Welcome to our Reading List of 125 Children's Favorites! The list is broken down into age appropriate categories - simply click on the desired range to view that portion of the list.
PRESCHOOL THROUGH GRADE 1
THE STUPIDS STEP OUT
Allard, Harry
Mr. & Mrs. Stupid and their children take their dog, Kitty,
and spend a day doing funny, ridiculous things much to the delight
of the
reader.
ANIMALS SHOULD DEFINITELY NOT WEAR CLOTHING
Barrett, Judith
Colorful pictures show animals wearing clothing in situations that bring
chuckles from the children.
LITTLE RABITT'S LOOSE TOOTH
Bate, Lucy
Is there really a tooth fairy? If so, will she come? What else can you
do with the tooth besides putting it under your pillow? All these are
the questions Little Rabbit (and children) ask.
RUNAWAY BUNNY
Brown, Margaret
A little bunny who wants to run away tells his mother, but she is
always right behind him.
MIKE MULLIGAN AND HIS STEAM SHOVEL
Burton, Virginia
Mike and his shovel, Mary Anne, succeed against modern equipment only
to find they can't get out of the cellar of the new town hall. There is
a surprising ending.
HARRY AND THE TERRIBLE WHATZIT
Gackenbach, Dick
Despite his fear of the terrible Whatzit, Harry goes down the cellar to
rescue his mother and conquers his fear. Little ones relate to the story.
LITTLE TOOT
Gramatky, Hardie
A saucy little tug boat does no work until his finds himself out in the
ocean in a storm where he performs a rescue.
BREAD AND JAM FOR FRANCES
Hoban, Russell
A little badger will eat only bread and jam. Her wise parents go along
with this until Frances discovers for herself the pleasure of variety.
SNOWY DAY
Keats, Ezra Jack
Peter has a happy day playing in the snow. He packed a snowball and put
it in his pocket for another day.
GREAT APE
Krahn, Fernando
Without any words we are able to follow the story of a movie company filming
in the jungle. A little girl meets and wins the heart of a gigantic ape.
A fun book for reader and nonreader.
THE RED BALLOON
Lamorisse, Albert
When a balloon follows a little French boy, he is not allowed to bring
it in the house. The balloon becomes the child's playmate and the two
stay together even when surrounded by older boys.
ALEXANDER AND THE WIND UP MOUSE
Lionni, Leo
The little mouse, Alexander, envies a toy mouse that is played with by
a child in the house. When the toy is discarded Alexander helps it and
realizes his lot is not so bad.
SPECIAL TRICK
Mayer, Mercer
A curious little boy takes over the work of a magician and produces amazing
results. The illustrations delight children.
LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD
Piper, Watty
The little blue engine was the only one willing to help the red engine.
In spite of a difficult task, determination brought success. An oldtime
favorite.
TALE OF PETER RABBIT
Potter, Beatrix
In the Rabbit family, only Peter disobeys his Mother. This results in
an adventure in Mr. McGregor's garden.
NOTHING EVER HAPPENS ON MY BLOCK
Raskin, Ellen
A book with words only on the first and last pages shows a little boy
sitting on the curb of a city street while all kinds of things happen
behind him. Children love finding the action in the pictures.
MR. & MRS. PIG'S EVENING OUT
Rayner, Mary
The babysitter (a wolf) seems to have ulterior motives, but the young
pigs outwit her.
CURIOUS GEORGE RIDES A BIKE
Rey, H.A.
A mischievous little monkey helps the paper boy. He manages to build a
fleet of paper boats, wind up in a traveling circus, get an ostrich in
trouble, and finally rescue a bear.
SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE
Steig, William
In a moment of fright Sylvester asks his magic pebble to turn him into
a rock, but then is unable to hold the pebble to become himself again.
Months later his sad parents unexpectedly perform the trick.
ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY
Viorst, Judith
From the time he wakes up with gum in his hair until he gets into bed
at night, Alexander has one bad experience after another. Everyone can
empathize with him.
LOVABLE LYLE
Waber, Bernard
Loved by all, Lyle the crocodile is unhappy with the arrival of an anonymous
hate letter. The letters continue until Lyle rescues a little girl. All
ends well.
MORRIS'S DISAPPEARING BAG
Wells, Rosemay
Unhappy with his Christmas gift, Morris is able to conjure up a way to
disappear much to the envy of his brother and sister.
BEAR AND THE FLY
Winter, Paula
A wordless book in which a bear tries to catch a fly. What happens is
very funny albeit disastrous.
A GHOST NAMED FRED
Benchley, Nathaniel
In an empty house, Fred the absent minded but friendly ghost meets George,
a young adventurous boy. Together they search for and find a treasure.
