Our 11+ tutors often tell me that parents want to know what books their children should be reading to help them prepare for the 11+ exams. This is unsurprising as the vocabulary needed to be successful in the 11+ tests is very challenging and is a key area that will need improving in the lead up to exams.

A good time to start is as early as possible. Command of a good vocabulary is important to your child’s success in school and the great news is that good literature can help develop this. If your child is a reluctant reader help is at hand – read our blog  ‘Help My Child Read‘ to find out how you can help your child become a keen reader.

You can scroll down to the reading list at the bottom of this page or find out how you can encourage your child to read more and better literature:

1) Prepare somewhere for your child to read

Create a calm and quiet space with distractions out of sight. Bedtime is a perfect time, just make sure that your child has a shelf to put books on and a bedside table with a light to read by.

2) Shop till you drop!

What child doesn’t like gifts or outings? Visit a library, book shop or even shop on line. Make sure that you have an idea of the books that your child might like or that you would like them to read. Now the key is to let your child choose. It’s ok to introduce books and suggest titles or authors that should be tried but do let your child choose  – even if you know it is too hard! Let your child take away all the books chosen!

I myself chose to read Lord of the Rings when I was about 7 years old. I can remember to this day how fascinated I was by the story of fantasy and it was this that led me to persist and after several months of torturously slow reading, my reading improved, my speed increased and my understanding developed. If I had been given a book I wasn’t interested in I might have given up.

3) Model Reading

Read in front of your children to reinforce the importance of reading. If you have a boy – get dad or granddad to read with him. This is especially important for boys who may only see women read.

Books Shortlisted by our 11+ Tutors

Authors A-F

• Alan Gibbons – Caught in the Crossfire
• Alex Shearer – The Invisible Man’s socks
• Angie Sage – Septimus Heap series
• Anne Fine – A Pack of Liars
• Anne Holm – I Am David
• Anthony Horowitz – Stormbreaker
• Arthur Ransome – Swallows and Amazons series
• Barbara Leonie Picard (translator) – The Odyssey
• Barbara Sleigh – Carbonel series 1 and 2
• Brian Jacques – Redwall series
• C.S. Lewis – The Chronicles of Narnia – Box Set
• Caroline Lawrence – Roman Mysteries series
  1. The Thieves of Ostia
  2. The Secrets of Vesuvius
  3. The Pirates of Pompeii”
• Carolyn Keene – Nancy Drew mysteries: The Mystery at Lilac Inn
• Cathy Cassidy – Scarlett
• Charles Ashton – Dragon’s Fire
• Charles Kingsley – The Water Babies
• Charmian Hussey – The Valley of Secrets
• Chris d’Lacey – Fire series:
  1. The Fire Within
  2. Icefire
  3. Firestar
  4. The Fire Eternal
  5. Dark Fire”
• Christopher Paolini – Eldest series
• Cliff McNish – Doomspell trilogy
  1. Doomspell
  2. The Scent Magic
  3. The Wizards promise”
• Clive King – Stig of the Dump
• Cornelia Funke
  1. Inkheart Trilogy
  2. Thief Lord
• Daniel Defoe – Robinson Crusoe
• Darren Shan – Demonata series
• Debbi Gliori – Pure Dead Magic
• Derek Landy – Skulduggery Pleasant series
• E. Nesbit – The Phoenix and the Carpet & others
• E.L. Konigsburg – From the Mixed up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler
• Elise Broach – Shakespeare’s Secret
• Elizabeth Kay – The Divide series
• Enid Blyton – The Secret Island
• Eoin Colfer – Artemis Fowl
• Erin Hunter – Warrior series:Shadow of The Clans
• Eva Ibbotson – The Dragonfly Pool

Authors F-L

• Frances Hardinge – Fly by Night
• Gail Carson Levine – Fairest
• Garth Nix The Seventh Tower Series
• Geraldine McCaughrean – The Death Defying Pepper Roux
• Graham Marks – Snatched
• Hans Christian Andersen – The Complete Fairy Tales
• Holly Black – Beyond The Spiderwick Chronicles: A Giant Problem
• Holly Black – The Spiderwick Chronicles
• J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter series
• J.R.R. Tolkien – The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings series
• Jacob Grimm – Complete Grimms Fairy Tales
• Jacqueline Wilson Series
• Jenny Nimmo – Charlie Bone series
• Joan Aiken – Wolves of Willoughby Chase series
• Jonathan Stroud – The Bartimaeus Trilogy
• Julia Golding – The Glass Swallow
• Julie Lee – The Mysterious Misadventures of Clemency Wrigglesworth
• Karen McCombie – Marshmallow Magic and the Wild Rose Rouge
• Laura Ingalls Wilder – Little House on the Prairie series
• Lemony Snicket – A Series of Unfortunate Events
• Louis Sachar – Holes
• Lucy Daniels – Animal Ark series
• Lucy Montgomery – Anne of Green Gables
• Lynne Reid Banks – The Indian in the Cupboard trilogy

Authors M-Z

• Malorie Blackman – Noughts and Crosses Trilogy
• Mark Twain – Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn
• Michael Carroll – New Heroes series
• Michael Morpurgo – The Butterfly Lion
• Michelle Paver – Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Series
• Nina Bawden – Carrie’s War
• Norman Hunter – The Incredible adventures of Professor Branestawm
• Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell – The Edge Chronicles series
• Pullman – Dark Materials Trilogy
• Philip Reeve – Mortal Engines Quartet
• Philip Ridley – Scribbleboy
• Richmal Crompton – Just William Collection
• Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson series
• Roald Dahl – The Witches
• Roald Dahl – Boy
• Silvana De Mari – The Last Elf
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – The Lost World
• Susan Coolidge – What Katy Did series
• T.H. White – The Once and Future King
• Terry Pratchett Series
• William Golding – Lord of the Flies
• William Nicholson – Wind on Fire Trilogy

Perhaps you thought that you had tried everything. You might have heard yourself say “can you help my child read”. If this is the case then try these tips. Alternatively you can contact us for a free trial to find out how we can help your child read effectively.

More help from our 11+ Tutors and 11+ Tuition in Birmingham

This list contains just some of the great books that your child might like to read that will help improve the vocabulary needed for the 11+ tests. Check back regularly as our 11+ tutor in Birmingham may add more texts in the future.