{"id":10387,"date":"2026-07-14T08:54:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T08:54:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/?post_type=lr_article&p=10387"},"modified":"2026-09-17T16:24:46","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T16:24:46","slug":"best-michael-morpurgo-books","status":"publish","type":"lr_article","link":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/articles\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Michael Morpurgo Books"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It feels criminal to whittle him down but if I had to say it, War Horse is his best (save it for 10 up), Kensuke’s Kingdom is a brilliant adventure for a 9 year old, and The Butterfly Lion is a lovely starting point for an 8 year old. The ranked list below says why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask a room of grown-ups to name a children’s author and half will say Roald Dahl, and the other half will say Michael Morpurgo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has written well over a hundred books, which is brilliant news for your child and slightly daunting news for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is my guide to the best Michael Morpurgo books, with a bit of honesty on the right age for each one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His stories mostly have a great balance of animals and big history, so if your child already loves animal books<\/a>, they’re in very safe hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re standing in a library with a child tugging your sleeve, here’s the short version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Book<\/th>Best age<\/th>In one line<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
War Horse<\/strong><\/td>10 to 11<\/td>The famous one. Told by the horse, and it does not soften the war.<\/td><\/tr>
Kensuke’s Kingdom<\/strong><\/td>9 to 11<\/td>Shipwreck survival on a Pacific island. The purest adventure.<\/td><\/tr>
The Butterfly Lion<\/strong><\/td>8 up<\/td>A boy, a white lion and a promise that takes a lifetime to keep.<\/td><\/tr>
Kaspar the Titanic Cat<\/strong><\/td>9 up<\/td>Grand hotels, a stowaway cat and the Titanic. Adventure without the war.<\/td><\/tr>
Shadow<\/strong><\/td>10 to 11<\/td>A refugee family and the dog that keeps them going.<\/td><\/tr>
Private Peaceful<\/strong><\/td>12 up<\/td>Extraordinary, and worth the wait. Save it for secondary school.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The best Michael Morpurgo books, ranked<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Five to start with. I’ve put them in order, but honestly, the gaps between them are tiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. War Horse<\/h3>\n\n\n
\"\"<\/div>

War Horse<\/p>

Michael Morpurgo<\/span><\/span>Age 11<\/span><\/span>Friendship<\/span><\/div><\/div>›<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n\n

Joey is a farm horse sold to the cavalry at the start of the First World War. He sees the fighting from both sides of the trenches, survives artillery and lost riders, and never stops looking for the boy he left behind on the farm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story is told by Joey himself, which sounds odd right up until you’re ten pages in and completely convinced. This is the famous one, and for the right reason. And I defy anyone to reach the last chapter dry-eyed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best for 10 and 11 year olds, and fair warning, it doesn’t soften the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Kensuke’s Kingdom<\/h3>\n\n\n
\"\"<\/div>

Kensuke’s Kingdom<\/p>

Michael Morpurgo<\/span><\/span>Age 11<\/span><\/span>Adventure<\/span><\/div><\/div>›<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n\n

Michael disappears from his family’s boat the night before his twelfth birthday and washes up on a Pacific island. With no food or water, he curls up to die. When he wakes, someone has left him a plate of fish and fruit. He is not alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kensuke’s Kingdom is the Morpurgo that reads most like a pure adventure story, which is why it’s stood the test of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also made our long car journey list<\/a>, where it can keep a back seat quiet for hours. Ages 9 to 11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. The Butterfly Lion<\/h3>\n\n\n
\"\"<\/div>

The Butterfly Lion<\/p>

Michael Morpurgo<\/span><\/span>Age 9<\/span><\/span>Animals<\/span><\/div><\/div>›<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n\n

Bertie rescues an orphaned white lion cub on the African veld, and the two are inseparable until Bertie is sent to boarding school in England and the lion is sold to a circus. He swears they’ll find each other again. The promise takes a lifetime to keep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Butterfly Lion is short enough to read in a weekend but is powerful enough to stay with you for years. We put it on our family read-aloud list<\/a> too. Lovely for 8 up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Kaspar the Titanic Cat<\/h3>\n\n\n
\"\"<\/div>

Kaspar the Titanic Cat<\/p>

Michael Morpurgo<\/span><\/span>Age 9<\/span><\/span>Animals<\/span><\/div><\/div>›<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n\n

Johnny Trott is a bellboy at the Savoy Hotel when a countess checks in with a cat called Kaspar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When tragedy strikes the countess, Kaspar becomes Johnny’s cat, and the pair end up crossing the Atlantic with a spirited young heiress on a magnificent new ship. The ship is called the Titanic. You can guess where this is heading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grand hotels, stowaways and a shipwreck. The one for 9 year olds who want the adventure without the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Shadow<\/h3>\n\n\n
\"\"<\/div>

Shadow<\/p>

Michael Morpurgo<\/span><\/span>Age 11<\/span><\/span>War<\/span><\/div><\/div>›<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n\n

Aman and his mother are sheltering in a cave in Afghanistan when a thin, war-ravaged springer spaniel appears at the entrance. Aman nurses her back to health and names her Shadow. When the family flee towards England, she is the reason they keep going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A refugee story with a dog at the heart of it, and it opens more conversations than most books manage. For thoughtful 10 and 11 year olds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If War Horse is the one they love<\/h2>\n\n\n
\"\"<\/div>

Farm Boy<\/p>

Michael Morpurgo<\/span><\/span>Age 11<\/span><\/span>Adventure<\/span><\/div><\/div>›<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n\n

Farm Boy is the follow-on nobody tells you about. On a farm in Devon, fifty years after the war, Grandpa tells his grandson what happened to Joey when the fighting ended, along with a secret he’s kept his whole life. It’s short, illustrated by Michael Foreman, and best read after War Horse rather than before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best Michael Morpurgo books for younger readers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Morpurgo for the 6 to 8 crowd works a bit differently. Shorter books, more pictures, smaller heartbreaks.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"<\/div>

This Morning I Met a Whale<\/p>

Michael Morpurgo<\/span><\/span>Age 9<\/span><\/span>Fantasy<\/span><\/div><\/div>›<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n\n

In This Morning I Met a Whale, young Michael spots a whale in the Thames at sunrise, and it has a message about the state of the world. The trouble is getting anyone to believe him. A modern fable with pictures worth lingering over, for 7 up.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"<\/div>

The Nine Lives of Montezuma<\/p>

Michael Morpurgo<\/span><\/span>Age 6<\/span><\/span>Animals<\/span><\/div><\/div>›<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n
\"\"<\/div>

Jemima the Pig and the 127 Acorns<\/p>

Michael Morpurgo<\/span><\/span>Age 6<\/span><\/span>Adventure<\/span><\/div><\/div>›<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n\n

Also on the younger shelf, The Nine Lives of Montezuma<\/a> follows one mischievous farmyard cat from kitten to grand old age, one adventurous life at a time. And Jemima the Pig and the 127 Acorns<\/a> sends a city boy to stay on a farm for a week, wellies and all. Both are cosy reads for a 6 year old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What about Private Peaceful?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Morpurgo everyone asks about. It’s extraordinary, and it’s not for this age range. The story of two brothers in the trenches builds to an ending that belongs in secondary school, so I’ve kept that for the 12 plus. Your future teenager will thank you for the timing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rest of the shelf (by age)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If his five best aren’t enough, we do also have eight more of his books! You might recognise a few, so here’s where we’d put each one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For 9 year olds<\/h3>\n\n\n
\"\"<\/div>

Little Foxes<\/p>

Michael Morpurgo<\/span><\/span>Age 9<\/span><\/span>Real Life<\/span><\/div><\/div>›<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n\n

Ten year old Billy is having a rough time. He’s getting bullied at school and home isn’t much better because he’s being nagged at by his Aunty (in her tenth floor flat).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only place he feels okay is the wild patch by the canal, where he watches over a family of fox cubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A heads up for younger readers that the bullying is real and not every fox survives. So probably worth knowing before you hand it over to a younger 9 year old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For 10 year olds<\/h3>\n\n\n
\"\"<\/div>

Escape from Shangri-La<\/p>

Michael Morpurgo<\/span><\/span>Age 10<\/span><\/span>War<\/span><\/div><\/div>›<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n\n

Cessie’s long-lost grandfather ends up in the place he fears most (a nursing home called Shangri-La) after being turned away by his own son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Cessie is the one person who loves him, she decides to help him escape and piece his past back together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A bonus for this one is that it’s also one of the free books on a free account.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"<\/div>

The Kites Are Flying!<\/p>

Michael Morpurgo<\/span><\/span>Age 10<\/span><\/span>War<\/span><\/div><\/div>›<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n\n

Max is a journalist and travels to the West Bank. He wants to see life beside the dividing wall for himself and ends up finding something great. A friend. A Palestinian boy called Said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set against the backdrop of conflict and war, it’s worth knowing that a 10 year old could find some parts upsetting but it’s definitely worth exploring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For 11 year olds<\/h3>\n\n\n
\"\"<\/div>

