11 Plus Recommended Reading List 11 Plus Recommended Reading List

Key points to consider when choosing reading material for 11 Plus preparation:

  • Variety of genres:Include fiction, non-fiction, and poetry to expose your child to different writing styles. 
  • Challenging vocabulary:Select books with a rich vocabulary to enhance word recognition and understanding. 
  • Complex plot structures:Look for books with intricate storylines and character development to improve critical thinking skills. 
  • Age-appropriate:Ensure the reading level aligns with your child’s current abilities and it’s something they enjoy. If they enjoy what they’re reading, they’ll be more enthusiastic and interested, making it a lot easier for them to improve at reading.  

Below, we’ve complied a list of recommended books for your child to read when preparing for the 11 Plus. This list is by no means exhaustive. However, these are our a good place to start.

  • The works of Enid Blyton
  • Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
  • Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
  • A Series of Unfortunate Events series – Lemony Snicket
  • The Borrowers series – Mary Norton
  • The Lost World – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  • Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
  • The Railway Children – E. Nesbit
  • Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe
  • Lord of the Flies – William Golding
  • The Hobbit – J.R.R Tolkien
  • The Spiderwick chronicles – Holly Black
  • Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz
  • The works of Michael Morpurgo
  • The adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
  • The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson
  • Charlotte’s Web – E.B. White
  • Goodnight Mr Tom – Michelle Magorian
  • The Cadwaladr Quests – S.L. Ager
  • The Boy at the Back of the Class – Onjali Q Rauf
  • The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – C.S. Lewis
  • Tom’s Midnight Garden – Philippa Pearce
  • The Emergency Zoo – Miriam Halahmy
  • Five Children and It – Edith Nesbit
  • Northern Lights – Phillip Pullman
  • Stig of the Dump – Clive King
  • White Fang – Jack London
  • The London Eye Mystery – Siobhan Dowd