100+ Classic Books for Young Children

Here are classic books I feel should never be neglected in a young child’s reading repertoire.

Though I don’t have the space to mention them all, these were the stuff of our children’s early homeschool reading aloud experience. They are all still around and available today because they strike a chord in all who read them – parent and child alike.

[I share this post from Jacqueline, who homeschooled her three children and now blogs at Deep Roots at Home (with her permission). I'm happy to share this list with you because books are one of the best ways to teach kids about living with integrity, responsibility, joyfulness, and contentedness. Jacqueline's original list contained 75+ books, and I've added another 30+ books here and also marked my family's particular favorites with a ***.]

“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.”~C.S. Lewis

Books set an enriching foundation in the heart and mind of children. These books will be best for kids up to about 10 years old (although many are also great for older children). In my opinion, reading aloud should continue even after a child has mastered reading on his or her own and beyond.

Parents – be honest – you’ve only got so much time for reading aloud with your children! The last thing you want to do is choose a dud. If you are new to this, I hope this reading list makes the choosing easier and provides many delightful reading hours for you and your child! Enjoy!

100+ Classic Books for Young Children

• The Story about Ping by Marjorie Flack***

• The Most Wonderful Doll in the World by Phyllis McGinley

• Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey***

• The Complete Adventures of Curious George: 75th Anniversary Edition by H. A. Rey

• Pretzel by Margret Rey

• Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey***

• Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace***

• Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne***

• The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss***

• The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf***

• Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day

• The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary

• Little Bear by Elsa Holmelund Minarik

• Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

• Frog and Toad Storybook Treasury by Arnold Lobel***

• The Paddington Treasury by Michael Bond***

• Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson***

• Corduroy by Don Freeman***

• Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel

• The Three Tales of My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett***

• James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

• Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey***

• The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden***

• The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare***

• Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder***

• Children of the Longhouse by Joseph Bruchac***

• Charlotte's Web by EB White***

• Out and About by Shirley Hughes***

• Cookie's Week by Cindy Ward***

• Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo! by Rosetta Stone***

• Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal***

• Little Britches by Ralph Moody***

• Alfie Out of Doors Storybook by Shirley Hughes***

• Autumn Story (Brambly Hedge) ( plus others in the series)

• Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder***

• The Mitten or The Hat by Jan Brett***

• The Snowy Day or Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats

• Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown***

• Dear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap Book by Rod Campbell***

• Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren***

• Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald***

• Town Mouse, Country Mouse by Jan Brett***

• Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney***

• Amelia Bedelia (first in a series) by Peggy Parish

• Plain Princess by Phyllis McGinley (out of print, but worth a search to find it)

• Thornton Burgess Animal Stories by Thornton W. Burgess***

• The Poky Little Puppy (Little Golden Book) by Janette Sebring Lowrey***

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle***

• Mr. Frumble’s Coffee Shop Disaster (A Little Golden Book) by Richard Scarry

• Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel***

• Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?: Dr. Seuss’s Book of Wonderful Noises by Dr. Seuss***

• What Do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry***

• Guess How Much I Love You Board Book by Sam McBratney***

• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Board Book by Bill Martin Jr.

• Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton***

• Lentil by Robert McCloskey

• Stuart Little by EB White***

• Trumpet of the Swan by EB White***

• Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink***

• The Little Soul and the Sun by Neal Donald Walsch***

• Dogger by Shirley Hughes***

• Among the Meadow People by Clara Dillingham Pierson***

• Tootle (Little Golden Book) by Gertrude Crampton***

• Mr Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater***

• Gilgamesh the King by Ludmila Zeman***

• My Name is Georgia by Jeanette Winter***

• Mr Semolina-Semolinus by Anthony Manna***

• Some Smug Slug by Pamela Duncan Edwards***

• The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown***

• Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag

• A Beatrix Potter Treasury by Beatrix Potter***

• Go, Dog Go by P.D. Eastman***

• Animalia by Graeme Base

• The Boxcar Children, No. 1 by Gertrude Chandler Warner

• Green Eggs and Ham by Seuss***

• The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen

• The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown

• Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker***

• The Elves and the Shoemaker by Jacob Grimm

• Classic Treasury of Aesop’s Fables by Don Daily

• Katy and the Big Snow or other classic books by Virginia Lee Burton***

• Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans***

• I Am A Bunny (Little Golden Book) by Ole Risom

• Best Word Book Ever by Richard Scarry***

• Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

• The Saggy Baggy Elephant (Little Golden Book) by K. Jackson

• The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen

• The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper***

• How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills

• The Story of Babar by Jean De Brunhoff***

• Lugalbanda by Kathy Henderson***

• A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle***

• Sophie and the Next-Door Monsters by Chris Case***

• Big George: How a Shy Boy Became President Washington by Anne Rockwell***

• Follow the Dream: The Story of Christopher Columbus by Peter Sis***

• Rocks in His Head by Carol Otis Hurst***

• 4th of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh***

• The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh***

• A Medieval Feast by Aliki***

• Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher***