The Royal Society of Literature Top 100 Books Every Child Should Read.
"In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can
get through, but rather how many can get through to you."
Mortimer J. Adler
This is the best collection of classic and modern literature for children and
teachers I have discovered. Building a classroom library with this list is a
place to start. I would also add the greatest collection of Fairy Tales and
Fables from around the world Compiled by the Andrew Lang. If we
would like our students to be well read we must set the example.
1 Blue Fairy Book (1889)
2 Red Fairy Book (1890)
3 Green Fairy Book (1892)
4 Yellow Fairy Book (1894)
5 Pink Fairy Book (1897)
6 Grey Fairy Book (1900)
7 Violet Fairy Book (1901)
8 Crimson Fairy Book (1903)
9 Brown Fairy Book (1904)
10 Orange Fairy Book (1906)
11 Olive Fairy Book (1907)
12 Lilac Fairy Book (1910)
1. The Twits, by Roald Dahl
Mr and Mrs Twit pass the time playing nasty tricks on one another. They're
both horrid. In his hairy beard, Mr Twit "was always able to find a tasty
morsel to nibble on".
2. Burglar Bill, by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
"I'll 'ave that," is the catchphrase of the rogue who stars in this engaging and
beautifully illustrated tale. When Bill accidentally burglarises a baby, it turns out
to be a blessing in a stolen basket. "Runfrit, Boglaboll!"
3. The Tiger Who Came To Tea, by Judith Kerr
A tiger that eats its hosts out of house and home.
4. Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak
When Max engages in mischief, he is sent to bed without his supper. That's
just the start. Sendak's paintings sing, and the text is a joy.
5. The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, by Beatrix Potter
Tom Kitten learnt nothing from his parents about the consequences of curiosity.
Abducted by a psychotic rat, he comes within a whisker of being turned into a
pudding. Nightmares guaranteed.
6. Yertle the Turtle, by Dr Seuss
Yertle, king of the pond, commands all the turtles to stack
themselves up so he can be top of the heap. Someone's riding for a fall.
7. Fungus the Bogeyman, by Raymond Briggs
What boy won't thrill to the world of the Bogeymen, all snot, armpits and boils?
This gave Raymond Briggs's green crayon the workout of its life.
8. The Story of the Little Mole Who Knew It Was None Of His Business,
by Werner Holzwarth and Wolf Erlbruch
Someone's dropping lands on poor mole's head. Who's the culprit? A farmyard
investigation is conducted with Germanic seriousness. Mole's revenge is sweet.
Room on the Broom, by Julia Donaldson Punchier than The Gruffalo, this has
children chanting along as a witch and her animal friends see off a dragon in
search of "witch and chips".
9. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
"In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf…" so begins this classic board
book, its pages drilled with holes as the caterpillar eats his way through the week.
10. The Cat in the Hat, by Dr Seuss
"Look at me! Look at me! Look at me now!" The cat's a big show-off, but
he knows how to have fun, and his chaotic antics delight.
