Dive into 100 of the Best Children's Books of All Time According to GoodReads

Book Lists
Written By Deena Kay

Guess what? The verdict is in! Goodreads' awesome community of readers has spoken, and they've put together a fantastic list of the top 100 children's books.

Just in case you're new to the Goodreads scene, it's like this cozy corner of the internet where book lovers unite. You can discover new reads, share your thoughts, and peek into what your pals are enjoying. It's basically a paradise for bookworms, if you ask me!

Don't forget to save this list for your next book club meeting or whenever you're looking for your next literary adventure. Happy reading! 📚✨

  1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

  2. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

  3. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

  4. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

  5. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

  6. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

  7. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

  8. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle

  9. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

  10. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

  11. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

  12. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

  13. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

  14. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

  15. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

  16. The Giver by Lois Lowry

  17. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

  18. Matilda by Roald Dahl

  19. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

  20. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

  21. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

  22. The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne

  23. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

  24. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

  25. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

  26. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

  27. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

  28. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book 1) by Rick Riordan

  29. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

  30. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

  31. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson

  32. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell

  33. Holes by Louis Sachar

  34. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

  35. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

  36. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

  37. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

  38. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

  39. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

  40. Black Beauty by  Anna Sewell

  41. Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm

  42. Curious George by H.A. Rey

  43. Heidi by Johanna Spyri

  44. The Little House Collection by Laura Ingalls Wilder

  45. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

  46. Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

  47. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

  48. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

  49. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

  50. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

  51. Wonder by R.J. Palacio

  52. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

  53. Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss

  54. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

  55. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

  56. The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew, Book 1) by Carolyn Keene

  57. Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parrish

  58. The BFG by Roald Dahl

  59. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner

  60. Going Over by Beth Kephart

  61. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O’Brien

  62. Are You My Mother by P.D. Eastman

  63. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

  64. Press Here by Herve Tullet

  65. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

  66. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

  67. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

  68. The Bad Beginning or Orphans! A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

  69. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

  70. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

  71. The Call of the Wild by Jack London

  72. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary

  73. Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban

  74. A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

  75. Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

  76. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

  77. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judy Barrett

  78. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

  79. Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Liobel

  80. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

  81. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

  82. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch

  83. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

  84. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

  85. Corduroy by Don Freeman

  86. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

  87. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

  88. Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherry Dusky Rinker

  89. Are you there, God? It’s Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume

  90. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

  91. Tuesday Tucks Me In by Luis Carlos Montalvan

  92. Beatrix Potter the Complete Tales by Beatrix Potter

  93. Flora and Flamingo by Molly Idle

  94. A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stephenson

  95. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss

  96. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

  97. The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper

  98. Miss Nelson is Missing! by Harry G. Allard Jr.

  99. Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne

  100. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Also, be sure to check out 2024’s Reading Challenge


How many of the Goodreads 100 Best Children's Books have you tackled?

Do you vibe with their picks?

What books would you throw into the mix?

Deena Kay
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