How many have you read?

So Betsy Bird, who writes one of the awesomest children's literature blogs on the interwebs, did this insane project wherein she invited everyone who wanted to to contribute their top 10 list of children's novels. She then compiled all the results - assigning each books points so that if a book was #1 on someone's list it got 10 points, #2 got 9 points, etc. - and posted them bit by bit until she had listed the top 100 children's chapter books. This is, of course, already an insane amount of effort, which she compounded by providing an absolutely fascinating amount of quotes and history and book covers for each of the books. (There is still time, by the way, to participate in the poll for top 100 YA novels being compiled by a different blogger with whom I am less familiar, but who is clearly also awesome.)

At any rate, I am not one to waste the prodigious efforts put forth by others. (Nor am I one to be completely creative with their efforts - I "borrowed" this post idea from the blog A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy, who in turn copied the list from TeacherNinja.) So here is the full 100. The ones in bold are the ones I've read. I added annotations to the ones about which I felt strongly.

I've read 79. How 'bout you?

100. The Egypt Game - Snyder (1967)

99. The Indian in the Cupboard - Banks (1980)

98. Children of Green Knowe - Boston (1954)

97. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - DiCamillo (2006)

96. The Witches - Dahl (1983)

95. Pippi Longstocking - Lindgren (1950)

94. Swallows and Amazons - Ransome (1930)

93. Caddie Woodlawn - Brink (1935)

92. Ella Enchanted - Levine (1997)

91. Sideways Stories from Wayside School - Sachar (1978)

Not only did I read this one and More Sideways Stories, but I also read (and absolutely freaking loved) Sideways Math from Wayside School. I heart logic puzzles. I blame that book for my strange desire to get a math minor to go with my English major.

90. Sarah, Plain and Tall - MacLachlan (1985)

89. Ramona and Her Father - Cleary (1977)

In which Ramona's dad loses his job, and 6(?)-year-old Ramona's awareness of the situation is wonderfully presented. Beverly Cleary is pretty much a genius.
88. The High King - Alexander (1968)

87. The View from Saturday - Konigsburg (1996)

86. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Rowling (1999)

85. On the Banks of Plum Creek - Wilder (1937)
The only thing I remember about this book is the fact that they lived in a house that was dug into the ground. That blew my mind. Still does, in fact.

84. The Little White Horse - Goudge (1946)

83. The Thief - Turner (1997)
Full disclosure: this is one of two books that I read specifically because they appeared on the list.

82. The Book of Three - Alexander (1964)

81. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - Lin (2009)

80. The Graveyard Book - Gaiman (2008)

79. All-of-a-Kind-Family - Taylor (1951)

78. Johnny Tremain - Forbes (1943)

Had to read in 5th grade. Yuck.
77. The City of Ember - DuPrau (2003)

76. Out of the Dust - Hesse (1997)

75. Love That Dog - Creech (2001)

This book made me weep in the break room of the library where I was working at the time. I am not a public weeper. Definitely worth the humiliation.
74. The Borrowers - Norton (1953)

I had totally forgotten about this book, but I absolutely adored it as a kid.
73. My Side of the Mountain - George (1959)

72. My Father's Dragon - Gannett (1948)

71. The Bad Beginning - Snicket (1999)

70. Betsy-Tacy - Lovelae (1940)

69. The Mysterious Benedict Society - Stewart ( 2007)

I'm not convinced this belongs on this list. Time will tell, I suppose.
68. Walk Two Moons - Creech (1994)

67. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher - Coville (1991)

66. Henry Huggins - Cleary (1950)

I know for a fact that I read this, but I remember none of it.
65. Ballet Shoes - Stratfeild (1936)

64. A Long Way from Chicago - Peck (1998)

63. Gone-Away Lake - Enright (1957)

62. The Secret of the Old Clock - Keene (1959)

The book was included in the list as a representative for the whole Nancy Drew series. I must say that while I read Nancy Drew, if I were going to include a series not for literary merit, but for sentimental impact on one's life, it would totally be the Baby-Sitter's Club. Nancy Drew has the whole longevity thing going for her though.
61. Stargirl - Spinelli (2000)

60. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle - Avi (1990)

I bought this book at a Scholastic Book Fair at my school, and tried many times to read it, but never made it very far. Sorry, Avi.
59. Inkheart - Funke (2003)

58. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase - Aiken (1962)

57. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 - Cleary (1981)

56. Number the Stars - Lowry (1989)

55. The Great Gilly Hopkins - Paterson (1978)

54. The BFG - Dahl (1982)

53. Wind in the Willows - Grahame (1908)

52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Selznick (2007)

51. The Saturdays - Enright (1941)

50. Island of the Blue Dolphins - O'Dell (1960)

Had to read this in 5th grade. Blech.
49. Frindle - Clements (1996)

48. The Penderwicks - Birdsall (2005)

47. Bud, Not Buddy - Curtis (1999)

46. Where the Red Fern Grows - Rawls (1961)

45. The Golden Compass - Pullman (1995)

44. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing - Blume (1972)

43. Ramona the Pest - Cleary (1968)

Do you remember that Ramona had a doll named Chevrolet, because she thought it was a beautiful name? Ramona is the best.
42. Little House on the Prairie - Wilder (1935)

41. The Witch of Blackbird Pond - Speare (1958)

40. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - Baum (1900)

39. When You Reach Me - Stead (2009)

Amazingly high on the list for such a new book. I loved it pretty intensely, but it will be interesting to see whether it remains beloved.
38. HP and the Order of the Phoenix - Rowling (2003)

37. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - Taylor (1976)

36. Are You there, God? It's Me, Margaret - Blume (1970)

We must, we must, we must increase our bust! Also, menstruation was way more complicated before they invented the concept of sticky back pads.
35. HP and the Goblet of Fire - Rowling (2000)

34. The Watson's Go to Birmingham - Curtis (1995)

33. James and the Giant Peach - Dahl (1961)

32. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH - O'Brian (1971)

31. Half Magic - Eager (1954)

This is the other one I read because of this list, and I've got to say that I highly recommend it. I would have adored it even more when I was 9.

30. Winnie-the-Pooh - Milne (1926)
29. The Dark Is Rising - Cooper (1973)

28. A Little Princess - Burnett (1905)

27. Alice I and II - Carroll (1865/72)

26. Hatchet - Paulsen (1989)
25. Little Women - Alcott (1868/9)

24. HP and the Deathly Hallows - Rowling (2007)

23. Little House in the Big Woods - Wilder (1932)

22. The Tale of Despereaux - DiCamillo (2003)

21. The Lightning Thief - Riordan (2005)

20. Tuck Everlasting - Babbitt (1975)

19. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Dahl (1964)

18. Matilda - Dahl (1988)
17. Maniac Magee - Spinelli (1990)

16. Harriet the Spy - Fitzhugh (1964)

15. Because of Winn-Dixie - DiCamillo (2000)

14. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Rowling (1999)

13. Bridge to Terabithia - Paterson (1977)

Perhaps the only book that we read in 5th grade that I enjoyed. It made me weep in public, too, though. Then again, the Muppets Take Manhattan made me weep in school as well, so maybe the whole "I'm not a public weeper" is something of a self-deception.
12. The Hobbit - Tolkien (1938)

11. The Westing Game - Raskin (1978)

10. The Phantom Tollbooth - Juster (1961)
The other book that may have contributed to my eventual math major. Word play, number play, excellent plot. Plus, did you know that Norton Juster is an accomplished architect? Kind of makes you feel like a loser, no?

9. Anne of Green Gables - Montgomery (1908)

I loved this book the way Melinda loved Little House on the Prairie. Megan Follows as Anne in the movies was my Half-Pint. I knew who Colleen Dewhurst was because she played Marilla Cuthbert, and I was excited when she guest-starred on Murphy Brown. Yes, I was 8 or 9 at the time. Yes, I was kind of a weird kid.
8. The Secret Garden - Burnett (1911)

7. The Giver -Lowry (1993)

6. Holes - Sachar (1998)

5. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - Koningsburg (1967)

Can you believe that at the library where I work, this book hasn't been checked out since 2005? It's in tip-top shape. And yet I refuse to weed it. You just don't weed the Koningsburg.
4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - Lewis (1950)

3. Harry Potter #1 - Rowling (1997)

2. A Wrinkle in Time - L'Engle (1962)

1. Charlotte's Web - White (1952)
I didn't think I was emotionally invested in this list until it was down to the top 5, and I realized that if this didn't top the list, a piece of my soul would die. This is probably my favorite book ever, and so well-written. E.B. White's essays for grown-ups are also amazing.