50 Best Children’s Books of All Time

Reading to a child has many benefits, including invaluable bonding time between the reader and child. 

We created this guide to provide information on developmental milestones and the importance of reading to children.

It also includes 50 of the best children’s books of all times. Click here to jump right to the 50 best books list.

Table of Contents

• Importance of Reading
• 50 Best Children’s Books of All Time
• Reading Tips for Parents
• Sources & Resources

The Importance of Reading

Creating a habit of reading to your child at an early age sets them up for future success. Babies love to hear the voices of their parent(s), so why not spend a few minutes each day reading to them?

Improved literacy throughout their lives is just one reason reading to children is so important. According to the Reach Out & Read program (ROR), 80% of a child’s brain is formed in the first three years. 

Low-income children are especially at risk for developmental and literacy delays. Clinical studies show children who take part in literacy programs like ROR develop higher expressive and receptive language skills as early as age three.

Literacy programs are in every state across the country and many pediatricians participate. Creating habits early on will not only help with child development and school readiness, it can also help stop the cycle of family poverty.

The High Cost of Low Literacy

Without early intervention, many children in American enter kindergarten without the skills required to read. This can have lifelong consequences on them, including:

• Repeating grade levels in school
• Inability to graduate high school
• Inability to hold down a job
• Lack of high-paying jobs available
• High risk of living at or below poverty levels

The most recent study by the National Center for Education Statistics shows roughly 20% of adults up to age 65 have a below basic literacy level.

50 Best Children’s Books of All Time

This list is not exhaustive and is broken down by age group. Each title has a brief description of the book contents and a link to use for purchase.

Click the links below to jump to a specific age section or simply scroll from here:

• Babies & Toddlers – 0 to 3 years
• Preschoolers – 3 to 5 years
• Elementary School – 5 to 12 years
• Middle School – 12+ years

Best Children’s Books for Babies & Toddlers

According to the CDC and HealthyChildren.org, children are considered babies until they reach 12 months, or 1 year, in age. Children are considered toddlers until they reach 36 months, or 3 years, in age.

Best Children’s Books for Preschoolers

You’ve built the foundation, now it’s time to get your toddler ready for a more structured setting in daycare or preschool. Here are some of the best children’s books to help you.

Best Children’s Books for Elementary School

As your child grows and enters elementary school, they’ll start to read on their own, with help from you. These books can assist with their grasp of reading, writing, and vocabulary.

Best Children’s Books for Middle School

Many books for this age group provide important lessons to help shape young minds. Here are some of the best children’s books for middle schoolers.

Helping Parents Read to their Kids

Finding the time to read with your children can seem impossible. However, the earlier you start, the better their chances for lifelong success. Psychology Today suggests getting started with just a few minutes each day with babies as young as six months old.

Tips for success will look different at each stage of child development. Creating a habit when they are babies will help foster a love for reading and make it easier as they get older.

Here are tips you can use at each stage.

Tips for Baby Reading Success

Once your baby hits six months old (or even earlier), set aside time for reading. Many will use this as a bedtime ritual. However, if another time of day works best for you, then use that time for reading to your baby.

Babies will react best to books they can touch and interact with. Choose books with:

• Pages meant to be handled (vinyl, plastic, cloth)
• Ways for babies to interact (touch different materials, sounds, etc)
• Bright colors
• Simple words
• Rhyming text

When it’s time for reading, sit in a comfortable position with baby on your lap. Be animated when reading to your baby, using different voices for characters. Repeat words and help baby connect sounds to items (touch nose when saying nose, point to dresser when saying dresser, etc).

A young baby will want to put books in their mouth, drop them, chew on them. As they get closer to a year old, babies will begin to interact more with the book. This means pointing, helping to turn pages, and even making noises to sound out words.

For best results, make reading time fun. Interact with baby, repeat words and connect them with pictures or objects at home. According to KidsHealth, repetition is key to building language skills, so it’s okay to read the same books over and over.

Tips for Toddle Reading

By now, you should have a daily routine in place to read with your child. They are over a year old and starting to connect words with items and people.

If you still enjoy reading the same books as you did when they were babies, continue reading them. It’s okay to include some harder books with a sentence or two per page. Run your finger from left to right as you read aloud, so they start to understand how a book is structured.

Provide challenges for them. Make noises for each animal in the book you’re reading. Ask them questions like “Where are your ears/nose/mouth?” when seeing a picture of a child. When a page shows a dog or cat, ask them “where is the dog?” and have them point to it (direct their hand and repeat “dog” if needed).

