Books Every Child Should Have or Read for Preschool, Kindergarten, K-12, teens

Books Every Child Should Have

For as long as I can remember, I always loved books.
The way they feel in your hands as you hold them and turn the pages.
The musty smell of the old ones, the crisp scent of the new.
They take you on the most exciting adventures, teach you about everything on earth,
and evoke all kinds of emotions.

For a child, books can be one of the most important aspects of their lives.
Below is my list of books I feel every child should have or read. I hope you enjoy these choices!
~All quotes and descriptions are directly taken from Amazon.~

Preschool
Goodnight Moon "A little rabbit bids goodnight to each familiar thing in his moonlit room. Rhythmic, gently lulling words combined with warm and equally lulling pictures make this beloved classic an ideal bedtime book."

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? "Children on the verge of reading learn best with plenty of identifiable images and rhythmic repetition."..."Blue Horse, Blue Horse, What do you see? I see a green frog looking at me." This pattern is repeated over and over, until the pre-reader can chime in with the reader, easily predicting the next rhyme."

Love You Forever "The mother sings to her sleeping baby: "I'll love you forever / I'll love you for always / As long as I'm living / My baby you'll be." She still sings the same song when her baby has turned into a fractious 2-year-old, a slovenly 9-year-old, and then a raucous teen. So far so ordinary--but this is one persistent lady. When her son grows up and leaves home, she takes to driving across town with a ladder on the car roof, climbing through her grown son's window, and rocking the sleeping man in the same way. Then, inevitably, the day comes when she's too old and sick to hold him, and the roles are at last reversed."

Where the Wild Things Are "The wild things--with their mismatched parts and giant eyes--manage somehow to be scary-looking without ever really being scary; at times they're downright hilarious. Sendak's defiantly run-on sentences--one of his trademarks--lend the perfect touch of stream of consciousness to the tale, which floats between the land of dreams and a child's imagination."

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie "Who would ever suspect that a tiny little mouse could wear out an energetic young boy? Well, if you're going to go around giving an exuberantly bossy rodent a cookie, you'd best be prepared to do one or two more favors for it before your day is through. "..."Laura Joffe Numeroff's tale of warped logic is a sure-fire winner in the giggle-generator category. But concerned parents can rest assured, there's even a little education thrown in for good measure: underneath the folly rest valuable lessons about cause and effect." Lesson: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

Toot & Puddle : Puddle's ABC "Ages 3-6. Fans of this adorable series will welcome this fourth episode featuring pig friends Toot and Puddle. This time, Puddle takes center stage when he decides to teach Otto the turtle to write his name."

Corduroy "Have you ever dreamed of being locked in a department store at night? The endearing story of Corduroy paints a picture of the adventures that might unfold (for a teddy bear at least) in such a situation."

Blueberries for Sal (Picture Puffins) "Robert McCloskey's classic is a magical tale of the irrepressible curiosity--not to mention appetite--of youth. Sal and her mother set off in search of blueberries for the winter at the same time as a mother bear and her cub. A quiet comedy of errors ensues when the young ones wander off and absentmindedly trail the wrong mothers."

Sheep in a Jeep "When five foolish sheep cram into one jeep, their high spirits and occasional lack of foresight (like forgetting to steer) combine to make a riotous, if ill-fated, road trip."

Giggle Bugs : A Lift-And-Laugh Book "What do you get when you cross two Banana Peel Bugs? Lift the flaps and find out! 58 lift-the-flap riddles and a hilarious giggling sound chip will make you laugh out loud with the Giggle Bugs!"

Olivia (Caldecott Honor Book, 2001) "Olivia would be Eloise, if Eloise were a pig. Preschoolers (and their parents) will see themselves in Olivia--a typical high-energy, over-the-top kid who likes the beach and Degas paintings, but hates naps. On the other hand, she combs her ears and is unusually gifted at sandcastle building."

Kindergarten - 3rd Grade (Ages 4-8)
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No... "I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day."..."Judith Viorst flawlessly and humorously captures a child's testy temperament, rendering Alexander sympathetic rather than whiny."

Frederick "While other mice are gathering food for the winter, Frederick seems to daydream the summer away. When dreary winter comes, it is Frederick, the poet-mouse, who warms his friends and cheers them with his words."

