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NPR's 100 Best Children's Books : NPR

NPR's 100 Best Children's Books This year we had kids and caregivers in mind when we chose the genre for our summer poll. So here are 100 favorite kids' books, picked by readers and expert judges, to while away the hours at home.

Review

August 31, 20207:00 AM ET

Esmé Shapiro for NPR

It's been such a strange, lost summer. Camps and schools and activities have shut down during the pandemic, leaving kids and caregivers stuck at home and climbing the walls — and sometimes the garden fences.

With that in mind, we decided that this year's summer reader poll should be all about keeping kids occupied. We asked you to tell us about your favorite kids' books, from board books for babies to great read-alouds to early chapter books and even a few books for older readers. And thousands of you answered.

As with all our summer polls, this one isn't a straight-up popularity contest. (Otherwise it would have been nothing but 100 Mo Willems books — and we love Mo Willems, but that wouldn't have been the most useful list.) Rather, it's a curated list built from your recommendations and picks from our expert panel of judges — a fantastic group of authors, librarians, publishers and all-around book nerds. And instead of a ranked list, it's grouped into categories that we hope will help you find just the right books for the kids in your life.

Now, we understand that half the fun of a list is arguing about what didn't make it on — and our judges had to make some hard choices. But there was one easy decision: A few years ago, we did a summer list based on All Things Considered's Backseat Book Club of great reads for kids from 9 to 14. This year's list is focused on younger readers, but we did include a few books for older kids. So if something appeared on the Backseat 100, we didn't include it here. That means no Charlotte's Web, no Matilda and no Little House books (though we've got some wonderful suggestions for Little House fans, like Linda Sue Park's Prairie Lotus).

We want this list to be a tool for discovery, which means we had to walk a delicate path when it comes to books that are undeniable classics — we knew all hell would rain down on us if we left out Where the Wild Things Are or The Very Hungry Caterpillar. But we decided you probably didn't need our help to discover Dr. Seuss, Richard Scarry or The Little Engine that Could, so those didn't make it onto the list.

And as always, we had to decide which work to pick from creators who were nominated multiple times. Readers may remember the Nora Roberts Rule, which came about during 2015's romance poll: No one gets on the list twice UNLESS they're as titanic a figure in their field as Roberts is in romance; we included her in that list under both her own name and her pen name, J.D. Robb.

This year brought an interesting twist. Since many books on the list have both authors and illustrators, we eventually decided that authors could appear only once, but we didn't mind seeing illustrators again. (Hello, Christian Robinson and Vashti Harrison!) And generally, when someone appeared more than once in the nominations, we went with whichever title was more popular with voters (so Kevin Henkes' Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse beat out Kitten's First Full Moon).

You'll also see there's a section of books for older readers. We wanted to recognize that a lot of kids read ahead of their age groups — and also, there have been so many great books that came out since we put together the Backseat 100 list in 2013 that it seemed a shame not to include a few of them here.

We hope you and the kids in your life will have as much fun poring through this list as we had putting it together! We had a blast recalling old favorites and discovering new classics (and a shoutout to our gracious judges, who let me sneak in one of my all-time childhood faves, Paul Goble's gorgeous The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses).

To make things easier, we've split up the list into categories: Picture Perfect, Baby's Bookshelf, Conversation Starters, Family Life, Animal (and Monster) Friends, Folktales and Fairy Tales, Fun to Read Out Loud, Nonfiction, Early Chapter Books, and Older Readers. Happy reading!

The Snowy Day

50th Anniversary Edition

by Ezra Jack Keats

One morning, a little boy in Brooklyn wakes up to a changed world — sparkling with fresh snowfall. And though it's never directly mentioned in the text, young Peter is Black, one of the first non-caricatured Black people to star in a major children's book. Author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats was white, but his sensitive depiction of a child's first experience with snow won the Caldecott Medal and was embraced by parents and children of all colors. (For ages 0 to 2)

Where the Wild Things Are

by Maurice Sendak

Readers nominated so many Maurice Sendak books, it was hard to pick just one. Well, no, actually — despite a moment of competition from In the Night Kitchen, we knew we had to go with this classic tale of Max, his wolf suit, the wild rumpus, and of course ... the dinner that was still warm when he got home. (For ages 4 to 8)

The Old Truck

by Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey

Jerome Pumphrey was driving through central Texas to visit his brother Jarrett, and along the way he kept seeing old trucks sitting out in the fields. He began to wonder what stories those old trucks could tell — the result, created by both brothers together, is this story, illustrated by hundreds of hand-carved stamps, of a farm family and their beloved pickup. (For ages 3 to 5)

Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut

by Derrick Barnes and Gordon C. James

We couldn't put Hair Love on the list (you'll find it a little further down) and leave out this tribute to the magic of the barbershop. "You came in as a lump of clay, a blank canvas, a slab of marble," author Derrick Barnes writes. "But when my man is done with you, they'll want to post you up in a museum!" Gordon C. James' lively paintings of smiling boys showing off their fresh cuts will put a smile on your face, too. (For ages 3 to 8)

Julián Is A Mermaid

by Jessica Love

Julián is riding the subway with his abuela when he sees them: three mermaids, with fabulous hair and fishtail dresses. And Julián loves mermaids. So much that he makes his own costume at home, with a yellow curtain for a tail and a potted fern for a crown. This is a gorgeous tale of creativity and acceptance, rounded out with misty, jeweled gouache illustrations. (For ages 4 to 8)

Miss Rumphius

by Barbara Cooney

Miss Rumphius dreams of living by the sea, traveling the world, and making it a more beautiful place — and she does it on her own terms, living alone with her cat and sowing lupine seeds along the coast of Maine despite the local kids who call her "That Crazy Old Lady." (She was based on a real person — Maine resident Hilda Hamlin, who was known as the "Lupine Lady" for her habit of scattering seeds.) (For ages 5 to 8)

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses

by Paul Goble

Everywhere you look in The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, there's a tiny, precise and lovely detail — a plant, a bird, a lizard, a pebble, a shell and of course the magnificent horses. This story of a Plains Indian girl who runs away with a band of wild horses, and eventually becomes one of them, won the Caldecott in 1978, and for good reason. (For ages 5 to 8)

Hello Lighthouse

by Sophie Blackall

Waves roll by, seasons come and go, keepers tend to their duties, and through it all, the lighthouse stands tall, sending its beam out into the darkness, bidding hello to all the ships at sea. Caldecott winner Sophie Blackall does a gorgeous job showing the timeless nature of lighthouse life — and the change that's coming. (For ages 4 to 8)

Tar Beach

by Faith Ringgold

Artist Faith Ringgold's tale of young Cassie Louise Lightfoot who flies far above the "tar beach" of her apartment building roof is — along with The Undefeated — one of the most beautiful books on this list. Lifted up by the stars, Cassie flies over the city, claiming its beauty for her own and imagining a better life for her family. As a bonus, you can see Ringgold reading the book here. (For ages 5 to 8)

The Undefeated

by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson

One of the most — if not the most — beautiful books on this list. Kadir Nelson's glowing, photorealistic paintings pair with Kwame Alexander's powerful words (with nods to Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks and more) for a tribute to decades of Black brilliance, pain and perseverance. "This is one of those texts that really spoke to me; it was beautifully written and I felt it was a really great pairing of words and pictures of an author and an artist," Nelson told NPR. (For ages 6 to 9)

Harlem

A Poem

by Walter Dean Myers and Christopher Myers

This poem by Walter Dean Myers — a revered elder of children's literature — celebrates Harlem, where he grew up, full of "colors loud enough to be heard" and songs first heard in the villages of "Ghana/Mali/Senegal. " His son Christopher's bold illustrations, part paint and part collage, don't talk down to kids, instead pulling them into a vibrant city. (For ages 9 and up)

Antiracist Baby

by Ibram X. Kendi and Ashley Lukashevsky

Ibram X. Kendi wanted to have a tool to teach his young daughter about racism, so he adapted the ideas in his book How to Be an Antiracist into this brightly colored guide. In nine steps, Kendi (and illustrator Ashley Lukashevsky) offers parents a way to open their eyes, and their children's eyes, to the realities of racism. (For ages 0 to 3)

