The 15 Best Books For 6 Year Olds (2023 Buying Guide)

Updated 30th December 2021.

At the age of 6 your child will now be regularly bringing books home from school, which you are encouraged to read with them. Listen to your child patiently and don’t forget to be impressed with their efforts!

Unlike books at an earlier age, they will be using phonics to decode complex work, blending letters to work out unfamiliar words, and expanding their vocabulary on what can seem an almost daily basis. Progress often comes thick and fast at this magic age. It’s not unusual for a six-year-old to learn five new words every day.

So what do you look for in getting the best books for 6 year olds? In this guide, we'll go over the key considerations as well as our reviews of 15 of the best books for you to buy. Happy reading.

What to consider when buying books for 6 year olds

Whether for boy or girl, once your 6 year old is familiar with a certain piece of text, and can read it smoothly, encourage your child to read the passage with expression. Adding emotion to reading helps children appreciate stories and fall in love with them. Beyond that there are some key considerations for what makes a great 6 year old book:

The 15 best books for 6 year olds

A selection of great stories from celebrated children’s authors, specially selected for six-year-olds.

A lovely story from Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson about a time travelling dinosaur.

Check out Jon and Raife's review of The Dinosaur's Diary here.

Humour is a great way to get kids reading, and this collection is packed with it.

Dragons grow on trees, and when they hatch, well, they’re a handful.

Check out Jon (and Raife!)'s review of The Boy Who Grew Dragons here.

   5.    I Can Read! Oxford Poetry for 6 Year Olds

Introduce your children to the joys of poetry with this fun and accessible collection.

Timmy saves a fairy and, as his reward, is granted one wish. Which is where it all goes a bit wrong…

   7.    Whispers in the Wind

Secrets, magic and plots in a forbidden forest.

Alife the deerhound is lost, but Charlie will never give up looking for his beloved pet.

   9.    Mummy Fairy and Me

When mum’s a fairy life is great...except when it isn’t.

Yep, it’s a joke book, and a good one. It will have your six-year-old in stitches.

Check out Jon and Raife's review of Awesome Jokes Every 6 Year Old Should Know!

   11.    Dirty Bertie: Trouble!

Three great stories featuring Dirty Bertie, the anti-hero with horrible habits.

Sophia loves cats but her parents won’t let her have one. Then one day a kitten wanders through a gap in the garden fence…

Henry puts his secret under grandpa’s old hat - and finds a lot more.

Many kids - like adults - may have had a hard time recently. This is a book about hope and optimism, even in the gloomiest times.

Midge has to go to a new school, and Mo wants to be his friend. But Midge is a hard nut to crack.

How to read to a 6 year old

Don’t be afraid to share more complicated plots and longer stories with your six-year-old. If you’re doing the reading, immerse yourselves in meatier books that take a few days to get through. There's a few key things to do when reading to a 6 year old: