The ALSC Quicklists Consulting Committee created two top ten lists of "all-time classic" books that parents and children can read together. These lists were produced for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America for national KidsDay (August 2001) and include a preschool to age 8 list and an ages 8-12 list.
Aardema, Verna
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears
Dial, 1975
This folktale relates the reason mosquitoes annoy humans with their noisy buzzing. A Caldecott Medal winner.
Bemelmans, Ludwig
Mad About Madeline: the Complete Tales
Viking, 1993
All five of the original Madeline stories are included in this sure-to-be-loved edition.
Brown, Margaret Wise
The Runaway Bunny
Harper, 1942
A little bunny thinks of ways to escape, but his clever mother always finds a way to keep up with him.
Carle, Eric
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Philomel, 1970
A colorful and clever counting book about a very special and very hungry caterpillar.
Dorros, Arthur
Abuela
Dutton, 1991
A small girl and her grandmother take a delightfully imaginative flying tour over Manhattan.
Keats, Ezra Jack
The Snowy Day
Viking, 1962
This Caldecott Medal winner tells about a special day of playing in new-fallen snow.
Marshall, James
George and Martha: the Complete Stories About Two Best Friends
Houghton Mifflin, 1997
These beginning readers are funny and smart, and the two hippos that star become our friends as well.
McCloskey, Robert
Make Way for Ducklings
Viking, 1941
The classic story of a family of Mallard ducks in downtown Boston. A Caldecott Medal winner.
Sendak, Maurice
Where the Wild Things Are
Harper, 1963
A naughty little boy is sent to bed without supper, where he sails off to the land of the wild things and becomes their king. A Caldecott Medal winner.
Wells, Rosemary
Timothy Goes to School
Dial, 1981
Timothy's dread of the first day of school is made easier with the love and understanding of his parents.
Williams, Vera
A Chair for My Mother
Greenwillow, 1982
A young girl thinks of a wonderful surprise for her mother's birthday present. A Caldecott Honor book.
Cleary, Beverly
Ramona Quimby, Age 8
Morrow, 1981
Ramona's third grade year at school will keep young readers laughing. A Newbery Honor book.
Curtis, Christopher Paul
The Watsons Go to Birmingham: 1963
Delacorte, 1995
In the height of the Civil Rights Movement, a family travels to Alabama and experiences racial injustice first-hand, surviving through love and humor. A Coretta Scott King Honor book.
Dahl, Roald
James and the Giant Peach
Knopf, 1961
Magic crystals lead James on a magical adventure.
George, Jean Craighead
Julie of the Wolves
Harper, 1972
A gripping adventure about 13 year-old Julie and the wolf pack that adopts her in the Alaskan tundra. A Newbery Medal Winner.
Lewis, CS
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Macmillan, 1950
This classic fantasy takes readers on a journey to a wonderful new world of talking animals, fierce battles, and young heroes and heroines to love.
Polacco, Patricia
Mrs. Katz and Tush
Bantam, 1992
A kitten helps an old woman and a young boy cross lines of culture and generation.
Ringgold, Faith
Tar Beach
Crown, 1991
Based on a quilt by the author, this beautifully illustrated book tells the story of Cassie's magical flight above Harlem, exploring African-American history through her journey. A Coretta Scott King Medal winner and Caldecott Honor book.
Say, Allen
Grandfather's Journey
Houghton Mifflin, 1993
A Japanese American tells of his grandfather's journey to America, and of the love the family feels for both countries. A Caldecott Medal winner.
Silverstein, Shel
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Harper, 1974
This most popular of children's poets will have the whole family laughing!
Taylor, Mildred
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Dial, 1976
A black family in Depression Era Mississippi struggles with hardships of poverty and racial strife in this gripping family novel. A Newbery Award Winner.
White, EB
Charlotte's Web
Harper, 1952
Loved by children for generations, this is the story of a pig in trouble, the girl who loves him, and the clever spider who saves him. A Newbery Honor book.