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Huh. Some of your MG picks make me think my MS might not be YA after all, but MG.

Good list

Wow, I havent heard of a lot of these...time to investigate.For PBs I would add Freight Train by Donald Crews-such a great book. I love that it covers trains, colors and car types and the illustrations are so simple but interesting.

Thanks for being willing to do this, you brave soul. Three of my favorite Middle Grade books not found here are: Emma Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree, Becoming Naomi Leon, and the Penderwicks. Glad to see Westing Game and Mockingbird and Saffy's and somebody stop me before I name the whole list!)

Picture Book - The Relatives Came, Written by Cynthia Rylant, Illustrated by Stephen GammellMiddle Grade - Out of the Dust, by Karen HesseThe Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan & Miriam Peskowitz

Oh, you're right, EA, the list is never done - sorry, but I can't resist adding a couple more picture books. We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy: Two Nursery Rhymes with Pictures by Maurice SendakHarold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

Love the list - it is endless.As far as newish books go, I have to add for MG: Rules, A Crooked Kind of Perfect and Leepike Ridge. For YA: Looking for Alaska and 13 Reasons Why. I'm just finishing Frankie Landau Banks and it's beawesome.

Yay! I love this game! What a great list, and more coming out all the time.Thank you to whoever added A Crooked Kind of Perfect, I second that. Can I also add The Fairytale Detectives, the first of the Sisters Grimm books...one of the best of a whole crop of fractured fairytales.My new fav picture book of the year is Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox.The YA list is awesome...there

Nice list, EA!There are a couple of reference books that will help you out:Edith Ross Lipson's A PARENT'S GUIDE TO THE BEST BOOKS FOR CHILDRENand the "100 Best Books" (or whatever it's called!) by Anita Silvey (her ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO CHILDREN'S BOOKS AND THEIR CREATORS is also helpful).

OFFICER BUCKLE & GLORIA (or Goodnight, Gorilla, something by rathmann)LILLY'S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE (or something by henkes, hello!)SEVEN SILLY EATERS (or something by hoberman)THE BIG ORANGE SPLOT by daniel pinkwaterHENRY HIKES TO FITCHBURG by db johnsonTHE DEAD BIRD by margaret wise brown, remy charlip (too bad it is out of print, best book evah)**ANNE OF GREEN GABLESBALLET SHOESTHE HOBBITWITCH

For YA, which is already a good list....how about Angela Johnson's First Part Last, Jacqueline Woodson's Miracle's Boys, Chris Lynch's Inexcusable, Holly Black's Tithe...oh, stop me now....no, no.... After the Rain by Norma Fox Mazer, A Step from Heaven by An Na, Stoner and Spaz by Ron Koertge, Many Stones by Carolyn Coman, Trash by Sharon Darrow, Skellig by David Almond, A Wreath for Emmett Till

I forgot all about the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. I did see the movie with Gregory Peck, though. The subject matter/mood reminds me a little of something I’m working on. It’s kind of depressing, though I shouldn’t admit. Did the motion picture differ dramatically from the novel? I would imagine so considering it was made in the early to mid-sixties, right? Interesting and fun list.

Great list! I must add Officer Buckle and Gloria to the picture book list, and everything by John Green to the YA list. Let's see, what else... I also love King Dork by Frank Portman, Billie Standish Was Here by Nancy Crocker, and I'd second Sold by Patricia McCormick.

If I might put in a plug for Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones? I also love Margaret Mahy (Blood and Thunder Adventure on Hurricane Peak, for example) but haven't found it as widely loved "out there" as it is in my heart. Is I Capture the Castle considered a children's book? The Perilous Gard is (Elizabeth Pope, I think). Mmmm mmm mmm.

You're right, it is an impossible task, but I love your lists.I will third the vote for Officer Buckle and Gloria. I was going to not mention it, since you included Goodnight, Gorilla. Ten Minutes To Bedtime is also wonderful.No Clementine?

I've never considered ENDER'S GAME middle grade -- it was written for adults originally...when I taught, usually the youngest boys to 'get it' were at least 14, and even then, they missed some of the deeper meanings.

Animalia and The Eleventh Hour, by Graeme Base are absolutely amazing picture books, and you can't forget the Where's Waldo books, although they might not be super necessary.YA has so many amazing books, it would be hard to pick the best. A lot of the ones on there are focused on pics a teacher might recommend (good picks, at that), but I would love to see Tamora Pierce on there. Her books were

I will never understand why people insist on classifying To Kill a Mockingbird as YA. It certainly wasn't published and marketed as such and it doesn't fit many of the criteria. For one thing, it is told from an adult perspective, looking back on a childhood, and throughout the retrospective, the main character is a child, not a teen. The classic YA theme of identity is not central to the novel.

Great list!Others:YA: "HOUSE OF THE SCORPION, by Nancy FarmerAlso agree about LOOKING FOR ALASKA by GreenPB: THE GOING TO BED BOOK or something else by Sandra Boynton--also partial to the Pigeon ("drive the bus, eat a hotdog" etc.) books

Ender's Game as MG and LOTR as YA? That's stretching the definitions a bit. They're excellent books, but I don't usually group them there.I'd also recommend Avi, Catherine, Called Birdie, Sarah Bishop, and the Enchanted Forest Chronicles.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Good list. I'd add the following:PB-The Snowy Day or anything by Ezra Jack KeatsThe Little Engine that CouldMG-The Chronicles of Narnia The Thief Lord by Cornelia FunkeBud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul CurtisClementine by Sara PennypackerYA-The House of the Scorpion or The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy FarmerThe oldies-Wind in the WillowsAlice in WonderlandWinnie the PoohPeter Pan

Oh, Oh. Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pies by Jordan Sonnenblick for YA. Made me laugh, made me cry, without feeling even any emotional manipulation.

For "required reading" PBs, I would add A Good Day by Kevin Henkes, Diary Of A Wombat by Jackie French, First The Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, Bark George by Jules Feiffer, A Visitor For Bear by Bonny Becker, Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini and The Best Pet Of All by David LaRochelle.

What about Twilight and I didn't see any Harry Potter stories there?...

Ooo...I love lists! Here are a few more:PB:Flotsom, Tuesday and The Three Little Pigs by David WiesnerClick, Clack, Moo : Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, Betsy Lewin More More More Said the Baby by Vera WilliamsMG:Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsBud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul CurtisCoraline by Neil GaimanYA:Luna by Julie Ann PetersI am the Messenger by Marcus ZusackMartyn Pig by Kevin

Great list! I'd say, read everything by Roald Dahl immediately. Thank you for including Frog and Toad and Are you There God? It's Me, Margaret. And of course, The Phantom Tollbooth, which is one of my top five favorite books of all time. EVERYONE MUST READ IT!!!(Can you maybe add Caps for Sale in place of Fancy Nancy?).

Heckedy Peg by Don and Audrey Wood (amazing artwork, excellent story, great read-aloudability) and King Bidgood's in the Bathtub (by the same team).

Picture books I would add "Click Clack Moo, Cows that Type" (Doreen Cronin) and also "Guess How Much I Love You", simply because it has sold millions and you need to think about why.Middle grade - "The Wednesday Wars" is a must for me.YA - anything by Chris Crutcher, and also "Fat Kid Rules the World" by K.L Going.

Thank you for answering my question, EA! Yes, I knew it was a tricky one and I appreciate the lists very much. It's also reassuring to see that I have read quite a few of them and that they're on my list of important books; but there are also some I admit I've never heard of! So THANKS!!!

Great lists. I guess I don't see Ender's Game as MG at all, either. It has that faraway look at childhood that adult books with child protagonist have. If anything, it's a crossover to YA book, not MG. (IMHO, of course) For pb I'd say to be familiar with Allan Say, Molly Bang, Stinky Cheese Man, David Wiesner, Marla Frazee, and Ian Falconer (the Olivia books).For MG I'd say Shannon Hale, Karen

In MG:The Hobbit by JRR TolkienThe Black Stallion by Walter FarleyIn YA:Black Beauty by Anna SewellAll classics, but still good.

Ordinary Jack!Well done! That's all I needed to see to give your list an A+

Great list! Thank You.For YA I would also add The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Anon 8:41 -- people classify To Kill A Mockingbird as YA because it is taught in the majority of high school English classes in America. I read it in the tenth grade. Just because a book starts out as adult fiction doesn't mean it has to stay there. The book's themes of standing up for human rights against the norms of society, are universal themes and not easily accessed by teens.Salinger's, A

For the YA list (in my opinion absolutely essential):CATCHER IN THE RYE

PBs to Add:Are You My Mother?Pat the Bunny (not my favorite, but huge for the tots and important to understand)MG- Some of the Little House Books Some of the Anne of GG books(Because so many later books look back to these. And because most little girls in the US grow up loving Laura and Anne)Not novels but:Some Shel SilversteinSome Prelutsky

PBs:Pink and Say -- Patricia PolaccoThe Impossible Patriotism Project -- Linda SkeersFreedom Summer -- Deborah WilesMUST READS!

For Picture books -- The Giving Tree I also recommend what EA said about walking through the Target aisles for now-ish YA books. They usually only carry bestsellers so they are a great indication of what is desired in the here and now. Plus, you know, it's Target and the books are cheaper than in a bookstore and also you can buy gum, Q-tips, some socks, a 12-pack of Diet Coke, a new CD, and 50

Good lord,surely no one would consider Twilight great American kidlit??!! Eccchhh... And Harry Potter is not American, nor are some of the others listed... not that some of them aren't great books of course! But NOT Twilight...

