11 ground-breaking children's books
How many of these books did you read as a kid? Image: REUTERS/Andres Stapff
Do you remember a book from your childhood that changed the way you looked at the world, introduced you to a different culture or challenged a belief you held?
To celebrate International Children’s Book Day, we've compiled a selection of books that broke fresh ground and immersed young people in exciting new worlds.
Charlotte’s Web by E B White. A true American classic and a staple in classrooms around the world, this powerful story sees a spider, Charlotte, save a pig from butchery.
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Seuss. A childhood favourite for generations of children. Word-play and imaginative verse defines Dr Seuss’ work.
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. Arguably one of Dahl’s most emotional and evocative works, the story of the orphan James is a powerful message of hope.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. Rowling’s story of the wizarding world overcame initial challenges (it was rejected for being too long) to launch one of the most successful and influential series of all time.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. The classic fantasy, Alice’s journey into Wonderland remains as timeless as ever.
Fairytales by Hans Christian Andersen. 2 April isn't only International Children’s Book Day, it's also Andersen’s birthday. His volume of fairy tales contains some of the world’s most beloved stories.
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit. Known for its screen adaptions, this book's themes of espionage and exile played on current affairs from the time.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding. The complex themes of Golding’s first novel continue to challenge children’s thinking across the world.
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. The heart-breaking diary of Anne Frank’s life in hiding during the Nazi occupation of The Netherlands continues to bring the reality of the Holocaust to children around the world.
Grimm’s Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. This collection of German fairytales contains some of the most iconic and famous children’s stories of all time.
Have you read?
Don't miss any update on this topic
Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.
License and Republishing
World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.
Forum Stories newsletter
Bringing you weekly curated insights and analysis on the global issues that matter.