I have finally decided to continue on with this series that I started. Read part one here. Books have always been a major part of my life. There are still stories that I love from my childhood just as much now if not more. I grew up on a lot of books so for the sake of not making these posts super long... I decided to create them in different parts/posts.



Let's get started with part two:

1. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
  • This book to this day has a profound effect on me. It shows the importance of the unlived life. I remember reading it for the first time in the third grade and crying my eyes out. It's wonderful plain and simple. Please, read the book before watching the equally as amazing movie.
Doomed to - or blessed with - eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less a blessing that it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune.



 2. Holes by Louis Sachar
  • This has always been one of my favorites. Read the book before watching the movie. This book showed me the importance of never giving up when I was little. It is still one of my favorite stories!

Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption. Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten- pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the warden makes the boys "build character" by spending all day, every day, digging holes: five feet wide and five feet deep. It doesn't take long for Stanley to realize there's more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.

3. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
  • This book dramatically impacted me the first time that I read it in middle school. It will always be one of my favorites.  

The Outsiders is about two weeks in the life of a 14-year-old boy. The novel tells the story of Ponyboy Curtis and his struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he believes that he is an outsider. According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser.

4. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
  • I was obsessed with this series growing up. The four girls in this book are so relatable! Every young girl needs to read this series.

Carmen got the jeans at a thrift shop. They didn’t look all that great: they were worn, dirty, and speckled with bleach. On the night before she and her friends part for the summer, Carmen decides to toss them. But Tibby says they’re great. She'd love to have them. Lena and Bridget also think they’re fabulous. Lena decides that they should all try them on. Whoever they fit best will get them. Nobody knows why, but the pants fit everyone perfectly. Even Carmen (who never thinks she looks good in anything) thinks she looks good in the pants. Over a few bags of cheese puffs, they decide to form a sisterhood and take the vow of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants . . . the next morning, they say good-bye.  And then the journey of the pants — and the most memorable summer of their lives — begins.

5. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
  • Another classic tale that you can't help but love. This story makes me smile.

One of the most delightful and enduring classics of children's literature, The Secret Garden by Victorian author Frances Hodgson Burnett has remained a firm favorite with children the world over ever since it made its first appearance. Initially published as a serial story in 1910 in The American Magazine, it was brought out in novel form in 1911. The plot centers round Mary Lennox, a young English girl who returns to England from India, having suffered the immense trauma by losing both her parents in a cholera epidemic. However, her memories of her parents are not pleasant, as they were a selfish, neglectful and pleasure-seeking couple. Mary is given to the care of her uncle Archibald Craven, whom she has never met. She travels to his home, Misselthwaite Manor located in the gloomy Yorkshire, a vast change from the sunny and warm climate she was used to. When she arrives, she is a rude, stubborn and given to stormy temper tantrums. However, her nature undergoes a gradual transformation when she learns of the tragedies that have befallen her strict and disciplinarian uncle whom she earlier feared and despised. Once when he's away from home, Mary discovers a charming walled garden which is always kept locked. The mystery deepens when she hears sounds of sobbing from somewhere within her uncle's vast mansion. The kindly servants ignore her queries or pretend they haven't heard, spiking Mary's curiosity. The Secret Garden appeals to both young and old alike. It has wonderful elements of mystery, spirituality, charming characters and an authentic rendering of childhood emotions and experiences. Commonsense, truth and kindness, compassion and a belief in the essential goodness of human beings lie at the heart of this unforgettable story. 

6. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

  • This is a magical story. It will make your heart warm and fuzzy on the inside.

The Velveteen Rabbit is a British children's book written by Margery Williams and illustrated by William Nicholson. It chronicles the story of a stuffed rabbit's desire to become real through the love of his owner. The book was first published in 1922 and has been republished many times since. 






7. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
  • One of the first books to ever make me cry.
Jess Aarons' greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in his grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new girl boldly crosses over to the boys' side and outruns everyone. That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. Together they create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits.


8. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
  • I am a sucker for all animals and this book was one of my favorite stories growing up. I am obsessed with pigs.

This beloved book by E. B. White, author of Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan, is a classic of children's literature that is "just about perfect." This high-quality paperback features vibrant illustrations colorized by Rosemary Wells! Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte's Web, high up in Zuckerman's barn. Charlotte's spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur's life when he was born the runt of his litter. E. B. White's Newbery Honor Book is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come.


9. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
  • Another classic by Burnett that is an all-time favorite of mine. All girls are princesses after all!

Sara Crewe, an exceptionally intelligent and imaginative student at Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies, is devastated when her adored, indulgent father dies. Now penniless and banished to a room in the attic, Sara is demeaned, abused, and forced to work as a servant. How this resourceful girl's fortunes change again is at the center of A Little Princess, one of the best-loved stories in all of children's literature. 



10. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
  • This is a great story to read before bed to any child. I still love it as an adult.

In a great green room, tucked away in bed, is a little bunny. "Goodnight room, goodnight moon." And to all the familiar things in the softly lit room -- to the picture of the three little bears sitting on chairs, to the clocks and his socks, to the mittens and the kittens, to everything one by one -- the little bunny says goodnight. In this classic of children's literature, beloved by generations of readers and listeners, the quiet poetry of the words and the gentle, lulling illustrations combine to make a perfect book for the end of the day.

11. Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
  • Growing up, I used to have my dad read this book to me almost every single night before bed that he started calling me Amelia Bedelia. It is still my nickname to this day!
From dressing the chicken to dusting the furniture, Amelia Bedelia does exactly what Mr. and Mrs. Rogers tell her. ...But somehow things never turn out quite right.












12. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
  • I love this book so much. It makes me smile. I love how sassy Madeline is. She is still one of my favorite literary characters.

Madeline is one of the best-loved characters in children's literature. Set in picturesque Paris, this tale of a brave little girl's trip to the hospital was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1940 and has as much appeal today as it did then. The combination of a spirited heroine, timelessly appealing art, cheerful humor, and rhythmic text makes Madeline a perennial favorite with children of all ages. 




13. A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
  • One of the cutest stories that you will ever read. It is truly unique. 

"What we have here is a bad case of stripes. One of the worst I've ever seen!" Camilla Cream loves lima beans, but she never eats them. Why? Because the other kids in her school don't like them. And Camilla Cream is very, very worried about what other people think of her. In fact, she's so worried that she's about to break out in...a bad case of stripes!





14. Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
  • It's funny but also so touching. The ending gets me every single time. 

ARE YOU MY MOTHER? tells a very simple story for children who have just started to read. Their younger brothers or sisters will also want to follow the baby bird's quest as he asks everyone and everything he meets, "Are You My Mother?".








15. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
  • Relatable even to this day. 

The perennially popular tale of Alexander's worst day is a storybook that belongs on every child's bookshelf. Alexander knew it was going to be a terrible day when he woke up with gum in this hair. And it got worse... His best friend deserted him. There was no dessert in his lunch bag. And, on top of all that, there were lima beans for dinner and kissing on TV!


There is part two of this series. Stay tuned for part three, the last part of this series. Which of these is your favorite on the list? I don't care how old I get these books will always be some of my favorites. Whenever I have children, these are the stories that I will share with them at bedtime.

xoxo,