Satori Smiles

Sing Down the Moon by Scott O’Dell (historical fiction)
Slave Dancer by Paula Fox (historical fiction)
the Prince and the Pauper
Wise Child by Monica Furlong (historical fiction)
Redwall (series) by Brian Jacques (fantasy)

Angela, once again you have done wonders! Thank you for this list. These are wonderful books. Brilliant.

Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers
The Parrot Tico-Tango (a funny picture book about forgiveness)

The Little Grey Men by BB
Five on a Treasure Island by Enid Blyton (series)

The Ramona books
Children of Green Knowe – Lucy M Boston
The Bat Poet – Randall Jarrell –
poetry
Miss Happiness and Miss Flower – Rumer Godden
The Dark is Rising series – Susan Cooper – fantasy
Number the Stars – Lois Lowry – historical fiction WW2
My Family and Other Animals – Gerald Durrell – humor, natural world, some ‘themes’.

Super list!

Tanglewood Tales – hawthorne – myth
Mistress Masham’s Repose – T H White – a Gullivers Travels influenced novel
The Rescuers – Margery Sharp
Ballet Shoes – Noel Streatfield – theatrical children
Rabbit Hill – Robert Lawson – fableish animal tale
Dogsbody – Dianna Wynne Jones – fantasy

My personal list would definitely include A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter.

And maybe The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder? I’d add The Story of Henry Sugar and Six More to your Roald Dahl list and maybe “Everything ever written for children by Roald Dahl.”

Oh, The House With a Clock in the Walls by John Bellairs! (And sequels.)

I second the Gerald Durrell recommendation. I wish Durrell were better known in the States–he is WONDERFUL.

Plus, Cheaper by the Dozen by the Gilbreaths, and Mama’s Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes is a wonderful companion to All-of-a-Kind Family, and gosh I wish The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald (and all her books besides Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle) got more attention! Possibly A Tree Grows In Brooklyn?

And now I better stop. This is a wonderful project. I’ll definitely be tuning in for updates. Good luck!

Angela Here is more for yr list ,My kids enjoyed all these books
Katie kazoo by Nancy Krulik,Ivy & Bean by Annie Barrows judy moody series by Megan McDonald ,
Stink by Megan McDonald (Boys seem to like this 1) Owly by Andy Runton ,Babymouse by Jennifer Holm ,
Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad, Elsa Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak Little Bear.I love your
impressive list!

Okay, apologies if I’m being too opinionated, but…

There’s a few that I think probably also need an * – A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Skellig, The Time Machine, The Dark is Rising, and maybe Island of the Blue Dolphins, Maniac Magee, My Side of the Mountain and A Wrinkle in Time, all of which are rightfully read typically in 4th or 5th grade and above. I question putting The Giver on any list of books recommended for elementary school age kids. I think the vast majority just wouldn’t be ready for it, which is not to say it’s not a wonderful book. Also, really, Moby Dick? But, as I’m not a Melville fan, my opinion on that probably shouldn’t count for much.

There’s a few books on here, I personally, would drop. The Yggyssey, for example, I greatly enjoyed, as I have all of Pinkwater’s stuff. But it’s a) not even his best work (I think that’s Young Adult Novel – not appropriate for this age) and b) not a must for anyone. Also, while I know the author was a homeschooled kid and I know the book has been enjoyed by many kids, I don’t know any serious children’s literature critics who actually *like* the Eragon books. To anyone who has read a lot of fantasy, the plot is painfully derivative and the writing isn’t good enough to make it overcome that. It reads much like the other middle schoolers’ novels in progress I’ve read over the years, just with a professional editor to spiff it up.

There’s a few things on here that are series that I think are good, and fun for kids to read, but I don’t know if they’re the very best – things like Charlie Bone, Ember, Boxcar Children, Edge Chronicles… And I feel like once you put some of those things on, one could easily begin to argue that different series should be on instead – Septimus Heap, Bartimaeus, Ivy and Bean, Judy Moody, The Alchemist, The Keys to the Kingdom, Young Wizards, The Enchanted Forest books, etc. etc. etc. All fine, all fun, all good series for various stages of elementary (and into middle school for some) age reading… But… a list has to choose.

There are others on your list that I loved – One Crazy Summer, for example – that I’m not sure quite make muster on the very best or most necessary books for elementary school. Though, actually, that one might. What a great book… but it’s still so fresh in my mind because I finished it recently.

I’m enjoying watching you make this though, and I hope my feedback is okay! It’s a cool project.

Mrs. Mike (Freedman)

Snow Treasure (McSwigan)

Twenty and Ten (Bishop)

The House of Sixty Fathers (DeJong)

Summer of the Monkeys (Rawls)

Eagle of the Ninth (Sutcliff)

Amazons and Swallows (Ransome)

Pigs Might Fly by Dick King-Smith is always a fun family read.

i’m so glad for this list, reminded me of some i’d forgotten my dd can read

Daphne’s book by Mary Downing Hahn (still makes me cry)
Red Scarf Girl by Ji-li Jiang
Ida B (about a homeschooled girl)
Are you there God? its me Margaret by Judy Blume
The cat ate my gymsuit by Paula Danziger
Nothing’s fair in fifth grade by Barthe DeClements
The day of Ahmed’s secret (1-3rd grade)
The Golden Goblet Eloise, Mara daughter of the Nile by Jarvis McGraw (Historical fiction, Egypt)
James and the giant peach, by Roald Dahl
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

I know more when i think of them i will post. Also, we moved and waiting on dd’s books so more ideas there. (i have so many books i mail them media mail)
I love children’s books myself i think it’s because i went straight to the middle school books without pictures and started reading them. One of my clearest, fondest memories was the first time i visited the library in second grade

Thank you so much. My son devours books faster than I can find them.

What a wonderful resource! Thanks so much for putting this together

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray
Sounder by William H. Armstrong
Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski
In Grandma’s Attic (Series) by Arleta Richardson
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
You’ve put together a great list! Thanks for sharing all your classroom pictures, ideas, etc.

It may be too late to add to your list but here a few of our favorites. We read a lot of older and less well known books. They are all easily available, though.

Elsa Beskow – Children of the Forest, The Sun Egg, Peter in Blueberry Land
Jann Brett – The Mitten, Trouble With Trolls, Annie and the Wild Animals
Hardie Gramatky – Little Toot
Virginia Lee Burton – Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel
Jean De Bruhnoff – Babar (the series)
Lucy Sprague Mitchell – The Taxi That Hurried (5 yr. olds)
The Little Red Lighthouse and The Great Gray Bridge (love it but lost it so I don’t have the authors name)

I’m too wordy! Love your list. It’s a great idea.
Denise

Great list!

I suggest adding “The Great Brain” by John Dennis Fitzgerald

Also, is there any room on the list for short stories?

I don’t see the list. Is it still there?

Hi

I don’t find any list here. Am I missing something? If not, can you please re-upload the list.

Thank you.

Thought I would leave a few….
A Year Down Yonder
Geaorge Washington’s Socks
Because of Winn Dixie
Spirit Horse
Holes
The Cay

Hi – Your list is not longer here, do you plan on reposting it?

Sorry for the list going down the past few months, I had changed my Google password and forgot that it would affect this list.