100 Great Childrens' Books at the New York Public Library

If you like books and your children can handle them and are not hopelessly stuck with TV and computer games==

100 Great Children’s Books | 100 Years

Great stories never grow old! Chosen by children’s librarians at The New York Public Library, these 100 inspiring tales have thrilled generations of children and their parents — and are still flying off our shelves. So use this list and your library card to discover new worlds of wonder and adventure!
100 Great Children’s Books has been published on the occasion of The New York Public Library’s acclaimed exhibition The ABC of It: Why Children’s Books Matter, on view at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. The list was selected by The New York Public Library’s Jeanne Lamb, Coordinator, Youth Collections, and Elizabeth Bird, Supervising Librarian.

The Library Shop is offering special discounts on themed book sets from the 100 Great Children's Books list. Choose from curated collections such as Best Picture Book, Best Baby and Toddler Books, and Best Easy Books. Or buy a package of all 100 books and get the complete collection! Learn more.

Download the PDF or browse the list below.
What’s on your list of great children’s books? Let us know!
#GreatChildrensBooks | facebook.com/NYPL

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A

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

by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Ray Cruz (1972)

All-of-a-Kind Family

by Sydney Taylor, illustrated by Helen John (1951)

Amelia Bedelia

by Peggy Parish, illustrated by Fritz Siebel (1963)

The Arrival

by Shaun Tan (2007)

B

Bark, George

by Jules Feiffer (1999)

Because of Winn-Dixie

by Kate DiCamillo (2000)

Ben’s Trumpet 

by Rachel Isadora (1979)

Big Red Lollipop

by Rukhsana Khan, illustrated by Sophie Blackall (2010)

The Birchbark House 

by Louise Erdrich (1999)

The Book of Three

by Lloyd Alexander (1964)

The Borrowers

by Mary Norton, illustrated by Beth Krush and Joe Krush (1953)

The Bossy Gallito/El Gallo De Bodas: A Traditional Cuban Folktale

by Lucía M. González, illustrated by Lulu Delacre (1994)

Bread and Jam for Frances

by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Lillian Hoban (1964)

Bridge to Terabithia

by Katherine Paterson (1977)

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

by Bill Martin, Jr., illustrated by Eric Carle (1967)

C

Caps for Sale

by Esphyr Slobodkina (1938)

The Cat in the Hat

by Dr. Seuss (1957)

Chains

by Laurie Halse Anderson (2008)

A Chair For My Mother

by Vera B. Williams (1982)

Charlotte’s Web

by E.B. White, illustrated by Garth Williams (1952)

Chato’s Kitchen

by Gary Soto, illustrated by Susan Guevara (1995)

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

by Bill Martin, Jr., and John Archambault; illustrated by Lois Ehlert (1989)

Corduroy

by Don Freeman (1976)

Curious George

by H.A. Rey (1941)

D

D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths

by Ingri D’Aulaire and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire (1962)

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

by Mo Willems (2003)

E

Esperanza Rising

by Pam Muñoz Ryan (2000)

F

Freight Train

by Donald Crews (1978)

Frog and Toad Are Friends

by Arnold Lobel (1970)

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler 

by E.L. Konigsburg (1967)

G

George and Martha

by James Marshall (1972)

The Giver 

by Lois Lowry (1993)

Go, Dog. Go!

by P.D. Eastman (1961)

Goodnight Moon

by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd (1947)

Grandfather’s Journey

by Allen Say (1993)

The Graveyard Book

by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKean (2008)

Green Eggs and Ham

by Dr. Seuss (1960)

H

Harold and the Purple Crayon

by Crockett Johnson (1955)

Harriet the Spy

by Louise Fitzhugh (1964)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

by J.K. Rowling (1998)

Hatchet

by Gary Paulsen (1989)

The Hobbit

by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937)

Holes

by Louis Sachar (1998)

I

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

by Brian Selznick (2007)

J

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

by Simms Taback (1999)

Jumanji

by Chris Van Allsburg (1981)

Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book 

by Yuyi Morales (2003)

L

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse

by Kevin Henkes (1996)

The Lion and the Mouse

by Jerry Pinkney (2009)

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

by C.S. Lewis (1950)

The Little House

by Virginia Lee Burton (1942)

The Little Prince

by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1943)

Locomotion

by Jacqueline Woodson (2003)

Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story From China

by Ed Young (1989)

M

Madeline

by Ludwig Bemelmans (1939)

Make Way for Ducklings 

by Robert McCloskey (1941)

Matilda 

by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake (1988)

Meet Danitra Brown 

by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Floyd Cooper (1994)

Millions of Cats

by Wanda Gág (1928)

Miss Nelson is Missing!

by Harry Allard, illustrated by James Marshall (1977)

Mr. Popper's Penguins

by Richard and Florence Atwater; illustrated by Robert Lawson (1938)

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

by Robert C. O’Brien (1971)

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale

by John Steptoe (1987)

My Father’s Dragon

by Ruth Stiles Gannett, illustrated by Ruth Chrisman Gannett (1948)

My Name is Yoon

by Helen Recorvits, illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska (2003)

O

Olivia

by Ian Falconer (2000)

One Crazy Summer

by Rita Williams-Garcia (2010)

P

The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales

by Virginia Hamilton, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon (1985)

The Phantom Tollbooth

by Norton Juster, illustrated by Jules Feiffer (1961)

Pierre: A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters and a Prologue

by Maurice Sendak (1962)

Pink and Say

by Patricia Polacco (1994)

Pippi Longstocking

by Astrid Lindgren (1950)

R

Ramona the Pest

by Beverly Cleary (1968)

Rickshaw Girl

by Mitali Perkins, illustrated by Jamie Hogan (2007)

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

by Mildred D. Taylor (1976)

Rumpelstiltskin

by Paul O. Zelinsky (1986)

S

A Sick Day for Amos MCGee

by Philip Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead (2010)

The Snowy Day 

by Ezra Jack Keats (1962)

Starry River of the Sky

by Grace Lin (2012)

The Stories Julian Tells

by Ann Cameron, illustrated by Ann Strugnell (1981)

The Story of Ferdinand

by Munro Leaf, illustrated by Robert Lawson (1936)

Strega Nona 

by Tomie dePaola (1975)

Swimmy

by Leo Lionni (1963)

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

by William Steig (1969)

T

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing 

by Judy Blume (1972)

The Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit

by Julius Lester, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney (1987)

Tar Beach

by Faith Ringgold (1991)

Ten, Nine, Eight

by Molly Bang (1983)

Tomie dePaola’s Mother Goose

by Tomie dePaola (1985)

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith (1989)

Tuesday

by David Wiesner (1991)

V

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

by Eric Carle (1969)

W

The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963

by Christopher Paul Curtis (1995)

The Westing Game

by Ellen Raskin (1978)

When You Reach Me 

by Rebecca Stead (2009)

Where Is the Green Sheep?

by Mem Fox, illustrated by Judy Horacek (2004)

Where the Wild Things Are

by Maurice Sendak (1963)

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears

by Verna Aardema, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon (1975)

Winnie-the-Pooh

by A.A. Milne, illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard (1926)

A Wrinkle in Time

by Madeleine L’Engle (1962)

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© The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations, 2013.
Support for The New York Public Library’s Exhibitions Program has been provided by Celeste Bartos, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos and Adam Bartos Exhibitions Fund, and Jonathan Altman. Additional support for The ABC of It has been provided by the Bertha and Isaac Liberman Foundation, Inc., in memory of Ruth and Seymour Klein.

List Year: 

2013

• 100_great_childrens_books.pdf