Goodnight Moon

by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd

Margaret Wise Brown's hushed, incantatory bedtime poetry — set against Clement Hurd's bright blocks of green, blue, red and yellow — has sent generations of children off to sleep. Don't you wish you had a great green room and a red balloon? And two little kittens and a pair of mittens? (For ages 0 to 4)

Freight Train

by Donald Crews

Red caboose at the back, and forward through the rainbow to the black tender and engine, Donald Crews' simple, powerful freight train chugs its way through towns and tunnels, days and nights. Kids will love exploring the blocky, brightly colored train cars and seeing what's inside. Here comes the train! (For ages 0 to 4)

Good Dog, Carl (series)

by Alexandra Day

Little Madeleine has a pretty great babysitter: A big friendly Rottweiler named Carl. Together, they go to the store and to the zoo, to costume parties and daycare classes — in richly illustrated, mostly wordless books that let readers form their own ideas about what's happening on each page. (For ages 1 to 4)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

by Eric Carle

In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf — and it hatched into a hungry caterpillar who munched his way right off the page and into the hearts of kids everywhere. Eric Carle's charming story and luminous, stained-glass illustrations make The Very Hungry Caterpillar a classic for the ages (and a good advertisement for the benefits of snacking). (For ages 2 to 5)

But Not the Hippopotamus

by Sandra Boynton

All the other animals are having fun! They cavort in the bog, they try on hats, they sip juice at a cute cafe ... but not the hippopotamus, who's always in the background looking on sadly. But luckily, by the end of Sandra Boynton's cheerful tale, the hippo gathers her courage and joins in the party. (For ages 2 to 5)

Brown Baby Lullaby

by Tameka Fryer Brown and A. G. Ford

Tameka Fryer Brown's lilting, musical rhymes and A.G. Ford's glowing art follow one very active baby through a very busy day of zooming around the house, getting kisses, napping, playing in the grass, getting a bath and finally going to bed as the sun sets. (For ages 2 to 6)

Go, Dog. Go!

by P. D. Eastman

Big dogs, little dogs, red dogs, blue dogs, dogs on cars and scooters — kids will love learning colors and emotions and ideas with P.D. Eastman's zippy dogs. And hopefully they'll learn some manners, too; the answer to "Do you like my hat?" should generally be "Yes!" (For ages 3 to 7)

The Napping House

by Audrey Wood and Don Wood

It's a soft gray rainy day and everyone's asleep in the Napping House — but unfortunately, they're all trying to pile into the same bed, with predictably unfortunate (but funny) results. This is a book that'll put any kid to sleep — and we mean that in the best possible way. (For ages 4 to 7)

Last Stop on Market Street

by Matt De La Pena and Christian Robinson

CJ is full of questions: Why do we have to take the bus when my friend has a car? Why is it raining? Why can't that man see? Luckily, his nana is always ready with an answer that helps CJ find beauty wherever he looks."You can feel like you have been slighted if you are growing up without, if you have less money, or you can see the beauty in that," author Matt de la Peña told NPR in 2016. "And I feel like the most important thing that's ever happened to me is growing up without money." (For ages 3 to 5)

Story Boat

by Kyo MacLear and Rashin Kheiriyeh

For the family in Story Boat, "here" is home — but "here" keeps changing as they travel onward to an unknown destination. Illustrator Rashin Kheiriyeh, whose family fled Iran after war broke out in 1980, told NPR that when she first read the manuscript, "I thought, oh, that's me." Her bold, carefully color-coded illustrations balance a serious situation with the whimsy of children spinning tales out of the few belongings they've brought with them. (For ages 3 to 7)

Dreamers

by Yuyi Morales

Yuyi Morales was born in Mexico; she came to America with her baby boy in 1999, and she builds that experience into a poetic, visually stunning tribute to the immigrant experience — to walking the streets of a new place, getting lost and learning a new life and language, and to the dreams, hopes and talents immigrants bring to this country. (For ages 4 to 8)

Jabari Jumps

by Gaia Cornwall

Not a lot of brand-new books make it into these lists, but our judges felt that Gaia Cornwall's sweet, engaging story of a little boy conquering his fear of the high jump would stand the test of time. If you've ever stood at the edge of that board looking down at the deep end, Jabari Jumps is the book for you. (For ages 4 to 8)

The Rabbit Listened

by Cori Doerrfeld

Ever have a friend who's sad, and you just don't know what to say or how to help them? The Rabbit Listened is the book for you — with simple text and illustrations so cute you'll want to hug yourself, it tells the story of Taylor, who's sad that his tower of blocks fell down, and all the animals who really aren't helping until the rabbit comes along. (For ages 3 to 5)

Sulwe

by Lupita Nyong'o and Vashti Harrison

"Dear Lord," Sulwe prays, "Why do I look like midnight when my mother looks like dawn?" She tries makeup, eating only light-colored foods, and in one painful scene, using an eraser to rub away her darkness. But a magical flight through the night sky helps her learn to love that darkness. Actor and author Lupita Nyong'o told NPR she based the book on her own experiences of colorism as a child, "And so that's why I wrote this — to hopefully bring it to the fore and people can address it." (For ages 4 to 8)

I Am Enough

by Grace Byers and Keturah A. Bobo

"I'm not meant to be like you; you're not meant to be like me," writes actor and author Grace Byers. "Sometimes we will get along, and sometimes we will disagree." But as kids will learn from I Am Enough, like the sun, we're all here to shine. (For ages 4 to 8)

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse

by Kevin Henkes

Lilly loves everything, especially her purple plastic purse full of treasures. She even loves her teacher Mr. Slinger — but when the wondrous purse and its contents keep interrupting his lessons, he confiscates it, leading Lilly to attempt revenge. Luckily, her favorite teacher understands her emotions. (For ages 4 to 8)

The Proudest Blue

A Story of Hijab and Family

by Ibtihaj Muhammad, S. K. Ali and Hatem Aly

Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad was bullied as a child for wearing a hijab. She decided to turn that experience into this lovely tale of two sisters, Faizah and Asiya, who confront a playground bully threatening to yank Asiya's blue hijab off her head. Muhammad told NPR she hopes little girls wearing hijabs will "see themselves in this work." (For ages 4 to 8)

Each Kindness

by Jacqueline Woodson

So many great Jacqueline Woodson books, so little space! We settle on Each Kindness, gorgeously illustrated by E.B. Lewis. Maya is the new girl at school, with ragged clothes and the wrong shoes for winter. No one wants to play with her — not even Chloe, who sits next to her, and eventually has to deal with the results of her unkindness. (For ages 5 to 8)

Wherever I Go

by Mary Wagley Copp and Munir D. Mohammed

Abia is the queen of the Shimelba refugee camp — because she's been there the longest of any of her friends, and she rules her domain with love and an acacia-twig crown. Wherever I Go is a heartfelt portrait of life in a refugee family, and a meditation on the idea of home. Is the camp home? What about the "forever home" Abia's Papa dreams of? And will she still be a queen when she gets there? (For ages 6 to 9)

Front Desk

by Kelly Yang

10-year-old Mia Tang mans the desk at her family's motel — and helps keep its biggest secret: Her parents hide immigrants, letting them stay for free in empty rooms. And she wants to be a writer, but English isn't her first language. Writer Kelly Yang based this powerful story on her own experience, and the stories of the immigrants who stayed at her family's motels. (For ages 8 to 12)

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

by Judith Viorst and Ray Cruz

When Alexander wakes up with gum in his hair, he knows nothing good is coming. And he's right — there's no toy in his cereal, his teacher doesn't like his drawing and there's kissing on TV. A great read for anyone who's ever been down in the dumps. Even grown-ups can take solace in Alexander's troubles — poll judge Juanita Giles says it was the book she chose to read at her mother's bedside on her last day. (For ages 2 to 4)

Fry Bread

A Native American Family Story

by Kevin Noble Maillard and Juana Martinez-Neal

Author Kevin Noble Maillard — who's part of the Seminole Nation — told NPR he had a hard time finding books about Native Americans that weren't about historical figures like Sacagawea or Pocahontas. "Nothing about people alive that were wearing sneakers, that were eating candy, or making cakes with their grandma." So he created this ode to a favorite food that brings Native families together. (For ages 3 to 6)

A Chair for My Mother

by Vera B. Williams

Rosa's mom works in a diner — and so does Rosa, sometimes, peeling onions, washing salt shakers and saving her pennies to buy her mom a comfortable chair because all their furniture was lost in a fire that turned their apartment to "charcoal and ashes." And bit by bit, with hard work and cooperation, Rosa and her mom find the perfect chair. (For ages 4 to 8)

My Papi Has a Motorcycle

by Isabel Quintero and Zeke Peña

Daisy Ramona waits every day for her Papi to come home from work — because then she gets to ride around their city on the back of his motorcycle. Writer Isabel Quintero told NPR the story is a loving tribute to her own father, and her childhood in Corona, Calif. "It is very specific, but it's also a story that especially Latinx kids in other parts of the country can enjoy or relate to." Zeke Peña's warm, bustling illustrations bring those childhood memories to life. (For ages 4 to 8)

Drawn Together

by Minh Lê and Dan Santat

As a child, Minh Lê loved his grandparents but didn't really know what to say to them. He works through that awkwardness in Drawn Together, about a boy and his grandfather who learn to connect through their mutual love of art. "And then their relationship kind of takes off from there," Lê told NPR. (For ages 4 to 8)

Meet Yasmin! (series)

by Saadia Faruqi and Hatem Aly

Yasmin is a spunky second-grader who tries out all kinds of occupations — superhero, writer, chef, zookeeper — whether or not she actually knows what's involved. But she always has fun, thanks to her quick thinking and support from her big Pakistani American family. (For ages 5 to 8)

Hair Love

by Matthew A. Cherry and Vashti Harrison

Based on the Oscar-winning short film, this lovely story of a dad learning to do his daughter's hair, which "kinks, coils and curves every which way," will leave you sniffling fondly. Creator Matthew Cherry told NPR he was inspired by friends of his who are young fathers, and "they're all willing to do whatever it takes for their young girls." (For ages 4 to 8)

A Different Pond

by Bao Phi and Thi Bui

Hours before the sun came up, Bao Phi's father would wake him — quietly — for a fishing trip. Not for fun, but to feed their family. And as they fished, Bao's father would tell him stories about another pond back in their homeland of Vietnam. Thi Bui's gorgeous, quiet illustrations are perfect for this lovely story of the bond between father and son. (For ages 6 to 8)

The Boxcar Children (series)

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

No one knows what to do with orphaned siblings Henry, Violet, Jessie and Bennie — and they don't want to live with the grandfather they've never met. So they set up house in an abandoned boxcar and try to make it on their own. But that's just the first of more than 150 Boxcar Children adventures — eventually reconciled with their grandfather (who turns out to be both rich and quite nice), they end up as amateur sleuths in the tradition of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. (For ages 7 to 10)

Stellaluna

by Janell Cannon

Fact: Bats are adorable, and few bats are more adorable than Stellaluna, the little one who gets lost when an owl dives at her mother and ends up trying to fit in with a nest full of baby birds. Janell Cannon's glowing illustrations, paired with a couple of pages of fun facts about bats, make this a great book for budding naturalists (or anyone who understands that yes, bats are adorable). (For ages 0 to 3)

Corduroy, by Don Freeman Viking Books for Young Readers hide caption

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Viking Books for Young Readers

Corduroy

by Don Freeman

Corduroy the bear sits on a shelf in a department store, longing for a friend — but little Lisa's mother refuses to buy him. He's missing a button after all. Corduroy's after-hours search for his missing button leads to escalating mischief and a story that's great for anyone who's ever wondered whether toys come to life when you aren't looking. (For ages 2 to 5)

The Story of Ferdinand

by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson

Peaceful Ferdinand just wants to be left alone, to sit under his cork tree sniffing the flowers — and when he ends up in the bullring, his refusal to fight (the flowers in the lady spectators' hair are so much more interesting) confounds the bullfighters. A classic tale of pacifism and being true to yourself. (For ages 3 to 5)

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

by Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead

Amos McGee is a zookeeper, and a kind and punctual fellow. He's always on the same bus every morning, and he always has time to visit his animal friends. But one day, he wakes up with a cold and decides to stay in bed, so his worried animal friends jump on the bus to visit him. A lovely, gentle story about what friends can do for each other. (For ages 3 to 6)

Mother Bruce (series)

by Ryan T. Higgins

Oh, no! Bruce, the grumpy, solitary bear, loves to eat eggs — except these eggs happen to be full of goslings, and Bruce finds himself with a feathery family he doesn't know what to do with. And it's not just geese — mice, possums, foxes and more all pile into Bruce's den. (For age 3 to 5)

The Monster at the End of this Book

by Jon Stone

Don't turn the page! Don't you know there's a monster at the end of this book? "Lovable, furry old Grover" does his best to keep kids from turning the pages — but all his efforts can't prevent readers from discovering who the monster actually is. Oh no! So embarrassing! (For ages 3 to 7)

Blueberries for Sal

by Robert McCloskey

You guys voted in a lot of Robert McCloskey books! But the judges felt Blueberries for Sal was the most compelling read. Sal and her mother head to Blueberry Hill to pick berries for canning; meanwhile a mother bear and her cub are fattening themselves for winter on the other side of the hill, and mix-ups ensue. First published in 1948, this tale of two mothers, two children and a bucket of blueberries is still charming young readers. (For ages 3 to 7)

Bowwow Powwow

by Brenda J. Child and Jonathan Thunder

Windy Girl loves the stories her uncle tells about long-ago powwows. And she loves the real-life powwows she goes to with her uncle and her dog, Itchy Boy. One night, lulled to sleep by drums, she dreams of an all-dog powwow, with all kinds of breeds dancing drumming, even selling Indian fast food to the attendees. It's a joyous, funny book that gives young readers a look at an important tradition. (For ages 3 to 7)

Catwings (series)

by Ursula K. Le Guin and S. D. Schindler

Putting together these lists is as much of a discovery experience as reading them is, and I'm especially glad to have discovered Catwings, Ursula K. LeGuin's tale of four tabby kittens inexplicably born with wings. Thelma, Jane, Harriet and Roger use their wings to fly far away from the dangerous alley where they were born, but they find country life has its own challenges. Steven D. Schindler's soft-edged illustrations will make you believe winged kittens might actually exist. (For ages 4 and up)

Hyperion Books for Children

Elephant & Piggie (series)

by Mo Willems

Readers voted in just about everything Mo Willems has ever written, but sadly, with only 100 slots on the list, we could only keep one (although we cheated a little by picking a series). Elephant and Piggie are funny, adorable cartoon animals, but they have to work through the same serious issues — sharing, patience, new friendships, sadness — that all kids face as they grow up. (For ages 4 to 8)

Henry and Mudge (series)

by Cynthia Rylant and Suçie Stevenson

Lonely little Henry has no brothers and sisters. He doesn't like the street he lives on, and then his parents get him Mudge, a dog who's considerably bigger than he is. It's pretty great to have a giant dog because then when you walk to school, you can think about ice cream and rain instead of tornadoes or ghosts. (For ages 5 to 7)

Mercy Watson (series)

by Kate DiCamillo and Chris Van Dusen

Kate DiCamillo is another author who showed up all over the original list of nominations, but our judges thought this series about a terrific, radiant little pig — who likes buttered toast, car rides and solving the occasional mystery — was the pick of the litter. Chris Van Dusen's lively, sweet-natured illustrations helped seal the deal. (For ages 5 to 8)

Dog Man (series)

by Dav Pilkey

You can't have a kids' books list without Dav Pilkey. So here comes Dog Man: Half dog, half cop, this gruff crime fighter is here to sniff out wrongdoing, especially when it involves his nemesis Petey the Cat, who cooks up crimes in his secret cat lab. (For ages 7 and up)

