Hello, and how are you, dears? Good, I hope!

Well it’s summer, which means lots and lots of reading, right? Except if you’re like me, you don’t know what to read.

Don’t panic! Grab your library card and go check out some of these books. I’ve compiled twenty five of my favorite books, including plenty of series to keep you occupied. 🙂

In case you’re wondering, for the most part they aren’t in any particular order. I added a short description – you can ask for a longer one in the comments – and a link to the book on Amazon. (Just note that I didn’t shop around for the cheapest option. Also, these are not affiliate links.)

Now without further ado, I present to you twenty five incredible books!

1. The Mysterious Benedict Society Series: THIS IS (one of) THE BEST SERIES EVER! There’s no bad language, magic, or inappropriate content; it’s great for all ages; and it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read! Unfortunately it’s super hard to explain the plot without spoiling it or else making it sound boring, but I’ll give it a try. After following a strange advertisement in the newspaper and passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children embark on a strange adventure to stop the evil Mr. Curtain from taking over the world with his Whisperer in a most terrible way. They must use their abilities and work as a team to solve the riddles and mysteries at every turn. Ugh, that was an awful summary. You can read a slightly better one here.
2. The Penderwicks Series: Follow the four Penderwick sisters on many hilarious and heartwarming adventures (and misadventures). Filled with funny, well crafted, and extremely relatable characters, these books are immensely satisfying must-reads, and perfect for summer!
3. The Chronicles of Narnia Series: This is part of Amazon’s summary: “…four children travel repeatedly to a world in which they are far more than mere children and everything is far more than it seems. Richly told, populated with fascinating characters, perfectly realized in detail of world and pacing of plot, and profoundly allegorical, the story is infused throughout with the timeless issues of good and evil, faith and hope.” If you haven’t yet read these wonderful classics, well, what are you waiting for?
4. The Mighty Miss Malone: I read this just recently, and it was so good it’s now one of my favorite books! Narrated by a black girl living in the time of the Great Depression, this historical-fiction-ish story is full of humor, warmth, and wonderful characters.
5. Miss Piggle-Wiggle Series:  Charming, clever, and hilarious. Another perfect read-aloud. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is a rather eccentric old lady who finds the most peculiar cures for children’s bad habits. Like the time when she cures a boy who doesn’t want to take a bath by letting him get so dirty, his parents can plant radishes in his hair. Or the time when… well, I could go on, but maybe you should just read them yourself. 😉
6. The Green Ember Series: A delightful adventure story starring two rabbits named Heather and Picket. When their peaceful world is disturbed, the two siblings are thrown onto a dangerous path that will take strength they didn’t know they had. Joined by many interesting and sometimes mysterious characters, the two rabbits join the fight “Till the Green Ember rises or the end of the world.” These books are kind of a blend of Watership Down, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings.
7. Freddy the Pig Series: Freddy the Pig is no ordinary pig. He’s also a writer, a detective, and leader of all the animals on Mr. Bean’s farm – in short, Freddy is a hero. He, along with his friends Jinx the cat and Mrs. Wiggins the cow, lead the farm animals on all sorts of wild adventures, uncovering schemes and concocting clever plans.
8. Charlotte’s Web: Wilbur the pig goes into hysterics when he finds out he will be butchered one day. But with the help of his talented spider friend Charlotte and farm girl Fern, they come up with a plan that just might save his bacon. This is definitely another children’s classic.
9. Do Hard Things: This is quite different from the rest of the books on this list, but it’s one of the most life-changing. Do Hard Things is a how-to book written by teenagers that shows you how to overcome society’s pathetically low expectations for today’s teenagers and use your life to make a difference. That involves sometimes scary things and stepping outside your comfort zone, but the rewards are sky-high. The authors are unashamedly Christian, but their points are still as true and thought-provoking for non-Christians. Read this. Please. (They also have a website called therebelution.com.)
10. Pippi Longstocking Series: These books contain the laugh-out-loud escapades of an unusually spunky, peculiar, and delightful red-haired girl who can turn anything into an adventure. A great read-aloud for all ages.
11. Anne of Green Gables Series: A sweet, funny series about another lovable red-haired orphan girl. Anne-with-an-e has a big heart and a flair for the dramatic. She encounters many trials in her life such as that hilarious escapade with the “raspberry cordial,” nearly drowning while pretending to be a heroine in a poem, and a certain boy named Gilbert who insists on calling her “Carrots.”
12. Swiss Family Robinson: An exciting adventure story about a family who is shipwrecked on an island and must fend for themselves. The language of the original is rather dense, but the story is sooo good once you get into it! Mom read it to my siblings and I quite a few years ago and we all loved it.
13. Little Women: Four sisters learn to make their own fun from what they have while their father is away at war and their mother works hard to support their family. Sorry, this one’s a little hard to summarize. XD But it IS really good! 😉
14. The Little House Series: The classic (true) story of life as a pioneer. It’s amazing how very different Laura and Almanzo’s lives were from ours – a world without cars or electronics, where everyone made their own clothes and built their own houses and grew most of their own food. I like how my little sister says reading these make her feel all warm inside – me too! 😀 One of my top favorite series ever!
15. Peter Pan: Three children visit Neverland – a magical world of fairies, mermaids, pirates, and boys who never grow up. A delightful children’s classic.
16. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH: When Mrs. Frisby’s home is about to be destroyed, the mouse seeks help from the mysterious rats of NIMH, rats who are abnormally strong and intelligent. But why? What happened to the rats and how are they connected to NIMH, whatever that stands for? I think this is a lesser known book/series that deserves more popularity. It’s really quite good!
17. The Borrowers Series: Unbeknownst to the humans, a family of tiny people live within their walls, surviving by “borrowing” human things – dollhouse furniture, scraps of food, bits of thread… But what would happen if the humans discovered them? It looks like they’re about to find out.
18. Mr. Popper’s Penguins: Part of Amazon’s summary: “A classic of American humor, the adventures of a house painter and his brood of high-stepping penguins have delighted children for generations.” This is such a funny, charming book.
19. Mary Poppins Series: Let’s do another Amazon summary: “When their new nanny, Mary Poppins, arrives on a gust of the East Wind, greets their mother, and slides up the banister, Jane and Michael’s lives are turned magically upside down . . . Mary takes the children on the most extraordinary outings: to a fun fair inside a pavement picture; to visit Uncle Andrew who floats up to the ceiling when he laughs; on a spectacular trip to see the Man-in-the-Moon!”
20. My Side of the Mountain Trilogy: A boy named Sam runs away and makes a home for himself on the side of a mountain, learning how to hunt, cook, make a house out of a tree, and more. This series reminds me of Swiss Family Robinson and The Little House.
21. The Wizard of Oz Series: A tornado suddenly whisks Dorothy and her dog Toto away to a strange new land with talking lions and scarecrows and tin men – and a mysterious wizard who seems to be hiding something. But what? And now how will Dorothy ever get back to her farm?
22. Winnie the Pooh Series: An adorable, hilarious story about a stuffed bear and his companions who live in the Hundred Acre Wood. I absolutely love the writing style, the gentle yet laugh-out-loud humor, and the lovable characters. This is meant for younger children, but older children and adults will love it too – a perfect read-aloud.
23. James Herriot Series: A sort of autobiography about the adventures of James Herriot, a vet who works in the England countryside. He encounters many strange and funny cases, but he manages all of them with a warm sense of humor and some soap and hot water.
24. The Secret Garden: One of my favorite classics! A young girl discovers a hidden garden and takes it upon herself to uncover its secrets and bring it back to life. The garden miraculously does the same to her and her friends and makes them grow and blossom in ways they had never thought possible.
25. And last but the opposite of least… The Bible! The Bible is not only the most important book you will ever read, but it has some quite interesting (and true!) stories in it: the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Ruth, Esther, Daniel, David, Paul, and of course, Jesus, among many, many others. The amazing thing about the Bible is you can always find some new detail or meaning every time you read it. Try it and see! You might be surprised at how a supposedly familiar Bible story or passage encourages you in a fresh new way.

Well, I hope you found some new stories to try in that list, my friends. Which ones are you looking forward to reading? How many have you already read? And what are a few of your favorite books?

***Allison***

P. S. I have sooooo many more favorite books that I originally was going to do a list of 50, but I thought that would get a bit long. XD So maybe I can do another book list post! What do you guys think?