100 Favorite Children’s Books
Adventure
- Animals - Fantasy - Funny
- Mystery - Poetry -
Science Fiction - Sports - War
and Peace
These books were selected by the Timberland Youth Services
staff. Ask your librarian for help in finding
these titles and other good books to read.
Baby Island
Brink, Carol Ryrie
The Wallace sisters, ages ten and twelve, are set adrift in a lifeboat
with four babies when their ocean liner en route to Australia begins to sink.
Suth’s Story
Dickinson, Peter
Six orphan children survive and struggle to find safety 200,000 years
ago.
Robin’s Country
Furlong, Monica
A mute orphan boy, with only shadowy recollections of his past, runs away
from his cruel master and eventually joins Robin Hood and his followers in their
forest hideaway.
My Side of the Mountain
George, Jean Craighead
Wanting to escape his crowded New York City apartment, Sam Gribley runs
away to the wilderness of the Catskill Mountains with only a penknife, a ball of
cord, an ax and $40.
Winter Camp
Hill, Kirkpatrick
Eleven-year-old Toughboy and his younger sister must survive the harsh
Alaskan winter at a friend’s winter trapping camp.
The Volcano Disaster
Kehret, Peg
When an "Instant Commuter" transports him to Mount Saint Helens
during its eruption, twelve-year-old Warren cannot get himself back to his own
home in his own time.
Save Queen of Sheba
Moeri, Louise
After miraculously surviving a Sioux Indian raid on the trail to Oregon,
a brother and sister set out with few provisions to find the rest of the
settlers.
Trouble on the Tracks
Napoli, Donna Jo
Thirteen-year-old Zach and his younger sister Eve are thrown off a moving
train in the Australian outback when they discover smugglers.
The Firework-Maker’s Daughter
Pullman, Philip
In this comical and suspenseful adventure, headstrong Lila must face down
the Fire-Fiend of Mount Merapi and bring back "royal sulfur" from the
sacred volcano in order to become a master maker of fireworks like her father.
The Cay
Theodore Taylor
A teenaged boy and an African American man become stranded on a tiny
Caribbean island when a German submarine torpedoes their freighter. Together
they share an adventure in courage, survival and friendship.
Freddy Goes to Florida
Brooks, Walter R.
The barnyard animals decide to escape the cold winter by vacationing in
sunny Florida.
Mr. Ape
King-Smith, Dick
A wealthy old man living in an enormous home meets a gypsy father and
son, adopts many animals, and finally learns the true meaning of family.
Catwings
Le Guin, Ursula K.
Four young cats with wings leave the city slums in search of a safe place
to live, finally meeting two kind children.
Shiloh
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds
When he finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home,
Marty tries to hide it from his family and the dog’s real owner, a
mean-spirited man known to mistreat his dogs.
Mean Margaret
Seidler, Tor
What do a pair of newlywed woodchucks, a squirrel, a testy snake, a skunk
and a couple of bats have in common with a family of pudgy human beings named
Hubble? The answer – MEAN Margaret.
Silverwing
Oppel, Kenneth
When a newborn bat named Shade but sometimes called "Runt" becomes
separated from his colony during migration, he grows in ways that prepare him
for even greater journeys.
Misty of Chincoteague
Henry, Marguerite
The determination of two children to own a Chincoteague pony is greatly
increased when the Phantom and her colt are among those rounded up for the
yearly auction.
Snot Stew
Wallace, Bill
Brother and sister cats are taken in by a family and learn the pleasures
and dangers of living alongside humans.
Upchuck and the Rotten Willy
Wallace, Bill
A lonely cat is befriended by a protective Rottweiler who saves the day!
Charlotte’s Web
White, E.B.
Wilbur the pig is desolate when he discovers that he is destined to be
the farmer’s Christmas dinner, until his spider friend, Charlotte, decides to
help him.
The Magic Hare
Banks, Lynne Reid
Stories about a magic hare who uses his powers to help animals and
people.
Teller of Tales
Brooke, William
An old man is ordered to stop reporting on the Emperor’s state of
undress. With the help of a streetwise little girl, he embarks upon a life full
of stories, only to find the old familiar stories surprisingly full of life.
