Recommended books for children 10 years and older

Article courtesy of José Antonio Fortuny

I wanted to focus this article by offering a list of recommended reading for children , when I realized that the world of the child is so wide and there are so many phases in that young age, that doing something like that was impossible. So it would be more appropriate to speak of a list of books for children from the age of 10 or 11 , a list of books for this child / youth stage, in which they begin to develop their capacity for abstraction.

I am aware that I am not an expert in the world of children at all. I have no children and my experience is mainly based on my nephews. To write this article I have tried to document myself, to seek opinions from other writers, and I have also resorted to those books that I read at this stage and that have marked me.

I have friends who have children and many times they have expressed their fear to me about whether literature is threatened. It is true that children have more and more stimuli to fight, but do not forget that reading is above all a pleasure , and if you are able to cultivate that pleasure in your children by giving them readings that they like, they will take care of it themselves. to create the habit and to find a space to read. In this sense, I am optimistic.

So, here is my list of recommended books from 10 years. Making a list is always unfair because you leave a lot of books along the way and it is difficult to match all tastes. But I hope that some of these books may be of interest, and of course, other contributions to the list are welcome. I’m going there:

WORKS BY CLASSIC AUTHORS

First of all, I recommend classical authors whose work is timeless . The vast majority of the works of these authors will appeal to children:

• Jules Verne: all his works are fine).
• Roald Dahl : great author to consider with such interesting titles as: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or James and the Giant Peach.
• Mark Twain : The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is probably his most widely read work.

Second, a series of books that I call “magical”, because they can be read at any age, both by children and adults:

• The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: this book is a classic and I recommend it because I have read it several times. It is a book that has that quality that every time you read it you find something different. When I read it when I was 15 years old, I saw things very different from what I perceived a couple of years ago. So do not worry if the child can only do a basic reading at the beginning, because the magic of this book will accompany him throughout his life.
• Juan Salvador gaviota , by Richard Bach: another classic that can be read at any age, a book about a seagull that learns to live and fly.

OTHER AUTHORS

Here is a series of authors who also present a wide variety of works that you will undoubtedly like:

• Michael Ende : one of the authors who most marked my childhood and my passion for reading with La historia interminable , although we must not forget Momo , among others.
• Gloria Fuertes : by this great author you can find very interesting books among a wide variety of genres: poetry, short stories, and so on.
• Jordi Sierra : very prolific author with more than 400 titles, who has sold more than 10 million books …
• Susan Hinton : American author known especially for her youth literature. He has written outstanding books such as Rebeldes or La ley de la calle .

SUCCESSFUL WORKS

Fourth, list a series of works that have been very successful:

• The entire Harry Potter saga : although many doubted that young people could read such thick books, the truth is that many young readers have become hooked on reading thanks to this saga.
• Howl’s Moving Castle , by Diana Wynne Jones: it is a fantastic novel that addresses different themes such as love, courage, youth and destiny …
• The novels of detective Flanagan : for those children who like stories of intrigue, I recommend the saga of this detective created by Andreu Martín and Jaume Ribera, books that are not out of date.
• Fray Perico y su borrico , by Juan Muñoz Martín: is another classic book by Spanish authors that appeared in 1980 and has been highly awarded. A tender book with a great sense of humor that tells the adventures of a group of friars in a convent.
• I also recommend the saga of Manolo gafotas , by Elvira lindo, which many readers liked.
• Where the Monsters Live , by Maurice Sendak: is another book that has garnered rave reviews. The protagonist, a misunderstood child, fantasizes about turning into a monster to scare away his enemies. This story tells us about fear and anger, and about the vicissitudes that a human being must go through to take charge of his identity.
• Frederikc , by Leo Lionni: a book written in 1967 but still selling very well. It tells the story of a little field mouse who is a poet, and who recites poems to everyone. The underlying message is that we have come to this world to enjoy, to enjoy beautiful things, and that a poet is as necessary as a carpenter. A very original book.

WORKS FROM SOUTH AMERICA

Finally, I also wanted to recommend a book from the South American continent, interesting books that often go unfairly unnoticed:

• The Worst Lady in the World , by Francisco Hinojosa: this Mexican book tells the story of a lady who beats her children, whether they do things right or wrong. According to the author, it seeks to find a liberating effect on children, helping them to reconcile with the world.
• Green was my jungle , by Edna Iturralde: a highly awarded book that brings us closer to the magic and world of the Amazon. Stories that help us to understand the reality of the children of that area and to learn and respect that lung of the planet.
• Eye of the cloud , by Ricardo Gómez: this story tells the adventures of a blind boy from a North American tribe. A book that has many ingredients such as adventure and nature, but above all with an important underlying message: that if you are able to see the things that others cannot see, you will succeed.
• Cocorí, by Joaquín Gutiérrez: a story written by this Cuban writer that tells the adventures of a boy who goes into the jungle, and asks himself questions such as why a beautiful rose lives so little, while an alligator can live more than 100 years…

So far my list of recommended books for children from 10 years . As you have seen I have put a little of everything, with the hope that some of them can capture the interest of the little ones and continue to promote the pleasure of reading in the future.