So here is my kids' list of favorite books. We skew toward fantasy, light sci-fi, and nonfiction around here. Please add your favorite middle grade and YA books in the comments!
The kids' favorite books and authors:
What We Found in the Sofa and How it Saved the World, by Henry Clark (this is one of my all-time favorite books, too)
Anything by Diana Wynne Jones
Anything and everything by Brandon Sanderson
"The Lunar Chronicles" by Marissa Mayer
"The Castle Corona"
The Artemis Fowl Series, by Eoin Colfer
The Underland Chronicles Series, by Suzanne Collins
Warriors Series, by Erin Hunter
Wings of Fire Series, by Tui Sutherland
Keeper of the Lost Cities Series, by Shannon Messenger
Rick Riordan Books (all of his)
Dr. Seuss Books
Calvin and Hobbes books (all of them), by Bill Waterson
The Maze Runner, by James Dashner (this one is very dark and the rest of the series is morally ambiguous, so I would preview this as a parent before you give it to your kids)
The City of Ember Series, by Jean DuPrau
The Magic Treehouse Series
The Ender Series, by Orson Scott Card
The Pokemon Manga (and games)
Geronimo Stilton series, by Geronimo Stilton
Dragonbreath series, by Ursula Vernon
The 39 Clues series (authors vary)
Shark Wars, by E. J. Altbacker
The Ever Afters, by Shelby Bach
Tales of the Frog Princess, by E. D. Baker
The Spiderwick Chronicles, by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
How to Train Your Dragon Series, by Cressida Cowell
The Space Station Rat books, by Michael J. Daley
Jean Craighead George's books
The Dragon Slippers Trilogy, by Jessica Day George
The Tuesdays at the Castle series, by Jessica Day George
The Dinotopia books, by James Gurney
Redwall series, by Brian Jaqcues
The Dragon Keepers Series, by Kate Klimo
Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist by R. L. LaFevers
Guardians of Ga’Hoole, by Kathryn Lasky
Wolves of the Beyond, by Kathryn Lasky
Redwall series, by Brian Jaqcues
The Dragon Keepers Series, by Kate Klimo
Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist by R. L. LaFevers
Guardians of Ga’Hoole, by Kathryn Lasky
Wolves of the Beyond, by Kathryn Lasky
Fablehaven, by Brandon Mull
Actually ANYTHING by Brandon Mull
Mouse Guard Series (graphic novels), by David Petersen
The Silverwing Trilogy, by Kenneth Oppel
Darkwing, by Kenneth Oppel
Tales of the Frog Princess, by E. D. Baker
Alcatraz vs The Evil Librarians Series, by Brandon Sanderson
Walls Within Walls, by Maureen Sherry
Escape from Mister Lemoncello's Library, by Chris Grabenstein
Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City, by Kirsten Miller
The Animorphs Series, by K. A. Applegate (these start out really sweet and the 50-book series ends up kind of morally ambiguous and dark, so read spoilers before you give it to your kids)
Harry Potter Series, by J.K. Rowling
The Narnia Series, by C.S. Lewis
Beverly Cleary books
Hardy Boys books
Little House on the Prairie Series (believe it or not, this is a favorite of 4-6 yo boys, too)
Sherlock Holmes stories, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson
The Book of Mormon
The Big Bad Book of Botany, by Michael Largo
Deadly Outbreaks, by Alexandra Levitt
Nazi Hunters, by Neil Bascomb
Garfield books, by Jim Davis
Tales of the Cryptids, by Kelly Milner Halls
Blender for Dummies, by Jason van Gumster
Software Synthesizers (but this has a language alert!), by Jim Aiken
Captain Underpants books, by Dav Pilkey
Ripley's Believe it or Not books
That's Weird, by Kendall Haven
What Makes Flamingos Pink, by Bill McLain
Bill Pete books
Spirit Animals Series, by Brandon Mull and various other authors
Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula, by Andi Watson
Books recommended to my kids by others (many of my favorite books are on this list):
The Hero and the Crown (by Robyn McKinley) --kids tried it and found it slow starting but "pretty good"
Spirit Animals Series, by Brandon Mull and various other authors
Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula, by Andi Watson
Rapunzel's Revenge--graphic novel (Shannon Hale)
Books recommended to my kids by others (many of my favorite books are on this list):
