Sunday, May 6, 2012

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...





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