Muck and Magic<\/p>

Michael Morpurgo<\/span><\/span>Age 9<\/span><\/span>Friendship<\/span><\/div><\/div>›<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n\n

Bonny has big dreams. Olympic-sized dreams. She wants to be (and has always wanted to be) a top cyclist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until she takes a job on a farm from a sculptor called Lizzie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Big things start to happen for Bonny, including getting to pose as the rider of a life-sized horse sculpture.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"<\/div>

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight<\/p>

Michael Morpurgo<\/span><\/span>Age 11<\/span><\/span>Fantasy<\/span><\/div><\/div>›<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n\n

It’s New Year’s Eve at King Arthur’s magnificent feast. All is well until a giant knight (green from head to toe) bursts in with a shocking challenge. Only Gawain takes him on. But the real test is whether Gawain is as brave and honest as he’d like to believe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Great one for those who love a medieval sword fight with a bit of shape-shifting thrown in.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"<\/div>

The Ghost of Grania O’Malley<\/p>

Michael Morpurgo<\/span><\/span>Age 11<\/span><\/span>Scary<\/span><\/div><\/div>›<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n\n

The Big Hill is full of gold. And everyone on the island wants to cut the top off it. Everyone apart from Jessie and Jake. They want to save it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately their best hope might be the ghost of a pirate queen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is technically a ghost story (so it sits on our scary shelf) but it’s not sleeping with the lights on kind of scary.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"<\/div>

The War of Jenkins’ Ear<\/p>

Michael Morpurgo<\/span><\/span>Age 11<\/span><\/span>Adventure<\/span><\/div><\/div>›<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n\n

As far as Toby is concerned. Boarding school sucks. That is until he meets Christopher. Who, it turns out, believes he is the second coming of Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All starts to go a bit pear shaped when Toby is caught in the middle of a war between the village boys and the schoolboys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A heads up if it’s not your thing but the religious thread is a big part of the story.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"<\/div>

War Stories<\/p>

Michael Morpurgo<\/span><\/span>Age 11<\/span><\/span>War<\/span><\/div><\/div>›<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n\n

As I’m sure you already know (otherwise you probably wouldn’t be here), war is a big theme throughout Morpurgo’s work. And War Stories is a special collection Morpurgo commissioned for the 60th anniversary of VE Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are stories by Michelle Magorian, Robert Westall, Eva Ibbotson and others. You can expect to find everything from the modern conflicts in the Middle East to the Crusades and how it impacts the people left behind once the wars end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What age group are Michael Morpurgo books aimed at?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most of his best-loved books sit happily with 8 to 11 year olds, and that’s where the five above all land. The gentler, shorter ones like This Morning I Met a Whale work from about 6, and Private Peaceful is one to save for 12 plus. The table at the top gives you a book-by-book steer, and every age on it is honest rather than hopeful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Michael Morpurgo’s most successful book?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

War Horse, and it isn’t close. The stage play and the film carried Joey’s story around the world, and it’s still the book most children meet him through. Whether it’s his best is a livelier argument, and in our house Kensuke’s Kingdom takes some beating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the saddest Michael Morpurgo book?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Private Peaceful, which is part of why I’d hold it back until 12 or so. Within this age range, War Horse and The Butterfly Lion are the ones that leave a lump in the throat. That’s not a warning so much as the point: he’s the author who shows children that a sad ending can be worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A whole shelf of him<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our Michael Morpurgo author page<\/a> has the full shelf we hold, from the war stories to the farmyard ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Little Reads is a hand-picked library of 3,000+ books for children aged 5 to 11. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A free account gives you 100+ free books, and full access is \u00a37.99 a month after a 7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And just to say we’re a library, not a classroom, so if your child is still finding their feet with reading, a phonics app is the better first stop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if yours is the kind who finishes War Horse, sits in silence for a minute and then asks what’s next, this is exactly who we built it for.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The best Michael Morpurgo books, ranked, and where to start. War Horse, Kensuke’s Kingdom and more, with an honest word on the right age for every single one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"lr_cta_badge":"","lr_cta_headline":"For the child who finished War Horse and went quiet for a minute","lr_cta_subline":"A library of 3,000+ books - hand-picked by a former English teacher, delivered through a calm, ad-free app. If your child already loves reading, we keep up.","lr_byline":"","lr_byline_url":""},"book_tag":[1045,1049],"age_group":[29,28,31,19,26,24],"book_author":[721],"class_list":["post-10387","lr_article","type-lr_article","status-publish","hentry","book_tag-adventure-books","book_tag-war-books","age_group-books-for-10-year-olds","age_group-books-for-11-year-olds","age_group-books-for-6-year-olds","age_group-books-for-7-year-olds","age_group-books-for-8-year-olds","age_group-books-for-9-year-olds","book_author-michael-morpurgo"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMichael Morpurgo Books: The Best by Age | Little Reads<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Michael Morpurgo books by age, from 6 up. The five best ranked, plus the rest of his shelf we hold.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/articles\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Michael Morpurgo Books: The Best by Age | Little Reads\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Michael Morpurgo books by age, from 6 up. The five best ranked, plus the rest of his shelf we hold.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/articles\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Little Reads\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-17T16:24:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/play-feature-graphic-1024x500-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/articles\\\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/articles\\\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"James Rix\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/64a0b6a3324e0080296109ed83b68384\"},\"headline\":\"Best Michael Morpurgo Books\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-14T08:54:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-17T16:24:46+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/articles\\\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1965,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/#organization\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/articles\\\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/articles\\\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\\\/\",\"name\":\"Michael Morpurgo Books: The Best by Age | Little Reads\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-14T08:54:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-17T16:24:46+00:00\",\"description\":\"Michael Morpurgo books by age, from 6 up. The five best ranked, plus the rest of his shelf we hold.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/articles\\\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/articles\\\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/articles\\\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Articles\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/articles\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Best Michael Morpurgo Books\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/\",\"name\":\"Little Reads\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Little Reads\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/logo-horizontal-dark.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/logo-horizontal-dark.svg\",\"width\":366,\"height\":70,\"caption\":\"Little Reads\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/64a0b6a3324e0080296109ed83b68384\",\"name\":\"James Rix\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50bbae5d00b7a7797f98852b6565ce9e8fe85035e6f73259c7ba1c373e0bde05?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50bbae5d00b7a7797f98852b6565ce9e8fe85035e6f73259c7ba1c373e0bde05?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50bbae5d00b7a7797f98852b6565ce9e8fe85035e6f73259c7ba1c373e0bde05?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"James Rix\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/readingmate.co.uk\\\/littlereads\\\/author\\\/rix1004\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Michael Morpurgo Books: The Best by Age | Little Reads","description":"Michael Morpurgo books by age, from 6 up. The five best ranked, plus the rest of his shelf we hold.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/articles\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Michael Morpurgo Books: The Best by Age | Little Reads","og_description":"Michael Morpurgo books by age, from 6 up. The five best ranked, plus the rest of his shelf we hold.","og_url":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/articles\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\/","og_site_name":"Little Reads","article_modified_time":"2026-09-17T16:24:46+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":500,"url":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/play-feature-graphic-1024x500-1.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/articles\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/articles\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\/"},"author":{"name":"James Rix","@id":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/#\/schema\/person\/64a0b6a3324e0080296109ed83b68384"},"headline":"Best Michael Morpurgo Books","datePublished":"2026-07-14T08:54:46+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-17T16:24:46+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/articles\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\/"},"wordCount":1965,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/#organization"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/articles\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\/","url":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/articles\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\/","name":"Michael Morpurgo Books: The Best by Age | Little Reads","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-07-14T08:54:46+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-17T16:24:46+00:00","description":"Michael Morpurgo books by age, from 6 up. The five best ranked, plus the rest of his shelf we hold.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/articles\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/articles\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/articles\/best-michael-morpurgo-books\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Articles","item":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/articles\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Best Michael Morpurgo Books"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/#website","url":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/","name":"Little Reads","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/#organization","name":"Little Reads","url":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/logo-horizontal-dark.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/logo-horizontal-dark.svg","width":366,"height":70,"caption":"Little Reads"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/#\/schema\/person\/64a0b6a3324e0080296109ed83b68384","name":"James Rix","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50bbae5d00b7a7797f98852b6565ce9e8fe85035e6f73259c7ba1c373e0bde05?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50bbae5d00b7a7797f98852b6565ce9e8fe85035e6f73259c7ba1c373e0bde05?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50bbae5d00b7a7797f98852b6565ce9e8fe85035e6f73259c7ba1c373e0bde05?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"James Rix"},"url":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/author\/rix1004\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lr_article\/10387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lr_article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/lr_article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"book_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/book_tag?post=10387"},{"taxonomy":"age_group","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/age_group?post=10387"},{"taxonomy":"book_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingmate.co.uk\/littlereads\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/book_author?post=10387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}