The Hero and the Crown (by Robyn McKinley) --kids tried it and found it slow starting but "pretty good"
The Blue Sword (by Robyn McKinley)
The 'Bet You Can' and 'Bet You Can't' science series
Ronia, the Robber's Daughter (Astrid Lindgren)
Poison (Bridget Zinn)
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (E.L. Konigsburg)
Stargirl (Jerry Spinelli)
The Princess Bride (William Goldman)
The Last Unicorn (Peter S Beagle)
The Ordinary Princess (M.M. Kaye)
The Neverending Story (Michael Ende)
The Dark is Rising series (Susan Cooper)
The Jungle Book (Lisa Church)
Charlotte's Web (E.B. White)
Peter Pan (J.M. Barrie)
The Tale of Desperaux (Kate DiCamillo)
Half Magic (Edward Eager)
The Velveteen Rabbit (Margery Williams)
The Phantom Tollbooth (Norton Juster)
Dune (Frank Herbert)
The Scarlet Pimpernel (Emmuska Orczy)
Pippi Longstocking (Astrid Lindgren)
Inkheart (Cornelia Funke)
Wildwood Dancing (Juliet Marillier)
Shadow Spinner (Susan Fletcher)
Isaac Asimov (Fantastic Voyage)
The Earth Dwellers, Adventures in the Land of Ants (nonfiction,Erich Hoyt)
The Brothers Lionheart (Astrid Lindgren)
The Hiding Place (Corrie Ten Boom)
My Hundred Children (Lena Kuchler-Silberman)
Farmer Giles of Ham (J.R.R. Tolkien)
Uglies series (Scott Westerfield)
Seventh Son series (Orson Scott Card)
My Side of the Mountain (Jean Craighead George)
The Graveyard Book and Coraline (Neil Gaiman)
Animal Farm (George Orwell)
Finn the Wolfhound (Alec John Dawson)
The Secret of Platform 13 (Eva Ibbotson)
The Great Brain (John D. Fitzgerald)
Howliday Inn & Bunnicula (James Howe)
The Trumpet of the Swan (E.B. White)
The Incredible Journey (Sheila Burnford)
Heidi (Johanna Spyri)
Where the Red Fern Grows
White Stallion of Lipizza (Marguerite Henry)
The Martian Chronicles (Ray Bradbury)
Flatland (Edwin A. Abbott)
The Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank)
Understood Betsy (Dorothy Canfield Fisher)
The Princess and the Goblin & The Princess and Curdie
(George MacDonald)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Series (Douglas Adams)
An Them There Were None (Agatha Christie)
All Creatures Great and Small series by James Herriot
Roverandom by J.R.R. Tolkien
My Sparkling Misfortune and My Royal Pain Quest (absolutely hilarious!)
Which Witch by Eva Ibbotson
White Fang
Cinder (The second book in the series, Scarlet, might not be considered clean because of the kissing scene, but the first book is fabulous)
The Time Machine
The Wizard of Oz
Treasure Island
Emily of New Moon series by L.M. Montgomery
The Looking Glass Wars series by Frank Beddor (inspired by Alice's Adventures in wonderland)
Queen Zixi of Ix by L. Frank Baum.
Books by Heather Choate
The original 1923 Bambi, A Life in the Woods (Felix Salten, translated to English in 1928 by Whittaker Chambers)
Taran Wanderer series (Lloyd Alexander)
Books by Heather Choate
The original 1923 Bambi, A Life in the Woods (Felix Salten, translated to English in 1928 by Whittaker Chambers)
Taran Wanderer series (Lloyd Alexander)
Black Stallion series (Walter Farley)
Leviathan series (Scott Westerfeld)
Earthsea trilogy (Ursula K. Le Guin)
Pit Dragon Trilogy (Jane Yolen)
A Little Princess (Francis H. Burnet)
Dragon Drums trilogy (Anne McCaffrey)
A Wrinkle in Time (Madeline L'Engle)
Peter and the Starcatchers
Peter and the Starcatchers
Hatchet
Holes
Island of the Blue Dolphins (I loved this when I was a wee one).
The Water Fight Professional
The Water Fight Professional
The Sisters Grimm series
The Key of Kilenya series by Andrea Pearson
The Beyonders series
Ranger's Apprentice
Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck
The Alliance
Cryptic Hunters series
The Emerald Atlas Series
Lemony Snicket's books
The Westing Game
The Alliance
Cryptic Hunters series
The Emerald Atlas Series
Lemony Snicket's books
The Westing Game
The Melendy Quartet by Elizabeth Enright (starts with The Four Story Mistake.)
The Trolley Car Family
Lad: A Dog by Albert Payson Terhune.....has a few words that I didn't know, as it was written in 1919.....But GREAT book!
Lad: A Dog by Albert Payson Terhune.....has a few words that I didn't know, as it was written in 1919.....But GREAT book!