Best Reading Book

1. “Charlotte’s Web.
” The story of the spider who saves her friend, the pig, is the
kindest representation of an arthropod in literary history.
2. The Hardy Boys series. Yes, I hear the snickers. But I devoured them myself
and have known so many kids for whom these were the books that got them
excited about reading. The first in the series is weak, but “House on the Cliff” is a
good opener. (As for Nancy Drew, I yawned over her, but she seems to turn girls
into Supreme Court justices. Among her fans as kids were Sandra Day O’Connor,
Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor.)
Franklin W. Dixon
The Hardy Boys have been America's favorite detective duo for over 75 years. Now,
for the first time, you can purchase all sixty-six classic Hardy Boys titles in one
complete set!
#1: The Tower Treasure
#2: The House on the Cliff
#3: The Secret of the Old Mill
#4: The Missing Chums
#5: Hunting for Hidden Gold
#6: The Shore Road Mystery
#7: The Secret of the Caves
#8: The Mystery of Cabin Island
#9: The Great Airport Mystery
#10: What Happened at Midnight
#11: While the Clock Ticked

#12: Footprints Under the Window
#13: The Mark on the Door
#14: The Hidden Harbor Mystery
#15: The Sinister Signpost
#16: A Figure in Hiding
#17: The Secret Warning
#18: The Twisted Claw
#19: The Disappearing Floor
#20: Mystery of the Flying Express
#21: The Clue of the Broken Blade
#22: The Flickering Torch Mystery
#23: The Melted Coins
#24: The Short-Wave Mystery
#25: The Secret Panel
#26: The Phantom Freighter
#27: The Secret of Skull Mountain
#28: The Sign of the Crooked Arrow
#29: The Secret of the Lost Tunnel
#30: The Wailing Siren Mystery
#31: The Secret of Wildcat Swamp
#32: The Crisscross Shadow
#33: The Yellow Feather Mystery
#34: The Hooded Hawk Mystery
#35: The Clue in the Embers
#36: The Secret of Pirates' Hill

#37: The Ghost at Skeleton Rock
#38: Mystery at Devil's Paw
#39: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk
#40: Mystery of the Desert Giant
#41: The Clue of the Screeching Owl
#42: The Viking Symbol Mystery
#43: The Mystery of the Aztec Warrior
#44: The Haunted Fort
#45: The Mystery of the Spiral Bridge
#46: The Secret Agent on Flight 101
#47: Mystery of the Whale Tattoo
#48: The Arctic Patrol Mystery
#49: The Bombay Boomerang
#50: Danger on Vampire Trail
#51: The Masked Monkey
#52: The Shattered Helmet
#53: The Clue of the Hissing Serpent
#54: The Mysterious Caravan
#55: The Witchmaster's Key
#56: The Jungle Pyramid
#57: The Firebird Rocket
#58: The Sting of the Scorpion
#59: Night of the Werewolf
#60: Mystery of the Samurai Sword
#61: The Pentagon Spy

#62: The Apeman's Secret
#63: The Mummy Case
#64: Mystery of Smuggler's Cove
#65: The Stone Idol
#66: The Vanishing Thieves
3. “Wind in the Willows.” My mother read this 101-year-old English classic to me,
and I’m still in love with the characters. Most memorable of all is Toad — rich,
vain, childish and prone to wrecking cars.
4. The Freddy the Pig series. Published between 1927 and 1958, these 26 books
are funny, beautifully written gems. They concern a talking pig, Freddy, who is
lazy, messy and sometimes fearful, yet a loyal friend, a first-rate detective and an
impressive poet. These were my very favorite books when I was in elementary
school. A good one to start with is “Freddy the Detective” or “Freddy Plays
Football.” (Avoid the first and weakest, “Freddy Goes to Florida.”)
Walter R. Brooks
5. The Alex Rider series. These are modern British spy thrillers in which things
keep exploding in a very satisfying way. Alex amounts to a teenage James Bond
for the 21st century.
Anthony Horowitz
6. The Harry Potter series. Look, the chance to read these books aloud is by itself
a great reason to have kids.
7. “Gentle Ben.” The coming-of-age story of a sickly, introspective Alaskan boy
who makes friends with an Alaskan brown bear, to the horror of his tough,
domineering father.
8. “Anne of Green Gables.” At a time when young ladies were supposed to be

