A message from Julia Eccleshare:

'Each of the carefully selected titles has earned its place on each publisher’s list because it has inspired previous generations to become passionate readers. The stories have already been passed down from one generation to another and been the starting point for many other stories. All these classics selected by Lovereading4kids are the perfect way of reading the old and the new - and loving both.  More titles will be added over time so you can come back again and again and indulge yourself and your children in whichever format suits you best at the time.’

The Templar Illustrated Hardback Classics:

Templar has always been pre-eminent in the production of absolutely top quality books and this range of Classics, each one complete with stunning illustrations by the award-winning illustrator Robert Ingpen, is absolutely no exception.  Each one is a gift to treasure.

The Walker Books Illustrated Paperback Classics:

A new series for 2009, which brings together some of the best-loved stories ever told, illustrated by some of today's finest artists. These exquisitely designed books, with their magnificent words and glorious pictures throughout, are a pleasure to read - and re-read.  The classics have never looked so good.

Oxford Children’s Classics:

If you love a good story, then look no further.  Oxford Children’s Classics bring together the most unforgettable stories ever told.  They’re books to treasure and return to again and again.  With beautifully illustrated covers and tactile small hardback format, these books make the perfect gift and build into a gorgeous classics library the whole family can enjoy.  These unabridged editions are durable and competitively priced, ensuring that they will continue to bring pleasure to all who read them for many years to come.

Puffin Children’s Classics:

Enjoy some of the best books from the past and find out why and how they inspired some of the best writers of the present.  Attractively produced with striking jackets designed by some of today’s best illustrators each book has an introduction by a living author. Find out – in true Georgia Nicholson manner - why Louise Rennison’s hilarious teen stories were inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women; learn that Eoin Colfer developed his own style of adventure story as a passionate fan of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island; delve into Sophie Dahl’s reasons for loving Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden. All of the introductions are full of information both about the original book and the author who has selected it. 

Finally, if you're looking to read some Classics but don't want to read the whole thing then why not take a look at the Real Reads - they're perfect for younger readers aged 8+, but they are also an excellent ‘quick fix’ for teenagers and adults.

In addition, there are the Classics Illustrated, where you'll find many a classic recreated in spectacular 'comic style'. These were released in the middle of 2009.