101 Books for Six Year Olds With Sparky Imaginations
The absolute best books to get six year olds hooked on reading.
A whole new world opens up as children learn how to read. There is no skill more important than developing literacy—reading helps creativity, imagination, and language flourish. Books open new doors as reality takes a backseat.
Here are the top books for six year olds based on reviews and personal bias.
Top Books for Six Year Olds
- The Rainbow Fish
- The Day the Crayons Quit
- The Easter Witch
- James and the Giant Peach
- The Lorax
- This is Not My Hat
- The Dark
- The Most Magnificent Thing
- The Book With No Pictures
- The Creatilogy
- The Fate of Fausto
- Where the Wild Things Are
- Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
- If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
- Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth
- The Monster at the End of This Book
…And 85 others! See the full list below or grab this handy checklist.
1. The Rainbow Fish
The Rainbow Fish is an international bestseller and modern classic. Eye-catching foilstamping may offer instant child-appeal, but it is the universal message at the heart of this simple story about a beautiful fish who learns to make friends by sharing his most prized possessions that gives the book its lasting value.
- Author: Marcus Pfister
- Goodreads Rating: 4.16
- Buy on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Why it makes my list for six year olds: The unique foilstamping illustrations are eye-catching and fun. It’s beautiful and packed with nostalgia.
“I heard this book read aloud for the first time at summer camp. It is a beautiful story about the joy that comes from giving yourself to others.” Karen, Goodreads.
2. The Day the Crayons Quit
Duncan just wants to color, but when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters saying the same thing: We quit! Beige is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown. Blue needs a break from coloring water, while Pink just wants to be used. Green has no complaints, but Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking. What’s Duncan to do?
- Author: Drew Daywalt
- Goodreads Rating: 4.42
- Buy on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Why it makes my list for six year olds: You’ll never look at orange the same way again.
“I bought two copies for my godchildren, but I should have bought another one just for me. It’s that fun.” Amber, Goodreads.
3. The Easter Witch
After an unlucky witch accidentally eats the Easter Bunny, she must deliver the world’s chocolates, treats, and presents before it’s too late. Can Easter be saved with the help of some Halloween magic, or will the witch’s spells backfire and ruin the holiday?
- Author: D. Melhoff
- Goodreads Rating: 4.85
- Buy on: Amazon
Why it makes my list for six year olds: Combining Easter and Halloween is a 2-for-1 deal. You get the best parts of both holidays with a dose of dark humor and fun.
“This is such a clever book!!! It combines Halloween and Easter with such flair.” Tea Mayo, Amazon
4. James and the Giant Peach
When James drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree, strange things start to happen. The peach at the top of the tree begins to grow, and before long it’s as big as a house. With a snip of the stem, the peach household starts rolling away—and the adventure begins.
- Author: Roald Dahl
- Goodreads Rating: 4
- Buy on: Amazon
Why it makes my list for six year olds: Every child should experience the whimsical ways of Roald Dahl. There are other Dahl books in the top 101, but there’s something about James that puts it near the top.
“Dahl transports us to wonderful worlds of adventure and peculiarity with characters every child would love to meet.” (Lou, Goodreads)
5. The Lorax
Long before saving the earth became a global concern, Dr. Seuss warned against mindless progress and the danger it posed to the earth’s natural beauty. Like Dahl, many Seuss books made the top 101 list, but The Lorax is rated among the highest.
- Author: Dr. Seuss
- Goodreads Rating: 4.34
- Buy on: Amazon
Why it makes my list for six year olds: The Lorax is more important today than ever, and despite its grim message it gets its point across in fun Seussian fashion.
“The Lorax is not just a children’s book but so much more! Every family should have this as a staple in their home.” (Gilda, Amazon)
6. This is Not My Hat
When a tiny fish shoots into view wearing a round blue topper (which happens to fit him perfectly), trouble could be close behind. Visual humor swims to the fore as the best-selling Jon Klassen follows his breakout debut with another deadpan-funny tale.
- Author: Jon Klassen
- Goodreads Rating: 4.25
- Buy on: Amazon
Why it makes my list for six year olds: A fish in a hat? Fantastic. This book pairs words with unique illustrations to make a stunning impression.
The humorous visuals were perfectly placed. This is my favorite of Jon Klassen’s hat books. (Laura, Goodreads)