Congratulations! You’ve enrolled your child in French. Now you can sit back and wait for your little bébé to — voilà! — magically become fluent, right? Wrong. French immersion is a great start, but it’s not the whole story. The reality is kids need to crack open a French book on a regular basis to really learn the language. Not an easy task if they don’t totally love the books. I decided to ask kids what French books they would recommend to other kids. Here’s what they said:

1. Le Roi Salami by Nick Bland

– Recommended by Hugo, age 5

"This is my favourite book because it's funny!"

This humorous book with whimsical illustrations is about a King (a pig) who doesn’t understand why his subjects (some sheep) don’t adore him. He decides he needs lots of new clothes to win their affection. Great for early readers.

2. Les Aventures De Cosmo by Patrice Racine

– Recommend by Noah, age 6

"I like that the dodo bird does nice things for his friends."

This French series is about a funny bird named Cosmos who is the last living dodo bird on earth. The stories are simple, the characters endearing, and the drawings colourful. A must read for those seeking an eco-friendly hero.

3. Journal Infime, Lou! By Julien Neel

– Recommended by Tallulah, age 7

"I like the drawings and the characters."

A French comic book series about the funny and often poignant life experiences of a quirky girl named Lou. She has dramatic crushes and disappointments. Perfect for tweens and tween wanabees.

4. Les P’tits Diables by Olivier Dutto

– Recommended by Amélie, age 10

"I think this book is great for siblings to read together. It's about a brother and sister who don't get along, but when they put their minds together, they can sneak up on anybody."

A French comic-style series about warring siblings who delight in pulling pranks. Great for budding bookworms who can relate to sibling squabbles.

5. Amulet: Le gardien de la pierre by Kazu Kibuishi

– Recommended by Mila, age 8

"I love it because there's a lot of adventure"

Two siblings move into an old house with their mother. On their first night in the strange house, a tentacled creature kidnaps their mom. As good as it gets for kids who love delving into a parallel universe.

6. Bone by Jeff Smith

– Recommended by Dev, age 9

“I thought the rats were really funny.”

A funny and weird graphic novel series about the Bone cousins who find themselves lost in the woods after being chased out of Boneville. Perfect for fans of the Harry Potter series.

7. Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo

– Recommended by Marin, age 10

“Even though it’s sad, I really liked the story.”

A novel about a determined 10-year-old and her friends trying to fix everything that is wrong in their world. This young adult fiction has some grown up themes, but it's a beautiful story that will engage tweens and beyond.

8. Souris! by Racine Telgemeier

– Recommended by Maya, age 11

"There's always a twist in the story that make it interesting and fun to read!"

In this coming-of-age book, Raina, a sixth grader, injures her two front teeth resulting in oodles of dental drama. A juicy read that sweetly captures middle school angst.