When I think of the best children’s books of all time, I think of classics that I’d want to share with my son, but I also think of more modern books that reflect his world. As I mentioned in this post about whether a children’s canon should exist, our world is constantly changing, and children’s literature should change and evolve, as well — so our evaluation of what the “best” children’s books are should also be fluid, in my opinion. Those books that stand the test of time will stay, and those who are outdated will still be around, but there are better choices to be had. I could list dozens and dozens of books that I think are the “best” children’s books of all time. Tuck Everlasting, The Westing Game, Are You My Mother — all are personal favorites and ones that I think are either timeless or influential. That also doesn’t even touch on the number of series that have been huge influences: Magic Tree House and Magic School Bus (I’ve written about them before), or Junie B. Jones, Baby-Sitters Club, and countless others. But who decides what is best, and how? Are we looking at how “literary” they are? Issues of representation and how inclusive they are? Are we seeing how influential they’ve been, on both readers and on the genre itself? For the lists I’ve put together, I chose books that have stood the test of time and that are perennial favorites, but I also chose books that marked milestones in the genre in some way. I also included more recent books that have quickly grown to be classroom and family favorites partly because of their diversity and inclusivity, ensuring that children get to see themselves or their peers in books. These are books I’ve consistently seen in Instagram posts and blog posts of teachers, homeschoolers, and caregivers of young kids, and I think their popularity and influence will only grow. If I only listed the books that have been thought of as the “best of” canon for decades, it would be a pretty boring, non-diverse list, and no one wants that. Below are two lists: one of picture books, and one of middle grade books, since I still consider that to be children’s literature. What books would you choose as the best children’s books of all time, and why? If you’re interested in more of the “best” children’s literature, check out this post on the best children’s books by age, and this post on 30 of the most influential children’s books of all time.
