Read to Learn! Classics for young readers

Enjoy this list of classical children's literature that follows the theme for our SweetBean Reading Challenge in September!

Updated July 3, 2024
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The birchbark house
Erdrich, Louise
Paper Book
For use in schools and libraries only. Omakayas, a seven-year-old Native American girl of the Ojibwa tribe, lives through the joys of summer and the perils of winter on an island in Lake Superior in 1847.
Frog and toad are friends
Lobel, Arnold.
Paper Book
Celebrate the power of friendship in these five adventurous stories starring Frog and Toad--a Caldecott Honor Book!  From writing letters to going swimming, telling stories to finding lost buttons, Frog and Toad are always there for each other--just as best friends should be. ...
Hatchet
Paulsen, Gary.
Paper Book
This award-winning contemporary classic is the survival story with which all others are compared--and a page-turning, heart-stopping adventure, recipient of the Newbery Honor. Hatchet has also been nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read....
James and the giant peach : a children's story
Dahl, Roald.
Paper Book
From the World's No. 1 Storyteller, James and the Giant Peach is a children's classic that has captured young reader's imaginations for generations. One of TIME MAGAZINE's 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time After James Henry Trotter's parents are...
James Herriot's treasury for children
Herriot, James
Audiobook
James Herriot's Treasury for Children collects all of the beloved veterinarian's delightful tales for young listeners. From the springtime frolic of Oscar, Cat-About-Town to the yuletide warmth of The Christmas Day Kitten, these stories-radiantly illustrated by Peter Barrett and...
Little women
Alcott, Louisa May
Paper Book
The illustrations for this series were created by Scott McKowen, who, with his wife Christina Poddubiuk, operates Punch & Judy Inc., a company specializing in design and illustration for theater and performing arts. Their projects often involve research into the visual aspects of...
The Miss Nelson collection
Allard, Harry
Paper Book
The three classic Miss Nelson school stories. Accept no substitute! For the first time ever, Miss Nelson Is Missing!, Miss Nelson Is Back, and Miss Nelson Has a Field Day are available in one volume. This comical, collectable treasury of stories is a must-have for...
Mufaro's beautiful daughters : an African tale
Steptoe, John
Paper Book
A Caldecott Honor and Reading Rainbow book, this memorable retelling of Cinderella is perfect for introducing children to the fairy tale as well as the history, culture, and geography of the African nation of Zimbabwe. Inspired by a traditional African folktale, this is the story of Mufaro...
My side of the mountain
George, Jean Craighead
Paper Book
"Should appeal to all rugged individualists who dream of escape to the forest."-The New York Times Book Review Sam Gribley is terribly unhappy living in New York City with his family, so he runs away to the Catskill Mountains to live in the woods-all by himself....
Ramona Quimby, age 8
Cleary, Beverly.
Paper Book
In this edition of the Newbery Honor Book Ramona Quimby, Age 8, the timeless classic features a special foreword written by actress, producer, and author Amy Poehler, as well as an exclusive interview with Beverly Cleary herself. Ramona likes that she's old enough to be counted on,...
A single shard
Park, Linda Sue.
Paper Book
The Newbery Medal-winning tale of an orphan boy whose dream of becoming a master potter leads to unforeseen adventure in ancient Korea. Tree-ear is an orphan boy in a 12th-century Korean village renowned for its ceramics. When he accidentally breaks a delicate piece of pottery, he...
The snowy day
Keats, Ezra Jack.
Paper Book
The magic and wonder of winter's first snowfall is perfectly captured in Ezra Jack Keat's Caldecott Medal-winning picture book. This celebrated classic has been shared by generations of readers and listeners, a must-have for every child's bookshelf and a perfect gift for the holiday season....
The very hungry caterpillar
Carle, Eric.
Paper Book
THE all-time classic picture book, from generation to generation, sold somewhere in the world every 30 seconds! Have you shared it with a child or grandchild in your life? Carle's classic tale of a voracious caterpillar who eats his way through the days of the week and...
The Watsons go to Birmingham--1963
Curtis, Christopher Paul.
Paper Book
During one of the most important times in the civil rights movement, one unforgettable family goes on a road trip in this Newbery and Coretta Scott King Honoree, from author Christopher Paul Curtis, recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. ...
Where the sidewalk ends : the poems & drawings of Shel Silverstein
Silverstein, Shel.
Paper Book
Shel Silverstein, the New York Times bestselling author of The Giving Tree, A Light in the Attic, Falling Up, and Every Thing On It, has created a poetry collection that is outrageously funny and deeply profound. Come in...for where the sidewalk ends, Shel Silverstein's world begins. This...

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