This booklist was contributed by Appleton Public Library Children's Services Staff, 2/08
Mr. Popper's Penguins(1938)The unexpected delivery of a large crate containing an Antarctic penguin changes the life and fortunes of Mr. Popper, a house painter obsessed by dreams of the Polar regions.
The Search for Delicious(1969)The Prime Minister is compiling a dictionary and when no one at court can agree on the meaning of delicious, the King sends his twelve-year-old messenger to poll the country.
Peter Pan
The adventures of the three Darling children in Never-Never Land with Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up.
The Incredible Journey(1996)A Siamese cat, an old bull terrier, and a young Labrador retriever travel together 250 miles through the Canadian wilderness to find their family.
Mitch and Amy(1967)The adventures of a nine-year-old twin brother and sister who, despite constant bickering, support each other loyally at home and at school.
Emily's Runaway Imagination(1961)Emily decides that what the town of Pitchfork needs is a library, and comes up with a plan to make it happen.
Ellen Tebbits(1951)The part of third grade Ellen Tebbits likes most is having Austine Allen for her best friend.
Ribsy(1964)Separated from his owner, Henry Huggins, in a shopping center parking lot, an ordinary city dog begins a string of bewildering adventures.
Muggie Maggie(1990)Maggie resists learning cursive writing in the third grade, until she discovers that knowing how to read and write cursive promises to open up an entirely new world of knowledge for her.
Frindle(1996)When he decides to turn his fifth grade teacher's love of the dictionary around on her, clever Nick Allen invents a new word and begins a chain of events that quickly moves beyond his control.
The Tale of Despereaux(2003)The adventures of Desperaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.
Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates
A Dutch brother and sister work toward two goals--finding the doctor who can restore their father's memory and winning the competition for the silver skates.
The Hundred Dresses(1972)In winning a medal she is no longer there to receive, a tight-lipped little Polish girl teaches her classmates a lesson.
The Phantom Tollbooth
A journey through a land where Milo learns the importance of words and numbers provides a cure for his boredom.
The Ordinary Princess
At her christening, a princess is given the gift of "ordinariness" by a fairy, and the consequences of that eventually take her to a nearby palace where, as the fourteenth assistant kitchen maid, she meets just the prince for her.
Babe: the Gallant Pig(1983)A piglet destined for eventual butchering arrives at the farmyard, is adopted by an old sheep dog, and discovers a special secret to success.
Just So Stories
How the whale got his throat -- How the camel got his hump --How the rhinoceros got his skin -- How the leopard got his spots -- The elephant's child -- The sing-song of old man kangaroo -- The beginning of the armadilloes -- How the first letter was written -- How the alphabet was made -- The crab that played with the sea -- The cat that walked by himself -- The butterfly that stamped
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler(1967)Having run away with her younger brother to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, twelve-year-old Claudia strives to keep things in order in their new home and to become a changed person and a heroine to herself.
Rabbit Hill(1972)New folks are coming to live in the Big House. The animals of Rabbbit Hill wonder if they will plant a garden and thus be good providers.
Ella Enchanted(1997)In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her.
Lotta on Troublemaker Street(2002)Angry because everyone at home is so mean, five-year-old Lotta takes her favorite toy and goes to live in a neighbor's attic.
Emily of Deep Valley
Although she longs to go to college like the rest of her classmates, orphaned Emily Webster tries to reconcile herself to staying behind in Deep Valley and, except for the pleasure of keeping house for her beloved grandfather, facing what she is convinced will be a dreary and uninteresting year.
Winona's Pony Cart(1953)
Homer Price(1943)Six episodes in the life of Homer Price including one in which he and his pet skunk capture four bandits and another about a donut machine on the rampage.
The Pushcart War(1964)The outbreak of a war between truck drivers and pushcart peddlers brings the mounting problems of traffic to the attention of both the city of New York and the world.
Pollyanna(1994)When orphaned, eleven-year-old Pollyanna comes to live with austere and wealthy Aunt Polly, her philosophy of gladness brings happiness to her aunt and other unhappy members of the community.
The Westing Game(1978)The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance.
The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel)(1971)The disappearance of her husband is only the first of the mysteries Mrs. Carillon must solve.
The Cricket in Times Square(1960)The adventures of a country cricket who unintentionally arrives in New York and is befriended by Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat.
Miracles on Maple Hill(1957)After her father returns from the war moody and tired, Marly's family decides to move from the city to Maple Hill Farm in the Pennsylvania countryside where they share many adventures which help restore their spirits and their bond with each other.
Plain Girl(1983)Despite her father's objections, a young Amish girl secretly looks forward to attending public school where she makes a best friend and gains a new perspective on her family's way of life.
Charlotte's Web(1952)When he discovers that he is destined to be someone's dinner, Wilbur the pig is desolate until his spider friend Charlotte decides to help him.
Stuart Little(1945)The adventures of the debonair mouse, Stuart Little, as he sets out in the world to seek out his dearest friend, a little bird who stayed a few days in his family's garden.