Booklists

The Hardy Boys - They may not meet an adult's definition of great literature but they certainly are iconic and have held up remarkably well for a series started eighty years ago this year. And when they click, they really click. If you have a reluctant reader who gets the Hardy Boy bug, watch out! There are 58 titles in what are regarded as the original series. These were written by a variety of ghost writers working to a closely defined template set by the founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, Edward Stratemeyer. If these are not enough, there are a further 131 titles in a subsequent series of Hardy Boys Digest series. See below for the original 58 titles in the sequence that they were published. However, there is absolutely no need to read them in any sort of sequence.

The Harold and the Purple Crayon series was originally created in 1955 by Crockett Johnson who both writes and illustrates these books. They are fun-filled adventures for the preschool through kindergarten age group: Harold, always in control with his purple crayon, both creates his own adventure and draws himself out of a variety of scrapes. They are full of imagination, creativity and gentle humor. They do not need to be read in any particular order.

Harold and the Purple Crayon
Harold's ABC
Harold's Circus
Harold's Fairy Tale
Harold's Trip to the Sky
Harold at the North Pole

Be aware that there are a number of books written more recently by various authors wishing to continue Harold's adventures with his purple crayon. These books differ significantly from the original Harold and the Purple Crayon books which are all written and illustrated by Crockett Johnson.

In the Circle of Magic Series Niklaren Goldeye rescues four young misfits, each from a different strata of society (nobility, traders, merchants, and thieves) Each one has a special, but hidden and unusual, power. Each of them has been misunderstood by those around them because of this power. Niko recognizes their respective talents and brings each young person to the Winding Circle Temple so that they will receive the support and training to use their respective abilities appropriately. At first each of the four is suspicious of the other three, but when danger threatens, they must work together to weave the magic that will keep them alive. 5th Graders - 7th Graders are most likely to enjoy this series.

This series needs to be read in order:

1. Sandry's Book
2. Tris's Book
3. Daja's Book
4. Briar's Book

These books are about what winter is like (snow, animals hibernating, etc.) and how one might recognize the signs of spring coming.

Long before Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Sweet Valley High, the Babysitters' Club, or Magic Tree House, series books provided a source of enjoyable fiction for children. The first children's fiction series appeared in the United States in the 1830s, and by the 1860s the genre was well-established and earning both praise and censure.

I've been researching series books for over twenty-five years. This page draws upon some of that research; it is devoted to bio-bibliographies and commentary about nineteenth-century authors of series books for girls and younger children as well as samples of some of their writing. It includes some of the century's most popular authors and a number of lesser-known figures whose works -- now almost forgotten -- show the evolution of the genre.

The most recent updates reflect my current interest in women authors, especially those slighted or omitted by traditional reference sources. Usually, such authors wrote only a few books or attained only modest success. Recovering their lives and works contributes to a better understanding of the development of series fiction and women's part in nineteenth-century publishing.

Books in a Series - This list is intended to reflect the hardcover fiction collection in the Monroe County Public Library Children's Department. However, not every item is currently owned and available.

KidsReads Series Books

The Mid-Continent Public Library's 'Juvenile Series and Sequels' database currently contains over 23,000 books in series titles that are classified into three audiences:

Young Adult - for high school-aged readers
Juvenile - appropriate for grade school through junior high-aged readers
Juvenile Easy - for young readers just beginning to read

Welcome to the Nancy Drew website for Kids by Mystery Net. All about Nancy Drew mysteries and Carolyn Keene. Buy Nancy Drew books, Nancy Drew games like Danger on Deception Island, and discuss with others in Nancy Drew forums!

We are looking for nominations of specific books from your childhood based on when you were born. For everyone, but especially for those of you from among the earliest cohorts, we'd also love to hear any stories related to those favorite books; how did you come by the book, where did you get books to read, did you have access to a library, where did you do your reading, and so on.

