The following was written by Thomas Brown.

Child literacy is an increasingly glaring problem both in the U.S. and around the world. Two years ago, an article by NPR shed light on the issue by bluntly asserting that “millions of kids can’t read.” The article cited numerous studies and surveys indicating that kids at a number of different grade levels were far behind expected levels of reading comprehension.

This is a problem in and of itself because past a certain point illiteracy becomes increasingly difficult to correct. But it is also one factor in a broader education issue concerning our children. In stating a mission to provide education to underserved communities, Bridge International Academies notes that one in two children worldwide are not in education. In the context of their work, this is largely an issue of inadequate access to education. But illiteracy certainly factors into a lack of overall learning in the world’s youth as well, and this is one reason it’s such an important problem for us to address at home in the U.S.

Here, too, there are complex issues that factor in. There are underserved communities, unqualified teachers, un-supported teachers, outdated curriculums, and more. There is no sweeping fix. At least in some cases though, a lack of engaging reading material plays a part. Children will often take an interest in reading if they’re only shown the right books. But this of course begs the question of what the right books are.

Of course, there are no universal answers to this question (though some certainly seem close!). But for any parent or teacher who may be struggling to get kids interested in reading, I thought it couldn’t hurt to share some of the authors that helped to plant the seeds for my own love of reading and learning at a young age. You never know when the right book or series will open a given child’s world to the magic of literature, and in my experience, these are some of the authors whose work holds that power.

Roald Dahl

It feels almost like a cliché to list Roald Dahl here. There’s a good bet that he’d come out on top in any large poll of favorite children’s authors across generations. The simple fact is that Dahl had a way with children’s literature though, and produced brilliant work that has undoubtedly helped countless kids to take an interest in reading. From Matilda, to Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, to James And The Giant Peach, Dahl left us with a handful of classics that are excellent to read to young kids, and ultimately have them read for themselves. Though my personal favorites at a young age were The Witches and The BFG!

Rita Williams-Garcia

Rita Williams-Garcia is a more modern author, and still active today. But already she’s established herself as one of her generation’s most charming and impactful children’s writers. She’s a little bit trickier to classify than Dahl in that different books of hers are suitable for kids of different ages. But Jumped, Gone Crazy In Alabama, and P.S. Be Eleven are all excellent for young readers. And her award-winning 2010 hit One Crazy Summer is so well regarded as a story for young people that it made a U.S. News & World Report “summer reading list” just this past summer. In other words, few if any have written something better for kids in 11 years.

C.S. Lewis

Like Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis almost feels like a cliché. Furthermore, I realize there are heavy religious elements to his work that not everyone is comfortable with. Nevertheless, there’s little arguing that his Chronicles Of Narnia series makes for a wonderful gateway to literature. These are books that are designed to pluck young readers from their world and expose them to adventure and fantasy; they are, for many kids, the first proof of what a great book can really accomplish.

Mary Pope Osborne

For whatever reason, I feel as if Mary Pope Osborne’s name is never mentioned alongside her legendary children’s work. But Osborne is the author of the Magic Treehouse series! These are sensational stories for young readers, both as easy early reads, and — as with Lewis’s work — as examples of what a book can do. Each book in this seemingly endless series transports the two main characters (Jack and Annie) to a different historical setting. It’s a fresh adventure each time, and to a child each book seems better than the last. You’d be hard pressed to find a series that will be more effective at making a kid want to keep reading.

Lemony Snicket

I hesitated to remark on Lemony Snicket and his Series Of Unfortunate Events books. This site has previously addressed the intriguing question ‘Should There Be F-Bombs in YA Novels’, and I almost wonder similarly whether some of Snicket’s creepier and more disturbing subject matter should really be recommended for kids. That said, I do believe kids can handle these books, and I think they make for a wonderful bridge from children’s reading into young adult fiction. They’re a little longer, a little deeper, and a little more complex than anything else on this list (save one or two of the Narnia books). In my own case, Snicket’s work certainly helped with the transition toward more ambitious fiction reading. Plus, creepy though they may be, they’re incredibly fun reads!

Once again, I’ll acknowledge that literacy and learning issues can’t be solved wholly by recommending the right books. But having engaging reads to guide children to can certainly help, and these are the cream of the crop.