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The Book Lady’s Top 20 Favorite Children’s books
(Books that I loved to read)
FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
I love the theme of this book “I think I can” It is a wonderful story and the illustrations are beautiful too. This is one of my favorite books from my childhood, a classic, and a personal motto for my life.
I didn’t grow up with this book (written in 1995) but I love to read this one out loud. Anytime I am visiting a pre-school and will be doing a story time, I always grab this book. It is such a tender story of love.
I remember reading this book over and over as a child. Released as a “Little Golden Book” I wore out many copies, as did many other kids. As of 2001, it was the single all-time best-selling hardcover children's book in the
My mother read this book to me every night before bedtime. Written by Walter Farley (The Black Stallion) this may be my favorite book of all time. Little Black is jealous of Big Red, because he is a big horse and Little Black is just a small pony. Little Black feels he is not as special as Big Red, because he can’t run as fast or jump as high as Big Red. One day, he runs away and his master, a young boy follows him and falls through some thin ice. Little Black saves the boy, something Big Red could not do. I love this book because it shows children (and adults!) that we all have our talents and special gifts. (The 1961 edition is out of print but available on Amazon and eBay. I have not seen the new Navajo re-written version released in 2006)
FOR EARLY GRADE SCHOOL READERS
I loved the “I can read it all by myself” books (with the Cat in the Hat logo on the cover) I remember reading books by P. D. Eastman, Robert Lopshire & Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain books all by myself. Some other favorites in this category are “The Big Honey Hunt” “Are you my Mother?” “Go Dog, Go” “Snow” and “Ten Apples up on Top”
I remember sounding out the words and realizing I could read this book. I think I was in first grade and I loved the way the words rhymed. This is still a favorite of mine (as is all books by Dr. Seuss) and I love to read this out loud to children. I have read this book so many times I have it memorized, but I still find delight in it each time I read it. It is amazing that this book consists of only 50 different words.
CHAPTER BOOKS
I cry at the end of this book, always have, always will. I remember my 2nd grade teacher reading this book aloud to our class, one chapter at a time. Although I think the multiple movies made out of this book are fine, there is nothing like reading the book – it is magical.
This book started my fascination with history. Although highly fictionalized, I loved this story about Betsy Ross and her childhood before she made the American Flag. I remember getting this book in 5th grade, right after I had visited
I became hooked on this series when I was in 5th grade – I remember starting with “Little House in the Big Woods” and couldn’t put it down. I loved reading about how things were over 100 years ago, and I remember going to the library and discovering they had the entire series, which I quickly devoured and re-read each book, over and over again. Even as an adult, I love these books and have collected many books about Laura Ingalls Wilder and the history of writing the Little House Books. It is hard to pick a favorite out of the series, since I love them all, but I would have to say “These Happy Golden Years” is my favorite, since Laura & Almanzo get married in that book.
I discovered this book in 1985 when I was a nanny and trying to help my 5th grade student find a book for a book report. (I think she chose it because it was only 64 pages) but we both fell in love with the story about a widower and two small children that live on the prairie and advertize for a mail order bride to come and help their family. I was happy to discover it was a series of 5 books – and it is easy to see why Patricia MacLachlan won the Newberry Award for this book.
I was fascinated by the story of Helen Keller, a blind/deaf girl who grew up to go to college, write books, and had a very special friendship with her “Teacher” Annie Sullivan. I remember learning the A-B-C’s in sign language at the back of the book, and this book so influenced my life that I later became a sign language interpreter, and I am still fluent in sign language today.
I wasn’t a great lover of fantasy books as a child, but I couldn’t resist “Charlie & The Chocolate Factory.” I felt so sorry for poor Charlie Bucket, until he found a Golden Ticket and won a trip to the chocolate factory. Everything about this book is wonderful, and although it is pure fantasy, it is so realistic; you can almost smell the chocolate when you read it.
I fell in love with this book, (and the other 4 in the series) when I was in 4th grade and enjoy recommending them to children ages 9-12. It is a charming book about a poor immigrant family living in
Before there was Garfield, or Calvin and Hobbes, it was all about Peanuts, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and their gang. My favorite book was “Happiness is a Warm Puppy” and I still have the “Peanuts” classic book of comic strips on my bookshelf.
My mother gave me these books; they were her copies from the 1938 printing. Although many are familiar with the original book “Heidi” – I loved the two sequels “Heidi Grows Up” and “Heidi’s Children” and read and re-read them many, many times when I was younger. Luckily, they are still in print today.
I read this book in 5th grade (along with everybody else in 5th grade - it was always checked out at the library) Bless you, Judy Blume, for writing a coming-of-age book in 1970 at exactly the time when I was that age and really needed it. It is still relevant today, (as my husband teaches 5th grade and I see many of his students reading it). This is also a great book for kids struggling with their identity, and Margaret has one parent that is Catholic, one that is Jewish, and doesn’t know what religion she wants to be. (I also love many other Judy Blume books – including the “Fudge” series)
I remember reading this book in 6th grade when I was living in
Ok, I didn’t read it as a kid, since it wasn’t published until 1997, but it I loved it as an adult, and this series of books has done so much for children’s literacy in the past decade than any other book recently published. Not only were boys reading, but reading books over 200 pages and clamoring for more! Thank you J.K. Rowling!
I think Beverly Cleary is my all-time favorite writer. (Close second is Laura Ingalls Wilder) and I have read this series so many times, both as a child and again as an adult. I love all of Beverly Cleary’s books – but I really identify with Ramona, because I was so much like her as a child.
This was Beverly Cleary’s first book – published over 50 years ago, and kids still love it. No matter how many times I read it, I never grow tired of it. I realize there are thousands of wonderful books not on this list, however, children are always asking what my favorite books were – the books that I loved to read over and over again. I will be working on other recommended reading lists and will post them soon – until then…. Happy Reading! The Book Lady |
Books & Reading Recommended Reading
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
Betsy Ross by Ann Weil
The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
The Story of Helen Keller by Lorena A. Hickok
Charlie & The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
All-of-a-Kind-Family by Sydney Taylor
Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz
Heidi, Heidi Grows up, Heidi’s children by Johanna Spyri
Are you there God, it’s me, Margaret by Judy Blume
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
The “Ramona” books by Beverly Cleary
Henry Huggins by