(An I Can Read Mystery).
LITTLE WITCH
Bennett, Anne
A little witch capable of doing tricks, wanted most of all to be an ordinary
child. One day she goes to school. A fun book.
CASE OF THE ELEVATOR DUCK
Berends, Polly
When Gilbert finds a duck in the elevator of his apartment building, he
tries to find the owner because pets are not allowed. The duck has other
ideas.
BERENSTAIN BEARS GO TO SCHOOL
Berenstain, Stan
A family of bears continue their adventures, this time causing constant
mishaps in school. As usual all ends well, and the reader goes back to
the beginning to read the story all over again. (An I Can Read).
FREDDY THE DETECTIVE
Brooks, Walter
Freddy, a pig, decides to be a detective after reading about Sherlock
Holmes. He then solves several mysteries.
CATCH THAT PASS
Christopher, Matt
Everytime the opposing team came at him, Jim, a linebacker, froze. This
is the story of how he overcame his fear. This author is very popular
with boys.
RAMONA AND HER FATHER
Cleary, Beverly
Outgoing, impish, impulsive Ramona who is now in second grade tries to
help her father cope when he loses his job.
DORRIE AND THE BLUE WITCH
Coombs, Patricia
A clumsy little witch manages to save her mother by shrinking the nasty
Blue Witch and putting her in a bottle.
THE BEST JOKE BOOK FOR KIDS
Eckstein, Joan
Joke books have an appeal for all ages and reading abilities, and are
read over and over in spite of the age of the jokes.
THE MOFFATS
Estes, Eleanor
Nine year old Janey tells the adventures of her poor fatherless family
of four children.
ELMER AND THE DRAGON
Gannett, Ruth
Elmer befriends an old cat and hears about a captive baby dragon on Wild
Island. Nothing will do but for Elmer to rescue the dragon.
MOUSE HOUSE
Godden, Rumer
Tiny Brown Mouse lived in a cracked flower pot in the cellar. One night
she crept upstairs and found a miniature house Mary had received for Easter.
B IS FOR BETSY
Haywood, Carolyn
Betsy is frightened about the first day in school, but having her koala
bear in her school bag is a comfort.
DANNY AND THE DINOSAUR
Hoff, Syd
When a dinosaur leaves the museum, he meets Danny and his friends. They
enjoy playing games, going to the zoo, a baseball game, and ice cream.
(An I Can Read).
BUSYBODY NORA
Hurwitz, Johanna
Living in an apartment house with 200 families provides a tremendous amount
of information for a nosy six year old girl.
STRAWBERRY GIRL
Lenski, Lois
An author with a talent for writing outstanding regional stories writes
about Birdie, a little Cracker girl in Florida who helps her family raise
berries and cope with shiftless neighbors.
THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER
Littledale, Freya
Because a poor shoemaker has befriended elves in his shop, they surprise
him with a happy reward.
SEVEN AT ONE BLOW
Littledale, Freya
Fairy Tale. A cocky little tailor, disgusted with hard work and poor returns,
becomes successful by outwitting giants.
BOY WHO CRIED WOLF
Littledale, Freya
Fable. If an alarm is sounded when not needed, after a time no response
will be made when a true crisis occurs.
FROG AND TOAD ARE FRIENDS
Lobel, Arnold
Five amusing very short stories about two animal friends in familiar situations.
( An I Can Read).
FROG AND TOAD TOGETHER
Lobel, Arnold
The two friends continue their adventures. Young readers find it very
easy to relate to the two characters.
MOUSE TALES
Lobel, Arnold
Papa Mouse tells seven bedtime stories; one for each of his sons. The
tales deal with friends, wishing, cloud shapes, and everyday happenings.
(An I Can Read).
BETSY TACY
Lovelace, Maud
Betsy and Tacy (short for Anastacia) are two five year old friends who
live in Minnesota in the early 1900's. Little girls are fond of this series.
HELLO MRS. PIGGLE WIGGLE
MacDonald, Betty
All children are loved by Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle who always knows games for
them to play and has wonderful cookies. Best of all her amazing "cures"
heal tattling, dawdling, bullying, and similar ailments.
LITTLE BEAR
Minarick, Else
Mother helps Little Bear as he goes through the day's activities in anticipation
of his birthday.
AMELIA BEDELIA
Parish, Peggy
Amerlia is a maid who interprets directions literally which results in
funny happenings such as dressing a chicken.
GOOD WORK, AMELIA BEDELIA
Parish, Peggy
Once again Amelia Bedelia finds herself in a predicament because of wrong
interpretations. Young readers find this series very funny.
