I am often asked for book recommendations for children. Over time, I noticed that I was consistently recommending titles published during my childhood or adolescence. As a child, I read some FANTASTIC books. A few years ago, I wrote a post listing my 100 absolute favorite chapter books.

 

Check out my 100 Chapter Books You MUST Read To Your Kids Post! (One of my all-time most popular posts!)

And while I will absolutely never (ever!) tire of re-reading books like From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler or the Ramona series, I don’t want to short-change my children by not exposing them to all of the fantastic newer literature out there. (And there have been some INCREDIBLE titles published in the last ten years!!)

I’ve spent the last year (literally!) combing the shelves of my local library, browsing booklists online, and flipping through everything my kids begin to read. I’ve sat myself down on the floor of the world’s largest independent bookstore and flipped through stacks of children’s books. I did my research, pored through reviews, and discovered some new cherished favorites along the way.

My hope is that you’ll discover a new favorite amongst these titles – perhaps discovering an author or a series that really speaks to your child.

*A few titles on the list may just miss my 10 year cut-off. The list took a little longer than originally anticipated to curate, thus putting several books over that ten-year mark. Still worth reading! Enjoy!

This list of books is phenomenal (and I mean phenomenal). Each of these titles deserves to be someone’s favorite. In the interest of fairness, I’ve placed my personal ten favorites at the top of the list. The rest of the titles are in random order. (And personally, I hope you’ll read them all!!) Happy reading everyone. Go find a new favorite!

book list for kids, best chapter books, best new chapter books for kids

 

  1. Wonder by Raquel J Palacio
  2. Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
  3. The One and Only Ivan by K. A. Applegate
  4. Greenglass House by Kate Milford
  5. Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo
  6. The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
  7. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
  8. The Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
  9. The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
  10. Wish by Barbara O’Connor
  11. One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
  12. The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm
  13. A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd
  14. Audacity Jones to the Rescue by Kirby Larson
  15. Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin
  16. Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
  17. Fortunately, The Milk by Neil Gaiman
  18. Pie by Sarah Weeks
  19. Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan
  20. Clementine by Sarah Pennypacker
  21. Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry
  22. Roxie and the Hooligans by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
  23. Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
  24. The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick
  25. A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole
  26. The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
  27. The Secret Zoo by Bryan Chick
  28. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
  29. The Marvels by Brian Selznick
  30. Crenshaw by K. A. Applegate
  31. The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes
  32. Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff
  33. How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor
  34. The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
  35. Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech
  36. Sophie Simon Solves Them All by Lisa Graff
  37. Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
  38. Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier
  39. Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo
  40. Ivy + Bean by Annie Barrows
  41. The Gallery by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
  42. The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart
  43. The Doldrums by Nicholas Gannon
  44. Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley
  45. Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
  46. Theodosia and the Last Pharaoh by R. L. LaFevers
  47. The 13 Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths
  48. When Friendship Followed Me Home by Paul Griffin
  49. I Funny: A Middle School Story by James Patterson
  50. The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
  51. The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz
  52. The Uncommoners by Jennifer Bell
  53. Alistair Grim’s Odditorium by Gregory Funaro
  54. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
  55. Half Magic by Edward Eager
  56. Roxie and the Hooligans by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
  57. The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
  58. Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald
  59. Stick Dog by Tom Watson
  60. Roscoe Riley Rules by Katherine Applegate
  61. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
  62. Jeremy Thatcher,  Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville
  63. All About Sam by Lois Lowry
  64. Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins
  65. Prince Puggly of Spud and the Kingdom of Spiff by Robert Paul Weston
  66. Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood
  67. The Zoo at the Edge of the World by Eric Kahn Gale
  68. When Mischief Came to Town by Katrina Nannestad
  69. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
  70. Pax by Sara Pennypacker
  71. The Adventures of Miss Petitfour by Anne Michaels
  72. Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk
  73. Buckle and Squash: The Perilous Princess Plot by Sarah Courtauld
  74. Moo by Sharon Creech
  75. My Dad’s a Birdman by David Almond
  76. Nooks and Crannies by Jessica Lawson
  77. The Ambrose Deception by Emily Ecton
  78. Beatrice Zinker, Upside Down Thinker by Shelley Johannes
  79. Last in a Long Line of Rebels by Lisa Lewis Tyre
  80. Magic Marks the Spot: The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates by Caroline Carlson
  81. Diary of a Sixth Grade Ninja by Marcus Emerson
  82. Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
  83. Night on Fire by Ronald Kidd
  84. The Tilting House by Tom Llewellyn
  85. The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
  86. Fish In a Tree by Lynda Mulally Hunt
  87. Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia
  88. The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson
  89. Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder
  90. Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein
  91. Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly
  92. Winterhouse by Ben Guterson
  93. Ghosts of Greenglass House by Kate Milford
  94. Short by Holly Goldber Sloan
  95. Jacky Ha-Ha by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein
  96. The Island of Dr. Libris by Chris Grabenstein
  97. Bellyache by Crystal Marcos
  98. The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser
  99. Tumble and Blue by Cassie Beasley
  100. The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic by Jennifer Trafton

Looking for more book recommendations?

Check out my 100 Favorite Picture Books post!!

 

 

 

 

 

Check out my 100 Books About Math post!!