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Comforting Classics
Share a story from your childhood with this collection of recommended books for children ages 0-9. From one generation to the next, tales such as The Mouse and the Motorcycle and The Story of Ferdinand are as familiar and cozy as warm old slippers! Enjoy them with your own children and grandchildren.

This section contains 10 articles.

Charlotte's Web

By: E.B. White

Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader

An affectionate, sometimes bashful pig named Wilbur befriends a spider named Charlotte, who lives in the rafters above his pen. In this story of friendship, hardship, and the passing of time, E.B. White reminds us to open our eyes to the wonder and miracle found in the simplest of things.

Goodnight Moon

By: Margaret Wise Brown

Age Level: 0-3
Reading Level: Pre-Reader

In the "great green room," a young rabbit bids good night to all of the familiar objects, from the picture on the wall to the moon that peeps in the window — as the old lady comfortingly watches, as she has for generations.

Harold and the Purple Crayon

By: Crockett Johnson

Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the classic story of Harold, who turns an ordinary walk into an extraordinary adventure! With his purple crayon and vivid imagination, he draws his way into and out of trouble. Simple line drawings — including lines from Harold’s crayon — complement the simple text, for a story that celebrates creativity and problem solving using a tool with which every child is familiar!

The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh

By: A.A. Milne

Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader

These stories capture the spirit of childhood through the beloved characters in the Hundred Acre Wood. Messages about worries, fears, friendship, and discovery are embedded in delightful, episodic chapters. Winnie the Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928) are presented in one volume with Shepard’s delicate black and white sketches carefully colored. Ideal for reading aloud, these tales continue to enchant children of all ages.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle

By: Beverly Cleary
Illustrated by: Tracy Dockray

Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

While on a family vacation in California, the Gridleys stay in an old hotel where a mouse named Ralph finds a toy motorcycle and meets Keith, the youngest Gridley. Thus begins a friendship and a memorable adventure of a mouse on a motorcycle. Ralph's adventures continue in Ralph S. Mouse (1982).

The Polar Express

By: Chris Van Allsburg

Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa Claus. This holiday classic earned a Caldecott Medal.

The Story of Ferdinand

By: Munro Leaf

Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Ferdinand is not an ordinary bull. Instead of kicking and fighting and butting heads like the other young bulls, he prefers to sit and smell the flowers. When Ferdinand unwittingly sits on a bee while men are searching for the fiercest bull for the bullfights in Madrid, his dramatic reaction gets him chosen! Black and white illustrations and understated text create humor and a message of nonviolence.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

By: Beatrix Potter

Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Peter’s disobedience almost gets him cooked while his siblings, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail enjoy a tasty supper in this timeless and satisfying tale. Potter’s carefully detailed and highly realistic illustrations amplify the fantasy and dramatize Peter’s possible consequences.

The Three Little Pigs

By: James Marshall

Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader

From huffing and puffing to "chinny-chin-chin" hair, this retelling of the familiar folktale keeps all the standard lines while textual asides and cartoon illustrations create a fresh and comic angle.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

By: Eric Carle

Age Level: 0-3
Reading Level: Pre-Reader

This modern classic introduces children to the life cycle of a butterfly through luminous illustrations, pages with die-cuts that grow with the caterpillar, and predictable language. The butterfly that emerges from the cocoon, though no longer small or ravenous, continues to thrill readers of many ages.