Great books for mothers & daughters to read together

Reading a book together can be a lovely bonding experience for parents and children. Here are some of our best recommendations across different ages.


Recommended books to share with children ages 8-12


  • R.J. Palacio’s Wonder is a perennial favourite at Readings, and its central message of empathy makes it a fantastic book for kids and adults to read together.

  • R.M. Romero weaves together magic, folklore and history in The Dollmaker of Krakow, a timeless fantasy set during the Second World War.

  • Award-winning author Katherine Rundell delivers a gripping, edge-of-your-seat adventure with The Explorer: four children are stranded in the Amazon rainforest when their light plane crashes and must figure out how to survive.

  • Ghost Boys follows a 12-year-old black boy who is shot dead by a policeman, and lingers on as a ghost. There’s a lot to talk about after reading this book, such as racial prejudice, civil rights and the Black Lives Matter movement, and it’s definitely one to read together.

  • For a classic pick you can’t go past E.B. White’s beloved tale of ‘some pig’, Charlotte’s Web. The friendship that develops between pig Wilbur and spider Charlotte is very special – no matter your age.

  • Molly And Pim And The Millions Of Stars is a tender and wonderfully strange story of a mother accidentally turns herself into a tree, and the daughter who must find a way to turn her back.

Recommended books to share with teenage children


  • In The Nowhere Girls, author Amy Reed examines rape culture in a thoughtful and accessible manner for teen readers.

  • Between Us is a moving story of crossing boundaries from Australian author Clare Atkins. The story digs into Australia’s harsh immigration policies, making it a timely pick.

  • The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender is the story of a girl born with the wings of a bird. Author Leslye Walton has crafted a lyrical and magical intergenerational tale with wide appeal.

  • Sister Heart is a beautifully written verse novel about the Stolen Generation, and has appeal for tweens as well as teens.

  • Dare to Be Kind is the memoir of motivational speaker, author and YouTuber Lizzie Velasquez, and a wonderful argument for compassion and self-love.

  • Robin Benway’s award-winning YA novel, Far From the Tree, is a heartwarming story of what makes a family.

Recommended books to share if you’re both adults


  • Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels have been a literary sensation for a reason – they’re wildly addictive and deeply immersive. The evolving friendship of Elena and Lila is explored in intimate detail, and these books offer so much up for discussion.

  • The Argonauts is a genre-bending memoir from Maggie Nelson that explores concepts of love and family, and their expansiveness beyond the nuclear model.

  • Celeste Ng explores motherhood and adolescence in her second novel, Little Fires Everywhere. A bonus of picking this book is that Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington have teamed up to create a limited series adaptation for Hulu, so you can look forward to a viewing party down the track.

  • Melissa Lucashenko is one of Australia’s best contemporary writers. Her latest work of fiction is Mullumbimby and it’s a darkly funny novel of romantic love and cultural warfare.

  • In The Best We Could Do, Thi Bui documents her family’s daring escape after the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s and the diffiulties they faced building new lives for themselves in America. This is a stunning and evocative graphic memoir.

  • Min Jee Lee’s family epic, Pachinko, was a favourite with readers last year. It follows a Korean family of immigrants through eight decades and four generations.
Cover image for Wonder

Wonder

R. J. Palacio

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