Special Collections
National Education Association's List of Kids' Top 100 Books
- Table View
- List View
A Wrinkle in Time
by Madeleine L'EngleMeg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government.
[This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards in English language arts in grades 6-8 at http://www.corestandards.org.]
Newbery Medal Winner
Wringer
by Jerry SpinelliNewbery Honor Book * ALA Notable Children's Book "Deeply felt. Presents a moral question with great care and sensitivity." —The New York Times"A spellbinding story about rites of passage." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)"A realistic story with the intensity of a fable." —The Horn Book (starred review)"Thought-provoking." —School Library Journal (starred review)In Palmer LaRue's hometown of Waymer, turning ten is the biggest event of a boy's life. But for Palmer, his tenth birthday is not something to look forward to, but something to dread. Then one day, a visitor appears on his windowsill, and Palmer knows that this, more than anything else, is a sign that his time is up. Somehow, he must learn how to stop being afraid and stand up for what he believes in.Wringer is a powerful tour de force from Newbery Medal winner Jerry Spinelli.
The Witches
by Roald DahlMy orders are that every single child in this country shall be rrubbed out, sqvashed, sqvirttered and frrrittered before I come here again in vun year's time! Do I make myself clear? The Grand High Witch has a fiendish plan for getting rid of all the children in England. First, her fellow hags will take over all the sweet shops. Next, they will sell poisoned sweets and chocolate which will turn children into mice! Then, make way for the mouse traps... This terrible plan is overheard by the young boy narrator of the story. Fortunately, his grandma knows something about witches. Unfortunately, before he has a chance to consult her, he is turned into a mouse himself. Will the witches triumph? Are the children of England doomed? And what exactly is the secret behind grandma's missing finger? This award winning tale has all the answers.
A Wind in the Door
by Madeleine L'EngleThe sequel to A Wrinkle In Time.
Evil in the form of the Echthroi is spreading throughout the galaxy, but Meg Murry is not involved in the struggle until the Echthroi invade her younger brother, Charles.
Through a day and a night of terror, the forces of good and evil fight for Charles' life and the ultimate salvation of mankind.
White Fang
by Jack LondonIn the desolate, frozen wilds of northwest Canada, a wolf cub soon finds himself the sole survivor of the litter. Son of Kiche?half-wolf, half-dog?and the aging wolf One Eye, he is thrust into a savage world where each day becomes a fight to stay alive.
Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice SendakWinner of the 1964 Caldecott Medal for the Most Distinguished Picture Book of the Year, Where the Wild Things Are became an iconic book that has inspired a movie, an opera, and the imagination of generations. It continues to be one of the best loved books of all time the world over, by the one and only Maurice Sendak. Supports the Common Core State Standards. Images and image descriptions available.
Where the Sidewalk Ends
by Shel SilversteinCome in . . . for where the sidewalk ends, Shel Silverstein's world begins. You'll meet a boy who turns into a TV set, and a girl who eats a whale. The Unicorn and the Bloath live there, and so does Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who will not take the garbage out. It is a place where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the dentist. Shel Silverstein's masterful collection of poems and drawings is at once outrageously funny and profound.
Where the Red Fern Grows
by Wilson RawlsA 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 two pups to call his own—Old Dan and Little Ann—he&’s ecstatic. It doesn&’t matter that times are tough; together they&’ll roam the hills of the Ozarks.Soon Billy and his hounds become the finest hunting team in the valley. Stories of their great achievements spread throughout the region, and the combination of Old Dan&’s brawn, Little Ann&’s brains, and Billy&’s sheer will seems unbeatable. But tragedy awaits these determined hunters—now friends—and Billy learns that hope can grow out of despair, and that the seeds of the future can come from the scars of the past. Praise for Where the Red Fern Grows A Top 100 Children&’s Novel, School Library Journal's A Fuse #8 ProductionA Must-Read for Kids 9 to 14, NPRWinner of Multiple State AwardsOver 7 million copies in print! &“Very touching.&” —The New York Times Book Review &“One of the great classics of children&’s literature . . . Any child who doesn&’t get to read this beloved and powerfully emotional book has missed out on an important piece of childhood for the last 40-plus years.&” —Common Sense Media &“An exciting tale of love and adventure you&’ll never forget.&” —School Library Journal &“A book of unadorned naturalness.&” —Kirkus Reviews &“Written with so much feeling and sentiment that adults as well as children are drawn [in] with a passion.&” —Arizona Daily Star &“It&’s a story about a young boy and his two hunting dogs and . . . I can&’t even go on without getting a little misty.&” —The Huffington Post &“We tear up just thinking about it.&” —Time on the film adaptation
Welcome to Dead House
by R. L. StineGoosebumps now on Disney+!11-year-old Josh and 12-year-old Amanda just moved into the oldest and weirdest house on the block--the two siblings think it might even be haunted! But of course, their parents don't believe them. You'll get used to it, they say. Go out and make some new friends. But the creepy kids are not like anyone Josh and Amanda have ever met before. And when they take a shortcut through the cemetery one night, Josh and Amanda learn why.
