Top 100 Books - How'd we do?

Last week, I took the kids to the school Scholastic Book Fair and did my usual semi-annual griping about how the books and junk that they sell at the fair are all just that...junk.  Grumpy, grumpy, grumpy I am as a 36 year old parent of 3.  I need to really think back to when I was in elementary school and could pick out any book I wanted from the book fair...I think sometimes for the kids is more about the freedom to choose their book, than actually looking for fine literary work.  That being said, I'd love to see a shift to some less-commercialized book choices.  I can help influence that a little bit this summer with our library book choices.  In the mean time, here's the NEA's list of top 100 books...I've colored the ones we've read.  

The following list was compiled from an online survey in 2007. Parents and teachers will find it useful in selecting quality literature for children. 

1. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White 
2. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak 
3. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
   
4. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss 
5. Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown 
6. I Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch 
7. Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
   
8. Oh! The Places You Will Go by Dr. Seuss 
   
9. The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
   
10. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg 
11. Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner 
12. Thank You Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco 
13. The Cat In The Hat by Dr. Seuss 
14. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
    
15. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
    
16. The Mitten by Jan Brett 
    
17. Crunching Carrots, Not Candy by Judy Slack
    
18. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willlems 
    
19. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling 
20. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
    
21. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst 
22. Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman 
23. Corduroy by Don Freeman 
24. Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
    
25. Stellaluna by Janell Cannon 
    
26. Tacky the Penquin by Helen Lester
    
27. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
    
28. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams 
29. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. 
30. Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin 
31. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
    
32. Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
    
33. Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park
    
34. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
    
35. Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey 
36. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster 
37. Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini
    
38. The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper 
    
39. The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone 
40. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
    
41. A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon 
42. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett 
43. From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
    
44. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
    
45. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
    
46. Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann 
47. Olivia by Ian Falconer 
    
48. The BFG by Roald Dahl
    
49. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn 
50. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
    
51. The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss
    
52. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle 
53. Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel 
54. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
    
55. Bark, George by Jules Feiffer
    
56. Bunnicula by James Howe
    
57. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
    
58. Charlie the Caterpillar by Dom DeLuise
    
59. Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
    
60. Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
    
61. Frederick by Leo Lionni 
62. Frindle by Andrew Clements
    
63. Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel 
64. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney 
65. Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen
    
66. Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion 
    
67. Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss 
    
68. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss 
69. I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt
    
70. Is Your Mama A Llama? by Deborah Guarino 
71. Jan Brett’s books 
    
72. Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin Jr.
    
73. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
    
74. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton 
75. Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
    
76. My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
    
77. My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss
    
78. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
    
79. No David! by David Shannon 
    
80. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss 
81. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
    
82. Stephanie's Ponytail by Robert Munsch
    
83. Swimmy by Leo Lionni
    
84. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
    
85. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Warner
    
86. The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
    
87. The Empty Pot by Demi
    
88. The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop
    
89. The Giver by Lois Lowr
    
90. The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle 
    
91. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
    
92. The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown
    
93. The Last Holiday Concert by Andrew Clements
    
94. The Napping House by Audrey Wood
    
95. The Quiltmaker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau
    
96. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
    
97. The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack
    
98. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
    
99. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
    
100. The Wide-Mouthed Frog: A Pop-Up Book by Keith Faulkner 

Wow, overall, not too bad...we are big on reading around here.  And now I leave you with some pictures from the luau-themed book fair...