her family she is supported by her childhood sweetheart Jack.Until Jack is sent to war in Korea and a homeless Rosie, together with the child he doesn’t know they have, is left to fend for herself in London.

At the Break of Day is available here.

When I Met You Jemma Forte

The new novel by best-selling author and TV personality Jemma Forte. When I Met You is the third book from Jemma. Jemma writes about a range of hugely relatable issues with reverence and emotional intelligence including family, illness, life decisions, romance, love and growing older. This is the perfect novel to lose yourself in. Imaginative, clever and addictive.

Marianne Baker is happy. Sort of. She’s had the same job for 15 years. She’s 31, still living at home with her mum and sleeping in a single bed. Playing the violin is her only real passion – but nobody like her does that for a living.Then one night everything changes. The father who abandoned Marianne as a child turns up on the doorstep, with a shocking secret that changes her live forever. Suddenly her safe, comfortable world is shattered. If her father isn’t the man she though he was, then who is he? And more to the point, who is she?

When I Met You is available here.

And if you are getting married…

Check out our editor’s book The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity by Catherine Balavage. It has had some five star reviews and covers every aspect of wedding planning from the perceptive of someone who survived planning their own wedding. It is well-researched and entertaining.

Engaged? Daunted by wedding planning? Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, this book is a no-nonsense guide to planning the perfect wedding no matter what your budget. With time and money-saving costs, advice on handling difficult relatives and hints and tips to plan your perfect day. This is the only wedding book you will ever need.

The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity is available here.

The Glass Girl By Sandy Hogarth Book Review

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

The Glass Girl is a deeply moving novel. A stunning debut that is well written and evocative. The plot is smart, drawing you in and not letting you go. The main character, Ruth, is a wonderful narrator. Interesting and intelligent. The book tracks her life along with the main historical events of the time. Her life is thrown onto a certain path after a traumatic event. She flees to Australia for the solitude of the outback, taking her secrets with her. Only her mother’s death brings her back and she must then confront her sister.

The Glass Girl goes deep into the pain a sibling can cause. How family can tear us apart and that the past can always haunt. The Glass Girl is a brilliant novel, I could hardly put it down. Beautifully written and deeply engaging, The Glass Girl is a highly recommended read. Brilliant stuff.

Say thank you to your sister for me.

His parting words cause sixteen year old Ruth to flee to Australia in shame and fear, telling her mother, it’s just a year mum, then I’ll be home. But even there her secret drives her to the isolation of the outback.

Seven years later the death of her mother brings Ruth home to England. Now she must confront her sister, Alexis. But there are darker secrets that threaten to tear apart the family she thought she knew and Alexis’ betrayals are not over.

Sometimes you can’t keep running. In a world of lies and betrayal by the people she loved, is Ruth strong enough?

The Glass Girl is available here.

Sandy Hogarth’s Day in The Life is here.

The Stages of Writing a Book

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Catherine Balavage

Ladies and gentlemen, I am in the process of writing my third book. Three-quarter of the way to be more precise. Which puts me at number 7 on this list. Writing and publishing a book is amazing. The feeling when you have your published book in your hands is like no other. You did it. It is not easy however. It took me years to get my first book published. Mostly due to procrastination. My next one was finished and published within five months. Not bad for someone with acute morning sickness. My third has so far taken seven days to get three-quarters of the way through the first draft. Which is not bad. You can check out the first two here. I will get into how tedious and hard it is writing a book with my list of the stages below, but before we get to the list I will leave you with this amazing quote from Amy Poehler in her amazing book Yes, Please.

“Everyone lies about writing. They lie about how easy it is or how hard it was…No one tells the truth about writing a book…the truth is, writing a book is this: hard and boring and occasionally great but usually not. Even I have lied about writing. I have told people that writing this book has been like brushing away dirt from a fossil. What a load of shit. It has been like hacking away at a freezer with a screwdriver.”

