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
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...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The wonderful Wizard of Oz /
Baum, L. Frank
Paper Book
Journey to the spectacular land of Oz with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz! This classic tale from L. Frank Baum has enchanted readers for over a century. Now, in this stunning hundredth anniversary edition featuring the original illustrations by W.W. Denslow, new readers will learn the power of the...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

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. ...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Alice's adventures in Wonderland /
Carroll, Lewis,
Paper Book
On an ordinary summer's afternoon, Alice tumbles down a hole and an extraordinary adventure begins. In a strange world with even stranger characters, she meets a rabbit with a pocket watch, joins a Mad Hatter's Tea Party, and plays croquet with the Queen! Lost in this fantasy land, Alice finds...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

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...

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
This collectable hardcover edition features a beautiful cover and deluxe packaging, including plum-colored interior text and illustrations! From the bestselling author of The BFG and Matilda comes the story of Charlie Bucket, Willy Wonka, and his infamous chocolate...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Harriet, the spy
Fitzhugh, Louise.
Paper Book
Soon to be an Apple TV+ animated series starring Golden Globe nominee Beanie Feldstein and Emmy Award winner Jane Lynch, it's no secret that Harriet the Spy is a timeless classic that kids will love! Harriet M. Welsch is a spy. In her notebook, she writes down...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

The wind in the willows /
Grahame, Kenneth,
Paper Book

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Misty of Chincoteague /
Henry, Marguerite,
Paper Book
Marguerite Henry's beloved story of a wild horse's gentle colt--winner of a Newbery Honor! On the island of Chincoteague, 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...

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
A beautiful hardcover edition of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, book two in C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia.  The full-color jacket features art by three-time Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator David Wiesner. The interior includes ...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

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 named...

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
Happy 90th birthday, to one of the world's 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...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

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...

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
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...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Bridge to Terabithia
Paterson, Katherine.
Paper Book
This beloved Newbery Medal-winning novel by bestselling author Katherine Paterson is a modern classic of friendship and loss. Jess Aarons has been practicing all summer so he can be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. And he almost is, until the new girl in school, Leslie Burke,...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Pilgrim's progress
Schmidt, Gary D.
Paper Book
National Book Award finalist and two-time Newbery Honor-winning author Gary D. Schmidt recaptures the classic tale of one man's spiritual journey in this contemporary retelling of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, masterfully illustrated with watercolors by artist Barry Moser.

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

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...

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. Esperanza Rising joins the Scholastic...

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,
Paper Book
Meet the All-of-a-Kind  Family -- Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie -- who live with their parents in New York City at the turn of the century. Together they share adventures that find them searching for hidden buttons while dusting Mama's front parlor and visiting with the peddlers in Papa...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

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...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Charlotte's web
White, E. B.
Paper Book
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." Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte's Web, high up in Zuckerman's barn. Charlotte's spiderweb tells of her...

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
Paper Book
For generations, children around the world have come of age with Louisa May Alcott's March girls: hardworking eldest sister Meg, headstrong, impulsive Jo, timid Beth, and precocious Amy. With their father away at war, and their loving mother Marmee working to support the family, the four sisters...

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
Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her.

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
10th Anniversary Edition Louis Sachar received great recognition for his groundbreaking story of Stanley Yelnats - a boy with a history of bad luck. AsSchool Library Journalpredicted in their starred review of the book when it was first published, "Kids will loveHoles." A...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

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...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)


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