As a homeschooling mom of five—and someone who has spent the better part of a decade raising readers—I’ve learned one thing to be undeniably true: a home filled with books becomes a home filled with curiosity, confidence, and kids who love to learn. Between read-aloud marathons, library hauls the size of laundry baskets, and countless nights of “just one more chapter,” our family has put hundreds (and hundreds!) of children’s books to the test. This guide is the result: a giant, thoughtfully curated list of our absolute favorites across every age and stage—from board books for babies all the way to chapter books for confident elementary readers. My kids helped choose many of them themselves, which makes this list not just parent-approved… but kid-endorsed. And before we get into the books, I have to share the foundation of reading in our home: our Domino & Juliette Road to Reading Kit. As a mom and as a founder, I built this kit to give families a clear, joyful pathway into early literacy. It teaches the fundamentals step by step—phonics, blending, rhyming, syllables, and decoding—using the same hands-on methods I’ve used with all five of my kids. It’s the toolkit I wish I had when I was teaching my oldest to read, and I’m endlessly grateful to now share it with families everywhere. Whether you’re building a home library from scratch or adding fresh titles to an already-loved bookshelf, I hope you’ll use this guide to spark new reading adventures. Print it out, highlight your must-reads, hand it to grandparents for gift ideas… or use it to create a library request list if you’re not looking to buy. However you use it, make sure there are plenty of books under the tree—or in your library tote—this year. Here’s to raising readers—one cozy story, one laugh-out-loud picture book, and one magical chapter at a time.

Family Read-Alouds Cozy, crowd-pleasing stories that keep kids of all ages listening

• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
• 100 Dresses
• Because of Wynn Dixie
• Tuck Everlasting
• Wild Robot
• My Side of the Mountain
• Island of the Blue Dolphins
• Charlotte's Web
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• The Tale of Despereaux
• The Mouse and the Motorcycle
• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
• The BFG
• Anne of Green Gables
• Summer of the Monkeys
• The Trumpet of the Swan
• Weird Little Robots

Best Books for Toddlers Sweet, sturdy stories that spark language and early learning

• Hop on Pop
• Barnyard Dance
• The Rooster Strut
• Red Hat Blue Hat
• The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse
• ABSEE
• The Little Blue Truck
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
• Caps for Sale
• From Head to Toe
• Pete’s a Pizza
• Hippos Go Berserk
• Fire Fighter Frank
• Moo, Baa, La La La
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
• Goodnight Moon
• Dear Zoo
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar
• Peek-a-Who?
• Plant a Kiss
• Llama Llama Red Pajama
• Giraffes Can’t Dance
• Big Red Barn

Must-Have Picture Books Beautiful stories for bedtime, snuggles, and growing imaginations

• Finding Winnie
• Madeline
• Knight Owl
• The Cat in the Hat
• Rosie Revere, Engineer
• Dragons Love Tacos
• The Day the Crayons Quit
• Too Many Carrots
• The Snail and the Whale
• A Squash and a Squeeze
• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
• The Little Engine That Could
• The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors
• Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site
• Ricky the Rock Who Couldn’t Roll
• All the Wonderful Things You'll Be
• Grumpy Monkey
• Dragons Love Tacos
• The Gruffalo
• Peter Rabbit
• Strictly No Elephants
• My Brother Otto
• Take Heart, My Child
• We’re All Wonders
• Coat of Many Colors
• A Loud Winter’s Nap
• In a Jar
• The HoneyBee
• Shark Lady
• Underwear
• Angelina Ballerina

Top Early Reader Books Perfect picks for kids just beginning to read on their own

• Elephant and Piggie
• Green Eggs and Ham
• Go, Dog, Go
• I lost My Tooth
• Its Shoe Time
• We Are Growing!
• Frog and Toad are Friends
• Mercy Watson
• Narwhal and Jelly
• Poppleton
• Owl Diaries
• Unicorn and Yeti
• Boris
• Dragon Masters
• Zack & Zoe Mysteries

Best Graphic Novels Funny, fast-paced stories that keep even reluctant readers hooked

