45 responses so far ↓

• 1 San Diego Momma (2 comments.) // Aug 20, 2008 at 8:26 am

  Great list! We’ve read many of them, but I love seeing more. Off to the library today, so I’ll be sure to print this out!

• 2 wilson (27 comments.) // Aug 20, 2008 at 12:12 pm

  WoW, is a impressive list here, lin…

  I’m a big fan of Charles Dicken, J.R.R. Tolkien, and J. K. Rowling…

  By the way, it would be better, if you can also include the Agatha Christie’s books (Just a suggestion )

• 3 Lin (1019 comments.) // Aug 20, 2008 at 2:37 pm

  Hi “Mom”, I hope you enjoy the books from the library! I’m a book addict myself and there’s rarely ever a time when I’m not reading some kind of book.

• 4 Lin (1019 comments.) // Aug 20, 2008 at 2:39 pm

  Hi Wilson! I’ve read every Harry Potter book in Rowling’s series, and I also thoroughly enjoy Jonathon Kellerman’s books too. Faye Kellerman is also an excellent author, and they book write who-dunnit books. I have so many favorites I couldn’t possibly list them all here.

• 5 Kelly@SHE-POWER (5 comments.) // Aug 21, 2008 at 1:30 am

  Am I blind or is Black Beauty not on this list? That is one of my absolute favourite books - that and Charlotte’s Web. My 4 year old loves any books with Dinosaurs too. The Dinosaur Stomp is a good one. And he’s a big fan of Dr Seuss who I think is an absolute god amongst writers. My favourite of his is The Lorax and my son’s is Hop on Pop. Very good for learning to read.

  I could talk books all day.

  Kelly

• 6 Lin (1019 comments.) // Aug 21, 2008 at 5:22 am

  Hi Kelly, Black Beauty is a great book for kids! Charlotte’s Web is one of those books that nearly any child or even teens would enjoy reading. Anything written by Dr. Seuss makes for enjoyable reading as well. Gotta love his famous quotes too.

• 7 David (1 comments.) // Aug 21, 2008 at 8:48 am

  My wife is a teacher and she agrees..but where is War & Peace? I remember reading that in 3rd grade, such a great book. Great post!

• 8 Lin (1019 comments.) // Aug 21, 2008 at 9:37 am

  Hi David, oops my bad! War and Peace is a phenomenal book to read! I just might have to read it again, since I’ve completely forgotten everything about it.

• 9 Candle Monkey (16 comments.) // Aug 21, 2008 at 1:05 pm

  Hi Lin,

  I don’t know exactly why, but that 4-8 year category really makes me smile. Probably because that’s the one with all the Dr. Seuss books. Green Eggs and Ham is my all-time favorites. I’ve read it to all my kids over the years … sometimes it’s even fun to use the different voices, from the cartoon version.

  We’ve always had plenty of books in the house. And that’s one area where I don’t think it’s so bad to “spoil” your kids. When they have book fairs at school, we usually give our kids sometimes as much as $30 or $40 … with the proviso that they have to buy books … no games or kits.

  My addition … I don’t think they qualified for the top 100 list, but both my daughters when they were 7-10 really liked the Junie B. Jones books.

  Catch up with you again soon,
  Todd

• 10 Matt (1 comments.) // Aug 21, 2008 at 1:09 pm

  Great list Lin-

  Some personal favorites

  where the wild things are
  1 fish 2 fish red fish blue fish
  the indian in the cupboard series
  where the red fern grows

• 11 Lin (1019 comments.) // Aug 21, 2008 at 1:19 pm

  Todd, we did the same thing as far as book fairs at school (or even book sales at a variety of places), and I really don’t see that as spoiling children at all. It’s just good parenting.

  It’s important to start kids off very young by the parents reading to their kids, and it’s great when parents use cartoon/comical or animated voices while reading. It really helps bring the story alive for children, and they keep coming back for more. What a wonderful memory for kids to have, thinking back on those years when mom and dad read to them.

