Children's Classic Books

Classic books for grades 1 - 6

Updated June 18, 2026
C
City of Mission Viejo Library
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The adventures of Tom Sawyer
Twain, Mark
Paper Book
The adventures and pranks of a mischievous boy growing up in a Mississippi River town in the early nineteenth century.

AR: 8.1

Lexile: 950

Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day
Viorst, Judith.
Paper Book
A Latino-centric movie adaptation is now streaming on Disney+! From children's book legend Judith Viorst comes the perennially popular tale of Alexander's worst day. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a story that belongs on every child's...

AR: 3.9

Lexile: 970

Amelia Bedelia
Parish, Peggy.
Paper Book
Amelia Bedelia is in bright, full color! Now available for the first time as an I Can Read Book, this ever-popular story has a fresh look that fans -- old and new -- will celebrate.Ever since Amelia Bedelia made her debut almost thirty years ago, young readers have been laughing out loud at the...

AR: 2.5

Lexile: 120

Anne of Green Gables
Montgomery, L. M.
Paper Book

AR: 7.3

Lexile: 970

The black stallion
Farley, Walter
Paper Book
Young Alec Ramsay is shipwrecked on a desert island with a horse destined to play an important part in his life. Following their rescue their adventure continues in America.

AR: 5.2

Lexile: 680


The Borrowers
Norton, Mary.
Paper Book
The Clock family--Pod, Homily, and Arrietty--live beneath the floor of a country house in a home furnished with objects they have borrowed from the humans who live above them.

AR: 5.3

Lexile: 780

The boxcar children
Warner, Gertrude Chandler

AR: 3.9

Lexile: 470

The call of the wild
London, Jack
Ebook

AR: 8.0

Lexile: 1120

The cat in the hat
Seuss, Dr.
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The classic picture book that introduced the world to the iconic, mischievous Cat in the Hat and the beloved characters Thing One and Thing Two! Dr. Seuss makes reading fun for kids of all ages. COMING IN 2026 AS A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE...

AR: 1.2

Lexile: 260

Charlie and the chocolate factory
Dahl, Roald.
Paper Book
Fifty years ago, Roald Dahl created a world that captured the imagination of millions of readers, and a boy who captured their hearts. Now featuring an introduction by award-winning author Jon Scieszka, this special edition of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is perfect for longtime Roald Dahl fans...

AR: 4.8

Lexile: 810

Charlotte's web
White, E. B.
Paper Book
Don't miss one of America's top 100 most-loved novels, selected by PBS's The Great American Read. This beloved book by E. B. White, author of Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan, is a classic of children's literature that is "just about perfect." This high-quality paperback features...

AR: 4.9

Lexile: 680

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs
Barrett, Judi.
Paper Book
Life is delicious in the town of Chewandswallow where it rains soup and juice, snows mashed potatoes, and blows storms of hamburgers--until the weather takes a turn for the worse.

AR: 3.2

Lexile: 730

Corduroy
Freeman, Don
Paper Book
Corduroy was first introduced to readers in 1968, and in the fifty years since, his adventures have never stopped. Corduroy has been on the department store shelf for a long time. Yet as soon as Lisa sees him, she knows that he's the bear for her. Her mother, though, thinks he's...

AR: 3.2

Lexile: 600

Frog and toad are friends
Lobel, Arnold.
Ebook

AR: 2.9

Lexile: 400

The hundred dresses
Estes, Eleanor
Paper Book
Eleanor Estes'sThe Hundred Dresses won a Newbery Honor in 1945 and has never been out of print since. At the heart of the story is Wanda Petronski, a Polish girl in a Connecticut school who is ridiculed by her classmates for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. Wanda claims she has...

AR: 5.4

Lexile: 870

If you give a mouse a cookie
Numeroff, Laura Joffe.
Paper Book
If a hungry little mouse shows up on your doorstep, you might want to give him a cookie. And if you give him a cookie, he'll ask for a glass of milk. He'll want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk mustache, and then he'll ask for a pair of scissors to give himself a trim....<...

AR: 2.7

Lexile: 410

Little house on the prairie
Wilder, Laura Ingalls
Paper Book
Based on the real-life adventures of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the Prairie is the third book in the award-winning Little House series, which has captivated generations of readers. This edition features Garth Williams' classic art in vibrant full-color. Laura Ingalls and her...

