For children entering grades: Kindergarten • 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 or read the entire list
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Adventures of Taxi Dog by Debra and Sal Barracca
And the Green Grass Grew All Around:
Folk
Poetry from Everyone by Alvin Schwartz
Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
Do You Want to be My Friend? by Eric Carle
Easy to See Why Fred Gwynne
Eddie and Teddy by Gus Clarke
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
I Go with My Family to Grandma's by R.I. Levinson
Just Like Daddy by Frank Asch
Lunch by Denise Fleming
Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus
Mouse Mess by Linnea Riley
Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
Will I Have a Friend? by Miriam Cohen
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
Charlie Anderson by Barbara Abercrombie
Henry and Mudge Get the Cold Shivers by Cynthia Rylant
Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber
The Icky Bug Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta
Matthew's Dream by Leo Lionni
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovelm by Virginia Lee Burton
Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
Poem Stew selected by William Cole
There's a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer
This and That by Julie Sykes
The Tortise and the Hare by Betty Miles
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Yoko by Rosemary Wells
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
Annie and the Old One by Miska Miles
The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward
Chester Cricket's New Home by George Seldon
The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Catling
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judith Barrett
Imogene’s Antlers by David Small
Jeremiah in the Dark Woods by Janet and Allen Ahlberg
Me First by Helen Lester
Ming Lo Moves the Mountain by Arnold Lobel
Mistakes that Worked by Charlotte Foltz Jones
My Buddy by Audrey Osofsky
My Great Aunt Arizona by Gloria Houston
Paul Bunyan and His Blue Ox by Patsy Jensen
Poppleton by Cynthia Rylant
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Song Lee in Room 2B by Suzy Kline
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
Benjamin McFadden and the Robot Babysitter by Timothy Bush
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
Clean Your Room, Harvey Moon! by Pat Cummings
The Day of Ahmed's Secret by Florence Parry Heide
Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery by Graeme Base
Emily by Michael Bedard
George and Martha by James Marshall
Gorillas by Seymour Simon
The Mud Pony by Caron Lee Chohen
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe
My Rows and Piles of Coins by Tololwa M. Mollel
New Kid on the Block by Jack Prelutsky
Russell Sprouts by Johanna Hurwitz
Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman
Summer Reading is Killing Me! by Jon Scieszka
Through Grandpa's Eyes by Patricia Maclachan
Where's Waldo? by Martin Handford
26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie dePaola
Aldo Applesauce by Johanna Hurwitz
The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
Castle by David Macaulay
Cook-a-Doodle-Doo by Janet Stevens
For Laughing Out Loud: Poems to Tickle Your Funnybone
by Jack Prelutsky
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Harvey's Horrible Snake Disaster by Eth Clifford
Help! I’m a Prisoner in the Library by Eth Clifford
The Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Pinkwater
King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
My Robot Buddy by Alfred Slote
Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great by Judy Blume
Parents in the Pigpen, Pigs in the Tub by Amy Ehrlich
Scared Silly by Eth Clifford
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Widow’s Broom by Chris Van Allsgurg
Caddie Woodlawn: A Frontier Story by Carol Ryrie Brink
The Eighteenth Emergency by Betsy Byars
Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting
Fourth Grade Rats by Jerry Spinelli
Harriet Tubman, Conductor on the Underground Railroad
by Anne Petry
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Million Dollar Shot by Dan Gutman
Mitch and Amy by Beverly Cleary
Rat Teeth by Patricia Reilly Giff
Sideways Stories from the Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Silent Observer by Christy Mackinnon
Smart Dog by Vivian Vande Velde
To Walk the Sky Path by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
War Comes to Willy Freeman by James Lincoln and Christopher Collier
The Winter Room by Gary Paulsen
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
The Real World
We can expand our view of the world by examining how others respond to real-life situations.
The Lilith Summer by Hadley Irwin
One-Eyed Cat by Paula Fox
Our Sixth Grade Sugar Babies by Eve Bunting
The Trouble with Tuck by Theodore Tayl0r
The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
The Winter Worm Business by Patricia Reilly Giff
Woodsong by Gary Paulsen
World of Tradition
We can understand human nature by appreciating the traditions and beliefs of cultures of the world.
