A Book Fairy List

First Read-Aloud Classics (The Ones Worth the Hype)

Some books get called “classics” so often we forget to actually read them. These earned it. They're the first stories I'd want every kid to hear out loud — the ones that teach courage, and goodbye, and how to love something soft and worn. Start here, and start young.

These are the books featured in this post — tap any cover to find it on Amazon.

Cover of Charlotte's Web

Charlotte's Web

by E.B. White

The one that teaches them about goodbye, gently

Cover of The Tale of Peter Rabbit

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

by Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter, where it all began

Cover of The Phantom Tollbooth

The Phantom Tollbooth

by Norton Juster

Wordplay heaven — a kid who learns that boredom was the real villain

Cover of Pippi Longstocking

Pippi Longstocking

by Astrid Lindgren

The strongest, silliest girl in storybook history

Cover of The Little Prince

The Little Prince

by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

A children's book with enough heart to floor the adults reading it too

Cover of The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz

by L. Frank Baum

Over a hundred years old and still completely magical

Cover of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

by Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl's wildest imagination, in the best way

Cover of My Father's Dragon

My Father's Dragon

by Ruth Stiles Gannett

A perfect first chapter book to read aloud — sweet, adventurous, short chapters

Cover of Tuck Everlasting

Tuck Everlasting

by Natalie Babbitt

Living forever sounds wonderful, until it doesn't

Cover of The Cricket in Times Square

The Cricket in Times Square

by George Selden

A cricket, a cat, and a mouse hold down a newsstand in the subway

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