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher
Coville, Bruce
Small for his age, but artistically talented, twelve-year-old Jeremy
Thatcher unknowingly buys a dragon’s egg.
The Boggart
Cooper, Susan
Twelve-year-old Emily discovers an invisible, mischievous boggart in her
Canadian home, after a visit to the family castle in Scotland.
Bunnicula
Howe, James
The Monroe’s new pet appears to be an ordinary rabbit. But when Chester
the cat finds vegetables with fang marks in them, he convinces his pal Harold
that they have a vampire bunny on their hands.
Redwall
Jacques, Brian
First book of a popular series in which mice, ferrets, rats and hedgehogs
share a medieval adventure, with knights, chivalry and swordplay.
The Merman
King-Smith, Dick
While on vacation in Scotland on her 10th birthday, Zeta meets
a wise, kindly old merman who teaches her not only to swim, but also, many, many
more fascinating things.
Afternoon of the Elves
Lisle, Janet Taylor
A tiny, delicate village built of sticks and leaves appears in Sara-Kate’s
junky and overgrown yard. Who could have made it? Sara-Kate says it was elves,
but Hillary isn’t sure.
The Borrowers
Norton, Mary
Miniature people who live in an old country house by borrowing things
from the humans are forced to emigrate from their home under the clock.
The Mennyms
Waugh, Sylvia
The Mennyms, a family of life-size rag dolls living in a house in
England, feel threatened when the owner of the house announces he is coming from
Australia for a visit.
Soap! Soap! Don’t Forget the Soap: An
Appalachian Folktale
Birdseye, Tom
A forgetful boy gets himself into trouble when he repeats what each
person he meets on the road says to him.
Fudgemania
Blume, Judy
Fudge is back and driving his brother Peter crazy, as usual. Peter is
stuck with Fudge and Sheila, the Cootie Queen, for three whole weeks as their
families share a summer house.
Cody Unplugged
Duffey, Betsy
Cody is hooked on TV, computers and video games. How’s a nine-year-old
supposed to go to camp and have fun without electricity? How can he possibly
avoid all the natural disasters like bears and poison ivy and a camp bully
called Moose?
The Phantom Tollbooth
Juster, Norton
When a tollbooth appears in his room, Milo drives through to the island
of Conclusions where he meets a ticking watchdog named Tock. Maybe he isn’t so
bored after all!
Pippi Longstocking
Lindgren, Astrid
Escapades of a lucky little girl who lives with a horse and a monkey, but
without any parents, at the edge of a Swedish village.
Tingleberries, Tuckertubs and Telephones
Mahy, Margaret
Saracen’s granny is a retired ace detective who is anxious to hit the
trail again when pirate Grudge-Gallows escapes from prison.
The Adventures of Captain Underpants
Pilkey, Dav
When George and Harold hypnotize their principal into thinking that he is
the superhero Captain Underpants, they find they must defeat his evil robot
henchmen in the lair of Dr. Diaper.
Marvin Redpost: Why Pick on Me?
Sachar, Louis
Third grader Marvin loses popularity quickly when the class bully calls
him names during a recess incident. Laugh out loud through the entire series!
Tut, Tut
Scieszka, Jon
The Time Warp Trio is back, and up to hieroglyphic mischief in the land
of pyramids and Pharaohs. Joe, Sam and Fred find themselves dodging crocodiles
on the Nile, outwitting the evil priest in tombs and temples, and searching for
an escape route from the top-secret mummy-making chamber.
The Secret Knowledge of Grown-ups
Wisniewski, David
You are about to open secret files, heretofore hidden from kids for
thousands of years. Get ready to learn the REAL reasons adults tell you to do
things!
The Case of the Missing Cutthroats
George, Jean Craighead
Spinner is a dancer, not a fisherman, but when she lands a prize
cutthroat trout, thought to be extinct, the mystery begins.
Running Out of Time
Haddix, Margaret Peterson
When a diphtheria epidemic hits, Jessie discovers that her 1840 village
is actually a 1996 tourist site. It’s up to Jessie to escape the village and
save the lives of the dying children.
