This is a selection of children’s books written by various authors(with GEMs highlighted). The list does not include books by Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl and J. K. Rowling, since these can be found in their own separate sections. The books in this section cover a very wide time span (ranging from ancient folklore to modern novels) and as well as a wide age group (ranging from small children to young adults). The list below includes links for several associated items which may be available online for each book: (a) Wikipedia page, (b) e-book, and (c) audiobook. There is also a column called “More info” with links to optional posts on each book.
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Year
Author
Category
Book Title
GEM!
Comments
Wiki page
E-book
Audiobook
More info
1697
Perrault, Charles
Fairy Tales
Tales of Past Times (aka Mother Goose Tales)
1807
Lamb, Charles and Mary
Retold Stories
Tales from Shakespeare
Adaptation of selected Shakespeare plays for children
1812
Brothers Grimm
Fairy Tales
Grimms' Fairy Tales (aka Children's and Household Tales)
1848
Marryat, Frederick
Novel
The Little Savage
Published posthumously
1851
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Mythology
A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys
Assorted tales from Greek mythology
1853
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Mythology
Tanglewood Tales
Assorted tales from Greek mythology
1857
Hughes, Thomas
Novel
Tom Brown's School Days
1863
Andersen, Hans Christian
Fairy Tales
Fairy Tales and Stories
1865
Carroll, Lewis
Novel
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (aka Alice in Wonderland)
aka Alice in Wonderland
1867
Bulfinch, Thomas
Short Stories
Bulfinch's Mythology
1871
Carroll, Lewis
Novel
Through the Looking-Glass
Subtitled: And What Alice Found There. Sequel to Alice in Wonderland
1876
Twain, Mark
Novel
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
1877
Sewell, Anna
Novel
Black Beauty
Subtitled: His Grooms and Companions, the Autobiography of a Horse
1881
Spyri, Johanna
Novel
Heidi
1881
Twain, Mark
Novel
The Prince and the Pauper
1883
Carlo Collodi
Novel
The Adventures of Pinocchio
1883
Church, Alfred J.
Mythology
Stories from Livy
Tales from Roman mythology retold
1883
Pyle, Howard
Novel
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (illustrated)
1885
Henty, G. A.
Novel
In Freedom's Cause
Subtitled: A Story of Wallace and Bruce
1886
Burnett, Frances Hodgson
Novel
Little Lord Fauntleroy
1888
Burton, Richard F.
Fairy Tales
The Book of the Thousand Nights & a Night
Tales from the Arabian Nights retold
1888
Henty, G. A.
Novel
In the Reign Of Terror
Subtitled: The Adventures of a Westminster Boy
1889
Jacobs, Joseph
Fables
The Fables of Aesop
Collection of Aesop's fables
1889
Lang, Andrew
Fairy Tales
The Blue Fairy Book
Assorted fairy tales from different sources
1890
Jacobs, Joseph
Fairy Tales
English Fairy Tales
Collection of English fairy tales
1890
Lang, Andrew
Fairy Tales
The Red Fairy Book
Assorted fairy tales from different sources
1892
Church, Alfred J.
Mythology
The Story of the Odyssey
The Odyssey retold for Children
1892
Lang, Andrew
Fairy Tales
The Green Fairy Book
Assorted fairy tales from different sources
1894
Kipling, Rudyard
Short Stories
The Jungle Book
1894
Lang, Andrew
Fairy Tales
The Yellow Fairy Book
Assorted fairy tales from different sources
1900
Baum, L. Frank
Novel
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (aka The Wizard of Oz)
1902
Barrie, J. M.
Novel
The Little White Bird; or, Adventures in Kensington Gardens
Introduces Peter Pan
1902
Kipling, Rudyard
Short Stories
Just So Stories
1903
Pyle, Howard
Linked Stories
The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (illustrated)
Retelling of King Arthur saga Volume 1
1905
Burnett, Frances Hodgson
Novel
A Little Princess
1905
Pyle, Howard
Linked Stories
The Story of the Champions of the Round Table (illustrated)
Retelling of King Arthur saga Volume 2
1907
Pyle, Howard
Linked Stories
The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions (illustrated)
Retelling of King Arthur saga Volume 3
1908
Montgomery, Lucy Maud
Novel
Anne of Green Gables
1909
Buckley, Elsie F.
Mythology
Children of the Dawn, Old Tales of Greece
Collection of ancient Greek tales
1910
Pyle, Howard
Linked Stories
The Story of the Grail and the Passing of King Arthur (illustrated)
Retelling of King Arthur saga Volume 4
1911
Barrie, J. M.
Novel
Peter and Wendy (aka Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up)
Peter Pan's adventures with Wendy and her brothers
1911
Burnett, Frances Hodgson
Novel
The Secret Garden
1912
Various
Mythology
The Junior Classics, Volume III: Tales from Greece & Rome
Collection of tales from Greece & Rome
1913
Porter, Eleanor H.