If You Give a Pig a Pancake "If you give a pig a pancake, she'll want some syrup to go with it. You'll give her some of your favorite maple syrup. She'll probably get all sticky, so she'll want to take a bath."..."A delightful exploration of the scenario "if you give an inch, they'll take a mile." But who could refuse the whims of this adorable piglet? Not us, and certainly not the pig's young caretaker."

Click Clack Moo : Cows That Type... "The literacy rate in Farmer Brown's barn goes up considerably once his cows find an old typewriter and begin typing. To the harassed farmer's dismay, his communicative cows quickly become contentious: "Dear Farmer Brown, The barn is very cold at night. We'd like some electric blankets. Sincerely, The Cows" When he refuses to comply with their demands, the cows take action."

Go, Dog. Go! "Using single-syllable words in rhythmic repetition, and introducing colors and prepositions, this Seuss-styled classic has been an early favorite of children since 1961."

The Giving Tree "In Shel Silverstein's popular tale of few words and simple line drawings, a tree starts out as a leafy playground, shade provider, and apple bearer for a rambunctious little boy. Making the boy happy makes the tree happy, but with time it becomes more challenging for the generous tree to meet his needs."

Harold and the Purple Crayon "Armed only with an oversized purple crayon, young Harold draws himself a landscape full of beauty and excitement."

I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato "This funny, endearing look at how children's tastes can be based more on preconception than taste buds is sure to infuse levity into the daily dinner-table struggle."

Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That... "...we follow a little girl with curly red hair through 13 different moods, beginning with silly: "Today I feel silly. / Mom says it's the heat. I put rouge on the cat / and gloves on my feet." Of course, silly soon turns to grumpy and mean... to excited... to confused, and so on. Recognizing one's own mood swings is a developmental milestone, one that some adults haven't yet mastered!"

Toot & Puddle "Two anthropomorphic pigs live in the country setting of Woodcock Pocket. There, Puddle turns his head to the sun streaming in his kitchen window as he makes popcorn on the stove. Meanwhile, Toot peers at the globe with a magnifying glass, planning an ambitious trip..."

Stellaluna "Baby bat Stellaluna's life is flitting along right on schedule--until an owl attacks her mother one night, knocking the bewildered batlet out of her mother's loving grasp. The tiny bat is lucky enough to land in a nest of baby birds, but her whole world has just turned upside down. Literally. Stellaluna's adoptive bird mom accepts her into her nest, but only on the condition that Stellaluna will act like a bird, not a bat."

4th - 7th Grade (Ages 9-12)
Where the Sidewalk Ends : The Poems and... "Silverstein reveals his genius for reaching kids with silly words and simple pen-and-ink drawings. What child can resist a poem called "Dancing Pants" or "The Dirtiest Man in the World"? Each of the 130 poems is funny in a different way, or touching ... or both."

Falling Up "...Introduces a gallery of daffy characters, including the Terrible Toy-Eating Tookle, a hamburger named James, blissfully oblivious Headphone Harold, and the so-attractive folk attending the "Rotten Convention"--`"Mr. Mud and the Creepin' Crud/And the Drooler and Belchin' Bob," to name but a few."

Laura's Early Years Collection : Little... "Any boy or girl who has fantasized about running off to live in the woods will find ample information in these pages to manage a Wisconsin snowstorm, a panther attack, or a wild sled ride with a pig as an uninvited guest. Every chapter divulges fascinatingly intricate yet easy-to-read details about pioneer life in the Midwest in the late 1800s, from bear-meat curing to maple-tree sapping to homemade bullet making."

Complete Anne of Green Gables "When Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert of Green Gables, Prince Edward Island, send for a boy orphan to help them out at the farm, they are in no way prepared for the error that will change their lives. The mistake takes the shape of Anne Shirley, a redheaded 11-year-old girl who can talk anyone under the table."

A Long Way from Chicago "Peck's Newbery Honor title fairly begged to be recorded, for it's the seven episodic chapters-one for each summer that Joey and Mary Alice visit their gun-totin' Grandma Dowdel in her Illinois town-that make the book memorable."

A Year Down Yonder (Newbery Medal Book,... "Grandma Dowdel's back! She's just as feisty and terrifying and goodhearted as she was in Richard Peck's A Long Way from Chicago, and every bit as funny."

The Wanderer (Newbery Honor Book 2001) "Sophie's adventures take her not only straight into perilous waves higher than buildings, but deep into her hidden past. This profound, suspenseful novel will pull you into its swift current and barely let you surface for breath."

Because of Winn-Dixie (Newbery Honor... "Because of Winn-Dixie, a big, ugly, happy dog, 10-year-old Opal learns 10 things about her long-gone mother from her preacher father. Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal makes new friends among the somewhat unusual residents of her new hometown, Naomi, Florida. Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal begins to find her place in the world and let go of some of the sadness left by her mother's abandonment seven years earlier."

Where the Red Fern Grows "In spite of being written during the Depression, there is a timelessness to this simple story. Young Billy works two long, hard years to earn the money to realize his dream-to own a pair of dogs for hunting raccoons. Rawls instills this autobiographical piece with a strong sense of right and wrong, as well as innocence and integrity."

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone... "Say you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate you find yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand, and jellybeans that come in every flavor, including strawberry, curry, grass, and sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself!"

The Phantom Tollbooth "This ingenious fantasy centers around Milo, a bored ten-year-old who comes home to find a large toy tollbooth sitting in his room. Joining forces with a watchdog named Tock, Milo drives through the tollbooth's gates and begins a memorable journey. He meets such characters as the foolish, yet lovable Humbug, the Mathemagician, and the not-so-wicked "Which," Faintly Macabre, who gives Milo the "impossible" mission of returning two princesses to the Kingdom of Wisdom."

Charlotte's Web "An affectionate, sometimes bashful pig named Wilbur befriends a spider named Charlotte, who lives in the rafters above his pen."

Ella Enchanted (Newbery Honor Book) "At birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the "gift" of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella..."

Teens/Young Adult
The Giver "In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy."

Flowers for Algernon "Flowers for Algernon is the journal of Charlie Gordon, a mentally retarded adult who becomes a genius after undergoing a brain operation. Keyes gives Charlie Gordon a voice that conveys the full range of emotions Charlie experiences before and after the operation. Keyes conveys the drama with such intensity that it becomes almost painful to listen..."

The Golden Compass (Pullman, Philip,... "Philip Pullman's acclaimed epic novel about missing children, a golden, truth-divining compass and a young girl and her "daemon" who are catapulted into a life-and-death struggle against dark forces, is transformed into spellbinding theater for the imagination, thanks to a flawless British cast and Pullman's own narration. A 1999 Parents' Choice® Gold Award Winner."

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging... "Whether Georgia is dealing with wearing a bra ("OK, it's a bit on the loose side and does ride up round my neck if I run for the bus"), pondering kissing and how to know which way to turn your head ("You don't want to be bobbing around like pigeons for hours"), or managing the results of an overzealous eyebrow-plucking episode ("Obviously, now I have to stay in forever"), she always cracks us up!"

The Stones Are Hatching "One morning in England in 1919, 11-year-old Phelim's life upends when he enters the kitchen and discovers a crowd of & stark-naked men and women about as tall as his waist, shaggy and matted with filth." These wild, scrabbly "prehistoric dwarfs" are glashans, people who tend the fields, invisible to humans. The whole motley crew has emerged from hiding to save the house from the Hatchlings, and for some reason they are counting on Phelim Green (newly dubbed Jack o' Green) to stop the Worm from waking up and demolishing the world."

When Kambia Elaine Flew in from Neptune "First-time author, Lori Aurelia Williams, has written a novel that eloquently ties together the importance of family, the power of imagination, and the simple strength of innocence. Although Williams takes her time telling this sweetly sad tale, teens will be so caught up in Kambia's creative imagination and Shayla's strong voice that they will quickly move through its 200-plus pages."

The Outsiders "According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser. This classic, written by S. E. Hinton when she was 16 years old, is as profound today as it was when it was first published in 1967."

Lord of the Flies : A Novel "William Golding's classic tale about a group of English schoolboys who are plane-wrecked on a deserted island is just as chilling and relevant today as when it was first published in 1954."..."Golding's gripping novel explores the boundary between human reason and animal instinct, all on the brutal playing field of adolescent competition."

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl "A beloved classic since its initial publication in 1947, this vivid, insightful journal is a fitting memorial to the gifted Jewish teenager who died at Bergen-Belsen, Germany, in 1945. Born in 1929, Anne Frank received a blank diary on her 13th birthday, just weeks before she and her family went into hiding in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. Her marvelously detailed, engagingly personal entries chronicle 25 trying months of claustrophobic, quarrelsome intimacy with her parents, sister, a second family, and a middle-aged dentist who has little tolerance for Anne's vivacity."

All quotes and descriptions taken from