Babies & Kids Blog

Yesterday I shared with you Scholastic’s Top 25 Picture Books. Here are the Top 25 Chapter books, chosen by 200 school teachers. Many of these children’s books made a major impact on my childhood. Charlotte’s Web was the first book I ever cried over and Anne of Green Gables made me realize it was okay to be smart and headstrong. Little House on the Prairie was special to me because I grew up in the cold upper midwest, where Laura Ingalls Wilder spent her childhood. Did your favorites make the list?

1. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (HarperCollins). Some pig, indeed. Monica Edinger, fourth-grade teacher and author of Using Beloved Classics to Deepen Reading Comprehension, calls Charlotte’s Web “the great American children’s novel…beginning with that remarkable first sentence ‘Where’s Papa going with that ax?’”

Who it’s for: Grades 3–6
What it’s about: The classic tale of the talented spider who uses all her energies to save the life of her friend Wilbur, farmyard pig and soon-to-be dinner. Gareth Williams’ illustrations add depth and sensitivity to this beautiful story of simple miracles.

2. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (HarperCollins).

Who it’s for: Grades 4–7
What it’s about: Leslie brings a whole new world to the life of the main character Jesse. She ruins his dream of being the fastest 5th grader (she is), creates a magical world with him, and then leaves him just as he begins to come into his own. A lovely classic.

3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (Scholastic). When the NEA surveyed teachers on kids’ books in 1999, Harry Potter had yet to cast a spell. Now the whole world is hooked!

Who it’s for: Grades 2 and up
What it’s about: The magical first year of a young wizard’s first year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.

4. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (HarperCollins).

Who it’s for: Grades 3–6
What it’s about: An English brother and sister discover a wardrobe that opens into a different land. The first book in a beloved series, this story introduces us to Narnia, its cold and evil witch, and loving lion, Aslan, and awakens the hero in the siblings.

5. Holes by Louis Sachar (FSG).

Who it’s for: Grades 4–8
What it’s about: The compelling and complex story of Camp Green Lake and the boys who dig holes to “build character”. As our hero discovers that there is more to the holes than just punishment, he begins to fulfill his own destiny. Terrific social commentary!

6. The Giver by Lois Lowry (Random House), makes kids think. “It’s wonderful for discussing politics,” says brave teacher Jennifer Kopp.

Who it’s for: Grades 4–8
What it’s about: In a world free of disease and crime, Jonas takes up his role as the Receiver of Memory. As the images and ideas of a world that was flawed but free begin to enter his mind, Jonas begins to question everything about the world he lives in.

7. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick).

Who it’s for: Grades 3–6
What it’s about: Winn-Dixie is the dog that frequently leads our protagonist, Opal, into new adventures and occasional trouble. She also helps her create a world in which she can accept herself, others, and the fact that her mother abandoned her seven years before.

8. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume (Penguin).

Who it’s for: Grades 3–7
What it’s about: Oh, that Fudge! Fourth-grader Peter has to put up with 3-year-old Fudge’s shenanigans day and night, but when Fudge steals Peter’s turtle, it’s the last straw. A wonderful book for older siblings, no matter what their age.

9. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (FSG). Jennifer Roy, author of Yellow Star, says her childhood fave “makes math, science, and philosophy appealing.” Really.

Who it’s for: Grades 3–7
What it’s about: Meg Murray and her siblings journey to another world in this classic.

10. Frindle by Andrew Clements (Simon & Schuster).

Who it’s for: Grades 4–6
What it’s about: Watch out! This is the story of ornery Nick Allen, who circumvents his English teacher and makes a new word (“frindle” replacing “pen”) which becomes a world-wide sensation.

11. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (Random House).

Who it’s for: Grades 3–6
What it’s about: The famous tale of poor Charlie and his winning ticket to visit Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. The other kids drop like flies as they disobey Willy’s rules, but Charlie prevails in the end—bringing his family with him.

12. Junie B., First Grader (At Last!) by Barbara Park (Random House).

Who it’s for: Grades 1–3
What it’s about: Junie B., of the popular series, makes it to first grade. But here, a whole new set of problems beset her—new friends, old friends who are changing and what’s more? She needs glasses! A great installment in a terrific series.

13. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls (Random House).

Who it’s for: Grades 3–7
What it’s about: A remarkable story of a Depression-era boy growing up in the Ozarks. With his bluetick hound in tow, Billy Colman spends his days roaming the woods, hunting raccoons. Tragedy will strike this tale, but life goes on, as does the red fern.

14. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (FSG). Snag this idea from Jane Yolen: “I use the opening in writing classes as an example of sheer beauty.”

Who it’s for: Grades 4–8
What it’s about: A haunting story that is part nature tale, part adventure story, and part romance. The Tuck family has found the fountain of youth and they protect it well. But when they decide to share it, they will learn an important lesson (so will the reader).

15. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh (Random House).

Who it’s for: Grades 2–6
What it’s about: Classic story about a curious observer who ends up an outcast for her observations. The presentation of peer interactions is both funny and painfully accurate. In the end, Harriet will have to come to terms with growing up on her own (she does!).

16. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary (HarperCollins).

Who it’s for: Grades 2–5
What it’s about: Cleary’s insightful and funny presentation of the workings of a third grader’s head continues to please kids across time. Ramona is smart, engaging and funny and her daily adventures never stop entertaining!

17. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (HarperCollins).

Who it’s for: Grades 2–6
What it’s about: Part of the treasured series, this book introduces us to the Kansas prairie life of young Laura. Having traveled there by covered wagon, the book outlines the setting up of hearth and home and dealing with all the travails of the true 1860 house!

18. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (Simon & Schuster).

Who it’s for: Grades 3–6
What it’s about: You’ll never visit a museum in the same way again! This is the wonderful story of Claudia and her brother Jamie, who didn’t want an “old-fashioned” running away, and so they move into the Met. And that is just the beginning…

19. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (Little, Brown).

Who it’s for: Grades 2–6
What it’s about: This Newbery Award winner concerns the day-to-day of Jeffrey (Maniac) Lionel Magee; part kid, part folk-hero, all fun. He tries to undo racism, knit fighting factions together, and generally bring peace and good will to make a home.

20. The Secret Garden by Frances Burnett.

Who it’s for: Grades 2–6
What it’s about: Two children, sour and stifled in a gloomy British estate house, find a locked and secret garden. The discovery of this place of flowers and sun revitalizes the children physically and mentally. A terrific story of new life from old….

21. Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech (HarperCollins).

Who it’s for: Grades 2–6
What it’s about: Dallas and Florida have seen the inside of one too many foster homes. But when a compassionate couple takes them in, new life develops. We see the two kids begin to rely on themselves even as they learn to love and develop new relationships.

22. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (Penguin).

Who it’s for: Grades 4–8
What it’s about: A fascinating story of a large and loving African-American family in the Deep South 1930s. We read through the relationships within the family even as we watch them navigate hatred and discrimination from without.

23. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery.

Who it’s for: Grades 2–6
What it’s about: When Anne, age eleven and an orphan, is mistakenly sent to the Cuthbert’s, who wanted farm help, they could’ve sent her back. They don’t. The lovable Anne—center of a number of stories—begins her new life on Prince Edward Island.

24. Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick (Scholastic).

Who it’s for: Grades 6–9
What it’s about: Two boys, living with mismatched difficulties, learn to overcome the world’s obstacles with each other’s help. Inspired by King Arthur’s tales, the friendship will even be able to survive the death of one of the pair, since friendship doesn’t die.

25. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (HarperCollins). We can’t believe it’s over either.

Who it’s for: Grades 3–7
What it’s about: The beginning of one of the most unique children’s book series. Woe to the Baudelaire children, and all the events that befall them! Plucky, smart and funny, these kids outwit the many unfortunate events that come their way.

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Find more kids’ books at Smarter.com.

Looking to start your Christmas shopping but don’t know where to start? Books always make a great gift. Scholastic surveyed 200 teachers to find out which picture books are the most loved. Here are 25 timeless treasures:

1. Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak, (HarperCollins, 1963) is “so compressed in its language and so exuberant in its pictures and so psychologically right,” says author Jane Yolen, herself nominated for Owl Moon. “I return to it again and again.” So do teachers! Max earned three times as many votes as a certain munching insect.

