The 77 Best Books for Kids of All Ages

As a self-proclaimed bookworm who is passing her love of reading on to her two sons, I compiled a list to help you navigate the library and bookstore easily. After all, who has time to spend hours wandering the aisles looking at books? (In a dream world, with a skim latte in hand while Dad is at home with the little ones?)

We didn't organize the books on our list by age because we don't really like looking at books that way. If you expose children to a wide variety of books, they'll figure out what they like and what they're ready for. Also, as a parent, I was bored by the "baby books" when my babies were the right age for them -- no story line and no kid responding to it -- but find them great now I have a toddler who can use them as sight words to learn to read.

Instead, all the books are appropriate from infancy to elementary school-aged, and they are arranged by category. "Touchy-feely" are books that kids can touch or have some other gimmick. "Good reads" are books that shouldn't make you want to pull your hair out no matter how many times you read them. "Easy reading" are books either designed for early readers or that are repetitive enough to make them easy.


Touchy-feely

1. "That's Not My Monster," by Fiona Watt, Rachel Wells
   
   
2. "Pat the Bunny," by Dorothy Kunhardt
   
   
3. "Please Do Not Open This Book," by Jon Stone
   
   
4. "Tails," by Matthew VanFleet
   
   
5. "Oh, Baby! Go, Baby!" by Dr. Seuss
   
   
6. "Where Are Maisy's Friends?" by Lucy Cousins
   
   
7. "Noisy Kisses," by Barney Saltzberg
   
   
8. "Little School of Fish," by Dorothea DePrisco
   
   
9. Bright Baby Touch and Feel collection, by Roger Priddy
   
   
10. "Peek-a Who?" by Nina Landen

Bedtime

1. "On the Day You Were Born," by Deborah Frasier
   
   
2. "Goodnight Moon," by Margaret Wise Brown, Clement Hurd
   
   
3. "Where the Wild Things Are," by Maurice Sendak
   
   
4. "Sleepyhead," by Karma Wilson
   
   
5. "Pajama Time," by Sandra Boynton
   
   
6. "Monkey and Me," by Emily Gravett
   
   
7. "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed," by Eileen Christelow
   
   
8. "Bedtime for Frances," by Russell Hoban
   
   
9. "Llama Llama Red Pajama," by Anna Dewdney
   
   
10. "I Need My Monster," by Amanda Noll

Life skills

1. Yes Yes! A Box of Board Books, by Leslie Patricelli
   
   
2. Little Critter books, by Mercer Mayer
   
   
3. Big brother/sister, by Joanna Cole
   
   
4. Berenstain Bears, by Stan Berenstain
   
   
5. "Where's the Poop?" by Julie Markes
   
   
6. "Elmo's Potty Time" by Sesame Street
   
   
7. "Clarabella's Teeth," by An Vrombaut
   
   
8. "Bubblebath Pirates," by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
   
   
9. "Getting Dressed With Lily and Milo," by Pauline Oud
   
   
10. Richard Scarry's Please And Thank You Book
    
    

ABCs and other fun facts

1. "ABC," by Dr. Seuss
   
   
2. "The Alphabet from A to Y with Bonus Letter Z," by Steve Martin, Roz Chast
   
   
3. "One Was Johnny," by Maurice Sendak
   
   
4. "One, Two, Three!" by Sandra Boynton
   
   
5. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," by Eric Carle
   
   
6. "Chicken Soup With Rice," by Maurice Sendak
   
   
7. "The Grouchy Ladybug," by Eric Carle
   
   
8. "Blue Hat, Green Hat," by Sandra Boynton
   
   
9. "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes," by Annie Kubler

Good reads

1. "The Story of Ferdinand," by Munro Leaf
   
   
2. "If You Give A Cat A Cupcake," by Laura Numeroff
   
   
3. "Knufflebunny," by Mo Willems
   
   
4. "Pigs Make Me Sneeze," by Mo Willems
   
   
5. "Corduroy," by John Stone
   
   
6. "Duck for President," by Doreen Cronin, Betsy Lewin
   
   
7. "Click, Clack, Moo," by Doreen Cronin, Betsy Lewin
   
   
8. "Olivia," by Ian Falconer
   
   
9. Curious George, by H.A. Rey
   
   
10. "Scuttle's Big Wish," by Sean Delonas
    
    
11. "Harold and the Purple Crayon," by Crockett Johnson
    
    
12. "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day," by Judith Viorst
    
    
13. "The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash," by Trinka Hakes Noble
    
    
14. "The Little Engine That Could," by Loren Long
    
    
15. "Where the Sidewalk Ends," by Shel Silverstein
    
    
16. Grimm's Fairytales
    
    
17. "Clifford the Big Red Dog," by Norman Bridwell
    
    
18. Winnie the Pooh, by AA Milne
    
    
19. "Elmer," by David McKee
    
    
20. "The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear," by Don Wood

Special Events

1. "This Is Not A Pumpkin," by Bob Staake
   
   
2. "A Grouch's Christmas," by Michaela Munstean
   
   
3. "How The Grinch Stole Christmas!," by Dr. Seuss
   
   
4. "A Birthday for Frances," by Russell Hoban
   
   
5. "The Thanksgiving Story," by Alice Dalgliesh

Easy Reading

"Hop on Pop," by Dr. Seuss

"Polar Bear, Polar Bear," by Bill Martin Jr./Eric Carle

"Little Bear," by Else Holmelund Minarek/Maurice Sendak

"The Cat in the Hat," by Dr. Seuss

"Mouse Tales," by Arnold Lobel

"One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish," by Dr. Seuss

"Cat the Cat, Who is That?" by Mo Willems

"Yes Day!" by Amy Krouse

"Morris Goes to School," by B. Wiseman

"Oliver," by Syd Hoff

Read Aloud

1. "Charlotte's Web" by EB White
   
   
2. Paddington Bear, by Michael Bond
   
   
3. "The BFG," by Roald Dahl
   
   
4. "The Wizard of Oz," by L. Frank Baum
   
   
5. "Little House in the Big Woods," by Laura Ingalls Wilder

About The Author

Hillary Copsey Hillary Copsey is a newspaper reporter in Florida with experience writing about everything from population trends to health care issues. As the mother of two boys, she also is versed in searching for daycares, cooking healthy dinners on the fly and playing with trucks. She co-writes the blog Not raising brats.