The Dead Man in Indian Creek
Hahn, Mary Downing
When Matt and Parker find a dead body in Indian Creek, they fear Parker’s
mother may be involved.
Terror at the Zoo
Kehret, Peg
Twelve-year-old Ellen and her younger brother Corey are excited about
their overnight camp-out at the zoo, until they discover that they are locked
inside with a desperate escaped convict.
Angela’s Top-Secret Computer Club
Keller, Holly
Someone has managed to break into the school computer, scrambling all the
grades. Will Angela and her friends in the Top-Secret Computer Club be able to
find the culprit in time to stop all the confusion?
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E.
Frankweiler
Konigsburg, E.L.
Claudia and Jamie sneak away from home to live in the Metropolitan Museum
of Art in New York City. There they stumble upon a real mystery which has all
the art specialists stumped.
The Legend of Annie Murphy
Peretti, Frank
A hundred years after Annie Murphy was said to have killed her husband
following the discovery of gold in the Murphy mine, a ghost appears, involving
the Coopers in a mystery.
The Westing Game
Raskin, Ellen
The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together an
unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death
before they can claim their inheritance.
The View from the Cherry Tree
Roberts, Willo Davis
Rob is perched in his favorite place in the cherry tree feeling left out
of all the fuss the family is making over his sister’s wedding. He sees the
neighbor, Mrs. Calloway, pushed out of a window, but no one will believe he
witnessed a murder except the killer.
Danger in Quicksand Swamp
Wallace, Bill
Ben and Jake battle alligators, quicksand, and a murderer when they
search for buried treasure on an island in a swamp.
Love Letters
Adoff, Arnold
These are the strangest love letters you have ever read, from such
admirers as "IcicleEyes" and "The Biscuit Girl." In these
pages "Playground Snow Girl," "New Boy" and others find out
what love really is.
Sing a Song of Popcorn
De Regniers, Beatrice Schenk, selector
Award-winning authors and illustrators team up for a poetry potpourri
featuring animals, people, weather, feelings, nonsense and fright! Whether you
want to read a rhyme or a haiku, you’ll find it in this treasury of smiles,
sentiment and surprises.
Laugh-eteria
Florian, Douglas
A collection of irreverent and silly poems about such things as ogres,
gumdrops and substitute teachers!
Spectacular Science
Hopkins, Lee Bennett, selector
Curious? This books lets us explore the wonder of the universe through
the microscope of poetry! A variety of poets deal with crystals, snowflakes,
magnets, stars, dinosaur bones and more.
A Pizza the Size of the Sun
Prelutsky, Jack
From eyeballs to aliens, the author makes you see everything in a
different light. The rhymes and word-play are especially fun in these 100+
poems.
The 20th
Century Children’s Poetry Treasury
Prelutsky, Jack, selector
A family read-aloud treasury that begs to be enjoyed by the young and
young at heart. This illustrated collection contains poems, both silly and
serious, of 137 poets representing every decade of the 20th Century.
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Silverstein, Shel
Jimmy Jet and hit t.v. set, Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who would not take
the garbage out and Captain Hook are just a few of the extraordinary characters
you will meet in this hilarious classic collection of poetry.
Canto Familiar
Soto, Gary
Familiar songs…from the viewpoint of a young Mexican American, his
dreams and rebellious thoughts.
Sweet Corn
Stevenson, James
Each poem has a different slant – literally – and a kids’ point of
view!
Sad Underwear
Viorst, Judith
Poems about everyday things that make you see them differently and laugh
– or cry.
Shape Changer
Brittain, Bill
Two seventh-grade friends help a shape-changing policeman from the planet
Rodinam as he tries to recapture an alien master criminal who can also change
form.
The Tripod Series: When the Tripods Came; The
White Mountains; City of Gold and Lead; The Pool of Fire
Christopher, John
Earth is invaded by the Tripods who control humans with metal caps. A
resistance group forms in the Alps.
