To honor the best books for young adults and children, TIME compiled this survey in consultation with respected peers such as U.S. Children's Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt, children's-book historian Leonard Marcus, the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, the Young Readers Center at the Library of Congress, the Every Child a Reader literacy foundation and 10 independent booksellers.
Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak
Recommended Age: 4
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Caldecott Medal Winners
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4 (in 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury)
The Snowy Day
by Ezra Jack Keats
Recommended Age: 2
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Before Five in a Row Book List for Ages 3-4
Also: Caldecott Medal Winners
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Top 10 Books for Toddlers
Also: What We Read: Winter and Snow
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4 (in 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury)
Goodnight Moon
by Margaret Wise Brown
Recommended Age: 1
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Before Five in a Row Book List for Ages 3-4
Also: Mater Amabilis Pre-K Book List for Ages 4-5
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Top 10 Books for Babies
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4 (in 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury)
Blueberries for Sal
by Robert McCloskey
Recommended Age: 4
Also: Before Five in a Row Book List for Ages 3-4
Also: Mater Amabilis Pre-K Book List for Ages 4-5
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: Moving Beyond the Page Age 4-5 Literature Package
Also: Reading Roadmaps 1st Grade
Also: Reading Roadmaps Kindergarten
Also: Top 10 Books for Toddlers
Also: Veritas Press 1st Grade Literature
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4 (in Make Way for McCloskey: A Robert McCloskey Treasury)
Little Bear
by Elsa Holmelund Minarik
Also: Mater Amabilis Pre-K Book List for Ages 4-5
Also: My Father's World Kindergarten Literature Collection
Also: Reading Roadmaps 1st Grade
Also: Sonlight Grade 1 Readers
Also: Veritas Press 1st Grade Literature
Owl Moon
by Jane Yolen, Illustrated by John Schoenherr
Recommended Age: 3
Also: Caldecott Medal Winners
Also: Five in a Row Book List for Ages 4-8
Also: Memoria Press Kindergarten Read-Aloud Program
Also: Picture Books for Minor Holidays
Also: Reading Roadmaps 1st Grade
The Giving Tree
by Shel Silverstein
Also: Moving Beyond the Page Age 6-8 Literature Package
The True Story Of The Three Little Pigs
by John A. Wolf Scieszka
Recommended Age: 4
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Tuesday
by David Wiesner
Recommended Age: 6
Also: Caldecott Medal Winners
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Where the Sidewalk Ends
by Shel Silverstein
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Harold and the Purple Crayon
by Crockett Johnson
Recommended Age: 3
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Five in a Row Book List for Ages 4-8
Also: Moving Beyond the Page Age 4-5 Literature Package
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Top 10 Books for Toddlers
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4 (in Harper Collins Treasury of Picture Book Classics)
Make Way for Ducklings
by Robert McCloskey
Recommended Age: 3
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Caldecott Medal Winners
Also: Five in a Row Book List for Ages 4-8
Also: Mater Amabilis Pre-K Book List for Ages 4-5
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: My Father's World Kindergarten Literature Collection
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Reading Roadmaps 1st Grade
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4 (in Make Way for McCloskey: A Robert McCloskey Treasury)
Olivia
by Ian Falconer
Recommended Age: 4
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Reading Roadmaps Kindergarten
Madeline
by Ludwig Bemelmans
Recommended Age: 4
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Five in a Row Book List for Ages 4-8
Also: Mater Amabilis Kindergarten Book List for Ages 5-6
Also: Memoria Press Junior Kindergarten Read-Aloud Program
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Reading Roadmaps 1st Grade
Also: Veritas Press 1st Grade Literature
Also: What We Read: France
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4 (in 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury)
Anno's Journey
by Mitsumasa Anno
Also: Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards for Excellence in Children's Literature
Also: Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards for Excellence in Children's Literature
The Frog and Toad Collection
by Arnold Lobel
Also: Reading Roadmaps 2nd Grade
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
by Doreen Cronin
Recommended Age: 3
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
The Story of Ferdinand
by Munro Leaf
Recommended Age: 4
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Five in a Row Book List for Ages 4-8
Also: Mater Amabilis Pre-K Book List for Ages 4-5
Also: Memoria Press Kindergarten Read-Aloud Program
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: My Father's World Kindergarten Literature Collection
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Reading Roadmaps 1st Grade
Also: Reading Roadmaps Kindergarten
Also: What We Read: Spain and Portugal
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4 (in 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury)
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
by Mo Willems
Recommended Age: 3
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
The Lorax
by Dr. Seuss
Corduroy
by Don Freeman
Recommended Age: 4
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Before Five in a Row Book List for Ages 3-4
Also: Mater Amabilis Pre-K Book List for Ages 4-5
Also: Memoria Press Junior Kindergarten Read-Aloud Program
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Reading Roadmaps Kindergarten