• 12 Lin (1019 comments.) // Aug 21, 2008 at 1:21 pm

  Hi Matt,

  I remember Where the Fern Grows too! The Indian in the Cupboard sounds familiar too, but I can’t really remember it specifically. It’s been sooo many years now. I’ll get my chance again with the grandkids (But I’m too young to be this dang old) LOL

• 13 display booths (61 comments.) // Aug 21, 2008 at 10:06 pm

  Hi Lin,
  Sorry I’ve been busy with work and unable to read one of my favorite blogs…
  This is a great article. I can’t believe how many of the books on lists one and two that I recognize (several of which I can probably recite with 90% accuracy). Maybe it’s because I have a 4 year old anad a 6 year old.
  Go Dog Go holds a special place in my heart since it’s the first book my daughter read all by herself.
  I suppose I’ll start recognizing more of the books on list three and four again in the not too distant future.
  ~ Steve (aka “display booths”)

• 14 Lin (1019 comments.) // Aug 22, 2008 at 5:42 am

  Hi Steve, the Golden Books are ones that my kids were got hooked on and thoroughly enjoyed. They also loved Charlotte’s Web (and kept asking me to read it to them over and over and over and…)

  It’s all good though, since I had just as much fun reading to my kids as they had being read to.

  #3 son told me I should have included Beowulf in the books for teenagers section. I’ve heard of it, but don’t know anything about that one. I’ll just take his word for it.

• 15 display booths (61 comments.) // Aug 22, 2008 at 12:20 pm

  hi Lin, I’m impressed that your #3 son mentioned Beowulf. I think I was forcedto read it in high school, and it was a bit tough because it is written in Old English. He must be smart!
  PS. One of the commentors above mentioned it, but I’ll also add that the local library is a great source of free books, as long as one remembers to return them on time!
  ~ Steve (aka “display booths”)

• 16 Lin (1019 comments.) // Aug 22, 2008 at 12:29 pm

  Hi Steve, my son is definitely a smarty pants. He’s attending college, taking the necessary courses to enter med school! He wants to be a brain surgeon! (Maybe this was a case of a baby being switched at birth..hehe.. nope, I had him at home so no chance of that). He makes me proud for sure.

• 17 display booths (61 comments.) // Aug 22, 2008 at 6:02 pm

  Hi Lin, Wow! You are right to be proud of your son (Mr Smarty Pants). That is awesome. I really admire people that want to go to med school. While doctors make a lot, I think they truly earn it based on how hard (and tiring) med school and residency are, but that’s another story. This is truly awesome… congrats!
  ~ Steve (aka “display booths”)

• 18 Monika Mundell (3 comments.) // Aug 23, 2008 at 8:56 am

  Hi Lin,

  My absolute favorite books were from Enid Blyton. She wrote about the five friends and their dog, not sure whether it is the same in English since I read them in German.

  Also, it is interesting to see that many of the 13+ kids books are great screenplays or movies. I love the screen adaption of Dumas, Bronte and Jane Austen.

• 19 Lin (1019 comments.) // Aug 23, 2008 at 11:41 am

  Hi Monika, I really like how many of the very best children’s books have been made into great movies and screenplays. Since I’m a big fan of the Harry Potter books, I could hardly wait until those became movies so I could see them and compare the movie to the books.

• 20 Anita (3 comments.) // Aug 23, 2008 at 8:01 pm

  I so miss reading Dr. Seuss books to my kids. I can’t wait until I can do it again with grandkids. Well…actually I can wait because my kids are teenagers…but I mean someday.

• 21 Randy Q // Aug 23, 2008 at 11:39 pm

  Robert Stanek?

  are you kidding me?

  he is a self published hack who is most famous for trying to censor criticism of his dubious self promotion efforts (he writes all his positive Amazon reviews using alias accounts) and for photoshoping himself into pictures of famous authors.

  And his writing is awful. Just read the selections provided by Amazon.

  Did Robert Stanek write this list perhaps?

  He does this sort of stuff all the time.

• 22 Lin (1019 comments.) // Aug 23, 2008 at 11:45 pm

  Hi Randy, I appreciate your honest opinion of Robert Stanek’s work. I wrote this list of children’s books myself, and I included his book because I believe it’s a good one. Just my opinion though.

