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By age · 5 years

Books for 5 year olds: six books for the first year of school

6 min read11 sources6 books

Illustration: picture books fanned out, with a hare, a house, a fox under the moon and a lake with swans

At five, most children are at school, in Ireland, in England or in an American kindergarten. They're learning their first letters, and they can listen to stories far richer than anything they could read alone.

Here's what's going on at this age, six books to read aloud, and why reading aloud matters just as much now.

In brief

What's going on at this age

  • More than 3,000 words. At around school age, a child builds main and subordinate clauses with ease, and most children can split a word into syllables.1
  • Phonics in England. In Year 1, children aged five to six take the phonics screening check: 20 real words and 20 pseudo-words, read aloud to a teacher.2
  • Kindergarten in the US. When a child starts depends on the state: 1 September in California, 1 October in New Jersey, for example.3
  • School in Ireland. A child can start school in the September after turning four, and must be at school by six.4
  • Keep reading aloud. The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages shared reading from birth and at least until kindergarten age.5
Our suggestions

Six books for a 5 year old

These are books to read aloud: their reading ages lie further ahead. BookTrust often gives an interest age and a reading age;6 the Irish publisher Little Island sorts its catalogue by age band.

  1. 01

    The BFG

    Roald Dahl · Various editions · BookTrust: 5 to 14

    Sophie and the Big Friendly Giant, who catches dreams in jars and speaks in words he makes up. A long book, perfect a chapter at a time.

  2. 02

    Matilda

    Roald Dahl · Various editions · BookTrust: 5 to 14

    A girl who loves books, parents who don't, and a teacher who sees her. Five-year-olds love the parts where the grown-ups get what they deserve.

  3. 03

    Horrid Henry

    Francesca Simon · Illustrations: Tony Ross · Orion, 1994 · BookTrust: interest age 4+, reading age 6+

    Henry is horrid, his brother Peter is perfect, and every story ends in chaos. Four short stories per book, just right for one evening each.

  4. 04

    The Tale of Peter Rabbit

    Beatrix Potter · Frederick Warne, 1902 · BookTrust: interest age 3 to 6, reading age 5 to 7

    Peter goes into Mr McGregor's garden although he's been told not to. BookTrust gives a reading age of five to seven: a first book your child may soon read with you.

  5. 05

    The Táin

    The Irish epic, retold · Illustrations: Eoin Coveney · Little Island · Little Island: 4-8 and 9-11

    Ireland's great legend, retold for children: a queen, a famous bull and the young hero Cú Chulainn. Little Island lists it both for four to eight and for nine to eleven.

  6. 06

    Oscar Wilde's Stories for Children

    Oscar Wilde · Illustrations: Lauren O'Hara · Little Island · Little Island: 4-8 and 9-11

    The Happy Prince, The Selfish Giant and the other stories Oscar Wilde wrote for children, illustrated by Lauren O'Hara. Beautiful, and sometimes sad.

In practice

Reading aloud while your child learns to read

Two kinds of reading side by side. At school, your child sounds out short words. At home, you read stories they couldn't read alone. One teaches reading, the other makes it worth learning.

A chapter a night. The BFG or Matilda read over two weeks gives every evening something to look forward to.

Stories with sad parts. Oscar Wilde's stories don't always end happily. Reading them together means you're there for the questions.

Our page on reading development covers school start in Ireland, England and the US, and our bedtime stories include one from age four.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What books are good for a 5 year old?

Books to read aloud with a real story: The BFG, Matilda, Horrid Henry, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and from Ireland The Táin or Oscar Wilde's Stories for Children, each with the age BookTrust or the publisher gives.

Is The BFG suitable for a 5 year old?

BookTrust's Roald Dahl list puts The BFG at 5 to 14. At five it's a book to read aloud, a chapter at a time.

Should my 5 year old be reading by now?

Most five-year-olds are just starting. In England, the phonics screening check comes in Year 1, at five to six; in Ireland, school is compulsory from six. Five is the age of first letters.

Should I keep reading aloud to my 5 year old?

Yes. The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages shared reading at least until kindergarten age, and books your child can't yet read alone are the ones that carry them forward.

References

Sources

  1. 1.Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA): language development, kindergesundheit-info.de. (in German)What it confirms: First words between 12 and 18 months, 50 to 200 words at 20 months, two- then three-word sentences, subordinate clauses at four to five, more than 3,000 words at school age, a passing stammer in the fourth year.
  2. 2.Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics: Phonics screening check attainment, methodology.What it confirms: Pupils in Year 1, aged five to six, read 20 real words and 20 pseudo-words aloud.
  3. 3.World Population Review: Age to start kindergarten by state.What it confirms: Kindergarten cut-off dates differ by state, for example 1 September in California, 1 October in New Jersey.
  4. 4.Citizens Information: Starting primary school.What it confirms: A child must be at least four on 1 September of the year they start; school is compulsory from six at the latest.
  5. 5.American Academy of Pediatrics: Early Literacy.What it confirms: Shared reading encouraged from birth and at least until kindergarten age.
  6. 6.BookTrust Bookfinder.What it confirms: Books listed with two ages, an interest age and a reading age.
  7. 7.BookTrust: Roald Dahl books.What it confirms: The BFG 5 to 14, Matilda 5 to 14, James and the Giant Peach 9 to 14.
  8. 8.BookTrust Bookfinder: Horrid Henry.What it confirms: Interest age 4+, reading age 6+; Orion, 1994.
  9. 9.BookTrust Bookfinder: The Tale of Peter Rabbit.What it confirms: Interest age 3 to 6, reading age 5 to 7.
  10. 10.Little Island: The Táin.What it confirms: Listed in the catalogue categories 4-8 and 9-11; illustrated by Eoin Coveney.
  11. 11.Little Island: Oscar Wilde's Stories for Children.What it confirms: Listed in the catalogue categories 4-8 and 9-11; illustrated by Lauren O'Hara.

A word about us

The first word a child reads is often their own name

At five, children spot their name everywhere: on a coat peg, on a birthday card, on the cover of a book.

At Sagalino, your child becomes the hero of a story with their name, in one of our 21 illustration styles. You read the whole story for free, and only pay afterwards.

See what we make
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