If Grandma Made the Summer Reading List, These Classics Would Make the Cut
If Grandma Made the Summer Reading List, These Classics Would Make the Cut
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Buy It: $7.99, amazon.com
The Little House on the Prairie novels were inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder’s childhood, which was spent on the Midwest frontier in the late 19th century.
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Buy It: $6.99, amazon.com
Pippi! This spunky kid has outrageous adventures aplenty. She tells tall tales and is strong enough to lift a horse with one hand.
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
Buy It: $8.99, amazon.com
Published in 1952, this E. B. White novel is a favorite of families everywhere. It tells the story of a friendship between a pig named Wilbur and an eloquent spider named Charlotte A. Cavatica.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Buy It: $16, amazon.com
The March sisters are cemented in our country’s literary imagination. This novel follows the journeys of Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March as they grow up in Civil War-era Massachusetts.
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Buy It: $12.99, amazon.com
Grandmothers everywhere love the story of Anne Shirley, an imaginative orphan girl whose adventures enliven Green Gables, a farm in fictional Avonlea where she is sent to live at age 11.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Buy It: $3.60, amazon.com
Of course we all know and love the film, but this summer, read the first in the series of novels that inspired it all. We could all do with a traipse down the yellow brick road alongside Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion, don't you think?
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Buy It: $16, amazon.com
Since its publication in 1905, A Little Princess has captured the imaginations of readers across the world. It tells the story of imaginative, indomitable Sara Crewe, a young girl living in a London boarding school run by the mean-spirited headmistress, Miss Minchin.
Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
Buy It: $7.99, amazon.com
Marguerite Henry’s Misty series begins with Misty of Chicoteague, a novel set in Chincoteague, Virginia, in which readers meet the Beebe family and learn about their attempts to raise a wild filly.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Buy It: $12, amazon.com
Flip the pages of this beloved novel to explore the enduring adventures of Mary Lenox, Dickon Sowerby, Colin Craven, and their secret garden at Misselthwaite Manor.
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
Buy It: $6.29, amazon.com
This much-loved book was published in 1936. It follows the lives of three sisters, Pauline, Petrova, and Posy Fossil, the adopted children of a paleontologist named Matthew Brown.
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
Buy It: $7.99, amazon.com
Since its publication in 1939, the heroine of this story has always been the bravest person we know. Open any of the Madeline books, and you’ll find, “In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines,” followed by unforgettable (rhyming!) escapades in the City of Lights and across the globe.
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Buy It: $16, amazon.com
Heidi transports readers to the picturesque Swiss Alps, where young Heidi and her grandfather live alongside their neighbors Peter and Bridgget, and to Frankfurt, where Heidi befriends Clara Sesemann.
Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
Buy It: $6.99, amazon.com
The tale of the little boy who never grew up remains an enduring and enchanting family favorite. Take a flight to Neverland (second star to the right, and straight on till morning!) with this story of pirates, lost boys, and swashbuckling adventures galore.
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Buy It: $7.99, amazon.com
At 5 years old, it seems as though the whole world is against Matilda Wormwood, but by the end of the novel, this young genius has conquered it all—including our hearts.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
Buy It: $21.99, amazon.com
Seven of the most beloved books in the canon were written by C. S. Lewis. They are The Chronicles of Narnia, and they interweave stories past and present to create the fictional, fantastical world of Narnia. Start at the beginning, or pick up book two, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, for a foray into Narnia with Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Buy It: $6.99, amazon.com
This Newbery Medal-winner is a fantasy classic, the plot of which explores the adventures of Meg Murry and her brother, Charles Wallace. It opens on a dark and stormy night with an unexpected visitation from Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which. Excitement ensues.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Buy It: $5.57, amazon.com
Down the rabbit hole, readers will find a world of imagination traversed by Alice, the White Rabbit, and the rest of Carroll's fictional creations. For another journey with Alice, pick up the sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There.
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Buy It: $6.99, amazon.com
In this novel, first published in 1985, the titular Sarah moves to the Midwest from the coast to live with the Wittings, widower Jacob, and his two children, Anna and Caleb. All four grow into a new way of life and are challenged to listen, learn, and cope with life's unexpected changes.
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Buy It: $5.85, amazon.com
Do you remember this book from your childhood? First published in 1908, this Kenneth Grahame classic introduces readers to the allegorical escapades of Mole, Rat, Toad, and Badger.
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
Buy It: $12.99, amazon.com
When a dog with a yellow coat comes to stay with Travis Coates and his family, Travis is initially reluctant to take care of the dog. But he and Old Yeller soon become fast friends. Anyone with a canine companion can appreciate this tale.
Nancy Drew Mystery Stories by Carolyn Keene
Buy It: $8.99, amazon.com
Readers return again and again to mystery-solving young detective Nancy Drew for tales of sleuthing and suspense. She comes highly recommended by Grandma, and there are enough entries in the series to keep young readers busy all summer.
M. C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton
Buy It: $7.97, amazon.com
Virginia Hamilton’s Newbery Medal-winning tale introduces us to May Cornelius Higgins—a.k.a M. C. Higgins, the Great—a young boy living on Sarah’s Mountain whose life is interrupted by the arrival of two strangers.
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Buy It: $6.99, amazon.com
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of this beloved story by passing it on. It's assigned on middle school reading lists everywhere to explore themes of friendship, imagination, and loss.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
Buy It: $9.97, amazon.com
It’s the book that launched a thousand plans—plans to run away from home and set up camp in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, that is. Claudia and Jamie Kincaid do just that in Konigsburg’s classic caper.
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Buy It: $7.99, amazon.com
Find yourself transported to Kipling’s jungle with man-cub Mowgli, Baloo the bear, and Shere Khan the tiger. These fables will thrill you, and they'll leave you pondering a few important lessons too.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Buy It: $7.99, amazon.com
This swashbuckling adventure story of buccaneers and buried treasure takes readers on a seafaring journey of suspense. It's bound to spark your wanderlust, not to mention your desire to find a treasure map of your own.
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norman Juster
Buy It: $8.99, amazon.com
Who can forget the adventures of Milo, the bored young boy who embarks on a magical journey in a phantom tollbooth? No one is ever too old to enjoy an inventive, laugh-out-loud spin in the tollbooth. It's guaranteed to remind you (and Milo, of course) how exciting life can be.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Buy It: $8, amazon.com
How many times has Grandma read this one? So many times, and it never goes out of style. This will always been in the reading rotation, thanks to the spirited Bennet sisters and Austen's impeccable social commentary. It’s perfect for a high school summer reading list, but you'll want to keep it handy all year, every year. You'll turn to it often, just like Grandma.
The Odyssey by Homer
Buy It: $18, amazon.com
This book has everything. Ten years at sea. Cyclopes. An ever-unwraveling tapestry. Adventurous readers love The Odyssey, which has been published in adaptations for every age and stage. This story of the peripatetic Odysseus and his crew is a classic to end all classics, and it's sure to be on any reading list Grandma compiles.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Buy It: $16, amazon.com
Fitzgerald’s most popular novel explores high-flying desires, tragic turns, and a distant, flashing green light (the symbol that launched a thousand term papers.) The Great Gatsby is an undeniable classic, and it's an ever-present entry on high school reading lists across the country, so it's no surprise that Grandma loves it too. Who can resist the sparkling lure of the Jazz Age?
Grandma loves the classics, and so do we.