• I Survived
• Disney
• Investigators
• The Baby-Sitters Little Sister
• Lunch Lady Series
• Bird & Squirrel
• Agents of S.U.I.T.
• Geronimo Stilton
• Mighty Jack
• Zita the Spacegirl
• Magic Tree House Graphic Novels

First Chapter Books Simple stories that build confidence and keep pages turning

• Dory Fantasmagory
• The Never Girls
• Mercy Watson
• Flat Stanley
• Critter Club
• Princess Black
• A to Z Mysteries
• Magic Tree House
• Junie B. Jones
• Ramona Quimby
• My Father’s Dragon
• The Critter Club
• Stink series
• Imagination Station
• The Littles – John Peterson
• Zoey and Sassafras – Asia Citro
• The Diary of an Accidental Witch
• Ivy + Bean
• The Magic School Bus Science Chapter Books
• Geronimo Stilton
• Heidi Heckelbeck
• Cam Jansen
• Andrew Lost
• Clementine
• Freckle Juice
• Frindle
• Rainbow Fairies
• Sydney and Sydney
• Good Dog

Top Chapter Books for Elementary Kids Engaging adventures for growing readers ready for big stories

• Ivy & Bean series
• My Weird School
• Amelia Bedila
• Wayside School
• Heidi Hecklebeck
• Upside-down Magic
• Judy Moody series
• Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
• Ramona
• The Dead Sea Squirrels
• The Imagination Station
• Cam Janson series
• The Invention of Hugo Cabret
• The Boxcar Children
• The Twenty-One Balloons
• The Incredible Journey
• The Tale of Emily Windsnap
• The Swiss Family Robinson
• James and the Giant Peach
• Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew
• The Secret Explorers
• The Lemonade Wars
• Sarah, Plain and Tall
• Pippi Longstocking
• Peter Pan
• The Wizard of Oz
• Flora & Ulysses
• The Penderwicks
• Matilda
• Stuart Little
• The Incredible Journey
• The One and Only Ivan
• The Vanderbeekers
• Wings of Fire
• I Survived series
• The Unwanteds
• Peter Pan
• Pippi Longstocking
• The Who Was/What Was Series

Best Books for Middle Schoolers Smart,relatable reads that speak to tweens and young teens

• Harry Potter series
• Keeper of the Lost Cities series
• Jurassic Park
• The Chronicles of Narnia
• The 68 Rooms
• Impossible Creatures
• The Poisoned King
• The Hunger Games
• Long Lost
• The Girl Who Drank the Moon
• The 13 Witches Series
• The Graveyard Book
• The Phantom Tollbooth
• The Land of Stories series
• A Tale of Magic series
• The Little House on the Prairie Series
• The Horrible Science books
• The Horrible Geography books
• Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
• The Secret Garden
• Little Women
• Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret
• Eight Cousins
• Rose in Bloom
• Percy Jackson series
• Nancy Drew series (older versions)
• From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankwiler
• Hatchet
• A Wrinkle in Time
• Banner in the Sky
• When You Reach Me
• Lord of the Rings
• Lord of the Flies
• Where the Red Fern Grows
• Island of the Blue Dolphins
• Black Beauty
• The Westing Game
• The Last Kids on Earth
• Heidi
• White Fang
• Jacob I Have Loved
• The Never Ending Story
• Wind in the Willows
• The Great Gilly Hopkins
• The Hobbit
• Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
• Treasure Island
• Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
• The Invention of Huge Cabret
• Little Women

Educational & Reference Books High-interest, kid-friendly books that spark curiosity and teach real skills

• Guinness Book of World Records
• The Big Book of Blue/Beasts/Bugs
• The 100 Things to Know About Series- Usborne
• 24 Hours in Space - Usborne
• Money For Beginners - Usborne
• Understanding Politics and Government
• When on Earth
• Where on Earth Atlas
• 50 Adventures in the 50 States
• National Parks of the USA
• Explore America’s National Parks
• D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths
• The American Story
• The Little Kids First Big Book of Animals
• The Little Kids First Big Book of the Ocean
• 5000 Awesome Facts [About Everything]
• National Geographic Almanac