Books for all ages and stages

It's never too late - or too early - to get your child reading. After all, great stories from childhood last forever, lingering on through the rest of your life. Favourite characters provide role models; words or phrases enter a whole family's vocabulary and unknown places become as familiar as home. Julia Eccleshare, Children's Books Editor of The Guardian, reveals what makes these books so special.

Books are always more than the sum of their parts. However good the different bits are it's how they are shaken up and mixed with a bit of magic that makes them so special. But there are some things all the best books need: a good story, great characters, something to make you think and if there are pictures, they need to be great, too.

What is a good story?
There are no rules about what makes a good story but all books need one. "Tell us a story" is as old as the hills. This isn't just because listening to stories is fun - though that is definitely part of it. People need stories to make sense of the world they live in. We all tell stories all the time: when we explain what we've done or seen, what entertained us or made us sad.

Who makes a good character?
To enter into the thick of the action, readers need to identify closely with people involved. You don't have to be exactly like the person in the story but they have to be convincing enough to make you believe in them and to understand what they do and why.

What makes you think?
When you've read a story, you usually just think about what's happened in it. Often it's later, sometimes much later, that you realise what the story was saying or what it was trying to tell you. It's that lingering sensation, the deeper meaning that is what makes the story important in the longer run.

What are great pictures?
Pictures, even more than words, are very much a matter of personal taste. Whether you enjoy a particular style or not, in a picture book the best pictures add something to the story, or even tell a slightly different story of their own, rather than just following the words.

How do you choose the right book for your child?
Choosing a book for a child can seem daunting. There are just a few things to look out for at any age, but the one thing to remember is that children's books are great stories. Try them yourself, too, and then you can enjoy reading with your child.

When it comes to choosing books for your children, there are things you need to look out for that are specific to their age.

Click the appropriate category below to find out what's right for your child.


Under fives

Five to seven-year-olds

Seven to nine-year-olds

Nine -11-year-olds


Julia Eccleshare is Children's Books Editor on "The Guardian", chair of the Smarties Children's Book Prize and winner of the Eleanor Farjeon Award 2000 for her coverage of children's books. She has four children and lives in London.