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Book recommendations for kids, picked for your child
The best book for your child fits their age, their reading level and whatever they are into right now. Bookstaken's free quiz asks you about your reader and picks seven books from a catalogue of 300+ children's books, each one checked for age-appropriate content. For children aged 6–14, in India or anywhere else.
How it works
Step 1
Tell us about your reader
About a dozen quick questions: age, how they feel about reading, books they loved or didn't, favourite genres and interests, languages, formats and anything you'd like to avoid.
Step 2
We match books to your child
Every book in our catalogue of 300+ children's books is checked against your answers. Books above the content limits for your child's age, or that touch anything you asked us to avoid, are ruled out first.
Step 3
Get your list
Seven books, each with a note on why it suits your child, on the results page and as a printable PDF on WhatsApp.
Best books for ages 6–8
Short chapters, lots of pictures and a series to keep going with. At this age the goal is finishing books on their own and wanting the next one.
Ages 6–8
Magic Tree House
by Mary Pope Osborne
Jack and Annie time-travel to dinosaurs, knights and ancient Egypt. Short chapters and a new adventure in every book make it a perfect first series.
Kids this age are ready for longer stories and real plots, but humour and fast pacing still matter. Series and funny diaries are often what turn them into readers.
Ages 9–11
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
by Jeff Kinney
Greg's diary of school disasters, told in doodles and short entries. Easy to pick up, hard to put down, and there are many more in the series.
Real disasters, from the Titanic to Pompeii, seen through the eyes of a child who lived through them. Gripping history for action lovers, with some peril.
Full-length novels, bigger themes and books worth talking about. Pick stories that respect how much young teens can handle, and leave room for them to choose.
Ages 9–14
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
by Rick Riordan
A boy finds out he is the son of a Greek god. Funny, fast quests through mythology, and five books to keep them going.
Books in Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and more
Alongside English, the catalogue includes books in several Indian languages. Tell the quiz which languages your child reads and how to mix them: English only, mostly English with some of another language, or mostly another language. It is a simple way for NRI families to keep a mother tongue alive through stories.
More book lists for kids
Twelve picks for every age and interest, updated from our catalogue.
Six simple rules, whether you are buying one book or building a home library.
Start with what they already love: A child who is mad about cricket, dinosaurs or slime will read a book about it long before a classic they "should" read. Interest does the hard work.
For fun reading, go slightly easy: Books read for pleasure should feel comfortable. Keep the harder, stretch books for reading together, where you can help with the tricky bits.
Pick the first book of a series: If book one clicks, the next one sells itself. Series like Magic Tree House, Dog Man and Percy Jackson keep children reading for months.
Comics and graphic novels count: They build vocabulary and reading stamina, and many reluctant readers start there. Amar Chitra Katha has been doing this for generations.
Mix in stories from home: Sudha Murty, Ruskin Bond, R. K. Narayan and the Panchatantra give children in India and NRI kids abroad characters and places that feel familiar.
Let them drop a book: Forcing a child through a book they dislike teaches them reading is a chore. Swap it, try a different genre, and ask what didn't work.
How we pick these books
Every book in Bookstaken's catalogue is rated for violence, fear, romance and language before it can be recommended. The quiz never suggests a book above the limits for your child's age, or one that touches anything you asked to avoid. The picks on this page are popular starting points; your quiz list is matched to your child.
Reviewed by the Bookstaken content team. Last reviewed .
A good book is the start. A mentor makes it stick.
In a free 1:1 session, a trained Bookstaken mentor reads with your child, asks what they think and helps the reading habit last.
Questions parents ask
Q: What are the best books for my child?
The best book is one that fits your child's age, reading level and current interests. As a starting point: for ages 6–8, Magic Tree House, Dog Man and Sudha Murty's Grandma's Bag of Stories; for ages 9–11, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Matilda, The Wild Robot and R. K. Narayan's Malgudi Schooldays; for ages 12–14, Percy Jackson, Aru Shah and the End of Time, Wonder and Holes. For a list matched to your child, take Bookstaken's free book recommendation quiz.
Q: Which books should I buy for my child?
Buy for the reader you have, not the one you hope for. Start with what they are interested in right now, choose something they can read comfortably on their own, and prefer the first book of a series so a hit leads straight to the next. If you are unsure, take the free quiz to get seven matched titles before you spend anything.
Q: What are the best books for a 6-year-old?
At 6, most children are moving from picture books to their first short chapters. Good picks: Narwhal and Jelly for easy comic chapters, Ada Twist, Scientist for curious kids, Magic Tree House once they are ready for a first series, and Sudha Murty's Grandma's Bag of Stories to read aloud together. Amma, Tell Me About Diwali! is a gentle way into Indian festivals.
Q: What are the best books for an 8-year-old?
8 is when many children start reading series on their own. Try Dog Man and Magic Tree House for momentum, Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox for a funny short novel, Akbar and Birbal: Tales of Humour for quick witty stories, and Ruskin Bond's The Blue Umbrella or R. K. Narayan's Malgudi Schooldays for Indian stories they can manage alone.
Q: What are the best books for a 10-year-old?
Ten-year-olds are ready for real plots and longer books. Popular picks: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Matilda, The Wild Robot and the I Survived series. Readers who love myths can start Percy Jackson, and A Children's History of India in 100 Objects suits kids who prefer facts to fiction.
