Maya Donevska’s Book List for Ages 4-8

Maya Donevska is a mum who loves reading to her daughter.

Buying books for this age range requires a little bit of consultation.

If there is a love of dinosaurs, buying books with dinosaur characters will be a hit like The Dinosaur that Pooped a Planet which has the added extra of being about poo, a hit with little boys everywhere. As with younger children, books about what’s happening in their lives are a hit – so All Through The Year and Today We Have No Plans by Jane Godwin both make the list.

Once school and reading starts, I’d highly recommend the Usborne Very First Reading series where parents read one page and the children the other. It’s a great way to help kids learn to read and there are comprehension games at the end.

Some of the classics are still very popular with kids at this age – The BFG and Danny the Champion of the World, as well as The Faraway Tree and The Wishing Chair stories have both been popular at home and school. The Dr Seuss books have stood the test of time and never fail to delight – The Lorax has great appeal to kids learning about conserving the environment.

Are We There Yet is a great book about the family road trip and also adds a geography lesson. Supplement this with an illustrated atlas or anything as a great aid for kids starting to learn about other countries and cultures at school.

I’ve only included two chapter books for kids – the Billie B Brown series and the Hey Jack series. This is really a matter of personal taste and kids like to choose their own.

The library or book store is a great place to start and they will often want to read what their friends are reading, which is a lovely shared experience. We encourage our little girl to swap and share chapter books with her friends.

Finally, Noah Dreary is a mischievous and very funny cautionary tale for kids who complain too much – always a good option if the whinge-o-meter has gone into overdrive.