Strega Nona

by Tomie dePaola

Strega Nona should have known better than to leave Big Anthony alone with her magic pasta pot! He's only supposed to look after her house and garden — but one day when she's away, he decides to make the pot produce dinner for the whole town. You can pretty much guess what happens after that. A terrible pasta flood might be scary, but Tomie dePaola's velvety illustrations reassure little readers that everything will be alright in the end, if a little sticky. (For ages 2 to 5)

The Mitten

by Jan Brett

Jan Brett's luminous art brings this Ukrainian folktale about a careless boy and a snow-white mitten to life. Nicki demands mittens knitted from wool as white as the snow — which his grandmother knows is impractical, but she humors him. When he drops one in the snow, a host of animals come to investigate, even a bear. (For ages 3 to 5)

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith

Little kids are goofy and frequently gross, we all know that — so Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's gleefully surreal inversion of familiar fairy tales is perfect for little readers. (And you don't actually have to be a little kid to laugh your ... hiney ... off at just the table of contents, even before you get to stories like "Little Red Running Shorts" and "Cinderumpelstiltsin.") (For ages 3 to 7)

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

A Big Mooncake for Little Star

by Grace Lin

Any kid who has looked up at the moon and wondered why it changes shape will love the story of Little Star — who bakes a mooncake with her mother, and then can't resist a nibble . .. and then another nibble ... and then another nibble. You'll want a mooncake of your own (and a set of sparkly, starry pajamas, too). (For ages 4 to 8)

Beautiful Blackbird

by Ashley Bryan

Long ago, the birds of Africa were all the colors of the rainbow — but none of them had any black, because Blackbird had it all. So they asked Blackbird to give them some of his beautiful color. Ashley Bryan's paper-cut illustrations, reminiscent of Henri Matisse, bring this story of envy, beauty and acceptance to gorgeous life. (For ages 3 to 8)

Extra Yarn

by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

Annabel finds what looks like an ordinary box full of ordinary yarn — but it's enough to clothe, brighten and bind together a whole town in colorful knitted cozies. And when a sinister archduke tries to grab the box for himself, he learns that crime doesn't pay. A lovely story about a girl who has the power to change the world around her. (For ages 4 to 8)

The Princess in Black (series)

by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale and Leuyen Pham

A princess? A superhero? Why not both?! Princess Magnolia — inspired by author Shannon Hale's daughter, who insisted that princesses couldn't wear black — can have scones with duchesses AND fight monsters, or a mysterious stinky cloud, or a sea monster (some princesses just can't catch a break, even on the beach). (For ages 5 to 8)

The People Could Fly

American Black Folktales

by Virginia Hamilton, Leo Dillon and Diane Dillon

Virginia Hamilton — herself descended from enslaved people who escaped via the Underground Railroad — retells Black folktales like "He Lion, Bruh Bear and Bruh Rabbit" and "How Nehemiah Got Free" in a simple, powerful style. Put that together with Leo and Diane Dillon's luscious illustrations and you have an almost perfect story-hour read. (For ages 8 and up)

A Wish in the Dark

by Christina Soontornvat

A fantastical, Thai-inspired twist on Les Misérables. In the city of Chattana, all the light was created by one man, the Governor. To Pong, born in prison, those lights mean freedom, but when he escapes he discovers that freedom is only for the wealthy. Nok, the prison warden's daughter, is determined to recapture Pong — but her quest leads her to some uncomfortable revelations. (For ages 8 to 12)

My Father's Dragon

by Ruth Stiles Gannett and Ruth Chrisman Gannett

Childhood surrealism at its best. If you like The Phantom Tollbooth, try this story about a little boy named Elmer Elevator (the narrator's father as a child) who befriends a talking alley cat that sets him on his way to a grand adventure on a wild island — past muddy rivers, fierce tigers and fashionable lions — to rescue a yellow-and-blue-striped dragon. (For ages 8 to 12)

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (Chicka Chicka series)

by Bill Martin Jr., John Archambault and Lois Ehlert

"A told B and B told C, I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree." A read-aloud classic, this rollicking alphabet rhyme has all the letters racing one another up a coconut tree. "Chicka Chicka boom boom! Will there be enough room?" We defy you to read this to a kid and not end up dancing. (For ages 1 to 4)

A Is for Activist

by Innosanto Nagara

Innosanto Nagara's ABCs of activism simplifies ideas about environmentalism, feminism, civil rights and democracy for the littlest readers. Bold, bright illustrations and lively rhymes make this a solid read-aloud choice, too. (Oh, and there's a cat hiding on every page, too — can you find it?) (For ages 3 to 7)

The Gruffalo

by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

There's no such thing as a Gruffalo! Or is there? A savvy mouse avoids the clutches of a fox by invoking the terrible Gruffalo — setting off an increasingly ridiculous (and delightful) chain of events, all told in rhyming couplets that are all kinds of fun to read aloud. (For ages 3 to 5)

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

Story and Pictures

by Virginia Lee Burton

Who doesn't love a big chunk of heavy machinery? First published in 1939, Virginia Lee Burton's tale of Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel, Mary Anne, has inspired decades of sandbox excavation projects — and, memorably, it also prompted Ramona Quimby to wonder out loud whether Mike ever had time to go to the bathroom. (For ages 4 to 7)

Bark, George

by Jules Feiffer

George is a little dog who just can't bark. He can meow and oink and quack — but barking? Nope. When his frustrated mother takes George to the vet, the answer to his problem turns out to be quite the surprise. Jules Feiffer's illustrations are minimalist but incredibly expressive — plus, it's just fun to yell MOO and OINK and QUACK QUACK! (For ages 4 to 8)

Kid Sheriff and the Terrible Toads

by Bob Shea and Lane Smith

Drywater Gulch has a toad problem — specifically the unmannerly Toad brothers, who will steal your gold and insult your chili. But then hope arrives — sloooowly on tortoise-back — in the form of 7-year-old Kid Sheriff Ryan, who may not know about toads specifically, but he does know about dinosaurs. And that might just be enough. (For ages 4 to 8)

Ada Twist, Scientist (series)

by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts

Young Ada is insatiably curious: "She started with Why? And then What? How? and When? By bedtime she came back to Why? once again." From why roses have thorns to why noses have hair — and what's that stink in the house? — Ada Twist considers all the things. From the team that created Iggy Peck, Architect and Rosie Revere, Engineer. (For ages 5 to 7)

The Book With No Pictures

by B. J. Novak

Yup, it really doesn't have any pictures. But, as author B.J. Novak points out, "Here is how books work: Everything the words say, the person reading the book has to say." And we bet the kids in your life will love making you say things like "BLORK" or "My only friend in the whole wide world is a hippo named BOO BOO BUTT" or "BADOONGYFACE!!!!" (For ages 5 to 8)

Where the Sidewalk Ends

The Poems and Drawings of Shel Silverstein

by Shel Silverstein

How many of you, reading this page, still have chunks of Where the Sidewalk Ends memorized? Do you think of Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout when you have to take the garbage out? Do you pause in the produce aisle and think about one real peach? And if you don't, why not? (For ages 6 to 8)

Hidden Figures

The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race

by Margot Lee Shetterly and Laura Freeman

Margot Lee Shetterly adapts her groundbreaking book about Black female mathematicians at NASA for young readers, with sharp-edged, jewel-toned illustrations by Laura Freeman. A great pick for any budding mathematician or astronaut — and for any parent needing to teach their kids at home. (For ages 4 to 8)

Schwartz & Wade

The Oldest Student

How Mary Walker Learned to Read

by Rita Lorraine Hubbard and Oge Mora

Mary Walker's life stretched all the way from the Civil War to the civil rights movement. She was born into slavery in 1848, freed at 15, worked all kinds of jobs to support her family and then outlived them all — and in 1963, she enrolled in a literacy class where she learned to read and write. Oge Mora's painterly illustrations are a beautiful complement to this story about how you're never too old to learn. (For ages 4 to 8)

