I don’t think I ever had reading level restrictions growing up, but at home I read a lot of Jules Verne and HG Wells. Obviously all the symbolic and thematic content flew over my head, but I don’t remember ever having a problem actually reading it.

Kids will read just about anything if it piques their interest enough. I’m especially fond of the Canterbury Classics series, which compiles authors like the ones mentioned above into user-friendly and easy-to-read omnibuses. I read Verne and Wells through them and just last year I found one for Robert Louis Stevenson, who is another favourite.