Editors’ Pick
Designed to Feel by Peter Burchardt
Designed to Feelby Peter Burchardt — on emotions, evolution & the science of feeling
View on Amazon →
🧸

Best Children's Books Books

Children's literature is the literature that most people read first, and whose images, characters, and stories stay with them longest. From the picture books of Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, and Eric Carle through the middle-grade adventures of Roald Dahl and C.S. Lewis to the early-chapter novels of Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume, the best children's books take their readers' emotional and intellectual lives seriously. They do not condescend, they do not over-simplify, and they do not pretend that childhood is always happy. They tell the truth in forms that children can receive, and that is one of the most difficult and important things any writer can do.

50 titles ranked · Scored across 40+ editorial sources
#1
Cover of The One and Only Bob
childrens

The One and Only Bob

Katherine Applegate· 2020
★Newbery Medal
Editorial Score83/100
#2
Cover of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
literary-fiction

Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha

Roddy Doyle· 1994
★Booker Prize
Editorial Score72/100
#3
Cover of The Graveyard Book
fantasy

The Graveyard Book

Neil Gaiman· 2009
★Hugo Award
Editorial Score68/100
#4
Cover of The Ghost of Thomas Kempe
childrens

The Ghost of Thomas Kempe

Penelope Lively· 1973
★Carnegie Medal
Editorial Score61/100
#5
Cover of The Wonderful Adventures of Nils
childrens

The Wonderful Adventures of Nils

Selma Lagerlöf· 1906
★Nobel Prize in Literature
Editorial Score60/100
#6
Cover of Anne of Green Gables
childrens

Anne of Green Gables

Lucy Maud Montgomery· 1908
Editorial Score50/100
#7
Cover of The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark
childrens

The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark

Jill Tomlinson· 1968
★Carnegie Medal
Editorial Score48/100
#8
Cover of Carrie's War
historical-fiction

Carrie's War

Nina Bawden· 1973
★Carnegie Medal
Editorial Score48/100
#9
Cover of The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler
childrens

The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler

Gene Kemp· 1977
★Carnegie Medal
Editorial Score48/100
#10
Cover of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
fantasy

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

J.K. Rowling· 1997
BBC Big Read
Editorial Score46/100
#11
Cover of Domestic medicine
childrens

Domestic medicine

William Buchan M.D.· 1769
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#12
Cover of A Tangled Tale
childrens

A Tangled Tale

Lewis Carroll· 1881
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#13
Cover of Clover
childrens

Clover

Susan Coolidge· 1888
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#14
Cover of Constitución política (1917)
childrens

Constitución política (1917)

Mexico.· 1917
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#15
Cover of Aunt Jo's scrap-bag
childrens

Aunt Jo's scrap-bag

Louisa May Alcott· 1871
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#16
Cover of Queechy
childrens

Queechy

Susan Warner· 1800
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#17
Cover of The care and feeding of children
childrens

The care and feeding of children

Holt, L. Emmett· 1894
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#18
Cover of L'ami des enfans
childrens

L'ami des enfans

Arnaud Berquin· 1783
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#19
Cover of A Great Emergency and Other Tales
childrens

A Great Emergency and Other Tales

Juliana Horatia Gatty Ewing· 1886
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#20
Cover of Grammatical institute of the English language. Part 1
childrens

Grammatical institute of the English language. Part 1

Noah Webster· 1788
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#21
Cover of Growing up in New Guinea
childrens

Growing up in New Guinea

Margaret Mead· 1930
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#22
Cover of Lost in the fog
childrens

Lost in the fog

James De Mille· 1870
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#23
Cover of The Basket of Flowers; or, Piety and Truth Triumphant
childrens

The Basket of Flowers; or, Piety and Truth Triumphant

Christoph von Schmid· 1800
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#24
Cover of Sylvie and Bruno Concluded
childrens

Sylvie and Bruno Concluded

Lewis Carroll· 1893
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#25
Cover of The history of little Henry and his bearer
childrens

The history of little Henry and his bearer

Mrs. Mary Martha (Butt) Sherwood· 1817
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#26
Cover of Les veillées du chateau, ou, Cours de morale a l'usage des enfans
childrens

Les veillées du chateau, ou, Cours de morale a l'usage des enfans

Stéphanie Félicité, comtesse de Genlis· 1784
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#27
Cover of Mcguffey's Readers Fourth Eclectic Reader
childrens

Mcguffey's Readers Fourth Eclectic Reader

William Holmes McGuffey· 1837
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#28
Cover of Child life in colonial days / written by Alice Morse Earle
childrens

Child life in colonial days / written by Alice Morse Earle

Alice Morse Earle· 1899
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#29
Cover of Le jugement moral chez l'enfant
childrens

