To celebrate the World Book Day on 23rd April, Hong Kong Reads Literacy Society and i-Learner, Nebula Group Limited presents Our “Big Read List”! The list includes 15 great books for children between the ages of 3 and 14. We believe these books have the potential to become children’s lifelong companions.
Big Read List
A good book is a precious gift. Here are 15 book recommendations for children between the ages of 3 and 14:
For Beginner Readers
1. Fox in Socks, Seuss
What happens to a fox when it is wearing socks? Fox in Socks is a delightful collection of tongue twisters for children. As soon as you open the book, you are on an adventure with the Fox!! If you are interested in tongue twisters and rhymes, it is the right book for you!
2. Yertle the Turtle & Other Stories, Seuss
This book by Dr. Seuss talks about what freedom means and how we should treat friends and other people – and this concerns everybody. Again, the words are rhymed and the sounds are very funny. You will like the wonderful pictures too.
3. The Tears of Giant Turtle, Suzee Leong
Why does a giant turtle cry? Is it very sad? Does it need help? Oh, what’s going on? The turtle is not sad, it cries because … of the water!
4. The Magic Finger, Roald Dahl
Would you like to have a magic finger that you can point at a person who makes you angry? What would you do if you had a magic finger? Read this interesting book and you will find out why this little girl wants to point her magic finger at the Gregg family.
5. The Twits, Roald Dahl
Mr Twit is so hairy and dirty! So is his wife! His wife is not just dirty she also likes to play tricks on Mr Twit. What kind of tricks are they? You will find out if you read the book.
For Intermediate Readers
1. The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, Roald Dahl
What are friends for? In this little book, you will see how these three friends help each other and how they get through all their difficulties. A great book!
2. Fantastic Mr. Fox, Roald Dahl
What happens to Mr Fox when he is chased after by three terrible men who want to kill him and his family? He has to run away… What an exciting run! And what a heroic victory!
3. The Suitcase Kid, Jacqueline Wilson
How does a child cope with the divorce of his/her parents? You will see how this causes a little girl to be sad and confused and finally to start to grow.
4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
How often do you have a bar of chocolate? Charlie can have a bar of chocolate only once a year. One day, he finds a ticket in a bar of chocolate and this changes his life instantly! Read this great book by Roald Dahl; and don’t forget to watch the film as well.
5. The Speckled Band and the Other Stories (simplified version), Arthur Conan Doyle
Who was the murderer? How was the murder committed and how could Sherlock Holmes know who the murderer was? For many years, Sherlock Holmes has charmed thousands of readers, and now he is going to bewitch you into entering his world.
For Advanced Readers
1. Matilda, Roald Dahl
Matilda is such a prodigy! She is not just clever, she also has magic powers and she knows how to handle a bad person! If you read the book, you will see how she grows, how she gets to know Miss Honey and the terrible headmistress Miss Trunchbull, and finally, you will smile. What a wonderful world and what a sweet story!
2. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
If your father is a lawyer and he is going to defend for a black person who is accused of raping a girl from a white family, which side will you stand? Do you believe what your father is doing is meaningful? Do you want to know what happens to the innocent black man at the end? It is a great novel on prejudice and justice.
3. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾, Sue Townsend
This book is the diary of a boy called Adrian Mole. It describes the ups and downs of his life as a teenager. Just like so many other teenagers, he does not get along very well with his parents. He has a girlfriend called Pandora and he also helps an old man called Bert Baxter. He talks about all this in his diary.
4. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery
How can anyone on earth miss this wonderful book? The innocence and truth of the Little Prince, his love for the rose, the wisdom of the Fox — every word in this book is a little gem, a little star that shines with beauty and wisdom. It is a very delicate and beautiful book on human relationships, love and true beauty.
5. Animal Farm, George Orwell
Have you ever imagined life on a farm? If pigs were to rule themselves, what would they do? Would they be successful? Would life become better without the rule of man? This little book is said to give great insight into political systems, especially the reality of communism, and it has become a classic of politics as well as literature.
