Harold and the Purple Crayon
Crockett Johnson · 1955
Harold draws his own world with a purple crayon — a path, a moon, a boat — and draws his way back home to bed.
Books by topic
Fantasy & Imagination
From Max sailing to the land of the wild things to Meg Murry crossing the universe, fantasy gives children a safe place to try out fear, courage and choice. It also stretches vocabulary and the ability to hold a whole invented world in mind.
This shelf includes science fiction and fairy-tale-flavored stories as well as classic imaginative picture books.
- Picture Books
- Early Readers
- Chapter Books
- Middle Grade
- Graphic Novels
- Nonfiction & Biography
- Science & Nature
- History & Biography
- Fantasy & Imagination
- Diverse Books
- Feelings & Social-Emotional Learning
- Classroom Favorites
- Teen Reading
16 books
Sorted from youngest suggested age. Age ranges are editorial estimates.
Where the Wild Things Are
Maurice Sendak · 1963
Sent to bed without supper, Max sails away to the land of the wild things, becomes their king, and then returns home where his supper is still hot.
Dinosaurs Before Dark
Mary Pope Osborne; illustrated by Sal Murdocca · 1992
Siblings Jack and Annie discover a magic tree house full of books that transports them to the time of the dinosaurs.
My Father's Dragon
Ruth Stiles Gannett; illustrated by Ruth Chrisman Gannett · 1948
Elmer Elevator sneaks onto Wild Island to rescue a young dragon, outwitting animals with the supplies in his knapsack.
Charlotte's Web
E. B. White; illustrated by Garth Williams · 1952
Wilbur the pig is saved from slaughter by his friend Charlotte, a spider who writes words in her web.
Flora & Ulysses
Kate DiCamillo; illustrated by K. G. Campbell · 2013
Cynical Flora rescues a squirrel who gains superpowers — including the ability to write poetry — after an encounter with a vacuum cleaner.
The Phantom Tollbooth
Norton Juster; illustrated by Jules Feiffer · 1961
Bored Milo drives through a mysterious tollbooth into a land where words and numbers come alive.
The Wild Robot
Peter Brown · 2016
A robot washes ashore on a wild island and learns to survive by learning from — and caring for — the animals.
The Real Boy
Anne Ursu · 2013
Oscar, a shy apprentice to a magician, must find courage when a sickness strikes the children of a nearby city.
When You Reach Me
Rebecca Stead · 2009
Miranda, a sixth-grader on Manhattan's Upper West Side, receives mysterious notes that seem to predict the future.
A Wrinkle in Time
Madeleine L'Engle · 1962
Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin travel through space to rescue Meg's father from a dark force.
Echo
Pam Muñoz Ryan · 2015
A magical harmonica connects three children in Germany, Pennsylvania, and California before and during World War II.
The Ear, the Eye and the Arm
Nancy Farmer · 1994
In a futuristic Zimbabwe, three children escape their protected home and are pursued through the city by three mutant detectives.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Kelly Barnhill · 2016
A witch accidentally feeds moonlight to a baby, filling her with magic; years later, the girl's powers and a town's sorrow converge.
The Last Cuentista
Donna Barba Higuera · 2021
Petra, one of the last humans to leave Earth, wakes on a new planet to find that a collective has erased memories — except hers and her stories.
The Giver
Lois Lowry · 1993
In a seemingly perfect community without pain or choice, twelve-year-old Jonas is selected to receive the community's memories.
Related guides
Books for Ages 9 to 12: A Guide to Middle Grade Reading
What middle grade means, the wide range of maturity within it, graphic and verse novels as real reading, heavier themes, and why read-aloud still matters.