Children's Book Suggestions | ClassicsUnpublished

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

Introduced by Gregory Maguire, a special 40th Anniversary Edition of the beloved children's classic with more than more than 10 million copies sold. From Newbery Honor and E. B. White Award-winning author Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting is a spellbinding modern-day...

The Wizard of Oz

Gledhill, Carly

Paper Book

Bedtime Classics: charmingly illustrated board book editions of perennial favorites, simplified for the youngest readers! Bedtime Classics introduce classic works of fiction to little literary scholars through character-driven narratives and colorful illustrations. Designed to be...

The secret garden

Burnett, Frances Hodgson

Paper Book

Celebrate an unforgettable classic with this gorgeous hardcover edition, including full-color illustrations. This beautiful hardcover edition includes Tasha Tudor's iconic illustrations in full color, making it the perfect collector's edition or a wonderful gift for young readers. ...

Alice's adventures in Wonderland

Carroll, Lewis

Paper Book

Bedtime Classics: charmingly illustrated board book editions of perennial favorites, simplified for the youngest readers! Bedtime Classics introduce classic works of fiction to little literary scholars through character driven narratives and colorful illustration. Designed...

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...

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. ...

Charlie and the chocolate factory

Dahl, Roald.

Paper Book

From the author of The BFG and Matilda! 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, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled...

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...

The wind in the willows

Grahame, Kenneth

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...

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...

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...

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...

Pippi Longstocking

Lindgren, Astrid

Paper Book

The beloved story of a spunky young girl and her hilarious escapades. 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 to do, a horse that lives on her porch, and a pet monkey...

Sarah, plain and tall

MacLachlan, Patricia.

Paper Book

"Did Mama sing every day?" Caleb asks his sister Anna. "Every-single-day," she answers. "Papa sang, too." This 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...

Shiloh

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds.

Paper Book

Marty will do anything to save his new friend Shiloh in this Newbery Medal-winning novel from Phillis Reynolds Naylor. When Marty Preston comes across a young beagle in the hills behind his home, it's love at first sight--and also big trouble. It turns out the dog, which Marty...

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

Island of the Blue Dolphins

O'Dell, Scott

Paper Book

Far off the coast of California looms a harsh rock known as the island of San Nicholas. Dolphins flash in the blue waters around it, sea otter play in the vast kep beds, and sea elephants loll on the stony beaches. Here, in the early 1800s, according to history, an Indian girl spent...

Bridge to Terabithia

Paterson, Katherine.

Paper Book

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 been practicing all summer so he can...

The Westing game

Raskin, Ellen.

Paper Book

A Newbery Medal Winner "A supersharp mystery...confoundingly clever, and very funny." -Booklist, starred review A bizarre chain of events begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing's will. And though no one knows why the eccentric...

Where the red fern grows

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...

Esperanza rising

Ryan, Pam Munoz.

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 *...

The little prince

Saint-ExupďĹ˝ery, Antoine de

Paper Book

Now with the restored original artwork, the beloved classic story of a young prince's travels throughout space--a profound tale about loneliness and loss, and love and friendship. A pilot crashes in the Sahara Desert and encounters a strange young boy who calls himself the Little Prince....

The Boxcar children

Warner, Gertrude Chandler

Paper Book

Four brave siblings were searching for a home - and found a life of adventure! Join the Boxcar Children as they set out on their own in the first book in this illustrated chapter book series beloved by generations of readers. Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny are brothers and...

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...

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...

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...

A wrinkle in time

L'Engle, Madeleine.

Paper Book

This special edition ofA Wrinkle in Timeincludes a new essay that explores the science behind the fantasy. Rediscover one of the most beloved children's books of all time:A Wrinkle in Timeby Madeleine L'Engle: Meg Murray, her little brother Charles Wallace, and their mother are having a midnight...

Anne of Green Gables

Montgomery, L. M.

Paper Book

A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021) Anne Shirley is unforgettable, and this beautifully packaged edition of L.M. Montgomery's classic novel is as memorable as its heroine. When Anne Shirley arrives at Green Gables, she surprises everyone: first of...

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....

Holes

Sachar, Louis

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!

Roll of thunder, hear my cry

Taylor, Mildred D.

Paper Book

A stunning repackage of Mildred D. Taylor's Newbery Award-winning masterpiece with cover art by two-time Caldecott Honor Award winner Kadir Nelson and an introduction by Jacqueline Woodson, just in time for its 40th Anniversary! Set in Mississippi at the height of...

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Children's Book Suggestions | ClassicsUnpublishedShare

Children's Book Suggestions | ClassicsUnpublished