Mississippi Bridge by Mildred D. Taylor
Morning Girl by Michael Dorris
Save Queen of Sheba by Louise Moeri
The Story of Sitting Bull, Great Sioux Chief by Lisa Eisenberg
Ancient Worlds
We can recognize the human need to ask and answer questions about the world by studying ancient myths.
The Book of Greek Myths by D'Aulaire
The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton
Beyond the Real World
We can explore possibilities beyond our real world through imagination and innovation.
Me Two by Mary C. Ryan
My Teacher is an Alien by Bruce Coville
The Plant that Ate Dirty Socks by Nancy McArthur
The Princess in the Pigpen by Jane Resh Thomas
Learning to Solve Life's Mysteries
We can learn to solve life's mysteries by analyzing techniques others use to unlock real and fictional mysteries.
A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
The Curse of the Blue Figurine by John Bellairs
Love Among the Walnuts by Jean Ferris
The Man Who was Poe by Avi
The Other Side of Dark by Joan Lowery Nixon
The Trouble with Lemons by Daniel Hays
Learning About Life from Heroes
We can learn to face life with courage by examining the qualities and deeds of heroes.
Jackaroo by Cynthia Voight
Martin Luther King: The Peaceful Warrior
by Edward Clayton
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Learning to Laugh at Life
We can learn to enjoy aspects of life by identifying humor in various situations.
Alias Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine
Bad Girls by Cynthia Voigt
The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula Danzinger
Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen
The Twinkie Squad by Gordon Korman
Learning to Survive Life's Challenges
We can learn to accept life's challenges by reflecting upon how others struggle to survive.
The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
Downriver by Will Hobbs
Fire, Bed & Bone by Henrietta Branford
Mr. Tucket by Gary Paulsen
My Name is not Angelica by Scott O'Dell
The River by Gary Paulsen
Snow Dog by Jim Kjelgaard
So Much to Live For by Lurlene McDaniel
Discovering a Place in the World
We can discover where we fit in the world by reflecting upon the discoveries characters make about themselves in real-life circumstances.
Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Patterson
One-Eyed Cat by Paula Fox
The Pigman by Paul Zindell
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
Discovering Unforgettable People
We can discover what makes people unforgettable by reflecting upon the obstacles they encounter and overcome to ensure the survival of their dreams.
Anne Frank: A Life in Hiding by Johanna Hurwitz
Girl from Yamhill: A Memoir by Beverly Cleary
The Invisible Thread by Yoshiko Uchida
Shaquille O'Neal By Bill Gutman
Zlata's Diary by Zlata Filipovic
Discovering the Past
We can discover the strength of our diversity by examining the historical and cultural influences that contribute to our heritage.
Freedom's Children edited by E. Levine
I Am Regina by Sally M. Keehn
Indian Chiefs by Russell Freedman
The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
Shades of Gray by Carolyn Reeder
Discovering the Unknown
We can discover unknown possibilities beyond our life experiences through investigation of the imagination and exploration of others.
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
Dune by Frank Herbert
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
The White Mountains by John Christopher
Slam by Walter Dean Myers
David struggles to survive on the streets and drive down the
courts for a mean game, the game of life.
Girl from Yamhill by Beverly Cleary
The author of the much-loved Ramona series takes us back to
her own experiences with growing up.
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Get to know the orphan Oliver as he joins up with Fagin and
his gang of pickpockets in Victorian London, England.
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
In the Earth of the future, mankind is at risk of annihilation
from a species of aliens in this classic work of science fiction.
Jane Eyre by Emily Bronte
The orphan Jane takes a position as a governess and finds
love with the mysterious, brooding Mr. Rochester.
Watership Down by Richard Addams
Travel along with a community of rabbits who must flee their
warren in search of a new and safer home.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Young Anne Marie Johanssen races against time and her own
fear to save her best friend Ellen from capture by the Nazis.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Tolkien’s classic tale tells the story of Bilbo Baggins on his
quest for adventure and treasure.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”
So begins the saga of a young wife’s search for the truth
about the mysterious Rebecca.