demure and decorative, Anne emerged to become one of the strongest and most
memorable girls in literature.
9. “The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be.” This is a hilarious, poignant and exceptionally
well-written memoir of childhood on the Canadian prairies. (Note, if you prefer
sweet to funny, try “Rascal” instead.)
10. “Little Lord Fauntleroy.” This classic spawned the Fauntleroy suit and named
a duck (Donald Duck’s middle name is Fauntleroy). An American boy from a
struggling family turns out to be heir to an irritable and fabulously wealthy old
English lord, whom the boy proceeds to tame and civilize.
11. “On to Oregon.” This outdoor saga, written almost 90 years ago, is loosely
based on the true story of the Sager family journeying by covered wagon in 1848,
in the early days of the Oregon Trail. The parents die on route, and the seven
children — the youngest just an infant — continue on their own. They are led by
13-year-old John: spoiled, surly, often mean, yet determined and even heroic in
keeping his siblings alive.
12. “The Prince and the Pauper.” Most kids encounter Mark Twain through “Tom
Sawyer,” but this work is at least as funny and offers unforgettable images of
English history.
13. “Lad, a Dog” is simply the best book ever about a pet, a collie. This is to
“Lassie” what Shakespeare is to CliffsNotes. The book was published 90 years
ago, and readers are still visiting Lad’s real grave in New Jersey — plus, this is a
book so full of SAT words it could put Stanley Kaplan out of business.

Best Reading Book

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Best Reading Book

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Best Reading Book

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1. “Charlotte’s Web.

#1: The Tower Treasure

#2: The House on the Cliff

#3: The Secret of the Old Mill

#4: The Missing Chums

#5: Hunting for Hidden Gold

#6: The Shore Road Mystery

#7: The Secret of the Caves

#8: The Mystery of Cabin Island

#9: The Great Airport Mystery

#10: What Happened at Midnight

#11: While the Clock Ticked

#13: The Mark on the Door

#14: The Hidden Harbor Mystery

#15: The Sinister Signpost

#16: A Figure in Hiding

#17: The Secret Warning

#18: The Twisted Claw

#19: The Disappearing Floor

#20: Mystery of the Flying Express

#21: The Clue of the Broken Blade

#22: The Flickering Torch Mystery

#23: The Melted Coins

#24: The Short-Wave Mystery

#25: The Secret Panel

#26: The Phantom Freighter

#27: The Secret of Skull Mountain

#28: The Sign of the Crooked Arrow

#29: The Secret of the Lost Tunnel

#30: The Wailing Siren Mystery

#31: The Secret of Wildcat Swamp

#32: The Crisscross Shadow

#33: The Yellow Feather Mystery

#34: The Hooded Hawk Mystery

#35: The Clue in the Embers

#36: The Secret of Pirates' Hill

#38: Mystery at Devil's Paw

#39: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk

#40: Mystery of the Desert Giant

#41: The Clue of the Screeching Owl

#42: The Viking Symbol Mystery

#43: The Mystery of the Aztec Warrior

#44: The Haunted Fort

#45: The Mystery of the Spiral Bridge

#46: The Secret Agent on Flight 101

#47: Mystery of the Whale Tattoo

#48: The Arctic Patrol Mystery

#49: The Bombay Boomerang

#50: Danger on Vampire Trail

#51: The Masked Monkey

#52: The Shattered Helmet

#53: The Clue of the Hissing Serpent

#54: The Mysterious Caravan

#55: The Witchmaster's Key

#56: The Jungle Pyramid

#57: The Firebird Rocket

#58: The Sting of the Scorpion

#59: Night of the Werewolf

#60: Mystery of the Samurai Sword

#61: The Pentagon Spy