Great list!I would add Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block to the YA group.

PB: JamberryYA: where oh where are Megan Whalen Turner's Attolia books?

I'm so glad you chose to do this. Yes, it's impossible to have a comprehensive list, but to see one started is amazing.I thought of Shattering Glass - best first page ever - and The Thief Lord - just love Funke but I'm not sure if that's MG or YA.

Ender's Game is not only one of my favorites, it was also a favorite of a 9 yr old boy I lived with. So much so that he wanted to read the whole series even though most were written for adults.As an aside - EA, can we ditch the word verification since you're moderating? Or would you get too many spam without it?

Seconding some PB recommendations:"The Snowy Day" or something by Ezra Jack Keats"Tuesday" or something by David WiesnerI'm glad you took this on, EA. Even though you are right: it is a can of worms. But a yummy one.

I can't believe it, but it looks like we've overlooked Jerry Spinelli! Maniac Magee is awesome, and Stargirl is one of my favorites too.Another one that seems like an adult-to-YA crossover book is Yann Martel's The Life of Pi. One of the best books I've ever read.

Sounder Because of Winn Dixie Skippy Jon Jones (great plot and language..maybe not so much of a message or meaning... but certainly riveting)

Oh. The Goats.

Now I know my parents were smart. Nearly *every single one* of those picture books and MG books that came out before or during my childhood, they either owned, gave to me, or I bought.The first step to a good education (sometimes, a REALLY good education) is reading, and reading often.

gonna ponder for a bit, and get backseason's blessings to you and yours :)

So many favourites there. Charlie and Lola series and Tintin also much loved in this house. Also Olivia, Orlando (the cat not Woolf!), all Madelines and Dahl.

Wow! This is a great list! But humbling as well.How about an oldie but (to me) a goodie? Zilpha Keatley Snyder's "The Witches of Worm."

I'm so glad to see Alabama Moon on your list. I was surprised when it didn't sweep all the big awards. Great book. And great list!

I was so glad to see that Alabama Moon made your list. I was surprised when it didn't sweep the big awards. Great book! And, great list!Thanks.

Great list, but I too thought the request was for American titles.

Somebody mentioned Winnie-the-Pooh, which is not American, but I would still second it because it's become kind of American by adoption. If we stretch it to English language (read often, and influential in America) how about The Once and Future King and Treasure Island? If we're going for pure American, then you can't forget Little House on the Prairie which is quintessentially American in so

Wow, i really was a nerdy kid! I've read most all of those. A few of my faves;Cat in the Mirror by Mary StolzSing Down the Moon (hated Island of the Blue Dolphins, but loved this book)Jacob Have I Loved, by Katherine Paterson.I also loved anything Encyclopedia Brown, One Minute Mysteries and of course those Choose Your Adventure books. (But i have a feeling that those don't belong to this list. *

Quite a lot of effort went in to putting your list together - thanks from all of us who will be talking about it and sharing it. I guess The Tale of Peter Rabbit is not on there due to its being British. But Winnie-the-Pooh (also British) is there, so I'd like to see some Beatrix Potter in the picture books. I have only one other suggestion, a book I hope American kids and their parents (and

Yes, I really do appreciate all the great ones and the time eveyone has spent. But you're right: it was for American titles, as I'm very well versed in the lit of UK and the Antipodes (where I'm from, and where PBs, for example, can be very different, darker, and arguably more sophisticated in theme. Doubt me? Then check out The Rabbits by John Marsden, illus by Shaun Tan [who did Arrival] or The

Harriet the Spy....probably my favorite Middle Grade.

I think if you are going to understand what's happening in American children's books, you need to know what American children are reading. So that would necessarily include a) a few books published in the UK (besides, Harry would never have made it big if it hadn't been for American editor Arthur Levine) and b) books that some may not consider "literary" enough and yet have sold gazillions of

This is a really great list, EA!I'd also like to add one more titleas a MG "classic":Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (1977 Newbery Medal)

EA - would you consider a sister post to this and post the links to the various book awards in children's lit? I know of some of them, but I'm sure there are more out there. Or have you done this already?

I have just alphabetized the lists, so that people will stop telling me that Peter Rabbit (for instance) is not on there. Yes it is! So is Winnie the Pooh and Harry Potter.Sorry. Didn't mean to be snappish.Sarah--I'll think about it, but it's a long damn list. And more coming out all the time! Did you guys see the Morris shortlist announcement?

Since I had a bit of time...I posted this awards link list on my blog.

