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From Dr. Seuss classics to newer books like If I Built a Car, here are some of the best children’s reads.
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Where The Wild Things Are By Maurice Sendak
"I loved it when I was little—you get that awesome full circle moment when you read it. Also I love the message that even when you're being very naughty, your parents still love you—and keep your dinner hot." —Sasha Emmons
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The Snowy Day By Ezra Jack Keats
"Snow may be a major pain for those of us who have to shovel it, but in Peter's world, a fresh snow is the perfect canvas for footprints and snow angels and snowballs are meant for saving in your pocket. To us, this is a story as sweet and gentle as a beautiful winter wonderland." —Denene Millner
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James and the Giant Peach By Roald Dahl
"I liked everything Roald Dahl, but especially James and the Giant Peach—nothing seemed more dreamy than crawling into the center of the most delicious peach ever grown, nibbling at the walls as you went along." —Ganda Suthivarakom
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Wonder Bear By Tao Nyeu
"A book with no words, encourages kids to make up their own. The author's master's project and first book—so gorgeous!" —Laura Sullivan
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When Sheep Cannot Sleep By Satoshi Kitamura
"This has held the top spot on my bookshelf for years. The colors are vibrant and the artwork is sophisticated, but it's accessible to kids." —Michelle Dozois
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No Flying in the House By Betty Brock
"A huge childhood fave of mine was No Flying in the House, about a little girl who discovers she's half human and half fairy and will have to choose which one she'll ultimately be." —Deborah Skolnik
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Skippy Jon Jones, Lost in Spice By Judy Schachner
"A latino cat that thinks he's a Chihuahua—multilingual and hilarious!" —Laura Sullivan
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Mrs. Piggle Wiggle By Betty MacDonald
"I thought Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's solutions to kid-problems like refusing to bathe, were C-R-A-Z-Y. Telling his parents to let the dirt collect and plant radishes on his skin while he was sleeping? I remember thinking, 'Where do they get this stuff!? Mrs. Piggle Wiggle rules!'" —Lauren Passell
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Ruby and the Booker Boys: Brand New School, Brave New Ruby By Derrick Barnes and Vanessa Brantley Newton
"Ruby is simply delicious—eccentric, clever, and determined to get out of the shadows of her super cool older brothers at her new school, which leads to a bit of hi-jinks and a lot of spirited Eloise-styled fabulousness. This is the stuff little sisters are made of! (Trust me, I know what I speak of.)" —Denene Millner
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Where The Sidewalk Ends By Shel Silverstein
"This should be in every kid's bookshelf—an imaginative other-world!" —Laura Sullivan
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Amelia Bedelia By Peggy Parish
"My dad used to read this book to me, and even though he changed the story to his liking, (Amelia Bedelia always went on violent rampages and was fired for trying to murder Mr. and Mrs. Rogers), I loved Amelia Bedelia's silliness. I once told my (stay-at-home) mother, "Mom, you're just like Amelia Bedelia!" But I meant it to be the highest compliment." —Lauren Passell
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Strega Nona By Tomie dePaola
"Growing up I loved Strega Nona, because it reminded me of my grandmother and her family in Italy." —Diane Rice
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Five Little Peppers By Margaret Sidney
—Rachel Fishman Feddersen
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Fancy Nancy By Jane O'Connor
"I like Fancy Nancy (any of them) for the simple reason that my daughter is a real life Fancy Nancy for which I thank my lucky stars every day (after two boys I wished so hard for a girly girl and I got one.)" —Christina Vercelletto
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Free to Be You and Me By Marlo Thomas
—Jessica Dukes
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I Want to Go Home! By Gordon Korman
"I really loved I Want to Go Home!, a Gordon Korman children's novel on going away to camp. I never went to camp, so I loved reading about it. It was one of my first laugh-out-loud experiences with a book." —Ganda Suthivarakom
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Peppermints in the Parlor By Barbara Brooks Wallace
"This book is the perfect kind of creepy—intriguing and great for kids. I couldn't put it down when I read it in fourth grade, and just thinking about it makes me want to pick it back up again." —Lauren Passell
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The Great Brain By John D. Fitzgerald
"The Great Brain is an amazing chapter book series for older kids, and it's not very well known." —Michelle Dozois
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B is for Betsy By Carolyn Haywood
—Rachel Fishman Feddersen
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Bobbsey Twins By Laura Lee Hope
—Rachel Fishman Feddersen
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Heidi By Johanna Spyri
"I loved having it read to me when I was very young and loved reading it myself, once I learned how!" —Gina Grant
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The Lorax By Dr. Seuss
—Rachel Fishman Feddersen
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Tar Beach By Faith Ringold
"When Cassie lays down on "tar beach" (a fancy word a tar-covered apartment rooftop) and imagines herself soaring high above the "diamond necklace" that is the George Washington Bridge, my girls and I think her dreamy journey is nothing short of magical. This is Cassie's world, and we happily soar with her." —Denene Millner
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Madeline By Ludwig Bemelmans
"Madeline is so beautiful and rhythmic that I easily memorized it as a tiny girl, and then I would try to convince everyone that I was reading the text. I still can tell the story from memory, but now I can finally read the text allll by myself. Sweet!" —Lauren Passell
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If I Built a Car By Chris Van Dusen
"In terms of relatively new books, I'm very into If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen." —Deborah Skolnik
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Bread and Jam for Frances By Russel Hoban
—Rachel Fishman Feddersen
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The Ramona Series By Beverly Cleary
-Rachel Fishman Feddersen
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Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH By Robert O'Brien
"We love Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH—also The Sisters Grimm series." —Jennifer Geddes
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What Do People Do All Day? By Richard Scarry
—Rachel Fishman Feddersen
