Great Reads
A Great Read is the hilarious picture book you asked your dad to read, “Again!” and “Again!”
A Great Read is the paperback you tucked inside your open geography textbook, risking your teacher’s wrath, because you couldn’t wait to find out what happened in the next chapter.
A Great Read is the book that you “sneaked read” under the bed covers with a flash light, hours after your parents thought you were sound asleep.
A Great Read is a page-turner. It can entertain, comfort, validate, disturb, cause you to question, open new worlds, help you rediscover your own backyard—the best Great Reads do all of those things and more.
A Great Read may, or may not, be great literature, but sharing Great Reads is the best way to turn kids into lifelong readers.
We know families and teachers are always looking for Great Reads for their kids, so we decided to ask some experts —authors and illustrators who daily create their own books for kids— to share their favorite reads. Some of our authors and illustrators are new to the children’s book world; some are experienced veterans. Some work with big, international publishers; some work with small publishers. All are committed to doing the best work they can for all of our children. They share their favorite Great Reads with joy, and in turn we hope you will take a look at their books, too!
Check out our photo gallery on the HOME page and visit our Great Reads Booklist page to see the complete list of all books that have been recommended by our Great Reads authors and illustrators. (To learn how you can recommend an author or illustrator for Great Reads, click here.)
Also be sure to check out our themed booklists, which include recommendations from expert librarians, as well as our recommendations of booklists created by other literacy and library organizations.
Click on a category or scroll down to discover all our Great Reads booklist resources.
Booklists Created by the NCBLA
More Recommendations and Educational Resources
Booklists Created by the NCBLA
Great Reads Author and Illustrator Recommendations
Common Core Book Recommendations by Academic Discipline
American Heroes: Folklore Legends
American Heroes: Historic and Cultural Heroes
Home Run Reading: Baseball and Books for Kids
Discovering Fantasy Beyond Harry Potter
Books Created by the NCBLA
Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out
The Exquisite Corpse Adventure
More Recommendations and Educational Resources
Booklists Created by Other Organizations
Resources
Discover tips for choosing the right books for young people, explanations of children’s book awards, and suggestions for publishing your own books.
Readers Theater
Find the NCBLA’s Readers Theater Education Resource Guide, as well as scripts for selected works of authors Susan Cooper, Grace Lin, and Katherine Paterson.
Video Interviews with Award-Winning Authors
Check out these interviews with Chris Crutcher, Nikki Grimes, Steven Kellogg, Katherine Paterson, and Tanya Lee Stone conducted by students in the Perry Local Schools.
The NCBLA Education Page
This page provides one-stop-shopping for all our educational resources, including The Parent and Guardian Handbook, The Teacher Handbook, and The Mentor Handbook.