30 Books Every Child Must Read

There comes a time in every parents’ evening story time when you’ve read the same book so many times you recite it from heart. Although kids love the repetition and familiarity of their favorite stories, adding a new book to your repertoire can spark new pathways for little imaginations to take.

When browsing for stories, don’t be afraid to try more advanced books to your kids. Even kindergartners enjoy listening to longer chapter books, and toddlers can easily sit through a captivating picture book. Rather than choosing books based on reading level difficulty, instead select content for read-aloud time that is appropriate to your child’s maturity level in terms of themes. I have personally read 85% of the books below (either as a child myself or to my children) and the others listed are widely known and still loved by kids and classrooms today.

If you are reading this child book list on a desktop, its set up so you can find over 30 books that you must read and over 30 that are alternatives. If you cannot see the alternative list as its in a grid, please scroll down to the mobile friendly book list at the bottom of the page.

30 Books Every Child Must Read plus Alternatives

Try it!	Already love it? Try these!
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell	Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle	Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin Jr.
Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss	The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss	Wacky Wednesday by Dr. Seuss
Steam Train Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker	Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
Click Clack Moo by Doreen Cronin	Thump, Quack, Moo: A Whacky Adventure by Doreen Cronin
The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear	The Napping House by Don & Audrey Wood
Don’t let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems	Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Millems
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson	Corduroy by Don Freeman
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak	Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel	Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel
Curious George by H.A. Rey and Margaret Rey	The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo	If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume	Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
Matilda by Roald Dahl	James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Ramona Quimby Age 8 by Beverly Cleary	Amelia Bedelia by Herman Parish
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner	Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobel
Lion Witch Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis	The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White	Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary	Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney	Dog Man by Dav Pikley
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder	Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh	The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin	From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling	Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling
Wonder by R.J. Palacio	Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle	Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster	Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson	Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien	The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Hold Fast by Blue Balliett	Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere by Julie T. Lamana
The Black Stallion by Walter Farley	The Island Stallion by Walter Farley
I am Malala by Malala Yousafazi	A Little Piece of Ground by Elizabeth Laird