Wayside School is Falling Down
by Louis SacharA collection of wacky stories about the 29 kids in Mrs. Jewls's class at the crazy and adventurous Wayside School.
Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger
by Louis SacharAll the kids from Wayside School had to spend 243 days in horrible schools while Wayside was closed to get rid of the cows {Don't ask!). Now the kids are back and the fun begins again on every floor. Miss Mush has prepared a special lunch of baked liver in purple sauce, and it's Pet Day on the 30th floorwith dogs and cats and frogs and skunks and pigs, and an orange named Fido causing a terrible commotion. In Mrs. Drazil's class, they're throwing a coffeepot, a sack of potatoes, a pencil sharpener, and a light bulb out the window to see which hits the ground first. But the big surprise is Mrs. Jewls is expecting a babybut one named Cootie Face or Bucket Head"and a substitute teacher is comingand everyone knows what that means...
Walk Two Moons
by Sharon Creech"How about a story? Spin us a yarn."
Instantly, Phoebe Winterbottom came to mind.
"I could tell you an extensively strange story," I warned.
"Oh, good!" Gram said. "Delicious!"
And that is how I happened to tell them about Phoebe, her disappearing mother, and the lunatic.
As Sal entertains her grandparents with Phoebe's outrageous story, her own story begins to unfold--the story of a thirteen-year-old girl whose only wish is to be reunited with her missing mother.
In her own award-winning style, Sharon Creech intricately weaves together two tales, one funny, one bittersweet, to create a heartwarming, compelling, and utterly moving story of love, loss, and the complexity of human emotion.
Newbery Medal Winner
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
by C. S. Lewis and Pauline BaynesNarnia . . . where a dragon awakens . . . where stars walk the earth . . . where anything can happen.
A king and some unexpected companions embark on a voyage that will take them beyond all known lands. As they sail farther and farther from charted waters, they discover that their quest is more than they imagined and that the world's end is only the beginning.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the fifth book in C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, a series that has become part of the canon of classic literature, drawing readers of all ages into a magical land with unforgettable characters for over fifty years. This is a novel that stands on its own, but if you would like to continue to the journey, read The Silver Chair, the sixth book in The Chronicles of Narnia.
The Two Towers
by J. R. R. TolkienOne Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
Frodo and his Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. They have lost the wizard, Gandalf, in a battle in the Mines of Moria. And Boromir, seduced by the power of the Ring, tried to seize it by force. While Frodo and Sam made their escape, the rest of the company was attacked by Orcs. Now they continue the journey alone down the great River Anduin--alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.
Tuck Everlasting
by Natalie BabbittThe Tuck family is confronted with an agonizing situation when they discover that a ten-year-old girl and a malicious stranger now share their secret about a spring whose water prevents one from ever growing any older.
[This text is listed as an example that meets Common Core Standards in English language arts in grades 4-5 at http://www.corestandards.org.]
The Trumpet of the Swan
by E. B. White and Fred MarcellinoNow available for the first time as an ebook! Illustrations in this ebook appear in vibrant full color on a full-color device and in rich black-and-white on all other devices.This beloved book by E. B. White, author of Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, is a classic of children's literature that perfectly describes what it's like to march to the beat of your own drummer.Louis is a trumpeter swan, but unlike the rest of his family, he can't make a sound. And since he can't trumpet his love, the beautiful swan Serena pays no attention to him. But when his father steals him a real brass trumpet, Louis has to find out if it's the key to what he's wanted all along.E. B. White's classic book is a tender novel of overcoming the odds and learning to do things on your own terms. It will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come. It contains evocative illustrations by Fred Marcellino, the acclaimed illustrator of Puss in Boots and I, Crocodile, among many other books.Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts
The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs
by Jon Scieszka and Lane SmithA spoof on the three little pigs story. The wolf gives his own outlandish version of what really happened when he tangled with the three little pigs. Images and image descriptions available.