Q: What are the best books for a 12-year-old?
At 12, full-length novels with bigger themes work well: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Aru Shah and the End of Time (Indian mythology), Wonder, Holes, and the true story The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Sudha Murty's How I Taught My Grandmother to Read is a good pick for shorter reading sessions.
Q: How does Bookstaken choose book recommendations for my child?
You answer about a dozen questions on your child's age, reading habits, interests, favourite genres, formats, languages and reading goals. Bookstaken checks every book in its catalogue of 300+ children's books against those answers, rules out anything above the content limits for their age or anything you asked to avoid, and returns the seven best matches with a note on why each one fits.
Q: Are the book recommendations free?
Yes. The book recommendation quiz and your list are free. You share a WhatsApp number so the printable PDF can be sent to you.
Q: What ages are Bookstaken's book recommendations for?
The personalised book recommendation quiz is designed for children aged 6 to 14.
Q: Can I get book recommendations for a reluctant reader?
Yes. The quiz asks what makes reading hard or unappealing for your child, then favours books that suit them, such as comics and graphic novels, short chapters, funny series and books about the things they already love.
Q: Do you recommend Indian books, and books for NRI kids growing up abroad?
Yes. More than a third of the catalogue has Indian authors, settings or mythology, including Sudha Murty, Ruskin Bond, R. K. Narayan, Amar Chitra Katha and the Panchatantra. Families in India and NRI families abroad can ask for more Indian stories, and for books in Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and other Indian languages alongside English.
Q: Can I exclude themes or content from the recommendations?
Yes. You can tell the quiz which topics and content to avoid, and those books are left out of your list.
Q: How will I receive my child's book recommendations?
Your personalised recommendations appear on the results page and are also delivered as a printable PDF on WhatsApp.
Q: How do I get my child to read more?
Make reading easy and enjoyable rather than a task: let them choose books about things they already love, keep books where they can see them, read together at a fixed time such as bedtime, and let them drop a book that isn't working. A short, regular reading time every day does more than an occasional long session. Series help too, because finishing one book makes the next one an easy choice.
Q: My child only reads comics. Is that OK?
Yes. Comics and graphic novels build vocabulary, reading stamina and understanding of story, and many strong readers started there. Series like Dog Man, Narwhal and Jelly and Amar Chitra Katha are a great bridge. When they are ready, offer heavily illustrated chapter books such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid alongside the comics rather than instead of them.
Q: How many books should my child read in a month?
There is no right number. Books vary hugely in length, and a child who reads a little every day is doing better than one who races through books they don't enjoy. Aim for a regular reading habit, such as 15 to 20 minutes a day, and let the number of books follow from that.
Q: How can I get my child off screens and into books?
Don't frame it as books against screens. Find books connected to what they already watch or play, such as football, space, robots or mythology, and start with fast, funny or illustrated books that compete on fun. Reading together at a set time, like before bed, and letting them see you read also help build the habit.
Q: Who are the best Indian authors for children?
Sudha Murty (Grandma's Bag of Stories, How I Taught My Grandmother to Read), Ruskin Bond (The Blue Umbrella), R. K. Narayan (Malgudi Schooldays), Roopa Pai (The Gita: For Children), Bhakti Mathur (the Amma, Tell Me series) and Anushka Ravishankar (Moin and the Monster) are all favourites. Roshani Chokshi's Aru Shah series brings Indian mythology to Indian-American readers.
Q: Which books help NRI kids learn about Indian culture?
Start with stories that feel like home: the Amma, Tell Me series for festivals, the Panchatantra and Akbar and Birbal for classic tales, Amar Chitra Katha comics for mythology and history, and A Children's History of India in 100 Objects for older kids. Aru Shah and the End of Time is especially popular with children growing up outside India.
Q: Do you recommend Hindi and regional-language story books?
Yes. Alongside English, Bookstaken's catalogue includes books in Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and other Indian languages. In the quiz you choose which languages your child reads and whether you want English only, mostly English with some of another language, or mostly another language.
Q: What are good books about Indian festivals for kids?
Bhakti Mathur's Amma, Tell Me series explains festivals in a simple, child-friendly way, with books including Amma, Tell Me About Diwali! and Amma, Tell Me About Holi!. They suit children around 4 to 8 and are popular with families in India and abroad who want to share traditions.
Q: What are the best books to gift a child?
Pick the first book of a series the child has not read yet, matched to their age and interests: Magic Tree House or Dog Man for 6 to 8, Diary of a Wimpy Kid or The Wild Robot for 9 to 11, Percy Jackson or Wonder for 12 to 14. If you don't know the child's tastes well, the free quiz gives you seven matched titles in a few minutes.
Q: Are ebooks or printed books better for kids?
Both count as reading. Printed books are easier for younger children to share with a parent, flip back through and keep coming back to, and they avoid the distractions of a device. Ebooks and audiobooks are useful for travel, older readers and families abroad who can't easily buy Indian books in print.
Q: Are graphic novels real reading?
Yes. Reading a graphic novel means following a plot, understanding characters and inferring what happens between panels, which are real reading skills. Graphic novels are often what turns a reluctant reader into a regular one.
Q: Where can I buy children's books in India and abroad?
Every book on this page has a Get book link to Amazon. Local bookshops and libraries are also great places to browse together, and many children's books are available as ebooks for families outside India.