Josephine

The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker

by Patricia Hruby Powell and Christian Robinson

This gorgeous book will introduce kids to the glory of Josephine Baker — not just her fabulous dance routines, but her life of activism and service, including speaking alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. Patricia Hruby Powell's jazz-inflected words and Christian Robinson's bright, exciting pictures make this book a treat for readers and listeners. (For ages 7 to 10)

Frog and Toad (series)

by Arnold Lobel

Amphibians, sport coats and lasting friendship. Over the course of four books, Frog and Toad go swimming and sledding, search for lost buttons, bake cookies, grow gardens and generally have fun together all year round. If only adult friendships were as simple and solid as Frog and Toad's! (For ages 4 to 8)

Little Bear (series)

by Else Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak

Else Holmelund Minarik wrote this tale of a Bear and his Mother for her own daughter, to read in the mornings before school — longhand, as she wrote all her manuscripts, because she never learned to type. Together with Maurice Sendak's delightfully shaggy illustrations, Minarik's gentle words are perfect for the littlest readers. (For ages 4 to 8)

Anna Hibiscus (series)

by Atinuke and Lauren Tobia

Anna Hibiscus lives in "Africa, amazing Africa," in a compound with her large and loving family. Nigerian storyteller Atinuke spins a wonderful saga of modern West African family life — follow along with Anna as she learns about the world outside her walls, faces stage fright and even snow for the first time. (For ages 4 to 10)

Juana & Lucas (series)

by Juana Medina

Juana lives in Bogotá, Colombia, and she loves drawing, her dog Lucas and Brussels sprouts. (Did you know they're called repollitas in Spanish?) This is a lively, loving tour of Juana's world, liberally sprinkled with Spanish words to learn as you go — meanwhile, Juana has to practice her English, and she's really not happy about that. (For ages 5 to 8)

Dory Fantasmagory (series)

by Abby Hanlon

Dory is the youngest in her family, with a yen for attention and an overactive imagination — and did we mention her nemesis, Mrs. Gobble Cracker? Young readers will love following along with Dory as she battles everything from monsters around the house to pirates to more mundane concerns like making and keeping friends. (For ages 6 to 8)

Junie B. Jones (series)

by Barbara Park

Junie B. Jones is almost 6 years old! And she's really excited about everything, especially spaghetti and meatballs. The B stands for Beatrice, by the way. This series made the American Library Association's list of 100 top banned or challenged books from 2000 to 2009; apparently, some grown-ups thought sassy, mouthy Junie wasn't a good role model. We disagree. (For ages 6 to 9)

Ivy + Bean (series)

by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall

Ivy is quiet; Bean is loud and goofy. Ivy wants to be a witch, Bean wants to play games. Naturally, they're going to end up being best friends and getting into all kinds of scrapes together since their approach to pretty much everything — from discovering dinosaurs to starting their own summer camp — is "Why not?" (For ages 6 to 10)

Clementine (series)

by Sara Pennypacker and Marla Frazee

Spunky, redheaded third-grader Clementine starts this series by having a seriously bad week (how many times is she going to get sent to the principal?), but we promise things will get better. Fans of Ramona Quimby will get a kick out of Clementine, her brother Spinach (that's not really his name) and her sort-of-snooty best friend Margaret. (For ages 6 to 10)

Ways to Make Sunshine

by Renée Watson and Nina Mata

Ryan Hart wants to see the good in everybody — even when she gets teased for having a boy's name. She has a lot to deal with — her dad's been laid off and the family has to move to a smaller house. But when Ryan runs into problems, she's always looking for ways to make sunshine. (For ages 7 to 10)

Ratburger

by David Walliams

A delightfully gruesome tale in the Roald Dahl vein. Sheila lives with her father and unpleasant stepmother; she's bullied by a classmate and sneered at by her teacher. Her only friend is a rat she names Armitage, after the brand of toilet in her apartment — but could scary Burt, who sells burgers from a food truck outside her school, be making his burgers out of ground-up rat? (For ages 8 and up)

The Trumpet of the Swan

by E. B. White and Fred Marcellino

This book is responsible for my attempt, at age 7, to have a conversation with the swans at the National Zoo by standing outside their enclosure yelling "Ko-hooo!" E. B. White wrote a full shelf of children's classics, but this story about a mute trumpeter swan — who woos his lady love with an actual trumpet — should get more attention than it does. (For ages 8 to 12)

From the Desk of Zoe Washington

by Janae Marks

On her 12th birthday, Zoe Washington gets a letter from the father she's never met, who's in prison for a crime he says he didn't commit. Is he innocent? Zoe decides to find out — but it's hard to keep her investigation secret from the rest of the family AND stay on top of things at her bakery internship so she can achieve her dream of competing on a TV baking show. (For ages 8 to 12)

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale Of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, And A Very Interesting Boy

by Jeanne Birdsall

Fans of Ballet Shoes and the Green Knowe books will love this tale of four sisters who go to spend their summer vacation in a cottage on the grounds of a grand mansion. Each sister has a unique, winning personality; young readers will finish the first book and want to spend more time with them. Luckily, there are four more Penderwicks books. (For ages 8 to 12)

New Kid

by Jerry Craft

Fans of Raina Telgemeier will love Jerry Craft's sympathetic graphic novel about seventh-grader Jordan, who's trying to fit in at the fancy new private school where he's one of the few kids of color in his grade. And all he really wants to do is draw comics — so how can he stay true to himself and his neighborhood, and still figure out his new school? (For ages 8 to 12)

The Wild Robot

by Peter Brown

Roz the robot wakes up on a remote island — how did she get there? Who knows! All she knows is that she has to survive. And surviving involves making friends with otters and baby geese, climbing cliffs and avoiding storms — until Roz finally remembers who she is and why she's on the island. (For ages 8 to 12)

Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat (series)

by Johnny Marciano, Emily Chenoweth and Robb Mommaerts

Lots of people think their cats are aliens — but Klawde really is one. Once the High Commander of the planet Lyttyrboks, he's lost his throne and been exiled to earth, so he has something in common with Raj Banerjee, who's been exiled to rural Oregon because of his mom's new job. The chapters switch back and forth between Raj and Klawde, whose narration of his new life has the hilariously overamped hysteria of the best B-movies. (For ages 8 to 12)

Betsy-Tacy

by Maud Hart Lovelace and Lois Lenski

We always say that these polls don't produce ranked lists — and they truly don't — but I'd be remiss in not pointing out that Maud Hart Lovelace's Betsy-Tacy books, about the enduring friendship between two young girls — got the most votes of any book on this list. The series grows up with its readers; at the beginning, Betsy and Tacy are small children; we see them through adventures fanciful and down-to-earth, and finally leave them as young married women. (For ages 8 to 12)

Ronia, the Robber's Daughter

by Astrid Lindgren

Sure, Pippi Longstocking is great — but have you met Ronia, the robber's daughter? Born in her father's castle in the middle of a thunderstorm, Ronia grows up compassionate and brave. She befriends Birk, the son of a rival robber, and when she brings him food during a harsh winter, her father disowns her; she ends up living an adventurous life in the woods with Birk. (Don't worry, everyone is reconciled in the end.) (For ages 8 to 12)

Encyclopedia Brown Boy Detective

by Donald J. Sobol

A classic! Leroy Brown (not the bad one) is a 10-year-old genius who solves mysteries for 25 cents a day (no case too small) — often for his police chief dad, and often involving his nemesis, the bully Bugs Meany — alongside his pal and partner Sally Kimball, who often solves the case by noticing things Encyclopedia doesn't. (For ages 8 to 12)

Stargazing

by Jen Wang

Quiet, studious Christine and lively, messy Moon are unlikely friends — but when Moon and her family move in next door, they form a close bond. Moon has a secret: She sees heavenly visions, hears voices that tell her she doesn't belong on earth. But those visions have a terrible earthly cause, and Christine has to find it in herself to be the friend Moon needs as she fights for her life. Jen Wang based this heartfelt story of friendship through adversity — which was a 2019 Book Concierge pick — on her own childhood. (For ages 8 to 12)