Also: Veritas Press 1st Grade Literature
I Want My Hat Back
by Jon Klassen
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2011
Miss Rumphius
by Barbara Cooney
Recommended Age: 4
Also: Five in a Row Book List for Ages 4-8
Also: National Book Award Children's Book Winners
Also: Reading Roadmaps 1st Grade
Brave Irene
by William Steig
Also: Reading Roadmaps 1st Grade
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
by Judith Viorst
Recommended Age: 4
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: Moving Beyond the Page Age 6-8 Literature Package
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Reading Roadmaps Kindergarten
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4 (in 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury)
The Cat in the Hat
by Dr. Seuss
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: Reading Roadmaps 1st Grade
Also: Sonlight Grade 1 Readers
Press Here
by Hervé Tullet
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2011
The Day the Crayons Quit
by Drew Daywalt
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Whistle For Willie
by Ezra Jack Keats
Recommended Age: 3
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: What We Read: Music
The Garden of Abdul Gasazi
by Chris Van Allsburg
Also: Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards for Excellence in Children's Literature
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories
by Dr. Seuss
Millions Of Cats
by Wanda Gág
Recommended Age: 3
Also: Mater Amabilis Pre-K Book List for Ages 4-5
Also: Memoria Press 1st Grade Read-Aloud Program
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: Moving Beyond the Page Age 4-5 Literature Package
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4 (in 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury)
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault; illustrated by Lois Ehlert
Recommended Age: 2
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: What We Read: Trucks and Construction
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4 (in 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury)
A Bear Called Paddington
by Michael Bond
Also: Former Sonlight Books
Also: Mater Amabilis Kindergarten Book List for Ages 5-6
Also: Reading Roadmaps 2nd Grade
Winnie-the-Pooh
by A. A. Milne
Also: Mater Amabilis Kindergarten Book List for Ages 5-6
Also: Memoria Press 3rd Grade Read-Aloud Program
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: Reading Roadmaps 3rd Grade
Also: Veritas Press 2nd Grade Literature
The Tale Of Peter Rabbit
by Beatrix Potter
Recommended Age: 4
Also: Five in a Row Book List for Ages 4-8
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: My Father's World Kindergarten Literature Collection
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Reading Roadmaps Kindergarten
Also: Sonlight Pre-K Book List for Ages 4-5 (in The Complete Adventures of Peter Rabbit)
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime (in Beatrix Potter The Complete Tales)
Mike Mulligan And His Steam Shovel
by Virginia Lee Burton
Recommended Age: 4
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Five in a Row Book List for Ages 4-8
Also: Mater Amabilis Pre-K Book List for Ages 4-5
Also: Memoria Press 1st Grade Read-Aloud Program
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Reading Roadmaps 1st Grade
Also: What We Read: Trucks and Construction
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4 (in Mike Mulligan and More)
Go, Dog. Go!
by P.D. Eastman
Recommended Age: 3
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4
Mama Don't Allow
by Thacher Hurd
Eloise
by Kay Thompson
Bread and Jam for Frances
by Russell Hoban; illustrated by Lillian Hoban
Recommended Age: 4
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Memoria Press Kindergarten Read-Aloud Program
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Reading Roadmaps 1st Grade
Also: Veritas Press 1st Grade Literature
Amelia Bedelia
by Peggy Parish
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: Reading Roadmaps 1st Grade
Also: Sonlight Grade 2 Readers
Also: Veritas Press 1st Grade Literature
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4 (in 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury)
Love You Forever
Robert Munsch
Also: My Father's World Kindergarten Literature Collection
Also: Reading Roadmaps 1st Grade
Animalia
by Graeme Base
In the Night Kitchen
by Maurice Sendak
Diary of a Wombat
by Jackie French
Also: What We Read: Australia
Tikki Tikki Tembo
by Arlene Mosel
Also: Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards for Excellence in Children's Literature
Also: Memoria Press Junior Kindergarten Read-Aloud Program
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: What We Read: China
Extra Yarn
by Mac Barnett
Also: Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards for Excellence in Children's Literature
Good Dog, Carl
by Alexandra Day
My Father's Dragon
by Ruth Stiles Gannett
Also: Mater Amabilis Kindergarten Book List for Ages 5-6
Also: Reading Roadmaps 2nd Grade
Also: Sonlight Level A for Ages 5-7
Also: Veritas Press 2nd Grade Literature
Hello, Rock
by Roger Bradfield
The Gruffalo
by Julia Donaldson
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
by William Steig
Recommended Age: 4
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Caldecott Medal Winners
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: Moving Beyond the Page Age 6-8 Literature Package
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4 (in 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury)
The Important Book
by Margaret Wise Brown
Also: Memoria Press Kindergarten Read-Aloud Program
Jazz
by Walter Dean Myers
The Stranger
by Chris Van Allsburg
Also: Memoria Press 3rd Grade Read-Aloud Program
Also: Reading Roadmaps 1st Grade
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
by Eric Carle
Recommended Age: 1
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Reading Roadmaps Kindergarten
Also: Top 10 Books for Babies