CHICKEN SOUP WITH RICE
Sendak, Maurice
Only children can appreciate the special delight of eating chicken soup
throughout the year.
NATE THE GREAT
Sharmat, Marjorie
A Funny story of Nate, a detective, who searches for the painting of a
dog by Annie, the girl down the street. Of course he is successful.
THE 10TH GOOD THING ABOUT BARNEY
Viorst, Judith
A little boy saddened by the death of his cat, thinks about nine good
things to say at Barney's funeral. He later discovers a tenth. A sensitive
handling of a difficult situation.
MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS
Atwater, Richard
Mr. Popper who was interested in Polar explorations, received a penguin
which he named Captain Cook. Because Captain Cook seemed lonely, Mr. Popper
got him a friend named Greta. Then the fun begins.
WIZARD OF OZ
Baum, L. Frank
The Adventures of Dorothy who in her dreams escapes from Kansas to visit
Emerald City and meet the Wizard, the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, and
the Cowardly Lion.
BOB FULT'S AMAZING SODA POP STRETCHER
Beatty, Jerome
Bob especially liked to do experiments, and many times did not know what
the result would be. This time he produced a bottle that became large
enough for him to fit in. Thus began some funny adventures.
TALES OF A FOURTH GRADE NOTHING
Blume, Judy
Poor nine year old Peter has a pesty brother named Fudge who constantly
creates trouble. Most upsetting of all is the two year old's involvement
with Peter's pet.
A BEAR CALLED PADDINGTON
Bond, Michael
A sign around his neck saying, "Please look after this bear"
persuades the Browns to take him home where he enchants the children.
THE ENORMOUS EGG
Butterworth, Oliver
A boy in New Hampshire carefully tends a large egg and is amazed to find
a dinosaur emerge.
HENRY HUGGINS
Cleary, Beverly
A small boy finds a stray dog that he takes home in a shopping bag. That
is the start of funny, sometimes ludicrous situations that delight children.
MITCH AND AMY
Cleary, Beverly
Mitch and Amy are twins but have different abilities. Amy teases Mitch
about his reading problems, but does help him in his confrontation with
a bully.
THE MOUSE AND THE MOTORCYCLE
Cleary, Beverly
Ralph, the mouse, makes friends with a boy and discovers the joys of cycling.
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Dahl, Roald
When Charlie tours the Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory with the other
winners, the competition has so many bad traits that Charlie and his family
are asked to help run the factory which they finally inherit.
THE GREAT BRAIN
Fitzgerald, John
Tom earned the nickname, Great Brain, because he could always make a profit
for himself. These are his schemes and adventures in Utah in the early
1900's.
HARRIET THE SPY
Fitzhugh, Louise
A bright sixth grader spies on children and adults and takes notes. When
the notebook is found, Harriet is an outcast until she learns to change
her ways.
HOW TO BE A GREAT BASKETBALL PLAYER
Gault, Clare
Tips on equipment, methods of handling the ball, dribbling, and basket
shooting are explained and illustrated.
THE CASE OF THE CONDEMNED CAT
Hildick, E. W.
Jack and his friends are ten year old detectives who save the life of
a cat by solving a mystery.
THE THING AT THE FOOT OF THE BED
Leach, Maria
For the child who wants a scary book (and there are some) this collection
of short, easy to read stories and illustrations will fill the need. Fun
to read around Halloween.
PIPPI LONGSTOCKING
Lindgren Astrid
A tomboy lives in a house with her horse and a monkey. Pippi has remarkable
strength and can perform unusual feats. A fantasy set in Sweden. It is
very popular.
FOOTBALL TALK
Liss, Howard
A dictionary of football terms with an explanation of plays and functions
of the players.
SNOW TREASURE
McSwigan, Marie
A group of Norwegian children get blocks of gold out of Norway during
the early days of the Nazi occupation.
WINNIE THE POOH
Milne, A. A.
A teddy bear is a companion to Christopher Robin. Funny, happy events
also involve Piglet, Kanga, and Roo. Good for reading aloud.
THE BORROWERS
Norton, Mary
A tiny, tiny family lives under the kitchen floor of an English family
and borrows from the residents. They are discovered by a boy who keeps
their secret.
MYSTERY OF CHIMNEY ROCK
(Choose Your Own Adventure Series)
Packard, Edward
Another in the series where the reader decides which action to take. Some
friends explore and old house without telling anyone where they are going.
What happens depends on which page the student selects.
SUGARCANE ISLAND
Packard, Edward
The author begins the story, but at the bottom of the page the reader
must decide which of two actions to take. He then turns to the page directed
and continues sometimes with strange results. Very, very popular.