• 23 display booths (61 comments.) // Aug 24, 2008 at 8:27 am

  hi Lin,
  I have to chuckle. It’s obvious what Randy Q above thinks of Robert Stanek.
  This is a perfect example of the cliche about celebrities, that is, “Any publicity is good publicity” or something like that (getting your name in front of the public is the key whether it’s bad press or good press is what I mean).
  Anyway, I’ve never heard of Robert Stanek, but now I’ll be looking for his book the next time I go to the library.
  ~ Steve (aka “display booths”)
  PS. If I didn’t say it before, this is a great list of the 101 best classic children’s books, Stanek or no Stanek!

• 24 Randy Q // Aug 24, 2008 at 9:02 am

  You’ll be lucky if you find any of Stanek’s fiction books at a library, since they are all self-publihsed. (you may find a few of his Microsoft computer tech books that he writes under his real name William Stanek).

  If anyone is currious about checking out his writing they can go to Amazon and do the search inside feature. It is really awful stuff.

  Any list which includes Stanek’s books with Dickens, Melvile, C.S. Lewis is crazy. This is a typical Stanek tatic that he uses in his fake Amazon reviews. I think that this list was created by Stanek himself. Notice the quick jump to his defense as well? Typical Stanek scaming.

• 25 display booths (61 comments.) // Aug 24, 2008 at 9:43 am

  hi Randy,
  I live in Santa Barbara and did a quick search on our public library website. One of his books is at the Morro Bay branch, which is too far of a drive for me. So to answer your question, yes, his book is at our local public library, but it is a branch too far from me so I doubt I’ll ever read it, though I suppose I could request it from my branch… hmmm. And no, my other name is not Robert Stanek, and I don’t think Lin’s other name is Robert Stanek…
  ~ Steve, aka “just steve”, aka “display booths”
  PS. What’s your beef with Robert Stanek?

• 26 Anita (3 comments.) // Aug 24, 2008 at 11:34 am

  I checked our public library just to see if there were any Robert Stanek books, and they have
  The kingdoms & the elves of the reaches - books 1-4. I’m on the east coast.

• 27 Randy Q // Aug 24, 2008 at 1:28 pm

  Yeah right.

  Where Ilive the entire Chicago library system does not a single Robert Stanek book. I checked other major city library system catalogs (New York City, Boston, Los Angeles) and they don’t have any either.

  Robert Stanek claims to be a best selling author (the front cover of his recent self published books all boast this claim) — yet why don’t these major libraries carry his books? Why can’t you walk into Borders, Barnes and Nobles, or any bookstore and find his books on the shelves? Why doesn’t he have a Wikipedia page? Or been reviewed by any major publication?

  That is because he is self published and he puts whatever claims he wants to on his front covers - whether it is a lie or not.

  And FYI — out of that whole 101 list — Stanek is the only self published author on it.

• 28 Lin (1019 comments.) // Aug 24, 2008 at 6:14 pm

  Randy, just to set the record straight…two of my now-grown kids have read Robert Stanek’s book The Kingdoms and The Elves of the Reaches and they both agreed it was good. In their opinion.

  I personally have never read the book myself, nor have I searched for it, but I take the word of my kids who are huge book readers telling me they enjoyed that particular book.

• 29 Candle Monkey (16 comments.) // Aug 24, 2008 at 6:27 pm

  lol, I think Randy Q is Robert Stanek

  … sounds like a great way to arouse curiosity in an author that many of us have probably never heard of.

  

  Todd

• 30 Lin (1019 comments.) // Aug 24, 2008 at 6:30 pm

  LOL Todd, I was thinking of saying the same thing. A bit of reverse psychology thrown in just to stir up curiosity and interest into finding out Who is Robert Stanek anyway?

• 31 display booths (61 comments.) // Aug 25, 2008 at 7:38 am

  Hi Lin,
  I just had to check…
  Today (about 24 hours later) this thread is #182 on google for “Robert Stanek”. I was thinking it might be higher, but I’m eternally impatient. Does anyone what to guess how high it’ll get?
  ~ Steve (aka “display booths”)

• 32 Anita (3 comments.) // Aug 25, 2008 at 7:51 am

  Very interesting indeed. I won’t take a guess, but I will definitely be watching.

