Reading aloud to children is a great way to share stories, spark conversations and spend fun time together. Reading aloud is also a gentle way to tackle sensitive topics and expose children to more complex language.
Here is selection of recommended great read aloud titles that you might like to try.
Younger readers
Fantastic Mr Fox* by Roald Dahl
Franklin and Luna by Jen Campbell
Little Gem by Anna Zobel
Tashi* by Anna Fienberg
The iron man by Ted Hughes
The Princess in Black* by Shannan Hale
Rabbit and Bear by Julian Gough and Jim Field
What Zola Did* by Melina Marchetta
Middle grade readers
A wrinkle in time* by Madeleine L’Engle
Bindi by Kirli Saunders
Brindabella* by Ursula Dubosarsky
His name was Walter* by Emily Rodda
Land of Stories by Chris Colfer
Marcie Gill and the caravan park cat by Monica McInerney
Mina and the whole wide world* by Sherryl Clark
Mr Bambuckles Remarkables* by Tim Harris
Mysterious Benedict Society* by Trenton Lee
Nanny Piggins* by R.A. Spratt
Polly and Buster* by Sally Rippin
The cursed first term of Zelda Stitch* by Nicki Greenberg
The explorer* by Katherine Rundell
The Glimme by Emily Rodda
The grandest bookshop in the world by Amelia Mellor
The tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
The thing about Oliver* by Deborah Kelly
The wild robot* by Peter Brown
The travelling Bookshop* by Katrina Nannestad
Vincent and the grandest hotel on Earth by Lisa Nicol
Zadie Ma and the dog who chased the moon* by Gabrielle Wang
Upper readers
Can you see me by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott
Danny the champion of the world* by Roald Dahl
Everything I’ve never said* by Samantha Wheeler
Fish in a tree* by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Roll with it by Jamie Sumner
The war that saved my life* by Kimberly Bradley
Classics
Alice in Wonderland * by Lewis Carroll
Beatrix Potter*
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory* by Roald Dahl
Charlotte’s web* by E. B. White
Little women* by Louisa May Alcott
My side of the mountain* by Jean Craighead George
Paddington* by Michael Bond
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Swallows and Amazons* by Arthur Ransome
The Chronicles of Narnia* by C. S. Lewis
The Secret Garden* by Frances Hogson Burnett
The Wizard of Oz* by L Frank Baum
Wind in the willows* by Kenneth Grahame
Winnie the Pooh* by A.A. Milne
You might also like to try audio books, Story Box Library or have a look at the fairy tales collection.
Make a reservation
To reserve a book, select the title and use your membership number and PIN to place a reservation. Titles with an asterisk (*) are also available from our eBook collection.