The Curious Child's Encyclopedia for Kids Ages 6-10

Children's Book

Rated 4.9/5 · Based on 700+ reviews

The Curious Child's Encyclopedia for Kids Ages 6-10

A first encyclopedia sized for independent readers.

Short entries on animals, space, the human body, Earth and weather, and history and inventions, grouped so one page leads to the next.

Full Colour Throughout
Short Standalone Entries
Grouped By Curiosity
Homework Support

$62.00 ~~was $122.00~~ SAVE 49%

Short entries a 6–10 year old can finish in one sitting
Animals, space, the body, Earth and weather, history and inventions
Related subjects grouped so one question leads to the next
Illustrated throughout, in English

In stock · Ships within 1–3 business days

Bundle & save little library, bigger savings

1 × Single book Perfect to try $62.00~~$122.00~~ 2 × Set of 2 You save 20% · One to keep, one to gift $99.20~~$244.00~~ Free shipping FREE 3 × Little library You save 30% · Three for the shelf $130.20~~$366.00~~ Free shipping FREE 4 × Full nest You save 40% · The whole shelf, one go $148.80~~$488.00~~ Free shipping FREE

Keep browsing

Save 20% on 2 eligible books, 30% on 3, or 40% on 4+. The highest eligible saving is applied automatically across eligible books in your basket; discounts do not stack.

Ships within 1–3 business days
Free gift wrap included
30-day happy returns

About this book

A first encyclopedia sized for children who are just becoming independent readers. Entries are short enough to finish in one sitting and grouped so that curiosity carries the reader forward — a page about volcanoes sits near one about earthquakes, which sits near one about how mountains form.

Subjects covered

Animals — habitats, adaptations, and the behaviour children ask about most.
Space — the solar system, stars, the Moon and space travel.
The human body — the main systems, explained simply.
Earth and weather — oceans, seasons, storms, rocks and volcanoes.
History and inventions — short entries on people and discoveries that changed daily life.

Who it suits

Ages 6–10 — younger end read together, older end independently.
Children moving from picture books to reference books.
Homework support and general curiosity at home.

Good to know

Text is in English.
Illustrated throughout.
General-interest reference for children; a companion to school work rather than a replacement for it.

Shipping & delivery

Every order ships from our nest within 1–3 business days, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. Estimated delivery after processing: 7–15 business days to the United States, or 10–25 business days to other supported destinations. These estimates are not guarantees. Shipping is free on orders over $35.00 — under that, a flat tracked rate is shown at checkout.

30-day happy returns

Not the right story? Tell us within 30 days and we'll make it right — replacement or refund, no drama, no forms.

Why buy from Wrenshelf?

We're a tiny online-only bookshop run by parents, teachers and one very opinionated librarian. Every title is read and loved before it earns a place on our shelf — and every parcel leaves the nest gift-ready.

everything inside

What you'll discover inside

Animals

Habitats, adaptations and the behaviour children ask about most.

Space

The solar system, stars, the Moon and space travel.

The human body

The main systems, explained simply.

Earth and weather

Oceans, seasons, storms, rocks and volcanoes.

History and inventions

Short entries on the people and discoveries that changed daily life.

Entries you can finish

Short enough to read in one sitting without losing the thread.

Grouped so curiosity carries on

Volcanoes sit near earthquakes, which sit near how mountains form.

Illustrated throughout

Pictures that explain rather than decorate.

why it works at this age

A first reference book that does not ask for a whole afternoon

Children who are just becoming independent readers usually want one answer, not a chapter. Every entry here is sized to be finished in a sitting, and related entries sit beside each other — which is what pulls a child from one page to the next instead of closing the book after the question is answered.

Entries short enough to finish alone
Related subjects placed side by side
Vocabulary pitched at 6–10, not simplified to nothing
Useful for homework and for the dinner-table question

made to grow with them

Who this book is perfect for

Ages 6–7

Read together

The illustrations carry most of the meaning at this end.

Ages 8–10

Read alone

Short entries suit a reader building confidence with reference books.

Homework help

A first place to look

Enough to answer the question and start the next one.

an honest comparison

Not every book does this

What it teaches	This book	Ordinary books
Entries a child can finish alone	Yes	Chapter-length
Related subjects placed together	Yes	Alphabetical only
Pictures that do the explaining	Yes	Pictures as decoration
Written for 6–10, not simplified away	Yes	Pitched at one age
Works for homework and for curiosity	Yes	Built for one or the other

straight from the shop

What we'd tell you across the counter

Entries a child can finish

The unit here is one short entry rather than a chapter, and related subjects are grouped so that one leads to the next: volcanoes near earthquakes, earthquakes near how mountains form. That arrangement is why it earned a place, because curiosity can move sideways instead of stopping.

— The Wrenshelf reading desk

For the reader leaving picture books

The six-year-old who still needs the illustrations to carry them, and the nine-year-old who now reads the entries alone. It is also the book to reach for when a homework question arrives at the kitchen table and nobody wants to open a laptop to settle it.

— The Wrenshelf reading desk

Not a curriculum or a textbook

This is general-interest reference for children, a companion to school work rather than a replacement for it. It follows no syllabus and goes no deeper than a short entry on any one subject. At the younger end of the range, a grown-up will need to read it alongside the child.

— Wrenshelf — the honest bit

got questions?

We've got answers

Is this a replacement for school books?

No. It is general-interest reference for children — a companion to school work rather than a curriculum.

Will a six-year-old manage it?

With a grown-up, yes. At that end the illustrations do most of the work; by eight or nine most children read the entries themselves.

How long is an entry?

Short — the format is built so a child can finish one and still have the appetite for the next.

What subjects does it cover?

Animals, space, the human body, Earth and weather, and a section on history and inventions.

Is it illustrated all the way through?

Yes, in full colour throughout.

How soon does it get here?

Processing takes 1–3 business days, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays, and orders placed after 2:00 pm or at a weekend start the next business day. Delivery is counted after processing: 7–15 business days within the United States and 10–25 business days for the rest of the world. These are estimates, not guarantees; customs, weather and peak periods add time.

How do I know it has shipped?

There are two emails: a confirmation when the order is placed, and a dispatch email carrying the tracking number when the parcel leaves. That number can take 3–5 days to show its first scan, so a tracking page with nothing on it yet is normal. If nothing moves for 15 business days, we replace the book or refund you.

What if it arrives damaged?

Photograph it and email contact@wrenshelf.store within 7 days with your order number, and we will send a replacement or refund you; return postage is ours when the fault is ours. More generally, returns are open for 30 days from delivery and the book must come back resalable, unmarked and unwritten-in. A change of mind means you pay the postage back to us.

I am ordering from outside the United States — will I be charged anything on delivery?

Possibly. Import duties and taxes are set by your own country and are the recipient's responsibility, so we cannot quote or collect them here. Delivery outside the United States runs 10–25 business days after processing, and customs can add to that. The shipping itself is free on this order, as it is over $35.

no small print

What happens if something goes wrong

Thirty days to change your mind

Send a book back within 30 days of delivery, resalable and unwritten-in. If the fault is ours — damaged, or the wrong title — we pay the return postage. Refunds go back to the card you paid with.

Lost or damaged in transit

Damaged on arrival: photograph it within 7 days and we replace or refund. Tracking that has not moved for 15 business days counts as lost, and we replace or refund that too. You do not have to argue with a carrier first.

We never see your card

Checkout runs on Shopify, not on our own server, so card details never reach this shop. The price at checkout is the price you pay — nothing is added afterwards.

A person answers, within a day

Every email gets a reply within one business day, from a real address you can test before you order: contact@wrenshelf.store

Written out in full: Shipping policy · Refund policy

little readers also love