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
Violence erupts when the Tuck family members discover that their secret about a spring that brings immortality has been discovered.

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The Wizard of Oz.
Baum, L. Frank 1856-1919
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.
Brill, Calista.
Paper Book
Based on the beloved classic children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, this edition of The Secret Garden is a beautifully illustrated hardcover picture book adaptation that all children will treasure. Once upon a time...a walled garden bloomed under the summer skies in the north of...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Alice's adventures in Wonderland
Carroll, Lewis
Paper Book
Alice in Wonderland is one of the most popular, inviting, and adventurous stories of all time. One normal summer day, Alice is sitting on the riverbank when a big, white, talking rabbit runs past. He pops into a big rabbit hole, and Alice follows him down, down, down into a strange...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The mouse and the motorcycle.
Cleary, Beverly
Paper Book

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The Watsons go to Birmingham--1963.
Curtis, Christopher Paul
Paper Book

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Charlie and the chocolate factory.
Dahl, Roald
Paper Book
What happens when the five luckiest children in the entire world walk through the doors of Willy Wonka's famous, mysterious chocolate factory? What happens when, one by one, the children disobey Mr. Wonka's orders? In Dahl's most popular story, the nasty are punished and the good are deliciously,...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Harriet, the spy.
Fitzhugh, Louise.
Paper Book
It's no secret that Harriet the Spy is a timeless classic that kids will love! Every day can be an adventure if you just look carefully enough! Harriet M. Welsch is a spy. In her notebook, she writes down everything she knows about everyone, even her classmates and her best...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The wind in the willows.
Grahame, Kenneth, 1859-1932
Paper Book
Another beautiful book by renowned artist Robert Ingpen in the popular Union Square Kids Illustrated Classics children's books series, one of the most beloved and widely read classic books of all time--The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. For more than a century, this...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Misty of Chincoteague.
Henry, Marguerite, 1902-1997
Paper Book
Misty of Chincoteague is based on the true story of a Chincoteague Pony named Misty. Set on the coastal island of Chincoteague, Virginia, the book tells the story of the Beebe family and their efforts to raise a filly born to a wild horse.

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
Konigsburg, E. L.
Paper Book
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 live in comfort-at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  She invited her brother Jamie to go, too, mostly because he was a miser and would...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe.
Lewis, C. S. 1898-1963
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 : [graphic novel] the strongest in the world!
Lindgren, Astrid, 1907-2002
Paper Book
Celebrate the seventieth anniversary of Pippi! Who can rescue babies from a burning building, outwit burglars, overpower a circus strongman, and still get home in time for Christmas? Pippi Longstocking can! Pippi Longstocking: The Strongest in the World! collects more...

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. 1882-1956
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)

Shiloh.
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds, 1933-
Paper Book
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 is being abused by his owner...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

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...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Island of the Blue Dolphins.
O'Dell, Scott, 1898-1989
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. On San Nicolas...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Bridge to Terabithia.
Paterson, Katherine
Paper Book

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 : the story of two dogs and a boy.
Rawls, Wilson.
Paper Book
Read the beloved classic that captures the powerful bond between man and man's best friend. This edition also includes a special note to readers from Newbery Medal winner and Printz Honor winner Clare Vanderpool. Billy has long dreamt of owning not one, but two, dogs. So when...

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. Esperanza Rising joins the Scholastic...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The little prince.
Saint-Exupery, Antoine de, 1900-1944
Paper Book
The adventures of a little prince who visited our world from his own tiny planet. 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. Full-color and b&w illustrations.

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The boxcar children.
Warner, Gertrude Chandler, 1890-1979.
Paper Book

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Charlotte's web. [kit]
White, E. B. 1899-
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...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Little house in the big woods.
Wilder, Laura Ingalls, 1867-1957
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...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Little women.
Alcott, Louisa May, 1832-1888
Paper Book
Little Women is the heartwarming story of the March family that has thrilled generations of readers. It is the story of four sisters--Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth-- and of the courage, humor and ingenuity they display to survive poverty and the absence of their father during the Civil War.

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.
Dussling, Jennifer
Paper Book
Anne is a young orphan who finally finds a home at Green Gables, but it's not exactly smooth sailing. Anne always seems to find herself getting into scrapes! This easy-to-read adaptation of L.M. Montgomery's classic is guaranteed to hook beginning readers not yet ready to tackle the original.

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Hatchet.
Paulsen, Gary, 1939-
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, 1954-
Paper Book
This groundbreaking classic is now available in a special anniversary edition with bonus content. Winner of the Newbery Medal as well as the National Book Award, HOLES is a New York Times bestseller and one of the strongest-selling middle-grade books to ever hit shelves!

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Roll of thunder, hear my cry.
Taylor, Mildred D.
Paper Book
Winner of the Newbery Medal A New York Times Book Review Best of Children's Books A National Book Award Nominee Why is the land so important to Cassie's family? It takes the events of one turbulent year--the year of the night riders and the...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)


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