The Great War, Jazz, Post War Euphoria - what were children reading in the midst of all this. Let us know. Tell us in your comments below what you remember as your favorite stories.

Independent Reader

Bowser the Hound by Thornton Burgess and illustrated by Harrison Cady 1920

Old Mother West Wind by Thurnton Burgess and illustrated by Michael Hague Originally published in 1910 with illustrations by George Kerr 1910 The first in a series of 8 Mother West Wind books. Recommended

The Adventures of Reddy Fox by Thornton Burgesss and illustrated by Harrison Cady 1913. This was the first in a series of twenty titles in the Bed-time Story Book series.

The Adventures of Peter Cottontail by Thronton Burgess and originally illustrated by Harrison Cady Suggested

My Very Own Fairy Stories by Johnny Gruelle 1917 Recommendation

Raggedy Ann Stories by Johnny Gruelle 1918 Highly Recommended

Raggedy Andy Stories by Johnny Gruelle 1920 Highly Recommended

The Roaring Twenties - First the boom and then the bust. People move from the countryside to the cities. Prohibition, great dams, Woody Guthrie. Raccoon coats and flappers, The Great Gatsby.

And what were the children reading amidst this exuberance? Tell us in your comments below what you remember as your favorite stories.

The Great Depression, the Dustbowl, the New Deal and then the looming World War.

What were children reading in these perilous times? Tell us in your comments below what you remember as your favorite stories.

Picture Books

Perez and Martina A Portorican Folktale by Pura Belpre and illustrated by Carlos Sanchez 1932

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans 1939 Recommended

Mike Mulligan and His Steamshovel by Virginia Lee Burton 1939 Highly recommended

The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant 1933 by Jean de Brunhoff Highly Recommended

Angus Lost by Marjorie Flack 1932 Recommended

The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack 1933 Recommended

The Restless Robin by Marjorie Flack 1937

The ABC Bunny by Wanda Gag Suggested

Little Toot by Hardie Gramatky 1939 Recommended

Cock-Doodle-Doo by Berta and Elmer Hader 1939

Title by Munro Leaf and illustrated by Robert Lawson 1936 Highly Recommended

The Cruise of Mr. Christopher Columbus by Sadyebeth and Anson Lowitz and illustrated by Anson Lowitz 1932

Buttons by Tom Robinson and illustrated by Peggy Bacon 1938

And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street by Dr. Seuss 1937 Recommended

The 500 Hundred Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins by Dr. Seuss Highly Recommended

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina 1940 Recommended

Honk the Moose by Phil Stong and illustrated by Kurt Wiese 1935 Recommended

Independent Reader

Billy and Blaze by C.W. Anderson 1936 Recommended

Blaze and the Forest Fire by C.W. Anderson 1938 Suggested

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater and illustrated by Robert Lawson 1938 Recommended

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman 1935 Recommended

Calico Bush by Rachel Field 1931 Recommended

Lassie Come Home by Eric Mowbray Knight and illustrated by Marguerite Kirmsey 1940 Recommended

Ben and Me: A New and Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin As Written by His Good Mouse Amos by Robert Lawson 1939 Suggested

Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace and illustrated by Lois Lenski 1940 Recommended

Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer and illustrated by Valenti Angelo 1936 Suggested

Title by Kate Seredy 1937 Recommended

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers and illustrated by Mary Shepard 1934 Highly Recommended

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder 1932 Highly Recommended

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder and illustrated by Garth Williams 1935 Highly Recommended

Young Adult

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and illustrated by Alan Lee 1937 Highly Recommended

World War II engulfing virtually the entire world followed by division, the Iron Curtain, the Berlin Airlift. For some countries a slow and painful struggle to begin rebuilding. For others the opening years of decades of almost uninterrupted prosperity.

What were you reading? Tell us in your comments below what you remember as your favorite stories.

