Reading widely is the single most effective long-term preparation for any English exam. This list is curated for students at different stages — from 11+ preparation through to A-Level — with the aim of being genuinely enjoyable as well as educationally useful.
These are not the only books worth reading, and not every book here will suit every student. Think of this as a starting point — a map, not a prescription.
For 11+ Students (Ages 9–11)
Fiction
- Wonder — R.J. Palacio. Beautifully written, multi-perspective narrative. Excellent for empathy and understanding how the same events look different from different viewpoints.
- Holes — Louis Sachar. Clever, layered storytelling with real structural sophistication disguised as a fast-paced adventure.
- The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas — John Boyne. Simple language, devastating effect. A masterclass in dramatic irony and restraint.
- Skellig — David Almond. Beautiful prose style, deeply imaginative. Great for students who want to develop descriptive writing.
- Roald Dahl short stories — Any collection. Highly readable, with wonderful twists. Brilliant models for short story writing.
Non-Fiction
- I Am Malala — Malala Yousafzai (Young Reader’s Edition). Inspiring memoir, very readable, and excellent for understanding first-person voice and the power of personal narrative.
- Horrible Histories series — Terry Deary. Doesn’t feel like reading, but builds vocabulary, general knowledge, and an appetite for non-fiction.
For IGCSE Students (Ages 14–16)
Fiction
- Never Let Me Go — Kazuo Ishiguro. Quietly devastating. Written in a deceptively simple style that rewards careful reading. Excellent for understanding unreliable narrators and restrained emotion.
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time — Mark Haddon. Unique narrative voice, brilliantly constructed. Ideal for understanding how perspective shapes storytelling.
- Of Mice and Men — John Steinbeck. Short, precise, and structurally perfect. A masterclass in foreshadowing and dialogue.
- Lord of the Flies — William Golding. Dense but richly rewarding. Essential reading for anyone studying literature and power.
- The Kite Runner — Khaled Hosseini. Emotionally powerful, with strong themes of guilt, redemption, and identity. Very readable.
Non-Fiction & Essays
- Notes from a Small Island — Bill Bryson. Funny, observational, and beautifully written. Excellent for understanding how non-fiction writers use humour, anecdote, and voice.
- Bad Science — Ben Goldacre. Clear, persuasive non-fiction that models how to argue a case with evidence. Great preparation for discursive writing tasks.
- Quality newspaper journalism — The Guardian Long Read, The Times features, The Economist for confident readers. Short, polished, and directly relevant to the kind of texts appearing in IGCSE papers.
For A-Level Students (Ages 16–18)
Fiction
- The Great Gatsby — F. Scott Fitzgerald. Densely symbolic, beautifully written, with an unreliable narrator and a devastating critique of the American Dream.
- Atonement — Ian McEwan. Explores how language shapes and distorts reality — perfect for A-Level Language and Literature students.
- Beloved — Toni Morrison. Challenging but extraordinary. Rich language, complex structure, and profound themes of memory and identity.
- 1984 — George Orwell. Orwell’s ideas about language and power are directly relevant to A-Level English Language study.
- Normal People — Sally Rooney. Contemporary, highly readable, and subtly sophisticated in its use of dialogue and free indirect discourse.
Non-Fiction & Criticism
- Why I Write — George Orwell (essay). Essential reading for any A-Level English student. Clear, direct, and illuminating about the relationship between writing and thought.
- How to Read Literature Like a Professor — Thomas C. Foster. Accessible and genuinely useful for developing literary reading skills.
- The Language Instinct — Steven Pinker. Engaging popular linguistics — brilliant background reading for A-Level English Language students.
- Between the World and Me — Ta-Nehisi Coates. A letter to a son: beautifully written, politically urgent, and formally inventive.
Poetry
- Poems of the Decade — Forward Arts Foundation anthology. The set text for many A-Level courses, but worth reading cover to cover, not just the set poems.
- Staying Alive — ed. Neil Astley (Bloodaxe). A brilliant, accessible anthology of contemporary poetry. One of the best introductions to modern verse.
- Individual poets worth exploring: Carol Ann Duffy, Simon Armitage, Seamus Heaney, Emily Dickinson, Ted Hughes, Philip Larkin.
This list is updated periodically. If you’d like personalised reading recommendations for your child based on their interests and exam board, get in touch.