I polled oodles of moms across the country to come up with this list.  If you have favorite titles that aren’t here but absolutely must be, please comment on this post or email me at susie@seriousmomsense.com 
and I’ll get them added.  Remember, only ABSOLUTE FAVORITES!  My goal here is quality, not quantity!

Author Title Comments
BABIES / TODDLERS
Cambell, Rod Dear Zoo:  A lift the flap book  
Boynton,
Sandra		 Moo, Baa, La La
La		  
Boynton,
Sandra		 But Not the
Hippoptamus		  
Wood, Audrey The Napping
House *		  
Wood, Audrey Silly Sally  
Carl, Eric The Very Hungry
Caterpillar *		 anything by Eric
Carle
Donaldson,
Julia		 Night Monkey Day
Monkey		  
Love, Marianne
Cusimano		 You Are My I
Love You		 humor with heart
Brown,
Margaret Wise		 Goodnight Moon  
     
YOUNGER KIDS
Konnecke, Ole Anton Can Do
Magic		  
Gag, Wanda Millions of Cats  
McGee, David Elmer  
Thomas, Jan The Doghouse New favorite
Willems, Mo Pig and Elephant
Books *		 awesome for
acting out while laughing out loud
Henkes, Kevin Kitten’s First
Full Moon		 All Kevin Henkes
books are great
Wilson, Karma Bear Snores On several books in
this series
Wood, Don Little Mouse  
Wood, Don The Big Red Ripe
Strawberry *		  
Wood, Don The Big Hungry
Bear *		  
Ahlberg, Janet The Jolly Pocket
Postman		 interactive book
Feiffer, Jules Bark, Geroge!  
Cronin, Doreen Click, Clack,
Moo Cows that Type		  
Cronin, Doreen Diary of a Worm
(or Fly)		  
Wilcox, Leah Falling for
Rapunzel		  
Barnett, Max Guess Again will have your
kids laughing
Fox, Mem The Magic Hat anything by Mem
Fox!
Gannett, Ruth
Stiles		 My Father’s
Dragon		  
van Allsburg,
Chris		 Mysteries of
Harriss Burdick		 wordless picture
book, the pictures are amazing and the kids have to create their own stories
to go with the pictures
Osborne, Mary
Pope		 Magic Treehouse
Series *		  
Polacca,
Patricia		 Pink and Say her other books
for older kids are also great
Park, Barbara Junie B. Jones
series *		 hilarious, can
start girls reading chapter books, mixed mommy reviews on Junie’s bratty
attitude & sometimes poor grammar
Rey, H.A. and
Margaret		 A Treasury of
Curious George		  
Long,
Melinda 		 How I Became a
Pirate		 delightful
illustrations by David Shannon
Dahl, Roald Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory		 favorite
read-aloud; anything by Roald Dahl
O’Brian,
Robert C.		 Mrs. Frisby and
the Rats of Nimh		  
Burnett,
Francis Hodgson		 A Little
Princess		  
Cleary,
Beverly		 Ramona Books other Beverly
Cleary books
Burton,
Virginia Lee		 Mike Mulligan
and His Steam Shovel		 anything by
Virginia Lee Burton
Scarry,
Richard		 Cars and Trucks
and Things that Go		 any orinigal
Richard Scarry is fantastic; his son took over for him and the newer books
aren’t quite the same
Lobel, Arnold Frog and Toad
Books		  
Macdonald,
Betty		 Mrs.
Piggle-Wiggle Series		 classic read
aloud
Juster, Norton The Phantom
Tolbooth		 classic read
aloud
Banks, Lynn
Reid		 Indian in the
Cupboard		  
Warner,
Gertrude Chandler		 Boxcar Children
Series*		  
White, E.B. Charlotte’s Web anything by E.B.
White
McKissack,
Annie		 Never Forgotten Caldecott
committee missed this one
Shea, Susan Do You Know
Which Ones Will Grow?		 delightful
     
OLDER KIDS
Spinelli, Gary Maniac McGee  
Sachar, Louis Holes  
Gaiman, Neil The Graveyard
Book		  
Mull, Brandon Fablehaven
Series		  
Lewis. C. S. The Chronicles
of Narnia		  
Fitzgerald,
John D.		 The Great Brain  
Peck, Richard A Long Way from
Chicago		  
McKinley,
Robin		 Beauty *  
Levine, Gail
Carson		 Ella Enchanted  
Hale, Shannon The Princess
Academy		  
Hale, Shannon The Goose Girl *  
Clements,
Andrew		 Frindle* any other
Clements book
Riordan, Rick Percy Jackson
Series *		 can be the
catalyst for kids to graduate to longer chapter books
Haddix,
Margaret Peterson		 Shadow Children
Series		 similar to
hunger games but less violent, thought-provoking and exciting
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter
Series *		 last two books
in the series are more violent and disturbing as the characters get older
Carter, Ally Gallagher Girls
Series		 delight for
early teens (girls)
Whitesides,
Tyler		 The Janitors looking forward
to second book coming out this fall
Lin, Grace Where the
Mountain Meets the Moon *		 one of the best
examples of storytelling anywhere, fantastic read-aloud
Montgomery,
L.M.		 Anne of Green
Gables Series		  
     
Rawls, Wilson Where the Red
Fern Grows		  
Rawls, Wilson Summer of the
Monkeys		  
Sweet, Melissa Balloons Over
Broadway: The True Story of the Pupeteer of Macy’s Parade		 Outstanding NF
ook of 2011
     
TEENS
Lane, Andrew Death Cloud Sherlock Holmes
as a teenager; sequel is ‘Rebel Fire’
Selznick,
Brian		 Wonderstruck  
Gantos, Jack Dead End in
Norvelt		 one of best new
books of 2011, Newbery Author, great for boys
Carter, Ally Gallagher Girls
Series		 delight for
early teens (girls)
Clements,
Andrew		 Frindle  
Fitzgerald,
John D.		 The Great Brain  
Gaiman, Neil The Graveyard
Book		  
Haddix,
Margaret Peterson		 Shadow Children
Series		 similar to
hunger games but less not violent, thought-provoking and exciting
Hale, Shannon The Princess
Academy		  
Hale, Shannon The Goose Girl *  
Levine, Gail
Carson		 Ella Enchanted  
Lewis. C. S. The Chronicles
of Narnia		  
Lin, Grace Where the
Mountain Meets the Moon *		 one of the best
examples of storytelling anywhere, fantastic read-aloud
McKinley,
Robin		 Beauty *  
Mull, Brandon Fablehaven
Series*		  
Peck, Richard A Long Way from
Chicago		  
Riordan, Rick Percy Jackson
Series *		 can be the
catalyst for kids to graduate to longer chapter books
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter
Series *		 last two books
in the series are more violent and disturbing as the characters get older
Sachar, Louis Holes all other Louis
Sachar Books
Spinelli, Gary Maniac McGee  
Taylor,
Theodore		 The Cay  
Whitesides,
Tyler		 The Janitors looking forward
to second book coming out this fall
Stiefvater,
Maggie		 Scorpio Races fav teen book of
2011
Bragg, Georgia How They
Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awful Famous		 Awfully
Interesting