Blue Willow Bookshop owner Valerie Koehler recommends 30 classic children’s books that belong in every family library.
The Snowy Day
by Ezra Jack Keats
There’s nothing like the magic of the first snowfall of the season
Good Night Moon
by Margaret Brown Wise
The classic bedtime story
Pat the Bunny
by Dorothy Meserve Kunhardt
The original touch and feel book
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
by Bill Martin and John Archambault
A lively alphabet rhyme you’ll read over and over
Mother Goose
Need we say more?
The Little Engine That Could
by Watty Piper
Any time a reminder to keep going
Where the Sidewalk Ends
by Shel Silverstein
The perfect introduction to poetry
The Story of Ferdinand
by Munro Leaf
A true classic with a timeless message
Each Peach Pear Plum
by Allan and Janet Ahlberg
Combines the joy of seek and find with nursery rhymes and fairy tales
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
by Helen Oxenbury
A great read aloud with perfect rhythm
Out of My Mind
by Sharon Draper
Like Wonder, a must read for everyone – child, parent and educator
Holes
by Louis Sachar
The engrossing adventure of a boy with a history of bad luck
The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963
by Christopher Paul Curtis
Historical fiction combined with a roadtrip story makes this an unforgettable story
Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate diCamillo
The beloved author’s first novel
The Phantom Tollbooth
by Norton Juster
Milo’s no longer bored once he crosses the Phantom Tollbooth to the land beyond
The Bridge to Terabithia
A classic read aloud that’s sure to make you cry
The One and Only Ivan
by Katherine Applegate
An uplifting story of a gorilla named Ivan that explores the power of friendship
Echo
by Pam Munoz Ryan
Three intertwining stories connected by the magic and music of a harmonica
Harry Potter series
by J.K. Rowling
The phenomenon that reignited the love of reading for a whole generation
A Wrinkle in Time
by Madeline L’Engle
A classic that remains fresh from one generation to the next. Read it before you see the movie!
The Giver
by Lois Lowry
Jonas learns the dark secrets behind his “perfect” world
Wonder
by R.J. Palacio
Remember to choose kindness.
Touching Spirit Bear
by Ben Mikaelsen
The ultimate survival story set on a remote Alaskan island
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler
Fifty years later, readers still want to spend the night at Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Lightning Thief
by Rick Riordan
The one that started all the love for classic mythology
Ghost Hawk
by Susan Cooper
Historical fiction combined with a bit of fantasy from a master storyteller
The Penderwicks series
by Jeanne Birdsall
A series that is at once classic and modern, this is a read aloud for all to love
The Outsiders
by S.E. Hinton
One of the original teen novels that still rings true
The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
An unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
A prize-winning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep South
