Sagalino

By age · 8 years

Books for 8 year olds: six novels to get lost in

5 min read8 sources6 books

Illustration: illustrated children's novels fanned out, with covers showing a moon, a house and animals

At eight, many children can read a whole novel alone, and the books get thicker: the Oxford edition of Ronia, the Robber's Daughter has 192 pages. What they need now is a story strong enough to carry them through.

Here's what's going on at this age, six books with the age BookTrust or the publisher gives, and what to do when two sources disagree.

In brief

What's going on at this age

  • Ages can disagree. For Inkheart, BookTrust gives an interest age from eight and a reading age of nine, and the UK publisher Chicken House says 9+.1 The interest age says when a story appeals, the reading age when a child can manage it alone.
  • Paper helps with long texts. A meta-analysis of 54 studies found better comprehension on paper than on screen, especially under time pressure and for information texts. For stories, it found no difference.2
  • Nine to twelve hours of sleep. That's what the American Academy of Pediatrics gives per day between six and twelve,3 so an evening chapter still has its place before lights out.
Our suggestions

Six books for an 8 year old

The age comes from BookTrust or the publisher, and is named for each book. Where two sources give different ages, we give both.

  1. 01

    Ronia, the Robber's Daughter

    Astrid Lindgren · Oxford Children's Books · reading age 8+, according to the publisher's data

    Ronia grows up in a robbers' castle and befriends the son of her father's worst enemy. Forest, storms and a friendship stronger than two families' feud.

  2. 02

    Inkheart

    Cornelia Funke · Chicken House, 2003 · Chicken House: 9+; BookTrust: interest age 8+, reading age 9+

    Meggie's father can read characters out of books, and one night one of them knocks at the door. A long novel about the power of reading.

  3. 03

    A Bear Called Paddington

    Michael Bond · HarperCollins Children's Books, 1958 · BookTrust: interest age 6 to 8, reading age 7+

    At the top end of BookTrust's interest age of six to eight: a good book for a reader who wants short chapters and a lot of laughs.

  4. 04

    The BFG

    Roald Dahl · Various editions · BookTrust: 5 to 14

    At eight, many children read Roald Dahl alone for the first time. The BFG's invented words are half the fun.

  5. 05

    Matilda

    Roald Dahl · Various editions · BookTrust: 5 to 14

    A girl who reads everything, and teaches a few grown-ups a lesson. For a child who's just discovered how much books can hold.

  6. 06

    Pippi Longstocking

    Astrid Lindgren · Illustrations: Lauren Child · Oxford University Press, 1945 · Oxford University Press: from 7

    Pippi's adventures, from seven according to the publisher: for eight-year-olds, a book to read alone with plenty of laughs.

In practice

Keeping a reader reading

Let them choose. At eight, children have tastes of their own. A book they chose is one they'll finish.

Read in turns. A long novel like Inkheart goes faster if you read a chapter and they read the next.

Look at both ages. When the interest age and the reading age differ, the book may be one to start together and finish alone.

Our page on reading development follows your child up to twelve, and the history of children's books tells where many of these classics come from.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What books are good for an 8 year old?

Novels with a strong story: Ronia, the Robber's Daughter, Inkheart, A Bear Called Paddington, The BFG, Matilda or Pippi Longstocking, each with the age BookTrust or the publisher gives.

Is Inkheart suitable for an 8 year old?

BookTrust gives an interest age from eight and a reading age of nine; the UK publisher Chicken House says 9+. For an eight-year-old, it can be a book to start together and finish alone.

Is reading on a screen as good as reading on paper?

For stories, a meta-analysis of 54 studies found no difference. For information texts and under time pressure, comprehension was better on paper.

Should I still read aloud to my 8 year old?

If they enjoy it, yes. A book read aloud can be a little above their level, and a chapter each evening, read in turns, keeps longer books within reach.

References

Sources

  1. 1.BookTrust Bookfinder.What it confirms: Books listed with two ages, an interest age and a reading age.
  2. 2.Delgado, Vargas, Ackerman and Salmerón (2018): Don't throw away your printed books, meta-analysis, Educational Research Review.What it confirms: Better comprehension on paper, especially under time pressure and for information texts; no difference for narrative texts; participants from primary school to adulthood.
  3. 3.American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: Healthy Sleep Habits.What it confirms: Sleep needs per day: 11 to 14 hours at 1 to 2 years, 10 to 13 at 3 to 5, 9 to 12 at 6 to 12.
  4. 4.Amazon.se, publisher's data for the Oxford Children's Books edition: Ronia, the Robber's Daughter.What it confirms: Reading age 8+; Oxford Children's Books, 2010, 192 pages.
  5. 5.Chicken House: Inkheart, Inkheart Trilogy Book 1.What it confirms: The age guidance 9+; Anthea Bell as translator.
  6. 6.BookTrust Bookfinder: A Bear Called Paddington.What it confirms: Interest age 6 to 8, reading age 7+; HarperCollins Children's Books.
  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.Oxford University Press: Pippi Longstocking series.What it confirms: The age guidance from 7 for the edition illustrated by Lauren Child.

A word about us

A story written for them

At eight, children know what they like, and they notice when a book was written with them in mind.

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
Read on

Related articles

All magazine articles

At a glance: the illustration styles and how it works.