Here are some of our favourite books for students aged 11! Making sure your child enjoys reading early is extremely important to help them on their way to academic success. However, it can often be quite difficult to find books worth reading beyond the clichés – Harry Potter, Roald Dahl, and so on. To make the process easier, our team curated a set of the books we loved at that age and that they would recommend to any child. Aside from encouraging your child to love reading, these books will also impress any admissions officer at the 11+ level.
A Wizard of Earthsea
Ursula K. LeGuin
Set in the fictional archipelago of Earthsea, LeGuin’s novel tells the story of Ged, a sorcerer, who leaves his home island to attend a wizarding school. Aside from providing the inspiration for countless books like Harry Potter and Cloud Atlas (as well as movies like Spirited Away), this novel does a great job of introducing children to themes not often seen at this reading level such as Taoism, the consequences of power, and the importance of language. What makes this novel particularly enjoyable is that Ged, unlike most protagonists in similar novels, is a flawed and relatable character who grows throughout the course of the book. This novel is great for those who are struggling to fill a fantasy-shaped hole in their heart and are looking for something a bit more complex that shares the same magic.
The Thirteen and a Half Lives of Captain Bluebear
Walter Moers
This book might be an enormous 704 pages, but don’t be fooled! Its inventiveness, simple language and wonderful illustrations make it a breeze to read. Set in the fictional continent of Zamonia, this novel narrates the path of a tiny baby bluebear who finds himself floating in a walnut shell by a whirlpool who eventually becomes the liar supreme of all of Atlantis. This novel is particularly well-suited to those who prefer books off the beaten path. The fictional universe it inhabits is quite unlike our own, so it makes for excellent reading for all those interested in fantasy.
THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND
Jonathan Stroud
An alternative history set in a 1998 London awash with magic, djinn and all manner of spirits, this novel is a good deal more formally inventive than the other ones mentioned on this list. It switches between a third-person narration from the perspective of an 11-year-old magician, Nathaniel, and a first-person narration from the perspective of a caustic djinn named Bartimaeus who is thousands of years old. The book is funny, poignant, inventive and filled with allusions to all manner of religious, secular, historical and mythological iconography in a way that will captivate any reader with an even remote interest in any of its subject matter. A wonderful – if slightly challenging – piece of literature for those who love to read and laugh while doing so.