The Jumbies (series)

by Tracey Baptiste

Fair warning — Tracey Baptiste's Jumbies books, based on Caribbean folklore, are scary. REALLY scary. But Corinne La Mer isn't afraid of anything, especially jumbies, since everyone knows they're just made up, right? But then one night she sees yellow eyes shining in the forest . .. and soon, she finds she has to use all her wiles to keep the jumbies away from her island. (For ages 9 to 12)

Wells & Wong mysteries (series)

by Robin Stevens

Best friends Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong do what any enterprising young women at boarding school would do: They form a detective agency — and quickly run up against their first real case when Hazel finds the body of their science teacher sprawled on the gymnasium floor. And that's just the beginning for this detective duo and their strangely murder-prone school. (For ages 10 and up)

Better Nate Than Ever (series)

by Tim Federle

The budding drama club kids in your life will love this trilogy about a small-town boy with big Broadway dreams. Nate Foster longs to get away from Jankburg, Pa., to star in a Broadway show (or even just see one). And then something amazing happens: There's an open casting call for a Broadway musical based on E.T. He just has to get there. (For ages 10 and up)

Prairie Lotus

by Linda Sue Park

We did not include the Little House books on this list — they're already part of the Ultimate Backseat Bookshelf. But readers wanting a frontier tale will find a friend in Hanna, a mixed-race girl growing up in the Dakota territory in 1880. Author Linda Sue Park made the parallels between Hanna and Laura Ingalls deliberate — as she writes in her author's note, she loved the Little House books as a child, but she knew Ma and Pa Ingalls wouldn't have let Laura "become friends with someone like me ... someone who wasn't white." (For ages 10 to 12)

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Top 100 New Books for Children and Teenagers

Beautifully designed children's books for every taste are littered with bookshelves. But to find a book in this stream that will really interest a child - it doesn’t matter if it’s a kindergartener or a teenager - is an almost impossible task. You can rely on luck and try to look for a needle in a haystack. But it is better to use our recommendations. Mel publishes a list of the 100 best new books for children aged 1 to 17, which was presented by the Gaidar Children's Library.

The Moscow City Children's Library named after Arkady Gaidar has released its annual catalog "The 100 Best New Books for Children and Teenagers 2016". Library staff, together with experts from the Samokat and Grand Fair publishing houses, selected the highest quality new book releases - reprints and brand new works - to guide parents on the literature market. Among them are collections of poems, comic books, artistic and educational works by Russian and foreign authors. Mel studied this catalog, divided it into age categories, supplemented it with information from online bookstores, and presents it to its readers.

Age: 1-6 years old

1. Shel Silverstein. Generous tree. Melik-Pashayev Publishing House

Once upon a time there lived a boy. Every day he came to play in the meadow where a wild apple tree grew. The boy climbed up its trunk, swayed on the branches and ate its fruits. The apple tree gave the boy everything he needed to be happy. But time passed, the boy grew up, and for happiness he needed much more: money, his own house, a solid boat ... And the apple tree gave itself all without a trace, if only the boy would fulfill his dreams and be happy.

This bright parable about true love that demands nothing in return was first published in 1964 and has been traveling the world for half a century. The book has long been in the world bestseller ratings, has been translated into more than 30 languages, and its total circulation over the years has exceeded eight million copies.

Shel Silverstein was a versatile man: musician, artist, screenwriter, playwright, novelist and poet. His musical compositions have received Grammy awards and Oscar nominations for Best Score. But Silverstein became world famous primarily for his children's books, which he himself illustrated.

2. Yuriy Koval. Collection of poems "How many crocodiles you want." Samokat Publishing House

3. Vadim Levin. Poems with mustard. Samokat Publishing House

4. Marina Boroditskaya. Collection of poems "Maykin's book". Clever Media Group Publishing House

5. Anastasia Orlova. This is a truck and this is a trailer. Rosmen Publishing House

6. Christina Andres. How to tame wolves. Rare Bird Publishing House

7. Rafik Shami, Catherine Scherer. Mouse fears. Rare Bird Publishing House

8. Lorenz Pauli. Only all together. Rare Bird Publishing House

9. Brigitte Endres, Joel Turlogna. Listen, I'm here! The story of a little chameleon. Enas-kniga publishing house

10. Bulat Okudzhava. Fairy tale-parable "Charming adventures". Vremya Publishing House

These were letters to my son, then a four-year-old boy, written in large letters, with funny pictures. Okudzhava sent them from Yalta so that his son would not be sad in separation. Once these letters were seen by the poetess Bella Akhmadulina. “Yes, this is a finished book!” she exclaimed. On her advice, Okudzhava combined all the letters into a fairy tale. It was almost immediately translated into several languages and published in the Czech Republic, Poland, Georgia, Israel, and Japan. So the heroes of the philosophical fairy tale-parable "Charming Adventures" in many countries are known as well as "The Little Prince" or "The Seagull named Jonathan Livingston".

The book was published twice in Russian, both times with illustrations by the author. It sold out very quickly and became almost a museum rarity - only a few copies are kept in the Bulat Okudzhava house-museum in Peredelkino. But now the "Charming Adventures" begins a new life. The fairy tale was designed by the artist Evgeny Antonenkov.

11. Robert McCloskey. Blueberries for Sasha. Pink Giraffe Publishing House

12. Torben Kuhlmann. "Lindberg. The Incredible Adventures of the Flying Mouse. Polyandria Publishing House

13. Josef Capek. Adventures of Dog and Kitty. Azbuka Publishing House

14. Nastya Kovalenkova. A drop. Art-Volkhonka Publishing House

15. Evgeny Anisimov, Nikita Andreev. From mast to keel. DETGIZ Publishing House

16. Helia Pevzner, Maria Maramzina. Jam Nostradamus. Art-Volkhonka Publishing House

17. Nina Dashevskaya. Willy. CompassGuide Publishing House

18. Anastasia Orlova. Collection of poems "We are sailing on a boat" . Publishing House "Children's Time"

19. Airat Bagautdinov. What Shukhov came up with. Art Volkhonka Publishing House

20. Ilya Kolmanovsky. Why don't birds fall? Pink Giraffe Publishing House

The author of the well-loved Pocket Scientist podcasts, biologist, journalist and head of the biological laboratory of the Polytechnic Museum has written a funny and very interesting children's encyclopedia. There are no complicated terms and long articles here. The text is divided into small chapters, and even a novice reader can master each.

21. Alexander Blinov. Stories of a fat boy. Art-Volkhonka Publishing House

22. William McCleary. A story about a wolf. Career Press

23. Kate DiCamillo. Flora and Odysseus. Brilliant adventure." Makhaon Publishing House

24. Anastasia Strokina. The whale is sailing north. CompassGuide Publishing House

25. Thornton Burgess "Mother West Wind". Career Press

26. Joyce Seedman. Living spirals. Publishing house "Career Press"

27. Petr Bagin. Picture book "In the forest". Melik-Pashayev Publishing House

28. Alan Serr. I have the right to be a child. Samokat Publishing House

Age: 6-12 years old

29. William Grill. “Lost in the ice. Shackleton Expedition. Mann, Ivanov & Ferber

At the end of the "golden age of polar exploration", British explorer Ernest Shackleton embarked on a long-distance expedition to cross the frozen heart of Antarctica. But his plans did not come true. The ship "Endurance", having approached the mainland, was tightly locked in ice and sank. Left without a ship, thousands of miles from home, the team made a desperate attempt to escape and set off across the Antarctic ice in search of help.

The true story of Shackleton's heroic expedition entered the history of polar exploration as an example of the courage and endurance of people who managed to survive in extreme conditions.

British artist William Grill retells the story to the children, embellishing it with stunning illustrations that recreate the smallest details of the expedition with documentary accuracy.