Novel
Pollyanna
1919
Winter, Milo S. (illustrator)
Fables
The Aesop for Children
Collection of Aesop's fables (illustrated)
1920
Hawes, Charles Boardman
Novel
The Mutineers
1920
Lofting, Hugh
Novel
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
First book in Doctor Dolittle series
1922
Lofting, Hugh
Novel
The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle
Book #2 in Doctor Dolittle series. Newberry Medal winner
1923
Hawes, Charles Boardman
Novel
The Dark Frigate
1925
Ryder, Arthur W.
Fables
The Panchatantra
Collections of tales from the Panchatantra
1926
Milne, A.A.
Linked Stories
Winnie-the-Pooh
First book in Winnie-the-Pooh series
1927
Dixon, Franklin W.
Novel
Hardy Boys: The Tower Treasure
First book in Hardy Boys mystery series
1928
Milne, A.A.
Linked Stories
The House at Pooh Corner
Second book in Winnie-the-Pooh series
1930
Keene, Carolyn
Novel
Nancy Drew: The Secret of the Old Clock
First book in Nancy Drew mystery series
1932
Wilder, Laura Ingalls
Novel
Little House in the Big Woods
First book in Little House series
1935
Wilder, Laura Ingalls
Novel
Little House on the Prairie
(Laura Years) Book #2 in Little House series
1937
Tolkien, J.R.R.
Novel
The Hobbit
Subtitled: Or There and Back Again
1940
Treas, Geoffrey
Novel
Cue for Treason
1943
Saint-Exupéry, Antoine de
Novel
The Little Prince
1945
White, E.B.
Novel
Stuart Little
1947
MacDonald, Betty
Novel
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
First book in Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series
1949
MacDonald, Betty
Novel
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic
Book #2 in Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series
1950
Cleary, Beverly
Novel
Henry Huggins
First book in Henry Huggins series
1950
Lewis, C. L.
Novel
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
First book in Chronicles of Narnia series
1952
Asimov, Isaac
Novel
David Starr, Space Ranger (aka Lucky Starr, Space Ranger)
First book in Lucky Starr series
1952
Cleary, Beverly
Novel
Henry and Beezus
Book #2 in Henry Huggins series
1952
White, E.B.
Novel
Charlotte's Web
1954
Cleary, Beverly
Novel
Henry and Ribsy
Book #3 in Henry Huggins series
1954
MacDonald, Betty
Novel
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm
Book #4 in Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series. Illustrated by Maurice Sendak
1955
Cleary, Beverly
Novel
Beezus and Ramona
First book in Ramona series
1957
Cleary, Beverly
Novel
Henry and the Paper Route
Book #2 in Ramona series
1957
MacDonald, Betty
Novel
Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
Book #3 in Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series
1958
Ponsot, Marie
Fairy Tales
The Fairy Tale Book (aka The Golden Book of Fairy Tales)
Assorted fairy tales from different sources. Beautifully illustrated by Adrienne Segur
1958
Speare, Elizabeth George
Novel
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Newberry Award winner
1961
Juster, Norton
Novel
The Phantom Tollbooth
1967
Konigsburg, E. L.
Novel
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Newberry Award winner
1968
Cleary, Beverly
Novel
Ramona the Pest
Book #4 in Henry Huggins series
1969
Taylor, Theodore
Novel
The Cay
1973
Konigsburg, E. L.
Novel
A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver
About Eleanor of Aquitaine
1975
Babbitt, Natalie
Novel
Tuck Everlasting
1975
Cleary, Beverly
Novel
Ramona the Brave
Book #3 in Ramona series
1977
Cleary, Beverly
Novel
Ramona and Her Father
Book #4 in Ramona series
1977
Paterson, Katherine
Novel
Bridge to Terabithia
Newberry Award winner
1978
Sachar, Louis
Linked Stories
Sideways Stories from Wayside School
First book in Wayside School series
1979
Cleary, Beverly
Novel
Ramona and Her Mother
Book #5 in Ramona series
1981
Cleary, Beverly
Novel
Ramona Quimby, Age 8
Book #6 in Ramona series
1983
Asimov, Isaac & Janet
Novel
Norby, the Mixed-Up Robot
First book in Norby series
1983
Speare, Elizabeth George
Novel
The Sign of the Beaver
1984
Cleary, Beverly
Novel
Dear Mr. Henshaw
Newberry Award winner
1985
MacLachlan, Patricia
Novelette
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Newberry Award winner
1986
Fleischman, Sid
Novel
The Whipping Boy
Newberry Award winner
1989
Sachar, Louis
Linked Stories
Wayside School is Falling Down
Book #2 in Wayside School series
1992
Stine, R. L.
Novel
Goosebumps: Welcome to Dead House
First book in Goosebumps series
1993
Lowry Lois
Novel
The Giver
Newberry Award winner
1995
Sachar, Louis
Linked Stories
Wayside School Gets A Little Stranger
Book #3 in Wayside School series
1997
Levine, Gail Carson
Novel
Ella Enchanted
Newberry Award winner
1998
Sachar, Louis
Novel
Holes
Newberry Medal winner
1999
Snicket, Lemony
Novel
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning
First book in 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' series'