Children's Book Suggestions | Classics

Are you a parent or grandparent looking for a childhood favorite to share with kids in your life? Here are a few of our most frequently-requested classic children's books for readers in Grades 3-7.

If you're looking for picture books for younger readers, check out the Classics shelf in our Picture Book Topics section.

A note for caregivers: Some adults are surprised when they return to old favorites and discover forgotten elements that are out-of-step with their modern values. It's often helpful to revisit classic books by re-reading or doing a little research online before sharing them with your child, so you're prepared to answer questions any questions they may have and provide historical context when necessary.

Updated August 21, 2024
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Oregon City Public Library
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Children's Book Suggestions | Classics

Are you a parent or grandparent looking for a childhood favorite to share with kids in your life? Here are a few of our most frequently-requested classic children's books for readers in Grades 3-7.

If you're looking for picture books for younger readers, check out the Classics shelf in our Picture Book Topics section.

A note for caregivers: Some adults are surprised when they return to old favorites and discover forgotten elements that are out-of-step with their modern values. It's often helpful to revisit classic books by re-reading or doing a little research online before sharing them with your child, so you're prepared to answer questions any questions they may have and provide historical context when necessary.

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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...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The wonderful Wizard of Oz
Baum, L. Frank
CD
L. Frank Baum's timeless classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was the first uniquely American fairy tale. A combination of enchanting fantasy and piercing social commentary, this remarkable story has entertained and beguiled readers of all ages since it was first published in...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The secret garden
Burnett, Frances Hodgson
Paper Book
Ten-year-old Mary comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors and discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden.

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Alice's adventures in Wonderland : the ultimate illustrated edition
Carroll, Lewis
Paper Book
By falling down a rabbit hole, Alice experiences unsual adventures with a variety of nonsensical characters. Includes illustrations by a variety of artists selected from previously published editions.

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The mouse and the motorcycle
Cleary, Beverly.
CD

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Charlie and the chocolate factory
Dahl, Roald.
Paper Book
This full-color 40th anniversary edition of Roald Dahl’s most popular novel features vibrant spot art by Quentin Blake on candy-colored pages enhanced by candy-filled borders. A scrumptious read-aloud edition of a classic! Young Charlie Bucket can’t believe his luck when he finds the...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Harriet the spy
Fitzhugh, Louise.
Paper Book
This special 50th Anniversary Edition of the classic and ground-breaking coming-of-age novel, Harriet the Spy, includes tributes by Judy Blume, Meg Cabot, Lois Lowry, Rebecca Stead, and many more, plus fun bonus materials! Using her keen observation skills, 11-year-old...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The wind in the willows
Grahame, Kenneth
Paper Book
The much-loved classic tales of Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad. When Mole goes boating with Ratty instead of doing his spring-cleaning, he discovers a whole new world. As well as adventures on the river and in the Wild Wood, there are high jinks on the open road with that reckless ruffian, Mr Toad of...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Konigsburg, E. L.
CD
When Claudia decided to run away, she planned very carefully. She would be gone just long enough to teach her parents a lesson in Claudia appreciation. And she would go in comfort-she would live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She saved her money, and she invited her brother Jamie to go, mostly...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe
Lewis, C. S.
Paper Book
Don't miss one of America's top 100 most-loved novels, selected by PBS's The Great American Read. A mass-market paperback edition of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, book two in the classic fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia. This edition features cover art by Cliff Nielsen and...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

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...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Sarah, sencilla y alta
MacLachlan, Patricia.
Paper Book
Things are very lonely after Mama's death, so Papa puts an ad in the paper looking for a bride. Sarah comes from Maine and brings love back into the lives of a small family. The sensitivity captured in this moving novel paints a beautiful picture of family togetherness. Text copyright 2004 Lectorum...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Shiloh
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds.
CD
There's nothing eleven-year-old Marty Preston enjoys more than spending time up in the hills behind his home near Friendly, West Virginia. But this time is different. This time Marty sees a young beagle on the road past the old Shiloh school-house. Marty feels sure the dog...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Island of the Blue Dolphins
O'Dell, Scott
CD
In the Pacific there is an island that looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea.  Around it, blue dolphins swim, otters play, and sea elephants and sea birds abound.  Once, Indians also lived on the island.  And when they left and sailed to the east, one young...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Bridge to Terabithia
Paterson, Katherine.
Paper Book

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Where the red fern grows : the story of two dogs and a boy
Rawls, Wilson.
Paper Book
For fans of Old Yeller and Shiloh, Where the Red Fern Grows is a beloved classic that captures the powerful bond between man and man's best friend.      Billy has long dreamt of owning not one, but two, dogs. So when he's finally able to save up enough money for...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Esperanza rising
Ryan, Pam Muñoz.
Paper Book
**CELEBRATING 25 YEARS IN PRINT!** A modern classic for our time and for all time―this beloved, award-winning bestseller resonates with fresh meaning for each new generation. Perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo, Christopher Paul Curtis, and Rita Williams-Garcia. ...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The little prince
Saint-Exupéry, Antoine de
Paper Book
This beloved, world-famous allegorical classic about a young prince on a quest for knowledge is an essential read for every home library. Combining Richard Howard's translation with restored original full-color art, this definitive English-language edition of The Little Prince will capture...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Charlotte's web
White, E. B.
Paper Book
* Printed "Teaching Charlotte's Web" guide (with free digital version available online; April 2012) * Major booth promotion at conferences, including distribution of discussion guide; featured promotion at IRA (4/29/12 - 5/2/12) * School & library media advertising (March/April 2012)...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Little house in the big woods
Wilder, Laura Ingalls
CD
Five year old Laura Ingalls and her family, Pa, Ma, Mary and Baby Carrie, live in a snug log cabin in the woods of Wisconsin, a full days walk from the nearest town, Pepin. Lauraleads a traditional farm life: spending time churning butter and making cheese and maple syrup. Laura goes to town for...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Little women
Alcott, Louisa May

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

The black cauldron
Alexander, Lloyd.
Paper Book
"Taran, the gallant Assistant Pig-keeper, and his companions once again fare forth to destroy the evil that threatens their beloved country, Prydain.... A wise and wondrous tale written in epic fashion." --Booklist

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

A wrinkle in time
L'Engle, Madeleine.
Paper Book
NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER * TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST FANTASY BOOKS OF ALL TIME * NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM DISNEY Read the ground-breaking science fiction and fantasy classic that has delighted children for over 60 years! "A Wrinkle in Time<...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Anne of Green Gables
Montgomery, L. M.
Paper Book
""It's a million times nicer to be Anne of Green Gables than Anne of nowhere in particular, isn't it?""Orphaned Anne has always dreamed of having a real home and family. When she is accidently sent to Green Gables Farm to live with Mr. and Mrs. Cuthbert, she immediately knows that this will be home....

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Hoyos
Sachar, Louis
Paper Book
When Stanley Yelnats is falsely convicted of stealing a famous basketball player's sneakers, he opts to do his time at Camp Green Lake rather than go to jail. In fact, no lake exists, and Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention center, is anything but green. This amusing, adventurous, and highly...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Roll of thunder, hear my cry
Taylor, Mildred D.
Paper Book
The story of one African-American family fighting to stay together and strong in the face of brutal racist attacks, illness, poverty, and betrayal in the Deep South of the 1930s.

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

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