April 2nd is International Children’s Book Day so we put together a list of some of the most beloved children’s books. Some are reader favorites, most are best sellers and all have helped to spark the imagination of children all over the world in one way or another.
Whether it was the tale of friendship between a pig and a barn spider, a little girl finding a secret garden, a group of orphans discovering a magical wardrobe or a young wizard fulfilling his destiny, these books brought joy and a sense of wonder to us as kids.
1 of 9 Charlotte’s Web
In 1952, E.B. White’s tale of the friendship between a young pig and a barn spider captured the hearts of millions of children around the world. Charlotte’s Web told the story of Wilbur, a young pig set to be slaughtered who was saved by the compassionate and ingenious spider named Charlotte who writes messages of praise about him in her web. Their strong bond illustrated the true value of friendship and made animal lovers out of all of us.
2 of 9 The Secret Garden
British-American novelist Frances Hodgson Burnett was already a popular writer of children’s fiction when she wrote The Secret Garden in 1911. The book tells the story of Mary Lennox, a sickly, spoiled little girl who is sent to live with her uncle in England after the death of her parents. There she finds a secret garden, a chance to change herself and the ability to help others when she discovers her ailing cousin living in a sealed off part of the manor. Mary’s story is one of resilience and compassion and it taught children around the world to find magic in ordinary things.
The classic children’s literary franchise written by an American school teacher follows four orphaned children, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny, as they go on wild adventures and solve mysteries. The first book followed the children as they created a home out of an abandoned boxcar in the woods, hence the name. With over 150 books now in the series, The Boxcar Children have reached millions of young kids, teaching them valuable lessons on the importance of helping others and the fun to be had in a good adventure.
4 of 9 The Nancy Drew Mystery Series
Nancy Drew is responsible for making young girls everyone want to become detectives. The 16-year-old heroine loved solving mysteries and helping others, usually with her two best friends in tow. Opinionated, outspoken, smart and self-sufficient, Nancy Drew readers learned to follow their instincts, do the right thing and enjoy the mysteries of life.
5 of 9 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
C.S. Lewis sparked our imaginations when he wrote The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The book, which would later become a series, followed four siblings, evacuated to the English countryside during World War Ii. They discover an enchanted wardrobe which leads them to the mystical land of Narnia. In Narnia, animals can talk, a White Witch rules the land and the children seemed destined to fulfill a prophecy to save the kingdom. The story is full of fantasy, magic and lessons on sacrifice, the power of love and finding one’s purpose in life.
6 of 9 Little House on the Prairie
The Little House series is based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s childhood in the northern Midwest region of the United States late in the 19th century. The books span the years the family spent on the homestead, traveling from Wisconsin to Kansas to Walnut Grove, Minnesota and show the value of faith, love, courage and kindness. The family often faced dangerous obstacles and hard times but never lost hope.
7 of 9 Goodnight Moon
Is there a bedtime story better than Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon? Probably not. The beloved rhyming book features a bunny who just has to say goodnight to everything around him, from red ballons to his room and yes, even the moon.
in 1963, Madeleine L’Engle wrote a book that would spawn two movies, an opera, a graphic novel and several plays. A Wrinkle in Time captured our imaginations when it took us on a journey through the universe. Its heroine, Meg Murry, tried to find her father, save her brother and learn the secret to life.
9 of 9 The Harry Potter Series
No children’s book series made us believe in magic quite like J.K. Rowlings’ Harry Potter franchise. The seven book series followed a young wizard by the name of Harry Potter who, after losing his parents, is sent to live with his nonmagical relatives. He is soon accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There, he makes friends, battles enemies and learns to fulfill his destiny, defeating the dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort. The books feature strong themes of friendship, acceptance, and courage and are loved by millions of children (and adults) all over the world.
