Classics Sampler

Fiction

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett (J Burne)

Sara Crewe, a pupil at Miss Minchin's London school, is left in poverty when her father dies, but is later rescued by a mysterious benefactor. Grades 4-8.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (J Lengl)

Meg Murry and her friends become involved with une

Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (J Twain)

The adventures of a spirited boy growing up in a Mississippi River town in the 19th century, as he tries a new method for curing warts, witnessing a murder, runs away to an island and pretends to be a pirate, watches his own funeral, and falls for the new girl in the neighborhood. Grades 4-12.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (J Montg)

Anne, an eleven year old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely middle aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her. Grades 4-8.

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (J White)

Wilbur, the pig, is desolate when he discovers that he is destined to be the farmer's Christmas dinner until his spider friend, Charlotte, decides to help him. Grades 3-6.

Cricket in Times Square by George Selden (J Selde)

Chester Cricket's adventures with a news stand boy, a cat and a mouse in a New York subway station. Grades 4-8.

Heidi by Johanna Spyri (J Spyri)

A Swiss orphan is heartbroken when she must leave her beloved grandfather and their happy home in the mountains to go to school and to care for an invalid girl in the city. Grades 4-8.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (J Odell)

Left alone on a beautiful but isolated island off the coast of California, a young Indian girl spends 18 years, not only surviving through her enormous courage and self-reliance, but also finding a measure of happiness in her solitary life. Grades 4-12.

M.C. Higgins the Great by Virginia Hamilton (J Hamil)

Strip mining causes a slap heap to creep closer to his house in the Ohio hills and 15 year old M.C. is torn between trying to get his family away and fighting for the home they love. Grades 4-12.

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers (J Trave)

The wind brings four English children a new nanny

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry (J Henry)

Two youngsters' determination to own a Chincoteague pony is greatly increased when the Phantom and her colt are among those rounded up for the yearly auction. Grades 4-8.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien (J OBrie)

Having no one to help her with her problems, a widowed mouse visits the rats whose former imprisonment in a lab made them wise and longed lived. Grades 4-8.

My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln and Christopher Collier (J Colli)

A Newbery Honor Book, 1975. The tragedy that strikes the Meeker family during the Revolution when one son joins the rebel forces while the rest of the family tries to stay neutral in a Tory town. Grades 5-10.

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson (J Gipso)

A story about two young brothers and a stray dog, Old Yeller, who risks his life to save the boys. Grades 4-8.

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie (J Barri)

The adventures of Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up. Grades 4-8.

Pippi Lonstocking by Astrid Lindgren (J Lindg)

The escapades of a lucky little girl who lives with a horse and a monkey, without any parents, at the edge of a Swedish village. Grades 4-8.

Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson (J Lawso)

New folks are coming to live in the Big House. The animals of Rabbit Hill wonder if they will plant a garden and thus be good providers. Grades 3-8.

Roll of Thunder Hear, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (J Taylo)

A black family living in Mississippi during the de

Sounder by William H. Armstrong (J Armst)

A landmark in children's literature and a winner of the 1970 Newbery Medal. Angry and humiliated when his father is jailed for stealing food for his family , a young black boy grows in courage and understanding by learning to read and with the help of the devoted dog Sounder. Grades 4-8.

The Black Stallion by Walter Farley (J Farle)

A 17 year old boy befriends the horse he has freed during a shipwreck at sea. He trains him at night and rides him to victory in a match race. Grades 4-12.

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes (J Estes)

Newbery Honor Book, 1945. In winning a medal she is no longer there to receive, a little Polish girl teaches her classmates a lesson. Grades 3-9.

The Story of Dr. Dolittle by Hugh Lofting (J Lofti)

The adventures of a kind-hearted doctor, who is fond of animals and understands their language, as he travels to Africa with some of his favorite pets to cure the monkeys of a terrible sickness. Grades 4-8.

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman (J Fleis)

A bratty prince and his whipping boy have many adventures when they inadvertently trade places after becoming involved with dangerous outlaws. Grades 3-8.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (J Steve)

While going through the possessions of a deceased guest who owed them money, the mistress of the inn and her son find a treasure map that leads to a pirate fortune as well as great danger. Grades 4-8.

Twenty One Balloons by William P. Du Bois (J Du Boi)

The incredible adventures of Professor William Waterman Sherman who in 1883 sets off in a balloon across the Pacific and survives the volcanic eruption of Krakatoa, and eventually is picked up in the Atlantic. Grades 4-8.

Where the Lilies Bloom by Vera and Bill Cleaver (J Cleav)

In the Great Smoky Mountains region, a 14 year old girl struggles to keep her family together after their father dies. Grades 5-10.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls (J Rawls)

The story of a young boys love for two hunting dogs and his coming of age in Oklahoma in the 1930's. Grades 4-8.

Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (J Graha)

The escapades of four animal friends who live along a river in the English countryside-Toad, Mole, Rat, and Badger. Grades 3-6.

Websites

ALSC's suggested books for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America

Montgomery County Public Library's Classics Bibliography

The Horn Book

Publications about books for children and young adults. Click on resources then resources for librarians then recommended books then popular and seasonal topics.