AR: 5.3

Lexile: 930

The little prince
Saint-Exupéry, Antoine de
Paper Book
No story is more beloved by children and grown-ups alike than this wise, enchanting fable. The author reminisces about a day when his plane was forced down in the Sahara, a thousand miles from help. There he encountered a most extraordinary small-person. If you please, said the stranger, draw me...

AR: 5.0

Lexile: 710

Madeline
Bemelmans, Ludwig
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER . A CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK . OVER 8 MILLION COPIES SOLD! The cherished childhood classic of a fearless little girl and her eleven lovable housemates is available as a sturdy board book for curious hands! One of The Atlantic's 65 Essential Children's Books

AR: 3.1

Lexile: 480

The magician's nephew
Lewis, C. S.
Paper Book
Narnia . . . a land frozen in eternal winter . . . a country waiting to be set free Witness the creation of a magical land in The Magician's Nephew, the first title in C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series, which has captivated readers of all ages for over sixty years. This beautiful...

AR: 5.4

Lexile: 790

The mouse and the motorcycle
Cleary, Beverly.
Ebook
In this imaginative adventure from Newbery Medal-winning author Beverly Cleary, a young mouse named Ralph is thrown into a world of excitement when a boy and his shiny toy motorcycle check in to the Mountain View Inn. When the ever-curious Ralph spots Keith's red toy motorcycle, he vows to...

AR: 4.1

Lexile: 860

Mr. Popper's penguins
Atwater, Richard.
Audiobook
The classic Newbery Honor book that inspired the hilarious Jim Carrey movie--and a childhood favorite book for generations. Mr. Popper's Penguins is one of the handful of American books for children that has attained the status of a classic. A humble house painter is...

AR: 5.6

Lexile: 910

My father's dragon
Gannett, Ruth Stiles.
Ebook

AR: 4.8

Lexile: 990

Peter Pan
Barrie, J. M.
Paper Book
Relive the magic of finding Neverland in this beautiful Painted Edition of Peter Pan. This classic tale of never growing up and found family will delight new readers and old as they follow Wendy, Michael and John on this timeless adventure. Featuring beautiful cover art from artist...

AR: 7.2

Lexile: 980

The phantom tollbooth
Juster, Norton
Ebook
A PARADE BEST KIDS BOOK OF ALL TIME "Comes up bright and new every time I read it . . . it will continue to charm and delight for a very long time yet." --Phillip Pullman, New York Times bestselling author of His Dark Materials With almost 5 million...

AR: 6.7

Lexile: 1000

The secret garden
Burnett, Frances Hodgson
Paper Book
A beautiful and timeless portrayal of friendship, mystery, and renewal. Beloved by generations of young readers, this is the story of two unhappy but courageous children who become determined to make their lives, and the lives of others around them, more joyful. Orphaned Mary...

AR: 6.3

Lexile: 970

The secret of the old clock
Keene, Carolyn.
Audiobook
Nancy Drew's keen mind is tested when she searches for a missing will.

AR: 5.4

Lexile: 760

Strega Nona : an old tale
DePaola, Tomie
Paper Book
Now celebrating its 50th anniversary! When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works in this classic Caldecott Honor book from Tomie dePaola. Strega Nona--"Grandma Witch"--is the...

AR: 4.4

Lexile: 800

Tales of a fourth grade nothing
Blume, Judy.
Paper Book
The #1 New York Times bestselling author's first book in her classic Fudge series. "As a kid, Judy Blume was my favorite author, and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing was my favorite book."--Jeff Kinney, author of the bestselling Wimpy Kid series ...

AR: 3.3

Lexile: 470

Treasure Island
Stevenson, Robert Louis
Paper Book
The adventure story told in Treasure Islandhas become a part of popular folklore. John Sutherland discusses the novel's place in Stevenson's biography and oeuvre in his learned and lively critical introduction to this new edition. Exploring the novel's genesis in Stevenson's "plundering" of other...

AR: 8.3

Lexile: 1100

Tuck everlasting
Babbitt, Natalie.
Paper Book
The beloved children's classic with more than more than 10 million copies sold. From Newbery Honor and E. B. White Award-winning author Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting is a spellbinding modern-day masterpiece about immortality, friendship, and growing up that's...

AR: 5.0

Lexile: 770

The wonderful Wizard of Oz
Baum, L. Frank
Paper Book

AR: 7.0

Lexile: 980


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