A few more:PB: - Arrow to the Sun by Gerald McDermott- Virginia Lee Burton collection (Mike Mulligan, Katy, Little House)MG:- Redwall by Jaques (at least the first one)

I second the suggestion to include something by Sandra Boynton, especially Moo, Baa, La-La-La or Not the Hippopotamus.

wow, great list. and of course an impossible task. I appreciate the person who asked the question. It makes me crazy to read a manuscript as a favor and the last contemporary children's book the aspiring author has read is Green Eggs and Ham.

Forever... was a watershed YA that's still on the shelves. The Perks of Being a Wallflower resonated with many, many readers.And what about Geography Club?

Great list! I'd add Owen by Kevin Henkes, Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein and Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak. Great job putting Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day on the list!

For picture books, Hiawatha, the version illustrated by Susan Jeffers, is definitely a classic, and Flossie and the Fox, by Patricia C. McKissack, was always one of my favorites. It had the most wonderful use of dialect and voice, not to mention the humor. I won't even start with MG and YA, there are too many.

I prefer Green Eggs and Ham to the Cat in the Hat.EEEEEEEEEEP I better duck! (Here come those green fried tomatoes.... and eggs)

Ahem.Allow me to point out that the entire rich and wonderful realm of kids' NONfiction has been essentially overlooked in this discussion!

re: nonfictionOh, I know. I adore the nonfiction we have.But (a) that would make this an even bigger, deeper pit of quicksand and (b) I think most of my readers are writing fiction. I left poetry out, too, and I love poetry.

For MG, I'd add Pictures of Hollis Woods (or something MG by Patricia Reilly Giff) and Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn-Dixie.I'd move A Wrinkle in Time from YA to MG, too, I think.

I would add more poetry!Ogden Nash's Zoo for starters.

I am looking at the label for this topic, EA. You are so not going to hell. You are going to that special,eternal place for Angels of Children's Literature (ACL) and its author/illustrators. Somewhere between a toddler teddy bear and a high school diploma.A happy and prosperous New Year to You, EA!

may '09 be more kind than was '08 :D

The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord. It is stunningly beautifully written.

For picture books, I'd add Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and one of the classic Little Golden Books, like The Poky Little Puppy or The Saggy Baggy Elephant, as well as one by Dr. Seuss that is not a leveled reader--maybe Horton Hears a Who.

I am thrilled to introduce you to the best children's book ever written: The Mouse and His Child, by Russel Hoban:http://www.ocelotfactory.com/hoban/mouse.html

Hey--A NORTHERN LIGHT. I dig you.I think THE LIGHTNING THIEF might be added.And Donna Jo Naploi's YA retellings are essential to *me*...

I would add something by Chris Crutcher (WHALE TALK blew me away) on the YA list, and at least one of Uncle Shelby's - perhaps his ABZs or WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS - for MG or early readers. My kids loved Silverstein from the time they were very little.

MG: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (which should be mandatory reading for anyone who saw the atrocious movie version). And did we somehow skip over Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan?

MG: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (which should be mandatory reading for anyone who saw the atrocious movie version). And did we somehow miss Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan?

Lovely list. I will suggest two by Margery Sharp: The Rescuers for MG (different plot and much better than the movie) and Cluny Brown for MG/YA.

The Rescuers. Aaaaaah. I loved that book (and the artist...the Garth version.)Not the Disney one.

Harry the Dirty Dog. Wish more writers were so economical with their words.

Didn't see The Chocolate War or Blueberries for Sal (which I like better than Ducklings...) or Ida B.Quicksand or not, there isn't anyone who visits this site that isn't printing the lists out and cross-referencing them with their own libraries. Yup, another wild Friday night for me!

Ooh, what a wonderful list and comments thread. Thank you! Off the top of my head, how about Harriet the Spy, something by Judy Blume (her books for teen girls might be a bit dated now, but what about Tales of a Fourth-Grade Nothing, for younger readers?), and maybe A Separate Peace (even if Lisa does bag it in an episode of the Simpsons!) by John Knowles. And Little Women -- for me, it, like The

Hey, EA, you forgot Secret Garden!

*snort*

Rejection has been hell on me. But my humility is alive and flourishing and big enough to fill Texas.

I wish I'd seen that recipe before we had all those little cousins staying with us last week! They'd have loved it.

I'd prefer to buy the ice cream sandwiches... then just eat them. ;)

We are enjoying the cooler weather also!

My family would love this! YUM YUM YUM!!!! Thanks so much for the recipe! Here's to cooler weather! :)

The weather HERE this weekend even reminded me of northern lower Michigan/Lake Michigan weather! Sounds like you and your family enjoyed the coolness in a delightful way.

Ok that looks and sounds so yummy. Perfect for the long hot days indeed. I'd have to try a lil slice of both sides to know which was the yummiest!!! :)

My kids would totally love this! And they each could have a section with their preferred topping! What a great summer treat for hot weather - thanks for sharing!