As they get closer to 2 years old, ask more open-ended questions, like “what is that?” when pointing to a blue truck. Encourage any noise or sound they make and reaffirm what they see, “yes, that’s a blue truck. Good job!” 

Your child will probably want to read the same books over and over, with the same sounds and animation each time. They may “scold” you if you talk out of turn, as by now they’ve learned how each page should go. Experts believe this allows them to reinforce words in their vocabulary and helps them form new words.

Tips for Preschooler Reading

Your child is reaching an age where they are seeing the world through a whole new set of eyes. They are understanding what things are as they move about their daily lives. If you watch closely, you can almost see them connecting the dots when noticing a truck and saying excitedly “truck!” as it drives past.

To keep the reading momentum going, talk throughout your day with your child. Tell them how much you love your reading time together, and you can’t wait to read the next book with them.

Continue to interact with them while reading together, asking questions and having them point out items. Now that they are recognizing things outside of reading time, point them out as you go about your life together. When you see a plane, point it out to them and repeat the word.

At this stage, Reading Rockets recommends knowing when to stop. If the child isn’t showing interest or you can’t keep their attention, stop the reading session for now. Continue to reinforce words, sounds, and descriptors. Ask them to draw things or “write” them out.

Add in new words and describe everyday things you encounter. Continue to ask them questions about what they’re seeing.

Tips for Elementary School Reading

Your child is now noticing more and likely wanting to imitate others, especially you as the parent. Make sure you are reading books yourself so they can “catch” you reading and modeling this behavior.

Maintain your reading schedule, at least 20 minutes daily. Make sure age appropriate books are in every room in the house. Bring at least one book with you everywhere in case there is an opportunity to read while going about your daily life.

Continue to:

• Be encouraging and animated when reading
• Repeat stories and books
• Be patient and excited for story time
• Track words with your finger as you or they read
• Ask questions while reading and encourage discussion

If your child wants to read to you, let them. If they make a mistake, gently correct them. Reading Partners advises to never nag, criticize, judge, or pressure your children around reading. This is a fun bonding activity and it should be treated as such every day.

At this stage, you may need to break up reading time with them if they don’t want to sit still for long. Use the world around you to continue learning when you aren’t settled in for reading time.

Take advantage of your local library to encourage reading new books. Allow them to attend story time that’s age appropriate. Spend the trip home reflecting on what they learned and talking about the different books they picked out to read.

Tips for Middle School Reading

As your child continues to grow, we hope their love for reading has also grown. By now, they are reading on their own and even working on book reviews and writing projects in school.

At this age, it’s important to know what your child is reading. Be sure to read a few pages of the books they are interested in to:

• Be sure they are age appropriate
• You’re able to ask questions about the book
• You understand what genres they are most interested in 

If they have a younger sibling, encourage them to read to the sibling. Ask them to read their favorites from their childhood and share memories of reading with the little one(s).

Playing games that provide vocabulary and spelling opportunities, Scholastic suggests. If they enjoy a movie that was made from a book, encourage them to read the book. When they are done, ask them which they liked better and why.

Listening to books on tape while driving or doing other activities is another way to keep your child engaged. These tips will continue to foster a love for reading and expressing their thoughts and feelings about the world around them.

Now, here is a list of some of the best children’s books of all time. Choose some or all to read to your child as they grow.

Sources & Resources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Child Developmental Milestones
• HealthyChildren.org (American Academy of Pediatrics) – Ages & Stages
• ROR – Reach Out & Read program (endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics)
• Study – The Impact of a Clinic-Based Literacy Intervention on Language Development in Inner-City Preschool Children
• Study – Mitigating the Effects of Family Poverty on Early Child Development through Parenting Interventions in Primary Care
• Study – A First Look at the Literacy of America’s Adults in the 21st Century
• Psychology Today – The Magic of Reading Aloud to Babies
• KidsHealth – Reading Books to Babies
• ZerotoThree – How to Introduce Toddlers & Babies to Books
• Parents – Age-by-Age Guide to Reading to Your Baby
• Reading Rockets – Reading Tips for Parents of Preschoolers
• Reading Partners – 10 Back to School Reading Tips for Parents and Guardians
• Scholastic – 17 Ways to Keep Your Middle Schooler Interested in Reading
• Reader’s Digest – The 25 Best Children’s Books Ever Written
• Raise Smart Kid – 101 Best Children’s Books of all Time – by Age
• Common Sense Media – 50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They’re 12
• Scholastic – 14 Top Picks for Middle-Schoolers

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