Best Children’s Books 2026: Our Family Reading List from Waterstones

Waterstones remains the last proper bookshop on most UK high streets. And for families — especially home educating families — it’s more than a retail experience. It’s a library you can buy from, a reading room with no time limit, and a place where children can discover books by accident rather than algorithm.

We visit our local Waterstones at least twice a month. The children browse, read, reject, reconsider, and eventually choose. That process of physical browsing — picking up a book because the cover caught their eye, reading the first page, putting it back, finding something better — is itself an education in taste, judgement, and critical thinking that Amazon’s recommendation engine can never replicate.

Why Physical Bookshops Matter for Children

Research from the National Literacy Trust shows that children who own books and choose their own reading material read more frequently, read more widely, and report higher enjoyment of reading than children whose books are chosen for them. Waterstones gives children agency over their reading choices in a way that handing them a pre-selected book from Amazon doesn’t.

There’s also the sensory experience. The weight of a book, the smell of paper, the texture of the cover — these matter to children. A Waterstones trip is a sensory-rich, screen-free outing that costs nothing unless you buy something. And even then, children’s paperbacks start at £5-7.

Our Top Picks by Age for 2026

Ages 2-4: Julia Donaldson remains unbeatable for this age group — The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, and Stick Man are classics for good reason. But also look at Benji Davies (The Storm Whale), Oliver Jeffers (Lost and Found), and Dapo Adeola (Hey You!) for something fresher.

Ages 5-7: Dog Man by Dav Pilkey is the book that turns reluctant readers into obsessive readers. Funny, fast-paced, and full of pictures. Also brilliant: The Nothing to See Here Hotel series, Amelia Fang, and anything by Tom Fletcher.

Ages 8-10: Percy Jackson remains the gateway drug to reading for this age group. Skandar and the Unicorn Thief is the current sensation. The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher is a modern classic. And for non-fiction, the Horrible Histories series is as brilliant as it was 20 years ago.

Ages 11+: The House With a Clock in Its Walls, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (for confident older readers), and the entire Discworld series by Terry Pratchett for children ready for something deeper.

For Reluctant Readers

Graphic novels are legitimate reading. Full stop. If your child won’t read prose but devours Dog Man, Narwhal and Jelly, or Bunny vs Monkey — they are reading. They are developing vocabulary, narrative comprehension, visual literacy, and a love of stories. Don’t let reading snobbery undermine your child’s relationship with books. Waterstones has an excellent graphic novel section and the staff can recommend age-appropriate titles.

The Waterstones Children's Book of the Month

Each month, Waterstones selects a children’s book of the month with exclusive editions (sometimes with signed copies, sprayed edges, or bonus content). These make brilliant gifts — it’s a curated, expert-chosen book that your child might never have found otherwise. And receiving a book addressed to them in the post is exciting at any age.

For more reading resources and home education guides, visit our Home Education Hub.

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