As an avid reader, one of my favorite parts of being a parent is introducing my children to the books I loved during my childhood. Here are what I consider to be the 10 best classic children’s books.
I’ve loved reading for as long as I can remember. My kids enjoy reading, too, and it warms my heart to see them engrossed in stories, or to watch them discover new favorite reading material.
There are so many fun new books out there, but I’ve always had a soft spot for the classics. There’s something so special about seeing your kids enjoy the same stories you loved as a child.
Stone Soup
A classic story with a timeless lesson, this book is as relevant now as it was when it was written in the 1940s. I’ve always enjoyed stories with clever solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems, which is probably why this one was such a favorite.
A Mother for Choco
When I was a kid, I didn’t recognize this book as the heartwarming adoption story that it is. Instead, I enjoyed it for the adorable little bird, Choco, and his silly search to find someone who looks and sounds like him. In the end, he finds a home and a mother that are just right.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
As a middle child, I always felt a kinship with Alexander and the terrible day he had. One of my favorite things about this book is the timelessness; kids everywhere have had bad days forever, and they’ll continue to have them. It’s nice to know they aren’t alone.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
This books has spurred a bunch of sequels, but the original will always be my favorite. The interaction between the boy and the mouse is the exact kind of outlandish “what if” make-believe that kids enjoy so much.
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
One of the oldest books on my list, this one is also one of my absolute favorites. My mom read it a lot when I was younger. It was a crowd-pleaser, because my younger brother loved that it involved heavy machinery, and I enjoyed the sweet solution to the problem Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel encounter.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
This book seems to be just as popular now as it was 25 years ago, and for good reason. It’s refreshingly simple and addictive in it’s fun rhymes and catchy hook. I loved it when I was a kid, my preschool students enjoyed it when I introduced them to it, and now my own kids are fans, too.
The Little Engine That Could
I remember this story being one of the first I learned to read on my own. With the feisty little engine and his cars full of toys and gifts, it quickly became a favorite.
The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies
Growing up, we owned a lot of Berenstain Bears books. A lot. I’d venture that, more nights than not, at least one of the stories we read was about the bears. Out of the dozens we had, though, this one was always a favorite. Now that I’m grown, I especially appreciate the moral behind the story; it’s one my kids need to be reminded of often.
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
I have such fond memories of reading this book with my grandparents. We all know the classic story of the three little pigs, but this book turns that tale on its head and makes the wolf out be a misunderstood patsy. This book falls into the “fun for parents, too” category.
The Velveteen Rabbit
It’s hard to believe this book was written nearly 100 years ago. Even so, the story of imagination and friendship is beautiful and timeless. It’s a fun story of toys come to life from before the Toy Story franchise was even an idea scribbled on a napkin.
Ready for more kid fun? Here are our favorite bedtime stories, and the kool-aid playdough my kids can’t get enough of.
(this post contains affiliate links; to learn more, see my disclosure policy)
This is such a fun list. I have a couple of these already for the boys, but I’ll have to go ahead and order a few more from the list. It’s not a classic, but #babyD has really been enjoying The Monster Who Lost His Mean recently.
I’ve not heard of that one. I’ll have to check it out. I think your boys would love any of the books from this list!
I haven’t heard of A Mother for Choco. I’ll have to check it out at the library. I’ve started reading Anne of Green Gables to my older sons and they’re enduring it – dare I say, even enjoying it! My middle son always finishes the chapter books on his own when we start one reading aloud.
A Mother for Choco is such a sweet one. I’m looking forward to when our kids are a little older and I can share my favorite chapter books with them, like Chronicles of Narnia, Anne of Green Gables, and Little House on the Prairie.
Great choices! Several were favorites of mine as a kid.
Thank you, Lisa! It’s such fun reliving the stories with my kids.
Great books…I would also suggest “Where the Wild Things Are” and “There’s a Bear in my Bed.” Super fun to “act out” and the kids just love them. I read EVERY night to my kiddos and when they were old enough to read themselves, they were allow to have the light on an extra 30 minutes as long as they were in their beds reading. All four are avid readers and scored off the charts in standardized testing! Great passion to teach your children!
Thank you, Beck! I hope mine grow up to be avid readers, too. I think I’ll have to make a second list because Where the Wild Things Are, There’s an Alligator Under My Bed, and a few others definitely need to be mentioned, too.