My Teacher is an Alien
Coville, Bruce
Susan doesn’t like the substitute teacher who has taken the place of
cool Ms. Schwartz. Then she sees him peel his face off! He’s an alien, with
plans to abduct four kids from the class. Susan goes to Peter, the sci-fi nerd
in class, for help.
Aliens for Breakfast
Etra, Jonathon and Spinner, Stephanie
Aric, commander of the Interspace Brigade, has been sent to earth
freeze-dried in a box of breakfast cereal to keep the Dranes from taking over.
Amy, Number Seven
Kaye, Marilyn
Ever since Amy turned twelve, things have gotten weird. She’s never
been sick, or even had a cavity, and now she can see and hear incredible
distances. Everything is oddly easy, except for English class, in which she has
to write her autobiography. Dad died before she was born, and Mom won’t talk
about him, or anything from the past. Who is she, and what is happening
to her?
A Wrinkle in Time
L’Engle, Madeleine
Can Meg, Calvin and Charles Wallace outwit the forces of evil they
encounter on their hear-stopping journey through space and time to rescue the
children’s father?
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
O’Brien, Robert
Having no one to help her with her problems, a widowed mouse visits
genetically altered rats whose former imprisonment made them wise and
long-lived.
Fat Men from Space
Pinkwater, Daniel
William had a one-in-a-million tooth – a tooth that received radio
signals and played programs inside his head. It was amazing fun until he started
to receive broadcasts from the fat men. Flying around the universe wearing plaid
sport jackets, tasteless neckties and two-tone shoes, the fat men were on a
mission to confiscate all the junk food on Earth. Can William stop them?
Girl With the Silver Eyes
Roberts, Willo Davis
A ten-year-old girl, who has always looked different from other children,
discovers that she not only has unusual powers but that there are others like
her.
Stinker from Space
Service, Pamela
Tsynq Yr, a Sylon agent, is trying to get back to his planet with the
Zarnk plan of attack. When he crash lands on Earth, his current body is damaged
irreparably, and he must transfer his intelligence into another body quickly!
The only suitable one that comes along is that of a skunk!
Prime-time Pitcher
Christopher, Matt
When Koby Caplin, pitcher for Monticello Middle School becomes star of a
local TV documentary, he must deal with the problem of being a celebrity.
Quarterback Sneak
Gorman, Susan
Gadget is determined to become the team’s quarterback when he enters
Junior High. Training is tough, but Gadget is surprising everyone with his
sudden strength. Trouble begins when Jack sees him drinking Charlie’s
"secret weapon" and taking pills. Has Gadget changed that much?
Million Dollar Shot
Gutman, Dan
Eleven-year-old Eddie gets a chance to win a million dollars by sinking a
foul shot at the National Basketball Association finals.
Just Like Mike
Herman, Gail
When Michael Brown’s mother remarries and Michael’s last name changes
to Jordan, the kids at his new school expect him to be like his namesake on the
basketball court, but unfortunately this Michael is terrible at sports.
The Chicken Doesn’t Skate
Korman, Gordon
Wild things happen at the South Middle School when Milo’s science
project, Henrietta the chicken, becomes the hockey team’s mascot and their
only chance for a winning season.
Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the
World’s Fastest Woman
Krull, Kathleen
Wilma Rudolph overcomes childhood polio to become the first woman to win
three gold medals in track in a single Olympics.
In The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
Lord, Bette
A Chinese child comes to Brooklyn in 1947, where she becomes Americanized
at school, in her apartment building,and by her love for baseball.
Running Girl
Mathis, Sharon Bell
In her diary, Ebonee Rose records her passion for running, her desire to
be like the great African American women athletes who have come before her, and
her preparations for the all-city meet.
Baseball Saved Us
Mochizuki, Ken
A Japanese American boy learns to play baseball when he and his family
are forced to live in an internment camp during World War II. His ability to
play helps him after the war is over.
Crash
Spinelli, Jerry
Seventh-grader John "Crash" Coogan has always been comfortable
with his tough, aggressive behavior, until his relationship with an unusual
Quaker boy and his grandfather’s stroke let him reconsider the importance of
friendship and family.
