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
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
The birchbark house
Erdrich, Louise
Paper Book
A fresh new look for this National Book Award finalist by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Louise Erdrich! This is the first installment in an essential nine-book series chronicling one hundred years in the life of one Ojibwe family and includes charming interior black-and-white artwork done by...
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. This...
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
Roald Dahl's children's classic will be rediscovered with wonder and delight in this handsome gift edition with all-new black-and-white illustrations by Caldecott Honor Book artist Lane Smith (who also designed the characters for the Disney animated film).nbsp;nbsp;How James escapes from his...
James Herriot's treasury for children
Herriot, James
Paper Book
James Herriot's award-winning stories for young readers bring the farmyard world of Herriot's Yorkshire to vibrant life. Children have always found a delightful friend in James Herriot. His award-winning stories for young readers bring the farmyard world of Herriot's Yorkshire...
Little women
Alcott, Louisa May
Paper Book
Louisa May Alcott's classic tale of four sisters in a deluxe hardcover edition,with beautiful cover illustrations by Anna Bond, the artist behind world-renowned stationery brand Rifle Paper Co. Grown-up Meg, tomboyish Jo, timid Beth, and precocious Amy. The four March sisters...
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
Terribly unhappy in his family's crowded New York City apartment, Sam Gribley runs away to the solitude-and danger-of the mountains, where he finds a side of himself he never knew.
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...

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