Le jugement moral chez l'enfant

Jean Piaget· 1924
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#30
Cover of Hymns in prose for children
childrens

Hymns in prose for children

Anna Laetitia Barbauld· 1786
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#31
Cover of Grandfather's Chair
childrens

Grandfather's Chair

Nathaniel Hawthorne· 1800
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#32
Cover of A boy's town
childrens

A boy's town

William Dean Howells· 1890
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#33
Cover of The Line of Love
childrens

The Line of Love

James Branch Cabell· 1905
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#34
Cover of The gates ajar
childrens

The gates ajar

Elizabeth Stuart Phelps· 1868
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#35
Cover of Gentle measures in the management and training of the young; or, The principles onwhich a firm parental authority may be established and maintained
childrens

Gentle measures in the management and training of the young; or, The principles onwhich a firm parental authority may be established and maintained

Jacob Abbott· 1871
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#36
Cover of The young outlaw, or, Adrift in the streets
childrens

The young outlaw, or, Adrift in the streets

Horatio Alger, Jr.· 1875
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#37
Cover of Madeline's Rescue
childrens

Madeline's Rescue

Ludwig Bemelmans· 1900
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#38
Cover of Captain January
childrens

Captain January

Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards· 1890
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#39
Cover of The hills of the Shatemuc
childrens

The hills of the Shatemuc

Susan Warner· 1856
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#40
Cover of Rollo at play
childrens

Rollo at play

Jacob Abbott· 1838
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#41
Cover of Pippi Långstrump går ombord
childrens

Pippi Långstrump går ombord

Astrid Lindgren· 1946
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#42
Cover of The Hoosier school-boy
childrens

The Hoosier school-boy

Edward Eggleston· 1883
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#43
Cover of Annual Report of the Board of Education
childrens

Annual Report of the Board of Education

Massachusetts Board of Education· 1863
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#44
Cover of Rollo in Paris
childrens

Rollo in Paris

Jacob Abbott· 1854
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#45
Cover of The Island of Adventure
childrens

The Island of Adventure

Enid Blyton· 1944
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#46
Cover of The flight of Pony Baker
childrens

The flight of Pony Baker

William Dean Howells· 1902
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#47
Cover of Lamb's adventures of Ulysses
childrens

Lamb's adventures of Ulysses

Charles Lamb· 1808
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#48
Cover of The history of the Fairchid family, or the child's manual
childrens

The history of the Fairchid family, or the child's manual

Mrs. Mary Martha (Butt) Sherwood· 1818
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#49
Cover of Rollo on the Rhine
childrens

Rollo on the Rhine

Jacob Abbott· 1855
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
#50
Cover of Red Rooney
childrens

Red Rooney

Robert Michael Ballantyne· 1886
Notable Work
Editorial Score46/100
Happy Children
The Parenting Companion
Happy Children
What Evolution Actually Built Your Child’s Emotions For
Your child’s emotions are not the problem. They are the operating system.
Get It on Amazon →Paperback & Kindle

By Country

🌍International2446🇬🇧United Kingdom15🇺🇸United States6🇸🇪Sweden5🇨🇦Canada3🌍Denmark3🇮🇪Ireland1🌍Germany1🌍Chile1🇨🇷Costa Rica1🇫🇮Finland1🇫🇷France1🇲🇱Mali1🇲🇩Moldova1🇰🇷South Korea1🇨🇭Switzerland1🇧🇹Bhutan1🇸🇿Eswatini1🇨🇰Cook Islands1

Key Authors

Katherine ApplegateRoddy DoyleNeil GaimanPenelope LivelyJill TomlinsonNina BawdenGene KempJ.K. RowlingCharles DickensMark Twain

Children's Books Books — FAQ

What are the best children's books books of all time?

The top-ranked children's books books include The One and Only Bob, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, The Graveyard Book — all with high editorial consensus scores across major literary prizes and critic lists.

How are children's books books ranked on 50 Best Books?

Rankings are based on aggregate editorial scores drawn from Nobel Prizes, Booker Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, and 40+ other critical sources. Each mention is weighted by prestige, recency, and scope.

Which countries produce the most acclaimed children's books books?

International, United Kingdom, United States lead our rankings in children's books, producing the most internationally recognised titles in the genre.

Who are the most acclaimed children's books authors?

Key authors in children's books include Katherine Applegate, Roddy Doyle, Neil Gaiman, whose works consistently appear across major prize lists and critic selections.

Are there children's books books for beginners?

Yes — our rankings include books at every level. Look for titles with broad critical acclaim and accessible descriptions. Start with books scoring 70+ on our editorial scale.

Related Categories

🌟Young Adult🐉Fantasy⚔️Adventure🎨Graphic Novels🏛️Classic Literature🖼️Art & Design