J.K. Rowling Recommends List of Classic Books to Read

The Herald has a new report about an effort by the Royal Society of Literature to discuss curriculum in schools today, and recruited several authors to list their suggestions of top books that children should read. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling was one such author who participated, and she lists her choices which are published in the Society’s magazine. They are:

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Animal Farm by George Orwell

The Tale of Two Bad Mice by Beatrix Potter

The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Anthony Gardner, the editor of the magazine noted:

“My impression is that when you are recommending books for children there are books that have stood the test of time and are always going to be popular … but inevitably people are always going to want to make an effort to keep children in touch with what is being written at the moment. “So there will be a degree of experimentation. Catch-22 is an interesting and mature choice. I think that is probably the most challenging book on JK Rowling’s list. Her list is a good one in that it caters for all ages.”

UPDATE: If you have never read some of these books, you can find them right here in our Cauldron Shop, proceeds which help support the Floo Network. You can find these books, along with others J.K.R. has recommended over the years.