The Stages of Writing a Book

Hopefulness.
Excitement.
Despair.
First quarter done. Glimmer of light.
Despair.
Epic melt down. Tell everyone you give up and would burn the book if it wasn’t on your computer.
Resignation, decide that since you started you should finish.
Wonder what breathing in fresh air is like.
Get into the flow of it, it might be okay after all.
Finish first draft. realise it is only the first draft. Cry.
Read first draft. It’s awful. Cry some more.
Despair.
Start editing. Ignore the boredom and the fact there are so many more fun things to do than this.
Realise that it’s not actually that bad.
Finish editing first draft.
Hope
Happiness
The possibility of it all being over soon
Get draft back from proof reader.
Despair
Try to ignore the amount of grammar and spelling mistakes you made.
Final edit, go through all suggestions and edit accordingly.
Finish book: go on week-long champagne binge.
Get cover back from designer. Has spelling error. Cry.
Get cover fixed.
Get book formatted for the different eBook and print versions.
Despair.
Finally see finished book: elation.
Publish book and it starts selling: happiness like no other. Feel huge sense of achievement.
Start writing next book.
Despair.

What do you think? Are you a writer? What do you think are the stages of writing a book?

Gone Girl Book Review

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Gone Girl has been the literary sensation of the past few years. It was published in June 2012 and it soon made the New York Times Best Seller list and has sold over two million copies. It has sparked a Hollywood film and a vast amount of copy cats. I came late to the Gone Girl party. The film was out in the cinemas and I did not know whether or not to go and see it or read the book first. In the end I went to the cinema first. Our excellent film writer Owun’s review of Gone Girl is here. The film is brilliant, with great performances from Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike.

Seeing the film first did not ruin the experience of reading the book. The book is deeper, less Hollywood and, obviously, has more information. The author, Gillian Flynn, also wrote the screenplay. She did a good job but there are differences between the film and the book. Not bad differences, I think she did an amazing job.

A lot of people told me not to read the book or watch the film as I am recently married. However, although the book has great observations on marriage and relationships, I really don’t think anyone in a good marriage could possible relate to the book or the film. So, read it and enjoy: it won’t destroy your marriage.

The book is engrossing and I have tried very hard to not give any spoilers. Although I am sure everyone knows, from the title alone, that this is a book about a man who’s wife goes missing. Did he kill her or not? But this book became a literary sensation not only because it is well written, but also because it is original with great twists. It is an intense thriller and hard to put down. Join the Gone Girl fan club, I know I have. Gone Girl is available to buy here.

Yes Please By Amy Poehler Book Review

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Yes Please is Amy Poehler‘s first book, and what a corker it is. I loved this book. I mean, really loved it. Yes, I know this review is starting to look like a gushing fan letter and not a proper review but a woman like Amy Poehler can do that to you. I loved her on Saturday Night Live and Parks And Recreations. The book starts off with Poehler talking about how hard writing a book is:

She goes on to talk about how she wrote the book on set, when her children were sleep, at airports and even on the notes section on her iPhone. It is a corking start and everyone who has ever written a book will relate to it. Poehler goes on to talk about improvisation, sexism, marriage, divorce, pregnancy and motherhood. She is a hard-working, talented woman who has gone for what she wants and knows that she is worth it. Amy Poehler leaned in. Amy Poehler is the coolest woman in the world. Well, she may have to share her crown with best friend Tina Fey but you get the point.

The book is split into three parts: Say Whatever You Want, Do Whatever You Like and Be Whoever You Are. A lot of the book is advice like ‘treat your career like a bad boyfriend’ but all of the book is well-written and funny. I rushed through the book and nothing else mattered while I was reading it. Hence why I did not go to sleep that night until 4am. This book is a must read for both men and women. There is definitely a reason it is on the Amazon Bestseller List: it rocks.

After reading this book I felt inspired, happy and thoroughly entertained. This is the non-fiction book of the year. I love, love, love it. I am pretty sure you will to. You can buy it here.

Frost Magazine

Books and Lifestyle

Category Archives: Book Reviews