30. Elsie Homeland Minarik. Cycle of stories "Bear cub". Pink Giraffe Publishing House

31. Bjorn Ousland. "Nansen. Through Greenland" and other books in the "Great Expeditions" series. Paulsen Publishing

32. Ted Hughes. Iron Man. Career Press Publishing House

33. Maria Gripe. Fairy tale "Children of the glassblower". White Crow Publishing House

34. Radiy Pogodin. Fairy tale "Tournament in the Kingdom of Fiofigas". Samokat Publishing House

35. Roald Dahl. The story "Piglets". Samokat Publishing House

36. Jan Grabowski. The story "Tuzik, Red and guests". Melik-Pashaev Publishing House

37. Angie Trius, Mark Doran. “Animals are doctors. How animals heal each other. Mann, Ivanov and Ferber Publishing House

38. Daniel Nassar. Animal architects. How animals build their homes. Mann, Ivanov and Ferber Publishing House

39. Vladimir Babenko. Crow and her relatives. Rare Bird Publishing House

40. Oleg Bundur. "Towards the polar bear." Rosmen Publishing House

How many of us have been to the North Pole, seen polar bears walking on huge ice floes? And who rode a real nuclear icebreaker? The author of the book "Meet the White Bear" Oleg Bundur succeeded. On the icebreaker "50 Years of Victory" he traveled across the Arctic Ocean to the very Pole and back. And he wrote a book to tell the children about all the amazing things he saw. In a simple and understandable language, the author talks about polar bears, seals and northern birds, about parallels and meridians, about orders on a ship, and even explains the design of an atomic engine.

41. Ulf Svedberg, Lena Anderson. "All year round". White Crow Publishing House

42. Olga Dvornyakova. Snowflake book. Nastya and Nikita Publishing House

43. Owen Davey. Crazy about monkeys. Mann, Ivanov and Ferber Publishing House

44. Thorstein Hellewe, Esther van Hülsen. "Ida. A look from the past". Walk to History Publishing House

45. Martin Sodomka. Books in the "Technical Tales" series: "How to assemble a motorcycle", "How to assemble a car", "How to assemble an airplane". Mann, Ivanov and Ferber Publishing House

46. Alexander Tkachenko. And we have running water. Nastya and Nikita Publishing House

47. Natalia Sapunkova. "Incarnation of Time". Nastya and Nikita Publishing House

48. Anke Ber. Endres, son of a merchant. From the life of a medieval city. Walking into History Publishing House

49. Katherine Timmesch. Designed by girls. Stories about outstanding inventors. Mann, Ivanov and Ferber

50. Alexey Oleinikov. Say hello to me. Samokat Publishing House

In Russia, people of different nationalities lived side by side for centuries and found a common language. Today, those whom we until recently called "residents of the fraternal republics" have suddenly become "migrants." If we explain who migrants really are, why they were forced to leave their native places, if we open the door to their culture, perhaps we will coexist more harmoniously. Stories about migrants are the subject of Aleksey Oleinikov's book Hello.

51. Faina Osmanova. The gimlet reached the handle. What and on what they wrote at different times. Publishing house "Boslen"

52. Vasily Volkov, Natalia Volkova. Professions of old Russia in drawings and photographs. Rech Publishing House

53. James Mayhew. Katya in the art gallery. Young Mother Publishing House

54. Lyman Baum. "The Great Wizard of Oz". Pink Giraffe Publishing House

55. Elena Borisova. Childhood on ships. Publishing house "Art-Volkhonka"

Illustrated edition for family reading, telling about the hard fate of the children of sailors of the Russian squadron, who were forced to leave the shores of Russia in 1920.

56. Rudolf Chekhura. Maxi-dog Fik. White Crow Publishing House.

57. Jean Regno, Emile Bravo. Comic book "My mother is in America, she saw Buffalo Bill". Bumkniga Publishing House

58. David Kali. Picture book "I didn't do my homework because...". Career Press

59. Paul Gallico. Novella "Verna". Clever Media Group Publishing House

60. ABC truths. Clever-Media-Group Publishing House

A book for smart teenagers who want to think and draw conclusions. It contains the opinions of 33 contemporary writers on 33 different philosophical and ethical concepts. Each of the concepts corresponds to one of the letters of the Russian alphabet. Among the authors are Lyudmila Petrushevskaya, Boris Akunin, Alexander Arkhangelsky, Boris Grebenshchikov.

61. Stanislav Vostokov. "Higher powers need help." Clever Media Group Publishing House

62. Anatoly Orlov. The story of Pym the Fawn. Rosmen Publishing House

63. Alexandra Litvina. Metro on the ground and underground. Walking into History

64. Ian Graham. Informative comic "Dare to Climb Everest" and other books in the "Dangerous Adventures" series. Paulsen Publishing House

65. Ekaterina Polgueva. "A second before the explosion." Vremya Publishing House

This book is a tragic and bright story about the fate of children from a big city who find themselves in the epicenter of an armed conflict between two neighboring countries in a big city.

66. Tamara Mikheeva. Fantastic story "Children of Dolphins". KompasGid Publishing House

67. Ulf Stark. "My friend Percy, Buffalo Bill and me." Samokat Publishing House

68. Nina Dashevskaya. The story "Violin of an unknown master". DETGIZ Publishing House

69. Frida Nilson. I was adopted by a gorilla. Samokat Publishing House

70. Elena Novichkova, Ekaterina Buntman, Anna Ratina. "Peter I". Labyrinth Press Publishing House

300 years separate us from the era of bold undertakings and unprecedented changes. On the pages of this interactive historical publication, Peter the Great appears to the sound of cannon fire, the sound of axes and the splashing of the Baltic waves. Tsar and ship's carpenter, commander and simple bombardier. Generous and quick to punish, desperate and far-sighted - a truly extraordinary ruler of a vast country. As additional materials - three-dimensional structures, movable elements, valves, books, interactive illustrations and maps, battle diagrams, a poster with portraits of Peter the Great's associates, a boat model for assembly.

Age: 12-17 years old

71. Maria Bershadskaya. Collection of poems "The sea that is not on the map." Rosmen Publishing House

72. Victor Lunin. Collection of short stories "My Beast". BeringA Publishing House

73. Laurent Quentin. Catherine Racer. Encyclopedia "The World in the XIII century". Walking into History Publishing House

74. Thea Beckman. Crusade in jeans. Publishing House "Walk into History"

75. Fanny Britt. Jane, the Fox and Me Graphic Novel. White Crow Publishing House

76. Evgeny Rudashevsky. The story "Hello, my brother Bzou!". KompasGid Publishing House

77. Tamara Zinberg. The story of the Seventh Symphony. Rech Publishing House

The story of a besieged girl who, like other Leningraders, barely survived, but took on the burden of caring for a helpless three-year-old boy.

78. Nina Dashevskaya. The story "I'm not a brake." Publishing house "Samokat"

This book is the winner of the sixth season of the All-Russian competition for the best work for children and teenagers "Kniguru". An inconsistent monologue of 13-year-old Ignat, moving on roller skates, a scooter, a skateboard around Moscow. He needs to be everywhere. And on the go he rhymes, draws, reads. She also dreams of learning to play the trumpet. He is interested in everything! The pace of life of Ignat is similar to the pace of life in a metropolis.

79. Lois Lowry. The novel "In Search of Blue". Pink Giraffe Publishing House

80. Victoria Lebedeva. A series of stories for family reading "Devices and Gadgets". Publishing House "Wise Cricket"

81. Irina Degtyareva. The story "Steppe Wind" about a village boy Mishka. AST Publishing House

82. Chris Grabenstein. The story "Escape from Mr. Limoncello's Library". Career Press

83. Roland Smith. Adventure novel "Peak". Pink Giraffe Publishing House

84. Frank Cottrell Boyce. The story "Just Space". Pink Giraffe Publishing House

85. Aya en. The story "Christmas Tree, which is a steamboat". Rosmen Publishing House

86. Evgenia Putilova. “Row of golden steps. A book about childhood and books of childhood. DETGIZ Publishing House

87. Alexander Sharov. "Magicians come to people." Rech Publishing House

88. Dan Smith. Brother's secret. Clever-Media-Group Publishing House

The first book in the new Just Good Books series tells about heroic young men and women living under the yoke of the most brutal totalitarian regimes. But even here there will always be people who are ready to defend freedom and justice. Edelweiss - a flower that grows in incredibly difficult natural conditions - has long been a symbol of courage and resilience. It was this name that was chosen for their union by young men and women who were not afraid to remain faithful to their convictions in Nazi Germany.

