Feed Them The Best Books
Book Diet: Choosing the Best Books
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. —Francis Bacon Essays (1625), "Of Studies".
Medal Earners
Caldecott Medal & Honor Books– 1938 to present
Newberry Awards– 1922 to present
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award Winners – from the website:
“The Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award is an annual award given to the author of the book voted most outstanding by students in grades four through eight in participating Illinois schools. The award is named in honor of Rebecca Caudill who lived and wrote in Urbana, Illinois, for nearly 50 years. The award is given in recognition for her literary talent and the universal appeal of her books which have touched the hearts of many children and young adults.”
The Abraham Lincoln Award – similar to above, but voted upon by students in grades 9-12
YALSA (the Young Adult division of the American Library Association) has a Teen’s Top Reads each year announced during Teen Read Week.
Other Lists and Resources
Great Books of the Western World – a project which began at the University of Chicago and collaborated with Mortimer Adler to develop a course for the purpose of helping adults fill in the gaps of their education; to render the reader as an intellectually rounded man or woman familiar with the “Great Books” of the Western canon, and knowledgeable of the great ideas developed in the course of three millennia.
Read-Alouds: Easy Fiction – a Schmaling “house” list created to help parents instill in their children a life-long love for quality, excellent literature.
ATN Reading Resource – a collaborative effort among librarians that has detailed categorizations to help you find specifically what you are searching for
1000 Good Books List – from a classical homeschooling perspective; grouped conveniently by reading/age level
The College Board’s 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers