Free reading list
The 11+ reading list
80 brilliant books for 8 to 11 year olds, from classics to modern favourites, fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Each one is chosen to build the vocabulary, inference and comprehension skills the 11+ tests.
Showing 80 of 80 books
Ages 8–9 · Year 3–4
The Iron Man
Ted Hughes
ClassicAverageA giant metal man appears on a cliff top, and a boy has to decide whether he is a monster or a friend.
Why it helps for the 11+: Short but packed with poetic description: great for spotting similes and powerful verbs.
Charlotte's Web
E. B. White
ClassicEasier readA clever spider spins words into her web to save her friend, a pig called Wilbur.
Why it helps for the 11+: Clear, beautiful sentences and a story that invites questions about feelings and motives.
Fantastic Mr Fox
Roald Dahl
FunnyEasier readThree nasty farmers try everything to catch a fox who is always one step ahead.
Why it helps for the 11+: A quick, confidence-building read with lively verbs and strong characters to describe.
The BFG
Roald Dahl
FunnyAverageSophie is snatched from her bed by a giant who turns out to be big, friendly and full of dreams.
Why it helps for the 11+: The made-up words make children think about how words are built, a handy skill for verbal reasoning.
Matilda
Roald Dahl
FunnyAverageA brilliant girl who loves books stands up to her awful parents and a terrifying headmistress.
Why it helps for the 11+: Rich vocabulary and characters whose words and actions reveal what they are really like.
The Worst Witch
Jill Murphy
FantasyEasier readMildred Hubble is hopeless at spells at Miss Cackle's Academy, but she means well.
Why it helps for the 11+: An easy, funny school story that builds reading stamina and confidence.
The Sheep-Pig
Dick King-Smith
ClassicEasier readA polite piglet called Babe learns to herd sheep better than any dog.
Why it helps for the 11+: Warm, well-crafted sentences and gentle humour; good for discussing character and politeness.
A Bear Called Paddington
Michael Bond
ClassicEasier readA bear from darkest Peru arrives at Paddington Station and gets into one muddle after another.
Why it helps for the 11+: Short episodes with polished, old-fashioned language that widens vocabulary.
Pippi Longstocking
Astrid Lindgren
ClassicEasier readThe strongest girl in the world lives alone with a horse and a monkey and does exactly as she pleases.
Why it helps for the 11+: Fun to read aloud, with plenty to say about how other characters see Pippi.
Winnie-the-Pooh
A. A. Milne
ClassicEasier readA bear of very little brain and his friends have small adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood.
Why it helps for the 11+: Clever wordplay and gentle irony: a first step into reading between the lines.
Stig of the Dump
Clive King
ClassicAverageBarney falls into a chalk pit and finds a caveman living among the rubbish.
Why it helps for the 11+: Descriptive writing about places and objects that children can borrow for their own stories.
Five on a Treasure Island
Enid Blyton
MysteryEasier readFour cousins and a dog explore a ruined castle on an island and find a shipwreck's secret.
Why it helps for the 11+: Fast plots that build reading stamina and practise following clues.
You're a Bad Man, Mr Gum!
Andy Stanton
FunnyAverageThe grumpiest man in Lamonic Bibber meets his match in a girl called Polly.
Why it helps for the 11+: Playful, inventive language that shows how much fun words can be.
The Wild Robot
Peter Brown
AdventureEasier readA robot washes up on a wild island and has to learn to survive among the animals.
Why it helps for the 11+: Short chapters and big questions about nature and belonging, good for inference discussions.
Varjak Paw
S. F. Said
AdventureAverageA pedigree cat leaves his comfortable home and learns an ancient martial art to save his family.
Why it helps for the 11+: Tense, atmospheric writing that is great for studying how authors build suspense.
Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet
Zanib Mian
FunnyEasier readOmar starts a new school and uses his huge imagination to cope with a bully.
Why it helps for the 11+: Warm and funny, with plenty to say about how a character's feelings change.
The Brilliant World of Tom Gates
Liz Pichon
FunnyEasier readTom doodles his way through school, his annoying sister and his band, Dogzombies.
Why it helps for the 11+: Perfect for reluctant readers: it gets children reading for pleasure, which matters most.
The Story of Tracy Beaker
Jacqueline Wilson
Real lifeEasier readTracy lives in a children's home and tells her story her way, even when it isn't quite the truth.
Why it helps for the 11+: An unreliable narrator: a brilliant first lesson in inference and reading between the lines.
The Last Bear
Hannah Gold
AdventureAverageOn a remote Arctic island, April befriends a starving polar bear and sets out to get him home.
Why it helps for the 11+: Vivid nature writing and strong emotions to explore in comprehension answers.
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo
Non-fictionEasier readOne-page true stories about one hundred remarkable women from history and today.
Why it helps for the 11+: Bite-size non-fiction that builds general knowledge and topic vocabulary.
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
Vashti Harrison
Non-fictionEasier readShort portraits of Black women who changed the world in science, art, sport and politics.
Why it helps for the 11+: Short biographies are a common comprehension text type, and these are beautifully written.
Horrible Histories: Terrible Tudors
Terry Deary
Non-fictionEasier readThe gory, funny and true story of the Tudors, Henry VIII and all.
Why it helps for the 11+: History facts with a sense of humour: builds vocabulary and confidence with non-fiction.
Please Mrs Butler
Allan Ahlberg
PoetryEasier readFunny, true-to-life poems about school, teachers and the children in their classes.
Why it helps for the 11+: An easy way into poetry: rhythm, rhyme and voice that children can copy in their own writing.
Revolting Rhymes
Roald Dahl
PoetryEasier readFamiliar fairy tales retold in rhyme, with very unexpected endings.
Why it helps for the 11+: Shows how rhyme and rhythm work, and how a twist changes a story.
Talking Turkeys
Benjamin Zephaniah
PoetryEasier readLively, rhythmic poems with a lot to say about animals, people and fairness.
Why it helps for the 11+: Poems written to be performed: great for hearing how sound and rhythm create meaning.
Ages 9–10 · Year 4–5
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
C. S. Lewis
FantasyAverageFour children step through a wardrobe into Narnia, a land frozen in winter by a White Witch.
Why it helps for the 11+: Slightly old-fashioned vocabulary and clear good-versus-evil themes, ideal for comprehension practice.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
J. K. Rowling
FantasyAverageOn his eleventh birthday, Harry learns he is a wizard and heads to Hogwarts.
Why it helps for the 11+: A long book that builds stamina, with clues planted early that pay off later.
Kensuke's Kingdom
Michael Morpurgo
AdventureAverageWashed overboard, Michael lands on an island where an old Japanese soldier has lived alone for years.
Why it helps for the 11+: Clear first-person storytelling with strong settings and feelings to write about.
War Horse
Michael Morpurgo
HistoricalAverageJoey the farm horse is sold to the army and carried into the First World War.
Why it helps for the 11+: A story told by a horse: great for talking about viewpoint and historical setting.
Danny the Champion of the World
Roald Dahl
ClassicAverageDanny discovers his father's secret and they plan a daring night-time adventure.
Why it helps for the 11+: Detailed description and a warm father-son relationship to explore.
The Demon Headmaster
Gillian Cross
MysteryAverageDinah's perfect new school hides a headmaster with a sinister plan.
Why it helps for the 11+: Tense mystery writing where children must notice clues and question what characters say.
The Boy at the Back of the Class
Onjali Q. Raúf
Real lifeAverageA group of friends hatch a plan to help Ahmet, a refugee boy who has just joined their class.
Why it helps for the 11+: Big themes of kindness and fairness that lead to thoughtful, evidence-based answers.
Cogheart
Peter Bunzl
AdventureAverageIn a world of airships and mechanical servants, Lily searches for her missing inventor father.
Why it helps for the 11+: Rich, imaginative description and lots of new vocabulary.
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow
Jessica Townsend
FantasyAverageA cursed girl is whisked away to a magical city where she must pass four dangerous trials.
Why it helps for the 11+: Inventive language and a long, satisfying plot that builds reading stamina.
Journey to the River Sea
Eva Ibbotson
AdventureAverageOrphaned Maia travels to the Amazon to live with relatives who are not what she hoped.
Why it helps for the 11+: Beautiful descriptions of setting and characters, ideal models for creative writing.
Clockwork
Philip Pullman
FantasyAverageA clockmaker's apprentice and a mysterious story-teller set dark events ticking on a winter's night.
Why it helps for the 11+: A short story built like clockwork: great for seeing how a plot fits together.
The Firework-Maker's Daughter
Philip Pullman
FantasyAverageLila travels to a volcano to ask the Fire-Fiend for the secret every firework-maker needs.
Why it helps for the 11+: A short quest story with themes of courage and wisdom to discuss.
The Wind in the Willows
Kenneth Grahame
ClassicChallengingMole, Ratty, Badger and the boastful Toad share adventures on the riverbank.
Why it helps for the 11+: Rich, old-fashioned vocabulary: exactly the kind of language that appears in 11+ comprehension.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll
ClassicChallengingAlice falls down a rabbit hole into a world where nothing makes sense.
Why it helps for the 11+: Wordplay, riddles and logic puzzles that stretch verbal reasoning.
Black Beauty
Anna Sewell
ClassicAverageA horse tells the story of his life, from kind owners to cruel ones.
Why it helps for the 11+: A classic first-person narrative with formal Victorian language.
The Railway Children
E. Nesbit
ClassicAverageWhen their father is taken away, three children move to the country and find friends by the railway line.
Why it helps for the 11+: Classic prose that is easy to follow, with lots of feelings to infer.
Peter Pan
J. M. Barrie
ClassicChallengingThe boy who never grows up takes Wendy and her brothers to Neverland.
Why it helps for the 11+: A witty narrator and sophisticated vocabulary that reward careful reading.
Swallows and Amazons
Arthur Ransome
ClassicAverageFour children sail to an island in the Lake District and meet two rival 'pirates'.
Why it helps for the 11+: Detailed, practical description and a wide vocabulary of sailing and nature words.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Rick Riordan
FantasyAveragePercy discovers his father is a Greek god and is blamed for stealing Zeus's lightning bolt.
Why it helps for the 11+: Fast-paced and funny, and it teaches Greek myths that turn up in English vocabulary.
Coraline
Neil Gaiman
FantasyAverageCoraline finds a door to another home, with another mother who wants her to stay forever.
Why it helps for the 11+: A masterclass in creepy atmosphere: brilliant for studying how writers build tension.
Brightstorm
Vashti Hardy
AdventureAverageTwins join a sky-ship race to the South Polar region to clear their father's name.
Why it helps for the 11+: Exciting adventure with rich vocabulary and brave characters to write about.
Hetty Feather
Jacqueline Wilson
HistoricalAverageA fiery red-haired girl grows up in the Victorian Foundling Hospital and dreams of finding her mother.
Why it helps for the 11+: Brings Victorian life alive, with a strong narrating voice to analyse.
Front Desk
Kelly Yang
Real lifeAverageTen-year-old Mia runs the front desk of a motel while her immigrant parents work hard to get by.
Why it helps for the 11+: Real-life themes of fairness and courage, and Mia's letter writing models persuasive writing.
Cloud Busting
Malorie Blackman
PoetryAverageA story told in poems about an unlikely friendship between two very different boys.
Why it helps for the 11+: A novel in verse: shows how poetry forms can tell a story and express feelings.
The Arrival
Shaun Tan
Real lifeAverageA wordless picture book about a man who leaves his family to start a new life in a strange land.
Why it helps for the 11+: With no words at all, every page is an exercise in inference.
Women in Science
Rachel Ignotofsky
Non-fictionAverageIllustrated profiles of fifty women who made big discoveries in science.
Why it helps for the 11+: Builds scientific vocabulary and practice with information texts.
Ages 10–11 · Year 5–6
Private Peaceful
Michael Morpurgo
HistoricalChallengingThrough one long night in the First World War, a young soldier remembers his life.
Why it helps for the 11+: Powerful, emotional writing with flashbacks: good practice for tracking time and viewpoint.
Goodnight Mister Tom
Michelle Magorian
HistoricalChallengingAn evacuee from London finds a home with a gruff old man in the countryside.
Why it helps for the 11+: Deep character change to explore, with dialect and period vocabulary.
Carrie's War
Nina Bawden
HistoricalAverageEvacuated to a Welsh town, Carrie and her brother are drawn into a family feud.
Why it helps for the 11+: Subtle characters whose motives need careful inference.
Wonder
R. J. Palacio
Real lifeAverageAuggie, born with a facial difference, goes to a real school for the first time.
Why it helps for the 11+: Told by several narrators: perfect for comparing viewpoints.
Holes
Louis Sachar
MysteryAverageStanley is sent to a desert camp where the boys dig holes all day, but what is the warden looking for?
Why it helps for the 11+: Clever plot strands that come together: great for spotting clues and making predictions.
Skellig
David Almond
FantasyChallengingMichael finds a strange, weak creature in the garage behind his new home.
Why it helps for the 11+: Spare, poetic writing that leaves a lot unsaid, ideal for inference.
The Explorer
Katherine Rundell
AdventureAverageFour children survive a plane crash in the Amazon rainforest and must find their own way home.
Why it helps for the 11+: Gorgeous description and precise vocabulary for creative writing.
Rooftoppers
Katherine Rundell
AdventureChallengingSophie, found floating in a cello case as a baby, searches the rooftops of Paris for her mother.
Why it helps for the 11+: Unusual, inventive similes and metaphors to collect and reuse.
Northern Lights
Philip Pullman
FantasyChallengingLyra and her dæmon travel north to rescue children stolen by a mysterious organisation.
Why it helps for the 11+: A long, demanding read with sophisticated vocabulary and big ideas.
The Hobbit
J. R. R. Tolkien
FantasyChallengingBilbo Baggins is swept out of his cosy hole on a quest to steal treasure from a dragon.
Why it helps for the 11+: Rich, formal language and riddles that stretch vocabulary and reasoning.
The Secret Garden
Frances Hodgson Burnett
ClassicChallengingA spoilt, lonely girl discovers a locked garden and brings it, and herself, back to life.
Why it helps for the 11+: Classic prose and a character who changes completely: ideal for comprehension.
Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson
ClassicChallengingYoung Jim Hawkins sails in search of buried treasure with the charming, dangerous Long John Silver.
Why it helps for the 11+: The kind of 19th-century writing often used in 11+ comprehension passages.
Tom's Midnight Garden
Philippa Pearce
ClassicAverageWhen the clock strikes thirteen, Tom finds a garden from another time.
Why it helps for the 11+: A carefully built mystery about time that rewards close reading.
The Jungle Book
Rudyard Kipling
ClassicChallengingMowgli, raised by wolves, learns the law of the jungle and faces the tiger Shere Khan.
Why it helps for the 11+: Formal, old-fashioned vocabulary that stretches even strong readers.
Anne of Green Gables
L. M. Montgomery
ClassicChallengingA talkative, imaginative orphan is sent by mistake to a brother and sister who wanted a boy.
Why it helps for the 11+: Anne loves big words, and readers pick them up too.
The Phantom Tollbooth
Norton Juster
FantasyChallengingA bored boy drives through a tollbooth into a land where words and numbers are at war.
Why it helps for the 11+: Packed with puns, idioms and wordplay: a treat for verbal reasoning.
Pig-Heart Boy
Malorie Blackman
Real lifeAverageCameron needs a new heart, and the only one on offer comes from a pig.
Why it helps for the 11+: Raises questions with no easy answer, great for discussing different viewpoints.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Kelly Barnhill
FantasyChallengingA baby left in the forest is accidentally fed moonlight and grows up full of magic.
Why it helps for the 11+: Lyrical writing with several storylines to follow and connect.
The Girl of Ink & Stars
Kiran Millwood Hargrave
AdventureAverageA mapmaker's daughter joins a dangerous expedition into the forbidden interior of her island.
Why it helps for the 11+: Beautiful, poetic description that makes an excellent model for writing settings.
A Kind of Spark
Elle McNicoll
Real lifeAverageAddie, who is autistic, campaigns for a memorial to the women once tried as witches in her village.
Why it helps for the 11+: A strong narrating voice and a persuasive campaign to analyse.
Wolf Brother
Michelle Paver
AdventureAverageSix thousand years ago, Torak and a wolf cub set out to destroy a demon-possessed bear.
Why it helps for the 11+: Gripping, sensory writing about the natural world.
Murder Most Unladylike
Robin Stevens
MysteryAverageTwo friends at a 1930s boarding school set up a secret detective agency and find a real body.
Why it helps for the 11+: A proper whodunnit: readers weigh evidence and suspects, just like inference questions.
The London Eye Mystery
Siobhan Dowd
MysteryAverageTed's cousin gets on the London Eye and never gets off, so Ted uses his unusual brain to find out why.
Why it helps for the 11+: A logical puzzle of a mystery that rewards careful reasoning.
Ways to Live Forever
Sally Nicholls
Real lifeAverageEleven-year-old Sam, who is seriously ill, writes a book of lists, questions and stories.
Why it helps for the 11+: Told through lists and notes: shows different text types and a moving voice.
The Highwayman
Alfred Noyes
PoetryChallengingA dramatic ballad of a highwayman, an innkeeper's daughter and the soldiers who lie in wait.
Why it helps for the 11+: A classic narrative poem full of imagery, repetition and rhythm, often studied in Year 6.
Overheard in a Tower Block
Joseph Coelho
PoetryAveragePoems about growing up in the city, family, fear and finding magic in everyday life.
Why it helps for the 11+: Modern poems with striking imagery to discuss and imitate.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers Edition)
William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
Non-fictionAverageThe true story of a teenager in Malawi who built a windmill from scrap to save his village from famine.
Why it helps for the 11+: Inspiring true writing that builds science vocabulary and practice with recounts.
I Am Malala (Young Readers Edition)
Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick
Non-fictionAverageThe true story of the girl who stood up for every child's right to go to school.
Why it helps for the 11+: Autobiography is a common 11+ text type, and this one gives plenty to discuss.
Black and British: A Short, Essential History
David Olusoga
Non-fictionChallengingTwo thousand years of Black British history, from Roman Britain to today.
Why it helps for the 11+: Clear, serious non-fiction that builds history vocabulary and general knowledge.
Turn reading into a habit
With a free Academy11+ account your child gets a reading diary: log each book, give it stars, say what they thought, build a weekly reading streak and get suggestions for what to read next. You can see every book they log.
Questions parents ask
Why does reading matter so much for the 11+?
11+ English papers test comprehension, vocabulary, spelling and grammar, and verbal reasoning papers lean heavily on word knowledge. Children who read widely meet thousands of words in context, get used to working out what characters think and feel, and pick up how good sentences are built. No amount of worksheets matches regular reading.
How much should my child read?
Little and often works best: around 20 to 30 minutes a day, most days. A mix of books they choose for fun and a few that stretch them is ideal. Talking about the book afterwards (what happened, why a character did something, what a word means) turns reading into comprehension practice.
What if my child finds the challenging books too hard?
That's fine. Read them aloud together, or take turns with pages. Children can understand far harder books when they listen than when they read alone, and they still pick up the vocabulary. The "easier" books on this list are still well written, so they count too.
Should my child read classics or modern books?
Both. 11+ comprehension passages are often taken from older classic novels, so getting used to their longer sentences and old-fashioned words really helps. Modern books keep children reading for pleasure, which matters just as much.