Before there were adult and YA novels, there were children’s books that we read early on. Many of these books are still dear to us and taught us life lessons. We decided to list the ten best children’s books to see which ones are the best of the best. Keep reading to see which ten made our list!
No matter what books we choose, it is going to be controversial. Unlike other genres, this one holds a lot more meaning. These books define our childhood and that may make people a little more invested. It was not easy making this list and leaving out many great books but we had to do it. You can see our ten picks below!
The Ten Best Children’s Books of All Time
- Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
- Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
- The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
- Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
- Corduroy by Don Freeman
- Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
- The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
- The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
Dear to Our Hearts
While we know many people are going to argue about our picks, I think most of us can agree that Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak rightfully deserves to be on the list. It is universally beloved and rightfully so.
Just thinking about these children’s books takes us back. Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White is a must read for children and Roald Dahl’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a fun adventure. The Cat in the Hat is a short and fun read and it is hard to believe that Dr. Suess’ novel How the Grinch Stole Christmas is getting a sequel in 2023!
Conclusion
That is all for our ten best children’s books of all-time list. What books would you have included on the list? Let us know in the comments below. Until next time, happy reading!
What about James and the Giant Peach???!!!
Definitely forgot the Best, Boxcar Children! Also the series Boys Against the Girls was fabulous!
Only ten choices makes it hard to include all the great children’s books. I shall make another list that will be longer 🙂
As long as Goodnight Moon is on the list, I’m happy.
What about Winnie the Pooh?
I love your list and so many other books that are old friends, but encourage a reread of the giving tree. The boys insistence that the solution to his every need is that tree simply sacrifice itself, up to and including completely immolating itself, is a profoundly distressing tale of selfishness and a terrible expectation for children to have of their parents.
The Giving Tree upsets children. The boy is selfish and the tree is lonely. The boy is not a good friend. Poor Tree😢
“Prisoners of the Sun”. Herge. The best ever Tintin simply must be on the list.
Really, you can’t include picture books and chapter books in the same list. Those are almost different genres. They are different sections of the library, even.
Second, I wonder if any child has voluntarily read The Little Prince. The only reason kids are aware of that books is that every elementary school teacher has tortured their students by making it part of their read aloud.