• 33 Lin (1019 comments.) // Aug 25, 2008 at 7:59 am

  Randy, Todd, Anita and Steve,

  Randy sent in a comment that includes 13 links to other sites/blogs that discuss the “fraud” tactics of R. Stanek and I’m still going through them all.

  Randy, comments with links are always held in moderation, just so you know. Once I’ve finished reading through the links you’ve provided, I will make the personal decision as to whether to edit MY list of children’s books and put another book in it’s place.

  Todd, that hadn’t even occurred to me. LOL

• 34 Lin (1019 comments.) // Aug 25, 2008 at 8:39 am

  Whew, going through all of those links took me awhile.

  After carefully reviewing all of the 13 links Randy sent in about Robert Stanek and his now-obvious “fraudulent” self-promotion tactics, I’ve decided to disregard my kid’s suggestion for his book and have since replaced it with Agatha Christie books suggested by Wilson above.

  If anyone would like to receive the list of links about Robert Stanek and his tactics (including an obvious photo-shop fiasco making it appear he is included in a photo with another (well known?) author, drop me a email through my Contact Me page shown at the top of this site and I’ll gladly email you the list privately.

  Randy, thank you for bringing this jerk to my attention. How my kids ended up with one of his books is beyond me, but I know I didn’t buy it for them. Live and learn.

• 35 Vered (4 comments.) // Aug 25, 2008 at 4:18 pm

  Thank you! I am printing this out.

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• 39 Coco (1 comments.) // Sep 8, 2008 at 4:15 pm

  This is a great list. I hope you are going to continue to add to the best books for children.

• 40 Lin (1019 comments.) // Sep 8, 2008 at 4:25 pm

  Hi Coco, I will be doing more posts about books of all kinds, for children and teens as well as adults.

• 41 display booths (61 comments.) // Sep 8, 2008 at 5:22 pm

  hi Lin,
  Seeing your comment above pop through on my email reminded me of this post, and got me wondering how it might rank now for the term “Robert Stanek” (which ended up being repeated over, and over, and over… Well, it doesn’t, but it does rank #2 on both yahoo and google for Robert Stanek is a jerk.
  ~ Steve (aka “display booths”)
  PS. I’m pleasantly surprised to see that it has 40 plus comments. Shows there are a lot of people out there interested in children’s books and reading, and that’s a great thing!

• 42 Lin (1019 comments.) // Sep 8, 2008 at 5:32 pm

  Hi Steve,

  You crack me up! From the links sent to me by Randy about Robert Stanek and his obvious fraudulent behavior, I must agree that Robert Stanek is a jerk for sure.

  I’ve since been able to ask my kids how they ended up with one of Robert Stanek’s books but they just don’t remember anymore, but after I told them all I had found out about Stanek, they were appalled but they still say they enjoyed reading the book.

  I’ve discovered that there is A LOT of interest in children’s books, especially classic children’s books and I’ve always felt that giving children a variety of what many would say are the best children’s books helps develop good reading habits and takes kids away from the television or computer/video games for awhile which is a very good thing.

• 43 Ben // Sep 12, 2008 at 9:16 pm

  Honestly? I’ve never read any of Stanek’s books but I am smart enough to have figured out a long time ago the jokester posting here as Randy is nothing but a rabble rouser. This guy searches out any mention of Stanek and then shows up with different names to cause trouble. I’m not sure what grudge he’s got against Stanek but he’s shown up at at least many sites I’m a member of to say similar things and from what I understand he has been doing this since around 2002. Each time he’ll put out his list of links to prove his point. Problem is he’s the creator of just about every thing he provides links to and if he isn’t he was the person responsible for getting the stuff created. Hateful comments aren’t going to give anyone any credibility, it just makes you sound bitter and biased. I did some checking of my own and find several of his books in my local library too. I’m going to make it a point to read them now as I’m sick of this a**hole who thinks it’s funny to cause problems for others. If you really ever listed Stanek’s books, it’s sad you removed it.

• 44 Lin (1019 comments.) // Sep 13, 2008 at 7:50 am

  Hi Ben,

  I can appreciate what you’re saying, but I did decide to remove Stanek’s book from my list. I don’t think it’s any big loss not to have it listed, but if you decide to get his book, I hope you enjoy it as my kids say they have.

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