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Top Twenty Favorite Childrens Books- Current & Classics

Metro Detroit Mommy Blogger

 BeachBody Coach 

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I am an avid reader and love reading to my boys, who are 9 and 5.  These are some of our favorite books we like to read.  A perfect list for Christmas or birthday gifts:

1. The Tickle Monster by Josie Bissett– This is one of the most fun books to read, although maybe better read during the day, as it tends to get the kids riled up with all of the tickling!

2.  Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman & Ben Cort– With the always comical topic of underpants and silly aliens, this book is guaranteed to get a few laughs from parents and kids alike.

3. Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner– If your kids like cats, they will love Skippyjon Jones and his fun adventures.  It’s even a fun challenge of a tongue-twister of a book for parents.

4.  Press Here by Herve Tullet– This book has a fun interactive concept of pressing, rubbing and shaking the dots in the book, which then propels the book along with the results of each.

5.  Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo WillemsI don’t know a single child who is ever ready for bedtime, this is a fun spoof!

6.  The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt- If you were to get inside of your crayons head, this is what they would tell you from either over-use, under-use, upset with peeling off their wrapper or staying within the lines.  Hilarious from start to finish.

7.  Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses by Kimberly & James Dean– To be honest, I love every Pete book, because of the positive message they share about just that- being positive!  But this is maybe my favorite just because I like the idea of teaching kids how to look at situations in a unique way.

8.  Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae Another positive message here teaching that anyone can do whatever they put their mind to!

9.  Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin– You might be able to sense, my children and I love reading FUN books.  Especially books that make us giggle, and this is another one, bonus if your child loves taco’s too.

10.  Bedhead by Margie PalatiniFun for school-aged kids and anyone who has had a bad hair day! 

This is a top ten list of books that were my personal favorites growing up, and are also favorites of my kids:

1. Miss Nelson is Missing by James Marshall– A story of an under-appreciated and poorly treated teacher who takes revenge on her misbehaving class.

2.  The House on East 88th Street (Lyle Crocodile) by Bernard Waber– These books have always held a special place in my memory, not sure why, but my kids also enjoy.  I think perhaps it’s just the silly idea of having a crocodile as a pet.

3.  Frog & Toad by Arnold LobelI enjoy every Frog & Toad book, they sell compilations now.  The stories are all short which keep the kids attention, even better, they are fun and usually have a moral.

4.  Corduroy by Don FreemanA book that engages any child who has a special “stuffed animal”.

5.  George & Martha by James MarshallAnother set of books that are short stories that hold kids attention.  I found them entertaining as a child and they still are today.

6.  Mr. Tickle by Roger HargreavesI suspect my children aren’t the only ones who like to be tickled!  They get a kick even out of the people in the story getting tickled, unsuspectingly.

7.  Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak– For anyone with a wild imagination.

8.  Sylvester & the Magic Pebble by William SteigA story about a donkey who finds a magic pebble and accidentally wishes himself in a rock.

9.  Caps for Sale by Esphyr SlobodkinaPublished in 1940, this story about a man selling caps and the monkeys who vex him is still a good laugh.

10.  Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene MoselA Chinese folktale that is a fun tongue-twister but has a moral.  

Theresa W
Author: Theresa W

Theresa is a wife and stay at home mother of 2 boys, David (13) and Aiden (10). Her hobbies include traveling, reading, running, cooking and volunteering at MI Humane Society with the adoptable cats. She also spends her free time serving as PTO President at her son's elementary school. She enjoys being active and is proud to have completed 4 marathons. She loves to share her passion for health and fitness with others.