Broke the mold of American picture storybook writing (Harper and Row, 1963)
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Written decades ago, a gentle story of a mallard family's search for a home in the Boston Public Garden (Viking, 1941)
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenher
Lyrical text and striking illustrations about a girl and her father who go owling in the winter woods (Putnam, 1987)
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
Story about a woman who spreads beauty in the world by planting flowers (Viking, 1982)
Polar Express by Chris van Allsburg
With text and illustrations that suggest the magic of Christmas Eve, on its way to becoming a classic (Houghton Mifflin, 1985)
The Talking Eggs by Robert D. San Soucie, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Creole folktales from the American South with a special style of language and illustration that captures a special mood (Dial, 1989)
Tuesday by David Wiesner
Brilliant and imaginative illustrations in a wordless book about what would happen if pigs or frogs could fly (Clarion, 1991)
Drummer Hoff by Barbara Emberley, illustrated by Ed Emberley
Rhyming and repeated text and brilliant illustrations, a treat to both ear and eye (Simon and Schuster, 1967)
Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! by Dr. Seuss, with help from Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith
Exuberant account of a school, a refreshing reflection on standards-based education from Dr. Seuss's sketches and notes (Knopf, 1998)
My Very First Mother Goose by Iona Opie, illustrated by Rosemary Wells
One of the best of many good collections available (Candlewick, 1996)
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
From preschool until the time that children can read it on their own, a favorite of children (Harper & Row, 1952)
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Outrageous characters that continue to fascinate and engage children whenever they hear the story (Knopf, 1961)
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
Outrageous and improbable story that seems to appeal to children's sense of humor and the absurd (Dell, 1973)
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Masterpiece of high fantasy that often introduces children to the genre and induces them to read other books in the Chronicles of Narnia (Macmillan, 1961)
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
For space-age children, a work of science fiction that still holds pleasure and fascination (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1962)
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Written in 1911, a beloved British story about friendship and hope that still captures the imagination and attention of elementary school pupils when it is read well to them (Knopf, 1993)
The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton
A mystery story about runaway slaves who hid in the walls of a mysterious house that keeps children on the edge of their seats (Simon and Schuster, 1968)
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
A story dominated by love, loyalty and action to which children of different grade levels respond (Crowell, 1980)
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
About an outspoken young person who experiences the trials and travails of school, well loved by children in the primary grades (Morrow, 1968)
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
A favorite story to read to children, difficult to read without crying (Doubleday, 1961)