SOUP
(Peck, Robert)
Soup, so nicknamed because he would only answer to his mother's call "Soup's
On", shares good times in the 1920's in Vermont. He and friend Rob
steal behind the barn and smoke cornsilk, roll down a hill in a barrel,
and usually get caught.
HOW TO EAT FRIED WORMS
Rockwell, Thomas
Billy bets that he can eat fifteen worms in as many days for $15. How
his friend tries to deter him, and how Billy finally succeeds, is why
the book is a favorite.
THE TRUTH ABOUT MARY ROSE
Sachs, Marylyn
Young Mary Rose is named for an aunt killed in a fire at age eleven. Mary
Rose interviews relatives to find out if her aunt was really a heroine
as Grandma claimed.
MY ROBOT BUDDY
Slote, Alfred
An easy to read whimsical bit of science fiction popular with Star Wars
fans. A book interesting to read for both boys and girls.
ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN, BOY DETECTIVE
Sobol, Donald
No mystery is too difficult for this young sleuth. He involves the reader
in the solutions, and if you are really stumped, the answers are at the
end of the book.
CIDER DAYS
Stolz, Mary
Polly is very upset when her best friend moves away. The new neighbor,
Consuela, is from a Mexican family and making friends gets off to a very
slow start. Each girl's adjustment finds a sympathetic response in young
girls.
ALL OF A KIND FAMILY
Taylor, Sydney
Five little Jewish girls grow up in New York's lower East Side before
World War I. Holidays, customs and traditions are beautifully described.
ALL OF A KIND FAMILY UPTOWN
Taylor, Sydney
Happy, anxious, exciting times are experienced by the family after they
move to larger, more comfortable quarters in New York City during World
War I.
MARY POPPINS
Travers, P. L.
A nursemaid with unusual powers enchants Jane and Michael and there is
one mad adventure after another. Children are delighted with the story
in spite of its being quite British.
CHARLOTTE'S WEB
White, E. B.
Wilbur, a pig, has a close friendship with Charlotte, a spider. She is
exceptionally clever and saves his life. A beautiful story.
LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS
(& all the others in series)
Wilder, Laura
Laura, her sister and parents live in a log cabin far from neighbors.
These are the joys and hardships of frontier and pioneer life in Wisconsin
based on the author's life. Excellent.
DANNY DUNN AND THE HOMEWORK MACHINE
Williams, Jay
Left in charge of an automatic computer, Danny works out a way for it
to do his homework. Complications and sabotage wreck havoc, but Danny
comes through.
THE VELVETEEN RABBIT
Williams, Margery
The toy rabbit asks his friend, Skin Horse, what is real. He is told that
it happens when a child loves the toy for a long time and it has become
shabby. Beautifully written classic.
ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME MARGARET
Blume, Judy
Growing up for a twelve year old girl has its problems. Each night Margaret
prays for help with her own private questions. A favorite with young girls.
DEENIE
Blume, Judy
It comes as a shock when Deenie is told she has curvature of the spine
and must wear a back brace for two years. This is a story of adjustment,
acceptance, friendship, and boy-girl relationships.
CADDIE WOODLAWN
Brink, Carol
Frontier life in Wisconsin in 1864 was not easy for Caddie and her two
brothers, but there were happy moments also. Excellent historical background
and human relationships make this a long time favorite.
SUMMER OF THE SWANS
Byars, Betsy
A very sensitive story about a teen age girl and a mentally retarded brother
touches the heart of the reader. A crisis raises the interest level.
FIFTEEN
Cleary, Beverly
Jane Purdy is a fifteen year old high school sophomore whose only dates
have been with shorter, unromantic George. She finally meets a tall, good-looking
sixteen year old boy, but she also matures in her thinking.
PINOCCHIO
Collodi, Carlo
This Italian classic which was written in the nineteenth century tells
the adventures of a wooden marionette. Good for reading aloud.
FELICIA THE CRITIC
Conford, Ellen
A fourth grader constantly annoys others with her criticism. When she
tries to be constructive she makes matters worse. After a difficult time
she finally learns to compromise.
THE CAT ATE MY GYMSUIT
Danziger, Paula
Because she is fat and insecure, a young girl makes up excuses for not
taking gym. Her English teacher helps her gain self confidence, and the
tables are turned when student helps teacher.
ROBINSON CRUSOE
Defoe, Daniel
The story is based on the true adventures of Alex Selkirk who was on a
desert island in 1704. Crusoe writes how he copes with hardships, finally
meets Friday, and is able to survive. Good for reading aloud to older
students.
BLACK STALLION
Farley, Walter
Young Alex is shipwrecked on a desert island with a horse who plays an
important part in his life. After their rescue, their adventures continue
in America. A favorite of horse lovers.
ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD
Green, Roger
Brave Robin Hood hid out in Sherwood Forest with his band of men "robbing
the rich and giving to the poor". He was a great sportsman, archer,
humorist, and protector of women. Action packed.
THE GIRL CALLED AL
Green, Constance
Everyday happenings, usual and unusual events are shared by a seventh
grade girl and her fat friend, Al. They all help the superintendent of
the apartment house and gain insight into human relationships.
MISTY OF CHINCOTEAGUE
Henry, Marguerite
Two children have adventures with a wild pony on the islands of Assoteague
and Chincoteague off the shores of Virginia. The author is very knowledgeable
on the subject.
JENNIFER, HECATE, AND ME ELIZABETH
Konigsburg, E. L.
Jennifer, an apprentice witch to her imaginative classmate, Elizabeth,
learns "to cast spells, eat raw eggs, and do magic." They meet
at the library, then go to the park to read their books.
A WRINKLE IN TIME
L'Engle, Madeleine
This is an adventure in space and time with Meg, her younger brother,
Charles Wallace, and a friend, Calvin. The three search for Meg's father
who has disappeared while doing government research. Good for science
fiction fans and others too.
ALAN AND NAOMI
Levoy, Myron
In New York in the 1940's, Alan befriends a young girl who has become
mute after seeing her father brutally treated by the Nazis. A tender,
perceptive story.
LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE
Lewis, C. S.
Children in an old house open a wardrobe and find themselves in the fantasy
land of Narnia. The first in a series of enchanting books.
GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS
McWhirter, Norris
Jammed packed with records of all sorts - tallest man, smallest baby,
most home runs, largest lake, etc. - this is a book that is popular for
all ages. Even if the child cannot read all the information, the pictures
are great.
SNOW BOUND
Mazer, Harry
When a teenage boy gives a ride to a girl hitchhiking, he has no idea
of the hardships to come when they are marooned in a snow storm. A gripping
story.
MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH
O'Brien, Robert
A group of intelligent rats is being trained to read as an experiment
at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). They escape and because
they are bright are able to rescue a rat named Frisby.
THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS
Paterson, Katherine
Gilly, an eleven year old foster child, feels the whole world is against
her and acts accordingly. She finally joins a home where there is an unusual
family who help her learn love and understanding.
A BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA
Paterson, Katherine
A beautifully written book tells the story of two friends, a young boy
from a simple, unlettered family, and a sophisticated girl who moves next
door in rural Virginia. Together they create the mystical land of Terabithia.
THE WRESTLING GAME
Raskin, Ellen
After the mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire, a strange group
of heirs must solve the mystery before they can inherit.
HENRY REED'S BABY SITTING SERVICE
Robertson, Keith
Henry is always alert to earning money, a trait that sometimes leads him
into frantic situations. This happened when he took care of an obnoxious
four year old, and another time doing peacock sitting.
ADDIE AND THE KING OF HEARTS
Rock, Gail
It is not uncommon for young girls to "get a crush" on their
male teacher. This happens to Addie and her seventh grade teacher whom
she hopes to impress at the Valentine's Dance.
FREAKY FRIDAY
Rodgers, Mary
Through unusual means, a thirteen year old girl spends a day taking on
the form of her mother's body. As a result she gains a better understanding
and relationship with her mother.
CRICKET IN TIMES SQUARE
Selden, George
A young boy who helps his father in a subway newsstand in Times Square
has a very talented pet who is able to produce classical music.
THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND
Speare, Elizabeth
Kit Tyler came from a luxurious home in Barbados to visit her Puritan
aunt in colonial Connecticut. Because she was friendly with the 'witch'
Hannah, she was involved in a terrifying trial, but was finally saved
by another child.
ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER
Twain, Mark
The escapades of two boys living in a small Missouri town in the middle
1800's are largely based on the author's life. Whitewashing fences, forming
secret societies and being lost in a cave hold attention.
ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN
Twain, Mark
After some years, Mark Twain wrote a sequel to the Tom Sawyer story. Huckleberry
Finn continues the boy's adventures which become even more daring that
in the first book.
THE GREAT CHRISTMAS KIDNAPPING CAPER
Van Leeuwen, Jean
Some small animals hiding out in a department store manage to communicate
with the Santa in the toy area. When he is kidnapped by a competitive
store, they negotiate his rescue much to everyone's delight.
STUART LITTLE
White, E.B.
A shy little mouse helps around the house, races a sailboat in Central
Park, and has an adventure on a garbage scow. His main goal is searching
for his friend, the bird Margalo.
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