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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Tuck everlasting
Babbitt, Natalie
Paper Book
Doomed to - or blessed with - eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The wonderful Wizard of Oz
Baum, L. Frank
Paper Book
After being transported by a cyclone to the land of Oz, Dorothy and her dog are befriended by a scarecrow, a tin man, and a cowardly lion, who accompany her to the Emerald City to look for a wizard who can help Dorothy return home to Kansas.

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The secret garden
Burnett, Frances Hodgson
Paper Book

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Alice's adventures in Wonderland
Carroll, Lewis
Paper Book
""""And what is the use of a book,"" thought Alice, ""without pictures?"""" Certain to please even Alice herself, this new version of her famous adventures in Wonderland is brimming with wonderfully whimsical pictures by internationally acclaimed artist Lisbeth Zwerger. Her imaginative...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The mouse and the motorcycle
Cleary, Beverly.
Paper Book
A young mouse named Ralph looked out Of his mousehole in Room 215 of the Mountain View Inn. The new tenant of the room, a boy, was playing with a little motorcycle just the right size for a mouse. Ralph could hardly wait till the boy left the room. Hurriedly he scrambled up the telephone cord to the...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The Watsons go to Birmingham--1963 : a novel
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. ...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

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...

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, as well as a map of Harriet's New York City neighborhood and spy route and original...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The wind in the willows
Grahame, Kenneth
Paper Book
Since its beginnings as a series of stories told to Kenneth Grahame's young son, The Wind in the Willows has gone on to become one of the best-loved children's books of all time. The timeless story of Toad, Rat, Mole, and Badger has delighted readers of all ages for more than eighty years....

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Misty of Chincoteague
Henry, Marguerite
Paper Book
On an island off the coasts of Virginia and Maryland lives a centuries-old band of wild ponies. Among them is the most mysterious of all, Phantom, a rarely seen mare that eludes all efforts to capture her--that is, until a young boy and girl lay eyes on her and determine that they can't live without...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Konigsburg, E. L.
Paper Book
A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021) Run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with E. L. Konigsburg's beloved classic and Newbery Medal­-winning novel From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler! When Claudia decided to run away, she...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe
Lewis, C. S.
Paper Book
When Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are sent to stay with a kind professor who lives in the country, they can hardly imagine the extraordinary adventure that awaits them. It all begins one rainy summer day when the children explore the professor's rambling old house. When they come across a...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Sarah, plain and tall
MacLachlan, Patricia.
Paper Book
This beloved Newbery Medal-winning book is the first of five books in Patricia MacLachlan's chapter book series about the Witting family. Set in the late nineteenth century and told from young Anna's point of view, Sarah, Plain and Tall tells the story of how Sarah Elisabeth...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Winnie-the-Pooh
Milne, A. A.
Paper Book
One of the most beloved icons of children's literature, Winnie-the-Pooh!   Since 1926, Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends--Piglet, Owl, Tigger, and the ever doleful Eeyore--have endured as the unforgettable creations of A.A. Milne, who wrote this book for his son, Christopher...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The Borrowers
Norton, Mary.
Paper Book
This is the classic story--read and loved by children all over the world--of Pod, Homily, and their daughter, Arrietty, who live under the kitchen floor in a quiet, half-empty house and get their livelihood by borrowing from the "human beans." "Delectable fantasy."--Booklist

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Island of the Blue Dolphins
O'Dell, Scott
Paper Book
Scott O'Dell's Newbery Medal-winning classic is a gripping tale of survival, strength, and courage. Based on the true story of a Nicoleño Indian girl living alone on an island off the coast of California, Island of the Blue Dolphins has captivated readers for generations. In celebration of...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Bridge to Terabithia
Paterson, Katherine.
Paper Book
The fortieth anniversary edition of the classic Newbery Award-winning title by beloved author Katherine Paterson, with brand-new bonus materials including an author's note by Katherine herself, and a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Kate DiCamillo.  Jess Aarons has...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The Westing game
Raskin, Ellen.
Paper Book
When an eccentric millionaire dies mysteriously, 16 very unlikely people are gathered together for the reading of the will--and what a will it is. A Newbery Medal-winning novel.

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Where the red fern grows
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
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. Pura Belpre Award Winner *...

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)

All-of-a-kind family
Taylor, Sydney
Audiobook
It's the turn of the century in New York's Lower East Side and a sense of adventure and excitement abounds for five young sisters-Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte and Gertie. Follow along as they search for hidden buttons while dusting Mama's front parlor, or explore the basement warehouse of Papa's...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The boxcar children
Warner, Gertrude Chandler
Ebook
The Boxcar Children is a children's literary franchise originally created and written by American writer and first-grade school teacher,[1] Gertrude Chandler Warner. Today, the series includes well over 100 titles. The series is aimed at readers in grades 2-6.

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

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 paper-over-board edition ...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Little house in the big woods
Wilder, Laura Ingalls
Paper Book
Based on the real-life adventures of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Big Woods is the first book in the award-winning Little House series, which has captivated generations of readers. This edition features the classic black-and-white artwork from Garth Williams. Little House in...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Little women
Alcott, Louisa May
Ebook

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

The Black Cauldron
Alexander, Lloyd.
Paper Book
The Newbery Medal-winning second book in Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain series, The Black Cauldron--the inspiration for Disney's 1985 cult animated film. In the land of Prydain, evil is never far away. Arawn, Lord of the Land of Death, has been building an...

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)

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....

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Holes
Sachar, Louis
Paper Book
A darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment Stanley Yelnat's family has a history of bad luck, so he isn't too surprised when a miscarriage of justice sends him to a boys' juvenile detention center, Camp Green Lake. There is no lake - it has been dry for over a hundred years - and it...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Roll of thunder, hear my cry
Taylor, Mildred D.
Paper Book
Winner of the 1977 Newbery Medal, this is a remarkably moving novel--one that has impressed the hearts and minds of millions of readers. Set in Mississippi at the height of the Depression, it is the story of one family's struggle to maintain their integrity, pride, and independence in the face of...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)


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