Children's Classic Books

Classic books for grades 1 - 6

Updated June 18, 2026
C
City of Mission Viejo Library City of Mission Viejo Library
This is your list in printable form. Simply print this page using your browser's print command.

Children's Classic Books

Classic books for grades 1 - 6

Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
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
Learn to read with the classic Amelia Bedelia! Ever since Amelia Bedelia made her debut in 1963, young readers have been laughing out loud at the antics of this literal-minded but charming housekeeper.   From dressing the chicken to drawing the drapes...

AR: 2.5

Lexile: 120

Anne of Green Gables
Montgomery, L. M.
Paper Book
Read the timeless classic about the beloved Anne Shirley, a red-haired orphan with a fiery spirit, behind the hit Netflix series Anne with an E-now celebrating a hundred years of this children's favorite. " Anne is the dearest and most lovable child in fiction since the...

AR: 7.3

Lexile: 970

Ballet shoes : a story of three children on the stage
Streatfeild, Noel
Paper Book
A beautiful hardback edition of the beloved children's classic BALLET SHOES, with a vibrant cover - the perfect gift for all children's book or dance enthusiasts. Pauline, Petrova and Posy Fossil are three very different girls, each adopted by the eccentric explorer, Gum, and...

AR: 5.7

Lexile: 930

The Borrowers
Norton, Mary
Paper Book
A enchanting and enduring children's classic, The Borrowers is the award-winning tale of three tiny people who are big heroes. The Clock family--Homily, Pod, and their fourteen-year-old daughter, Arrietty--are tiny people who live underneath the kitchen floor of an...

AR: 5.3

Lexile: 780

The boxcar children
Warner, Gertrude Chandler
CD
Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny, four orphaned brothers and sisters, suddenly appear in a small town. No one knows who these young wanderers are or where they have come from. Frightened to live with a grandfather they have never met, the children make a home for themselves in an abandoned red boxcar...

AR: 3.9

Lexile: 470

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
From the bestselling author of Matilda and The BFG!  Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory is opening at last! But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde, Mike...

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 paperback edition includes...

AR: 4.9

Lexile: 680

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs
Barrett, Judi.
Paper Book
The classic children's book and inspiration behind a hit animated film, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is a whimsical and imaginative picture book that has delighted generations of readers. The tiny town of Chewandswallow was very much like any other tiny town--except...

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
CD
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. ...

AR: 2.9

Lexile: 400

The hundred dresses
Estes, Eleanor
Paper Book
This Newbery Honor classic, illustrated by a Caldecott Medalist, is a beautifully written tribute to the power of kindness, acceptance, and standing up for what's right. Wanda Petronski is ridiculed by her classmates for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. She claims she has one...

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
Inspiration for the Netflix series Little House on the Prairie! 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 the...

AR: 5.3

Lexile: 930

The little prince
Saint-Exupřy, Antoine de
Paper Book
In the exquisite imagery of this fairy tale, the poet-writer shares with children something of the mystic's vision and wisdom of life.--New York Public Library.

AR: 5.0

Lexile: 710

Madeline
Bemelmans, Ludwig
Paper Book
A CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK * OVER 8 MILLION COPIES SOLD! The cherished childhood classic starring a fearless little girl and her eleven lovable housemates. One of The Atlantic's 65 Essential Children's Books "Perhaps the best bedtime book ever written."--The New...

AR: 3.1

Lexile: 480

The magician's nephew
Lewis, C. S.
Paper Book
THE ADVENTURE IS JUST BEGINNING. . . . One touch of a magical ring sends two friends hurtling into another world and accidentally releases an evil sorceress from her enchanted sleep. Hungry for ultimate power, she's determined to destroy everyone--and every world--in her path. But a song...

AR: 5.4

Lexile: 790

Mary Poppins
Travers, P. L.
Paper Book
A stunning, full-color illustrated edition of the classic novel about the magical nanny who has delighted children and adults the world over. Experience the fantastical adventures of the magical nanny who inspired the classic film, stage show, and young imaginations the...

AR: 6.1

Lexile: 830

The mouse and the motorcycle
Cleary, Beverly
Paper Book
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
Paper Book
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...

AR: 5.6

Lexile: 910

Peter Pan
Barrie, J. M.
Paper Book
Peter, Wendy, Captain Hook, the lost boys, and Tinker Bell have filled the hearts of children ever since Barrie's play first opened in London in 1904 and became an immediate sensation. Now this funny, haunting modern myth is presented with Bedford's wonderful illustrations, which first appeared in...

AR: 7.2

Lexile: 980

The phantom tollbooth
Juster, Norton
Paper Book
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

Pippi Longstocking
Lindgren, Astrid
Paper Book
 The beloved story of a spunky young girl and her hilarious escapades. "A rollicking story."--The Horn Book Tommy and his sister Annika have a new neighbor, and her name is Pippi Longstocking. She has crazy red pigtails, no parents to tell her what...

AR: 5.2

Lexile: 870

The secret garden
Burnett, Frances Hodgson
Paper Book
Celebrate an unforgettable classic with this gorgeously repackaged edition, featuring the timeless art of Tasha Tudor. Just in time for the movie adaptation starring Colin Firth and Julie Walters! This beautiful hardcover edition includes Tasha Tudor's iconic illustrations in...

AR: 6.3

Lexile: 970

The secret of the old clock
Keene, Carolyn.
Paper Book
Read the original Nancy Drew mystery, the first book in the iconic mystery series that introduced readers to America'sfavorite teenaged sleuth! The accidental rescue of a little girl who lives with her two great-aunts leads to an adventurous search for a missing will. Longtime...

AR: 5.4

Lexile: 760

The tale of Peter Rabbit
Potter, Beatrix
Paper Book
When Mrs. Rabbit begs her four furry children to stay away from Mr. McGregor's garden, the impish Peter Rabbit naturally takes this as an open invitation to create mischief. But when he is spotted by the farmer himself, the chase is on! A century after it was first published, Beatrix Potter's...

AR: 4.2

Lexile: 660

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

The tower treasure
Dixon, Franklin W.
Paper Book
A dying criminal confesses that his loot has been stored "in the tower." Both towers of the looted mansion are searched in vain. It remains for the Hardy boys to make an astonishing discovery that clears up the mystery and clears the name of a friend's father.

AR: 5.4

Lexile: 740

Treasure Island
Stevenson, Robert Louis
Paper Book
Perhaps the greatest of all adventure stories for boys and girls, Treasure Island began, a brave boy who finds himself among pirates, and of the sinister pirate-cook Long John Silver holds children as entranced today as it did a century ago. It has appeared with illustrations by many leading artists...

AR: 8.3

Lexile: 1100

Tuck everlasting
Babbitt, Natalie
CD
Is eternal life a blessing or a curse? That is what young Winnie Foster must decide when she discovers a spring on her family's property whose waters grant immortality. Members of the Tuck family, having drunk from the spring, tell Winnie of their experiences watching life go by and never growing...

AR: 5.0

Lexile: 770

The wonderful Wizard of Oz : the classic tale
Baum, L. Frank
Paper Book
This Courage Classic is reformatted into a smaller trim size and a lower price sure to make them necessities in any library. Beautiful, rich, and vibrant illustrations accompany this classic tales and makes it a treasures for all to read. Illustrator Greg Hildebrandt has done it again in...

AR: 7.0

Lexile: 980

Find this list online

https://librarian.syndetics.com/syndeticsunbound/lp/352.580/list/7077

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.