
The Book-Lover by James Baldwin was published in the late 1800s proposing to offer a guide to reading. This reading guide included “The Hundred Best Books for Children.”
His list of books for children include those from science, literature, geography, and active life.
I can but close this chapter of book-lists by complying with the wishes of many parents and educators who desire a more extended catalogue of works suitable for a young person’s library than I have yet given. The following list, although by no means including all that are really praiseworthy, embraces one hundred volumes that can be recommended without hesitation.
You’ll find that the list includes books from fairy tales to Ivanhoe, so there is something for children of a variety of ages.
We have not read every book on the list, but we are familiar with most of them. Like us, you’ll want to pick and choose those books that fit your family. Take the best and leave the rest!
You’ll find new additions here as they are posted.
The Hundred Best Books for Children ~ Introduction
The purpose of The Book-Lover was to offer a guide to reading — including The Hundred Best Books for Children.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Andersen
Up first on The Hundred Best Books for Children list found in The Book-lover by James Baldwin is Andersen’s fairy tales.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Carroll
Our next addition to The Hundred Best Books for Children list is Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Defoe
Third on The Hundred Best Books for Children list is Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Wyss
Number four on The Hundred Best Books for Children list is The Swiss Family Robinson by Wyss.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Hawthorne
Number five and six on The Hundred Best Books for Children list are classic retellings of the Greek myths by Hawthorne.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Kingsley
Numbers 7, 8, and 9 on Baldwin’s The Hundred Best Books for Children are classics by Charles Kingsley: The Heroes, The Water-Babies, and Madame How and Lady Why.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Lanier
Numbers 10 and 11 on Baldwin’s The Hundred Best Books for Children are adaptions of King Arthur and Percy’s ballads.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Scott
Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe is number 12 on The Hundred Best Books for Children list found in The Book-lover.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Abbott’s Histories
Abbott’s histories are numbers 13-42 on The Hundred Best Books for Children list found in The Book-lover.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Dickens
Dickens’s A Child’s History of England is #43 on The Hundred Best Books for Children list found in The Book-lover.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Yonge
Numbers 44-49 on The Hundred Best Books for Children list found in The Book-lover are Young Folks’ Histories by Yonge.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Edgeworth
Number 50 on The Hundred Best Books for Children list found in The Book-lover is The Parent’s Assistant by Edgeworth.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Aikin
Number 51 on The Hundred Best Books for Children list found in The Book-lover are stories from Evenings at Home by Aikin.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Scudder
The Bodley Books by Scudder are Numbers 52-60 on The Hundred Best Books for Children list found in The Book-lover.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Church
Stories from Homer by Church is number 61 The Hundred Best Books for Children list found in The Book-lover.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Dodge
The children’s classic Hans Brinker; or the Silver Skates is number 62 on The Hundred Best Books for Children list found in The Book-lover.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Andrews
The Seven Little Sisters Who Live on the Round Ball that Floats in the Air is number 63 on The Hundred Best Books for Children list found in The Book-lover.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Hunt Jackson
Bits of Talk for Young People by Helen Hunt Jackson is number 64 on The Hundred Best Books for Children list found in The Book-lover.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses, number 65 on The Hundred Best Books for Children list found in The Book-lover.
100 Best Books for Children ~ Lamb
Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare is number 66 on The Hundred Best Books for Children list found in The Book-lover.