Picture Books

The Picture Book of Illinois by Bernadine Bailey and illustrated by Kurt Weise 1949

The Picture Book of Colorado by Bernadine Bailey and illustrated by Kurt Wiese 1950

Michigan by Bernadiine Bailey and illustrated by Kurt Weise 1950

North Carolina by Bernadiine Bailey and illustrated by Kurt Weise 1950

Red Mittens by Laura Bannon 1946

Country Fireman by Jerrold Beim and illustrated by Leonard Shortfall 1948

The Smallest Boy in the Class by Jerrold Beim and illustrated by Meg Wohlberg 1949

The Fat Baron by Clip Boutell and illustrated by Frank Lieberman 1946

The First Book of Indians by Benjamin Brewster and illustrated by Ursula Koering 1950

Georgie by Robert Bright 1944

Mary Ann's First Picture by Winifred Bromhall 1948

Stone Soup by Marcia Brown 1947 Highly Recommended

Country Noisy Book by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Leonard Weisgard 1940

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd 1942 Highly Recommended

The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Leonard Weisgard 1949

Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown (writing under the pseudonym Golden MacDonald) and illstrated by Leonard Weisgard 1946 Highly Recommended

The Quiet Noisy Book by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Leonard Weisgard 1950

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd 1942 Recommended

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton 1943 Recommended

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton 1942 Highly Recommended

Calico the Wonder Horse by Virginia Lee Burton 1941 Suggested

In My Mother's House by Ann Nolan Clark and illustrated by Velino Herrerra 1941

Down by the Sea by Mary Coplan, Chrystie Stokes and Lillian Moore 1941

Jolly Blue Boat by John and Jane Courtright 1947

Donkey Donkey by Roger Duvoisin 1940 Suggested

Prayer for a Child by Rachel Field 1944 Suggested

Poodey by Margaret Friskey and illustrated by Katherine Evans 1945

Chicken Little Count to Ten by Margaret Frisker and illustrated by Katherine Evans 1946

Nothing at All by Wanda Gag 1941 Suggested

The Big Snow by Berta and Elmer Hader 1948 Recommended

A Child's Book of Birds by Luis M. Henderson 1946

Tree in the Trail by Holling Clancy Holling 1942 Suggested

The Happy Day by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Marc Simont 1949 Suggested

The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Crockett Johnson Recommended

The Thirsty Pony by Paul Laune 1940

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey 1948 Highly Recommended

Lentil by Robert McCloskey 1941 Recommended

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey 1941 Highly Recommended

Marshmallow by Clare Turlay Newberry 1942 Suggested

Smudge by Clare Turlay Newberry 1948

Song of the Swallows by Leo Polit 1948

Curious George by H. A. Rey 1941 Highly Recommended

Many Moons by James Thurber and illustrated by Louis Slobodkin Suggested

Follow the Wind by Alvin Tresselt and illustrated by Roger Duvoisin 1950

Rain Drop Splash by Alvin Tresselt and illustrated by Leonard Weisgard 1946

White Snow Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt and illustrated by Roger Duvoisin 1947 Recommended

Me Too by Fritz Willis 1945

Cancan by Fritz Willis 1945

The Smart Little Boy and His Smart Little Kitty by Louise Woodcock and illustrated by Lucienne Bloch 1947

Indpendent Reader

Title by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey and illustrated by Ruth Chrisman Gannett 1946 Suggested

Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary and illustrated by Louis Darling 1950 Recommended

The Door in the Wall by Marguerite DeAngeli 1949 Suggested

The Matchlock Gun by Walter Dumaux Edmonds 1941 Suggested

The Black Stallion by Walter Farley 1941 Recommended

The Island Stallion by Walter Farley and illustrated by Keith Ward 1948 Recommended

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes 1943 Recommended

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry and illustrated by Wesley Dennis 1947 Highly Recommended

Justin Morgan Had a Horse by Marguerite Henry and illustrated by Wesley Dennis 1945 Suggested

