A Christmas Carol 
It was probably the Winter of 1949, which also had had a major snow fall in the North of England, when my Father first read Charles Dickens's A Christmas ...

The Goosebumps Series 
When I was in elementary school, everyone was crazy about Goosebumps . They used to line up for hours in front of the bookshelves that contained Goosebumps....

A Little Princess 
I take A Little Princess off the shelf. It has been in my possession over forty years; dust jacket long gone, spine frayed, pages yellowing but still ...

Over in the Meadow 
Not only does thinking of my favorite childhood book invoke wonderful memories of time shared with my mother, but the whole "circle of life" sings in my ...

Smith, by Leon Garfield 
When I was a child I had a tendency to get stuck in a rut when it came to choosing books. I read one Secret Seven book, so then I had to read all the ...

The Giving Tree 
Each time I read The Giving Tree I well up with a kind of emotion that moves me to tears!

Really!

Its premise is so simple. The illustration ...

Fall of Freddie the Leaf 
My aunt died by suicide when I was 11. This book has always touched me deeply and I still recommend it 33 years later. It's a classic. Leo Buscaglia was ...

The "old" Nancy Drew series 
I grew up reading Nancy Drew mysteries whenever I could! I have vivid memories of my mother hiding my books, just so I would get my chores done or because ...

Phantom Tollbooth Inspires Future Writer 
How Norton Juster and The Phantom Tollbooth birthed my imagination

I was not a very inspired child.

I was limited in my curiosity and my interests....

The Baby-Sitters Club Series  Not rated yet
I couldn't choose just one book when thinking about children's literature. I remember getting the first book of Ann M. Martin's The Baby-Sitters Club ...

Horton Hatches the Egg tribute  Not rated yet
There never was a writer as clever as Seuss.
There never was an artist as inventive as Seuss.
His characters were mischievous and fun.
Some were smart,...

Heidi  Not rated yet


Heidi is a book that has truly stood the test of time. Written in 1880 by Johanna Spyri, Heidi is still widely read today.

Growing up,...

A Wrinkle in Time tributes 
Two heartfelt tributes to Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time

I'll Love You forever, I'll Like You For Always  Not rated yet
This is a beautiful book about the circle of love, that I read to my children, and grandchildren. It's a touching story of a mother who goes through the ...

Charlotte's Web - a writer's tribute  Not rated yet
Charlotte's Web

Through this humorous and touching story of a spider and a pig, I learned the importance of being a true friend and a good writer....

The Girl Who Cried Flowers by Jane Yolen  Not rated yet
When I first stumbled onto this title in the early 1970s I was drawn to the illustrator's rendering (David Palladini, I believe) on the cover. It evoked ...

Fortunately  Not rated yet
My favorite book from when I was a little boy was Fortunately , by Remy Charlip. It was one of those books that I had to check out every time I went ...

Big Red  Not rated yet
I never had pets, was a girl and lived in town, but I was fascinated by all of the Kjelgaard dog books (Big Red is the first title that comes to mind)...

The Melendy Family Quartet  Not rated yet
The Melendy Family is actually a combination of four books by Elizabeth Enright about a family of four children in the 1940s. Although they mention influences ...

The Cat in the Hat books  Not rated yet
The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss

Beguiling books for young readers

Intriguing, beguiling, infuriating...

These are the words that describe ...

Anne of Green Gables series  Not rated yet
Anne of Green Gables

I loved this series and could relate to being a young awkward child trying to fit in. My 7 year old daughter is also reading ...

Peter Rabbit  Not rated yet
The Tale of Peter Rabbit

I was always an obedient child -- up to a certain age of course. I never liked getting punished. I always related with ...

The Little Red Hen  Not rated yet
The Little Red Hen was one of many books I loved as a child. I guess I was impressed with the red hen's determination.

She knew what needed to be ...

The Famous Five by Enid Blyton  Not rated yet
Browse Famous Five books on Amazon.

I was in boarding school when I read the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. I remember that I couldn’t wait for ...

White Fang  Not rated yet
White Fang was the book of my childhood. I don't have a great memory for many things in my younger days, but this book is one of the few things that ...

Everyone Knows What A Dragon Looks Like  Not rated yet
This was by Jay Williams. Illustrated by Mercer Mayer.

I learned not to judge people by their appearance. I learned that even if you were small and ...

The Diary of Anne Frank  Not rated yet
Raised in a Baptist environment, I went to Bible school as a child and enjoyed the Kool-aid and cookies and pretty stories, but didn't question the veracity ...

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory  Not rated yet
In Charlie and the Chocolate factory five lucky kids would win a trip to Wonkas factory that had been closed forever. One or two parents can come with ...

Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood  Not rated yet
Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood book and record

I was given the Disney Robin Hood book and record when I was about four. I wore it out listening ...

Fall of the House of Usher  Not rated yet
The book that frightened me the most was Edgar Allan Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher." This was required reading by my high school literature class....

"Book of Mormon for Children" series  Not rated yet
The children's books that made a difference to me when growing up were the series of three "Book of Mormon for Children." Since I'm a member of the LDS ...

The Grouchy Ladybug  Not rated yet
If you don't like to read, this short story with a happy ending will surely put a smile on your face. The Grouchy Ladybug , by Eric Carle, author of ...

The Ugly Duckling - about more than looks  Not rated yet
I think everyone knows the book, The Ugly Duckling ...it sure has held the test of time! ( Webmaster's note: Jerry Pinkney's version, seen above, is ...

Yertle the Turtle
and
The Cat in the Hat  Not rated yet
The Two Books I Liked Best As a Child

Yertle the Turtle on Amazon.
The Cat in the Hat on Amazon

When Steve asked me to write this article,...

Where the Sidewalk Ends  Not rated yet
Two grown-ups vouch for Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein, as a children's book that made a lasting impact.

Sand Dune Pony  Not rated yet
Sand Dune Pony: A “Gentling” Experience

Sand Dune Pony by Troy Nesbit on Amazon

This assignment rolled around in my brain for several days ...

Seven with One Blow  Not rated yet
Seven with One Blow

I was five and recovering from a terrible bout of Chicken Pox. In those days, no one could come back to school until every trace ...

The Count of Monte Cristo  Not rated yet
The Count of Monte Cristo on Amazon.

My mother read this book to me, a chapter a night, when I was just seven years old. I looked forward to bedtime,...