Recommendations from me as a teenager.
All Around Good
- A Series of Unfortunate Events (Series) by Lemony Snicket
- Lucky Luke by Rene Goscinny
- The Middle Moffat (Series) by Eleanor Estes
- The Great Brain (Series) by John D. Fitzgerald
- Tintin (Series) by Herge
- Henry and the Club House (Series) by Beverly Cleary
- Asterix and Obelix by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo
- Sid Fleischman Books
- The Little Man and the Big Thief by Erich Kästner
- What’s Happening to Me? A Guide to Puberty: Peter Mayle, Arthur Robins (and What’s Going on Down There?)
Exploration
- The Mad Scientists Club (Series) by Bertrand R. Brinley and Charles Geer
- Doyle and Fossey Science Detectives (Series) by Michele Torrey
- Geronimo Stilton (Series) by Geronimo Stilton
- Alvin Fernald (Series) by Clifford Hicks
- Danny Dunn (Series) by Jay Williams & Raymond Abrashkin
- Pippi Longstocking (Series) by Astrid Lindgren
- Little House on the Prairie (series) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Time Stops for No Mouse (series) by Michael Hoeye
- Freddy the Pig (Series) by Walter R. Brooks
For the Little Ones
- The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney
- Mr. Putter and Tabby (Series) by Cynthia Rylant
- Henry and Mudge (Series) by Cynthia Rylant
- Thimbleberry Stories by Cynthia Rylant
- The Old Woman Who Named Things by Cynthia Rylant
- What Do People Do All Day by Richard Scarry
- Tim and Charlotte (Series) by Edward Ardizzone
- All Books By Mem Fox
- Dr. Dog by Babette Cole
- Doctor De Soto by William Steig
- The Twits by Roald Dahl
- Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
- All books by Dr. Seuss
- Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
- This is Series by Miroslav Sasek
Holiday Recommendations
- The Night Before Christmas (Tenth Anniversary Edition) by Clement Clarke Moore and Jan Brett
- The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss
- How Santa Got His Job by Stephen Krensky
Birthday
- Happy Birthday to You! by Dr. Seuss
Mystery
- Stevie Diamond by Linda Bailey
- Chet Gecko, Private Eye (Series) by Bruce Hale
- Nate the Great (Series) by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
- McGurk Mysteries (Series) by E. W. Hildick
- The Three Cousins Detective Club (Series) by Elspeth Campbell Murphy
- Cookie McCorkle (Series) by Sharon Cadwallader
- Sammy Keyes (Series) by Wendelin Van Draanen
- Jigsaw Jones (Series) by James Preller
- The Fourth Floor Twins (Series) by David A. Adler
- I was a Third Grade Spy by Mary Jane Auch
- Basil of Baker Street (and other books by author) by Eve Titus
- Hoot, Flush and Scat (different books) by Carl Hiassen
- What’s a Daring Detective Like Me Doing in the Doghouse? (series) by Linda Bailey
- Sebastian Super Sleuth and the Time Capsule Caper (series) by Mary Blount Christian
- Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kästner
- The Gecko and Sticky (series) by Wendelin Van Draanen
- Agaton Sax (Series) by Nils-Olof Franzen
Non-fiction
- The Spy’s Guide: Office Espionage by Duane Swierczynski
- Free: The Future of a Radical Price by Chris Anderson
- Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely
- Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment by Tal Ben-Shahar
- A Whole New Mind by Dan Pink
Semi-serious
- Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle
- Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
- A Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
- Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
- The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
- From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
- Fudge (Series) by Judy Blume
- Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
- Stuart Little by E. B. White
- Bullies Are A Pain in the Brain! (Series) by Trevor Romain
- Yang the Youngest and his Terrible Ear (Series) by Lensey Namioka
- Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko (and following books)
- Maniac Magee (and other books by same author, definitely Stargirl) by Jerry Spinelli
- Books by Richard Peck, best ones:
Recommendations from me now:
- Everyone’s a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too by Jomny Sun
- Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
- Reality Is Broken by Jane McGonigal
- Incognito by David Eagleman
- Switch by Chip Heath
- Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
- Tools of Titans by Timothy Ferriss
- Priceless by William Poundstone
- Common Errors in English Usage by Paul Brians
- The Know-It-All by A. J. Jacobs
- You Are Not So Smart by David McRaney
- I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
- Ghost in the Wires by Kevin Mitnick
- For the Win by Cory Doctorow
- Nudge by Richard H. Thaler
- Out on the Wire by Jessica Abel
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
- A Billion Wicked Thoughts by Ogi Ogas