(I’m going to finish my children’s lit series before the baby comes–really!) This one was hard–I came up with a list of 70 or so off the top of my head, did a bit of research of other book lists, then realized that I really wanted to emphasize books that are notably excellent, so I took off books I hadn’t reread in the past few years (are they really as excellently crafted as I remembered, or was I just captivated by the story?). And it seemed redundant to list all the books in a series. We are leery of long series in general, as writing quality often takes a hit, but exceptions are Little House, Narnia, Prydain, Unfortunate Events, and Anne. In those cases, assume that if one book is mentioned, they’re all included! So I decided to whittle it down to a non-exhaustive list of 50 chapter books that we feel exemplify the morally excellent-aesthetically-excellent category we’re promoting. But I couldn’t get quite down to 50. So here are 51 chapter books we love. Of course, tastes differ, different children are ready at different ages, etc, so I’m bracing for the comments and critiques! =)
Aiken, Joan The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Alcott, Louisa May Eight Cousins
Alcott, Louisa May Little Women
Alexander, Lloyd The High King
Brink, Carol Ryrie Caddie Woodlawn
Dahl, Roald Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
de Angeli, Marguerite The Door in the Wall
DeJong, Meindert The Wheel on the School
Dickens, Charles A Christmas Carol
du Bois, William Pène The Twenty-One Balloons
Field, Rachel Calico Bush
Field, Rachel Hitty, Her First Hundred Years
Fitzgerald, John D. The Great Brain
Forbes, Esther Johnny Tremain
Grahame, Kenneth The Wind in the Willows
Kipling, Rudyard Captains Courageous
Latham, Jean Lee Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
Lewis, C. S. Chronicles of Narnia (in the original order, of course)
MacDonald, George The Light Princess
MacDonald, George The Princess and the Goblin
McCloskey, Robert Homer Price
Milne, A. A. Winnie-the-Pooh
Montgomery, Lucy Maud Anne of Green Gables
Montgomery, Lucy Maud Jane of Lantern Hill
Nesbit, E. The Railway Children
Norton, Mary The Borrowers
Pope, Elizabeth Marie The Perilous Gard
Pyle, Howard Men of Iron
Seredy, Kate The Good Master
Seredy, Kate The Singing Tree
Snedeker, Caroline Dale Downright Dencey
Snicket, Lemony A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning
Sorensen, Virginia Miracles on Maple Hill
Speare, Elizabeth George The Bronze Bow
Speare, Elizabeth George The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Spyri, Johanna Heidi
Stevenson, Robert Louis Kidnapped
Stevenson, Robert Louis Treasure Island
Stewart, Trenton Lee The Mysterious Benedict Society
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit
Van Stockum, Hilda The Winged Watchman
Verne, Jules Around the World in Eighty Days
Warner, Gertrude Chandler The Boxcar Children
West, Joyce The Drovers Road series
White, E. B. Charlotte’s Web
White, E. B. Stuart Little
Wilder, Laura Ingalls Little House series (especially Farmer Boy for little boys)
Winterfeld, Henry Detectives in Togas
Winterfeld, Henry Mystery of the Roman Ransom
Worth, Kathryn They Loved to Laugh
Wyss, Johann The Swiss Family Robinson
I read almost every single one of those with Sonlight’s reading curriculum. LOVED them.
Makes me want to start them all again, too, but I am pretty sure I would end up neglecting my children. And I am not sure I have the brain capacity right now (isn’t that pathetic?!)!
Yes, it does sound like a Sonlight reading list! Though there are a number I haven’t read that are now on my “to read” list. Thanks for putting this list together! And yes, Narnia simply must be in the original order.