We Are in a Book! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)
by Mo Willems
Jenny and the Cat Club
by Esther Averill
Also: Top 10 First Chapter Books for Preschoolers
The Runaway Bunny
by Margaret Wise Brown
Recommended Age: 3
Also: Before Five in a Row Book List for Ages 3-4
Also: Mater Amabilis Pre-K Book List for Ages 4-5
Also: Memoria Press Junior Kindergarten Read-Aloud Program
Also: Reading Roadmaps Kindergarten
Pippi Longstocking
by Astrid Lindgren
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Former Sonlight Books
Also: Mater Amabilis Level 1B Book List for Ages 6-7
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: Reading Roadmaps 3rd Grade
Journey
by Aaron Becker
Green Eggs and Ham
by Dr. Seuss
Also: Memoria Press Junior Kindergarten Read-Aloud Program
Also: Sonlight Grade 1 Readers
The Red Balloon
by Albert Lamorisse
Little Owl's Night
by Divya Srinivasan
Paddle-to-the-Sea
by Holling C. Holling
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Former Sonlight Books
Also: What We Read: Canada
Katy and the Big Snow
by Virginia Lee Burton
Recommended Age: 4
Also: Five in a Row Book List for Ages 4-8
Also: Mater Amabilis Pre-K Book List for Ages 4-5
Also: Memoria Press Kindergarten Read-Aloud Program
Also: What We Read: Winter and Snow
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4 (in Mike Mulligan and More)
A Sick Day for Amos McGee
by Philip C. Stead, Illustrated by Erin E. Stead
Recommended Age: 4
Also: Caldecott Medal Winners
Also: New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2010
Slow Loris
by Alexis Deacon
The Color Kittens
by Margaret Wise Brown
Also: My Father's World Kindergarten Literature Collection
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
by William Joyce
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Oh, The Places You'll Go!
by Dr. Seuss
The Little Engine that Could
by Watty Piper
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: Reading Roadmaps Kindergarten
Also: Top 10 Books for Toddlers
Also: Veritas Press 1st Grade Literature
Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go
by Richard Scarry
The New Kid on the Block
by Jack Prelutsky
How Rocket Learned to Read
by Tad Hills
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales
by Jon Scieszka
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
The Story of Babar: The Little Elephant
by Jean De Brunhoff
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
The Three Questions
by Jon J. Muth
Grandfather's Journey
by Allen Say
Recommended Age: 4
Also: Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards for Excellence in Children's Literature
Also: Caldecott Medal Winners
Also: Five in a Row Book List for Ages 4-8
Also: Mater Amabilis Kindergarten Book List for Ages 5-6
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: What We Read: Japan
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
by Kadir Nelson
We’re Going On a Bear Hunt
by Michael Rosen
Recommended Age: 3
Also: Before Five in a Row Book List for Ages 3-4
Arthur's Nose
by Marc Brown
If You Give A Mouse A Cookie
by Laura Numeroff
Recommended Age: 3
Also: Moving Beyond the Page Age 5-7 Literature Package
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Reading Roadmaps Kindergarten
Also: Veritas Press 1st Grade Literature
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4 (in Harper Collins Treasury of Picture Book Classics)
Sayonara, Mrs. Kackleman
by Maira Kalman
Miss Nelson Is Missing!
by Harry Allard and James Marshall
Recommended Age: 4
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Veritas Press 1st Grade Literature
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4 (in 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury)
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse
by Kevin Henkes
Recommended Age: 4
Also: Moving Beyond the Page Age 6-8 Literature Package
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Alligator Pie
by Dennis Lee
Everyone Poops
by Taro Gomi
Rain Makes Applesauce
by Julian Scheer
Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China
by Ed Young
Recommended Age: 8
Also: Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards for Excellence in Children's Literature
Also: Caldecott Medal Winners
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: What We Read: China
The Berenstain Bears (series)
by Stan & Jan Berenstain
Mr. Popper's Penguins
by Richard Atwater
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Mater Amabilis Level 1B Book List for Ages 6-7
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: Sonlight Level B for Ages 6-8
Library Lion
by Michelle Knudsen
The Real Mother Goose
by Blanche Fisher Wright
Also: Amazon's 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime
Also: Former Sonlight Books
Also: Moving Beyond the Page Age 4-5 Literature Package
Also: Our Favorite Mother Goose Collections
Harry the Dirty Dog
by Gene Zion; illustrated by Margaret Graham
Recommended Age: 3
Also: Mater Amabilis Pre-K Book List for Ages 4-5
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
Also: New York Public Library’s List of 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
Also: Top 10 Books for Toddlers
Also: Veritas Press 1st Grade Literature
Also: Sonlight Preschool Book List for Ages 3-4 (in 20th Century Children’s Book Treasury)
Out of My Mind
by Sharon M. Draper
Also: New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2010
The Poky Little Puppy
by Janette Sebring Lowrey
Also: Reading Roadmaps Kindergarten
Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes
by James Dean
Stellaluna
by Janell Cannon
Also: Memoria Press Kindergarten Read-Aloud Program
Also: Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Grades K-3
To honor the best books for young adults and children, TIME compiled this survey in consultation with respected peers such as U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt, children’s-book historian Leonard Marcus, the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, the Young Readers Center at the Library of Congress, the Every Child a Reader literacy foundation and 10 independent booksellers.