Paddle to the Sea by Holling Clancy Holling 1941 Suggested

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and illustrated by Pauline Baynes 1950 Highly Recommended

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren 1945 Highly Recommended

Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson 1944 Suggested

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald and illustrated by Hilary Knight 1947 Highly Recommended

Homer Price by Robert McCloskey 1943 Highly Recommended

Bedknob and Broomstick by Mary Norton and illustrated by Erik Blegvad 1943 Recommended

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery 1943 Highly Recommended

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner 1942 Recommended

Stuart Little by E.B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams 1945 Highly Recommended

Young Adult

Ann Frank: Diary of a Young Girl by Ann Frank 1947 Suggested

Increasing prosperity, emergence of TV, Elvis Presley, the Korean War, the Cold War.

What were you reading in these times of plenty and conflict? Tell us in your comments below what you remember as your favorite stories.

Picture Books

Please Pass the Grass by Leone Adelson and illustrated by Roger Duvoisin 1960

Tim in Danger by Edward Ardizzone 1953 Recommended

Archie Angel by Margot Austin 1957

Little Island Star by Melvern Barker 1954

The Runaway Chimp by Cathrine Barr 1954

Madeline's Rescue by Ludwig Bemelmans 1953 Suggested

Tim and the Tool Chest by Jerrold Beim and illustrated by Tracy Sugarman 1951

Snow for Christmas by Vernon Bowen and illustrated by Kurt Weise 1953

One Kitten Too Many by Biance Bradbury and illustrated by Marie C. Nichols 1952

Skipper John's Cook by Marcia Brown 1951

Cinderella The Little Glass Slipper by Charles Perrault and Marcia Brown and illustrated by Marcia Brown 1954 Suggested

Pussy Willow by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Leonard Weisgard 1951

The Sailor Dog by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Garth Williams 1953 Suggested

The Little Fir Tree by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Jim Lamarche (not the 1954 edition illustrated by Barbara Cooney) Suggested

Peter Piper's Alphabet by Marsha Brown 1959

Daffy Taffy by Paul Brown 1955

Scrappy the Puppy by John Ciardi and illustrated by Jane Miller

The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh and illustrated by Helen Sewell 1954 Recommended

Wildcat by Sherry de Volld Ball 1951

The Wild Little House by Eilis Dillon and illustrated by V.H. Drummond 1957

The Busy Man by Vana Earle 1951

Wish Around the World by Vana Earle 1954

Play With Me by Marie Hall Ets 1955 Suggested

The Happy Lion by Louise Fatio and illustrated by Roger Duvoisin 1954 Suggested

The Farmer and His Cows by Louise Floethe and illustrated by Richard Floethe 1957

The Things I Like by Francoise 1960

The Night the Lights Went Out by Don Freeman 1958

Beady Bear by Don Freeman 1954 Suggested

Michael's Friends by Rose Dobbs and illustrated by Flavia Gag 1953

Kippie the Cow by Esther Gretor and illustrated by Getterman 1951

I Want to be an Airplane Hostess by Carla Greene and illustrated by Frances Eckart 1960

Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Garth Williams 1960 Recommended

Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff 1958 Suggested

St. George's Day in WIlliamsburg by Edith Thacher Hurd and illustrated by Clement Hurd 1952

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson 1955 Highly Recommended

Five Little Monkeys by Juliet Kepes 1952

Burrito by Robin King 1956

I Play at the Beach by Dorothy Koch and illustratde by Feodro Rojankovsky 1955

A Very Special House by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Maurice Sendak 1953 Suggested

Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni 1959 Suggested

The Tall Grass Zoo by Winifred and Cecil Lubell 1960

Patrick and the Golden Slippers by Katherine Milhous 1951

Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sednak 1957 Highly Recommended

Cotton Top by Jean O'Neill 1953

My Easy-to-Read True Book of Insects by Illa Podendorf and illustrated by Chauncy Maltman 1954

The Little Red Engine and the Rocket by Diana Ross and illustrated by Leslie Wood 1956

Mike's House by Julia L. Sauer and illustrated by Don Freeman 1954

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss 1960 Highly Recommended

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss 1957 Highly Recommended

The Clock by Esphyr Slobodkina 1956

Too Many Mittens by Florence and Louis Slobodkin 1958

1 is One by Tasha Tudor 1956 Suggested

Title by Janice Udry and illustrated by Marc Simont 1956 Recommended

The Little Tiny Rooster by Will and Nicholas 1960

Umbrella by Taro Yashima 1958 Suggested

Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion and illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham 1956 Highly Recommended

Dear Garbage Man by Gene Zion and illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham 1957

Independent Readers

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum 1958 Recommended

The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron 1954 Suggested

Mr. Bass's Planetoid by Eleanor Cameron and illustrated by Leonard Shortall 1958

A Mystery for Mr. Bass by Eleanor Cameron and illustrated by Leonard Shortall 1960

The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh and illustrated by Leonard Weisgard 1954 Recommended

Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes 1951 Recommended

Island Stallion's Fury by Walter Farley and illustrated by Harold Eldridge 1951 Recommended

The Black Stallion's Courage by Walter Farley and illustrated by Allan F. Brewer, Jr. 1956 Suggested

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson and illustrated by Carl Burger 1956 Recommended

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George 1959 Highly Recommended

Minn of the Mississippi by Holling C. Holling 1951 Suggested

Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith 1957 Suggested

Carry on Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham and illustrated by John O'Hara Cosgrave 1955 Suggested

The Borrowers by Mary Norton Recommended 1952

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell and illustrated by Ted Lewin 1960 Highly Recommended

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden 1960 Recommended

The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith 1956 Recommended

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare 1958 Suggested

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White and illustrated by Garth WIlliams 1952 Highly Recommended

Great prosperity in America and increasing global trade with countries and people reknitting ties sundered by World War II. The Cold War reaches new heights of tension and flash into hot wars in Southeast Asia. Computers begin to make their first significant appearance. Sean Connery as James Bond, the Beatles in music, Woodstock.

What were you reading? Tell us in your comments below what you remember as your favorite stories.

Picture Books

Once a Mouse by Marcia Brown 1961 Recommended

Joey's Cat by Robert Burch and illustrated by Don Freeeman 1969

Borka by John Burningham 1963 Recommended

The Dirt ROad by Carol and Donald Carrick 1970

Hoppy Long Legs by Katherine J. Carter and illustrated by Elizabeth Rice 1963

A Pocketful of Cricket by Rebecca Caudill and illustrated by Evaline Ness 1964 Suggested

In a Window on Greenwater Street by Dori Chaconas and illustrated by Carroll Dolezal 1970

Little Oleg by Margaret and John Cort 1965

Veronica by Roger Duvoisin 1961 Suggested

A Camel in the Tent by Katherine Evans 1961

What Time is it Jeanne-Marie? by Francoise 1963

When Will I Whistle? by Mary McBurney Green and illustrated by Harold Berson 1967

I Want to Be a Baseball Player by Carla Greene and illustrated by Frances Eckart 1961

Mr. Bumba's Tuesday Club by Pearl Augusta Harwood and illustrated by Joseph Folger 1966

Herman the Loser by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Lillian Hober 1961

Steffie and Me by Phyllis Hoffman and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully 1970

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats 1962 Highly Recommended

The Beach Before Breakfast by Maxine W. Kumin and illustrated by Leonard Weisgard 1964

The Lion and the Rat by La Fontaine and illustrated by Brian Wildsmith 1963

Lost in the Department Store by Jean E. Laird and illustrated by Lawrence M. Speigel 1964

All in the Morning Early by Sorche Nic Leodhas and illustrated by Evaline Ness 1963

Always Room for One More by Sorche Nic Leodhas and illus