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper LeeHarper Lee's Pulitzer prize-winning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep south--and the heroism of one man in the face of blind and violent hatred, available now for the first time as an e-book.
One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than thirty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country.
A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father-a crusading local lawyer-risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.
Tikki Tikki Tembo
by Arlene Mosel and Blair Lent and Jr.Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo- chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo!
Three decades and more than one million copies later children still love hearing about the boy with the long name who fell down the well. Arlene Mosel and Blair Lent's classic re-creation of an ancient Chinese folktale has hooked legions of children, teachers, and parents, who return, generation after generation, to learn about the danger of having such an honorable name as Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo.
Tikki Tikki Tembo is the winner of the 1968 Boston Globe - Horn Book Award for Picture Books.
These Happy Golden Years
by Laura Ingalls WilderFifteen-year-old Laura lives apart from her family for the first time, teaching school in a claim shanty twelve miles from home. She is very homesick, but keeps at it so that she can help pay for her sister Mary's tuition at the college for the blind. During school vacations Laura has fun with her singing lessons, going on sleigh rides, and best of all, helping Almanzo Wilder drive his new buggy. Friendship soon turns to love for Laura and Almanzo in the romantic conclusion of this Little House book.
Winner of the Newbery Honor
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
by Judy BlumeLiving with his little brother, Fudge, makes Peter Hatcher feel like a fourth grade nothing. Whether Fudge is throwing a temper tantrum in a shoe store, smearing smashed potatoes on walls at Hamburger Heaven, or scribbling all over Peter's homework, he's never far from trouble. He's a two-year-old terror who gets away with everything—and Peter's had enough. When Fudge walks off with Dribble, Peter's pet turtle, it's the last straw. Peter has put up with Fudge too long. How can he get his parents to pay attention to him for a change?
A Swiftly Tilting Planet
by Madeleine L'EngleMeg Murry O'Keefe and her family are just sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner when her father gets a phone call from the White House about a madman's threat of nuclear war. Only an old Irish rune seems to hold a clue to averting worldwide disaster, and when Meg's brother Charles Wallace, now fifteen, recites it, a radiant white beast--the unicorn Gaudior--appears to join him on his quest. But there are only twenty-four hours in which to stop tragedy from occurring. Can Charles Wallace, with the help of Gaudior and Meg, possibly succeed?
Superfudge
by Judy BlumeSometimes life in the Hatcher household is enough to make twelve-year-old Peter think about running away. His worst problem is still his younger brother, Fudge, who hasn't changed a bit since his crazy capers in Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. If you ask Peter, Fudge is just an older — and bigger — pain.Then Peter learns that his mom is going to have a baby and the whole family is moving to Princeton for a year. It will be bad enough starting sixth grade in a strange place and going to the same school as Fudge. But Peter can imagine something even worse. How will he ever survive if the new baby is a carbon copy of Fudge?
Summer of the Monkeys
by Wilson RawlsThe last thing a fourteen-year-old boy expects to find along an old Ozark river bottom is a tree full of monkeys. Jay Berry Lee's grandpa had an explanation, of course--as he did for most things. The monkeys had escaped from a traveling circus, and there was a handsome reward in store for anyone who could catch them. Grandpa said there wasn't any animal that couldn't be caught somehow, and Jay Berry started out believing him . . . But by the end of the "summer of the monkeys," Jay Berry Lee had learned a lot more than he ever bargained for--and not just about monkeys. He learned about faith, and wishes coming true, and knowing what it is you really want. He even learned a little about growing up . . . This novel, set in rural Oklahoma around the turn of the century, is a heart-warming family story--full of rich detail and delightful characters--about a time and place when miracles were really the simplest of things. . .
Stuart Little
by E. B. White and Rosemary Wells and Garth WilliamsNow available for the first time as an ebook! Illustrations in this ebook appear in vibrant full color on a full-color device and in rich black-and-white on all other devices.This beloved book by E. B. White, author of Charlotte's Web and The Trumpet of the Swan, is a classic of children's literature that features a very small mouse on a very big adventure. Stuart Little is no ordinary mouse. Born to a family of humans, he lives in New York City with his family. But when Stuart's best friend goes missing, he's determined to leave home and take an epic journey to find his friend.E. B. White's classic book is a tender novel of friendship, family, and adventure that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come. It contains beautiful illustrations by Garth Williams, the acclaimed illustrator of E. B. White's Charlotte's Web and Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series, among many other books. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts