100 must-read classic children’s books

Here’s a list of 100 must-read classic children’s book series for Voyx Media, capturing a wide array of writing styles—from fairy tales and short stories to long-form fiction—in multiple languages. This list includes timeless titles that span cultures and offer young readers adventure, wonder, and insight. Each series has earned its place in children’s literary history, appealing to both children and parents.

Must-Read Classic Children’s Book Series

Fairy Tales and Fables

1. Grimm’s Fairy Tales (Germany) – Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
2. Andersen’s Fairy Tales (Denmark) – Hans Christian Andersen
3. The Arabian Nights (Middle Eastern origins)
4. Aesop’s Fables (Ancient Greece) – Aesop
5. Indian Folktales (India) – Various Authors
6. Chinese Fairy Tales and Fantasies (China) – Various Authors
7. Japanese Fairy Tales (Japan) – Yei Theodora Ozaki
8. Russian Fairy Tales (Russia) – Alexander Afanasyev
9. Celtic Fairy Tales (Ireland and Scotland) – Joseph Jacobs
10. Korean Folk Tales (Korea) – Various Authors

Early Chapter Book Series

11. The Little Prince (France) – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
12. Peter Rabbit Series (UK) – Beatrix Potter
13. Paddington Bear (UK) – Michael Bond
14. Babar the Elephant (France) – Jean de Brunhoff
15. Madeline (France) – Ludwig Bemelmans
16. Winnie-the-Pooh (UK) – A.A. Milne
17. The Moomins (Finland) – Tove Jansson
18. Pippi Longstocking (Sweden) – Astrid Lindgren
19. Ramona Series (USA) – Beverly Cleary
20. Frog and Toad (USA) – Arnold Lobel

Fantasy and Adventure

21. The Chronicles of Narnia (UK) – C.S. Lewis
22. Harry Potter Series (UK) – J.K. Rowling
23. His Dark Materials (UK) – Philip Pullman
24. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (UK) – J.R.R. Tolkien
25. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (UK) – Lewis Carroll
26. The Dark is Rising (UK) – Susan Cooper
27. Percy Jackson and the Olympians (USA) – Rick Riordan
28. A Wrinkle in Time Series (USA) – Madeleine L’Engle
29. The Neverending Story (Germany) – Michael Ende
30. The Wizard of Oz Series (USA) – L. Frank Baum

Mystery and Detective Stories

31. Nancy Drew (USA) – Carolyn Keene
32. The Hardy Boys (USA) – Franklin W. Dixon
33. Encyclopedia Brown (USA) – Donald J. Sobol
34. The Famous Five (UK) – Enid Blyton
35. The Secret Seven (UK) – Enid Blyton
36. The Boxcar Children (USA) – Gertrude Chandler Warner
37. Tintin Series (Belgium) – Hergé
38. Sally Lockhart Series (UK) – Philip Pullman
39. Cam Jansen (USA) – David A. Adler
40. Detective Conan (Case Closed) (Japan) – Gosho Aoyama

Historical Fiction and Cultural Exploration

41. Little House on the Prairie (USA) – Laura Ingalls Wilder
42. Anne of Green Gables (Canada) – L.M. Montgomery
43. My Father’s Dragon (USA) – Ruth Stiles Gannett
44. Heidi (Switzerland) – Johanna Spyri
45. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (USA) – Mark Twain
46. The Bronze Bow (USA) – Elizabeth George Speare
47. Journey to the West (China) – Wu Cheng’en
48. Arabian Adventure Series (Middle East) – Various Authors
49. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (Japan) – Eleanor Coerr
50. Esperanza Rising (USA/Mexico) – Pam Muñoz Ryan

Short Stories and Anthologies

51. Just So Stories (UK) – Rudyard Kipling
52. The Jungle Book (UK/India) – Rudyard Kipling
53. Tales from Shakespeare (UK) – Charles and Mary Lamb
54. Granny’s Wonderful Chair (UK) – Frances Browne
55. Uncle Remus Stories (USA) – Joel Chandler Harris
56. The Adventures of Pinocchio (Italy) – Carlo Collodi
57. A Child’s Garden of Verses (UK) – Robert Louis Stevenson
58. The Water-Babies (UK) – Charles Kingsley
59. The Wind in the Willows (UK) – Kenneth Grahame
60. Tales of Hans Christian Andersen (Denmark) – Hans Christian Andersen

Animal Tales and Adventures

61. Charlotte’s Web (USA) – E.B. White
62. The Black Stallion (USA) – Walter Farley
63. The Incredible Journey (Canada) – Sheila Burnford
64. The Call of the Wild (USA) – Jack London
65. White Fang (USA) – Jack London
66. Redwall Series (UK) – Brian Jacques
67. Watership Down (UK) – Richard Adams
68. The Tale of Despereaux (USA) – Kate DiCamillo
69. Animal Stories (Global) – Various Authors
70. The Rescuers (UK) – Margery Sharp

Science Fiction and Futuristic Adventures

71. The Giver (USA) – Lois Lowry
72. Ender’s Game (USA) – Orson Scott Card
73. Artemis Fowl Series (Ireland) – Eoin Colfer
74. City of Ember Series (USA) – Jeanne DuPrau
75. The Hunger Games (USA) – Suzanne Collins
76. Earthsea Series (USA) – Ursula K. Le Guin
77. The Maze Runner Series (USA) – James Dashner
78. Animorphs (USA) – K.A. Applegate
79. The Wild Robot (USA) – Peter Brown
80. The Tripods Series (UK) – John Christopher

Inspirational Stories and Life Lessons

81. Goodnight Moon (USA) – Margaret Wise Brown
82. Guess How Much I Love You (UK) – Sam McBratney
83. The Velveteen Rabbit (UK) – Margery Williams
84. Harold and the Purple Crayon (USA) – Crockett Johnson
85. Curious George Series (USA) – H.A. Rey and Margret Rey
86. The Little Engine That Could (USA) – Watty Piper
87. The Giving Tree (USA) – Shel Silverstein
88. Stellaluna (USA) – Janell Cannon
89. The Story of Ferdinand (USA) – Munro Leaf
90. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (USA) – Judith Viorst

Poetry and Rhymes

91. Where the Sidewalk Ends (USA) – Shel Silverstein
92. A Light in the Attic (USA) – Shel Silverstein
93. Now We Are Six (UK) – A.A. Milne
94. The Cat in the Hat (USA) – Dr. Seuss
95. Oh, the Places You’ll Go! (USA) – Dr. Seuss
96. Poems for Children (Global) – Various Authors
97. Mother Goose Rhymes (UK) – Traditional
98. The Berenstain Bears Series (USA) – Stan and Jan Berenstain
99. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (USA) – L. Frank Baum
100. The Little House Series (USA) – Laura Ingalls Wilder