A Night to Remember by Walter Lord
It may not be Leonardo DiCaprio, but it’s still the story of
the ill-fated maiden voyage of HMS Titanic.
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
When Taylor’s car breaks down in Oklahoma, she is “given” a
baby whom she names Turtle because “when she grabs you,
she never lets go.”
The Cape Ann by Faith Sullivan
Lark dreams of trading in her family’s home in a train depot in
Depression-era Minnesota for a house in the style of a Cape
Ann.
Dragonsong (or series) by Anne McCaffrey
Menolly teaches the fire lizards how to sing in this book, the
first of an enchanting fantasy series.
The Good Earth by Pearl Buck
This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel tells the story of the honest
Chinese farmer Wang Lung and his selfless wife O-lan.
Harvey, a Comedy in Three Acts by Mary Chase
A middle-aged bachelor strikes up a curious friendship with a
six-foot tall, imaginary rabbit.
The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
There’s no curse like an old curse! Just ask Hepzibah who
lives under the family curse in 19th Century Massachusetts.
Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
Shaara’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel recounts the bravery of
the men who fought at Gettysburg during the three bloodiest
days of the Civil War.
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
Earthlings gain and lose Mars in these short tales about
the colonization of another planet.
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Gene and Finney get an education in life and friendship
at their New England boarding school.
All My Sons by Arthur Miller
Joe Keller becomes rich as a manufacturer of substandard
war materials in a conflict that takes one of his sons and
imprisons a colleague.
Anthem by Ayn Rand
In a dark future without love, science, and civilization, a daring
young man resists acclimation into an individual-free society.
Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring
Enjoy the escapades of two old spinsters who quietly do away
with old gentlemen who answer their advertisement for borders.
Chesapeake by James Michener
This 400-year saga of America's great bay and its Eastern
Shore ranges from the untouched world of the Native
Americans right up to modern times.
Christy by Catherine Marshall
Nineteen-year old Christy Huddleston learns to love the proud
but superstitious mountain people of Cutter Gap, Tennessee,
as she uncovers truths about herself.
The Little Foxes by Lillian Hellman
Members of the greedy and treacherous Hubbard family
compete with each other for control of the mill that will bring
them riches in the post-Civil War South.
Song of the Buffalo Boy by Sherry Garland
Follow the story of seventeen-year old Loi caught between
her Vietnamese heritage and the dream of an American father
she has never seen.
Wait Until Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Set in the suburbs of New York in the 1950s, this touching
and gentle memoir tells of Goodwin’s growing up in love with
her family and the great American pastime, baseball.
Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean
The winner of the 1992 National Book Critics
Circle Award tells the story of a Rocky Mountain
forest fire that claimed the lives of 13 young
smoke jumpers on August 5, 1949, at Mann
Gulch, Montana.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Sometimes it might be best to turn down even the most tempt-ing
dinner invitation, especially if murder is on the menu.
Grendel by John Gardner
Don’t you hate it when the good guys win all the time? Find
out how one of the bad guys feels about losing by looking at
the epic Beowulf through the eyes of the monster Grendel.
How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn
“How green was my Valley then, and the Valley of them that
have gone,” says Huw in this touching story of family love,
loyalty, and coming of age in the coal mining culture of Wales.
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
Damsels in distress and knights in shining armor come alive
as Ivanhoe joins the Black Knight to defeat those who would
usurp King Richard’s throne.
Light Thickens by Ngaio Marsh
“Light thickens, and the crow makes wing to the rooky wood.”
Just like the ambitious Macbeth, someone is planning an evil
deed in this classic whodunit set during a run of William
Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
In this retelling of the Arthurian legend, girls really do have
more fun. Morgan Le Fey and Guinevere use King Arthur as a
stepping stone in their quest for power.
Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot
Before they made it to Broadway, the Jellicle cats delighted
readers in these very witty poems about very human cats.
The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
Just when you think things can’t get any worse, they do,
especially if you’re Clym Yeobright and Eustacia Vye.
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. . .”
So begins this classic tale of love and redemption in
revolutionary France.
84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hampff
When she writes to the booksellers at Marx and Co. to request
a rare book, Helene Hampff sets in motion a friendship that
spans an ocean and a world war.
