For decades, these books have delighted young adults of all ages. Their characters are some of the most beloved in children’s literature. As part of its Lifelong Literacy campaign, the Library of Congress invites you to discover their stories, or delight again in their tales.
“Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White
Wilbur, the perfect, radiant and humble pig, is sent to live on Zuckerman's farm, away from his best friend, a girl named Fern. Wilbur is eager to meet friends, but nobody shows much interest in befriending him, except for Charlotte the spider.
- Newbery Honor Book (1953)
“Little House” (series) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Set during the pioneer days of the late 1800s and early 1900s, Wilder's books chronicle her life growing up on the Western frontier.
- Newbery Honor Book (1938, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1944)
“The Chronicles of Narnia” (series) by C.S. Lewis
“The Chronicles of “The Chronicles of Narnia” present the adventures of children who play central roles in the unfolding history of the fictional realm of Narnia, a place where animals talk, magic is common and good battles evil. The seven books in the series are “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” “Prince Caspian,” “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” “The Silver Chair,” “The Horse and His Boy,” “The Magician’s Nephew” and “The Last Battle.”
“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum
Follow the adventures of young Dorothy Gale and her dog, Toto, as their Kansas house is swept away by a cyclone and they find themselves in a strange land called Oz. Here she meets the Munchkins and joins the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion on an unforgettable journey to the Emerald City, where lives the all–powerful Wizard of Oz.
- Lewis Carroll Shelf Award (1968)
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“Anne of Avonlea” by Lucy Montgomery
L.M. Montgomery published “Anne of Green Gables,” her first novel about Anne Shirley, in 1908, and went on to write seven more books about the impulsive, romantic dreamer with a redheaded temper. In this second story, Anne is nearly grown and is a teacher in the village school.