Best Books for 8 Year Olds

The best books for 8 year olds are books which are fun to read to encourage further reading. Reading ability to vary greatly from child to child at this age but if there are books they are not quite ready to read alone yet, they still enjoy being read to and parents, teachers and other adults can share their favorite books this way.

When looking for the best books for 8 year olds, here are some tips:

Fun and enjoyable - It should be a pleasure for kids to sit down and enjoy a book. This could still mean looking at the visual pictures, being read to or reading the book themselves. When kids are forced to read something they don't enjoy, they will start to think reading is boring and not want to do it.

Check out the library / bookstore - 8 year olds will enjoy exploring books with their hands and eyes, so take them to the library and let them choose a book they will enjoy for free.

Check out reviews on amazon and other websites - There are lots of book reviews you can read all over the Internet. Amazon is a great place to start as there are lots of great reviews. Check out bestseller lists to see what's popular with other kids at the moment.

Ask their friends and other parents - Some of the best book suggestions I have had for my children have been from other parents. The Beast Quest series recommended below was recommended by a parent of an 8 year old boy who couldn't stop reading the series once he'd started!

The article below has lots of suggestions of the best books for 8 year olds including classic books, non fiction books as well as suggestions of the best books for 8 year old boys and the best books for 8 year old girls.

Books that have stood the test of time are sometiimes the best books for 8 year olds.

A classic book are ones which feature unforgettable characters, events and places that are etched into your memory and never leave you. They can help children discover the magic of stories and literature and lead them to a lifelong love of reading.

There are many children's classics which adults may remember from their own childhood. It amy be parents can share the classics with their children by reading to them. Or if the children are advanced enough readers they can read them on their own.

Here are four of my top picks below.

The books opposite will appeal to 8 year old boys. Girls may like them as well but if you have a reluctant 8 year old boy than these are some good books that will encourage them to read.

Want more ideas? Here is another great list of books for 8 year old boys.

The books below make great reading for 8 year old girls. All the stories have girls as the main characters. They vary in topic and level of reading. Again, boys may also like these series but they will probably initially appeal to girls more.

Want more ideas? Here is another great list of books for 8 year old girls.

If the 8 year old you're buying for is reluctant to read, there's a lot you can do to encourage them. Each child is different so you can change your strategy depending on the personality and likes and dislikes of the child. Here are some tips:

Don't limit reading material to books - Some kids are reluctant to read books, but love comics, magazines and online reading material. We are often quite quick to think of "reading" as only reading a fiction novel, but there are lots of other types of reading. For example, looking at sports statistics is another form of literacy which children may enjoy.

Think visually - Some kids just prefer really visual material. Books such as Captain Underpants has lots of pictures and comic style drawing that may appeal to some kids. Other kids like comics. Some kids love the visual nature of non fiction books.

Make it reading a reward - Sometimes I let my son have 15 extra minutes before lights out to read as a reward. This seems to work really well to encourage him to read.

Read to your child - Even if your child likes to read on their own, it's still beneficial to read to them. Not only does it help improve their vocabulary and range of expression, it's great quality time for adults and kids to spend together too.

There are lots of great websites where you can find some top book reading suggestions for 8 year olds (as well as this one, of course!).

When buying books for my kids I often check out The New York Times Bestseller Lists for middle grade kids.

The books below are more top short chapter books great for this age group.

Books don't have to be fiction to help literacy and encourage kids to read.

Non fiction books can be about stuff they are interested such as their favorite sport or sports stars or their favorite hobby. They may be interested in books on how things work or the world around them. My own son loves crafts and also enjoys books on arts and crafts which we get from the library.

Below are some fantastic non fiction books which are perfect for this age group.