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The Wind in the WillowsKenneth Grahame
The Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth Grahame
Mole leaves his spring cleaning for the riverbank and falls in with Rat, Badger and the entirely unreliable Toad, whose new motor-car ruins everything.
A story about animals, gentle and warm in tone. We would put it with children of 7–11, and at a reading age of about 10 for reading alone.
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Our take on this book
Mole, Ratty, Badger and the incorrigible Toad live an idyllic life along the riverbank, until Toad's mania for motor-cars lands him in prison and his friends must rescue both him and his ancestral home from the weasels who have moved in. Kenneth Grahame's 1908 classic is really two books in one: the riotous comic adventures of Toad, and quieter, more lyrical chapters about the deep pleasures of the river, home and friendship. The famous prose is rich and old-fashioned, which means it rewards a confident reader or, ideally, reading aloud, where its beauty and humour truly come alive. Nothing in it is frightening; the mood is warmth, comedy and a deep love of the English countryside. For a child of eight to eleven — or younger, shared aloud — it is a timeless treasure, though its language asks a little patience; met at the right moment, Toad's escapades and the riverbank's magic can become a lifelong love.
If they like this, try these
Chosen by matching age, reading age, tone and subject — not by what is selling.
The Sheep-PigDick King-Smith
The Water HorseDick King-Smith
The Wild RobotPeter Brown
Asha and the Spirit BirdJasbinder Bilan
Or let them write their own.
Nothing gets a child reading like a story they invented themselves. Your child plans the characters and the plot, and we write, illustrate and print it as a real book with their name on the cover as the author.
Find another book
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