100 Best Books for Children

This comprehensive list of 100 Best Children's Books is provided by the American National Educational Association and is based on data collected by educators here in the U.S. We hope you will find this list useful when selecting quality books for your children.

  1. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (9-12 yrs)
  2. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (4-8 yrs)
  3. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (4-8 yrs)
  4. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (4-8 yrs)
  5. Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (Baby-PreK)
  6. I Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch (4-8 yrs)
  7. Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (9-12 yrs)
  8. Oh! The Places You Will Go by Dr. Seuss (4-8 yrs)
  9. The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (4-8 yrs)
  10. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (4-8 yrs)
  11. Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner (4-8 yrs)
  12. Thank You Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco (4-8 yrs)
  13. The Cat In The Hat by Dr. Seuss (4-8 yrs)
  14. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (4-8 yrs)
  15. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo (9-12 yrs)
  16. The Mitten by Jan Brett (4-8 yrs)
  17. Crunching Carrots, Not Candy by Judy Slack (4-8 yrs)
  18. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems (Baby-PreK)
  19. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling (9-12 yrs)
  20. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (9-12 yrs)
  21. Alexander and The Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst (4-8 yrs)
  22. Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman (4-8 yrs)
  23. Corduroy by Don Freeman (4-8 yrs)
  24. Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes (4-8 yrs)
  25. Stellaluna by Janell Cannon (4-8 yrs)
  26. Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester (4-8 yrs)
  27. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (9-12 yrs)
  28. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams (4-8 yrs)
  29. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. (4-8 yrs)
  30. Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin (4-8 yrs)
  31. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson (4-8 yrs)
  32. Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss (4-8 yrs)
  33. Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park (4-8 yrs)
  34. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder (9-12 yrs)
  35. Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (4-8 yrs)
  36. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (9-12 yrs)
  37. Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini (4-8 yrs)
  38. The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper (4-8 yrs)
  39. The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone (Baby-PreK)
  40. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Dicamillo (9-12 yrs)
  41. A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon (4-8 yrs)
  42. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett (4-8 yrs)
  43. From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (9-12 yrs)
  44. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (9-12 yrs)
  45. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (9-12 yrs)
  46. Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann (4-8 yrs)
  47. Olivia by Ian Falconer (4-8 yrs)
  48. The BFG by Roald Dahl (9-12 yrs)
  49. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn (4-8 yrs)
  50. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (9-12 yrs)
  51. The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss (4-8 yrs)
  52. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (Baby-PreK)
  53. Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel (4-8 yrs)
  54. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett (9-12 yrs)
  55. Bark, George by Jules Feiffer (4-8 yrs)
  56. Bunnicula by James Howe (9-12 yrs)
  57. The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett (4-8 yrs)
  58. Charlie and Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (9-12 yrs)
  59. Charlie and the Caterpillar by Dom DeLuise (4-8 yrs)
  60. Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes (4-8 yrs)
  61. Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary (9-12 yrs)
  62. Frederick by Leo Lionni (4-8 yrs)
  63. Frindle by Andrew Clements (9-12 yrs)
  64. Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel (4-8 yrs)
  65. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney (Baby-PreK)
  66. Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen (9-12 yrs)
  67. Harry and the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion (4-8 yrs)
  68. Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss (4-8 years)
  69. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss (4-8 yrs)
  70. I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt (4-8 yrs)
  71. Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino (4-8 yrs)
  72. The Hat by Jan Brett (4-8 yrs)
  73. Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin Jr. (4-8 yrs)
  74. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (9-12 yrs)
  75. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton (4-8 yrs)
  76. Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney (4-8 yrs)
  77. My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett (9-12 yrs)
  78. My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss (4-8 yrs)
  79. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George (9-12 yrs)
  80. No David! by David Shannon (4-8 yrs)
  81. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss (4-8 yrs)
  82. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein (9-12 yrs)
  83. Stephanie's Ponytail by Robert Munsch (4-8 yrs)
  84. Swimmy by Leo Lionni (4-8 yrs)
  85. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes (9-12 yrs)
  86. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Warner (9-12 yrs)
  87. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (young adult)
  88. The Empty Pot by Demi (4-8 yrs)
  89. The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop (4-8 yrs)
  90. The Giver by Lois Lowr (young adult)
  91. The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle (4-8 yrs)
  92. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (9-12 yrs)
  93. The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown (4-8 yrs)
  94. The Last Holiday Concert by Andrew Clements (9-12 yrs)
  95. The Napping House by Audrey Wood (4-8 yrs)
  96. The Quiltmaker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau (4-8 yrs)
  97. The Snow Day by Ezra Jack Keats (4-8 yrs)
  98. The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack (4-8 yrs)
  99. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka (4-8 yrs)
  100. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (9-12 yrs)

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