Henry
Bawden, Nina
Just as their family has lost their home in London due to the bombing
raids of the Germans, so has a baby squirrel lost its home to a boy with a
slingshot. Based on a true event of the author’s childhood, the family set
about raising the squirrel, Henry.
Year of Impossible Good-byes
Choi, Sook Nyul
It’s 1945 and as long as ten-year-old Sookan can remember cruel
Japanese soldiers have controlled her country of Korea. But when the war ends,
it is not the hoped for Americans who come to the village. Her family continues
to live in fear, with their only hope for freedom being a dangerous escape to
American-controlled South Korea.
Lily’s Crossing
Giff, Patricia Reilly
During a 1944 summer spent at Rockaway Beach, Lily’s friendship with a
young Hungarian refugee causes her to see the war and her own world differently.
Hope’s Crossing
Goodman, Joan Elizabeth
When kidnapped by English Loyalists during the Revolutionary War,
thirteen-year-old Hope draws on every ounce of courage within her to respond to
the ordeal.
My Palace of Leaves in Sarajevo
Lorbiecki, Marybeth
In 1991, ten-year-old Nadja begins writing to her cousin in Minnesota,
and over the next four years her letters reveal the horrors of war in this
former republic of Yugoslavia, while her cousin’s letters give Nadja and her
family some hope.
Number the Stars
Lowry, Lois
Ellen Rosen and Annemarie Johansen are best friends when the Nazis come
to Denmark in 1943. Ellen pretends to be a Johansen while Annemarie shelters her
friend from danger.
The Sky is Falling
Pearson, Kit
It is the beginning of World War II, and a young girl and her small
brother find themselves evacuated from their home in England to live with
complete strangers in Canada.
Sing for Your Father, Su Phan
Pevsner, Stella
Events in a North Vietnamese village forever change the lives of the
youngest daughter of a prosperous trader and her family.
When the Soldiers Were Gone
Propp, Vera W.
After the German occupation of the Netherlands, Benjamin leaves the
Christian family with whom he had been living and reunites with his real parents
who returned from hiding.
Goodbye, Walter Malinski
Recorvits, Helen
Even though life in 1934 is hard for Wanda Malinski and her family, she
enjoys school, good times with her best friend and a special relationship with
her older brother.
Too Good To Miss! Beezus and Ramona
Cleary, Beverly
In this first book of a timeless series, Beezus follows her younger
sister Ramona around, trying to prevent trouble. Enjoy many more adventures of
Beezus and Ramona in the other books that are part of this series.
Frindle
Clements, Andrew
Fifth-grader Nick Allen invents a new word, and begins a wild chain of
events that quickly gets out of control!
Bud, Not Buddy
Curtis, Christopher Paul
Ten-year-old Bud escapes a bad foster home to search for his father,
believed to be the well known bandleader, H.E. Calloway.
Catherine, Called Birdy
Cushman, Karen
How can you possibly survive living in a 14th century English
castle? Birdy does survive, and her humorous and alarming private diary presents
a look at a world not so very much different from ours.
Shoebag
James, Mary James
Shoebag was a happy cockroach until he woke up one morning as a human
boy. Named for their places of birth, his mother’s name is Drainboard and his
father is Under the Toaster. How can Shoebag return to his family as a human?
Julie of the Wolves
George, Jean Craighead
A thirteen-year-old Eskimo girl becomes lost on the North Slope of
Alaska, and is befriended by a wolf pack.
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Maclachlan, Patricia
Caleb, Anna and their widowed father welcome mail order bride, Sarah, to
their Nebraska prairie home in the hope that she’ll stay.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Rowling, J.K.
In this first book of a popular series, a young boy proves his worth
while attending Hogwarts School for Wizards and Witches.
The Sign of the Beaver
Speare, Elizabeth George
A young pioneer boy in Maine survives in the wilderness with the help and
friendship of local Native Americans.
Little House in the Big Woods
Wilder, Laura Ingalls
Readers are introduced to pioneer girls Laura and Mary Ingalls, as they
grow up in the Wisconsin woods, helping with chores, enjoying their father’s
stories and songs and sharing special times with family and neighbors.
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Revised 09/04/08
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