Blume, Freckle Juice  

 Blume, Superfudge (TSC 2002)*   

Blume, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (TSC 2002)*   

Bradbury, Dandelion Wine (MRO)   

Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451(MRO)    

Bradbury, Martian Chronicles (MRO)   

Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes (MRO)   

Brooks, What Hearts   

Byars, Summer of the Swans    

Bulla, Shoeshine Girl    

Burnett, The Secret Garden    

Card, Ender’s Game (MRO)   

    Carlson, Family Under the Bridge (TSC 1997) *

     Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass (Unabridged) *

            Charbonneau, Ghosts of Stony Clove

    Cleary, Beezus and Ramona

    Cleary, Dear Mr. Henshaw *

    Cleary, Mouse & the Motorcycle *

    Cleary, Ramona the Pest *

    Cleary, Ribsy (2001) *

    Cleary, Socks

Clements, Frindle (TSC 1997, 2002) *   

Collier, My Brother Sam is Dead    

Collodi, Adventures of Pinocchio            

Coman, What Jamie Saw (MRO)   

Creech, Absolutely Normal Chaos   

Creech, Walk Two Moons   

Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory    

Dahl, The Witches (2001) *   

Davis, Just Like Martin (MRO)   

De Saint Exupery, Little Prince *   

Dorris, Guests *   

Dorris, Morning Girl *   

Eager, Half Magic *   

Eager, Knight’s Castle *   

    Eager, Magic by the Lake *

    Forbes, Johnny Tremain

    Fox, Slave Dancer

    Gardiner, Stone Fox

    George, Julie of the Wolves

    Goldman, The Princess Bride

    Gray, Adam of the Road

    Greene, Summer of my German Soldier

    Gutman, The Kid Who Ran for President (TSC 1998) *    

    Halperin, Jacob's Rescue*

    Hamilton, V  Zeely *

    Hamilton, V M.C. Higgins the Great (TSC 1997) *

    Hinton, The Outsiders

Howe, Bunnicula (TSC 1997, 1998, 1999) *   

Howe, Howliday Inn *   

Hunt, Across Five Aprils (MRO) *   

Jacques, Redwall   

Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth (TSC 1997, 1999) *   

L’Engle, A Wrinkle in Time *   

Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird (MRO)   

LeGuin, Catwings *   

LeGuin, The Left Hand of Darkness (MRO)   

LeGuin, A Wizard of Earthsea   

    Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (TSC 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000) *

    Lewis, Prince Caspian

    Lewis, Voyage of the Dawn Treader *

    Lowry, The Giver

    Lowry, Number the Stars (TSC 1998) *

    MacAulay, Cathedral

    Mead, Junebug *

    Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh *

    Myers, Scorpions (MRO)

    Myers, Won’t Know Till I Get There (MRO) *

 Naylor, Shiloh (TSC 1997) *   

  Nesbit, The Enchanted Castle   

Nichol, Beethoven Lives Upstairs    

O’Brien, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (TSC 1997) *   

O’Dell, Island of the Blue Dolphins *   

Paterson, Bridge to Terabithia *    

Paterson, Jacob Have I Loved    

Paterson, Preacher’s Boy   

    Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows *

    Rockwell, How to Eat Fried Worms *

    Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

    Rylant, Missing May

    Silverstein, The Giving Tree *

    Snyder, The Egypt Game

    Speare, The Witch of Blackbird Pond *

    Spinelli, Maniac Magee 

    Steig, Abel’s Island *

            Sterling, Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman

Stevenson, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (MRO)   

Stevenson, Treasure Island (Unabridged) (MRO) *            

Taylor, M., Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (PG-TSC 1998) *   

Taylor, T., The Cay   

Tolkien, The Hobbit (MRO)   

Tolkien, Smith of Wootton Major & Farmer Giles of Ham *   

Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Unabridged) (MRO)   

Twain, Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Unabridged) (MRO)   

White, Belle Prater’s Boy *   

    White, Charlotte’s Web *

    White, Stuart Little

    Wiesel, Night (MRO)

    Yolen, The Devil’s Arithmetic

    Yolen, The Dragon's Boy (MRO) *

Clarification of Criteria:

All novels listed above have been read and/or taught by Mr. Thomas, and are books he considers among the best literary offerings for young people because they are engrossing, humorous, insightful, and fun to read. 

These novels are generally recommended for intermediate elementary to young adult reading audiences (ages 9-18). Despite the unfortunate "Children's Literature" tags, many adult readers will enjoy these tales.  

Mr. Thomas updates this list each summer  -- in time for summer reading. 

Is there a novel you think should be included on this list?

Email Mr. Thomas with your suggestion!