"Edelweiss Pirates" distributed leaflets, fought with members of the Hitler Youth, supported prisoners of war. Autumn 19For 44 years, most of the activists were detained and sent to prisons and concentration camps. In Cologne, 13 young people associated with this organization were executed.

89. Francesco D'Adamo. The novel "The Story of Iqbal". KompasGid Publishing House

90. Elena Sholokhova. The stories "Bad, cruel, the best", "Below the abyss, above the clouds", "Star". Aquilegia-M Publishing House

91. Yulia Yakovleva. Novel-fairy tale "Children of the Raven". Samokat Publishing House

92. Irina Bogatyreva. The story "Kadyn". Eksmo Publishing House

93. Masha Rolnikayte. Documentary story "I have to tell". Samokat Publishing House

94. Marie-Aude Muray. The novel "Smart". Samokat Publishing House

95. Anastasia Maleiko. My mother loves the artist. CompassGuide Publishing House

96. Larry Gonik. Algebra. Natural science in comics. Hummingbird, Azbuka-Atticus Publishing House

97. Marilyn Plenar. Tales about masters and crafts. Rare Bird Publishing House

98. Natalya Evdokimova. The story "Aquarium fish". Wise Cricket Publishing House

99. David Macauley. The Illustrated Encyclopedia How It's Built. From bridges to skyscrapers." Mann, Ivanov and Ferber Publishing House

100. Andrei Zhvalevsky, Evgenia Pasternak. The story of the open ending. Vremya Publishing House

The plot of the book revolves around one of the pupils of the ballroom dance studio. Each of the boys and girls has their own experiences, and in the finale they will all face a common drama. The fate of their coach is in jeopardy - a tough man, but devoted to his work with all his heart. Family problems, teenage complexes, attempts to figure out one's vocation, conflicts with parents, falling in love and ambitions. The heroes of this story will come out of it as different people.

WHAT TO READ FOR CHILDREN 5-7 YEARS OLD - CHEST OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS

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In the US, your child is already in school and is gradually turning from a listener into an independent reader who speaks at least two languages. Now your children's library will become even larger. Here there is a place for books both in Russian and in English, and for independent reading. There are much more books suitable for this age than there is time to read them, and the age limits here are no longer very clear, if you don’t like some of the books recommended for this age, then put it aside for a while, you might like it in a year.

By the age of 6-7, your young listener may have their favorite writers and genre preferences. It is important for some of the children that the hero of the book be of the same gender, someone can listen to quite adult and scary stories, and someone will still be creepy just at the mention of an evil wizard. The recommendations of books by age are just a guideline of what you can try to read during this period. It is perfectly normal if some books are too difficult or scary for your child, and some are simply uninteresting. Do not forget that graphic novels, in other words comics, are also books, especially when it comes to the first independent reading. The more pictures in the book and the less text, the psychologically easier it is for the child to read such a book on their own. Before a continuous page of text in small print, even a young reader can be scared. And be sure to take the kids to bookstores, book fairs, and libraries, and let them choose any book they like.

However, most of the bookshelf of a 5-7 year old child will still be occupied by books that you choose and read aloud. What to offer to read to a child of 5-7 years old?

V. Dragunsky "Deniska's stories"
N. Nosov "Live Hat", "Dreamers"
A. Gaidar "Chuk and Gek"
S. Prokofiev "The Amazing Adventures of a Boy Without a Shadow and a Shadow without a Boy", "The Adventures of the Yellow Suitcase".

All these books are united by one common theme - the adventures of mischievous and not always obedient boys, in which children easily recognize themselves. Books by Dragunsky, Nosov, Gaidar and Prokofieva are classics of Russian-language children's literature for preschoolers and younger schoolchildren.

E. Uspensky "Down the magic river"
A. Pogorelsky "Black hen, or underground inhabitants"

Two more books by Russian writers that your child may enjoy at this age. "Down the Magic River" brings together almost all the fairy-tale characters of Russian folk tales in a new and exciting plot. And written almost 200 years ago, "The Black Hen" has long become a classic of Russian children's literature. This is a fairy tale with a very deep moral meaning.

E. T. W. Hoffmann The Nutcracker
G. H. Anderson "The Snow Queen"

It's hard to imagine Christmas and New Year without Hoffmann and Anderson's fairy tales, if you haven't read them to your children yet, now is the time. You just need to choose editions with illustrations that will suit your taste.

S. Marshak "12 months"

A wonderful New Year's fairy tale with deep meaning. A story that can be read by roles if your child already reads well and confidently in Russian.

A. Volkov "The Wizard of the Emerald City"

This fairy tale is one of the most beloved books of children for several generations in a row. Children will go on an amazing journey together with the heroes of a fairy tale that tells about friendship, courage, kindness, resourcefulness and purposefulness.

Astrid Lindgren "The Adventures of Emil from Löneberg", "We are all from Bullerby"

Your child may already be familiar with the work of Astrid Lindgren, for example, with the book "Carson who lives on the roof", but in addition to the story that we all know well from childhood, Lindgren has many more wonderful children's books. Emil is a prankster and inventor who will not leave any reader indifferent, because one can laugh endlessly at his antics. And the story of the children from Bullerby will surely become one of your favorite books on your shelf, its characters are so similar to any boy and girl of 5-8 years old.

A.K. Vestli "Shchepkin and the treacherous girls", "Shchepkin and the red bicycle", "Schepkin's dangerous journey", "Ole-Alexander Tilibom-bom-bom", Ole-Alexander's first flight, "Ole-Alexander Moves"

If you have already read "Dad, Mom, Grandmother, 8 Children and a Truck" and you liked this book, then you should read other books in this series, and also pay attention to 2 more series of Westley's books: about Ole-Alexander and the Kid and Shchepkin. All the same cozy and unhurried stories from the life of children and their parents. Here is the move and the first plane trip and vacation trips, the appearance of a younger brother and new friends, all those events that the life of children of this age is full of.

Eno Rad "Clutch, Half Shoes and Moss Beard"

The story-tale of the Estonian writer E. Rad tells about the adventures of three druze naksitralli. Naxitralli are small men, similar to gnomes, no more than half a meter tall. Due to their small stature, naxitralls are sometimes mistaken for gnomes by other characters in the book. But, unlike traditional gnomes, Muff and Halfboot don't wear facial hair, but Mossbeard's beard is made from natural moss. Naxitralli lead a completely human lifestyle. They eat ordinary food, use vehicles, go shopping, cafes, go on picnics in the forest and get into various adventures and troubles.

E. Rakitina "Seryozhik"

A real childish thriller! There are incredible adventures, fairy-tale characters, and unexpected plot twists. Hedgehog Seryozhik, a preschooler who is very worried that he is not yet old enough to go to school, wakes up one morning and does not find his mother, whose disappearance is to blame ... the dragon! The brave hedgehog sets off in search of his mother, to meet adventures and dangers.

Jan Ekholm "Tutta Carlson the First and Only, Ludwig the Fourteenth and others"

The Swedes have a talent for writing books for children. Ekholm is another confirmation of this. The incredible story of friendship between a fox cub and a chicken turns into a whole series of adventures for all the characters in the book, because it's unheard of for a fox cub not to be able to cheat and deceive, it also got along with chickens!

Selma Lagerlöf "Niels' wonderful journey with wild geese"

Another book by the Swedish writer. Once a schoolboy Niels turns into a tiny man, and on the back of his mother's favorite goose Martin, he goes on a journey with a flock of wild geese. Having been in different parts of Sweden, having got into a single scrape and adventure, Niels returns home a completely different boy, kind and sympathetic, appreciating friendship and loved ones.

Ruse Lagercrantz series about the girl Dunne
Abby Hanlon Dorrie Fantazer book series

Two series of books by contemporary authors, the main characters of which are girls aged 6-7.