Books for Gift Giving
Books for the Youngest Children
Books for Children Learning to Read
Fiction Books for Older Children
Nonfiction Books for Older Children
Read-Alouds for the Whole Family
Books for the Youngest Children
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Gentle, reassuring, loving -- a good choice for every baby’s first book.
My Very First Mother Goose by Iona Opie
Nursery rhymes, sung and chanted together, teach love of language.
White on Black by Tana Hoban
High-contrast images in a board book format, ideal for infants.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
A read-aloud favorite with repetition of colors and animals.
Big Fat Hen by Keith Baker
One, two, buckle my shoe, with bright bold illustrations of hens.
Have You Seen My Duckling? by Nancy Tafuri
Is the duckling lost? No, and you can see he’s never far away.
“More, More, More,” Said the Baby by Vera Williams
A story of love between parents, grandparents, and their little ones.
Books for Young Children
Another Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown
Follows a child’s stages of development and accomplishment.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Max learns that his mother loves him -- even when he’s been bad.
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
There’s love and adventure in this classic story of a duck family.
Snow by Uri Shulevitz
A recent award-winner about childish hope and grumpy gownups.
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
High drama as Sylvester is turned into a rock -- and back again.
The Mitten by Jan Brett
The day is cold and snowy, so all the animals crowd into -- a mitten.
Julius, the Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes
Lilly stars in this funny story of sibling rivalry -- and, eventually, love.
Books for Children Learning to Read
Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
An enjoyable series of easy readers, charming and excellently written.
Henry & Mudge by Cynthia Rylant
First in the series about Henry (a boy) and Mudge (his giant dog).
Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Nate, a young detective, solves all his cases in this easy series.
The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron
Julian tries to fool his younger brother in this easy chapter book.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
We all have them -- but Alexander’s is so funny.
Fiction Books for Older Children
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Compelling fantasy adventure with grand themes of good versus evil.
The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
First book in a series called the Native American “Little House.”
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Sly, funny, smart -- Harriet is all these, but she also has some troubles.
Ramona’s World by Beverly Cleary
A new addition to Cleary’s excellent series about Ramona Quimby.
Holes by Louis Sachar
A darkly funny tale of crime and redemption -- and an award winner.
The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
Everyone is reading this best-selling British fantasy series.
Frindle by Andrew Clements
A smart boy who likes to cause creative trouble invents a new word.
Nonfiction Books for Older Children
The Century for Young People by Peter Jennings
A tribute to the past 100 years, adapted from the adult bestseller.
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World by Jennifer Armstrong
Spectacular photographs and gripping real-life Polar adventure.
The New Way Things Work by David Macaulay
The gadget-minded will pore over these detailed illustrations.
The Guinness Book of Records
Find out who holds the world’s record for just about everything.
Read-Alouds for the Whole Family
Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little by E. B. White
Two classic animal stories, in turn humorous, touching, and exciting.
The Eloise series by Kay Thompson
The antics of Eloise, a precocious 6-year-old, will amuse everyone.
George & Martha by James Marshall
Wildly funny yet sweet stories about two hippo best friends.
20th Century Children’s Poetry Treasury by Jack Prelutsky
A comprehensive collection with something to please everyone.
Squids Will Be Squids by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
From the “Stinky Cheese Man” guys, more fractured fables.
Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne
Not the Disney version, the original playful British short stories.
Here Comes McBroom! by Sid Fleishman
Three rollicking tall tales about farmer McBroom and his 11 kids.
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
The adventures of a family of tiny people who live beneath the floor.
The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
A country cricket moves to New York City and gives musical concerts.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater
The gift of an Antarctic penguin changes the life of mild Mr. Popper.
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The first book in the beloved series about Laura’s pioneer family.
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
When kids misbehave, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle provides parents with magical cures.
updated 9/17/07