Who it’s for: Grades PreK–3

What it’s about: When Max is sent to bed without his dinner, he imagines an adventure to the land of the Wild Things, where he meets a crowd of fanciful beasts. When he becomes homesick, he wakes up in his bedroom to find his warm supper waiting for him.

2. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (Penguin, 1969).

Who it’s for: Grades PreK–2

What it’s about: Eric Carle’s colorful classic depicts the famished insect eating his way through an apple, two pears, three plums and a smorgasbord of other treats. Along the way, readers learn about colors and counting—not to mention the life cycle of a caterpillar.

3. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (Houghton Mifflin, 1985). For many of you this shadowy story is a winter must, up there with hot chocolate and mittens. Third-grade teacher Janice Wright explains: “It’s magic.”

Who it’s for: Grades K–5

What it’s about: Could there be a better Christmas tale than that of a boy lying awake on Christmas Eve who is taken by Santa himself to the North Pole? This Caldecott winner encourages kids to believe in the spirit of Christmas.

4. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (HarperCollins).

Who it’s for: Grades PreK–2

What it’s about: A young bunny tries to stave off sleep by bidding goodnight to every item he can think of leading himself (and readers!) to a quiet sense of peace. Clement Hurd’s illustrations range from small black and white drawings to full color beauties.

5. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Sheila McGraw (Firefly).
“I can’t help myself, I cry every time I read it,” says Instructor editor Hannah Trierweiler. Sniff. Pass the tissues.

Who it’s for: Grades K–3

What it’s about: The story of a boy and his mom. While the mother continues to rock her boy to sleep—even if she must sneak in his bedroom to do so—eventually he will do the same for her. A touching cycle-of-life tale.

6. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (HarperCollins).

Who it’s for: Grades 2–5

What it’s about: This wise and lovely story of the tree that gives her all for love is also a wonderful tale about life transforming the boy that played on her branches to an old man that sits on her stump.

7. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig (Simon & Schuster).

Who it’s for: Grades K–5

What it’s about: Once a pebble-collecting donkey finds his lucky stone, misadventure begins. Once Sylvester accidentally turns himself into a stone, it seems all is lost, but eventually he comes back to his donkey self—and wishing is approached more carefully!

8. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans (Penguin).

Who it’s for: Grades K–5

What it’s about: Ah, the Parisian adventures of Madeline! Her life with the nuns, her trip to the hospital, and Bemelemans’ depictions of the city still satisfy kids of many ages. This long running series never surpasses the charm of its first installment!

9. The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (Houghton Mifflin).

Who it’s for: Grades 1–4

What it’s about: Before arriving at the happy ending, readers will experience the growth of a city as it surrounds the previously isolated little house. Burton’s fanciful drawings add to the delight of the story.

10. Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey (Penguin).

Who it’s for: Grades PreK–2

What it’s about: As Sal and her mom set out to pick blueberries, so do a mother bear and her cub. Eventually the young set swap moms for a cross-species adventure tale and a comedy of errors.

11. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (Penguin).

Who it’s for: Grades K–4

What it’s about: A book that makes the simple, everyday activities of a little boy into an epic. When Peter awakes to the first snow of the season, every detail of the day—from kicking snow off a branch to the attempt to save a snowball—becomes magical.

12. Stellaluna by Janell Cannon (Harcourt). “Kids really connect to the message,” wrote first-grade teacher Laurie Foote. What higher praise could a book receive?

Who it’s for: Grades K–3

What it’s about: A story about a fruit bat raised by birds, this book celebrates uniqueness and independence. As a beautifully told tale with gorgeous illustrations and a section of bat information as well, this book has it all.

13. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond (HarperCollins).

Who it’s for: Grades PreK–2

What it’s about: Oh, that hungry mouse. Once you give him the cookie, the trail of action is unstoppable! By the end, the mouse, the boy that gives him the cookie (and perhaps the reader) are exhausted! With terrific illustrations and a wonderful lead character.

14. The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis (Penguin).

Who it’s for: Grades 1–4

What it’s about: A powerful narrative with echoes of metaphor, this is a story about a fence that divides a white neighborhood from a black one and the two little girls whose need for play and companionship allow them to straddle and then cross it.

15. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr (Penguin).

Who it’s for: Grades 1–5

What it’s about: A classic example of child’s mind expanding a simple walk into a glorious adventure. As a girl and her father hike through the moonlit night, the creatures they encounter become thrilling companions for their owl hunt.

16. The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (Random House) is the only wordless tale on our list.

Who it’s for: Grades PreK–2

What it’s about: A great book to lead a child into reading. A whimsical story of a boy who makes and then befriends a snowman who both enters his world and takes him out on a nighttime escapade. The enigmatic ending can also be a great beginning.

17. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg (Houghton Mifflin).

Who it’s for: Grades 2–6

What it’s about: This exquisite book offers fourteen drawing with captions, each its own launch pad for stories and imaginings of any sort. The lack of a cohesive narrative allows, indeed requires, that kids provide their own ideas of what happens next.

18. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (Penguin). Anita Silvey, author of 100 Best Books for Children, cherishes McCloskey’s “subtle economy in text and art.”

Who it’s for: Grades K–3

What it’s about: Watch out for urban ducks… A great read aloud book, this tale of two mallards who decide to raise their family in the Boston’s Public Garden is a perennial favorite. Beautiful drawings and a great story make Boston seem perfect for ducks!

19. SkippyJon Jones by Judy Schachner (Penguin). This 2003 story of a mischievous cat has the distinction of being the newest teacher pick.

Who it’s for: Grades 1–4

What it’s about: A wonderful combo of story, rhyme, Spanish-English hybrid, color, action and pure joy, this book has something to enchant any kid and is a fantastic read aloud. SkippyJon is part kitten, part dynamo. A real fiesta (muy caliente)!

20. No, David! by David Shannon (Scholastic).

Who it’s for: Grades K–4

What it’s about: As little David careens from one forbidden activity to the next, with his mom shouting the title, David’s naughty output is impressive. A kids’ book with a “real” soundtrack, the text is drawn from a book the author produced when he was 5!

21. The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco (Simon & Schuster).

Who it’s for: Grades K–3

What it’s about: A rich immigrant’s tale, this book is the classic American story. A quilt that is made from the bits and pieces of the past to warm up the present, it provides not just the story, but the only color in these otherwise black and white ink drawings.

22. The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper, illustrated by George & Doris Hauman (Penguin). Will the real Watty Piper please stand up—and accept our hurrahs? (It’s a pseudonym for the original publisher; the author is disputed.)

Who it’s for: Grades PreK–3

What it’s about: What would childhood be without the whispered “I think I can, I think I can”? This book is possibly the best-known children’s classic and a wonderful read-aloud. Its positive message has underscored the days of thousands of children.

23. The Mitten by Jan Brett (Penguin). Second-grade teacher Donna Thaggard echoed many voters when she said “any book by Brett” is bound to be an instant favorite.

Who it’s for: Grades K–4

What it’s about: With illustrations to delight, this story of a grandma-knitted mitten that becomes a home to a whole group of chilly winter animals—until a sneeze ousts them all—is a perfect winter companion. Nicki’s glove has a life of its own!

24. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (Random House). Thank goodness the good doctor accepted a bet that he couldn’t write a story using only 50 words. As Instructor editor Jennifer Prescott sums up in only five words: “I do so like it!”

Who it’s for: Grades PreK–3

What it’s about: I am Sam, Sam I am. Possibly the most fun a kid can have while learning to read, this book’s repetitive phrases, simple drawings and goofy charm make it one of childhood’s must-haves.

25. Curious George by H.A. and Margret Ray (Houghton Mifflin).

Who it’s for: Grades PreK–2

What it’s about: The world’s most beloved monkey! Curious George has had many adventures in his day, but it all starts with this classic. Introduce a new generation of readers to his irrepressible chimp.

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